《Waiting For a Girl Like You》


 Chapter 1 Im The Delivery Girl

    "Carla Ji! Where the hell are you? Have you been slacking off? You''re running behind with all of the deliveries. The customers have been calling and are complaining that they haven''t received their orders yet!"


    Karen was the owner of the diner where Carla Ji was working as a delivery girl. The many complaints that she received over the phone from angry customers overwhelmed her and she vented it out on Carla.


    "I''m sorry, Karen, for the delay with the deliveries.


    I had a problem with my scooter and couldn''t find a repair shop to fix it. But I tried fixing it myself and it seems to be working now. I promise I''ll deliver all the orders.


    I''ll be there in 10 minutes. I have to go now, Karen. I''ll talk to you later." Carla Ji had just delivered an order to a customer and quickly hopped back on the scooter to go to the next. She was in such a hurry to make up for lost time that she forgot to put her helmet on. She turned the throttle to maximum speed, blinked uncomfortably in the cold wind that was blowing in her face, while stewing on the abuse that Karen had unfairly flung at her on the phone.


    The scooter that she was riding was a cherry red color and had little details. After speaking with Karen on the phone, Carla felt a little nervous about facing her.


    ''What a bad day!'' Carla Ji thought to herself as she was driving to the next delivery. Her scooter had broken down and there were no repair shops available, so it wasn''t her fault. ''Everything is going to be all right. Just take a deep breath and smile!''


    Determined to finish all her deliveries for the day, she put her phone inside her pocket and concentrated on the road.


    The strong wind blew in her face and whistled in her ears. She had to focus on her driving and not to think about Karen.


    Finally, she had caught up to all of the deliveries that she had to do for the day. There was just one more delivery left and she was excited about finishing so she could go home and rest.


    Delivery played an important role in the food industry. It allowed customers to choose what they wanted to eat without the hassle of getting it themselves. But for the delivery person, it was a very demanding job. Deliveries were all over the city and it took a lot of traveling to and from each customer which was all time-consuming. Carla Ji would start work early in the morning and usually finished late at night.


    It was nearly nine in the evening and had become dark. The street lights had been lit up for a while now and there were very few people walking in the streets. Most were already in their warm homes with their families.


    Carla Ji had almost arrived at her last destination, which was just around the corner about two or three minutes away. She was so relieved that her working day was nearly over.


    After the stressful day that she had with her scooter breaking down and then being abused by Karen for being behind on her deliveries, all she could think about was delivering her last order as quickly as possible and going home to relax and let this terrible day be behind her.


    Distracted by her thoughts and driving fast, she didn''t notice that someone was in the middle of the road until the last minute.


    "Hey! Get out of there! Hey! Get out of my way!"


    She yelled at the person to move as she was fast approaching.


    The man wasn''t moving out of the way. He just stood there slightly hunched over as if he was hurt and looked at her with a cold and defensive glare. She tried to brake but the scooter wasn''t responding. She let go off the throttle and kept squeezing the brakes desperately trying to stop in time, while yelling at him at the top of her lungs,"Hey! Get out of there! Get out of my way!"


    The scooter wasn''t working properly, ever since it broke down earlier that day. Even if she did manage to brake, she was too close and would surely hit him if he didn''t move.


    Just as the scooter was about to hit the man, Carla Ji held on tightly and squeezed her eyes shut at the last moment and waited for the inevitable, thud! But instead of the ''thud'', Carla felt the scooter ease to a stop.


    She opened her eyes in surprise and saw two strong hands holding on firmly to the handlebars of the scooter.


    Carla Ji blinked with wide eyes, trying to process what had just happened for a few seconds.


    And then she looked the man up and down that was standing in front of her to make sure that he was okay. She noticed that he had muscular arms and a strong robust body. ''With that physique, no wonder he was able to stop the scooter, '' she thought.


    His shirt was covered in blood and he seemed hurt. He looked at her questionably and asked as he winced in pain,"Are you okay? Can I let go of the handlebars now?"


    He seemed tense and uneasy, and kept looking around.


    He spoke a little abruptly to her, but there was something about this man that Carla Ji liked. She had an earnest and sincere feeling about him. He was charming and had deep expressive eyes. On top of that, his aura was so engaging.


    The man that stopped the scooter when Carla Ji had lost control even though he was injured, was Terence An.


    She put her feet out to the sides of the scooter to steady herself, and then remembered why she was going so fast in the first place. She still had an order to deliver.


    Carla Ji turned to look at the delivery box that was on the back of her scooter. And saw that the contents were all scattered about and ruined. She frowned at the sight and it was then that she felt her scooter sink down by the weight of another person. Terence slid in behind her and yelled,"Let''s go!"


    "I can''t! The orders!"


    He was trying to tell her something, but she wasn''t listening. All she thought about was the order that she had to deliver and how it was just one big mess now. She worried about what Karen was going to say when she found out.


    ''What will I tell Karen? How will I explain this to her?'' Carla Ji didn''t know what to do anymore.


    She was still thinking about the dilemma that she was in when she was suddenly jolted out of her thoughts by something that was wrapping around her waist.


    Terence An was holding her so tightly that she felt like her slim waist would break because of


    the strength of his hands.


    "Go!" shouted Terence. "I''ll pay you ten times the price of that."


    Carla Ji suddenly heard the sound of stomping feet. And as she turned, she saw a group of fierce-looking men heading towards them.


    "There he is!"


    "Hurry! Get him!"


    Carla Ji''s eyes widened in fear at the site of them. They were obviously after the man that was sitting on the back of her scooter, holding tightly on to her. She didn''t have much time to think.


    In an instant, she started the scooter up and with full throttle raced off as fast as the scooter would go. ''My life is more important than this food for delivery, '' she told herself as she concentrated on putting as much distance between herself and the angry men as possible.


    Carla Ji was a bundle of nerves. She tried to convince herself that the man on the scooter with her was just a large order that she needed to deliver.


    She was exhausted. It had been a very long day. In her mind, she told herself as soon as she dropped the man off she could go home and rest.


    Reassuring herself that she just had to do this one last delivery and then would be able to go home, Carla sighed and just kept repeating to herself that soon all of this would be over.


    ''You are just a large order.


    Just a ''huge'' order.


    Just another order to be delivered, '' she kept repeating to herself.


    Once Carla Ji felt that she was a safe distance away, she eased off on the throttle. The screaming sound of a motor stopped immediately and ran smoothly again.


    She checked her mirrors, confident that no one was following them. Finally, she felt more at ease and wasn''t as nervous and jittery as before.


    ''Damn it! This man is heavy, '' she thought to herself. It was difficult driving the scooter with him on the back.


    The scooter was only a small one. Although it had a seat for another passenger, it was only intended for a child or someone similar to Carla Ji''s frame. Fortunately, Carla was only a petite girl. Otherwise, they both wouldn''t have been able to fit on the scooter. Especially since this fellow was not only tall, he was also buff. She had to concentrate hard on keeping her balance and hold onto the handlebars much harder to avoid the front wheel from wobbling.


    Terence An kept his hands around Carla Ji''s waist. He didn''t want to let go, just in case, she tried to do something stupid against him. It was awkward for her since she didn''t know who this man was. A short time ago, she nearly ran him over with her scooter and now he was holding onto her as if he was never going to let go.


    "Sir, can you take your hands off my waist and just hold onto the scooter, please?


    It is difficult for me to drive when you are holding on so tightly. I can barely breathe. I would appreciate it if you could just let go and hold onto the scooter instead."


    Carla Ji felt that there was no need for him to keep holding onto her since they were out of danger.


    "Not a chance!" Terence An replied. "You are a delivery girl. You know your way around here and are familiar with the streets. When you take me to a safe place then I will let go of you."


    Terence An was hurt and tired. He wanted to find a safe place where he could clean himself up and rest without worrying that someone was going to follow them.


    He managed to fight them off but he still got hurt in the process. His face was bloodied and his clothes were dirty and bloody. He just wanted to rest a while.


    Carla Ji could only sigh, ''It has been a hell of a day today! It''s like the worst day of my life.


    First, my scooter broke down, then I nearly ran over this man with blood all over him. I don''t even know if he''s dangerous or not. Then my last delivery ended up scattered all over the place. This day has been an absolute disaster for me, '' she thought.


    She felt her phone vibrating in her pocket, but she chose to ignore it. She was overwhelmed by everything that had happened to her today, and couldn''t handle speaking to anyone at the moment, especially if it was Karen.


    Carla Ji was totally drained. All she thought about was getting home and running a nice warm bath for herself, where she could soak her aching tired body. Absentmindedly, she weaved in and out of the familiar streets. And before she knew it, she had parked out the front of her house and turned the motor off on the scooter. The silence startled her, and she began to panic that she had just brought a stranger to her home.


    She pretended like she didn''t know the place where they had stopped and started the scooter up again. And she turned the handlebars to head in another direction.


    "Isn''t this your house?" asked Terence An. "Why are you turning around?"


    Terence wasn''t stupid. He knew that Carla Ji was trying to distract him and take him somewhere else away from her home. He reached out and held onto the handlebar of the scooter.


    The scooter stopped moving suddenly. Carla looked across and realized that the man was squeezing the brakes with his big strong muscular hand.


    She felt frightened that he was aware of what she was trying to do. Her heart was in her throat


    when Terence An leaned forward holding onto the brakes. She could feel his hard body against her and could smell the blood on him. He felt very hot and was sweating profusely.


    "Of course not! That''s not where I live," Carla Ji tried to mislead him. "I don''t know how we got here. I just kept driving so we could get away from those bastards. It looks like a dead end street. I''m just an ordinary delivery girl. How am I supposed to know all the streets here?"


    Carla babbled nervously trying her best to deceive him.


    In the calmest voice that she could manage she said,"Hey, you can get off now. It''s safe here." As she turned the motor off the scooter. She wanted to get rid of Terence An without offending him.


    Just as Carla finished talking, she suddenly felt a weight on her back. She turned to try and see what was going on and


    was so startled when she saw Terence.


    "Oh my gosh!" shouted Carla. "Hey! Wake up. Please wake up!"


    ''Why is this happening to me? Seriously, right in front of my house. Could this day possibly get any worse?'' she thought hopelessly to herself.

 Chapter 2 He Needs to Leave before the Sun Rises

    Carla was driving herself insane. She had no idea what do with this man. What was wrong with her? How could she take him to her house like this? She took one good look at him and decided that it definitely wasn''t a good idea.


    A thought crossed her mind, ''Is he a felon? I wonder whether he has a criminal record.'' She glanced down at him and saw that he had blood stains all over his shirt. ''By the looks of him, he has got to be some kind of criminal, '' she thought. Looking at him again, her mind began to run wild, ''Why were those people chasing him? He must have done something quite horrific for them to want to beat him unconsciously.''


    Looking around her, she took a second and thought to herself, ''There are so many people in this world... Why does this have to happen to me?'' Carla''s mom had told her never get involved with men like him. Her mom always used to say," Men like that will take all of your money, leave you homeless and heartbroken." Carla believed her mom, hence why she never associated herself with men like him, until now.


    ''What if these people come back? What if they saw my face and came after me? I hope that they don''t think I was involved with this man, nor whatever he did.'' Her eyes widened at the thought of men coming after her.


    She knew nothing about this man. She knew that bringing him home could cause complete havoc. The thought of him being in her house sent shivers down her spine. ''For all I know, he could be a murderer.''


    She really wanted to help him because that was one of her characteristics. Carla had such a caring heart. She was always willing to lend a helping hand to someone in need. As much as she wanted to help this man, she knew she couldn''t. She had a little ten-year-old brother to look after and she would never do anything to put his life in jeopardy.


    Carla''s parents passed away at a very young age. Her brother was only a baby. Ever since then, she was his mom and sister combined in one. They never had any other close relatives in the city, so she took it upon herself to take care of him.


    As Carla was trying to carry this man off of her electric scooter, she heard a familiar voice coming up from behind her," I am over the moon with excitement, Carla. You have finally brought a guy home. Is he your new boyfriend?" said the voice behind her. Seeing Carla with a guy was something unusual. Carla never had a serious boyfriend, as she was always busy with something. She was always juggling work, taking care of her brother and working hard towards paying off her debt. She never really had any time for one. Before she could turn around, she heard this lady say," Why don''t you take him upstairs for coffee or something? I am sure your brother would love to meet him."


    She turned around to see who it was, ''Oh no, it''s Jena Wang. I can''t deal with this woman right now.'' Jena had just come from her usual run around the block and spotted them. She was very pretty. She had long tanned skinny legs and a tiny waist. Jena could never keep her nose out of other people''s lives, even if she tried to.


    Jena started walking towards Carla with a big smile on her face. She wanted to meet Carla''s new boyfriend.


    "Please Jena, now is not a good time," said Carla. She was planning to put him in an alleyway between the two buildings, behind the dumpsters, and just leave him there. However, Carla couldn''t proceed with her plan anymore, as she knew Jena would see what she was about to do.


    "He is not my Boyfriend. Why would you think that?" asked Carla. Jena could hear the slight irritation in her voice. "Come on, Carla... It''s obvious. You know, bringing a man home is completely normal. You don''t have to be shy about it," said Jena.


    "I am really happy that you have found someone, Carla. You have been doing this all on your own for such a long time now. You really need a break," Jena said. She had a big grin on her face. ''I wish that was true, '' Carla thought to herself. After saying what she needed to say, Jena smiled at Carla. She then took a sip of water, turned around and started jogging towards the stairs.


    Jena stopped and turned her head with the obvious intention to something more. Carla rolled her eyes and thought, ''What is she going to say now?''


    "Don''t canoodle for too long outside. It was reported on the news that a storm is on its way," Jena said, winking at Carla.


    "I will see you guys around. Have fun!" Jena shouted. Letting out a small giggle, she then disappeared up the stairs. Carla halfheartedly smiled at Jena as she left. She thought to herself, ''Thank goodness she is gone.''


    When Jena saw Carla and her ''boyfriend'' outside the building, the man''s head was on Carla''s shoulder. It''s rather dark at night and Jena wasn''t able to see his face at all. That was why she thought they were canoodling.


    As soon as Jena left, Carla placed the man''s heavy arm around her neck and attempted to carry him off her scooter. "Why are you so heavy?'''' she said to him.


    ''Am I stupid? Why am I doing all this for this man I''ve only met?


    Why am I doing so much for this man? I saved him from being chased and killed from some kind of gang, and now I have to carry him to somewhere safe. If I take him home, he will be putting both Sean and I at risk. It would only be fair to dump him somewhere and forget that he even existed.''


    Carla''s mind started to run again, ''That''s not the person I am... I will never be able to forgive myself If I just leave him somewhere to die.''


    She searched him for any kind of identification. Carla found his wallet and searched for his name but she couldn''t find any. While searching him, Carla couldn''t help but notice that he didn''t have anything valuable on him.


    More importantly, Carla started to think, ''Am I attracted to this man?'' She stopped her thought pattern before thinking any more about it. She always promised herself that she''d find a man that could take care of her financially. She wanted him to be attractive, charming, romantic and to help her get far in life. Her mind started to drift back to the unconscious man, ''Is he really making me doubt my future soulmate? Did Jena''s words get to me?''


    "Did they really?" she said quietly to herself.


    Carla couldn''t believe that she was thinking so deeply about a man that she had never even met before.


    Her head started to hurt from all the thinking she was doing. She decided that she would have to risk it and take him home until he was better. She knew leaving him somewhere would not be the right thing to do. Perhaps she was even starting to have feelings for him.


