LOGINOf course, it was because the son he had raised was so good-looking.“Philip, don’t be so quick to lose your temper.”Maria’s tone lifted slightly as she spoke, carrying a hint of coy sweetness.“I was thinking about your health, so I made a full table of dishes for you to try.”“Don’t come here trying to curry favor with me.”Philip’s heart was as immovable as stone.“I have no interest in you whatsoever. Hovering around me won’t change that.”Maria clenched her fists, forcing down the impatience rising inside her.“Philip, saying something like that really hurts me.“I came here because I’m concerned about your health. How could you think of me so maliciously?”Philip let out a cold snort.How could he possibly fail to see what Maria was really thinking?He understood the situation perfectly well but chose to pretend otherwise.Since she had no intention of speaking plainly, why should he take the initiative to spell things out?Wouldn’t that just be creating trouble for himself?“Wh
Philip assumed it was just a doctor or nurse coming in for their routine night check.That was exactly why he disliked staying in the hospital.He felt like he had no privacy at all.Every time he was hospitalized, it felt as though he had become completely transparent.Philip frowned instinctively.He felt he should speak to the doctors and nurses here and ask them not to come in for checks in the middle of the night.Besides, his condition had already stabilized. Why did they need to check on him again and again?It was too disruptive to his sleep.Just as Philip turned over, planning to ignore the doctors and nurses, he suddenly sensed that something was off.Because the person who had entered was moving quietly.Although the sounds were faint, it was clear that someone was moving around in the room.Before Philip could speak, his nose caught a familiar smell.“Why does that smell so familiar?”Philip murmured instinctively.Maria felt a surge of excitement.“Philip, are you awake?”
How could Maria not know how to cook?Back when she lived in the Carter household, Philip had always loved the dishes she made.Otherwise, she would never have been allowed to stay there in the first place.It was precisely because she knew how to do so many things that she had been kept around.And since Philip had always enjoyed her cooking, it gave her more opportunities to show herself.Otherwise, she would never even have had the chance to get close to him.“Alright, Miss Mills. I’ll pack everything up right away.”Mary stopped chatting and got to work.She realized that everyone had their own little secrets. Maria was no exception.So, she could not impose her own expectations on other people.Besides, this was not really her concern anyway.As long as Maria paid her on time and did not give her trouble, that was enough.That was Mary’s only simple requirement.Meanwhile, Maria took the packed containers of food, took a deep breath, and hailed a taxi to the hospital.She thought
“What’s wrong?”Maria turned to look at Mary, not quite understanding what she meant.As far as she could tell, she had not done anything unusual. She had only come to cook a simple meal. There should not be any problem with that.“Miss Mills, you can leave all of this to me.”Mary sounded anxious.“If you start doing these things yourself, it makes me feel useless. Then what role do I even have in this household?”Maria burst out laughing.“You don’t need to worry about that. I’m only cooking once in a while. Just keep doing the work you’re responsible for.”“I have a… well, a friend who’s sick, so I’m cooking for him. He likes the food I make.”Mary finally understood.“Oh, I see. I thought you didn’t need me anymore.”Mary patted her chest in relief.She had been worried that if Maria started cooking herself, she might decide to dismiss her entirely.And if she lost this job, what kind of work could she find at her age?To be honest, working for Maria was quite comfortable.At the v
Had she really done something wrong?She had already tried so many ways, yet Philip still refused to trust her. What else could she possibly do?She could not even get close to him.She could not just stand there staring at a pot of soup by herself.At that point, no matter how many bowls she made, it would not make any difference.Every time she thought about it, Maria felt helpless.Deep down, she could sense that her son had never seriously meant what he told her.In other words, Edwin did not really take her seriously at all.And Edwin clearly had no intention of wasting his time on her.Maria could feel all of this, but she had no one she could talk to about it.There was nowhere for her to say these things out loud.Maria stared at her phone for a long time. In the end, she decided to cook the dishes she was best at.She refused to believe she could not win Philip over this time.After all, when he used to be at home, he had loved the food she cooked.That was exactly why Maria f
“You’re not going to hold it against me for calling you by your name?”Edwin’s tone lifted slightly when he said that.He had not expected Maria’s words to sound so ridiculous.Maria, however, still had not realized how serious the situation was.She nodded to herself. “Yes, that’s exactly what I mean. No matter what, I’m your biological mother. We share the same blood. You’ll never be able to cut me off in this lifetime.“So I only have this one simple request. I hope you can fulfill it.”“Alright, I understand.”Edwin’s reply was deliberately vague.“Then when can I marry into the Carter family?”Maria was already impatient.She did not want to stay alone in that villa out in the suburbs any longer. It felt as if she were completely cut off from the world.Even though she had everything she could want there, it meant nothing.Because she had never received recognition. She could only remain in the outskirts, watching others live their happy lives.That kind of life felt like living a
"Got it, Mom. I’ll head back now. If anything comes up, just give me a call."Grace flashed her a quick "OK" gesture, then quietly watched the two of them leave the room.Only after they’d completely disappeared from sight did she turn back to stare blankly at the bowl in front of her.She hadn’t mi
Hearing what Tessa said, Grace felt a strange mix of emotions. She hadn’t expected her daughter to be so blunt, without the slightest hint of pretense, almost as if she had come here just for this.Tessa confidently pulled the taut rope, her movements swift and purposeful. Deep down, she genuinely
"I know this situation has affected the company, but it’s not all because of me. What about Julian Hayes? He doesn’t bear any responsibility?”She stood her ground, refusing to let Grace pin the entire fallout on her. That would be completely unfair, especially considering how much she had contribu
Carol couldn’t help but roll her eyes. Honestly, not rushing into marriage might be for the best. As far as she could tell, Tessa was no pushover—definitely not an easy one to manage.If she really did marry in, who knew how much drama she’d bring into this house?Carol was getting older. She didn







