It was already morning by the time Mason had handled the company matters.He quickly freshened up and prepared to leave. Ava gazed at her boss's handsome face, feeling a bit disoriented. Despite both of them working through the night, she had reapplied her makeup several times, but Mason still looked sharp and vibrant.Coincidentally, there were a few executives in the conference room. In an attempt to appear close to Mason, Ava positioned herself nearby and cheerfully asked, "Mr. Mason, would you like to have breakfast first, or shall we head home? I've ordered your favorite cream puffs."Mason wasn't fond of sweets. The only time he praised cream puffs was when Zoe made them. Ava, unaware of this fact, assumed it was the master chef at Dafford who made them, so she ordered them several times.Every time, Mason left it for the driver.Now, as Ava brought it up again, Mason remembered that Zoe hadn't made any pastries for him in a long time. In the past, Zoe would always bring h
Mason knew that Zoe's loss of appetite was not due to her physical condition but because of him. It was because he refused to divorce her, making her feel gloomy and reluctant to talk to people. Without turning back, he calmly said, "I got it." The nurse didn't dare to say much and quickly left.In fact, the hospital staff had been gossiping these past few days. Some said that Mason had a mistress outside, and Zoe couldn't bear it, so she attempted suicide. Others speculated that Mason loved Zoe too much, causing her to suffer from depression due to feeling overwhelmed. Though just idle chatter, no one dared to spread the news of Zoe's wrist-cutting incident.After finishing his cigarette, Mason returned to the hospital room. After three days of recuperation, aside from the scar on her wrist, Zoe could move freely. When Mason entered, she was leaning against the bed reading a book, her black hair cascading over her slender shoulders. She wore the loose blue and white hospital
Mason drove back to the villa. The housekeepers were surprised to see him, unaware of Zoe being hospitalized. They assumed he had gone on a business trip.One of the housekeepers opened the car door. "Are you back for dinner, sir? The kitchen didn't know that you were back, so it might take an hour for them to prepare something."Mason, looking slightly fatigued, replied, "Just prepare something light."The housekeeper hurried off to arrange it. Mason got out of the car, entered the villa's hall, and found it well-maintained, even after his absence for a few days.Mason, who had been busy all night, prepared to go upstairs for a quick shower. However, as soon as he opened the door to the master bedroom, he saw a large wedding photo hanging at the bedside.In the picture, Zoe smiled sweetly, radiating happiness. They got married in a haste. He did not like her, so he refused to take pictures. Therefore, she spent a hundred thousand to have this photo composeWhen they mar
He carried his luggage downstairs, and Zoe, with delicate white fingers, gently tugged at the hem of his shirt. She was on the verge of tears.Mason had no intention of relenting. After all, he didn't love Zoe. Despite her pleas, he got into the car and left. He spent about a week in Hucksburgh, during which time Lilith underwent her first leg surgery. It was also the week when the media exposed Mason's relationship with Lilith, leading to the first rumors of an extramarital affair.Upon his return from the business trip, Zoe made no mention of her family matters. She attended to him as she used to, packing his suitcase and preparing a bath. After Mason bathed, he slept with her twice. It was the quietest intimate encounter they had had since marriage. Neither of them made a sound, and Zoe buried her face in the pillow, suppressing her body's pleasure, reluctant to make a sound.She felt guilty.After the lovemaking, Mason sat at the edge of the bed, smoking silently. Zoe softl
Mason sat in the living room for the entire afternoon. As the dusk settled in, he finally stirred, dialing a number on his phone. "Please ask Mr. Bernard to come to the mansion and draft a divorce agreement for me."On the other end of the line, Ava was left dumbfounded for a moment before managing to find her voice. "Mr. Mason, are you suggesting a divorce?"Mason hung up without a word. Ava blinked, finally understanding her boss's intentions.For a brief moment, she felt a sense of joy. She couldn't help but think that if Mason was getting a divorce, there might be an opportunity for her to get closer to him. She had more advantages than Lilith.Half an hour later, Ava arrived at the mansion with Bernard in tow. The atmosphere in the study was incredibly heavy. Sensing something amiss, the housekeeper promptly served coffee and discreetly left the room. She recognized Bernard and speculated that Mason might be seeking a divorce from Zoe.The aroma of coffee filled the a
A petite 8-inch cake sat on the table. It was a deep blue cake with little yellow stars, a mini tent, and a little girl sitting inside the tent, hands clasped together, making a wish.In the hospital room, Zoe sat on the sofa, gazing at the small cake. Her expression was girlish, her eyes sparkling. She exuded a gentle aura reminiscent of their early days of marriage when she looked at him with those same sparkling eyes. Now, her softness was toward another man.Just a cake was enough to make her so happy.Mason recalled her words. "Mason, I don't like you anymore."'Has she fallen for Cecil?'Mason's face darkened, and eventually, he burst into a mocking laugh. Suddenly, he didn't want to let Zoe go.The divorce papers were torn into halves, turning into a pile of waste paper.…Zoe was about to cut the cake.Mason entered, appearing in the hospital room. She saw his slightly pale face and subconsciously tried to hide the cake. It was the only precious thing she had after
