Charlotte kept walking like a machine, without purpose, without direction. Inertia leads her home, maybe this is the only place where she feels peaceful.The night wind blew, cold and lonely. Charlotte hugged herself tightly, feeling like the whole world was against her.The light of a small house gradually appeared before her eyes, it was her house!She walked up the steps, her trembling hands searching for her keys in her pocket. In a short but long moment, Charlotte finally opened the door and entered the house. She closed the door, her whole body no longer had any strength.Hearing the door open, Mrs. Smith came out of the kitchen.As soon as Charlotte entered the house, before she could take off her shoes, Mrs. Smith appeared in the doorway, her eyes staring at Charlotte, full of annoyance."Charlotte, where did you go today that you came back so late?" asked Mrs. Smith, her voice sharp and impatient. "Do you know what time it is?"Charlotte raised her head, her tired and lifeles
“Charlotte, stop,” Mrs. Smith said, her voice light but filled with fierceness. “How are things going with you and Anthony? Are you two in love yet?”Charlotte frowned, her discomfort even more obvious. She couldn't believe her mother was bringing up Anthony now, right after criticizing her about Joseph. “Mom, I don't want to talk about Anthony right now,” she said, her voice cold.Mrs. Smith did not let go, her eyes still followed her daughter. “Charlotte, I'm not joking. Anthony is a man with money, he can give his children a better life. You must understand that.”Charlotte felt her heart heavy. She remembered Anthony's quarrel with Jayce and Charlotte this afternoon, and the frustration and fatigue in her heart arose again. “Mom, me and Anthony have nothing. He's just a friend, and I have no intention of going any further with him,” Charlotte said, trying to control her anger.Mrs. Smith raised her eyebrows, dissatisfied with Charlotte's answer. “You have to pick up the pace with
Jayce closed the phone with a sly smile on his face, his sharp eyes flashing with mischief. The call with Mrs. Smith had just ended, and he was clearly pleased with the outcome. "The fish bit," Jayce thought, pleased with his plan.He pressed the intercom button, and a deep, cold voice rang out: "Tyler, come in."A moment later, the office door opened and Tyler walked in, tall and professional. Tyler saw Jayce's smile and realized something was up."You needed me, Jayce?" Tyler asked, his voice respectful but curious.Jayce stood up from the leather chair, walked to his desk, and flipped through his schedule. "Reschedule my afternoon, Tyler. I need to see Mrs. Smith.""Mrs. Smith? Who is it?" Tyler looked at Jayce, his eyes shining with surprise."Charlotte's mother," he replied shortly."Charlotte's mother? Jayce, I don't understand..." Tyler was startled, unable to believe his ears.Jayce walked up to Tyler, patting him on the shoulder."This is my business."At the same time, in th
Mrs. Smith quickly adjusted her sitting posture, setting down her teacup and flashing a ladylike smile. She adjusted her dress, making sure she looked perfect in front of Jayce. "Hello Jayce, it's a pleasure to meet you."Jayce sat down across from her, a waitress quickly bringing him a cup of espresso. He took it with a slight nod, then turned to Mrs. Smith. "What would you like to discuss with me today?"Mrs. Smith reached for the gift basket next to her chair, an expensive gift basket wrapped in shimmering gold paper, with bright red ribbons. Inside the basket were luxury items: a bottle of expensive French wine, a box of fine Swiss chocolates, and a precious porcelain tea set. She held the basket out in front of Jayce, smiling meaningfully. "Here's a little gift from me, I hope you like it."Jayce accepted the gift basket with a gentle smile, his eyes scanning the basket before he placed it on the table. "Thank you, that's very thoughtful. I have a gift for you too." He placed a s
Jayce stood up, pacing around the table, his eyes scanning every detail of Mrs. Smith. "You think you're rich, right? But look at yourself. The things you're wearing, this bracelet, those earrings, they're all fake. You think you can fool me?"Mrs. Smith blushed, embarrassed by Jayce's revelation. "What are you talking about? These things are real!"Jayce smirked. "You can fool yourself, but you can't fool me. Joseph, the man you despise, is now richer and more powerful than you. You're not worth a single nail to him."Mrs. Smith was stunned by Jayce's words. Her eyes widened, her mouth slightly opened but no words came out. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. Her confidence and arrogance were shattered in an instant.She turned back to Jayce, her eyes filled with doubt and confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice trembling and filled with uncertainty.Jayce's lips curled into a smile, but his eyes remained cold. "What do I mean?" he repeated, his tone calm but co
Tyler nodded, started the car and drove towards Mrs. Smith's house. Mrs. Smith sat silently, anger and humiliation filling her heart.When the car stopped in front of Mrs. Smith's house, Tyler opened the door and helped her out. She didn't say a word, just quietly walked into the house.In her luxurious bedroom, Charlotte couldn't sleep. Even though she had turned off the lights and was lying on the soft bed, her mind was constantly spinning with thoughts of Joseph. Memories and emotions intertwined, causing her to toss and turn.The dim light from the night light cast a pale glow on the wall, creating blurry shadows. The ticking of the wall clock was like Charlotte's heartbeat, each passing second seemed to drag on forever. She sighed, sat up, leaned her back against the headboard, her eyes wide open staring into space.In Charlotte's mind, images of Joseph and the woman he was about to remarry kept appearing. She remembered the day they divorced, when she saw Joseph with that woman,
Joseph did not let himself be overwhelmed. He replied, his tone sharp. "Jayce, it's easy for you to say, but reality is not always that simple. We can't just rely on predictions and wishes. We need to be realistic and consider every aspect carefully."Jayce retorted, the tension in his voice more pronounced. "The reality is that we are facing a great opportunity. If we don't seize it, we will be surpassed by our competitors. You can talk about the risks, but if we don't take risks, we won't get far."Joseph and Jayce continued to argue, neither willing to give in. Both had their own arguments, and the tension in the conference room grew. Everyone around listened, clearly feeling the fierceness and tension between the two brothers.Finally, Mr. William decided to intervene. "Enough! You both have your points. But we need to make a final decision. I've decided that we'll cooperate with Afea. This is an opportunity we can't miss."Joseph knew that William would favor Jayce, but there was
Joseph looked straight into her eyes, trying to stay calm. "Charlotte, we're working right now. The past is irrelevant. We need to focus on work."Charlotte sneered, the sarcasm evident in her laughter. "You're always like this, aren't you? Cold and heartless. But do you know, Joseph? What hurts me the most is not that you left me, but that you lied to me about who you really are."Joseph kept his tone calm. "Charlotte, we're here to discuss the project. I suggest you sit down and calm down."Charlotte refused to budge, taking another step forward. "You pretended to be poor so that I would have to shoulder all the financial burden. Do you know how I felt? Do you know how hard I worked to take care of both of us?"Joseph took a deep breath, his eyes never leaving Charlotte. "Charlotte, I understand that you have a lot to say, but now is not the time. Sit down and we will continue to discuss work."Charlotte felt tears falling down her cheeks. "Don't you want to explain anything, Joseph