    Carla struggled to get his unconscious body up the stairs. She finally reached the door. Holing the man with her both hands and unable to reach for the keys in her pocket, she kicked it and yelled," Sean, open the door! It''s urgent!"


    Carla was battling to keep the man''s body up. She had used all of her strength and put his entire body on her shoulder. "Come on. Just a little bit more," she kicked the door and yelled again," Sean, hurry up!"


    Sean shouted from the other side of the door," I am on my way. Be patient! Did you forget your keys again? Stop kicking and screaming, Carla. It''s late and people are sleeping!"


    Sean ran to the door as fast as possible, battling to open the door. "Come on, Sean! Open up!" Carla shouted from the other side of the door. Sean then unlocked the door.


    He flung the door open and was just about to give Carla a mouthful," What..." Looking at his sister, the sight of a man, whose face was covered in blood, immediately made Sean forget what he was about to say. He was speechless.


    Sean''s heart almost stopped. He was just standing there and staring at the unconscious man.


    He was only ten-years-old, and had never seen so much blood before. It was only natural for him to react the way he did.


    Carla looked up at Sean," Why are you just standing there... Help me!" Sean looked at her with his mouth wide open. He was in shock, yet managed to get out a word," Okay."


    She dragged the man in by his arms, as she was unable to carry him any further. There was sweat running down her red face. "That is the most exercise I have done all year," she joked. Carla was just happy that she didn''t have to carry him anymore.


    Sean looked out the door to see if anyone was watching what they were doing. The coast was clear. He closed the door behind them and locked it just in case. Sean attempted to help Carla by grabbing his feet. After a lot of effort, they managed to put the man on the couch. "That was hard work," Carla exhaled and wiped the sweat off her head.


    Sean took his gaze off the man that was lying there and asked his sister," Carla, do you care to tell me why there is an unconscious man with blood on his face lying on our couch?" Sean started teasing Carla," Is this what they give yo


    u as a tip for delivering pizza?"


    Carla replied with a sarcastic tone," Ha-ha! Very funny, Sean." Carla walked to the bathroom, fetched a wet cloth and started wiping the blood of his face. "Shut up! Go and fetch the first aid kit, now!" she said to Sean.


    "This is so exciting. Our house has become a hospital. I have always wanted to be a doctor," Sean said, grinning from ear to ear.


    He was standing and staring at the man lying on his couch. His imagination was running wild about how this man got injured. "Sean, the medical aid kit!" Carla shouted. He snapped out of his daydreaming and ran to get the medical aid kit.


    Carla cleaned up all of the blood from the man''s face. She took his shirt off, which was also full of blood, and threw it in the wash. She fetched a blanket from the cupboard and gently put it over him.


    Carla looked to see how bad his injuries were. He only had a few cuts and bruises, but nothing too serious. She had noticed his facial features and the way his jawline was prominent.


    "Okay, he seems fine now. Sean, your job is done here so go back to your room now and finish your homework. Don''t make me repeat myself."


    "But, Carla... I want to be here when he wakes up," Sean replied. Carla looked at him and in a stern voice said," No buts, Sean. Just go."


    Sean listened to Carla and went to his room. He needed to finish his homework and get some sleep as he had school the next morning.


    For some strange reason, Carla was not tired at all. She just wanted to sit and wait for the man to wake up.


    Moments later, she quickly went to check whether her brother was sleeping and quietly walked back to the couch where the man was lying. Since no one was around, she started to examine his face and his features. She poked his nose and tried to open his eyelids, just to check if he was still unconscious.


    ''I wonder if he''s ever had plastic surgery done on his face?'' she asked herself.


    Looking at this man, her heart started to race and her mind started to drift, ''Look how beautifully carved his eyelids are and how perfectly shaped his nose is. Those lips must have been made by the gods themselves. How can one man be so perfect?''


    She could still recall the very second that their eyes met. His eyes were so seductive and he could make you do anything he desired with just one look. Carla had never been so drawn to a man, just by looking at his eyes.


    Carla took her gaze off his face and looked at his body.


    She thought, ''How did I not notice his body? How can everything be so perfect? This man cannot be from our world.''


    She let out a shy giggle and whispered to him," If only you knew how I was staring at you."


    The man started to move and Carla''s face went red like a tomato from embarrassment, ''What if he heard me?''


    With his eyes closed, Terence mumbled," Ow, who is poking my face?" Forcing his eyes open, he almost jumped out of his skin with the sight of a woman staring right at him.


    Carla''s eyes widened with surprise," Oh, you are awake!"


    Terence tried to get up, but his head was too sore," Who are you? Where am I? Where is my shirt?" He asked Carla. He felt his head and said," It feels like someone hit me on the head with a brick."


    Gazing at his angry face and arched brows, Carla was in awe of how magnificent his look was. She couldn''t stop staring at him. ''How can he be even more attractive when he''s angry? Is that even possible?''


    Carla tried to reassure him," Shh, it''s okay. You are safe now. My name is Carla, and I put your shirt in the wash because it was full of blood. You are in my house." Terence scanned the room he was in. It was a big living room, with clothes scattered all around and on the floor. Nevertheless, it felt very homey. He then fixed his gaze on Carla.


    Something about this woman seemed familiar. He thought to himself, ''Is this the woman that delivers pizza?''


    He hadn''t really paid much attention to her before, as it was dark and he couldn''t really see what she looked like. He slightly moved his thick eyebrows and thought, ''She is quite attractive, but compared to the other women I know, I will score her a 3 out of 10 at best.


    Hmm, I will add another 1 for her inviting figure, so let me make it a 4 out of 10, '' Terrence added to his thoughts.


    He looked at her eyes, ''Her eyes are so mysterious. Who am I kidding? She is beautiful.''


    Carla caught Terrence staring at her, and she joked," Why are you looking at me like I am a piece of meat? What? Are you amazed by my beauty?" She smiled at him slightly. It was weird, but Carla liked it when he looked at her in this way. "Hmm, it seems like you''re getting better," Carla said with a smile on her face. She was so used to people staring at her like that. It always happened when she delivered pizza.


    Starting to feel a bit uncomfortable with him staring at her this whole time, she decided to get up and fetch Terrence some water.


    Little did she know that this man wasn''t just watching her, he also had something else in his mind.


    Carla came back with a glass of water and handed it to him.


    "Thank you, Miss," he flickered his eyelashes and gave her a very seductive smile. Carla almost melted right there.


    Terence then looked straight at Carla and said," Of course you are quite beautiful. Thank you for taking me into your home and taking care of me. You have a pure heart of gold."


    Her lips curled slightly as she sat next to him. She picked up an orange and started to peel it. Jokingly, she replied," Thank you, but I am not Notre Dame. You don''t need to worship me."


    Terrence looked at her and said," Listen I don''t say thank you often. So when I do, just know that I mean it." "Although you have threatened me to help you flee the scene, you stopped my electric scooter from collapsing on the street, which I am truly grateful. For that, I won''t say another word about your ''abducting'' me to get you out of your troubles," Carla said slowly.


    ''Damn, when people''s lives are enduring serious risks, they would do anything to survive!


    That''s when you entered my eyes. Now you are blaming me for abducting you? To save my life? Woman, you were my silver light at that moment. I can''t just let you go like that... I''d be a dead man if it weren''t for you.'' Terrence canted from within.


    Carla continued with a smile," But, you do realize that you owe me a lot for carrying you up the stairs, cleaning you up, giving you a safe place to stay away from the people that were chasing you, right? Oh, and also for getting you out of a really bad storm and on top of that, all my delivery orders are missed and ruined." She paused for a second and carried on to say," You did promise me that you would pay me back ten times the value for my loss.


    We will have to get those numbers all settled, won''t we? Even reckoning makes long friends, right?"


    Carla finished everything she had to say without even taking a breath. She sat back down, let out a small giggle and put an orange slice in her mouth.


    Terrence''s beautiful dark eyes fixed on her and he paused for a brief moment. His thin lips then curled up in a perfect angle and he smiled at her detailed description. He raised his right hand to his head and felt the messy bandages around it. As he was touching the bandages, he felt a sharp pain in his chest and laid back down on the couch.


    Looking down to his shirtless body, he couldn''t help but think, ''I could stay here. But, I wonder how much of my body had she explored.''


    Terrence pushed his thoughts aside and replied to Carla," Since I have promised that I will pay you back every cent, you have my word." He carried on to say," I am still in a lot of pain. I don''t have any money on me at the moment. I swear to you, I will make a plan to pay you back when I can." Terrence began to wonder, ''What if she lets me stay longer? I would like to get to know her better.''


    Carla was not too impressed by what he had to say. This made her think back to what her mom used to say about men like him.


    She replied with a faint smile," Hey, you are just being dramatic now. You are not that hurt. It really can''t be that bad. By the way, just downstairs, there is a 24/7 ATM where you can draw money." She went on to tell him," Oh, and please don''t tell me that you will pay me later. First thing tomorrow morning, please. Once you pay me back what we have agreed and promised on, then you may leave."


    ''He needs to leave before the sun rises, '' she thought to herself. Carla really didn''t want him to stay any longer than he needed to, especially if people were coming after him. She had to protect herself and her little brother.


    "But, wait!" Terence yelled.


    "What do you want?" Carla replied.


    She turned around and stared at the man. She became very frustrated deep inside, ''What the hell does he want now?''

 Chapter 3 Dont Stop Midway In Saving Me!

    "Have you ever heard of the old saying: When you see Buddha off, don''t stop when you reach West. You may as well see him all the way to Heaven. It means you don''t stop midway in doing a good deed. Since you''ve save me, you should be responsible for me," Terence relayed smugly. He continued,"I can''t sleep like this. And if I can''t sleep well, I won''t be able to function tomorrow." "With that said, can I please have the honor of using your bathroom?" he finally asked.


    To further prove his point, Terence visibly sniffed his sweaty body. When he saw blood all over him, he grew embarrassed.


    As a neat freak, he wouldn''t be able to sleep this way.


    "You....." Carla tried to contain her annoyance. She didn''t expect that the man could become even more unreasonable. She snorted and refused him firmly,"No, I don''t like strangers using my bathroom. So I guess you just have to deal with it, sorry."


    "Ah, never mind. I''m not a heavy sleeper, so I guess you won''t mind if I stain your sofa." The man stretched his legs and deliberately wiped them on the spotless sofa. All he had to do then was wait for Carla''s response.


    Carla stared at him in disbelief. Rolling her eyes, she sighed and started walking towards the bathroom. Opening the door, she said,"Fine, you can take a shower. But I''m warning you! Keep it clean!"


    Terence raised his brows and smirked as he got up from the sofa. He waved for Carla to come over.


    "Come and help me," he demanded.


    Having just recovered from a coma, plus the wound still fresh on his skin, Terence felt worn out. He wasn''t sure if he could walk into the bathroom by himself so he had to turn to Carla for help.


    If looks could kill, Terence would have already died a thousand times. But even so, Carla walked towards him. With apprehension, she helped him stand up by holding him by the arm.


    Terence, on the other hand, had other plans. He disregarded her hands and instead placed his arm over her shoulders, putting his weight on her. It was in this way that they slowly walked towards the bathroom.


    On a normal day, it would only take Carla a few steps to reach the bathroom. But this time, with a tall man bearing her down, it felt like she''s carrying the Mount Taishan. At the same time, being so close with a man for the first time was causing her heartbeat to increase by the minute.


    Finally, they arrived at the bathroom. Carla removed his arm off her shoulder the second she saw it fit and immediately turned away.


    A loud thud could be heard in an instant.


    It was Terence who hit the wall the moment he was out of Carla''s support. He would have fallen to the ground if the wall hadn''t caught him first.


    "Are you okay?"


    Carla turned to him, her face evident with concern.


    "Can''t you tell?" a wry smile appeared on his face.


    If he had been well-rested, there was no doubt that he could walk by himself. But right now, all he could do was bear with it.


    Terence cast his eyes to the ceiling and sighed deeply. Carla assisted him in a sitting position beside the tub then went on to prepare a warm bath for him.


    "I should have just left you outside if I knew you''re going to be such trouble. I should have left you there to die!"


    Carla complained.


    She helped him take off his dirty clothes stained with blood. Inevitably, she came in contact with his firm and strong muscles. The thought made her flush.


    His muscles felt smooth and tense which were very different from hers. Damn it, her heartbeat began to accelerate again.


    Watching him sitting on the sofa earlier was already causing her a headache. And now, she had to take off his clothes and touch him. She tried so hard to conceal how good it felt.


    "If you want to touch more, would you let me shower first. Then, I''m all yours." Terence teased her, seeing the way she was looking at his body.


    "What are you talking about? Don''t be so full of yourself. I''m


    not interested in you or your body at all!" Carla protested. Recovering from her momentary slip of mind, she quickly looked away as she felt her cheeks get warm. She fled in a hurry after throwing the dirty clothes into the washing machine.


    She shut the door heavily, leaving a loud stamp.


    Upon reaching the living room, she buried her face on her palms. "Don''t be such a fool!" she lectured herself.


    Knowing that Terence was incapable of taking care of himself, Carla decided to stay on the sofa. She thought it would be better to wait and help him when he came out, instead of being woken up by the impudent guy if she fell asleep.


    It was about 20 minutes later when


    she heard noises coming from the bathroom.


    Carla yawned and stood up with unsteady legs. Still dazed from sleep or the lack of it, she naturally walked towards the bathroom and opened the door without much thought.


    Her drowsiness was knocked out of her in a second. As if she was suddenly splashed with cold water, her senses woke up, and her eyes went wide as she took in what was in front of her.


    The next heartbeat, a red flush started to spread from her cheeks to her whole face and even to her neck. Abruptly, she shut the door with an even louder thud than earlier.


    Terence did not expect that she would open the door without knocking. Needless to say, he wasn''t wearing a single thread of clothing when she saw him. Looking at himself in the mirror, he smiled bitterly. It was the first time that a woman saw him naked but he couldn''t do anything. How unfortunate!


    He covered himself with a light pink towel from the shelf and opened the door.


    "Ah! That was refreshing!" Terence exclaimed as he walked towards Carla.


    "Where do you think you''re going?" Terence asked. "The gauze got wet. Please help me deal with the wound again." Terence stopped Carla who was about to run away and hide in her room.


    She was so embarrassed and yet she was also feeling so exhilarated. She had lived her life for 20 whole years and that was the first time that she saw a man without clothes on. It was too much for her, to say the least. If she were being honest with herself, she was stunned, and all she could think about was to leave the room as soon as she could.


    "Why aren''t you still standing there?" Terence looked at her with confusion. "I can''t reach the wound on my back. Can you please bind it up again for me?"


    Terence asked, making her jump. She was so consumed by her thoughts that she hadn''t noticed he was already standing behind her.


    Carla closed her eyes to calm herself for a few seconds. Then, she turned to him,"Are you playing with me? Why can you walk by yourself now? I didn''t know taking a shower could do that."


    ''How naive of me! I''m not his maid that needs to wait on hand and foot. Why should I treat him well?'' Carla thought to herself.


    Terence grounded his arm on the wall beside her head. Trapped against his body and the wall, he started to tease her,"A shower does refresh me like that. Besides, I was just exhausted, so of course, I can walk now. Or am I right in guessing that the reason why you''re complaining is that I didn''t invite you in assisting me out of the bathroom?"


    "You...Shame on you!" Carla raised her voice.


