"I know what you're worried about. Don't worry, I won't ask our organization for help unless I'm really in a pinch." Yvonne stared out the floor-to-ceiling windows. "Gwen, we've known each other for a long time, and I think of you as my own sister. You of all people should understand why I had to take Miller Jewels back."The other end of the call was silent. Eventually, Gwen gave in reluctantly and sighed. "Fine. I'll look into it." Suddenly, she remembered something. "That madam's got people looking for you again. Are you sure you don't want to take the job?"Yvonne hummed. "I don't have the time right now. Besides, she's too weird. How am I supposed to accept the job if she doesn't give me any information?"The "madam" they were talking about was a mysterious woman. She really couldn't blame Yvonne for declining her request if she lacked even the most basic faith in Yvonne. After all, she had specifically asked for Yvonne to do a job for her but had yet to provide any information.A
For the following week, Yvonne left the house early in the morning and didn't come home until late in the evening. So, Stephen barely got to see her except during his treatment times and could only resort to asking Julian to report what she was up to."Madam has recently been looking into the fake diamond incident at Miller Jewels. She even summoned all the staff who'd come into contact with that batch of diamonds for questioning. Yesterday, she held a meeting with the design department; they need to start putting together a new series because the new season is two months away. Things don't seem to be going well, though; they're severely short on finances. To make matters worse, the contract with the processing factory they're working with right now will expire soon, and the factory doesn't seem to plan on renewing it. Moreover, Miller Jewels will need to buy another batch of diamonds, so Madam should be short on money right now."Stephen kept silent but listened so attentively that on
"Achoo!" Yvonne sneezed as soon as she got out of the cab and rubbed her nose. It was strange since the weather today wasn't actually that cold. She received a message from Rachel as she reached the entrance of the bar. "I'm kind of in a pinch. Just come straight to the VIP lounges and find room 1108.""In a pinch?" wondered Yvonne, frowning. "Don't tell me she got drunk and picked a fight with someone again." Yvonne dashed into the bar without hesitation. Walking past the swaying crowd on the dance floor, she found a server to take her to the lounge.Yvonne could hear Rachel's voice loud and clear through the unlocked door. Immediately concerned, she kicked the door open, startling everyone in the room.In the dim lighting, Yvonne could only make out the outline of the people lining the couch, with Rachel standing at the center with a foot propped up on a glass table, holding a bottle of brandy. Everyone stopped in their tracks and awkwardly stared at Yvonne. Rachel recognized her b
With those few words, the man sitting in the corner reclaimed control of the conversation.Yvonne turned toward him. Well, this didn't bother her since she could still afford to pay for a bottle of brandy. "Will you apologize to Rachel if I pay you back?"The man answered straightforwardly, "Sure. But you'll have to bring me 250 thousand dollars first.""250 thousand?" Yvonne stared at the pieces of the bottle incredulously and thought, "Is this the elixir of God or what?""Don't you dare blackmail us!" Rachel shouted. "Or we'll call the police!""Go ahead! Let's ask the police whether this premium Cognac is worth this price!""You were so fearless when you smashed the bottle, yet you're shying away from paying the price?""Just admit you're broke. Why bother pretending?"The constant stream of verbal jabs sent Yvonne's head spinning. She quickly realized that the man in the corner was the one with the most power in the room. Indeed, she was the one who smashed the bottle, so it was o
Kayla was surprised. "What are you doing here?"Yvonne's head was spinning and her throat itched, so she merely glared at Kayla before leading Rachel out of the room."Hey! I was talking to you." Kayla tried to pull Yvonne back, but she failed. Kayla stomped her heels angrily and watched the two women walk out. Who did that freak think she was?"That woman was hideous! I'm going to have a nightmare tonight.""I would've kicked her out if I'd known what she looked like. Ugh!"Kayla smiled when she heard the men insulting Yvonne. She strutted toward them enticingly. "What are you guys talking about? It looks like I missed a show.""If you'd come earlier, you would've seen that freak drinking vodka, Ms. Jones!""Mr. Robinson's the best! He always finds new ways to entertain us!"The chatter lifted the room's atmosphere.Kayla settled down beside the man in the corner. Before she could say anything, he asked, "Do you know her?"She began to deny it. "How would I–" Suddenly, a thought poppe
"T—there's no need! I can get home by myself!""Hmm?" Stephen raised an eyebrow. "Do you not need me, or do you not find it convenient for me to pick you up?"Her head still buzzing, Yvonne didn't pick up on the double meaning behind his words. "I'm already on my way home." She turned her head and met Rachel's prying eyes, and her head began pounding again. "I'm hanging up. I'm almost home. Thanks for the offer." Yvonne hung up and smiled at Rachel sheepishly. "Would you believe me if I told you that was my father?"Rachel grabbed her friend's arm. "What do you think? So? Who's the guy?"While thinking of what to say, Yvonne spotted a cab waiting nearby and quickly broke away from Rachel's grasp. She dashed toward the car like a bat out of hell. "I'm heading home first. I'll explain everything to you when I have time.""Yvonne Miller!"In the car, Yvonne gave the driver her address and prompted him to drive faster. It was a long drive home, and the skilled driver made the journey smo
