LOGINJoan didn't dare delay. Dean would never want Edward.If Chris sent Edward over, it would be no different from abandoning him.She tricked Dennis into going into a room and locked the door behind him.Ignoring his frantic banging and crying, she turned and walked away without hesitation.Dennis still had use to her. She wouldn't soften her heart just because of a few cries.At this point in her life, only cruelty could keep her moving forward.At 5:30 p.m., she arrived at Starry Villa. Edward was already waiting at the entrance.The small child stood alone, with two suitcases taller than him placed beside him. There was not a single servant or adult around.Joan's heart tightened when she saw him. She felt a pang of pain.But Edward was overjoyed. The moment he saw her, he ran toward her with short, eager steps."Mom, Dad… Uncle Chris said you were coming to pick me up."He quickly corrected himself, remembering Chris's instructions.Uncle Chris had told him he was no longe
Dean probably wasn't lying. William was deeply calculating and had never been fond of Dean."You don't deserve her. You're the one who ruined Daisy."When he was cheating and even committing domestic violence, he never thought about his family. Now, suddenly, he was acting like a concerned husband and father. The thought made Adriana sneer.Dean didn't get angry. His only hope now was that Daisy and the child would return to him safe and sound—nothing else mattered."William said he'll hand the child over to me once Daisy gives birth. After that, there will be no further ties between the Slater and Reeves families. Oh, and Daisy has been classified as part of the Slater family now. That means aside from me, she has nowhere else to go.""Dean, Daisy doesn't need to rely on anyone to survive. You should take care of yourself."Adriana frowned and ended the call. Dean was utterly useless—he provided no useful leads and made no effort to search at all, just passively waiting for his
After more than an hour, the car finally stopped.Looking at the barren countryside and the small, rundown houses around them, Dennis frowned."You lied to me! There's nothing here!""Shut up!" Joan shoved him toward the house. "Say another word, and I'll leave you here.""Sis, I'm scared."Dennis looked up at her pitifully, tears welling in his eyes.Joan took a bag of snacks from the car and tossed it onto the table."Eat. And keep your mouth shut."There was a well in the yard. She drew some water and washed her face.Her grandmother's old house had long been unoccupied, but she often sent people to clean it, so it was still relatively tidy.She planned to spend the night here and see how Alfred and Cassandra reacted tomorrow before deciding her next move.That night, Dennis threw a tantrum, crying and demanding to go home.Joan locked him in a room and put on earplugs, sleeping in the next room.She had been fighting with Cassandra for two days straight and was utterly
"Dennis is your biological brother, not a stranger!" Cassandra corrected Joan.In her heart, she still held a trace of hope—perhaps Joan would love Dennis the way they did."I don't have a brother. I'm the only daughter of the Hill family!"Taking advantage of the servant's moment of inattention, Joan kicked hard at the servant's knee.The servant cried out in pain and loosened her grip.Joan lunged toward Cassandra, trying to grab her.Cassandra was startled and staggered backward.Her foot caught on the threshold. She fell hard, striking the back of her head on the ground, and immediately lost consciousness."Madam!"Mrs. Higgins's face went deathly pale. She quickly called for the driver.After helping Cassandra into the car, she looked at Joan helplessly and urged, "Miss, if the master comes back, it'll be over. You should leave now."A perfectly good family had been reduced to this.Joan stood frozen in place, staring at the blood on the floor, her hands and feet turni
Adriana chose the express urgent service—she would receive the results the next morning.At the same time, Joan was throwing a full-blown tantrum at the Hill family home, completely unaware of anything that was happening elsewhere."You both really have it in you. A son younger than your grandson—aren't you afraid of becoming a laughingstock?"After discovering the existence of Dennis, she had moved back into the Hill residence, pressuring Alfred and Cassandra to transfer all shares into her name.But they were firmly biased toward their son and even accused her of being greedy and selfish."A laughingstock? You're the one making us a laughingstock!""First, you broke off your engagement, then you became the mistress of your former fiancé. You're shameless!"Cassandra, exhausted from Joan's endless chaos, had lost all patience and no longer bothered to be polite."I've ended up like this because of you two. You don't deserve to be parents!"Joan screamed hysterically. She coul
Adriana stood quietly behind the door for a moment, waiting until her emotions settled. Only then did she open it.Chris was leaning alone against the wall, lost in thought. When he saw her come out, he pulled himself back."Did you find what you were looking for?"Adriana shook her head. "No. I just came to take a look."As for the photos, she decided to keep everything to herself until she had fully confirmed the truth."Oh, right," she added casually. "I'm going to Starry Villa for dinner tonight. Is that okay?"A flicker of light passed through Chris's dim eyes. He smiled faintly."I said it before. That place will always be your home.""Alright. See you tonight."She waved and drove back to the lab.Oliver was busy dealing with William, and Francesco had gone to Mitaly. Project 001 was behind schedule—she needed to push it forward.Fortunately, once she entered work mode, she became completely focused and efficient. She didn't even stop for lunch, only eating a sandwich
The moment those words left his mouth, the people nearby sucked in sharp breaths and instinctively stepped back, afraid of getting caught in the crossfire.Among those in their circle, no matter who interacted with Chris, everyone carefully avoided mentioning his legs.Francesco, on the other hand
Francesco's gaze swept briefly over Adriana's face before he turned to chat with Oliver.Two young women standing nearby stared at Francesco without blinking, their voices buzzing with excitement."Oh my god—who is he? He's drop-dead handsome. He looks like a Hollywood star. Is he mixed-race?""H
Francesco let out a bitter, self-mocking smile. For a man like Chris, Adriana had walked away from him without hesitation.In her eyes, he didn't even compare to Chris."Perhaps," Adriana murmured, then released her hand and paused mid-step on the dance floor, offering no explanation. "Anyway, tha
"Oh—Edward, did you just tap the voice recorder?"Joan snatched the phone away, uneasily glancing at Chris."Chris, I'll delete it right now. Edward was fiddling with my phone while he was eating. Who knew it would record Adriana's words?"Chris said nothing. His expression tightened, his eyes li