    Biting her lips, she stared at him with contempt,"Fine, since your limbs are healthy, bind up your wound by yourself. Don''t bother me!


    Get out of the way. It''s my room and I''m going to sleep. Leave me alone."


    She added,"Also, get out of my house tomorrow morning. We are even now. Goodbye!"


    Carla pushed him back and slammed the door.


    Terence did not move an inch. He smiled and said nothing.


    ''Who knows what will happen tomorrow?'' he uttered to himself.


    The next day, Carla was still sleeping on her bed. Sean who was supposedly on his way to school shouted in the living room,"Carla! Carla! Hurry up! Come to the living room!"

 Chapter 4 Every Dog Has Its Day

    "Sean, what''s going on?" Carla asked.


    Without putting on her shoes, she quickly ran out of her bedroom.


    Sean was standing next to the sofa. He pointed at Terence and turned to her,"Carla, look at him! He''s burning up! He has a fever!"


    Once she focused her attention on Terence, she knew that Sean wasn''t lying. Terence looked very ill as he lay on the sofa. Carla approached him with caution. She placed her hand on the top of his forehead and confirmed what she already knew. His temperature was really high.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll take care of him. Go along or you''ll be late for school," she said and took out some money from her bag hanging on the wall and placed them on Sean''s hand.


    "Take the money and buy some healthy food for breakfast. You''re too skinny. Is your sister abusing you?" Carla joked with Sean.


    Sean should really head out or he would be late for school.


    He took the money, nodded at his sister and then waved goodbye,"I know.


    I''m going to do all of that. See you later."


    Sean was a young, handsome and sensible boy. Although Carla had a habit of teasing him, he knew that his sister loved him the most.


    After Sean left, Carla began pulling all the drawers open in her search for medicine. She wanted to find some Antipyretic to reduce Terence''s fever. The only problem was she couldn''t remember where she put them.


    Sometime later, she found some ibuprofen in a drawer.


    She poured a glass of water and put the medicine in it. Then, she stirred the water with a teaspoon. Afterward, she approached Terence and tried to help him get up.


    "Hey, hey, wake up!" Carla said and lightly tapped Terence''s handsome, feverish and red face.


    His lips were parched and cracked. His worn out face clearly showed how badly his fever had gotten overnight. Carla felt a little worried.


    "Hey, wake up. You should take some medicine!" she patted his face and shouted in his ear. It was only then that she realized that she forgot to ask the man about his name, so she didn''t have a choice but to call him "hey".


    Terence was roused by her voice, feeling a little aggravated. He seized her wrist before she could pat his face again.


    "Stop punching me! It hurts so much. My cheek is swollen," Terence said in a thick voice.


    Struggling a little, he got up and leaned against the sofa. "Don''t call me HEY. My name is Terence, T-E-R-E-N-C-E," he then added.


    He felt a little annoyed when Carla called him "hey".


    Carla looked at his feverish face and released her hand from his grasp. She then placed the glass in front of him and explained,"I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to pat you and shout at you. I''m just afraid that you''re too weak and you might lose consciousness. Take the medicine. It will ease down your fever."


    Terence wanted to sit up properly and take the glass, but he was too weak to do that.


    The pain from the wound and the fever made him awfully exhausted.


    All of a sudden, Carla sat closer to him.


    She helped him sit up and lowered the glass to his mouth. Being so close to her, he could smell her creme rinse.


    Terence looked at her and frowned.


    Carla ignored his glum face and continued to help him drink.


    "Khoff, Khak¡­¡­"


    Carla heard him coughing and thought that perhaps she was pressing the cup on his face too hard. She didn''t mean to do that. She just hoped that Terence could take the medicine as quickly as possible.


    Terence coughed some more and his wound opened and began to bleed afresh. The wound was burning so badly. "Ouch!" he cried out.


    "Uh, I''m sorry. I didn''t mean that. Are you okay?" Carla asked softly.


    Carla saw that blood had started to trickle down on Terence''s arm. She quickly set down the glass and patted him carefully on the chest.


    Terence stopped coughing and looked at Carla. His eyes grew cloudy and dim due to his worsening fever.


    "I''m fine," he replied in a low voice.


    "Oh, my God! Your wound is oozing pus!" Carla exclaimed.


    Yesterday, she tied up his wound with a bandage. When she removed the bandage today, she found out that the wound had festered.


    ''Maybe I should have rubbed some ointment on his wound yesterday, '' Carla thought.


    Terence shrugged his shoulders and said nothing.


    He knew this was going to happen when he took a shower last night and Carla tied up his wound with the wrong method. And today, he was struck down with fever. All of these led him into his current condition.


    "We shouldn''t wait any longer! We must go to the hospital to prevent blood loss and wound infection," Carla voiced and stood up. She already prepared to leave the house.


    She would often talk harshly but in reality, she had a soft heart.


    Yesterday, she told Terence that he must leave her house today. But today, she decided to help Terence when she saw him in a bad condition.


    "Hold on. Do you have any clothes that I could wear? I can''t go with you if I dress like this," Terence asked. He forced a smi


    le which looked more painful than anything else.


    Carla changed her clothes and shoes but she completely overlooked Terence''s clothing needs. She washed his clothes yesterday but they hadn''t dried yet.


    He didn''t have anything to wear. Around his waist was a middle-sized towel, which was barely enough to cover his intimate part.


    Sometime later, Carla turned her head and noticed that Terence was only wearing a towel. She went into Sean''s room and finally found a sportswear, which seemed large enough to fit him.


    Her aunt brought the sportswear for Sean last year, but she chose the wrong size. On Sean, it looked like a potato sack. It was too big for him.


    "I found this in my brother''s closet. You can wear it if you don''t mind," Carla said.


    She passed the clothes to Terence.


    Terence knew that he couldn''t be picky about the clothes. So he took it and nodded without hesitation.


    Carla stared at Terence without blinking. She didn''t even realize that she should have left the room. Because she had been taking care of her brother since he was very little, it was a common thing for her to watch her brother get dressed.


    But she quickly blushed crimson with embarrassment.


    Terence raised his hand to put on the shirt. He was tall, with wide shoulders and a strong chest. She couldn''t take off her eyes on his abs. He was strong, hot and charming. Everything that he did spell seduction.


    He put on the shirt and glanced at Carla, who stood still watching him. Terence sighed.


    He was about to take off the towel and put on the trousers when he realized that he didn''t know whether the trousers were his size. But he had no choice. After all, a pair of wrong sized trousers was better than a middle-sized towel.


    He put his hand on the towel and Carla immediately knew what he was going to do. She quickly turned around and covered her face.


    She patted her red face and thought, ''I''m so stupid! I watched a strange man get dressed! I even stared hard at him. Oh, Jesus, wh..what have I done?


    Ah, it''s kind of embarrassing. I''m such a shameless woman.''


    Carla regretted her behavior. She really did but she couldn''t help but peek at Terence in the mirror beside the door.


    ''I''m a female, radiant with beauty and full of life. I have all the favors granted by God.


    It''s perfectly normal if I''m attracted to a handsome man.


    Yes, exactly. I didn''t do anything wrong, so I have nothing to fear, '' Carla comforted herself.


    "Okay, I''m ready to go now. Let''s go," Terence called out. He changed his clothes and washed his face in the bathroom. Although he still felt a little feverish, he was getting better now.


    Carla and Terence reached downstairs when Terence suddenly stopped in his tracks.


    "What are you waiting for? Get on! I''ll give you a lift to the hospital," Carla urged.


    Terence looked at the old and red electric scooter in front of him with a sickened expression on his face.


    Yesterday he got on this "car" because he must run for his life. But today, he didn''t want to get on it again.


    Carla rolled her eyes and tried to convince him further,"Hey, what are you doing? It won''t be easy for us to hail a taxi in this area. The bus is very slow because of the traffic jam. You don''t want to hit rush hour, do you? My scooter is old, but it''s convenient and fast! Do you remember? It saved your life!"


    She knew that Terence hated her scooter.


    But he might die without this old scooter. Yesterday, she gave him a ride to help him hide from his enemies.


    Terence paused for a moment and then said in earnest,"Look, I don''t hate your scooter.


    But those men who tried to kill me would definitely recognize it. I just want us to be careful."


    "Last night I saw a bus station nearby. We can take a bus there and no one will notice us in public.


    It''s not rush hour so we won''t be stuck in traffic," he added before Carla could interrupt him.


    But it was quite obvious that Terence was lying. In his opinion, any other vehicle would be safer than this old scooter. If they couldn''t hail a taxi, he would rather take a bus.


    Carla thought for a moment and finally agreed with him. Then, she locked her scooter.


    They were about to leave when a voice from a distance stopped them.


    "Oh, Carla, good morning. Why did you get up so early today?


    Is that your boyfriend from last night? Oh, my God, he''s so handsome and tall! Every dog has its day; you are the dog today! Oh, I''m sorry. I mean, you''re a wonderful couple!" Jena said in a cheerful tone.


    She immediately took the stairwell when she saw Carla and Terence. She didn''t get a good look at Terence''s face yesterday. So she felt surprised upon seeing him clearly for the first time.


    She had been living here for many years but she had never seen such a handsome and charming man.


    "Oh, Jena, I think you misunderstood. We are not..."


    Carla wanted to explain but Terence suddenly put his arm around her.

 Chapter 5 I Offer Myself As A Repayment

    "Carla, I''m not feeling very well. Can you catch up later, after we come back?"


    Terence leaned in close to her ear and whispered with a smile, blowing hot breath into her face. His eyes were gleaming when he looked at Jena and nodded politely to her.


    "I am sorry, but Carla and I have something urgent to do. We have to go now."


    After he said that, Terence snaked his arm around her waist. Carla was taken by surprise. She twisted in protest and struggled in his arms as he forcefully led her towards the direction of the gate of the housing estate.


    Most middle aged housewives like Jena were keen on gossiping and if Carla continued with the conversation, it wouldn''t have ended for quite a while.


    He didn''t have the patience to wait anymore.


    "Why did you do that?"


    "What did I do? I didn''t say that I was your boyfriend."


    "But if I don''t explain it all to her, Jena might think that you and I are¡­"


    "Does it really matter that much, what other people think? It will do, as long as you and I know whether we are or not."


    "No, it will not do. Jena is a terrible gossip. You just wait and see. Before tomorrow morning, everyone in this neighborhood will know that I brought a man back to stay with me overnight."


    Carla and Terence continued bickering, even after they had left Jena. Neither of them was willing to make a compromise.


    Terence raised his eyebrows as he glanced at Carla. She sounded like she was so eager to deny any romantic connection between the two of them. ''Would it be all that bad to have me as a boyfriend?''


    After they got out of the hospital.


    Carla sorted through all of the bills and handed them to Terence, who was following behind her.


    She was unfortunate enough to have met him yesterday and to add insult to injury, Karen called her when she was at the hospital with him, cussing and yelling at her.


    But thanks to her quick wit, she said that she had a minor accident and was still in the hospital and thus managed to muddle through the blame.


    "Since we have come out of the hospital, we''d best say goodbye here. These are the bills I paid for you. So, I suppose we can find a bank now and you can withdraw the money and pay me back?"


    Terence glanced at the stack of bills and swallowed hard. His dark eyes gleamed and the corners of his mouth twitched nervously.


    "I don''t have money."


    "What?" ¡­


    Carla flew into a rage. She didn''t believe that he didn''t have any money on him and without thinking she rushed forward and began to search him. How was it possible that he didn''t have his cell phone, bank card or anything with him?


    Terence didn''t try to stop her. Instead, he raised his arms slightly to allow her to thoroughly check him.


    "You saw what kind of situation it was yesterday. It was a moment of life or death. Who would think to bring such trivial things with them at a time like that?"


    Carla glared at him angrily, then took out her cell phone and held it out to him. "You call your buddies, family, relatives or girlfriend and ask them to bring the money to help you out," she said through gritted teeth.


    Terence looked down at her cell phone indifferently and shrugged his shoulders not even attempting to take it.


    "How am I supposed to remember so many phone numbers? Besides, I''m not even from BH City


    and I don''t have a girlfriend."


    Carla gaped at him dismayed, finding it hard to grasp all that was going on. "Then why did you say that you would pay me tenfold?"


    "It was a dire situation. Desperate times call for desperate measures. But I promise I will keep my word and pay you back later,"


    explained Terence. Out of all the people in the world, it was fate that brought them two together. He felt helpless to change anything, and all that he could do was look at her angry and disappointed face.


    Carla stood with her hands on her hips and glared at him full of contempt. She felt a strong desire within herself to strangle him. In a low menacing voice, she uttered,"You lied to me! I should pimp you off to the club as an escort. You can make enough money to pay me back within one night."


    Terence didn''t bat an eye at her comment, rather he gave her a sexy half smile and narrowed his eyes on her.


    "Why go to so much trouble? How about I serve you alone and be your escort exclusively? Wouldn''t that be so much nicer?"


    ''That person hasn''t given up yet. He has even planted undercover men everywhere throughout BH City to find me.''


    "I am not interested. Who knows who you are. I don''t want to have any connections with an unknown person¡­ What are you


    doing?"


    She was silenced with his lips. One hand held the back of her head while the other was wrapped around her waist pulling her body up against his. With one fluid movement, he spun them both around behind a phoenix tree.


    "I am offering my services to you. If you aren''t satisfied, I can improve until you are," said Terence seductively, after slowly moving his lips away from hers.


    Carla was left breathless. Her eyes were still closed with her lips slightly parted. Her mind was still on the soft and tender kiss that he just gave her. Slowly she opened her eyes and was jolted back to reality, with flushed red cheeks she felt both furious and lost.


    Instantly she stamped on his foot with force.


    "Bastard! How dare you! I saved you, took you into my home, took you to see the doctor and you pay me back like this?" Carla glared at him with flames of fury in her eyes. She wiped her lips angrily with the back of her hand.


    "What else can I do? I don''t have any money on me. All I have to offer you is my body. You can use it in any way you like. Isn''t that sincere enough?"


    Terence wasn''t fazed by her remark. He smiled slightly at her, while he kept an eye on the two figures that lurked across the street from where they were. He waited until they had disappeared before he loosened his grip on her.


    "Don''t get mad. Just hear me out. I don''t have any money or my bank card nor my cell phone right now. If you want me to pay you back, you''ll have to take advantage of my personal assets. Think it over. What can I do for you?"


    Carla was still confused about why he kissed her and how she felt being kissed by him. She was stuck for words and didn''t know how to respond.


    What did she need the most?


    She needed a man.


    A man that could help and support both her and her brother; a man made her feel safe and stood by her through thick and thin no matter what life brought.


    Although she regarded herself to be independent, the harsh reality of life proved to be too much for her to handle on her own at times.


    Even so, the man that she needed in her life couldn''t possibly be like the one that was standing in front of her right now.


    "Come on, let''s go. I saw a nice restaurant on our way here. Let''s grab a bite first."


    Terence wasn''t modest at all. He virtually dragged her to the restaurant and when it was time to pay for their meals, he didn''t hesitate for one moment to take her purse out and pay for it.


    It didn''t take Carla long to realize that this man was a wolf in sheep''s clothing.


    Sure he was an irresistibly hot guy, but under that captivating smile of his lurked a snake in the grass.


    After finally arriving home, Carla was exhausted both mentally and physically. He took her to places all over the city. She didn''t even have a moment to get her bearings together. He bought many things like toiletries and even two sets of clothes for himself.


    All these items were paid with her money.


    How could a man live off a woman without feeling a shred of shame?


