In Jack's mind, Alex couldn't be charismatic, kind, sophisticated, protective, weak, or cowardly. If Alex possessed any of those qualities, they would only be a pretence, not the person Jack knew. So, when Jack saw Alex defending Isabel, he felt furious and resentful. He would think he was deceiving himself, believing Alex was trying to appear brave and heroic to impress others.Jack refused to acknowledge the reality. At this moment, Alex and Isabel were furious and dissatisfied with Jack's arrogant behaviour. She wanted to step forward and push him away, but Alex anticipated her actions and stopped her. Then, Alex stood up and did something unimaginable to Jack – he made him away swiftly with his arm. The move seemed gentle, as it only impacted Jack's right shoulder, but the force behind it was unexpectedly powerful, causing Jack to fall backwards onto the ground.Jack's buttocks hit the ground hard, causing a painful sensation that left him dazed. What shocked him, even more was th
Alex took Isabel's hand, and they left the shopping centre, heading towards the parking lot. It was only after they sat inside the car that Alex finally felt relieved as if he had just managed to shake off a persistent dog biting at his pants.Meanwhile, Isabel still felt annoyed. In fact, she wanted to say more, but seeing that Alex didn't seem to want to confront or talk much with Jack, she remained silent."Next time, before leaving the house, I'll say a prayer," Isabel said, fastening her seatbelt.Meanwhile, Alex burst into laughter."Let him be. The more he acts crazy, the more it shows others what kind of person he is. We don't need to worry. I feel sorry for the clothing store earlier."Then, Alex looked at Isabel's hand, which Jack had grabbed earlier."Is your hand okay? Does it hurt?" he asked.Isabel waved her hand dismissively."No, it doesn't hurt. I feel disgusted," Isabel said. That's all she said, but deep down, she knew that Jack had ulterior motives. In his mind, Al
Isabel startled herself, wishing she could slap herself hard enough to snap out of the beautiful dream in her heart. How could Alex want... to have a child with her? Not to mention their current relationship was just a facade, not actual. Isabel had overthought things too much.But she couldn't prevent herself from feeling embarrassed and losing face in front of Alex. Even though she knew he was unaware of her inner thoughts, she still felt he knew something. Isabel awkwardly turned her face away, then closed her eyes and said, "I'm a bit tired; maybe it's because of the sunlight. Sunstroke, perhaps.""Is that so?" Alex noticed and reached out to remove the sunshade in Isabel's spot. This action made her even more flustered, wishing she could dig a hole to hide in. She felt ashamed and disoriented, forgetting to take down the sunshade herself, all while claiming to have sunstroke. Alex was naturally wise, and Isabel's actions were like crying foul, revealing her unusual behaviour.But
"Yes, I will contact him when I return to the company later. After all, we need a legitimate identity," Alex said. By now, he had finished taking the pictures of those women. He put away his phone and spoke to Isabel. "Now, let's go to the hospital.""Yes," Isabel replied.The distance from the supermarket to the hospital was close, and it took them only five minutes to arrive. Alex and Isabel went up to Phil's hospital room.Alex didn't inform in advance, so he wondered if Ms Potts was there. If he wanted to "borrow" Phil, he had to ask for her permission first. Fortunately, when Alex reached Phil's room, he saw Ms. Potts there.Phil's health was recovering positively. He has been transferred to a regular hospital room instead of being in the ICU.Alex lightly knocked on the door. At that moment, Ms. Potts was sitting and peeling fruits for Phil. Hearing the sound of the knock, both of them looked towards the door. When they saw that it was Alex and Isabel, Phil's eyes lit up, and Ms
But of course, Isabel couldn't show any emotional expression now. She smiled at Alex and said, "Okay."Then she stood up, but before leaving, she turned back and greeted Phil. "I'm going now; remember to eat well and rest. Take good care of yourself. Next time, I'll visit you and bring you gifts.""Yes, ma'am," Phil replied, then smiled at Isabel. Seeing that, she turned back and pinched the boy's cheek. In just a short while, the relationship between Isabel and Phil had become much closer.At this point, Alex also looked at Phil, waved his hand, and said, "I'm leaving now. Remember to take care of yourself and listen to your mother. I'll come to check on you next time.""Yes, sir," Phil replied.Alex and Isabel bid farewell to Ms. Potts and left together.As they exited Phil's hospital room, Isabel asked Alex, "The outcome doesn't look optimistic, does it?"Alex nodded, "Yeah, Ms. Potts didn't agree."Upon hearing that, Isabel sighed. "Actually, ever since you mentioned 'borrowing' P
Jayce couldn't believe his ears. He stood frozen for a while before finally responding, stuttering as he spoke to Alex:"You... could you repeat that? I didn't hear clearly."Because regardless, this was an incredibly significant, serious, and shocking piece of information. It had criminal implications, and for a police officer like Jayce, it was even more crucial. He leaned closer to Alex, his eyes seemingly forgetting to blink, focusing solely on the answer.At this moment, Alex slightly revised the sentence and said:"I suspect that Loki is leading a counterfeit money laundering operation. From my observations, it seems to be expanding its reach. That's why I thought I should inform you, and I need your help with this.""Counterfeit money, but how do you know?" Jayce was perplexed. Being a police officer didn't necessarily mean he remained calm in every situation. After finishing his sentence, he felt that the wording wasn't quite right, so he quickly corrected himself:"I mean, wh
The Orphanage,Isabel stepped out of the taxi and looked at the scene before her.Mozzafiato Orphanage was the largest orphanage in the country, with a massive investment, luxurious facilities, and the oldest, over a hundred years old. Effective communication strategies were essential to achieve such success and an extraordinary reputation. And the executive director of the orphanage happened to be Isabel's sister-in-law.Ember Lewis, Isabel's sister-in-law. She and Isabel's brother were fifteen years apart, so Ember came to her house quite early, even before Isabel went to college and moved out. Since their house was spacious, and their parents were elderly, Isabel's brother and sister-in-law didn't choose to live separately and stayed together in the same place. Although the family was considered significant, they always managed to get along harmoniously. Isabel's parents were also quite traditional, so they always wanted every family member to gather for dinner each evening. There
Seeing Isabel hesitantly, Ember sighed and placed her hand on the hand resting on Isabel's thigh."Isabel, you must remember that the higher your position and the more important the task you undertake, the more you need decisiveness and sometimes ruthlessness. Hesitation and soft-heartedness are weaknesses others can exploit to gain power over you. Although I don't want to say this, older people in any profession are usually calmer and have a certain level of ruthlessness because they have witnessed even more terrifying things. So, Isabel, be courageous. If you keep hesitating and feeling sorry for others, you will be the one to be pitied in the future."Ember's words made Isabel tremble. Yes, she was right. This was something she had been struggling with. Isabel knew that the leaders she admired, the positions she aspired to, and the people currently sitting in those positions might have dark sides that she wouldn't want to face or acknowledge. But no matter how painful the truth mig