Summer stuck around in Rose's room for a little longer. She was just about to find an excuse to leave when Rose's phone started ringing.As soon as Rose saw the screen, she snatched her phone up right away, as if she feared Summer might see something."I'd like to be alone for a while, Summer," Rose said.Summer glanced at the phone Rose was hiding behind her back. She didn't even need to ponder any further to figure out who was calling—Anthony.Just recalling that name alone made Summer feel a ball of fire raging in her heart. From the moment she realized the truth, her unrealistic feelings for him vanished completely, leaving nothing but derision and resentment behind."Alright. Get some rest and don't dwell on the situation too much," Summer said."Okay."Once Summer left the room, Rose immediately took the call. As Summer expected, it was indeed Anthony who called."What took you so long?" Anthony asked in displeasure."Summer was with me just now," Rose responded, keeping
In the previous lifetime, Summer had been so traumatized by those photos that she refused to leave the house. To avoid letting that affect her education, Henry resorted to finding a tutor who could teach her at home.Anthony was a model student who was known for his academic accomplishments. That, combined with Rose's machinations, allowed him to use that opportunity to enter the Hartford residence and become a part of Summer's life.Slowly sipping her milk, Summer sneered to herself. It seemed like despite suffering such a severe setback, Rose hadn't chosen to give up on her foolish plan. If nothing else unexpected happened, she would most likely be running into Anthony in the Hartford residence soon enough.Just then, Robin returned."How are the investigations coming along? Have you figured out who those people were?" Henry asked grimly.Shaking his head, Robin replied, "Ms. Sanderson doesn't remember the time or place of the incident. Moreover, the people in the video were all
"I'll tell you a secret—it's my favorite game! No matter how upset I am, as soon as I whack one of those little moles on the head, all my sadness disappears!"But you know, I do feel bad for the little moles always getting hit. So, I've decided that when I grow up, I'll make my own whack-a-mole game and design sturdy little helmets for them!"On the screen, the mole that was whacked had on a helmet with an "S" on it.S…It stood for "Summer".Just as everyone was still processing, Mason casually remarked, "Cute."Kyle turned to look at the screen showing four blocky characters bouncing around.Cute? This outdated, cheesy thing? What on earth was cute about it?"Is it not?" Mason looked up at the group."It is! Very cute indeed!" They all nodded in unison.Mason then asked, "Has the entire system been breached?""We're trying to fix it!" Tim Bryant, the IT guy, blurted, cold sweat beading on his forehead."Save this program and send it to me," Mason said.Suddenly, he snapp
Summer cracked her neck, ready to tackle the hackers on the site.Just then, Phoebe knocked on the door. "Ms. Hartford, are you still napping?"Summer shut her computer and went to open the door. As soon as it opened, the warm, sweet aroma of chestnut cake wafted in."Chestnut cake!" Her eyes lit up immediately, and she happily took the cake from Phoebe.Phoebe chuckled and said, "Ms. Hartford, you're such a slave to chestnut cake! Is it really that good?"Chestnut cake was Summer's absolute favorite treat. On second thought, she realized she hadn't had any for three years—not since her time in that dreadful psychiatric hospital.Summer set the cake down and hugged Phoebe. "Phoebe, how did you know I was craving this?"Oh, Summer… How big of a fool were you in your past life to have lost someone like Phoebe?"The pastry chef noticed you've been in a bad mood and made one for you," Phoebe explained. "Hurry up and try it. It smells amazing!""Okay!"Summer took a bite of the ch
Phoebe fell silent.Rose was indeed a master at disguising herself. If Phoebe hadn't stumbled upon her little schemes by chance, she might never have realized Rose was a backstabber."So, what should we do now?" Phoebe asked."Nothing," Summer answered with a smile. "Everything stays the same. We don't make any sudden moves. Considering how cunning Rose is, we have to strike at the right time to crush her at once. Otherwise, she'll find a way to retaliate.""You're right!" Phoebe quickly nodded. "The more critical the situation, the calmer we need to be.""Also, don't confront her or try to warn her in any way," Summer instructed firmly.Phoebe had never been one to mince words when it came to Rose, often making cutting remarks or mocking her in front of Summer.Summer was worried that Rose might once again target Phoebe in this lifetime. But fortunately, Phoebe was quick to catch on and nodded in agreement.Summer couldn't help but reflect on the tragic end of her previous lif
The manor was adorned romantically inside and out for Summer's birthday. She stepped onto the soft carpet, her expression blank as she walked toward Rose's room.Fragments of false memories she once shared with Anthony flitted through her mind.It had been a long time since she last saw him. Ever since that wedding night when he tricked her into signing the stock transfer agreement, the three years of inhumane torment that followed had blurred even his face in her memory.Now, as Summer was about to see Anthony again, she thought she might feel something. After all, she had truly loved him once.Yet, hatred had devoured every trace of that deluded affection.At this moment, her only thought was to drag Anthony into the depths of hell and make him suffer a thousandfold for the agony he had inflicted upon her.When Summer arrived, the maid respectfully opened the door to Rose's room.Inside were three women and one man, along with Kristen and Rose.Rose greeted her with a smile,