    He appeared to be like a dignified CEO however his behavior was in stark contrast to his appearance.


    Carla watched as Terrance hung up his new clothes in her cupboard and then packed the groceries away in the fridge. He then rolled the sleeves up on his shirt and proceeded to tidy up the messy lounge room.


    She felt a warm feeling around her heart.


    She was fooled again!


    Carla was just a delivery girl. She ran around the city all day and into the evening. It was pure coincidence that she met him and it was because of an impulse of goodwill that she saved him.


    But now¡­


    "Carla, what do you want to have for dinner? What time does school finish? Do you need me to pick your brother up?"


    Terence put the pot of soup on the stove to cook and then went into the living room where Carla was standing in a daze.


    "What''s wrong with you? Has a cat got your tongue?"


    He stood right in front of her and waved his hand before her face, but she remained in a dream-like state without moving.


    And then suddenly without warning, Carla grabbed Terence by the arm and dragged him towards the door. After she opened the door, she shoved him outside using all of her strength and shouted,"Terence, we are not close friends! You have made yourself too comfortable in my home.


    I will regard the money that I spent on you as if I donated it to a charity. You don''t have to repay me anything.


    Now get lost and leave me alone!"


    After she had finished, she slammed the door shut without giving him a second glance or a chance to say anything.

 Chapter 6 I Am The Boss In This House

    After closing the door, Carla tousled her hair, seeming to be so frustrated. She couldn''t help but let out an audible sigh as she walked toward the couch.


    She stared blankly at the wall while five minutes had passed.


    And then ten minutes...


    Twenty minutes...


    Subconsciously, Carla took a glance at the door.


    But everything was still the same, and the door just remained shut. The silence was so deafening that she somewhat yearned to hear even just a single knock on that door.


    After getting a whiff of the delicious sparerib soup that Terence had left for her in the kitchen, the guilt Carla felt toward him crept up more and more into her gut.


    Although he just came around out of the blue and didn''t even bother telling her who he really was, he might have had a good reason to keep it from her.


    Besides, they stayed almost a day in the hospital, and it was actually already close to dusk now.


    ''Where could he have possibly gone? He doesn''t even have any money with him, ''


    Carla contemplated for most of the next hour as she couldn''t stop herself from feeling sorry for throwing Terrence out.


    All of a sudden, the door was flung open from the outside. Sean put away his key and noticed that his sister was curled up on the couch in fetal position.


    Carla didn''t bother looking up because she knew it was just Sean, who had just gotten home from school.


    "Sis, how could you ask Terence to pick me up from school? He had a fever this morning and still hasn''t fully recovered from his earlier injuries yet. But I have to say, he is really an awesome guy. Jeremy invited me to play basketball with him after school and Terence came to look for me. It was so amazing when he did a slam dunk!"


    With the look of admiration in his bright eyes so crystal clear, Sean sat down beside his sister on the couch.


    As soon as Sean was done talking, Carla lifted her head up and saw the man who had just walked into the house carrying some onions.


    "Terence, you''re back."


    Seeing as Terence just got there, Sean stood up immediately and welcomed him after taking the onions from his hand. Then he added with an excited voice, looking up to Terence,"Terence, could you please teach me how to pull off that slam dunk so I can be just as awesome as you are?"


    After checking up on Carla first, who, at the moment, still looked so surprised at his sudden appearance, Terence patted Sean on the shoulder and replied,"Sure. as soon as I can get my strength back, we can practice it after you''re done with school. The basketball court in the neighborhood would do just fine.


    I''ll take care of these onions for you. The soup is almost done. Let me just go check it."


    Finishing his words, Terence walked into the kitchen with graceful strides just as usual.


    Acting as if nothing had happened, he proceeded cooking in the kitchen. Carla, on the other hand, could not be just as composed as he was.


    She sprung up from the couch and turned to Sean as she said,"Sean, go back to your room first and take care of your homework. I''ll call you when the dinner is served."


    "Alright."


    Nodding his head, Sean grabbed his schoolbag and headed toward his bedroom.


    Step by step, Carla walked into the kitchen and then leaned against the door with her eyes almost piercing through the back of the man. The man, who was busy with kitchen work at the time, seemed so tall and somewhat reliable.


    "Why did you come back? And how did you find out which school Sean goes to?"


    When he heard Carla''s questions, Terence was still in the middle of washing the vegetables. He turned to take a look at the woman standing behind him, then gave a soft smile and answered,"The soup wasn''t done yet. I can''t just leave it like that for too long.


    As for what school Sean goes to, I found out from the awards in his room when I was cleaning the house. It wasn''t that hard."


    In contrast to Terence''s apparent calmness, Carla was actually struggling silently. She had thrown him out earlier, and yet there they were standing under that same roof again.


    He was even preparing their dinner in the kitchen without any complaint.


    "I told you I''d pay you back.


    If I leave you now, I won''t be able to forgive myself. So I chose to stay and help you and your brother in whichever way I can.


    All I want is to pay you back, nothing else. If I upset you in any way, then I''m sorry about that."


    With all sincerity in his voice, Terence explained while chopping up the vegetables.


    She might''ve been a little too furious with him before he explained things to her, but now, she felt much better and was no longer in a mood where she wanted to throw him out again.


    After he was done with cooking, Carla was quite astonished to see the fine and fabulous dinner on the table, four dishes and a soup as well. It was such a fancy dinner. Because of this she could


    n''t control herself from staring at the man who was sitting right next to Sean at the opposite side of the table.


    Before she could begin to say anything, Sean asked instead,"Terence, where did you learn to cook such delicious food? Are you a cook?"


    Sean was so overly astounded by the delicious food as it tasted much better than the simple dishes his sister could make.


    "No, I''m not. But I have an aunt who is a famous chef. I used to live with her, and I learned a few things while I was there, so preparing dinner is not too hard of a task for me."


    Saying that, Terence gently put down a bowl of soup in front of Carla.


    It was hard for her to admit it, but Carla was so deeply touched by the hot soup served in front of her. It was the first time that another man had cooked for her besides her father. Her feelings were a bit conflicted.


    It had been such a long time since she, along with Sean, had a meal with others after their parents passed away.


    Their relatives only saw them as an inconvenience and wouldn''t spend so much time with them. And even if some of them would go out of their way to come to pay a visit, they''d leave as soon as possible and wouldn''t even bother staying to have a meal with her and Sean.


    After the dinner, a problem suddenly came up.


    How were the three of them going to sleep in that tiny house which only had two bedrooms?


    Aside from that, Sean had to do his homework in the evening so he needed a quiet room in order to focus. And also, his bed was only 1.2 meters wide. It''s barely enough to fit two persons to sleep on it.


    "Sis, Terence can be your boyfriend. Then he can stay with you in your bedroom,"


    Sean advised as he always saw such similar plots in the TV series that he watched.


    And above all else, Terence cooked good food and was also good at playing basketball. Due to that, Sean was 100% pleased with the idea of Terence living with them.


    However, before he could even finish his words, a cushion with a picture of a cute dog was thrown directly into his face.


    "Shut up! And go back to your bedroom now. This isn''t a problem for you to take care of."


    Carla rolled her eyes at Sean and sat back to the couch when she saw him go back to his room. She turned her gaze toward Terence, who was sitting opposite to her on the couch, and said,"Our house is way too small. We don''t have any spare place where you can stay."


    Fixing the broken laptop which he had found from a corner of the house, Terence didn''t raise his head and replied,"I can just sleep on the couch."


    Upon hearing his answer, Carla pursed her lips and said,"All right. But you''re not allowed to move around in the evening, especially not without any clothes on.


    And you need to take care of the breakfast and the dinner every day, in addition to being in charge of the housework. Furthermore, don''t bring anyone else home and don''t you dare enter my bedroom without my permission."


    "No problem,"


    Terence replied without even raising his head because he was still preoccupied with fixing the laptop with the help of a screwdriver at the moment.


    Noticing that he didn''t even bother to take a look at her after all the things she said, Carla couldn''t help but feel like she had been disrespected. So she raised her eyebrows and stepped in front of him. She lifted his chin up with her hand and warned,"Terence, look into my eyes whenever I''m talking to you. You hear me?"


    She was the boss in this house, who earned money for their living expenses. Hence, she surely needed to be respected, especially by him.


    Terence was a bit surprised at the moment since it was the first time for him to have his chin lifted up that way by a woman. He was caught in a daze for a second there, but soon let a gentle smile slip from his lips and put down the laptop.


    "Yes, my queen. Whatever you say."


    Terence looked into Carla''s eyes with a glimmer of amusement in his deep eyes.


    Carla got lost in his eyes for an instant before she could process what had just happened, then she suddenly felt embarrassed and quickly let go of his chin.


    "All right. It''s already late. I need to go to bed now."


    Carla mumbled and slightly shook her shoulders, trying to shake off her embarrassment, then headed toward her bedroom.


    The bathroom was located in the other end of the living room. When she changed into her pajamas in her room and tried to take a bath, she had no choice but to walk past Terence.


    She looked up and saw him looking at her as she walked by.


    It was summer now, and that being the case, the pajamas she was wearing were pretty thin.


    Terence''s eyes were fixated on her body in that moment, showing a hint of amusement.


    He gave her a look from head to toe without so much as an attempt to even try hiding his gaze. This, without a doubt, drove Carla mad immediately.


    "Terence An!"

 Chapter 7 A Wolf In Sheeps Clothing

    Terence gripped the slipper Carla threw at him and chuckled. He continued to tease her,"Didn''t you tell me that I need to look into your eyes when I talk to you? Look, I''ve thought about what you said and you''re absolutely right. I need to give you more respect.


    As long as I am with you and you can see me, I will only be looking at you."


    With her arms folded across her chest, Carla shot him daggers with her eyes before she sneered at him. Since she only had one slipper, she dangled on one leg with the slipper-less foot perched behind it.


    "Terence, you are such a flirt! You are truly a wolf in sheep''s clothing. Why do I even know you?"


    ''You were so mean to me the first time we met. And then you suddenly kiss me. On the streets! And now, you even stare at me in that creepy way!


    I know your true colors, Terence!'' Carla said to herself in her mind.


    "You may think you can win over me but I don''t give up and I will not be bullied. I know exactly how to handle wolves like you!" she reminded him.


    Carla sneered at Terence. She stomped over to him and grabbed her slipper. She wore the slipper on her bare foot before she retreated to the bathroom.


    Terence jumped when Carla slammed the bathroom door closed. He saw a small mirror on the desk and studied his face in it.


    ''Do I look like a creepy pervert? No one has ever said that to me.


    Well, not to my face anyway.


    I can''t believe a tiny, defenseless woman like her can make me tremble like that! What is wrong with me?


    Well, no. She''s not a defenseless woman.


    She knows how to fight against me. And talk about mean, she was so mean to me yesterday when I was defenseless!'' Terence remembered.


    Soon, the clock struck midnight.


    But there was still a sliver of light shining through the living room.


    The light came from Terence and his repaired laptop. The light beamed from the screen and onto his face as he quickly tapped the keys. The dizzy white light reflected the solemn expression his face now carried.


    He decided that this time, he would let go of that man once more. He wasn''t going to take any actions against him this time. But he''d better be careful. He had almost reached the end of his life with Terence.


    They had a lot of good times in the past. And he didn''t want to ruin those good memories by declaring a battle against that man.


    But, he had put up with his rude behavior for far too long. He wasn''t sure how he long he could tolerate that behavior anymore.


    Before long, the sun had risen to a new morning.


    Carla was fast asleep in her bed but her senses were woken up when she felt the other side of her bed collapse under another body''s weight. She still had her eyes closed when she rolled up the quilt off her body and placed her leg on the other person''s leg.


    "Sean, it''s Saturday today. Why are you up so early? You can still sleep. Go on, get some more sleep," Carla asked, with her eyes still closed.


    Terence tried to stifle his laughter. He lay on his side and propped his head up on his hand. With his mouth firmly closed to hide his laughter, he stared at this tiny strong woman who held him tightly.


    He brushed a strand of hair off her face and stared at her small, slim face with closed tiny eyes and pouting mouth.


    And...


    She wore white pajamas with one of her long legs hung over his leg.


    Carla wanted to sleep in, even though Sean was beside her. Or at least she thought it was Sean beside her. But then, her eyebrows furrowed and met each other in the middle.


    She still didn''t want to open her eyes but realized at that moment that Sean was growing up too fast. She reached out to grab his waist when her eyes flew wide open. She wasn''t grabbing a young boy''s waist but a full grown man''s!


    She lifted her leg off the man''s body and kicked him as hard as she could off her bed!


    Sean was seven years old when their mother died. And because Sean wasn''t used to sleeping by himself, Carla accompanied him in his sleep every single night. She was used to sleeping with Sean beside her and she didn''t expect there would be anyone else.


    Terence rubbed his hip where Carla kicked him and sat up on the floor where he fell to face Carla. His lips curled up to a teasing smile and he got up quickly to join her on the bed before she could protest. Carla raised her hand to hit him but Terence anticipated the move and caught it in his hand. He pressed her down to stop her from hitting him again.


    "Why are you hitting me already? You just woke up!


    I wanted to wake you up for breakfast. And this is how you treat me? I am shocked. Sean thought it was a nice day and he wants to take a walk. Shouldn''t you, as his only guardian, go with him?"


    Terence continued to tease her as he kept her pinned down under him.


    Carla had a hard time breathing with Terence pressing down on her. She often woke up on the wro


    ng side of the bed every morning. But today, because of him, she was burning with extra fire in her eyes, which she tried to direct at him so he could burn.


    "Didn''t your mother teach you to knock on the door before you enter someone else''s room?"


    Before Carla could protest, even more, she realized Terence''s face was just inches away from her. She was so shocked that she couldn''t move, let alone protest against him.


    "I am your creditor and you are the debtor. Have you forgotten that? Our relationship didn''t evolve to one that allowed you to come into my room and on my bed without my permission!"


    Terence stared into her eyes and down to her lips and his smirk widened.


    "Didn''t evolve? But we''ve already kissed! Or have you already forgotten that magical moment? If you have already forgotten, then I''d be happy to remind you of that memorable moment!"


    Terence teased. He lowered his head and puckered his lip to meet Carla''s.


    Carla was too shocked and frozen to fight Terence back. Her jaw dropped and she couldn''t move her face. She could only stare at his face as it inched closer and closer to her.


    But at the last minute, Terence lifted his lips and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead instead.


    Terence let go of Carla and pushed himself off the bed. He collected himself and smoothed down his clothes before he faced Carla.


    "Come on. Get dressed and come down for breakfast. I did knock on the door but you didn''t answer. And I was worried something had happened to you. When I tried the door, it was unlocked so I came in," Terence said before he left her.


    Carla unfroze as soon as Terence left and she felt herself warm up. She felt her forehead and her cheek and stared at the closed door while she fanned herself with her hands.


    ''Why does it happen every time?


    Every time he comes any close to me, I freeze up.


    And...


    Did he really knock before he came in?


    Was he telling the truth? Why didn''t I hear anything?'' Carla debated with herself.


    She shook the thoughts and Terence off her head. She finally pushed herself off the bed to wash her face before she went for breakfast.


    When she arrived at the dining room, she saw the fried eggs, vegetable pies and steaming porridge on the table. She inhaled the smell and ignited her appetite.


    "Carla, are you going to your work today? It''s such a beautiful day, perfect for the amusement park! I really want to go. We haven''t been there in months. Can we go there today?"


