I admit that my way of thinking was outdated and too conservative. However, that was who I was, and there was nothing I could do about it, even though I wanted to change.If I could change my personality and loosen up, my life would probably be a lot simpler. There were so many handsome men out there. What could be better than spending time with some of them?I couldn't help sighing as I pondered Noah's borderline obsession with me.Suddenly, my phone rang—it was William calling."Where have you gone? I came to the hospital to visit your grandmother, but you're not here," he said.Hearing this, I told him to wait for me and said I would be there soon.When I arrived at the hospital, William was leaning against a red maple tree and smoking a cigarette.On this crisp autumn day, he was dressed in a camel wool coat. The coat had been tailored perfectly to fit his tall frame, making him appear even more striking.Beautiful people looked good no matter what they did, and William was
Henry was a man of poor character who couldn't do anything right. However, he had a natural talent for creating all sorts of harmful drugs.As mentioned, if these were medieval times, he would surely be exalted as a talented alchemist—known for his ability to craft and cure poison. Truthfully, any drug Henry casually created would definitely be considered illegal.Struck with an idea, I looked up at William and said, "Why don't you talk to Henry directly? Given your status, I'm sure he will happily tell you everything."William looked pleased at my use of the word "happily"."That's actually why I came," he admitted.Then, thinking of something else, I quickly added, "Actually, no. Henry might not happily spill the beans to you. He's very protective of Julianne, so he may lie to you instead. You'll need to be careful discerning which of his words are true."William chuckled. "I know, don't worry. Once I've gotten all the puzzle pieces, and if Julianne is no longer useful, I'll ha
I couldn't stand to even look at Julianne. So when I spotted her approaching, I said my goodbyes to William and left.Not long after I left, William stood up and turned to Julianne."Let's go. It's time to meet your godparents," he said.Julianne was momentarily taken aback before she quickly said, "William, what are you—""Showing my support. You only acknowledged Emilia Quill's parents as your godparents out of spite, didn't you?" William answered.Julianne knew she couldn't hide how much she hated me from William. Hence, she had decided from the get-go not to do so.However, she found herself asking, "Doesn't Noah like Emilia?"Wasn't William only helping me because of Noah?"So what?" William asked, cocking an eyebrow.Julianne's heart involuntarily skipped a beat at the devilish expression on his face.…My family was very excited when they received a phone call from Julianne, saying she would be bringing William to visit them."Isn't Lianne the best! She always thinks
In this world, many mothers didn't love their children, and oftentimes, it was without reason. However, these mothers usually only loved themselves and not anyone else, let alone someone else's child.So, when a mother only loved her adopted daughter and not her biological one, there had to be a reason behind it.Mom answered William's question in a dazed state. William had encountered many strange things in life, but her answer still rendered him speechless.…That same evening, I had given Grandma a sponge bath and watched her until she fell asleep.I was about to go over some data when I received a message from William, saying he was in the hospital's garden.Figuring he had gotten the information he needed, I grabbed my down jacket and rushed downstairs. I was anxious to know what William had learned.As soon as I saw him, I asked, "What did my father say? Did he conduct any drug trials on Julianne?"William stared at me but didn't immediately answer. There was a hint of pi
"Your mother believed Julianne's father would've continued to pine after her if she didn't have you with her that day. That was why, after that, she couldn't bring herself to treat you well, even though you were her own flesh and blood," William concluded.I was floored by this information.Seeing the dumbfounded look on my face, he couldn't help but gently and sympathetically pat my head again."So, forget about your mother. She's not worthy of your care," he advised.I was still at a loss for words.Fortunately, I had already given up on Mom long ago because I had become fed up with being disappointed by her. That was why, no matter how absurd things got with her, I could accept it. Hence, I was able to get over my shock quickly."And Julianne…" I started to ask."She can't move right now. Because of her frail health, your father administered many different drugs to boost her immune system in the past," William explained. "However, even he doesn't know what exactly he gave J
William's gaze deepened as he smiled at me. "I'm glad I have you. Otherwise, I might've had a hard time finding out the truth."He reached out once again to pat my head.But then, we heard someone call out, "Emi! Uncle Will!"William's outstretched hand froze at the sound of the overjoyed voice.Snapping back to reality, he quickly retracted his hand and stuffed it into his pocket. His already deep gaze now seemed so dark that it was like the vast deep space.I reflexively turned toward the direction of Noah's voice when I heard it.He had grown so much in the past year. He no longer had a youthful air around him and had now transformed into a full-grown adult. So much so that his image no longer matched the version of a younger brother I had.Noah had changed a lot, but the one thing that hadn't changed was the burning intensity in his eyes whenever he looked at me. He had been walking toward us at a brisk pace. But when our gazes met, he lost his composure and practically jogg
