Russell watched the girl with flushed cheeks, her drunken eyes hazy and entrancing. He lifted her chin with a finger, his voice calm but firm. "I didn’t look." Zoey raised an eyebrow. "Is she prettier than me?" Russell chuckled softly. "I didn’t look. How would I know what she looks like?" Zoey squinted at him, sensing his evasion. "Then, am I pretty?" Their breaths intertwined, the faint aroma of red wine mingling with Zoey’s natural fragrance, teasing Russell’s senses. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he replied hoarsely, "You’re beautiful." Zoey’s fingers toyed with the buttons of his shirt, the playful smile on her lips inching closer to his. "What’s your relationship with Roland?" Zoey’s eyes gleamed with mischief. "Roland? He’s my little errand boy." Relieved, Russell’s tone softened. "Zoey, in the future, can you please let me know if you have something going on?"Zoey’s drunken gaze sharpened slightly. "Are you upset?" Russell’s lips pressed into a thin line. "It’s not that
Ariana stormed back home, grabbing the HIV post-exposure prophylaxis medication from her bag while screaming hysterically. Dahlia rushed into the room, only to see Ariana sweeping her cosmetics off the vanity table in a fit of rage. "My darling, what's wrong?" Ariana cried uncontrollably, her makeup smudged and her appearance utterly disheveled. "Mom, how could Zoey do this to me? I was worried about her safety and went to find her. Not only did she dislocate my arm in front of everyone, but she also manipulated Moriah into claiming that I orchestrated the whole situation. She then provoked Moriah into scratching me, and now Moriah—Moriah has AIDS! I have to take this medicine, or I might end up infected!" Dahlia froze, her mind buzzing. "That wretched girl! If I’d known this would happen, I’d have taken her out a long time ago!" Livia clasped Ariana's hands, her heart aching. "Ariana, don't cry. You won't get infected. And if you do, that woman will pay for it with her life. Stop
When Zoey wore the dress yesterday, she felt it was slightly loose but didn’t think much of it. After all, Z&L Design wouldn’t make such mistakes, and a renowned styling studio like Lilah’s wouldn’t have basic issues either. However, while she and Leanna were enjoying dessert on the sofa, she noticed something amiss. Later, when they led Moriah into the lounge, Zoey’s dress was about to split. Thankfully, she had a silver pin with her and managed to secure it just in time. Afterward, Russell mentioned the dress completely tore while the maids were changing her. She couldn’t find the pin and assumed a maid must have picked it up, not thinking much of it since she was too embarrassed about her drunken state. Now, Zoey was here to demand an explanation. But Lilah, feeling guilty, outright denied it. “Our studio would never have such an issue.” Zoey raised an eyebrow. “So, are you implying the brand is at fault? Do you know who oversaw the design and production of this dress?” “Was i
As the scene unfolded, Russell instinctively moved to rush out of the car. Troy, fearing Russell's impulsiveness, quickly slammed the car door shut and charged toward the man instead. But Troy was a second too late. Zoey had already raised her leg and delivered a swift kick that sent the attacker flying. The glass bottle he held smashed on the ground, shattering into pieces and emitting a corrosive sizzle. Some of the liquid splashed onto the man's hand, prompting agonized screams. Zoey stepped on the man’s hand and ground her heel into it mercilessly. “Talk. Who sent you?” “No one sent me! Ahhh—!” Watching Zoey’s cold and menacing demeanor, Troy felt an eerie familiarity. It was as if he were seeing Russell himself. Clearly, they shared the same aura—like a matched pair. “Madam, allow me to handle this,” Troy said respectfully. Zoey already had a few suspects in mind. “Lilah from the styling studio, Ariana, or Nelson. None of them are innocent.” Troy nodded. “Madam, please re
The next morning, as Russell and Zoey were preparing to leave after breakfast, they were blocked by the sudden arrival of Jordan and Dahlia.Despite Russell's dissatisfaction with how they had treated Zoey, he extended the courtesy of inviting them inside.The servants served tea and then quietly stepped away.Jordan picked up his teacup, gently blowing on it, only to set it back down under Dahlia’s stern gaze. Clearing his throat, Jordan spoke, "We've come today to take Zoey back with us."Russell's tone was cold. "Zoey is my wife. She belongs here at Serene Manor."Jordan continued, "The issue is that outsiders are unaware of Zoey's status. If this gets exposed, her reputation will come under scrutiny."Russell narrowed his eyes. "Weren't you the ones who publicly accused Zoey of plagiarizing Ariana without any investigation? And now you're suddenly worried about her reputation?"Jordan faltered. "At the time, we thought... well, Zoey had only been at the company for a month. How cou