    Sean asked. Sean had rushed to her when he saw her enter the dining room.


    Carla had been so busy with work lately and she wasn''t able to spend a lot of time with Sean. He was always either stuck at home or only went out to go to his classmates'' house.


    Carla sat down to eat her porridge before she faced Sean. Sean joined her at the table but kept his eyes on her instead of eating. Terence was also at the table but he had his eyes on his laptop. Carla couldn''t help but notice the bandage on his arm.


    She had asked for a leave from work yesterday and told Karen she had to go to the hospital. And she also promised Karen that she would be back at work today.


    "I''ll ask Karen if I can take a leave again today. I think she''ll say yes," Carla finally answered Sean.


    "Really, Carla? Yay! You''re the best, Carla! I love you so much!"


    Sean jumped out of his chair and hugged Carla. Carla pretended to run out of breath at Sean''s hug. Sean let go but held on to her arm while he jumped up and down.


    "Sean! Stop! Stop the jumping, Sean! I''m getting so dizzy. Stop shaking me, okay?"


    Carla glared while she pulled her sleeve out of Sean''s hand.


    She turned to face Terence again.


    "Terence, since you can''t come because of your injury, it''s best you stay home to watch the house. We''ll be back after lunch."


    "What? Of course not!"


    Carla was shocked and could not believe what she heard.


    Because the protest did not come from Terence, it came from Sean who was now in his seat beside her.


    "Carla, please let Terence come with us! Getting fresh air will be good for him and help him recover faster. Let him come with us! And if he''s going to be with us, then he can protect us from the bullies, right?"


    Even though Carla had just reprimanded Sean a few minutes earlier, it seemed nothing of the sort had just happened. Sean took Carla''s hand and used the same pleading eyes earlier. "Terence has already rested for two days. He''s feeling much better now," he said.


    "And there''s nothing worth stealing anyway in this house. We just need to lock the door. We don''t need Terence to watch it.


    Please, Carla, please let Terence come with us!"


    Terence kept silent. When Carla glanced at him, he merely shrugged his shoulders and shook his head at Sean.


    He wanted to tell Carla with his gesture, ''I don''t care what you decide. It is totally up to you two.''

 Chapter 8 Daring To Abuse Carla

    After an hour, they arrived at the ticket office of the amusement park.


    Leading a frugal life, Carla, who was careful about how she spent her money all the time, reluctantly bought three tickets, two for adults and one for children.


    If her brother hadn''t begged her to allow Terence to go with them, she wouldn''t have taken him.


    Carla shot Terence a dirty look from time to time. Whenever she looked at him, it was a constant reminder that she had spent more of her hard earned money on him unnecessarily.


    However, Terence seemed to be unaware, or simply didn''t care and chose to completely ignore Carla''s sullen glances. He played along happily with Sean and tried several different rides for himself.


    Carla went on a few rides but found that she was too exhausted to keep up with them, so she found a shady spot and sat there to rest. She watched as Terence and Sean went on the pirate ship ride, which wasn''t far away from where she sat.


    If it had only been Carla and Sean at the amusement park, then Sean would have dragged her around everywhere with him and she would be run off her feet. But since Terence accompanied them today, then she didn''t have to be so involved and could sit back and rest a while, letting Terence run around with Sean instead.


    She looked down at the two big teddy bears beside her that Terence had won for Sean and touched one of the ears.


    She then looked up and saw how much fun Sean was having with Terence today and sighed deeply.


    The extra ticket that she bought for Terence was worth it, after all.


    "Carla?"


    While absorbed in her own thoughts, Carla heard someone call out to her.


    Instinctively, she turned to see who it was.


    When Carla realized who it was that called her, she blushed and immediately stood up feeling nervous. As he approached, she adjusted her clothes and smoothed her hair. She glanced down at her feet and was embarrassed to find that her white sneakers were now dirty after being accidentally stood on by Sean.


    "What a surprise to see you here, Evan."


    Carla greeted him as he approached, with a big happy smile on her face.


    "Yes. I came with a friend. What about you?"


    he smiled and asked politely. Evan An was a tall, dark-haired and very handsome man. He was gentle and quietly spoken.


    Each time that Evan An smiled at her, Carla went mushy inside. She couldn''t resist that gorgeous smile of his. She managed to point a finger in the direction opposite to them and answered,"I came with my brother. He''s over there on the pirate ship ride. By the way Evan, thanks for helping me out last time. If it wasn''t for you, I might have been fired by Karen."


    A short distance away, the pirate ship ride had come to a stop.


    After descending from the ride, Sean spotted his sister talking with Evan An. He drew Terence nearer to him and pointed towards them. "Do you see that man over there?"


    Following the direction of Sean''s finger, Terence caught sight of Evan An and Carla.


    To his surprise, he noticed how pleasant and polite Carla acted in front of this man, whereas, at home, she barely tolerated him and was rude and overbearing.


    "Do you see him, Terence? His name is Evan An. My sister has had a secret crush on him for over three years now. But, she has never had the courage to tell him how she feels. If you want to be with my sister, he will probably be your biggest rival in love."


    Sean told Terence about his sister''s feelings for Evan An, in secret. Even though he knew Evan An well before he met Terence, he never really liked Evan An.


    As for Terence, as soon as he met him that very first day, Sean took a liking to him.


    Sean furrowed his brows when he realized something and looked at Terence. "Your surname is also An, the same as Evan''s. Is it possible that you might be related to him?"


    He and Carla were siblings and shared the same surname, so Sean assumed that Terence and Evan An could also be related since they shared the same surname.


    Terence thought for a moment and then answered,"It might just be a coincidence. There are many people who have the same surname in the world but are not related to one another."


    While answering Sean''s questions, Terence observed Evan An and Carla who were chatting happily enjoying each other''s company. Terence was trying to get a better look at Evan''s face but all that he could see was his profile and from that, he couldn''t tell much.


    Feeling confused, he smiled and looked down at Sean. "What makes you think that I want to be in a relationship with your sister?"


    Sean was only a ten-year-old boy who loved his sister and wished the best for her. Hearing the question, he looked up at Terence innocently, his face sincere and pure.


    "Because I felt that you would be my brother-in-law the first time that I saw you," he replied.


    Even though his sister didn''t seem to like Terence very much. The moment Carla brought him back into their home, Sean somehow felt that his sister and Terence were a go


    od match for each other.


    It was as if Carla and Terence had known each other for a very long time.


    Terence found what Sean had said amusing and laughed. He then tousled the boy''s hair affectionately.


    "Well, don''t you have a silver tongue."


    Carla and Evan An sat together on a park bench under a large tree.


    "Carla, you don''t have to thank me. I know how hard it is for you and I will always try my best to help you," Evan An remarked politely.


    He was well aware of Carla''s difficult situation. Not only did she have to look after herself but also her little brother all on her own.


    "Evan, for a long time now I have been meaning to thank you. After all, you have helped me out many times," Carla uttered, with a smile on her face. Evan An was a kind and compassionate man, so he was always willing to help her whenever he found out that she had run into some difficulty.


    Evan An looked at her sincere face and smiled. "Carla, you are one of the kindest people that I know. I just did some small things to help you, so you really don''t need to express your thanks to me."


    Carla felt a bit embarrassed and looked down blushing upon hearing Evan''s compliment. Then with a wide grin, she looked up and said,"Evan, will you be free next Sunday evening? It will be my brother''s birthday. Would you like to..."


    "Evan, there you are. I''ve been looking all over the place for you."


    Before Carla could finish what she wanted to say, a flirtatious female voice spoke over her. Carla first noticed a faint scent of perfume in the air and then she saw a woman dressed in all white walk up to them. The woman took Evan''s hand and snuggled into his shoulder.


    Evan An responded by wrapping his arms affectionately around her waist and whispered in her ear,"When you went to the ladies room, I looked for a spot to rest while I waited for you and then I happened to run into Carla. So we chatted for a while."


    "Carla, let me introduce you."


    Carla sat wide-eyed and stunned for a moment. She recovered slightly when Evan An began to speak to her.


    "This is Nina Rui, my girlfriend. Nina, this is Carla Ji. I told you about her before."


    Evan An introduced Nina to Carla after he first calmed Nina Rui.


    Nina Rui rudely ignored Carla and pulled on Evan''s arm for him to stand up and said,"Evan, let''s go. Can''t you see that I''m wearing a pair of high-heeled shoes? We really should find a place where I can sit down and rest, right now!"


    "Okay, we will go in a moment, but before we do, I think it would be nice for you to say hello to Carla first,"


    Evan An spoke in a low voice, pulling his girlfriend closer to him.


    Nina Rui was displeased by Evan''s request, glared at him and then pouted. She rolled her eyes and gave Carla a sidelong glance and uttered with disdain,"You''re Carla, and both of your parents are dead, right? Are you also the one that takes her little brother along and pretends to be pitiful and plays on Evan''s compassion to help her out all the time?"


    After Nina Rui had finished, the atmosphere became awkward and embarrassing.


    Carla was left without words. All that she could do was to sit and stare shocked at everything that had just happened. Firstly, Evan An had a girlfriend and then all of the unkind and hurtful things that Nina Rui had just said belittled her. She felt anger boil in the pit of her stomach.


    "Nina, how could you say that?"


    Evan An was taken aback and frowned at his girlfriend. He was embarrassed by her rude remarks. He reprimanded her in a low voice,"Apologize to Carla now!"


    Nina Rui glanced at Carla, who was dressed in only modest clothing. She raised her head flicking her hair back and snorted with contempt. She just shook Evan''s shoulder and retorted,"Oh, come on Evan! What are you saying? She is just a poor woman! Don''t think that I don''t know what she is trying to do. She pretends to be pathetic and helpless in front of you so that you would pity her. She wants to get close to you because she knows that you are rich! Why do I have to apologize to such a poor and deceptive woman?"


    Sean clenched his teeth after hearing everything that horrible woman had said about his sister.


    He was so annoyed that he almost ran over there wanting to beat that woman up for abusing Carla. However, Terence who was right beside him and also heard everything grabbed him by the arm before he could run off.


    Terence deliberately didn''t go to Carla''s aid because he intended to observe her reaction.


    He wanted to see how Carla was going to react after she had been insulted in front of the man that she liked. At home, she never had a problem with giving him a tongue-lashing, always acting rude and arrogant towards him. So now was his chance to see how she was going to handle the whole situation.


    He wondered if she would show respect for Evan An and bear the insult, or she would quarrel with Evan''s girlfriend and risk offending him so that Evan An would never want to speak to her again.

 Chapter 9 Although She Was Poor, She Still Had Her Dignity

    Although Carla was poor, she still had her dignity. She clenched her fists tightly when Nina belittled her and accused her of being something that she was not. If Evan hadn''t been there, she would have slapped Nina by now.


    ''No, how can a slap be enough? This woman is a despicable human being! Even if her face was beaten into a pulp, it wouldn''t be enough!'' Carla thought to herself, trying hard to control her temper.


    "Shut up, Nina! Apologize to Carla now!"


    Just as Carla was about to lose her temper, Evan spoke up.


    He gave his girlfriend a reproachful look. He already knew that Nina didn''t like Carla and had tried on several occasions, to fill his head with stories of bad things that Carla was supposed to have done. At that time, he just thought that Nina might have misunderstood certain things about Carla and besides his girlfriend did have a tendency of being straightforward and bold. So he didn''t pay too much attention.


    But now he realized that if there were misunderstandings between Nina and Carla, then they must be huge ones.


    Seeing that Evan was angry with her, Nina leaned coquettishly into his arms, raised her chin and pouted her lips at him. "Don''t be angry with me, honey.


    Maybe what I said was too harsh and straightforward, but I just don''t like this woman. She gets under my skin!


    I''m not stupid. I can see that she likes you. But I am your girlfriend and it makes me jealous when I see you chatting with another woman. Especially when I know that she likes you. That''s why I said those harsh things."


    Evan was about to reprimand Nina, but after hearing what she said and seeing her pouty face, he couldn''t bring himself to do it. So he looked up at Carla apologetically.


    "I''m sorry, Carla. Please forgive Nina. She''s just a blunt girl, often speaking sharply but meaning no harm. So please don''t take it to heart."


    As soon as Carla heard Evan try and make excuses for his girlfriend''s unacceptable behavior, it seemed to add fuel to the fire.


    ''Don''t mind?


    How can I possibly not mind?


    Right now, I would like nothing more than to rip that bitch''s hair out and shove it all down her filthy throat. What does Evan possibly see in her?'' Carla sneered under her breath.


    However, a smart woman should not be spiteful, especially in front of the man she liked.


    "It doesn''t matter, Evan. It''s just like water off a duck''s back. I won''t take what she said seriously." Carla then gave him a smile, pretending that she had not been affected.


    As soon as she heard Carla''s response, Nina shot Carla an angry glare and narrowed her eyes at her.


    ''How dare you brush me off like that!'' She gnashed her teeth, seething.


    Evan hadn''t noticed Nina''s expression and thought that everything was sorted out between his girlfriend and Carla. "Well, Carla, I want to invite you and your brother to lunch later. Just take it as my apology, okay?"


    Carla blinked in surprise and a broad happy smile crept onto her face. She glanced over to the pirate ship ride to see where Sean and Terence were.


    When she spotted them both, she couldn''t help but notice how attractive they both were. Although her little brother was only 10, he was a good looking boy and Terence was a gorgeous buff guy. Any female that walked past them would have a look and admire their attractiveness, from little girls to married women.


    "That sounds great. Just one thing though, it''s not just the two of us, but there are three of us. Is that still okay?"


    After all she was verbally abused by Evan''s girlfriend, it would only seem fair that he made up for it by buying them all lunch.


    It would also save her the cost of three lunches for today. What a good deal. It was a win-win situation for Carla. An offer that she certainly wouldn''t refuse.


    "Of course, no problem!" Evan answered with a friendly smile.


    As soon as Carla got the OK from Evan, she waved to Sean and Terence to come and join her.


    "Come here, Sean!"


    Hearing his sister calling to him


    from the other side, Sean quickly sprang to his feet and ran over to her in a flash.


    "Carla!" he called sweetly.


    He linked his arm through hers protectively and glared back at Nina who was standing next to Evan.


    Carla smiled and ruffled up his hair. "Sean, you remember Evan."


    "Hello, Evan. It''s good to see you again." Sean nodded and greeted Evan politely.


    "Hi, Sean. It''s good to see you too." Even a ten-year-old boy showed better manners than Evan''s girlfriend who was much older.


    Nina knew that Carla was provoking her. She just snorted slightly, ignoring them both.


    Just then Terence a


    pproached them. Nina''s jaw dropped as her gaze followed him.


    "By the way, Evan, I haven''t had a chance to introduce him to you. This is... my boyfriend, Terence An."


    Carla looked at Terence as he approached them. She smiled sweetly and quickly went to Terence, pretending to give him a slight hug, while she whispered in his ear,"Didn''t you always say that you wanted to repay me? Well, now is your chance. You have to perform well."


    Terence''s deep eyes glistened mischievously. He gave her a wink, to let her know that he was in on the act. He then wrapped his muscular arm around her waist, pulling her to him.


    ''I''m impressed. Carla is quite a smart girl. Anyone in her situation would have blown a fuse, given what she just went through with Evan''s girlfriend. But she managed to contain her anger. Obviously, her hard life had taught her to survive in different situations.


    That''s why she knew how to handle herself in this predicament.


    I thought she might either run over and fight with that woman like a shrew.


    Or, be a coward and just turn around and run away.


