When he spotted me, he got excited as if he had just won the lottery."Chloe, what a coincidence! You're here early, too? We were planning to go together. I wanted to see our daughter as soon as possible!" He stepped out of his car and briskly walked toward me.I put some distance between us. I wasn't keen on our daughter going out to dinner with him. Firstly, I didn't trust him at all. It also felt like a stab in the heart.I quickly dialed my mother's number, fearing she might run into Matthew. I didn't want her to feel upset.Only then did I welcome our daughter out. Upon seeing Matthew, Ava hesitated for a moment. She instinctively looked up at me, and I understood her feelings. This child had learned to read the room.Matthew, on the other hand, seemed natural. "Hey there, princess! Did you miss Daddy? Let me have a look!"Ava didn't move, keeping her gaze on me."Say something, honey. Your dad wants you to join him for dinner. He was busy yesterday, so today, he's maki

With trembling hands, I called Johnson to pick up Matthew's car. I waited until Johnson arrived and gave him instructions before leaving with Ava. No matter what, Ava didn't want that toy that Matthew gave her. Back at home, Ava rushed into her grandmom's arms with a loud cry. My mom looked at me, puzzled, and I briefly explained what had happened. My parents let out a deep sigh. That night, I slept with Ava. She told me with a quiver in her voice that she never wanted to see her dad again.I was at a loss for words. Faced with such a dad, I couldn't even defend him. From today's events, I could see how miserable Matthew's days would be in the future.I comforted Ava and shared some simple wisdom with her, teaching her to be a responsible and good person. I wasn't sure how much she understood, but I didn't want her mind to be filled with darkness.Johnson finally called me late at night. He said, "Chlo, don't worry! She's okay.""What about the baby?" I asked worriedly."The

I glanced at Grayson and said, "It seems Stella has some issues. You know about Atlas's parents' plane crash, right?""Yes." "We should investigate Stella's father, Rory." My intuition told me there might be a connection there."That's exactly what I was thinking. I've already given the order, and they're investigating Rory!""Atlas mentioned that his parents' plane crash wasn't straightforward. I want to know why he believed that," I stated. "Let's focus on this aspect of the investigation. Having multiple angles can be beneficial."Grayson agreed, albeit with some hesitation.I paused and said, "Grayson, regardless of your previous relationship with Atlas, I hope you'll support me now. Even though there are feelings between Atlas and me, I don't want you to link us together. I have my own goals and inquiries."Grayson nodded solemnly, "Understood, Ms. Chloe!"I smiled. "You know, this affects my direction of development, and... my choices!""Yeah, got it!" He seemed to unde

I had never met Lauren’s date but was familiar with his appearance. Still, I wasn’t the only one. Most in Foswood should be familiar with him because he was always on TV. It was easy to search for someone online now, not to mention someone famous.Lauren continued as we entered my car, “He has been considerate toward me, and I’m content. People should be grateful for what they have. We distanced ourselves from each other after the incident with Matthew.“Soon after, we realized we couldn’t live without each other. Even though we get what we need, perhaps this is how our relationship is supposed to be.”I felt guilty when she mentioned her situation with Matthew. Her reputation would’ve remained intact if I didn’t meddle. Still, I never expected Lauren and I to be so close.“Indeed, it’s rare that he’s loyal to you, but…” I began.“It’s okay this way. If love were to last long, it wouldn’t be interesting. Haha! Plus, it’s better not to be together constantly. Otherwise, the relatio

I glanced at Ivanna in puzzlement. After all, I had never interacted with Harmony before, yet she knew my name. I knew Ivanna was equally surprised."Yes, I am," I replied confidently.Harmony smiled faintly. "Someone kept telling me that someone looks similar to me. I didn't expect us to have a resemblance."I immediately realized what she was referring to. Something told me she had met someone inside the restaurant."Ms. Harmony, may I ask how old you are?" I calmly inquired.She hesitated momentarily. Her eyes turned cold as she asked in annoyance, “Why?”“Oh, don’t overthink it. I’m not interested in your private life. I just want to know who’s older between us,” I continued smilingly, “I assume you’re younger because of your beauty and charm.”"I think so, too," she replied firmly.“Then, it’s true that you look like me,” I contradicted her earlier statement, “I’m the original, after all.” I discreetly scoffed at the idea that I resembled her.Lauren returned from the res