"We have plenty of rooms. If the tutors are willing, of course they can stay," Kristen replied.As in the previous life, all four private tutors agreed to stay. Rose's mood visibly brightened.After chatting with the tutors for a while, Kristen called Summer to step outside."Mom, is something wrong?" Summer asked.Kristen was still not fully accustomed to Summer calling her "Mom" so casually. She cleared her throat and asked, "Do you not like Anthony?""Why do you ask?""You're always rude to me, but not to others," Kristen replied as she glanced at Summer. "If you don't like him, just say so. I can make an excuse to keep him from coming."Summer shook her head. "No need. Rose trusts them. Haven't you noticed? Her mood's a lot better than it was this morning. Right now, there's nothing more important than making her happy.""Then, they will only teach her. I'll find other tutors for you," Kristen said."No need." Summer smiled, shaking her head. "Actually, I was about to talk
Rose couldn't believe her eyes.Weren't Summer and Kristen always at odds? When did they become so affectionate?Noticing how Kristen was gazing at Summer with such tenderness, Rose felt her heart burn with jealousy.No! She couldn't let them make up! Kristen's attention should only be on her! This was something Rose felt she was owed. She clenched her fists tightly and then retreated into her room with a stormy expression.…Convincing Henry went far more smoothly than expected.Initially, he had strongly opposed it, much like Kristen. But after hearing Summer's reasoning, he pondered for a long time and eventually agreed.Rose, however, was still unaware of this decision. She spent the entire night brainstorming ways to create opportunities for Summer to fall in love with Anthony as soon as possible.As for Anthony, he had been conflicted about whether he should continue with his involvement before arriving at Hartford Manor. He had even considered telling Henry about Rose'
"I got it." Summer knew that going head-to-head with the Hunt family this time must have caused Mason to be caught in the middle of some immense pressure and criticism.So, she didn't want him to worry about her too much.Chandler's incident had stirred massive public attention following Summer's live stream. In the next two days, more and more people were speaking out online.The police department responsible for the investigation was finally compelled to issue a statement, promising a lawful and thorough investigation into the case.Paul's family had rested at the Hartford residence for a day before they started to recover a little."We won't hold the funeral here. Our family back home is already handling the arrangements," said Paul's wife, Bailey Oak. Her eyes were still swollen from crying.Kristen nodded. "Alright. Don't worry. Mr. West has worked with our family for over ten years. He was practically one of us, so we'll make sure to take care of your family in the future."
"You know how vicious the Hunt family can be. Back then, I…" Kristen instinctively pressed her hand to her lower abdomen with an expression of grief. "I'm afraid of losing another child."Luke had an expression that was full of heartache. He gently pulled Kristen into his arms. "That won't happen. From now on, we will face everything together. We'll definitely protect Summer."Can I really do that?" Kristen's tears fell uncontrollably.Back then, she thought she could protect the child in her belly, too. But in the end…Luke said firmly, "You can. You definitely can. My wife has always been the strongest person I know!""Yes." Kristen nodded as she leaned against his shoulder.They had never spoken of that pain over the past 20 years. This was the first time. Summer's actions today had been like a key that unlocked this long-suppressed wound in Kristen's heart.Neither of them knew that Summer hadn't gone to sleep, either. She stood at the window in her room and could just see th
"Something like that happened?" Rosanna looked shocked. She had been locked up at the time.Jane sighed deeply. "I just heard about it, too. The kidnappers told her not to go to the police. They said they'd kill the kids if she did. In the end, she didn't report it and ended up paying 70 million dollars in ransom."Jane sighed again. "But she ran into some real monsters. After they got the money, they sent her a location to get the kids. When she got there, all she saw were their decomposing bodies!"Rosanna covered her mouth. "Oh, my God! Did they catch the kidnappers in the end?"Jane shook her head regretfully. "They were professionals, so how could anyone catch them? She lost her money and her children. Mrs. Mills fell seriously ill and is still in the hospital.""Those kidnappers are truly heartless!" Rosanna said."They were only missing for three days. Based on the state of the bodies, the kids were probably killed the moment they were kidnapped," Jane said.As Rosanna lis