    But she did neither.''


    While Nina stood beside Evan, watching Terence and Carla with jealousy and rage in her eyes, Evan was taken aback. He seemed shocked at the news.


    "Carla, did you just say... he''s your boyfriend?" Evan asked, dumbfounded.


    Carla looked up at Terence who was even taller than Evan and smiled lovingly. "Yes, Evan. We haven''t been together that long. That''s probably why you haven''t heard about us yet."


    Terence took a step forward to introduce himself with an extended arm.


    "Terence," he said, shaking Evan''s hand firmly and maintaining eye contact. "I want to thank you for helping Carla out. I think it should be me to invite you out to lunch. To show you my appreciation."


    Carla had been smiling sweetly behind him until she heard what he said. The smile on her face froze at once. She reached out inconspicuously and gave him a sharp pinch on the waist.


    ''Damn you!


    I was going to kill two birds with one stone. Evan was going to treat us to a meal to pay for his girlfriend''s rude remarks and it was also a way to humiliate Nina as well.


    Now you''re pretending to be some gallant gentleman. But do you have any money? So in the end, it will still be me who has to pay for all of us!''


    Terence didn''t flinch. He maintained the smile on his face and grabbed her sneaky little hand, holding it in his. "Carla, wouldn''t you also like to thank him for his kindness? It was so lucky that you ran into him today. Why don''t we take advantage of the situation and thank him together. What do you think?"


    Carla cleared her throat and grinned stiffly. "What a good idea! I know to the west of the amusement park..."


    But before Carla could finish, Terence continued,"Well, there''s a Michelin-starred restaurant to the east of the amusement park. Let''s go there at noon."


    Carla suddenly felt like she had just been hit by a thunderbolt from out of the sky.


    ''What?


    A Michelin-starred restaurant? Are you fucking kidding me?''


    She wasn''t feeling cool, calm and collected anymore. Her mind was racing at a million miles an hour. She was going to suggest going to the west side of the amusement park, where everyday people could afford to eat.


    Whereas to the east side, they were all super-expensive restaurants that especially catered for distinguished guests or very wealthy people.


    And that Michelin-starred restaurant was the most expensive of all of those super-expensive restaurants.


    Just then, Nina suddenly opened her mouth.


    "Good! Evan, since Carla''s boyfriend insists on inviting us out to lunch, then it would be rude of us to refuse, right?"


    Nina''s gaze never left Terence, she surveyed him from head to toe. ''Although the man''s temperament and appearance are impeccable, his clothes are not brands that I know.


    So there''s only one possibility. He is pretending to be rich!


    Well, I''d like to see if this man really has that kind of wealth.''


    "All right." Evan nodded, agreeing with her.


    "Come on, dear. Didn''t you say that you were hungry? Let''s go to lunch."


    When Terence took Carla''s hand again, he found that her palms were sweaty and she was trembling. He frowned and asked softly,"What''s wrong Carla? Are you not feeling well?"


    "Of course I''m not feeling well. I feel pain all over, especially in my heart,"


    Carla muttered helplessly.


    ''How could I possibly be feeling well?


    With five of us going to one of the most expensive restaurants in the city, it''s going to cost me an arm and a leg, probably hundreds of dollars.''

 Chapter 10 Rough Diamond

    Gripping her hand tightly, Terence leaned close to Carla and whispered in her ear,"I''ll pay you back in the future. It''ll be my treat. I promise that I won''t take advantage of you."


    Even though he said it sincerely, Carla didn''t have it in her to believe his words.


    It was not her first time to hear promises such as these. From her experience, this kind of promise was nothing but empty words. She raised her head and gave Terence the most menacing glare that she could manage. Pulling her hand from his, she sped up and tried to catch up with Sean who was walking ahead of her.


    Terence shook his head, arched an eyebrow and smiled. His offer was well meant, and he was very serious when he made that promise. However, it seemed as if Carla did not appreciate his suggestion.


    He felt that she was angry at Nina. How could she not? She had been glaring at Nina since they ran into each other. That was why he suggested that they had lunch at a fancy restaurant. Everyone knew that revenge was a dish best served cold, and where better to serve it than in a very fancy restaurant? Besides, it was always best to deal with the problem now rather than prolong it.


    At the fancy Michelin-starred restaurant.


    It was Sean''s first time to eat in a restaurant as fancy as this. Hell, it was even his first time to enter a place so luxurious as this! The decoration was so beautiful he couldn''t help but look around. He saw marble statues strewn around the room and giant crystal chandelier was hanging in the center of the ceiling! Everything was so new to him that he couldn''t help but comment about the decoration.


    He tugged at Carla''s sleeve, and whispered,"Carla, look up! Look at the circular chandelier. It''s so beautiful. I''ve never seen such a unique chandelier. I bet it''s made of diamonds! l wonder how much it must have cost the owner to buy that. I bet that it''s really expensive."


    "Hey! Look over there! The fish tank is so big. It''s as high as the wall. At first glance I thought it was a wall, but then I saw the fishes move. Look at all the different fishes they have inside. They even have corals! I bet that fish tank can rival an aquarium. I already feel as if we really are in one!" he continued.


    Carla looked at Sean and smiled bitterly. She knew that he was just excited to be in a place like this but she couldn''t help but feel a bit sad. Their parents died a long time ago and since then, money had been scarce and difficult to come by. They were always having a hard time, sometimes, they even struggled to put food on the table. It was the first time for both of them to enter such a fancy restaurant. Sean found everything interesting but she couldn''t help but feel as if they didn''t belong here.


    Nina was holding Evan''s arm and was walking ahead of them. She heard Sean''s words and found it very ridiculous. "Such a country bumpkin! Pathetic," she sneered in a low voice.


    Terence had been walking in the back and was following them. There was a tender look in his eyes that even he wasn''t aware of. He couldn''t help but smile. He lengthened his stride, and decided that he should keep up with them.


    They approached their table and Terence stepped forward and pulled the beautiful blue fabric chair for Carla, then he helped Sean to properly be seated at the table.


    Evan and Nina sat down by themselves. They couldn''t help but notice how Terence meticulously attended to Carla and Sean. They exchanged a glance with each other.


    Terence had been taking good care of Carla and Sean, and he behaved decently around them. He was nothing but a complete gentleman. They wondered how Carla managed to get a man like him.


    "You said your name is Terence An. Am I right? Are you in any way related to the famous An family in JA City?" asked Evan.


    Evan had been wanting to ask this question ever since Terence said that his last name was An.


    Terence didn''t answer his question right away. He placed Sean''s napkin on his lap carefully and made sure that Sean was properly seated first before answering the question.


    "No," he replied curtly.


    "No" was the answer that Nina had expected. She turned to Evan, who was sitting next to her and said,"Evan, the An Family is a very famous family. It is a great clan respected by many. Even though his last name is An, it doesn''t mean that he is related to the An Family."


    "Even though your family is merely distantly related to the An Family, your family is also a very notable family. If he is a relative, don''t you think that you would be able to recognize him? You''re so silly. How can you think that he is in any way related to you? You don''t even know the man," she added.


    Nina was arrogant, but what she said was undeniably the truth. The An Family was a noble clan. Majority of the family members were senior politicians or successful businessmen. Even though he was merely a distant relative, he was already pretty popular. It seemed almost impossible to meet a relative that he did not know or a relative that did not know him.


    Evan knew that Nina had a point, but Terence looked oddly familiar, so he kept wondering if he had seen him somewhere before.


    Evan kept on thinking that he might have met Terence before, but he wasn''t entirely sure.


    After looking at the strange looks on Evan''s and Nina''s faces, Carla began to wonder about Terence and his real identity. Terence had already finished placing their order and already handed back the menu to the waiter. Carla glanced at him curiously.


    "I''m sure that there are a lot of families that are even richer than the An family. Money is not everything. Besides, ''An'' is a very common last name. Not everyone whose last name is An wants to be linked with the An family you''re talking about. It''s not that big of a deal," Carla retorted.


    She hated to see Nina looking down on Terence. The An family they had been talking about might be rich people, but it didn''t mean that they were better people than Terence.


    She believed that


    whether or not Terence was a good person did not depend on his last name.


    Not everyone with the last name An was rich. It might be true that Terence was poor, but....... when she first met him, he seemed like a good person.


    After speaking her mind, she prodded Terence on the side with her elbow.


    Terence smiled softly at her, with tenderness in his eyes.


    "No, I don''t think the An family is a big deal. Everything in the world is a drop in the ocean after all," he added.


    Hearing their opinions about the notable An family, Nina found it all a little ridiculous. She suspected that Terence and Carla were being defensive because they were poor.


    "If you haven''t heard of the An family, you really are country bumpkins. The An Group owns a lot of business, including real estate, hotels, and fancy restaurants, and many more! Most of their business is global. If you think the An family is no big deal, I don''t think anything else is worth mentioning," She sneered at them.


    "Nina stop it, please," interrupted Evan. He patted her on the back of her hand, which prompted her to stop talking.


    Sean, was already a ten-year-old boy who was old enough to understand what they were talking about. He got angry at them for talking to Terence like that. "Terence is the best person I''ve ever met. No one in the whole world is better than my Terence! No one!" he shouted.


    "He is an amazing person. He knows how to play basketball. He helps me with my studies, and he can speak very good English!" he said while looking proudly at Terence.


    Everything he told them was true. He sincerely worshipped Terrence.


    Terence chuckled. He raised his hand and gave Sean a high five. "I think of you as my little brother, and I believe that you are an amazing person as well. I''m glad to have you too."


    They clearly just flattered each other.


    Carla couldn''t help it. She smiled at them sweetly. She gave Sean''s ear a gentle tweak and said,"Why do you keep flattering Terence? What about me? I''m your big sister! Who has been raising you for all these years? Are you giving all the credit to someone else?"


    She felt a little upset because they had only known Terence for several days, but it seemed that her little brother adored him so much already.


    "No, no, Terence is practically a family member to me, sister. We are going to be one big happy family sooner or later. Am I right?" he grinned. Sean knew that Carla was a little jealous at what he had said, so he tried to soften her up immediately.


    Sean was being very funny. Both Terence and Carla laughed when they heard the word "family" from him. But having lunch together like this made them feel as if they really were a family.


    The waiter served the dishes while they were chatting and laughing with each other.


    In the middle of lunch, Carla took Sean to watch the fish swimming inside the giant fish tank.


    A few moments later, Evan stood up to answer a phone call. Since Nina and Terence were left alone at the table, she couldn''t help but ask Terence a few questions again.


    "Mr. An, you''re such a gentleman. I bet your family is well off. How come you''ve ended up with a girl like Carla?" she said after quickly glancing at Carla. Terence clearly heard a strain of bitterness in her voice.


    He raised his head and glanced at Nina. He never once looked at her in the face since they met.


    She was such a snobby woman, and he was reluctant to even spare a look at her.


    "What do you mean by someone like Carla?" he asked her gently.


    He didn''t even bother to stop eating as he gave his reply to her.


    "Mr. An, aren''t you bothered that she has a younger brother who is only ten years old? It''s like she''s practically raising a son. Your family might not be as rich as Evan''s, but I''m sure that you can do better than someone like Carla. Come on, let us be realistic here. If you marry Carla, for sure that one day, you''ll have to provide for her brother as well. Don''t you see it? It''s not worth it," she said mockingly.


    Taking a sip of her tea, she continued her lecture.


    "Her brother is a burden, and so is she. A wise man will never involve himself in such a mess. I advise you to think twice before deciding to take a step further in your relationship. Do you really want to build a family with someone like them?"


    Nina thought it made so much more sense if Terence wasn''t serious about his relationship with Carla. Nina hated to admit that Carla was a pretty girl. If he was planning on dumping her after he was tired of her, then it would justify why he was still sticking around. It was totally something a normal guy would do.


    Terrence''s eyes gleamed menacingly. He placed his fork and knife down and began to speak with a faint smile on his lips.


    "Yes, I did think it through. Thank you for your advice, Miss Nina. But I think you should think twice before saying something like that to other people next time. Most men don''t like gossips. You might find it hard to believe, but men would rather dump girls who always stick their noses in places that is none of their business. Nosy girls are annoying."


    He was good at judging people.


    He could see that Evan would never marry someone like Nina.


    Nina''s face darkened when she heard his words. She knew that he was talking about her.


    Ignoring Nina''s livid face, he continued,"My Carla is like a piece of rough diamond. She might not seem like it now but I''m sure that one day, after carving carefully, she is going to be one of the most precious gems there is in the whole world. Sean is still a very young boy. He has a great deal of potential. Who knows? He might surprise us both by becoming a big shot."


    "I''m glad that I met them. I think that God gave them to me as gifts. Thank you for your concern, but I think they are great people and I''m not ashamed of them. I am a lucky man."


    After speaking, He raised his head and looked toward the direction of the fish tank.


    Carla was walking back to their table.

 Chapter 11 It Was A Trick

    Strolling back to their table, Carla heard Terence talking to Nina and quietly walked toward them. "What are you two talking about?" Her gaze shifted from Terrence to Nina and she joked,"Are you talking about me?"


    Nina got such a fright that she almost jumped out of her skin and fell off of her chair. Still in shock, she got up and dusted herself off and replied,"You startled me, Carla! Don''t creep up on people like that."


    Terrence arched his eyebrows in confusion and said,"What makes you say that? I''m not the kind of person that talks about other people behind their backs." Terence sprung off of his chair and pull the chair beside him for Carla to sit on. ''What a gentleman, '' she thought to herself.


    Sean came running at full speed and shouted,"Look, Terence! Look what I got!"


    Terence looked at Sean darting toward him and only one thing crossed his mind, ''I hope he doesn''t fall.''


    As he was running, Sean was actually holding a medium-sized fishbowl, and inside it was a goldfish. "Look! How cute my fish is!" Sean shouted with excitement.


    "Slow down, you..." Before Terrence could even finish his words, Sean''s shoes got caught on a loose block of cement causing him to trip and fall face down.


    The fishbowl flew into the air, and everyone''s eyes just anxiously watched it.


    As it hit the ground so hard, the fish tank shattered. There were tiny glass shards scattered all over the floor.


    The fish, on the other hand, went flying in the opposite direction. Sean quickly got up and looked around in shock,"Where is my fish?"


    All of a sudden, a scream echoed throughout the whole building.


    When the fishbowl fell, Nina went a bit hysterical as the water splashed all over her hair as well as her white sundress.


    "I am soaking wet. Look at me!" Nina said furiously.


    Sean couldn''t say anything as he watched it all take place, so scared that he dared not to move his body.


    Nina looked down on her dress,"Oh my god! It''s on me! Ew, the fish is on me! Get it off of me now! Someone! Anyone! Do it quickly!"


    Being severely repulsed by animals, especially a slimy fish, Nina definitely wasn''t going to touch it no matter what. She tried to shake it off, but the fish was stuck to one of the flower embellishments on her dress.


    Sean immediately stopped staring at Nina in shock and took the fish off of her dress.


    "I am so sorry, Auntie Nina. I swear I didn''t do it on purpose. Please forgive me," Sean pleaded.


    He came back from shock and then remembered that the fish belonged to him and that it was obviously gasping helplessly for air. ''I better get this fish back into water before it dies.'' Running around for something to put the fish in, he eventually found a glass of water, only it was on someone else''s table. "Uha!" quite impressed with himself, he shouted out loud. However, the man that was sitting at the table did not seem amused watching Sean put a fish into his glass.


