Linda showed up on time to meet Ariel. As soon as she opened the door and saw Ariel and Benjamin, who had an ingratiating smile on, her face fell at once. "Why is this hooligan here too?" she asked disdainfully. "I'm sorry for what happened last night. I'd had a bit too much to drink." Benjamin stood up with a glass of wine in his hand. "I'll drink this in one go to express my apology to you. Please forgive me." "You ..." Watching Benjamin down the alcohol, Linda just felt like something was seriously wrong with his brain. She turned to look at Ariel and asked, "Ms. Clarke, is this the reason you asked me out tonight?""Yes." Ariel gave her an apologetic smile. "Last night, Mr. Benjamin heard from the front desk that you were with us. He wanted to find a chance to apologize to you personally, so—""Yes!" Benjamin interrupted. "After sobering up, I really regretted what I'd done. If it hadn't been for Ariel, I really wouldn't have known where to look for you."Seeing how famili
Hearing that, Stephen raised his brows. "Don't ask too much, and stay away from them in the future." "So ..." A playful smile crept onto Linda's lips. "It looks like my guess is right." "Linda," Stephen uttered in a low voice. Clearly, he was getting a little unhappy. Linda laughed. "Okay, I won't tease you anymore. By the way, what exactly did you do to lose someone as great as Yvonne?" Instead of answering her question, Stephen said, "Go home early if there's nothing else." Then, he ended the call. Staring at her phone, Linda shook her head helplessly. How was she going to help him in the future if he didn't tell her anything? The next second, she received a message from Stephen."Tomorrow is the weekend. You should meet Britney. I'll arrange for a car to pick you up in the morning," her brother wrote. It didn't sound like a discussion, but rather an order. Linda had been back in the country for some time now. However, not once had she mentioned seeing Britney. It was
Linda took a deep breath before finally walking over to Stephen and Britney. When Britney saw her take a seat at their table, she leaned closer to Stephen and asked in a soft voice, "Daddy, who is this?""Britney, this is—""I'm your aunt," Linda interrupted, stopping Stephen from saying anything more. Stephen arched his brows slightly as he looked at Linda with a probing gaze. However, Linda played dumb and shot a smile at the little girl. "I'll take you to play, okay? Feel free to tell me whatever you want to eat."Linda's presence was so sudden that Britney couldn't help but feel wary. Instead of responding to her, Britney raised her head and looked at Stephen, hoping to get a solid answer from him. Stephen seemed to have guessed what was on Linda's mind. Withdrawing his eyes, he fell into silence for a moment. Then, he said to Britney, "She's my younger sister, your aunt." Hearing that, she happily clapped her hands. "Oh, this is awesome!" Looking at how bright B
Stephen locked eyes with Yvonne in silence for a long time, his gaze reflecting the evening glow. Yvonne felt uncomfortable being stared at. "Cat got your tongue?""I just wanted to see you." That was all he said. Then, he looked away. "I'm going back now."Yvonne watched the Maybach decisively drive away, feeling at a loss. "What the heck is going on?" In the car, Stephen gazed deeply at Yvonne through the rearview mirror. She was standing in the evening sun, her petite figure emanating intrinsic pride and strength. It was as if she were radiating not because of the sun but because of her own brilliance. After listening to Linda's words earlier, Stephen had been wondering if it had been the right decision to support her in giving birth to Britney back then. It wasn't until he'd seen Yvonne that he seemed to have gotten an answer to that. Having known Yvonne for such a long time, he should have realized that she'd always been clear about what she wanted. As long as she decide
As she observed Arthur sitting in front of her, Linda realized that he looked much older than he had in the photos she'd seen online.When she saw his hand trembling while holding the jug, she immediately took it from him. "I'll do it."Arthur nodded. "Okay." As he watched her pour the juice, he slowly began. "I knew Stephen wouldn't let me get in touch with you anymore after he found you. I thought I would never see you again ...""If you hadn't supported me back then, I wouldn't have survived until the day I'd reunited with my brother. I've always remembered your kindness."Arthur waved his hand. "It's nothing to do with kindness. It was what I should have done as your grandfather. You don't have to be so polite with me."Hearing how naturally Arthur called himself her grandfather, Linda felt inexplicably upset. With a frown, she diverted the topic. "There's something I'd like to ask. Why did you send me abroad? Wasn't I still an infant at that time? I still had my family too.
However, Ariel didn't receive any replies from Stephen. She thought her hint wasn't clear, so she headed to Oceania Villa the next morning. By the time Stephen came downstairs, Ariel had already made breakfast for Britney and was sitting by the dining table. "You're up?" Ariel shot him a gentle smile. Stephen approached them. Looking at Britney playing with the toast, he said, "Go and play upstairs if you're done eating. Don't play with food." Britney put down the toast obediently and tugged at the hem of Ariel's clothes. "Play with me, Aunt Ariel." "You go up first," Stephen ordered in a deep voice. It wasn't until then that Ariel understood his intentions. "I want to talk to your dad about something. I'll come to you soon, okay?" Ariel coaxed Britney softly. The little girl nodded. Ariel lifted Britney off the chair and watched her run up the stairs. When Ariel turned around, she met Stephen's frosty gaze. Her heart skipped a beat. "Don't play boring tricks like this
On the night of Thanksgiving, the moon was full and bright, glowing against the dark sky. Before Yvonne left the house, she promised Elvin that she would try her best to come back early and celebrate the day with him. Yvonne showed up at the club on time. Upon entering, she heard from the waiter that the club had been block-booked by the Anderson family today. Her first thought was that Carmen had tricked her, and she turned around and wanted to leave on the spot. "What's with the rush to leave when you're already here?"Yvonne looked up toward the source of the voice.Carmen was holding a glass of red wine and leaning against the balcony railing with a smile. Meanwhile, Philip stood beside her, exuding a naturally imposing temperament. Yvonne was displeased. How could she have forgotten the fact that Carmen had once worked with Philip?"Allow me to take you up, Ms. Miller," the waiter said respectfully, stretching out an arm in a gesture of invitation. Yvonne knew it woul
Carmen led Yvonne to a parlor. Upon sitting down, she asked, "Are you blaming me for tricking you into showing up at the Andersons' banquet?"Yvonne hummed in acknowledgment.Carmen laughed. "You're so straightforward! I like it!"Carmen had been in the business industry for a long time and had encountered too many hypocritical people. Seeing how honest and upfront Yvonne was, Carmen couldn't help but like her even more. "Actually, Mr. Anderson Senior isn't trying to take the kid away from you. He was just testing how you'd react to it." Carmen brewed a pot of coffee and said calmly, "You already know that Stephen is supposed to marry Ariel. Mr. Anderson Senior only acknowledges Ariel as his granddaughter-in-law. As for you, the child you have with Stephen can be considered the greatest threat to their marriage. "It's true that Mr. Anderson Senior likes that kid, but he'd also be willing to give up on him for Ariel's sake. I heard from Madam Hazel that he's strictly forbidden