At the time, Grace was already more than five months pregnant.So, even if she hadn't wanted the child, she still shouldn't have gone as far as using her body to frame me in this way. Hence, if she really did intentionally try to frame me, there had to have been a reason behind it.Additionally, Irvin and Timothy looked identical. Because of this, many people couldn't help speculating and suspecting that Timothy was the twin who had died, whereas Irvin was the surviving twin. And since Irvin wasn't her husband, that was why Grace had tried to frame me in such a risky manner.On top of that, in all the photos Grace had taken of us, it was clear Irvin was the one who had initiated intimate contact.People could tell he was the one who had embraced me first and behaved affectionately toward me. And in every photo, it was evident that I had no intentions of seducing Irvin. This only further reinforced people's belief that Timothy had died, while Irvin was still alive.Hardwell Group's
Upon hearing Magnus agree to her plan, Grace lowered her gaze to hide her satisfaction.Irvin had used his favored status with Magnus to threaten her. Well, she would see how well he fared when he had to go up against Magnus instead.Irvin was just her chosen pawn, and there was no such thing as a pawn turning on its master.Magnus had always been a man of action. So, he immediately called Irvin to the room. Once Irvin arrived, Magnus explained Grace's plan.Upon hearing what they wanted him to do, Irvin wanted to laugh. He had always thought of Magnus as one of the better people in this family, but now, he realized he had thought too highly of him."Agatha and Grace created this mess. Yet, they want Emilia to take the blame for it and expect me to be the one to condemn her? What do you take me for, Magnus? A mentally impaired idiot?" Irvin asked derisively.Magnus frowned. "Watch what you're saying, Tim. Can't you see the public's doubts and their effect on Hardwell Group's stoc
William wasn't the type to repay a life-saving favor. So, for the past two years, Julianne had always wondered why he treated her so well and was especially attentive to her health.It was only after she returned to Claudeville that she finally understood.It turned out William had a sickly niece he cherished dearly—one whose survival depended on Julianne. Upon learning this, she suddenly felt she had the upper hand again.While she still couldn't figure William out entirely, she had come to understand him somewhat. She knew he would continue to tolerate her—for the sake of his sickly niece—as long as she didn't do anything out of line.To be clear, Julianne made my life difficult because she hated me. But as long as she didn't harm me, she knew no one would hold it against her. After all, William's niece needed her blood to live.The more she thought about this, the more pleased she became.I could see it plainly in her eyes. Her expression seemed to say that even after all thes
Seeing how determined I was, Emma didn't press any further.Just as we were about to leave in the car, another car pulled up beside ours. When I saw who stepped out of it, my eyes widened in shock.Emma saw them too and tugged at my sleeve in surprise. "Emilia, isn't that your ex-husband's brother and sister-in-law?"I was just about to say yes when Grace suddenly collapsed into Irvin's arms. He picked her up and rushed toward the hospital.Seeing this reminded me of how I had wished that Irvin would come and save me when I was drowning.I chuckled mockingly.Noticing something was off with me, Emma turned to me. "Emilia, what's wrong?"I withdrew my gaze. "Nothing."Then I told the driver to start driving.As the car drove out of the hospital, Emma stared at me. She hesitated at first, but then curiosity got the better of her "Emilia, looking at how you reacted to your ex-husband's brother… Is it true that he's actually not Timothy, but Irvin?" she asked.She had been with
Only after our car had driven far into the distance did William finally withdraw his gaze from Noah's car."Was Ms. Quill's assistant rescued?" he asked.Matthew immediately replied, "Yes, she's been taken to the hospital. She's out of danger."William hummed indifferently in response, then got into the car and left.…By the time I woke up in the hospital, night had already fallen.I was surprised to see Noah sitting at my bedside—surprised that I was still alive and that it was Noah who had come to save me.Seeing me awake, Noah stood up excitedly. "Emi, how are you feeling? I'll get the doctor!"I wanted to tell him I was fine, but my voice came out hoarse when I opened my mouth.Suddenly, I remembered something and quickly reached out to grab Noah before he could leave to call the doctor.Before I could even ask, he already knew what I was going to ask. "Your assistant's fine. She woke up even earlier than you," he said. Hearing that, I breathed a sigh of relief.Noah
