**** After an entire night filled with twists and turns, the birthday celebration finally concluded, and everyone dispersed, returning to their respective homes. But before then, the prevailing topic of discussion had shifted away from Alex to Cliff. Yes, Cliff. Initially, after everyone was disdainful of Alex for gifting a lady items that could make him one of the wealthiest people in the town, they gradually shifted their focus away from him, ignoring him completely as they all thought he wasn't worthy of their time.However, just as it was time for the birthday celebrant to begin dancing, someone screamed, startling everyone. In fear that something dreadful had occurred, a crowd quickly gathered around the person who had screamed, and from him, they had all learned about the dire situation of the Sotto Family. Instantly, Cliff's demeanor changed drastically and he hurriedly made his exit. It remained uncertain whether he had fled to evade possible arrest or sought refuge at
***** The following day, Jewel awoke with a slight groan, and then she stretched her arms, eliciting several crackling sounds. Although she appeared oblivious, this morning she felt more invigorated than ever before, and presently, all the pores on her body were wide open. Feeling weightless and liberated, she sat up erect on the bed when suddenly, the memories from the previous day came rushing back to her mind. Immediately, a broad smile graced her face, and she began to grin foolishly to herself. Instinctively, her hand reached to her neck, which currently bore an exceedingly exquisite necklace. After caressing the necklace for a while, she touched her head and brushed her hand carefully and gently against the cool object there. She was suddenly tempted to remove the two accessories and admire them, but upon recollecting the promise she had made to her Fiancée last night before they both parted ways, she refrained. With the smile on her face remaining unchanged, she abruptl
***** As usual, Dami returned to Alex's villa early in the morning to clean and prepare his dinner. Honestly, contrary to what Alex had anticipated, Dami was no longer sorrowful about what had happened at the party the previous night. This was especially true as soon as her thoughts underwent a breakthrough, she resumed her usual routine, patiently and patiently waiting for Alex to wake up. But the moment Alex finally awoke and left the bedroom, he was once again engulfed in guilt, even more than last night. Truth be told, Alex was no fool, and even if he were, Dami's emotions and intentions had long been shown by her and evident to him for a while now. He had only chosen to turn a blind eye, but after last night, he realized that he was only being unfair to her. So, after a night of contemplation and rest, Alex had made a decision which he felt would be the best for them both.First, he resolved to start treating Dami with the kindness she deserved and although he wouldn't exp
***** Everybody had initially been caught off-guard the moment Jewel arrived at the Ancestral Villa not long ago and they had been utterly astonished.This included the old family leader who had always maintained her strict composur. It took more than ten minutes before they finally regained their senses, and the moment they all did, they began to brim heavily with envy, the ladies there especially. Although they couldn’t comprehend how someone’s beauty could multiply and undergo such a huge transformation in the span of a single night, the presence of Jewel was a big proof that it was possible. As for Caterina and a few of Jewel’s cousins, they were immediately filled to the brim with resentment for Jewel while also wondering how she dared to be this beautiful. After nearly thirty minutes, the commotion eventually subsided, and the family Leader began in a manner that invited a strong rebuke. As if it was Jewel’s duty to provide everything the family considered valuable to them
***** "What do you imply by that?" "Why would soldiers intrude on our estate?" "What is their objective?!" "We've never committed any wrongdoings before!" At this juncture, the inside of the ancestral mansion was already in complete chaos, with everyone's faces completely pale from fear. This included Jewel. As for the Family leader. Though she was also brimming with fear, she swiftly regained control of her emotions and stood up with an urgent expression appearing on her face. "A mistake must have occurred! Our family has never committed any transgressions before!" Trying to convince herself of this with strong certainty, the family leader hastily instructed the servant who had come to report the military's intrusion to escort her. Immediately, she was escorted away while everyone else stepped back with ashen faces. Suddenly, some second and third-generation members of the family began to quietly advise their younger and older ones with solemn expressions on their faces.
***** "I insisted that you offer an apology!" At this juncture, Christiana wore an incredulous expression on her face as she gazed at her grandmother with shock. It wasn't just her. Everyone present, except for Alex, shared a sense of disbelief. They were all aware of the profound love and affection the Family leader harbored for Christiana, even though she didn't always express it overtly. Even Jewel couldn't help but feel like she was in a dream. But then she suddenly turned her gaze to Alex, her eyes brimming with questions. Alex, on the other hand, continued to smile, his heart pounding at the sight of his stunning fiancée. "I said you should apologize!" Once again, the Family leader repeated, her tone as cold and emotionless as before. But this time, Christiana finally realized that her grandmother was not joking. Instantly, her eyes welled up as if she might cry, but she fought to hold back the tears as much as she could.Then after a great reluctance, she eventually gl
***** Presently, both Jewel and Alex could be observed strolling leisurely side by side within the Marshman family. With a faint smile on his face, Alex couldn't resist but gaze at Jewel from time to time.From her expression, Alex could naturally discern that there was so much she desired to inquire about, but she refrained from doing so, probably due to uncertainty about how to approach the subject or a concern about invading his privacy. In light of this, Alex harbored another surge of admiration for Jewel. He then contemplated sharing everything with her, well, everything other than the encounter he had with her grandmother that day which even he had no idea about, what had caused her sudden change of behavior to him. Reflecting on this, Alex couldn't help but abruptly shake his head gently as he couldn't recall revealing his identity to the elderly woman. 'Oh!' Alex's mind suddenly clicked. 'It must be due to the soldiers.' Considering this, Alex wore a soft smile, findin
***** Filled to the brim with intense anxiety, Jewel rushed toward the source of her mother's piercing scream and continued calling her. But when she received no response, she could only opt to forcefully push open the washroom door and enter without hesitation. "Mo..." The words she was about to utter suddenly became stuck in her throat as her eyes widened, overwhelmed by disbelief. "Mo... Mother, is... is that you?" Jewel found it exceedingly challenging to believe that the woman she was currently seeing in the large mirror who was gaping at herself with shock and confusion was her mother. Although her mother had also been a great beauty in her youth, the passage of time had taken its toll on her, with wrinkles beginning to appear on her face. But now, as if she were a mirror image of Jewel, her face was wrinkle-free and extremely appealing. Her beauty had been rejuvenated, making her look like she had returned to her younger years, exuding a fresh and elegant allure. At thi