“Heidi, wait!” Charles stood up, making a half-hearted attempt to follow her. He glanced at Fiona, then hurried after Heidi, putting on a show of concern.But Heidi was already halfway down the street by the time he reached the door, leaving Charles standing there, watching her retreating figure with frustration. He cursed under his breath, his expression darkening.“Little bitch,” he muttered to himself, his voice laced with venom. “So protective of that worthless brother-in-law of yours? Just wait. Once I’ve got your sister, I’ll make sure you end up in my bed too, and then we’ll see how high and mighty you feel.”His face twisted with malice as he spat on the ground, his thoughts filled with perverse fantasies. Once Heidi had disappeared from view, he plastered a fake smile back on his face and returned to the table, sitting down opposite Fiona.“She’s young. She’ll cool down and come around eventually,” Charles said, forcing a sympathetic tone. “Don’t worry—she’ll understand you’r
“You used to say you hated him, that you thought he was worthless. So why now?”“Fiona, why can I hear regret in everything you say about him? What’s so good about a failure like him?”“Fiona, you must be out of your mind.”Charles muttered under his breath, his fists clenching in barely restrained fury.He had thought that once he returned and won over Fiona Cooper’s parents, everything would fall into place.But in truth, marriage wasn’t even his goal. All he wanted was Fiona’s body—if he could have that, it would be enough.Since childhood, Fiona had been his obsession. Even while abroad, with countless women at his disposal, his thoughts often drifted back to her.Fiona was the one thing he couldn’t get past. From the moment he made up his mind, he had sworn to conquer her, to break her wild spirit. And not just her—he wanted Heidi too.“Fiona, Heidi—no matter what, I’ll have both of you in my bed.”“Don’t force me to use more drastic measures.”With that dark thought lingering, C
“Brother-in-law, I’m not upset for myself, I’m upset for you! She’s hurting you, she’s jealous of you, she doesn’t want you to be happy.”“You two are already divorced, so why can’t she just let you go? You were always good to her, you never wronged her. Why does she treat you like this?”“Brother-in-law, I just don’t understand. She used to be different. Now she’s narrow-minded, selfish, and so full of herself. What happened to her?” Heidi’s frustration poured out, as though she had been bottling it up for far too long.“Where are you right now?” Joseph asked, steering the conversation back on track.“I’m at school. I was too upset to eat earlier, but now I’m starting to feel hungry,” Heidi admitted in a small voice, still sounding a bit tearful.“I’ll bring you something to eat. Wait for me at the school gate; I’ll be there soon,” Joseph said, checking the time.“Okay, brother-in-law. I’ll wait for you at the entrance,” Heidi replied sweetly before hanging up.From her voice, Joseph
“You should spend more time with him, get to know him better. Learn what kind of person he is. Then, when the time is right, you can make your request and discuss any compensation.”“To be frank, someone like Mr. Wilson probably has no need for whatever you can offer,” Geoffrey added pointedly.“But Kelly’s condition can’t hold out much longer. If we delay any further, she may have no choice but to undergo amputation,” Brady said, his face filled with worry.“I’m not asking you to spend months getting to know him. Just familiarize yourself with the basics, so when the time comes for us to ask for his help, we’ll know how to approach him.”“I can’t just barge in and make a request out of nowhere, can I?” Geoffrey replied.“I see, Professor. You want me to lay the groundwork, to understand him better first,” Brady said, finally comprehending Geoffrey’s intent.“Exactly. You’ll be working with him as a colleague, so use that time to observe him. Learn what he needs, and we’ll figure out
“I suppose I’ve been remembering quite a few things these past few days. When someone loses their memories, they can end up living like a shell of themselves,” Joseph replied with a faint smile.“And you’ve become even more charming. You were always charming, but now, with that confidence, you’re even more alluring,” Heidi continued, speaking between bites of her meal.“Charming? I’ve never thought of myself as particularly charming,” Joseph chuckled, shaking his head.“I don’t care what you think. I care about what I think. And I think you’re a man of charm,” Heidi said, one hand holding her chopsticks, the other propping up her chin. She bit lightly on her lip, her gaze fixed intently on him, her posture and demeanor as seductive as they come.Joseph felt a sudden wave of discomfort under her gaze, his face flushing with embarrassment.“Uh… your makeup’s all smudged from crying. You should wipe it off,” Joseph said awkwardly, trying to break the tension. He grabbed a tissue from the
“Come on, tell me! I won’t spill the beans, I promise!” Heidi pleaded. “I’ve always thought there was something fishy about the way Grandpa insisted on my sister marrying you despite everyone’s objections. There had to be something more to it. Tell me, what’s the story?”Faced with her persistence, Joseph had no choice but to begin speaking.“I don’t really know what I can and cannot tell you,” Joseph admitted, his voice tinged with frustration. “But if your grandfather wakes up, you can ask him yourself. There are still many things I can’t quite remember.”He rubbed his temples, looking troubled.“Are you really saying you don’t remember?” Heidi’s eyes narrowed as she studied Joseph, clearly skeptical.“Do you think I’d lie to you?” Joseph chuckled, shaking his head.“It wouldn’t surprise me. You probably just don’t want to tell me, so you’re pretending you’ve forgotten,” Heidi pouted, her lips forming a slight frown.“Even if I did remember, there are some things I might not be able
“Brother-in-law, how about this? Since my sister doesn’t want you anymore, why don’t I marry you instead?” Heidi suddenly suggested, her eyes twinkling with a spark of mischief.“What nonsense are you talking about? You’re only eighteen! Stop messing around. Your parents would kill you,” Joseph was so startled by her words that he nearly choked on his food.“I’m serious, brother-in-law. That way, we’d be family again. And I could listen to your nagging for the rest of my life. Of course, if you don’t want to live with my sister and my parents, we can move out and live on our own. They’re pretty annoying anyway,” Heidi said earnestly, her face full of sincerity.Joseph looked at her, then reached out and gave her a gentle but firm tap on the head.“Ow! What was that for?” Heidi exclaimed, rubbing her head.“To knock some sense into you. Stop thinking such crazy thoughts,” Joseph said casually.“I’m not joking, brother-in-law. You know that Grandpa was the one who arranged your marriage
It wasn’t until Joseph had completely disappeared from view that Heidi finally turned her attention back to the mess on the table, quickly tidying everything up. Once she was done, she grabbed her belongings and headed off to class.At around two o’clock, Joseph found himself knocking on Geoffrey Harris’s office door.“Who’s there?” came Harris’s voice from inside.“It’s me, Joseph,” he responded.“Ah, Mr. Wilson! I thought you might come later, but here you are, bright and early,” Harris said warmly as he opened the door and welcomed Joseph inside.“I didn’t have much else to do, so I came early. I hope I’m not interrupting your time off?” Joseph replied with a smile.“Not at all. Come in, have some water.” Harris handed Joseph a glass before continuing, “It’s work hours now, so you’re not interrupting anything. Give me just a moment, I’ll call Brady and have him join us.”Harris poured Joseph some water, then returned to his desk to make the call. Joseph took a seat and sipped from