    Nina glanced down at her dress that got completely ruined. She was so angry,"You stupid brat! You did this on purpose. I know you did, Sean!"


    "No, that''s not true! It wasn''t my intention!" Sean widened his eyes and faked a small tear,"I swear Auntie Nina, I didn''t do it on purpose."


    Nina looked at him in disbelief,"How dare you lie to me?! I know all of your tricks and tactics, and that was definitely not by accident!" She looked at Carla who was trying her best not to laugh,"Your sister is probably in cahoots with you!"


    Everyone began to stare at Nina, and she couldn''t understand why. She glanced down at her dress and realized the white dress she was wearing was now see through. Nina was furious and embarrassed,"Sean, I''m gonna get you for this!


    "You''re such a rascal! I''ll be giving you a hard lesson today," Nina said.


    However, she failed to catch him. Terence stopped her from catching him and kept standing between them.


    "Miss Nina, please calm yourself down. He''s just a ten-year-old boy who has apologized for his misbehavior. You can''t just go and beat him," Terence said to Nina in a cold tone before Carla could go and help Sean.


    Meanwhile, Evan came to them as he had heard the commotion.


    Evan took off his coat and put it on Nina as he said to her,"Nina, don''t be angry. It''s just a dress. I''ll buy you a new one. He''s just a child. There''s no need for you to get mad at him. Don''t be bothered by it too much."


    "Evan, it''s his..." Nina tried to explain to Evan.


    "Evan, I''m sorry. Let me apologize to Nina on behalf of my brother. He''s really just a reckless and naughty boy. As a result, he fell on the ground carelessly and got Nina''s dress wet! I''m sincerely sorry about that!"


    Carla apologized to them before Nina could finish her explanation.


    "That''s all right. As I


    ''ve said, he''s just a little boy. We don''t blame him. Well, you can go ahead and enjoy your dinner by yourselves. I''m going to take Nina to get changed,"


    Evan said as he gave a slight nod to Terence, then he turned to help Nina and left with her.


    Watching them leave, Sean let out a heavy sigh, turned around, and winked at Carla happily.


    Moments later, Terence noticed that Carla and Sean had sat down, humming a song with their legs crossed. It seemed like they were in such a good mood. They were having macarons.


    "Here you are, Carla. Have a taste. It''s really delicious!" said Sean.


    "Yeah, it''s really delicious. And it''s really expensive. Sean, let''s eat as much as we can!" said Carla.


    Terence couldn''t help but shake his head as he watched them enjoying the macarons. ''They''re funny!


    It was a trick just now. They just really didn''t want Nina to be around. Therefore, they set a trap and made Nina leave, so they could enjoy the dinner by themselves, '' thought Terence, observing them with a smile on his face.


    Soon later, they left the Michelin-starred restaurant.


    After paying the bill, Carla felt so distressed as she put her credit card back in her bag. It was too expensive, Carla almost couldn''t bear it. She turned to Terence and stared at him angrily,"Terence, do not act on your own next time. Else, get out of my home!"


    "Did you hear me?" Carla asked.


    Terence heaved a deep sigh and nodded, then smiled at her and answered,"Yes, I did. But I don''t think it''s a good idea to play tricks with your brother. He''s just a little boy. You might be misguiding him," Terence said.


    Carla glanced at her brother and pursed her lips,"How could you say that? I''m not a villainous woman. Of course, I''ll make sure not to misguide him.


    I can discern what''s right or wrong, but I also have to give a lesson to bad people if it''s necessary. Do you understand?"


    At the same time, Sean walked toward him and said,"Terence, your arm''s still injured. Let me hold the fish."


    He was such a cute and polite boy. The fish was a gift he had received from the manager. Since the fishbowl was broken, he had to put it in a plastic bag for the time being.


    Terence took the fish in one hand and placed his arm around Sean''s shoulder as he heard the little one. Then, he replied to him with a reassuring smile,"Never mind that. My injury would be just fine. I can take care of the fish. You, on the other hand, should be more careful. Don''t fall on the ground next time! Take better care of yourself."


    Although the injury might not seem obvious because it was covered by his clothes, the bandage on his arm and the band-aid on his head was exposed.


    "Terence, you don''t have to worry about me. I won''t fall again. That woman is too despicable. How dare she curse my sister so badly before? That''s why I splashed the water on her!"


    Sean curled up his lips and complained. In fact, he had sworn before that he would protect his sister well when he grew up. There was no way he''d allow anyone to bully her.


    Listening closely, Terence gave him a tender look. He messed with his hair and said,"Okay, I get it."


    ''Sean might be a cute and clever boy, just a small child, but he already knows how to protect his own sister. I''m really glad to hear that, '' Terence thought.


    At around nightfall, they had finally left the amusement park.


    Since Carla had already spent a lot today, Terence dared not ask her to hail a taxi. There was no way she would ever agree to spend more on it. She would definitely feel heartbroken at the thought of such a huge expense.


    As a result, Terence didn''t say a word as he followed them to the bus station. They decided to just take a bus.


    It was a typical Saturday night. A lot of people had spent their weekend there, therefore, a big crowd gathered waiting for the bus, and there even was a traffic jam nearby at the moment.


    Carla couldn''t get on the bus at all. Lots of people were trying to squeeze in!


    Carla angrily watched the bus leave. Then, she turned around and looked at her little brother and Terence who was injured.


    "Well, I''ve had enough of this! Let''s take a taxi," said Carla.


    Terence put his hand on Sean''s shoulder and smiled at him after hearing her. In fact, he was not planning to take the bus at all. Knowing Carla, he thought she would choose to take a taxi in the end. It seemed that he had just been patiently waiting for her to make the decision on her own.


    Since the bus station was surrounded by too many people, they decided to walk along the road for a few minutes and ride a taxi home.


    All of a sudden, a black van pulled over across the road, and the door quickly flung open. About eight people got off and charged at them aggressively.

 Chapter 12 Attacked By Foes

    Sean stood beside Carla as she called out waving for a taxi.


    "Shit!" Terence cursed in a low voice. Those people were quickly gaining on them. Terence retreated a few steps and swiftly grabbed both Sean and Carla around the waist leading them into the opposite direction. He then held tightly onto both their hands and began to run into the crowd.


    "What are you doing?" Carla was stunned. All of her attention was on hailing a taxi, so she had no idea what was happening around them.


    But it didn''t take her long to realize the danger that was heading towards them. She stopped trying to get rid of Terence''s hand and began to run as fast as she could. Even though her heart was in her throat and adrenaline coursed through her veins, she didn''t forget the cause of all of this. She cried,"Terence you really are a jinx!"


    However, Sean shouted back,"This is so exciting!"


    Sean was too young to understand the true danger that they were in. Being influenced by fast action movies he thought that it was fun and exciting. But he had no problem with keeping up with the two of them because he had always been very good at sport.


    Carla and Sean''s reaction to what was going on was entirely different to what Terence had expected, and it made him smile bitterly. They managed to squeeze into the crowd making it more difficult to be reached and to buy themselves a bit more time from the men that were chasing them. When Terence thought it was safe enough he stopped and said,"Carla, take Sean home and stay there. I''ll lead them away. Their target is me."


    He caressed Sean''s head and then handed him the fish.


    As he dashed to another direction he looked back and called out,"Sean, take care of your sister." He then disappeared from view.


    Several brawny men who had been following them suddenly changed their direction and rushed after Terence when they saw him leave the crowd. Terence was right. He was their only target.


    "Ter..."


    Terence had left so quickly that Carla didn''t get the chance to finish her words. She stood and gazed as he quickly disappeared from sight.


    ''Terence, please be careful.'' That was what she wanted to say.


    A public bus was just pulling over into a nearby bus stop. Carla and Sean followed the crowd and got in.


    Carla pushed her way through the crowded bus and went to a window to try and spot Terence. She could see the men that were after him weaving in and out of the crowd at amazing speed


    and then she saw Terence. The typical warm smile that she and her brother had become used to seeing had now disappeared from his handsome face. It was replaced with a cold and resolute stare, concentrating on what lay before him. His expression was just like the first time that she saw him.


    There were traffic and people coming and going from all directions. Terence rolled over the bonnet of a car that was blocking his way without any effort. He looked back at the men that were chasing him and gave them a cold smile. He then ducked into a dark and narrow alleyway.


    The bus slowed to a stop.


    After Carla and Sean got off, they didn''t go straight home. They were frightened that those same people might have broken into their home.


    "Carla, I''m really worried about Terence. Should we call the police and ask them to help him?"


    Sean held her hand, concern written on his face.


    Carla hugged him and patted his shoulder to comfort him. "Sean, it''s not as simple as we think. We didn''t have time to call the police when it all happened. But now, we don''t even know where they are. How could we tell the police?"


    But in fact, she worried about another thing.


    Because she had no idea about Terence''s real identity, she wasn''t sure whether it was such a good idea to call the police at all.


    But if he really was innocent, why didn''t he just call the police himself and explain it all to them? Surely he was smart enough to have thought of that. Perhaps he just couldn''t call police because he was a criminal himself? That was exactly what Carla was worrying about.


    Carla walked around the block where her home was several times to make sure there were no suspicious characters lurking around. Satisfied that it was all clear she went inside with Sean.


    Even though they were safely inside their home, they still didn''t feel at ease.


    They both sat quietly, each lost in their own thoughts as they anxiously waited, until Carla finally spoke up,"Sean, don''t wait any longer. Go to bed now." It was already 11 p.m. But Sean was still too restless to sleep.


    He shook his head reluctantly.


    "Carla, I''m just so worried about him. Can I wait a little longer?"


    Carla looked up and gave him a stern look. "Sean! Do you think you''re old enough to bargain with me now? You don''t listen to me anymore! He is just a stranger. Is he more important to you than your own sister?"


    Sean didn''t want to upset his sister any further so he swallowed the words that he was going to say. With his head hung low in dis


    appointment he turned and did as he was told.


    In the living room, Carla sat on the sofa staring blankly at the television.


    Many different thoughts ran through her mind. ''Right, he is just a stranger to us. Just a few days ago I was trying to get rid of him.


    Then why am I so worried about him? It''s weird.''


    Carla tried to convince herself that he meant nothing to her and that it was a good thing that he was finally gone. With that thought, she dragged herself to bed not bothering to get into her pajamas.


    However, when she lay in bed, she couldn''t fall asleep. No matter how hard she tried, she kept tossing and turning, unable to clear her head. She couldn''t remember how many times she checked her phone, by this stage it was well past midnight.


    Finally, giving up on trying to sleep, she sat up in bed with her fists in tight little balls under her chin. She thought for a moment. She slid off the bed and put her shoes on and went to look outside the window.


    It was very dark outside with the exception of a few dim lights. A breeze whirled the leaves around and the shadows made her feel fearful.


    She heaved a deep sigh and decided that


    she couldn''t wait around any longer. Carla grabbed a coat and put it on. She rummaged through a toolbox and pulled out a flashlight and then quickly went into the kitchen and pulled out a switchblade from the drawer for her protection in case she needed it, slipping them both into her coat pocket.


    She opened the door to Sean''s bedroom to check on her little brother, careful not to make any noise. He was sleeping peacefully, too tired to even remove his jacket.


    She closed the door softly and went downstairs.


    After midnight the streets were deserted except for a few car that would pass occasionally.


    Carla took her scooter and went out onto the streets. Normally she wouldn''t dare venture out at this hour. But she was restless and worried about Terence.


    Even though she couldn''t work him out and had only known him for several days, she still considered him to be a friend. Carla couldn''t just leave him outside not knowing if he was hurt or not. She would feel guilty if she did so.


    Carla nervously searched along the streets and lanes hoping to spot him. She tried to be as quiet as possible so she didn''t attract attention to herself.


    She had been searching for a while. Concern and disappointment began to fester in her mind. She felt helpless to do anything more, so with a heavy heart, she turned to go back home. Just as she was about to leave, she noticed someone curled up behind the parterre. With hope in her heart, she cautiously approached.


    "Terence is that you?" she mumbled, but there was no response.


    "Terence?


    Is that you?"


    Carla asked louder. She couldn''t tell if it was him or not and she was too frightened to get any closer in case it wasn''t. She turned the flashlight towards the unknown figure.


    Behind the parterre, the man sat slightly up and put his hand out to block the dazzling light from the torch. He squinted in the light at her.


    "Carla, what are you doing here?" he said in a hoarse voice.


    When she heard the familiar voice, her heart skipped a beat. Carla quickly parked her scooter and ran to him. "Terence, it''s really you! Are you hurt?" she asked urgently.


    When she came closer she saw that Terence was sitting on the ground with one leg bent. It was too dark and she couldn''t tell if he was hurt or not.


    Terence didn''t respond so she asked him again,"Are you hurt? Can you move? Why didn''t you come home?"


    As she spoke, she ran her hand over him to see if he was hurt. She touched one of his legs and he recoiled in pain. Carla pulled her hand back startled.


    "Are you injured? Is it serious? Whatever. We need to get you to a hospital straight away!"


    Carla thought, ''If his injury isn''t serious, then why haven''t he come home yet? He must be badly injured! That''s the only explanation!''


    Terence grasped her hand to stop her from calling an ambulance and shook his head. "I''ll be fine. I got rid of them. There aren''t that many hospitals in this city and their men will be on a lookout around the hospitals for me. I can''t go to the hospital.


    Don''t worry. It was just one blow to my leg and it didn''t break my bones."


    Carla frowned. His left leg was obviously too weak for him to move. Was he really fine?


    "How about this? I have a pretty close friend who operates a clinic near my home. He will know how to help you. Let''s go to him now!"


    She stood up brushing the leaves from her knees and leaned over with her arms outstretched ready to help Terence up off the ground. But Terence didn''t make any attempt to move.


    In the dark of the night, leaves rustled in the breeze and the delicate scent of a nearby hibiscus tree floated in the air.


    It seemed as though time had stood still for a moment.


    Under the parterre, the handsome man stared at her intently, in a manner that she had never seen before.

 Chapter 13 Have You Fallen In Love With Me

    "So why did you come to find me?"


    Terence asked Carla in a low baritone voice.


    Facing a bit of a dilemma, Carla herself was also wondering. Didn''t she use to hate it when other people got her into trouble? That was the sole reason why she never bothered others for any form of help.


    But this time was a little different. It was him who had distracted those thugs for her and Sean. And she was so moved after hearing Terence tell them to run home first and ask Sean to take good care of her.


    "Nothing. I just came back to check if you were okay because you still owe me some money. If you died, how would I get my money back? Come on. I can''t just leave you alone here,"


    Carla stated while helping Terence to slowly get up.


    Terence let out a soft chuckle as he saw that Carla was obviously desperately trying to mask her anxiety.


    "Really? Are you sure it''s not because you''ve already fallen in love with me?


    That''s the reason you came back to find me, right? You were worried about me, weren''t you? Ow, ow, ow,"


    Terence suddenly cried out in pain before he could even finish his words.


    It was due to Carla deliberately pinching his injured leg. "Don''t flatter yourself. Other than having good looks, what else do you have? You neither have any money nor a high social status. And to top it all off, you are such a troublemaker. Why would I fall for you?" Carla retorted.


    ''If he were in a higher status, how could those thugs dare to hurt him?''


    Carla thought as she helped Terence get on to her scooter. "Hold on to me tight. Be careful, and try not to fall off. Tell me if you feel uncomfortable," she added.


    Wrapping his arms tightly around Carla''s waist, Terence replied delightedly,"Don''t worry. With a beauty like you in my arms, there''s no way I''m ever letting go."


