Artis asserted that he was still willing to reach a compromise, but the motorbike's owner turned to him with a smug expression. "I hope your polished ass is smart enough to recognize how badly outnumbered now. You're going to pay up or face the consequences boy!"He couldn't help but feel a growing sense of unease. He knew that the arrival of Claire's team couldn't come soon enough. Just when Artis thought the situation couldn't get any more intense, one of the men from the back- up team stepped forward.He seemed to be completely unfazed by the situation, and the dwindling crowd parted to let him step into the center. "Alright, alright! This is quite a ruckus, can someone tell me what the hell is going on here?"Although his appearance was a little intimidating, Artis found the courage to speak up.Without hesitating, he shared his side of the story. "I was on my rental bike, and I accidentally collided with this gentleman's motorbike parked right here," he began, gesturing towar
As the road cleared away, Claire stepped out of her car and approached Artis with a playful grin, her eyes twinkling with a hint of amusement. "Mr Hardy! I have to say, this is the first time I've seen someone call for backup in a situation like this… but I have to say, it was quite entertaining to watch! Artis chuckled at the light-hearted comment, which came as a welcome relief in the wake of a really tense situation. "Well, Miss McKonnell! I am glad I could entertain you, but unfortunately, I don't plan on being stuck in a roadside brawl everyday." "Oh, I think I'll have to manage with that." Claire responded with humor, before her expression became more serious."You made the right call, though, Mr. Hardy. Your actions saved the day, and all of us are really impressed with how you handled the situation." Artis could finally find some humor in the situation now that it was over, and he replied, rubbing the nape of his neck sheepishly. "Yeah, you could say that. But one thing
Artis could not tolerate the presence of tears in her eyes, and "I get it, Scarlet. I should have dressed appropriately. I'll make sure this won't happen again. And if there's anything else you need me to do tonight to make it up, just tell me, and I will try my best to not embarrass you."Scarlet huffed as she rolled her eyes, and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. To her, it didn't matter what he was promising to do, this evening was already ruined, and there was nothing to be done now."Let it be. For now, let's just try to enjoy the evening. We'll talk more about it later. My parents are waiting."Hearing this, Artis got ready to accompany Scarlet to the small private room in the grand ballroom of the Golden Palms Hotel, where the anniversary celebration was in full swing. But he felt a hand on his arm as soon as he took a step, accompanied by Scarlet's panicked voice."Wait! Artis!""Yeah?" He asked, blinking in confusion."I think you should just wait here for
Scarlet had already faced the disapproval of her family during the first few years of her relationship with Artis. The Silvermans had hoped that if they gave thier pampered the cold- shoulder, they would eventually drive Artis away. Only recently had they started to mend the bridges with Scarlet, that they themselves had burnt before.Seeing that Scarlet was silent, Mrs. Silverman took this as an opportunity to hammer her point in."Now, you have been staying for us for the past week or so, don't you feel the difference yourself? Can you really say that you haven't missed this lifestyle, that we all know Artis can't even give you in a hundred years?"Scarlet's frown deepened as she felt the impact of every word straight on her heart. But still, she wasn't ready to accept this reality. "Mom, it's not like that. We're just facing minor problems because of the loans we have taken for Eva's treatment, but once that is sorted-" Mark interjected with an air of disappointment, "It's nev
As Artis stepped into the VIP room, he was met with a sea of well- dressed guests engaged in animated conversations and clinking glasses filled with champagne.You could turn around to survey the room, and in whichever direction your gaze landed, you would first be dazzled with the blinding flashes of expensive jewelry, and beyond that, was a sea of ladies in designer dresses and men in formal suits.The guests in the room had already formed small groups, engaged in conversations about various topics.Scarlet's family, the Silvermans, stood in the center of the room, greeting their guests with gracious smiles and polite conversation.When their eyes fell upon Artis, their expressions subtly shifted, revealing their surprise and disapproval at his presence. Hena exchanged a subtle glance with her husband, before her eyes shifted to Artis.<