Jane always outshone Rosanna in every way, so how could Rosanna possibly like her?Jane said softly, "Rosanna, I know you don't like me, but you're still family. I know you're just a straightforward and blunt person. You've never meant me any harm.Rosanna rolled her eyes internally at that. Jane couldn't be more wrong."I don't want you and Aspen to get divorced." Jane helped Rosanna sit down and crouched to examine her ankle. "It's sprained. I'll call a doctor.""No!" Rosanna was incredibly vulnerable at that moment.A vulnerable person's greatest weakness was someone being gentle to them.Jane frowned. "How could you not see a doctor? Just wait here. I'll go quietly. I'll make sure no one notices and bring the doctor over. No one will find out."After a pause, Jane continued, "I won't tell anyone about the divorce, either."Rosanna's ankle was throbbing with pain. After a moment of hesitation, she nodded. "Don't tell everyone!"Jane smiled gently and went off to find the doc
"As lawyers, we only need to achieve the desired outcome for our client. Nothing else matters," Malcolm said.The assistant fell silent.Aspen slumped down onto the hospital bed, looking defeated, while Rosanna sobbed uncontrollably."Enough crying. Go check on Mom," Aspen said impatiently.Rosanna choked out, "I refuse! Your mother never liked me to begin with. With what happened to Chandler, both of us are responsible as his parents, but your mother will definitely only blame me! You can go if you want!"After that, Rosanna grabbed her purse."Where are you going?" Aspen asked."I'm going to figure out a way to save my son!" Rosanna snapped and started to walk off.Aspen grabbed her arm. "I'm warning you. Don't go after Kristen again! This has nothing to do with her!""Kristen, Kristen! She's all you care about, even now. Her daughter stood there and humiliated you in front of everyone, making you out to be some creepy stalker, and you're still defending her?" Rosanna finally
"Chandler from that certain all-powerful family underwent a psychological evaluation every six months at his school abroad. Just over two months ago, when he had just returned to the country, he had one done. "His mental state is fine. You parents might've been driven crazy by anger, but not him."There was a frenzy online.The original post was quickly deleted, but people had already saved screenshots of all the relevant documents.Inside the Hunt residence, Aspen's hand was wrapped in gauze when he heard what the lawyer had to say. He exploded on the spot. "Who leaked something this private? Check with Chandler's school! I'm suing them! Every last person who leaked it!"The lawyer said gravely, "I've already checked. The school's digital database was hacked. Mr. Hunt, I told you yesterday to maintain a good line of communication with the victim's side. If you did, there might have been a chance for settlement. Why did you hire online trolls to spread lies?"The lawyer added, "N
"Mason, I'm not doing this for the Fridman family. I'm now a part of the Hunt family as your aunt. Even if you don't want Violet, that's fine. Summer really isn't right for you!" Jane still wore that sincere, gentle expression."Have you ever thought about why a girl with such ambition would want to be with you?" Jane asked.Mason looked at Jane. "That's where you're wrong. Summer wasn't the one who came looking for me. I'm the one who chased after her."Jane was speechless.Who in their right mind would believe that?At that moment, the elevator arrived. Mason didn't say another word to her as he got in the elevator and left.Jane stood in place.She never imagined that everything she had so carefully planned would be thrown off by the Hartford Group heiress who appeared out of nowhere."All that effort, Jane, and you were paving the way for someone else." A flamboyantly dressed woman walked over at that moment.She, too, was one of the many daughters-in-law of the Hunt family
"Tell Grandma I was here," Mason said before he turned to leave.These past few days had been unbearable for Aspen, especially with everything Summer exposed that day.All these years, people had assumed that there had been something between him and Kristen. It had always been something he could brag about, but the truth was exposed to the public today. That last shred of connection he had with Kristen had shattered as well.On top of that, Chandler was about to face serious criminal charges. Aspen felt like his heart was being set on fire."Mason!" he shouted after Mason, but Mason ignored him.Aspen clenched his teeth and rushed toward Mason with a sharp fruit knife in hand.Things had come to a point of no return anyway. If he had nothing left to lose, he might as well drag Mason down with him. If he killed Mason, maybe Royal Financial Group would fall back into Victoria's hands.But Aspen had underestimated Mason too much. His blade didn't even graze Mason. Mason merely gra
In the end, Mason still went to the private hospital that the Hunt family owned. As he stepped out of the elevator, all he saw were members of the Hunt family, gathered in full force.Mason knew exactly what was going on.These people hadn't shown up out of affection. They were just afraid that Victoria might actually die, so they were here early to wait for the inheritance."Mason, what the hell did you do to Grandma?"The moment they saw Mason, they pounced like a pack of wild dogs, but not a single one of them actually dared to touch him.If Victoria did die, Mason's threat level would skyrocket a hundredfold."This is a hospital. Why are you all being so loud?" Mason asked coldly.Jane ran over. "Everyone, calm down. This had nothing to do with Mason. She only got a heart attack because of Ms. Hartford's press conference."After that, Jane looked at Mason. "Mason, everyone's just worried, so they're a bit emotional. Don't take it to heart.""Where is Violet?" Mason asked.