Russell’s gaze carried a cold sharpness as he observed the Harmon family’s attitude toward Zoey—cruel and callous. Their visit wasn’t to bring Zoey back but to demand a hefty dowry. “How much do you think Zoey is worth?” His voice was detached and icy. Jordan’s eyes lit up. “As the head of the Maddox family, you can’t afford to give too little—it wouldn’t be dignified if word got out.” Dahlia chimed in, “Exactly. Besides, Zoey is exceptional in both looks and talent.” Zoey sneered. “Oh? Then can you tell me what my major was in college?” Dahlia’s lips twitched awkwardly. “Well, whatever it was, it must’ve been excellent. Now you’re an S-tier designer at Galaxy Studio, earning billions annually. Setting aside family background, how many socialites out there can compare to you? Russell, Zoey is lucky to have married you, but you’re equally fortunate to have her. Considering that, we think a suitable dowry would be some shares of the Maddox Group.” Russell’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Nelson's eyes darkened with malice, not expecting Zoey to show him no respect whatsoever.He uncrossed his legs, leaned forward, and lowered his voice, "Stop talking nonsense!"Zoey responded nonchalantly, "Then why did you come find me?""I have a friend..." Nelson began.Zoey laughed out loud. "A friend out of nowhere?"Nelson clenched his teeth, wanting to crush her, and hissed, "I’m going to another place for treatment."Zoey was about to refuse when two men in suits appeared behind her, pressing a knife to her back.Nelson smiled with satisfaction. "A knife is just as good as a gun, so please, go ahead."Zoey narrowed her eyes. "Are you threatening me?"Nelson grinned.Zoey sneered. "Do you really think this can hold me back?"Nelson raised his chin, and one of the suited men moved behind Octavio Munoz, the owner of Hines Hall. Octavio froze, looking pale."Since you can appear here, it means you're quite familiar with the owner. If you don't want anything to happen to him, come w
"Not bad looking, but that body is quite impressive!"Zoey watched as Nelson reached for her face. Without hesitation, she grabbed his fingers and twisted them sharply, causing him to howl in pain. With a swift turn, Zoey moved behind the man, using her height advantage to grip the back of his collar and pull him backward. Nelson was bent in an awkward position, his neck exposed.A gleaming silver needle, held between Zoey's fingertips, pressed into the artery at Nelson’s neck.“Tell them to put the guns down.”Nelson gritted his teeth, seething, “You dare threaten me?”Zoey scoffed lightly, “Try it. Let’s see if their guns are faster or my needle is.”With that, she drove the needle into his neck.The sharp pain made Nelson raise his hand in surrender. “Stop.”With Nelson as a human shield, Zoey quickly moved from the second floor to the ground floor. Just as she reached the bottom, the villa door was kicked open with a loud bang.A group of men in black tactical jackets stormed in, a
Nancy looked at one portrait after another of Craig, and tears kept falling from her eyes.She held onto those paintings tightly, "Craig, I'm sorry..."If it weren't for her, Craig would have definitely found a beautiful girl, gotten married, had children, and lived a life that followed the usual routine.She was the source of all Craig's tragedies, and she was immersed in deep self-blame.Three days later, Dalton and Russell came back, unfortunately they did not bring Nacy with them.The village experienced a riot, and the villagers fled in all directions. Many people managed to escape, while others were captured by the rebels and sold to various parts of the world. They were too late to leave.It took some time to find Nancy, so they came back first.Dalton noticed Nancy's abnormality and took her for a psychological test, discovering that she had depression.After hearing about this, Zoey still recounted the matter that Nanc
Susie was not surprised to see Nancy, as Emmett had sent someone to deliver a message to her after finishing these tasks.She knew Nancy would definitely come to find her, after all, Nancy's child was gone and Craig was also dead, everything unfolded according to her plan.Originally, she also wanted Nancy to die, but later she changed her mind. The most tormenting thing for a woman is nothing but the inability to conceive again and the tragic death of a former lover.She wanted Nancy to suffer a fate worse than death!Compared to death, the living are the ones who suffered the most!Susie burst into laughter, her face twisted with a wicked and malicious expression, "Do you hate me so much?"Nancy said calmly, "I hated you because you disrupted my peaceful life. However, I must tell you that your plan did not entirely succeed."The smile on Susie's face froze in an instant, "What do you mean?"Nancy faintly curved her lips and
Your own mother?Last words?Difficult to conceive?A series of information overwhelmed Nancy, and she almost couldn't bear it and fell down. The tray in her hand also almost slipped.She closed her eyes, steadied her mind, held the tray, and held onto her last bit of dignity.Taking a deep breath, she turned around and went downstairs to the kitchen, placing the tray on the counter.The servant asked, "Mrs. Jenkins, didn't you bring it up?"Nancy forced a smile and said, "I just tripped on the stairs earlier and spilled some."The servant took a glance and indeed, it was true. She said, "In the future, leave this kind of rough work to us, you take good care and rest."Nancy thanked and said, "It's okay, I will repackage and deliver it again. If I stay at home and do nothing, I will become moldy and grow hair."The servant didn't say anything more, but watched as she filled two bowls of poached snow pear with hone