Mark and Hena were gushing about Henry Adams, as per their previous plan to uplift Henry's image while trampling Artis' self-worth to the ground. Hena nodded in agreement with her husband. "Yes, of course. But our daughters definitely deserve someone who can provide them with all the luxuries this world has to offer, after all, we have raised them both like princesses." Her words were filled with underlying expectations as she admired Henry's polished demeanor. Mia, meanwhile, was more direct in her comments. Her voice held a sharp edge as she leaned over to Scarlet and remarked, "Oh, sister! Henry is such a gem. He's educated, well-connected, and comes from such a good family which can compare with our own. Such a stark difference from some people, I know…" She cast a sidelong glance at Artis, who was silently eating his food, while Henry was really enjoying this parade being held in his honor. In spite of being the focus of these not-so- subtle comparisons, Artis remained com
After the grand party at the Golden Palms Hotel, the Silverman Mansion had sprung back to life.Mark and Hena were seated on the plush couch in the living room, while the servants were carrying the presents from the cars and placing them on the central table.Slowly but surely, the large heap of gifts was turning into a small hill, and after a few minutes, Mia also arrived with Henry, who had offered to drop her off.Of course, Mia was more than happy to accept his offer, and two of them walked into the living room, hand- in- hand. Mia passed a smug smile to Scarlet, who was seated on the nearby couch. She just rolled her eyes- her younger sister would never stop being childish after all!Meanwhile, Hena greeted them graciously;"Oh, Henry! Mia, you're back so soon? We thought you might like some time to yourselves on the way back.""Oh, mom!" Mia let out a small laugh while settling beside Henry on the couch. "Henry really wanted us to go to the beach first, but I insisted that we
Artis Hardy stepped into the sleek, modern headquarters of Texter Technologies, only to find a significantly different atmosphere than his previous visit. The lingering tension and frosty reception had dissipated, replaced by a polite and cautious demeanor from the staff. It looked like the dramatic effects of the previous event were yet to be forgotten, and no one wanted to risk offending him again.As Artis made his way through the bustling corridors to reach the top floor where his office was located, employees nodded respectfully and exchanged polite greetings.This time, the air was charged with curiosity, and Artis could feel the weight of eyes on him as he entered the lift.As he stepped out, he found that Claire McKonnell was already waiting for him in the hallway outside his office, probably the receptionist had informed her in advance. She offered a warm smile, "Good morning, Mr. Hardy. It's a pleasure to have you here," Claire greeted him, leading the way into his office
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Scarlet was still struggling to comprehend the situation as she returned to the room, and Artis could tell by the ashen look on her face that she had just received some major news.But before he could ask about it, they were interrupted unexpectedly due to a call on her phone. Her mom's sharp tone blared through the speakers as soon as she received the call;"Your dad is coming home tomorrow. And if you don't want the whole world to know what an ungrateful little weasel you are, you better come by around noon and sign the papers, the lawyers will be here too.""Mom, I won't –""No! I won't hear any of your excuses. Mark's health is already in bad condition, and I am telling you, Scarlet! If something happens to your dad just because you are being such a brat, I will never forgive you!"With this warning, Hena cut the call, shaking Scarlet from the core. Seeing that her mother's disapproval was not going to go away any time soon, Scarlet was forced to think of the only possible option
As soon as the bell rang, Artis opened the door, only to find a dejected Scarlet stepping into their home. The concern in his eyes didn't go unnoticed, and he immediately moved towards her."Hey, what happened?" Artis asked, his voice laced with genuine worry. "You look upset."Scarlet attempted to dismiss his concern with a forced smile. "It's just a work- related thing, nothing major."Artis, however, wasn't easily convinced. He could read Scarlet well, and her attempts to downplay the situation only heightened his curiosity."Come on, honey. You know you can tell me anything." Artis insisted, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "I hate seeing you like this."Despite Artis's caring nature, Scarlet remained guarded."No, I already told you. It's just some misunderstanding at work. I can handle it on my own."Artis's protective instincts started kicking in, as he made her sit on the couch. "Scarlet, we are a team. If something's bothering you, let me help."Scarlet, appreciating
As Artis and Scarlet embarked on the journey home after visiting her father at the hospital, the car became a witness to the intimate conversation between them. After holding herself back for the entire day, Scarlet's curiosity about the undisclosed wealth of her family bubbled to the surface, and she gently questioned him regarding his family dynamics. Artis could also understand that she had received quite a shock after coming to know this information, and he patiently tried to answer her questions without giving away too much at the same time. However, their conversation took a more serious turn as Scarlet expressed a concern which she had tried to suppress ever since he had told her about the reason for leaving his family."Artis, you said that you had left them because you didn't agree with a marriage that they had arranged for you. What if… what if they are still resentful because of that? What if we go and meet them, and your parents don't approve of me?"Leaning back in the
