Eric's nausea grew more intense. "Hold on!"He covered his mouth and hurried to the restroom, with Jasmine following closely.Inside, Eric vomited up his lunch."What's wrong, Eric?" she asked.Jasmine stepped closer to pat his back, but he pushed her away. "Stay back! Don't come closer!"After vomiting, he rinsed his mouth and washed his face with tap water. When he turned around, he noticed Jasmine was still there!"What do you want?!" he snapped, clearly irritated by Jasmine.Jasmine had a plan when she came here. Today, she wore a short skirt with black stockings that looked alluring. She believed Eric wouldn't be able to resist. With this in mind, she extended her leg and said, "I don't believe you have zero interest in me."Claiming he had no interest at all would be untrue. The allure of black stockings was powerful. Eric did glance down briefly. Nevertheless, she couldn't match Sylvia in terms of beauty. He gazed at Jasmine seriously and explained, "Jasmine, let me
"You're hardcore, Eric!" Andy exclaimed.He couldn't believe Eric had managed to send Jasmine away with a bank card containing only 10 dollars. He wondered how Jasmine would react when she saw the account balance.Eric asked, "Andy, can I borrow money from the company account?"He was utterly broke. The bank card with the compensation money from his hometown's land was still with his sister. Sylvia had given him a bank card when they got married, but he stubbornly refused to accept it.After starting Innova Tech, he invested 10,000 dollars as initial capital and spent the rest over the past month.Andy widened his eyes in shock. "Eric, seriously? You are driving a Mercedes-Benz S-Class and want to borrow from the company?"Eric didn't seem short on funds, no matter how he looked at it. He hadn't even put a license plate on his car yet."I'm dead serious," Eric replied. "The car was a gift from Sylvia. You know my situation. Even if we split the profits at the end of the year, I
Sylvia had worried that Eric might develop feelings for her or just be interested in her wealth and background. However, after spending over two months together, she realized she had grown used to having Eric around.She didn't dare think about how upset Eric would be when he discovered she had been deceiving him all along. The more one cared about something, the more one feared losing it. She had made an effort to discover Eric's good qualities, and although she hadn't found many, she noticed his genuineness. Just as Sylvia was lost in her thoughts, Eric emerged from the kitchen, carrying dishes."Hello? Knock, knock. Wakey, wakey. It's time to eat," Eric called out.Sylvia sat across from Eric, her lips tightly pressed together. When Eric glanced her way, she said, "Eric, I have a question for you.""Of course, fire away," Eric replied."Well," Sylvia hesitated, "imagine, hypothetically speaking, if I were hiding something from you, how would you react?"She was curious
Andy seemed to sense it, but he chose to ignore the feeling.Today, Big Sis brought some friends along to help with the business.When Eric saw Sylvia assisting Elly, he pulled Andy to the side with an exasperated expression. "What's going on with you? I treat you like a brother, and now you're pursuing my sister?"Andy grinned playfully. "Well, brothers-in-law are like brothers, too."Eric rolled his eyes and said, "Given my sister's situation, you should save your efforts. You two just aren't a suitable match!"Andy was single, and his sister had two sons. They just weren't compatible.Andy waved it off. "No worries. Relationships take time to develop."Eric was baffled. He couldn't grasp what Andy saw in his sister.Andy was younger than Eric and now his business partner. He didn't have to worry about finding a wife.Changing the topic, Andy asked, "Let's talk about something else. Have you heard back from the equipment manufacturers regarding your suggestions?"Eric shook
Elly pursed her lips, feeling that it was unjust for Blake. Richard's family was wealthy, so affording the treatment shouldn't have been an issue.-Later that afternoon, Richard and his family arrived, except for Eric and Elly's paternal grandmother, Alyssa Irwin.Richard patted his stomach, "Blake, none of us have had lunch yet."Blake replied, "I've asked Elly to prepare extra lunch dishes. We can warm them up upstairs."Their expressions soured upon learning it was leftovers."Blake, we traveled all the way to the city," Richard exclaimed. "You can't expect us to eat leftovers! At the very least, take us out for a proper meal!"The others nodded in agreement.Blake's frowed. "Back in our hometown, we managed well with simple meals like cabbage and chicken soup. Your lives have improved recently, and you're already complaining? If you're hungry, eat. If not, don't."It was already 1:00 p.m., and they hadn't eaten yet?Blake understood their intentions, but he had no patien
Sylvia sneered. "Isn't it convenient timing?"Eric frowned, finding it strange, too. But his concern for his grandmother made him push aside his suspicion.Sylvia continued. "Remember last time when Mayor Jenkins asked us to return? I overheard your uncle asking him to return to him 20,000 dollars, which happens to match our donation. Then there's the missing certificate and the over 7,000 dollars he pocketed. It's raising questions about Grandma's illness. "The motive seems simple. They want the land compensation money. My hunch is they'll keep coming back, maybe even demand another 10,000 dollars in a few days, until they've emptied the pot."Eric frowned. Sylvia's argument had merit. Given what had happened in their hometown, Jared and Richard seemed capable of such actions.He suggested, "Let's visit the hospital later. We can ask the doctor whether it's true or not."Sylvia smiled and shook her head, "They've even prepared a fake medical diagnosis. Asking the doctor would b
They would get caught if they went to a regular hospital.Richard wouldn't let that happen. He asked, "How do we know you really have the money? What if you're tricking us and won't give us anything?"Sylvia sighed. Richard's behavior only reinforced her belief that Alyssa's illness was a hoax. They seemed solely interested in extracting money from Eric and his family.She pulled car keys from her bag and another set from Eric's pocket, placing both on the table. She declared, "One is a Ferrari worth over 400,000 dollars, and the other is a new Mercedes S450 worth 200,000 dollars. Do you still doubt my ability to pay?"Eric was astonished. He had no idea Sylvia even owned a Ferrari.Sylvia's wealth amazed Gavin and Kayden, but Richard had a headache. He suddenly patted his head and said, "These keys must be fake, right? They're probably just fancy lighters!"Sylvia froze for a moment, then burst into laughter. She hadn't expected Richard to come up with such a strange theory just
Noticing their hesitation, Sylvia spoke up. "What's wrong? Don't you trust us? Let's settle the bill now and wait for the results."Rickard remained silent.Sylvia frowned. "Hmm? The woman inside is your mother. Are you really unwilling to help your own mother?"Sylvia's words drew everyone's attention. Refusing to pay would label them as ungrateful.Rickard finally spoke. "Let's... Let's think it over later."He couldn't believe Sylvia was manipulating them, and he felt frustrated.A woman chimed in. "What's there to think about? Your mother's in the hospital, and you're still hesitating? If you wait, she might not make it! They say raising children is like securing your old age! In my opinion, you're all ungrateful!"This comment attracted more onlookers, and accusatory fingers were pointed at Rickard's group.The crowd grew angrier, especially the elderly folks. One senior with a cane almost struck Rickard.They perhaps had faced similar situations, hence their unusual ange