Stephen leaped up and turned his head instantly. Someone's head was protruding from his quilt, and the dark locks looked like a mess."Who is it?" he demanded."Where's my doll?" Yvonne murmured, fondling the bed."Why are you in my room?" Stephen frowned. This woman had only been drawing a line between them minutes ago, yet here she was. On his bed! Gosh! What was up with her?However, it didn't seem like Yvonne had heard him. She continued to search for her doll, sounding desperate enough to cry. "My doll… My dolll…" Stephen finally realized that she was dreaming. He frowned in disgust at seeing a grown woman searching for a doll in her sleep. Hold on. Yvonne hadn't mistaken him for her doll, had she? To test his assumption, he sat back down on the bed. Sure enough, Yvonne snuggled up to him again.This time, to make sure her "doll" didn't disappear, Yvonne wrapped her whole body around him. Stephen's back stiffened. In the quiet room, his sense of touch had become extraordinarily a
After breakfast, Yvonne helped Stephen back to his room and checked his vitals.Compared to his initial readings, Stephen's condition had improved much faster than she'd expected. In addition to Yvonne's treatments, his excellent physical condition played a role in speeding up his recovery.Yvonne subconsciously turned to look at Stephen. The sunlight shining into the room illuminated his body, highlighting his handsome facial features. However, his lifeless eyes were like a bottomless pit that could suck in anything effortlessly.In a daze, Yvonne began to worry. If Stephen recovered successfully, would that mean that he would no longer need her? It would be a great loss if he turned his back on her and she lost her cash cow, especially since she hadn't had the chance to use him yet!"How's it going?" Stephen asked, noticing that Yvonne had been silent."Noth—" Yvonne cleared her throat and pulled her hand back. Calmly, she replied, "You're recovering quite well."Stephen hummed in ac
A light breeze blew by in the courtyard. Agatha slowly recounted the past.Back then, Daniel and his wife, Katherine, had just had Mark. The entire Carrington family had been celebrating.They had doted on Mark and taken him wherever they went.That day, they had headed out. Before they'd known it, Mark had been taken away.Just when Daniel and Katherine had been on the brink of losing it, they had received a call from the kidnapper to bring the ransom to a specific spot.They had gotten the money and driven there without any hesitation. No one had thought that they would ever return after that. Even Mark had disappeared.When Agatha finished recounting this, her cup of tea had already cooled.She wiped her tears away. She said through a catch in her throat, "Katherine was hugging the bag of money tightly until the moment she passed away, as though she were hugging you."Mark furrowed his brows. Now that he'd heard the truth about Daniel and Katherine, he should have felt pain
As Yvonne left the room, she could tell that Stephen's mood was much better.She looked at him. "Are you thinking of something nice?""No." Stephen looked at Yvonne with a rare twinkle in his eyes."Let me take you to breakfast." Before Yvonne could respond, he took her hand and led her to the elevator.Thinking about how he'd stood outside her room the entire night, Yvonne decided to let him hold her hand.Then, her thoughts drifted to Otto. Somehow, she had a bad feeling.…At the same time, Mark was in the courtyard of Carrington Mansion. He sat next to Agatha and poured some tea for her.He handed her a cup of hot tea. "Great-Grandma, try this."When he noticed that Agatha had no reaction, he called out to her once more. "Great-Grandma?""Huh?" Agatha came to her senses. She looked at Mark in confusion. "What is it?""You've been distracted since yesterday. Are you thinking of something?" Mark asked.Agatha shook her head. "Nothing." Then, she picked up her teacup and
Yvonne stood by the door of the bedroom and looked at Otto, who was looking out of the window in a daze on the bed.The sun shone on his face. He looked quite hungover and had a sickly pale face.Yvonne hesitated for a while before saying gently, "Mrs. Jenner called me last night. She's worried about you."Otto didn't respond.Yvonne went in closer and added, "She said that you called her and asked about your father. She found it strange."Mr. Carrington, why did you suddenly think about your father? Did Mrs. Carrington Senior bring him up yesterday?"All Yvonne got was silence.Luckily, she was patient. She sat on the couch and followed Otto's line of sight. Tiny dust particles were floating among the sunbeams. Yvonne also fell into a daze as she watched them float about.Suddenly, Otto asked, "Have you ever felt like your world was falling apart?""Hmm?" Yvonne was confused. "For example?""I mean, like the person that you trust turns out to be different from what you'd t