In the midst of Zoe's daze, Mason headed to the bathroom. After a while, the sound of rushing water echoed from the bathroom, occasionally accompanied by the low, husky voice of a man.Zoe was a mature woman now. She figured out that Mason was attending to his physical needs in the bathroom.After about 20 minutes, Mason emerged from the bathroom, wearing a standard white bathrobe. The collar was slightly open, revealing his fair and sturdy chest, covered in droplets of water trickling down his body.Mason paid no attention to these details. He walked over and stood silently at the bedside, observing the absent-minded Zoe.After a while, Zoe looked up at him. The corners of her eyes were reddened, and her eyes were misty with tears. No woman could accept such cruel treatment from her husband, even if she had endured such a marriage for three years.She thought she had grown accustomed to it.Mason looked at her pitiful face without the slightest change in his emotions. All his
"Of course, you can reject this," Mason said. "But I can guarantee that without my help, Noah will be in prison for a good ten years. Zoe, let me remind you of how outstanding your brother was back then. "Numerous elite ladies were eyeing him. If it weren't for his fall from grace and the Sanders family's downfall, he would have it all in a couple of years. He would have a family and children."…If, in the past, Mason had torn apart Zoe's body. Now, he was tearing apart her heart. They had finally stripped away all the veils, speaking openly and straightforwardly. He wanted her to be his wife not for love but for the sake of interest and appearances.Noah's freedom was the price he set for her.Zoe didn't refuse. Still, she didn't agree immediately. Her hands tightly grasped the bedsheets, restraining all her emotions as she looked at him, softly saying, "I need some time to think about it."Mason wasn't surprised at all. He thought to himself that people grow, and Zoe was no e
Zion and Gwen's marriage seemed inevitable, with no one putting up any resistance. Occasionally, Gwen even had a strange illusion.It all went so smoothly that the years of separation seemed like they had never happened, as if she and Zion had always been together. After their reunion, he didn’t even ask her about her life abroad and treated her just as he did before.She was no longer as youthful and tender, but Zion still saw her as if she were a 20-year-old girl. Gwen felt a bit dejected, thinking to herself, he must just like girls around 18-year-old.But unfortunately, the spring river flows eastward and cannot return!Zion only smiled.In winter, the days grew shorter. After work, Gwen arrived at Zion's villa, but he had not yet come home. The two housekeepers had already started preparing dinner.When Gwen got out of the car, she received a call from Zion. Her voice was soft and tender.“When will you be back?”On the other end, Zion checked the time and said, “I’ll be
Zion noticed Gwen gazing at him with those wide, expectant eyes again. With a chuckle, he reached into the pocket of his trench coat, pulled out a sleek wallet, and carefully extracted a platinum card. He placed it in her outstretched hand and said with a smile, “This is my secondary card. There’s no credit limit.” Gwen gasped softly, then teased, “Wow, aren’t you generous? Thank you, Teacher Qin.” Zion gave her a light tap on the head. Not missing a beat, Gwen wrapped her arms around his neck and grinned mischievously, “Thank you, my sugar daddy.” Zion’s response was to pull her close, cupping her cheeks as he kissed her fiercely. Though he once carried himself as an educator and now as a refined businessman, he found himself utterly smitten by her playful antics. After the kiss, Zion leaned close to Gwen's ear and murmured something uncharacteristically crude that sent a shiver down her spine. He playfully nipped her nose. “Turns out you’ve got a thing for bad boy
Zion could sense Gwen’s cautiousness and chuckled softly. Then, he cupped her face and planted a firm kiss on her lips. “Don’t worry, I won’t touch you. We agreed to save that for our wedding night. Besides, I just drank last night, so I probably wouldn’t be much use. I want your first time to be special, so I’ll make sure I’m well-prepared.” Gwen’s cheeks turned crimson. She buried her face in his chest, mumbling, “I don’t understand what you’re talking about.” How peculiar! Back then, even though they were together, their relationship had always been proper and restrained. But now, here they were, sharing a bed, their bodies so intimately close it was both thrilling and embarrassing. Gwen had never experienced this before. Zion seemed to understand her thoughts. He leaned in close to her ear and whispered, “I haven’t either. Before the wedding night, I’ll make sure to study hard.” Gwen didn’t dare ask how he planned to “study,” though she had a pretty good idea—i
