Rose understood the Pierce family, so I listened to her intently."The two of them were married for many years with no children. They appeared to have a strong bond, but Louis didn’t come along until many years later. Sadly, shortly after his birth, Nancy passed away."Not long after, David remarried and had Celine. Many speculated that David's new wife was a swindler and that they had an affair a long time ago."So, David didn't have the best reputation. They severed his connections after Nancy's entire family turned against him.""But did Mr. David have an affair with Celine's mother?" I was curious."Since Celine is only a year younger than Louis, David’s reputation took a hit." Rose declared, "Facts speak louder than words!""So, Mr. David handed the family business to Louis?" I analyzed the situation. "He must’ve found it hard to stop the gossip. It seems he had no choice."Rose nodded. "Exactly. By then, David was quite old. He kept that power for a long time, but the Cros
Rose continued, "Adeline also secretly targeted Louis's business, which infuriated the Cross family. They wanted to take action, but Louise advised against it. He let go of the Pierce family, demonstrating his value for loyalty and gratitude. "He not only wanted to repay the Cross family for raising him, but he also felt obligated to his father. After the company stabilized, he gave it to Celine. He also gave his father a peaceful retirement. This kept things quiet for a few years, but little did he know..."Rose shook her head in resignation. "Humans, they always let greed win.""Is Mr. David still alive?" I had never heard Atlas mention his grandfather.Rose nodded. "He's still around, pushing 98 or 99 years old. But since his son's passing, he’s filled with regret."He left Celine and her mother at their estate and moved alone to the old Pierce house. He secluded himself, cut off from the outside world, and paid no attention to Pierce family matters. It's like he's on a spirit
Rose scoffed. "He's just burying his head in the sand, afraid that people will find out. But the entire world is bound to know. So, he scurries into his hole, trying to cover up the truth. He thinks no one will see if he doesn't make a sound!"Atlas has had a tough life. He was not even ten when he lost his parents. He carries so much torment!" Rose sighed, "I hope he'll have smooth sailing from now on. You need to look out for him.""Grandma, I will," I vowed."He has matured. This environment has molded him into someone determined, cautious, and strategic. He's destined for greatness," Rose said."Have you ever met Rory?" My question surprised me. Why did I ask about this?Rose pondered as if trying to recall him. "Hmm. I have!""Really?" I was excited. "What kind of person is he?""Steady, decisive, loyal, and wise. He managed many business affairs between the Beringer and Pierce families.""His wife, Lucille Avila, was Tammy's classmate and close friend. The four of them we
Sure enough, Grace was overjoyed when we got home. She learned we visited the Beringer home. Her first words to my mom were, "Chlo is good! It's the Murphy family who are unfortunate."Even if my mom were upset about the past, she would not hate a dying person. She just smiled.Atlas stayed to chat with my dad for a while before he left.After putting Ava to bed, Grace knocked on my door. I quickly let her in.She still seemed awkward in front of me. I reached out and pulled her to sit on the couch. "Is there something on your mind?""Well...not really. I just wanted to spend some time with you," she said cautiously, and it tugged at my heart. I couldn't stand seeing someone so vulnerable. I sat beside her just like old times.Grace took care of me wholeheartedly during my postpartum period. She cared for me even more than her son.Matthew was already involved with Melanie then. Grace was the only one who genuinely took care of me."Mom..." I awkwardly called her. After all
She kept her head down, avoiding my gaze. I understood she would side with her son in any situation. I get it."I've been living in a small house for eight years. I know spacious and bright houses are nice, but I didn't have many thoughts about it. All I wanted was to feel at home. I didn't need a big place. As long as I had him, it was enough."My words were filled with melancholy."But he went behind my back, disregarding Ava's future. He bought a house for Melanie in Amethyst Apartments, the place I had my eyes on. I wouldn’t let you all repeatedly humiliate me. That's why I must take back what's rightfully mine. What’s wrong with that?"I looked at Grace, who hung her head and remained silent."Don't overthink while you're living here," I said."I just want to spend more time with Ava. I'll go back eventually!" Grace looked at me."Don't worry too much. Your home is where you want it to be. How have you been feeling lately? If you're not feeling well, you must tell me. It's
I was restless the entire night.Every time I thought about my past with Matthew, I couldn't find peace. I pitied Grace, who had no one to rely on at such an old age, unlike others who had their families.Her whole life had been pitiful, and now, at the end, she still pleaded for her son.After Grace settled in with me, Matthew came once to see her with a lot of supplements, treating her like a neighbor. He didn't mention taking her back with him, perhaps feeling that she would be better cared for here.However, he did inform Grace that Abby had been detained for 15 days due to causing trouble here. This brought Grace some joy; she thought it was her son taking revenge for her, but it was actually Atlas's doing. I didn't tell her, though.I wanted to let her leave thinking that her son did care for her.The house I found for Lauren was in the duplex building next to Ivanna's, with about 120 square meters of space. Atlas helped find it, and I made the decision to buy it because I
Atlas exchanged a handshake with Arthur before walking into the VIP hall. Inside, it became apparent that all the prominent upper management figures of Foswood were present, and they all politely greeted Atlas upon seeing him.His significant contribution to this networking event couldn't be overlooked, as he had invited numerous personnels from foreign financial institutions with ongoing projects to offer.The timing of this event coincided with the implementation phase of the plans for the latter half of the year, so they were scheduled to hold a meeting here.Atlas had someone escort me to the luxurious suite reserved for us, which was no different from a high-end suite on land. The area was quiet, likely occupied by other VIPs, without the commotion of random people moving about.After hanging up my coat, I stepped out of the room to get some fresh air on the deck. From a distance, I could still see many people boarding, all dressed in their finest attire.Initially, Ivanna wa
Stella hadn't had the chance to utter her ill-intended words when a voice from behind interrupted us."What are you doing here?" I turned to see it was Atlas.His clear gaze swept over Stella, and he asked, "What were you talking about?"Stella immediately swallowed the words she was about to say, her expression somewhat flustered. However, she quickly changed her demeanor and tried to grasp Atlas's arm. "Atlas, Chloe and I were just chatting about random things.”I maintained my calm smile, appearing nonchalant, observing Stella's rapid change of expression.Yet, I couldn't help feeling regretful. I had missed another opportunity. I suspected that whatever Stella wanted to tell me just now would have been another version of the story.These things felt like fragments of memories, slowly piecing themselves together in my mind.Without hesitation, Atlas took my hand in front of Stella. "Let's go inside to rest a bit and have something to eat first. We'll set sail a bit later."I