The next morning, Yvonne opened her door to see Stephen standing outside. She was caught off guard."What is wrong with you this morning? Why didn't you knock…"While talking, Yvonne noticed that Stephen was still wearing the same clothes as the night before. She furrowed her brows and asked, "Don't tell me you didn't leave last night? Have you been standing outside this door all this while?""Hmm." Stephen looked at Yvonne intently. "I thought you would've figured it out quickly."Yvonne was speechless, but she thought to herself that she'd slept like a baby the night before.She smiled at him. "Figure what out?" She noticed Stephen frowning as though he were on the brink of losing his temper.She quickly added, "I-I mean, you have to give me a hint, right? I've thought about it the entire night, but I still don't understand. My brain isn't functioning well."Stephen asked suspiciously, "You've been thinking about it the entire night?""Yes, which is why I didn't look for yo
"If I hadn't come to find you tonight, you probably wouldn't tell me anything about what happened tonight, would you?" Stephen asked in retort.It wasn't a big deal, as long as they returned safely. Yvonne wondered why she needed to report this to him.But she still smiled. "It's late. How could I disrupt your rest? It would've been the same if I told you about it tomorrow morning, right?"Stephen sniggered. "Yvonne, you still don't know where you've gone wrong."He suddenly went in closer to her. Yvonne instinctively retreated until her back was up against the wall. She glared at him."What on earth is wrong with you? I've already said that I would've told you tomorrow morning—"A punch went past Yvonne and landed brutally on the wall.Yvonne was a little stunned. She looked into Stephen's eyes and furrowed her brows. "Stephen, I don't want to quarrel with you for no reason. "Mrs. Carrington Senior went to look for Otto today. Calbert couldn't reach him the entire day, so he
Jane returned to the private room, distracted.She sat down next to Cory. She looked at him as he reached his hand out to her in confusion.Cory furrowed his brows and asked unhappily, "Where's the wine?""Wine… Yes! Wine!" Jane came to her senses. She was just about to get up when Cory pulled her back.He grabbed her by her chin and forced her to look at him. "What happened when you went out?""N-Nothing."Cory tightened his grip. Jane furrowed her brows in pain. "I-I… I saw Yvonne. She told me that she and Stephen got remarried.""What?" Cory relaxed his grip a little. "They got remarried?""Hmm.""So, what?" He had no intention of letting her go, and he looked at her sharply. "Does it bother you so much that Stephen got remarried?"Jane looked at Cory frantically. "Cory, what do you mean by that?""What do I mean? You know what I mean."Cory went in closer. His tone turned icy. "You used to pursue Stephen. Now that you know he's gotten married, you're in this shitty mood
Yvonne turned around to see Jane smiling at her ambiguously. She furrowed her brows. How were they always bumping into each other?Jane crossed her hands in front of her chest and leaned against the wall. She swept her gaze at Calbert and Otto. "Two guys and one woman. You sure know how to have fun!"Calbert instantly snapped, "What the hell are you talking about?""Why are you being so fierce? Did I hit the nail on the head?" Jane snickered. "Two guys and a woman came out of a private room in the middle of the night. Anyone would come to the same conclusion. We're all adults. There's no need to pretend to be innocent.""You—" Calbert was about to go up to Jane, but Yvonne stopped him."Since Ms. Ford is here, I'm guessing so is Cory?" Yvonne smiled, yet her smile didn't reach her eyes. "If you cause a scene here and this bar gets raided, guess who'll be the ones walking out here alive?"Jane's expression turned ugly. "Are you threatening me?""It's just a kind reminder." Yvon
Calbert and Yvonne managed to track Otto's car to a bar, thanks to the information they'd gotten from his staff. Otto's car was right outside the bar.Calbert looked at the neon sign and furrowed his brows. "Why is Otto here? Did what Mrs. Carrington Senior said really hit him so badly that he has to drown himself in alcohol?"Yvonne said nothing and headed directly inside the bar."Wait up for me!" Calbert went after her. He subconsciously protected her from all the drunk patrons.The lighting in the bar was dim. Many of the patrons were drunk and having fun.Yvonne and Calbert walked around the booth area, but Otto was nowhere to be found. They pulled a server over to ask if there was a patron by the name of Otto Carrington who had reserved a private room.Coincidentally, the server had just taken two bottles of wine to Otto's room. So, he led them to the private room.Calbert tipped the server before opening the door and entering. The entire room reeked of alcohol.He looked
After Agatha left, Otto stood in the same spot without moving.A long time later, Zac entered the office. He looked at Otto's back and asked quietly, "Mr. Carrington, will you still see the client?""No." Otto sounded heartbroken.Zac didn't dare ask further questions. He gently closed the door and reminded the secretary that no one was to disturb Otto.In the office, Otto was alone. He slowly walked over to the couch and slumped into it. His mind was in a mess."Alexander was the one who planned the kidnapping back then."Agatha's words rang in his mind for a long time.Alexander's young face appeared in Otto's mind, smiling at him affectionately."Otto! Amazing! Yes! Just like that!""You're amazing at badminton! You're going to make the country proud! I'm going to be so proud of you!""Otto, my son!"Memories of his interactions with Alexander flashed across his mind at that moment.Otto couldn't imagine that such a loving father would do such an absurd thing. Alexander