Zion maintained a respectful demeanor and immediately greeted, “Mr. Noah.” Noah, however, didn’t make things difficult for him. He gave a light cough, which could be considered acknowledgment. Then, turning to his youngest daughter, he said, “Go upstairs first. Your mother’s been waiting for you all night; she probably has something to say to you.” Gwen hesitated and didn’t move at first. Zion gently nudged her, his voice soft, “You should go.” Only then did Gwen start to move. But before heading upstairs, she walked over to Noah. As the youngest daughter and the most adept at charming her way out of trouble, she hugged her father. Only then, with visible reluctance, did she head upstairs. Her father’s anger dissipated by more than half after the hug. Watching her go, Noah turned his attention to Zion, his tone calm but firm: “Have a seat. Let’s talk.” Zion immediately sat down and, with practiced ease, poured Noah a cup of tea. Noah feigned irritation and remarked, “
But Gwen was not satisfied.With reddened eyes, she pitifully asked again, "Are you married? Is there someone else by your side? Do you still love me?"As she asked, she was more persistent than before, yet it made the man's heart ache even more.Zion remembered that when they parted ways, Gwen was still an innocent, naive girl. Now, however, she was willing to ask such direct and revealing questions. The braver she became, the more pain he felt in his heart.Zion no longer teased her. He looked into her eyes and answered seriously."No, I'm not married. There's no one else by my side. Her leg healed, and she got married earlier this year. And yes, I still love you. Very much."...Gwen's eyes turned even redder.Her voice trembled as she said, "That doesn't mean I have to be with you. I'm still mad at you."Zion took a step forward and gently wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes. It had been five years, and now she had become a teary little kitten. He remembered how
At that moment, Gwen was completely flustered. She didn’t understand what Zion meant, nor did she understand why he was deliberately getting close to her. She wanted to ask, but before she could, Zion had already led her out of the car. The restaurant arranged by the school leadership was nearby, just off campus. Gwen had been there with Zion before, but not in a private room. Returning to an old haunt brought a sense of nostalgia. Zion walked side by side with Gwen. He was six-foot tall, and she was about five-foot-five. They made for a strikingly good-looking pair. Considering their history, the school leaders naturally couldn’t resist teasing them a bit. Gwen felt slightly uncomfortable and replied, "We were young and foolish." Over the years, Zion had grown seasoned in the business world, exuding an effortless charm. He responded with a light smile, "I wonder if we can pick up where we left off—still holding a grudge?" As soon as those words were said, the schoo
After running away in a flurry that night, Gwen retreated into her home, avoiding the world outside for several days. Her father, Noah, meanwhile, busied himself with his new hobby of keeping turtles—purchased on a whim after his wife, Gwynn, teased him for being too old. In an attempt to prove his youth, Noah even released the turtles back into the wild one evening, making a point of marking one with the name "Zion" on its shell in a bold act of petty revenge. Gwynn, ever the pragmatist, found the gesture immature and pointless, but it brought him a fleeting sense of satisfaction. Gwen, however, was unaware of the antics her father had indulged in. All she knew was that her father had been unusually concerned during her self-imposed seclusion, urging her to get out and take a break. Noah's insistence that she shouldn’t remain cooped up at home was an attempt to draw her back into the world, to reconnect with life. But she couldn’t shake the weight of everything that had transp
In the lounge, Gwen curled up in Tegan’s embrace, crying silently. Tegan gently stroked her smooth black hair, sighing softly. “If you really like him, I’ll help you talk to him.”Gwen sobbed quietly, “Dad will say you’re being rebellious.”Tegan paused for a moment, then replied, “Your brother will help me, won’t he?”Gwen clung to Tegan, continuing to cry softly. She remembered that today was Yeager’s full moon celebration and decided to cry for just a little while. After all, who hasn’t shed tears in their youth?At that moment, there was a knock at the door. From the sound of it, the person outside had a very refined aura. Tegan immediately guessed who it was; it certainly wasn’t her husband. She gently rubbed Gwen’s head. “I’ll go answer it.”When Tegan opened the door, as expected, it was Zion standing outside. The two locked eyes, and after a moment of silence, Tegan calmly spoke, “You two talk.” Zion nodded.In the quiet lounge, the soft sound of Gwen’s crying fill
The following August. It was the party for Ocelotte and Molly's child. Molly had given birth to a boy, named Yeager Sanders, a name chosen by her eldest brother-in-law, Lorian. She was very fond of the name. As for Lorian and Tegan's youngest son, he was named Fergus Sanders. Yeager and Fergus were the next generation of boys in the Sanders family. However, the first child was still Lola, the one and only little princess. She loved following Gwen around. The little girl was now three and a half years old and about to start kindergarten. On the day of Yeager's party, Gwen was still taking Lola around, but she unexpectedly ran into an old acquaintance. It had truly been a long time. Since the year Zion had left for another country, although they had occasionally bumped into each other, they hadn’t had the chance for a proper meeting. How many years had passed? Gwen didn't dare to think about it, nor did she want to calculate. She vaguely felt it had been four