Emma was also quite smart. Once she calmed down, she immediately understood what I meant. She wanted to say something, but I had already opened the car door and pushed her out.Seeing several people swimming toward us, I shoved her again, urging her to leave quickly.In the face of life and death, survival would become an instinct for everyone. So even though she didn't wish me harm or want to leave me behind, she swam away with tears in her eyes. Not long after she left, those so-called "rescuers" surrounded me.When they noticed someone had swum away, they exchanged hand signals underwater, planning to send some after her and others to capture me. Realizing this, I quickly pointed at myself, trying to tell them that I was the one they were looking for. Then I turned and swam in the opposite direction, hoping to lure them away and buy her more time to escape. But even though they understood my gesture, they didn't believe me. They still sent people after her.They were very
There was only one road from the airport to the city, and William's car was right behind ours.Matthew, who was driving, immediately sensed something was wrong when he saw our car suddenly accelerating at an alarming speed.He quickly said, "Mr. Ashford, something's wrong with Ms. Quill's car!"William, who was busy reading the documents, immediately looked up. His gaze darkened when he saw how recklessly the car in front was moving."Catch up with them!" he ordered. At that moment, his phone rang. It was Noah calling, and he sounded anxious on the other end. "Uncle Will, are you with Emi right now? I just heard that Madeleine is planning to kill her! "I don't know the exact plan, but I heard they're making a move on the way from the airport to the city. You need to be careful! I'm heading to the airport right now!"Noah's words made William's expression grow even darker. …While Emma was still processing the situation, I noticed something strange about the driver. If the
Just like that, we came back alive from the brink of death in an instant. It felt like we were in hell one moment and in heaven the next.Perhaps I was still too scared. So scared that even after the plane had stabilized for a while, I still couldn't find any strength in my body. I was still shaken by the fear and couldn't fully snap out of it.William was also holding me tightly the entire time, not letting go. The softness of my body in his arms stirred something in him that he couldn't describe. He instinctively didn't want to let go.It wasn't until a flight attendant knocked on the door to check on us that I finally returned to my senses.William also let go of me instantly. The sudden emptiness in his arms left him feeling rather hollow.He came to realize something, and his already deep gaze darkened even more, making it even harder to read.After the flight attendant tidied up the cabin and left, William, who had been perfectly fine and warm just moments ago, suddenly tur
The flight attendant knocked on the entrance to the suite to signal her arrival and served our meal. Then, she left swiftly.William and I were eating and discussing our AI chip factory when his face suddenly turned red. He couldn't say a word.The moment I saw that, I immediately realized what was happening and rushed over to him.I moved behind him, wrapped my arms around his abdomen, and clenched my fists. With my palm facing upward, I tightened my arms and pressed my left fist forcefully into his upper abdomen again and again, until he finally spat out the seed of a fruit.He had accidentally swallowed the seed while eating dried fruit, and it had gotten stuck in his throat.William stared at the seed he'd just coughed up, looking flustered. A man like him, who was so strong and composed, had choked while eating. He couldn't believe it had actually happened.Especially in front of me!William, who was usually composed no matter the circumstances, now had a face flushed wit
William handed me a glass of champagne and said, "I heard Grace gave you a hard time again at the airport lounge."I hummed in response, confirming it. At the mention of Grace, a thought struck me, and I turned to him. "Mr. Ashford, many of your company's products seem to compete directly with the Hardwells'."Although most of my focus had been on research, I did know a little about the business world. After all, I had a company myself. "Yes, why?" William raised an eyebrow at me."If you're planning to enter the mainland market, wouldn't the Hardwells be your biggest competitor?" I asked.Upon hearing that, William's dark eyes lit up with interest. "Are you trying to join forces with me against the Hardwells?"I knew that I couldn't hide my intentions from someone like William, so I answered honestly, "I'm just thinking ahead. I wanted to see if you had similar plans. If so, maybe we could work together in the future."Going against the Hardwells alone was definitely impossi
At the same time, the same video was also delivered to Noah's grandfather, Mr. Hull Senior."This is the woman Noah's interested in? He refused a marriage alliance with Ms. Charter because of her?" Mr. Hull Senior questioned incredulously.His butler, who had been by his side for decades, lowered his head respectfully and answered, "Yes."Mr. Hull Senior scoffed. "What kind of judgment does he have? It's no wonder he doesn't measure up to his uncle."Noah might be excellent, but at his age, William had already built up the Ashfords into the wealthiest family in Redwood. In terms of cunning or any other aspect, he was still far behind William.The loyal butler remained silent as he respectfully stood off to the side."If anyone else was still left in this family, I'd never even consider passing it to Noah!" Mr. Hull Senior exclaimed, pounding his cane hard against the floor.The Hulls had built their fortune from casinos. Their business had shady beginnings, which meant they also