"Oh, really?" Lucas raised his eyebrows, having understood what was going on. "So you two were talking about giving Claude Road a hug when you see him?""Well, when you meet an actor that you like, especially someone you usually only get to watch on screen, it’s natural to want to feel closer," Coco explained."Then, what about you? You seemed to think highly of Claude Road. I know you re-watched that TV series he starred in two or three times on your iPad," Lucas pointed out."I genuinely thought that show was good, and Claude played his character very well," Coco replied matter-of-factly."Define 'very well'," Lucas leaned in closer, his voice becoming deep.Coco suddenly felt a shift in the atmosphere under his intense gaze. "I... I was just speaking as a normal viewer.""Oh, just a normal viewer..." he drawled, a hint of a smile on his lips. "So, are you going to give him a hug as a normal viewer too?""Of course not," she said. "I'm not exactly his fan.""Wouldn't you regr
"......" Coco immediately understood. "Is he worried you’ll get too excited about Claude?""Hehe," Lisa chuckled awkwardly.In the theater, the women sat in a row, with Coco and Lisa on either end, their husbands next to them.Coco leaned over to Lucas and asked in a whisper, "Why didn’t you tell me that you got a ticket for Terry?""I meant to tell you the other day, but I forgot after I... helped you change your clothes," Lucas explained.Coco’s face flushed as she recalled that moment. If she didn't mention her pregnant belly, they might actually have...Stop! She couldn’t let her mind wander further! Focusing on the movie, she pushed those thoughts aside.After the film, they got to meet with the main cast and crew of the movie, including Claude.Claude greeted them with a smile, "Mr. Gomez, Mrs. Gomez, hello! I'm so glad you came!"Coco returned the smile and introduced her friends.Serenity, Clara, and Summer behaved normally, but Lisa's eyes sparkled with fangirl exc
"Should be," Clara said. "I’ve heard Serenity talk about that boy's mother before. She's been using her son's relationship with Jackie for personal gain."Coco frowned. With the Valor family's status in Solaria, if someone were to exploit their connection with the Valor family for personal gain, they could certainly benefit greatly. However, going too far would surely lead to trouble."Serenity said Morris is a good kid – polite and humble, and never steps out of bounds," Coco said."It’s a pity his parents aren’t great people, especially his mother. Serenity mentioned she has a gambling addiction," Clara added."If Serenity has to go back to handle it herself, the problem must be serious," Summer said.On the way home, Serenity gathered more information about the situation. In short, Marissa Yale had been using her connection with the Valor family to borrow money for gambling. She kept borrowing without paying back. Some people lent her money in hopes that she could facilitate
"$1.2 million – these are the IOUs!" The creditors displayed the notes, all bearing Marissa's signatures and fingerprints.Serenity's expression darkened. For an ordinary person, $1.2 million was no small sum. She did not expect Marissa to accumulate this much gambling debt.Marissa tried to defend herself. "I... I just wanted to earn more money to give Morris a better life. I didn't expect to lose so much! Mrs. Valor, you have to help me. If you help me pay these debts, I... I promise I’ll do everything I can to make it up to you."Serenity understood her intentions all too well. She fixed Marissa with a cold stare, her icy gaze making Marissa shiver."$1.2 million – why should I help you?" Serenity replied frostily."But... but just now... you said...""Just now, I told Morris I would help you, but I didn't say I’d cover your debts. I can prevent them from using violence, but I won't stop them from suing you. The judge will decide whether to send you to jail or not," Serenity
"And they agreed?" Jackson asked."What else could they do? I made it clear I wouldn’t help Marissa pay the debts, so they had no choice but to accept for now," Serenity replied.Jackson chuckled softly. "I thought you might actually help her pay."After all, $1.2 million was not that big of a deal for them. Jackie and Morris got along well, so he thought Serenity might feel pity for Morris and give in."I'll never help anyone pay their gambling debt. Helping her this time would only encourage her to gamble again. This will teach her a lesson, making it less likely for her to repeat the mistake. Plus, what I said to her creditors will spread, letting everyone know that the Valor family is not her backer. She won't be able to borrow money anymore," Serenity explained.She hoped Marissa would quit gambling before the Yale family was ruined."Do you think she’ll understand your good intentions? She probably resents you right now," Jackson reminded her."It doesn’t matter. I’m more
However, Serenity believed girls should know some fighting techniques for self defense.Taking this opportunity, she persuaded her husband to let their daughter learn self-defense.After hearing what she had to say, Jacqueline lowered her head for a moment, contemplating, and then nodded. "Okay, but in two months, I want to go back to learning piano with Morris.""Alright," Serenity smiled."I’ll tell Morris," Jacqueline said."Mommy will talk to him," Serenity replied. Kids may not be able to keep a secret very well, especially considering Morris must be in a state of shock after what just happened.Serenity wanted to shield Jacqueline from the fact that Marissa was using her relationship with Morris for personal gain.She didn’t want Jacqueline to overthink her friendship with Morris. Children should remain carefree."But I want to see Morris," Jacqueline insisted."How about this? You learn some self-defense techniques first. After you’ve learned them, you can show them to
Turning to her daughter, she said, "Mommy needs to go to the office for a bit. The driver will take you home. Make sure to finish your homework, okay?""Okay," Jacqueline replied. She was used to her Mommy's unpredictable work schedule.After giving the driver some instructions, Serenity headed to the law firm.On the way back to the Valor Residence, Jacqueline suddenly told the driver, "Uncle Paul, can we stop by Morris’ house? I want to give him a music score."It was a piece she had just learned, and she was eager to show Morris."Um..." the driver hesitated because Serenity had instructed him to take Miss Jacqueline straight home."It’ll only take a moment. I’ll just give him the score and chat for a bit," she insisted. She really missed Morris because she hadn’t seen Morris for several days.After some hesitation, the driver agreed.After all, Jacqueline was also his employer! He did not want to get on Jacqueline's bad side. A smile brightened Jacqueline's face.Soon, t
Morris quickly emerged from the house. Upon seeing Jacqueline, his eyes brightened.Jacqueline thought she would be happy to see him, but now that she did, she couldn’t feel any joy at all."I want to talk to Morris outside for a bit, is that okay?" Jacqueline asked Marissa."Oh, why outside? Why not come in?" Marissa warmly suggested.But Jacqueline insisted, "Outside is fine."Marissa opened her mouth to argue but faltered when she met Jacqueline's gaze. Jacqueline was just a child, yet her eyes made Marissa feel an inexplicable sense of fear."Well... okay, you can talk outside," she relented."I want to speak with Morris alone," Jacqueline added.Though reluctant, Marissa couldn’t say no. The driver who came with Jacqueline stepped forward and said, "Please go back in."Marissa had no choice but to go back into the house. The driver stood at the door. Jacqueline turned to Morris and asked, "Did you befriend me just to gain something from me?""Huh?" Morris was taken aback