When Nancy woke up, it was in the middle of the night. She stared at the white ceiling, tears streaming down her face.Upon hearing the suppressed crying, Dalton, who had been in a deep sleep, suddenly woke up. His eyes were bloodshot and filled with red veins. "Nancy, Nancy, are you awake?"Nancy looked at him and pointed to her small belly, "Gone, right?"Dalton struggled to force a smile, "There will be more in the future, Nancy. We will have children again in the future."Nancy cried out, "Why did he survive the fire, survive the kidnapping, but couldn't survive that glass of orange juice? Why treat my child like this? What did he do wrong? That glass of orange juice was personally delivered to me by my mother, does she even know?"Dalton was worried about Nancy's postoperative bleeding and quickly grabbed her hand. "She is unaware, Nancy, what you need most now is to recover your body. You must not get emotionally excited, otherwise it can eas
Leanna noticed that Nancy didn't look too well and asked with concern, "Nancy, are you feeling unwell?"Nancy shook her head, "It's nothing, maybe it was just my imagination."Leanna knew that there was tension between Nancy and the Eaton family, so her bad complexion must have been a result of a recent unpleasant encounter with Reina.She didn't think much about it and came to the entrance of the banquet hall with Nancy.Zoey had just finished directing Roland to move the roses when she saw Nancy and couldn't help but ask, "Nancy, you don't look well, are you feeling unwell?"Nancy curved her lips, she didn't want everyone to think she was too fussy, so she shook her head."It's okay, I was fine, just a little nervous."Zoey held onto her arm and said, "Today, you were the most beautiful bride in the world, and Dalton was ready to welcome you."Nancy turned around and didn't see Craig's figure.He had promised her befor
Nancy fidgeted with her fingers uneasily, not because she was nervous about her wedding today, but because she had a constant feeling that something was about to happen.Susie seemed to give up her rights easily, even though she was not the type of person who easily gives up.Nancy raised her hand and placed it on her small abdomen. The baby was almost fourteen weeks old, having gone through a fire and being kidnapped, facing numerous hardships and challenges.She hoped to have a peaceful day today.Leanna, noticing Nancy's serious expression, walked over and leaned against the dressing table. "What's wrong, Nancy? Do you have something on your mind?"Nancy pursed her lips and raised her gaze, saying, "It was just an inexplicable feeling of unease."Leanna bent down and took her hand, "Don't be too nervous, Dalton has everything arranged. It's not a big deal if the flowers are a little wilted, Zoey is taking care of it."Just now, Zoe
After Nancy left, Leanna started urging Zoey to go to the hospital.Zoey said to modify Nancy's wedding dress before going, but Leanna couldn't wait and directly messaged Russell, saying that Zoey was feeling a bit unwell in the stomach and asked him to come pick her up.Leanna didn't joke about this kind of thing, Russell didn't even hold a meeting, he drove directly to come.Zoey was unaware of this, and was momentarily surprised when she saw Russell standing at the office door.However, she quickly realized that it must have been Leanna who sent him.Russell asked concernedly, "Why was your stomach feeling uncomfortable? Did you eat something cold or spicy? I was going to take you to the hospital, why were you still toughing it out? If Leanna hadn't messaged me, would you have kept enduring it?"Zoey had not answered the man's question yet, but Russell packed up her bag and was about to take her to the hospital.Zoey pursed her lip
The evidence of Susie's kidnapping and attempted murder is solid, so the Thatcher family came to demand justice, and the highest prosecutor's office in Lochcliff did not release the person.They resorted to threats and temptations, but it was in vain. Susie remained steadfast in her position.Susie's younger brother, Emmett Thatcher, went to see her. The man looked at her disheveled appearance and sneered, "Betrayed by your own people, how does it feel?"Susie looked at the madman in front of her and snorted, "If you came to see me as a joke, then get lost!""Tsk, you may look gentle, but your personality is really terrible. No wonder Randall didn't want you."Susie stared at him and suddenly got up to leave.Emmett laughed and said, "They were fighting for custody of Nacy, not to mention that the people from Lochcliff were quite powerful."Susie got excited and said, "That was my daughter, why did they take her away! Did Randall ask
Susie watched as Zoey and her group looked at her with indifference, and in an instant, she realized that they thought she was setting a trap for Nancy, when in fact, she was the one being lured into a trap.She boasted of her superior intelligence, but now she has fallen into someone else's trap, naturally feeling dissatisfied.She despised Randall, "I treated you well, and yet you sided with them! Why did you treat me like this?"Randall's eyes were cold and indifferent. "It was you who taught others how to treat you! Susie, you see me as a dog, but in my eyes, aren't you just a female dog?"Susie had never been subjected to verbal attacks, and she hated him so much that she suddenly pulled out a silver firearm from the waist of her bodyguard.Before she could pull the trigger, a syringe was shot into the back of her hand.In an instant, her entire arm became numb, and then half of her body followed suit. She couldn't hold herself up and k