As Dr. Dave Cameron dropped the bombshell about the Berhans family's unethical practices, the gathered onlookers, once swayed by Chad's lies, were now enraged by the truth about the family's history of exploiting innocent people.Angry voices started to rise, condemning Chad for his involvement in these scandals and accusing him of being a manipulative liar. The crowd shifted its anger towards Chad;"He fooled us all with his fake tears and displays of generosity!""I can't believe we fell for his lies, he manipulated us all!""People like him who bully others and then act like victims are a disgrace to the community!"The collective resentment built up as the crowd vented its frustration, realizing the extent of Chad's betrayal."Fool me once, shame on you!""We trusted him and demanded justice for him, and in return, he betrayed us!""I feel so cheated! We won't let you get away with this!""Kick him out! We don't want him here anymore!""Let's make sure everyone knows the truth abo
In the middle of this drama, a reporter also happened to arrive on the scene, with his full camera crew, making people think that the media had also been alerted about this scene because of the involvement of the heir of such a high profile family. But little did everyone know that this reporter had been tipped off by Chad himself, even before he had confronted Artis and Scarlet. He was fully prepared for both possibilities: if Artis agreed to give a statement, then this reporter would immediately rush to the scene and take his interview ; and if he refused, then too, Chad would get the chance to exploit this drama for a sensational news story. The atmosphere became charged with anticipation as the reporter, armed with a microphone, waded through the crowd to confront Artis and Scarlet.The reporter, with a cunning glint in his eye, addressed them;"Artis Hardy and Scarlet Silverman, the alleged fraud couple! What do you have to say about these damning accusations? Is it true that
Artis and Scarlet stood in the hospital lobby as the sound of blames and accusations grew louder, while no one was ready to hear out their side of the story.On the contrary, the crowd's relentless beratings and insults only seemed to magnify with each passing moment."You call yourselves decent people? You're nothing but opportunistic leeches!""I doubt that all that success of the Silverman family is also built on lies, wasn't it? They really think everyone is a fool!""This poor guy deserves better friends than you two!""Look at them, acting innocent now. Just own up to your shameful acts!""These people are nothing but social climbers! They pretend to be friends with someone until they have squeezed the last drop of profit from them, and then forget about the ones who supported them!"Scarlet's eyes were filled with tears now, because her attempts to explain were being drowned out by the overwhelming chorus of disapproval, again and again. On the other hand, although Artis was v
Chad's apologetic monologue continued, his voice heavy with guilt and the regret evident in his tone;"Artis, man, I can totally understand why you didn't want to forgive me at the hotel. I mean, I have been a complete idiot and I didn't even realize it! I looked down on you because of your financial status, and I even had some really messed up thoughts about Scarlet regardless of the fact that you two are married."He gulped before continuing, "And once I found out that Mrs. Silverman wanted you to get divorced as soon as possible, my hopes literally skyrocketed, thinking that I was finally going to get my dream girl. And that's why, I was also saying all those things back at the hotel, to hopefully provoke you enough where you willingly signed the divorce papers. But I can see how stupid I was, and I admit, I was wrong on all counts."Artis, though maintaining a stoic facade, couldn't fully trust Chad's sudden change of heart. "It's always easy to spout flattering words, Chad. But
Scarlet, enduring the unexpected slap from her mother, felt a surge of humiliation and pain, which sent tears streaming down her face. Although her cheek was already wet due to tears; this time, her tears were not because of her rage– rather, they had appeared because of the deep emotional wounds inflicted by her mother.For a few minutes, she was unable to say anything, processing the shock of the slal. But on the other hand, Artis, witnessing Scarlet's vulnerability, could no longer stand by as a silent spectator. His protective instincts kicked into gear, and he finally broke his silence to confront Hena;"Are you in control of your senses or not?! How can you just slap her like this–""Shut up!" Hena glared at him, while seething in anger."She is my daughter, and I can do as I please! Dammit–""Excuse me! You have exploited her enough as it is. Now, she is my wife before she is your daughter, so behave appropriately, do you understand? You better control yourself in front of m