    Soon they arrived at a small clinic around the neighborhood.


    Carla knew a clinic where her friend Harrow worked in, so she had driven Terence there directly. And as soon as they got off the scooter, she started calling Harrow.


    A few minutes later, Harrow welcomed them at the door and let them in.


    In the clinic.


    Terence was given a preliminary examination by Harrow. He then proceeded to dress his wounds, and give him an injection.


    "I''ll give him three days'' worth of prescription medicaction. Make sure he takes them on time, and he should rest in bed for at least three days as well. If the pain doesn''t subside after taking the medicine, you should have him checked immediately at the hospital,"


    Harrow advised Carla as he prepared the medicine for Terence.


    "Carla, now tell me the truth. Who is that man? What''s the relationship between you two?" he inquired.


    "Oh, he''s just a friend. I just happened to pass him by on the street. He was hurt and I couldn''t leave him alone there," Carla answered, batting her eyes.


    "Great! It''s better if he''s just a friend of yours. There is something unusual about the wounds on his body because I found some traces of a bullet grazing him. If he hadn''t been so responsive, he could have died.


    So, his identity is certainly suspicious, and I think you''d better distance yourself from him," Harrow stared at Carla and suggested sternly.


    Hearing Harrow''s advise, Carla was in deep thought for a moment. When she looked up, she met Terence''s eyes as he was walking out of the examination room.


    Carla thanked Harrow and left the clinic with Terence after they were done.


    And then they arrived home together at last.


    With both of his legs bandaged up, Terence seriously needed to get some rest.


    The space in the couch wasn''t wide enough for Terence to be able to rest well. And in fact, it was actually a bit too narrow.


    Besides, Harrow had mentioned that he had to rest in bed for at least three days. Lying on the couch wouldn''t help him get a speedy recovery.


    After struggling for a while to make a decision, Carla finally decided to move Terence into her room so he could rest on her bed, at least, until he had fully recovered.


    Sean''s room was too small, and his small bed wouldn''t be enough to fit two people, especially if one of the two was as big of a man as Terence was, so Carla knew that letting Terence sleep there was out of the question.


    Although her bed wasn''t really that big, it was still much bigger than Sean''s. Carla believed it could fit Terence well.


    "What are you doing? Where are you going with that quilt of yours? It''s already late now. Aren''t you going to go to bed?"


    Terence looked puzzled when he noticed Carla carrying her quilt to the living room.


    Carla intensely glared at Terence.


    It was clear as day what she was planning to do, but he still asked her anyway. The cheeky devil was on purpose!


    Gnashing her teeth in anger, she thought that she really shouldn''t have pitied him and gone back to find him. She shoul


    d have just left him there to die on the street.


    Was this what she got for being softhearted? At the end, she had even lost her precious bed!


    Carla had never thought that a time would come where she would have no choice but to act nice and be so generous to Terence.


    "What am I doing?" she rhetorically asked him back. "Was it not enough that I let you stay in my house and take up my bed? Now, you want me to sleep with you, too?" Carla screamed angrily. She glared intensely at Terence, turned around, and walked away.


    "Wait,"


    Terence called out, sitting up on the bed. "You don''t have to sleep in the couch. It''s too hard, and you won''t be able to fall asleep. Come on. Look at me! What can I do to you when I''m in this condition? We can sleep together on the bed."


    If it was a couch of decent quality, it could be enough to sleep on. But that cheap couch was not comfortable at all.


    Who knew that his kind gesture would get Carla so furious?


    "My couch is too hard? Are you kidding me? It''s your couch that is hard. All of your couches are as hard as rocks!"


    Carla bolted toward the door, her thundering steps shaking the floor, and then strode out of the room, walking to the couch.


    But as fate would have it, it turned out what Terence had said was actually true.


    Carla really had a hard time trying to find a comfortable position and couldn''t fall asleep at all.


    She had never experienced sleeping on the couch before. But who in their right mind would sleep on the couch when it was much more comfortable to sleep in the bedroom anyway?


    The couch was truly hard. Even after turning over for like a thousand times, she still couldn''t find sleep. And even though she was lying on her quilt, her back and hips still felt so sore. Why hadn''t she ever felt how hard it was to sit on at other times?


    After tossing and turning countless times, Carla finally fell into a deep slumber.


    The morning after...


    Because of staying up late last night, Carla slept like a log that she couldn''t hear her phone alarm ringing.


    Besides, it only rang for a few seconds because


    Terence turned it off as soon as it had started ringing.


    So Carla just slept for one more hour after that.


    "Hello, Carla? She''s still sleeping,"


    Terence picked up Carla''s phone and answered it for her. It had been ringing for quite some time.


    "Me? I''m her boyfriend. Carla''s still sleeping right now because she stayed up way too late last night.


    Is it okay if she goes back to work in the afternoon? Thank you," Terence took a glance at Carla who was sound asleep, lowered his voice, and went on.


    Terence chuckled when he hung up the phone. ''What an easygoing boss Karen was!''


    When she found out that he was Carla''s boyfriend, she didn''t sound angry. In fact, it even seemed like she was quite pleased.


    Terence put down the phone, turned to check up on Carla, and pulled the quilt to cover her well.


    Just like a log, Carla slept for two more hours, and then opened her eyes, seeming to be in a daze.


    "What time is it?" Carla asked, yawning.


    Shit! She had to come to work today. Looking outside the window and seeing the sun high up in the sky, she knew she must have been so late for work!


    "It''s only 10 o''clock. It''s still early to have lunch,"


    Terence, lying on the other side of the bed, checked the time and answered slowly.


    "Now, it''s all over for me. I remember setting an alarm on my phone! And you! Why didn''t you wake me up?" Carla hurriedly got up from the bed, and ran toward the wardrobe to find clothes to wear. But suddenly, she noticed that something was quite amiss.


    "Why was I in the bed?"


    Terence put down the book he was reading and explained,"Yesterday, you kept turning over and over on the couch, and you fell on the floor as soon as you dozed off, so I brought you here."


    Carla rubbed her eyes, and stared at Terence skeptically. She couldn''t remember anything!


    "Are you joking? You carried me here from the couch?" she questioned him doubtedly.


    Terence raised his eyebrows, and said,"Joking? Apart from me, who else in this house could possibly lift you up and move you over here from the couch?"


    His legs might''ve been injured, but he wasn''t disabled. And besides, Carla wasn''t very heavy anyway, and it was only a short distance between the living room and the bedroom. He could still manage something like that.


    Terence had his eyes fixated on her. It seemed that she was extremely doubtful about his strength. It made a man feel bad when a woman doubted something about him, no matter what it might be.


    "I thought that after two people sleep together on the same bed for a night, a woman would ask something else instead of questioning his ability to walk,"


    Terence teased, gazing upon her body, which was in a loose and a bit transparent nightgown.

 Chapter 14 You Told Her Youre My Boyfriend!

    "Hey, come on!" Carla whined, her eyebrows furrowed. "Stop treating me like a fool. You know I''ll definitely feel something if you really did that to me!"


    She lifted the blanket to see that she was still in her pajamas. She managed to sigh in relief then got up to get dressed. She threw a glare at Terence who just grinned at her.


    He looked so comfortable on her bed. He stretched and place his arms behind his head. He watched Carla pick an outfit from her wardrobe. "Karen called for you. I asked her if you could have a half day off and she agreed.


    So there''s no need to rush. You won''t need to go to work until after lunchtime."


    Carla exclaimed with her favorite red dress on hand,"Wait what? Karen called? And you''re the one who took it!?"


    Terence sat up and gave a teasing smile,"Yes. I took the call for you."


    That was it. Carla had enough. Out of annoyance, she threw a hanger at Terence.


    She sighed, trying to calm herself. She clutched her fingers onto her hair,"Well, what else did you tell her and what did she say?"


    "Take a wild guess!"


    Terence laughed, certainly enjoying how anxious Carla was getting. "H-Hey! That wasn''t nice!" he cried as Carla threw another hanger at his direction.


    "Just tell me what you said and what she said, you fucker! Did she even asked who you are? Did you tell her what kind of a chump are you?" Her eyes were wide in anxiety. If murder wasn''t illegal, the smug man on her bed wouldn''t be so smug as he was right now.


    Terence looked disappointed. He clutched his heart dramatically,"That''s so rude. You hurt my feelings! A good lady shouldn''t be acting like that. Cursing is something ladies shouldn''t do. A good lady won''t curse if she is anxious to know something."


    Carla crossed her arms and spoke sarcastically,"I am so sorry. I am not a good person to start. You must have been a saint because you are so good. You do have a lot of good deeds! Blackmailing the person who saved your life, barging into her house and being a freeloader. Wow. That''s something a good person would do."


    Carla was so done. After all she was no celebrity who needed to watch her every move. She was just an ordinary woman and she would say whatever she would like to say.


    Terence laughed,"Well thank your parents. You were born privileged!"


    "Oh thank you, good sir! I know exactly what you''re talking about. You are trying to tell me that I don''t deserve a rich husband because I''m so RUDE. Well, news flash. I don''t give a fuck."


    Carla raised her middle finger at him.


    "Now stop the bullshit and just tell what did Karen say? Did she get mad? If she is, she''s going to scold me!"


    Terence shook his head, smiling. He said,"Ah, well, I told her you were still sleeping and asked her if you could take a day off. She said okay and didn''t made any more comments."


    "I see," Carla replied. She had a hunch that something was off so she pressed further.


    "You told her I was still sleeping, right? Didn''t she asked who you were? I mean, Karen loves gossip. What else did she ask? What did you answer her?"


    Terence coughed. It looked like this woman wasn''t easy to fool her. "Well, I told her I am your boyfriend. Besides, she won''t believe me if I told her I was just a friend." He put both hands up, shrugging.


    Carla glared him with anger burning inside her eyes. Just her luck. Couldn''t things get even worse?


    "You know what? Fuck you. Go rot in hell. You''re screwing things up for me!"


    She took a deep breath, preparing herself for the storm that was coming.


    Karen could be scary sometimes when she scold people but she cared about Carla and Sean. She wanted someone who could take care of Se


    an and her so she would repeatedly arrange dates for her.


    And she made great efforts in it.


    That was why Carla chose to stay with Karen even she could have had better jobs.


    But then, there went a saying:


    "If anything can go wrong, it will."


    All of a sudden, someone rang the doorbell. It caused Terence and Carla to turn their heads at the door with shocked faces. "Who''s it this time?" Carla muttered in irritation.


    "Carla? Carla? Is anybody home? Are you there?


    It''s me, Karen! Please open the door!"


    Carla felt a large lump inside her throat. She felt all the hair around her arms rise up and chills down her spine. "Oh my God..." She covered her face with her hands.


    "Karen? Oh dear, why did she choose to visit at such a bad time? Ugh, I''m going to get creamed!"


    Carla grabbed any clothes she could wear. Then she hissed at Terence,"Stay here!" and slammed the door.


    "Hi, Karen! Such a surprise! What brings you here?"


    Carla smiled as she opened the door with no intention of letting Karen inside.


    Karen was Carla''s boss. Karen looked younger than her age despite being in her early 40s. She had short curly hair and wore a pair of glasses. She pretended to look disappointed as she showed a bag of fruit to Carla.


    "What? Aren''t you going to let me in? I''m hurt!"


    Carla coughed. She reluctantly open the door wider,"S-Sorry, Karen, I was feeling a bit under the weather but come on, help yourself!"


    "Oh you! Don''t worry. It''s okay. I understand why you needed a half day off. When you''re in a romantic relationship, you just want to lie down with the one you love,"


    said Karen, walking inside the room. Then she lowered her glasses,"I wasn''t born yesterday, you know." Then she kept peering at the doors as if looking for someone.


    Karen opened Sean''s room. She saw him listening to his headphones while doing homework. "Oh, hello!" Sean took off his headphones for a while. "Hi, Sean! I am just visiting your sister. Just do what you''re doing!" Karen smiled.


    When she closed Sean''s door, Karen walked towards Carla''s room. Before she could turn the doorknob, she was interrupted.


    "Karen, take a seat in the living room first! I''ll go get you some drinks and snack!"


    Carla smiled, dragging her to the side.


    Karen smiled back. She sat down the sofa and shrugged.


    "Alright. You''re the boss. Come on. Why won''t you show me your boyfriend?"


    Carla froze immediately, causing her eyes to widen,"What? What boyfriend, Karen? Stop teasing me!"


    "Stop playing dumb with me, dearie. I know he''s living with you! Poor you! Your parents passed away when you were so young! As an elder, I had this feeling that I should watch over you!"


    Karen waved at Carla. "Come on! Bring him out. I won''t trust him if I don''t see him today. Let me meet him!"


    "Karen, you must have taken it wrong. I don''t have a boyfriend."


    Carla mustered the words to explain.


    "You know what usually happens. Those people you have introduced to me don''t want anything to do with me because I live with Sean."


    This was exactly why Karen poured a lot of effort to find someone special for Carla.


    "But dearie, I heard a man''s voice in the phone call a while ago. Don''t you take me as family and trust me? Why not let me see him? There is nothing to be ashamed of!"


    Karen was someone hard to fool. She stood up and walked again to Carla''s room.


    Carla was also followed her in order to stop even though it was impossible to hide it anymore.


    Karen was too nice for her and she didn''t want to hide anything from her.


    Suddenly, Carla''s jaws dropped.


    Because at that moment, the door at Carla''s room just opened from the inside.

 Chapter 15 The Dramatic Reversal

    "Why are you so afraid and hesitant of introducing me to your friends, Carla? Don''t you think I''m presentable enough to be with you?"


    Staring at Carla''s face, Terence said, pretending to be angry. Then, he turned to look at Karen and his expression softened into a polite smile,"Let me introduce myself, Karen. I''m Terence An. Nice to meet you. I should have welcomed you at the door, but due to a minor wound, I can''t walk properly now,"


    Terence greeted, as he placed Carla''s hand in his and murmured,"Don''t try to explain, Carla. Leave it as it is. They will know eventually!"


    Totally blown away by his appearance, Karen had forgotten to greet Terence and kept checking him up, looking at him from head to toe. Even though it was quite obvious he couldn''t walk properly, it didn''t influence his charm at all, nor all his handsome features. His very attractive appearance totally surprised Karen.


    A few moments after, Karen pulled herself out of her deep thought and burst into laughter.


    "He is right! Carla, why on earth are you afraid of introducing him to me? He is perfect. Besides, you are old enough to have a boyfriend, aren''t you?"


    Karen said, smiling, as she walked towards the sofa.


    The three of them took a seat on the sofa.


    Terence sat next to Carla. Smiling, he casually put a hand on her shoulder,"You know, Karen, she might think I''m so handsome, that she is scared to let the other people know me," Terence teased.


    Upon hearing that, Karen couldn''t help laughing and added,"You are right! Nowadays, girls like to have a handsome boyfriend. If others knew that Carla had a man, as attractive as you, they would be jealous of her, wouldn''t they?


    And your name is Terence, right? Frankly speaking, I''ve always treated Carla as my very own younger sister, not as my staff only. In my role of her older sister and her boss, I have something to tell you,"


    Karen announced somehow mysteriously. The smile on her face faded and was replaced by a serious look.


    "Terence, most probably you know her family situation, do you?"


    Nodding slightly, Terence glanced sideways at Carla, who sat on the sofa quietly with her eyes gazing downwards. ''I never thought that she could be so quiet, '' he thought secretly.


    "Since you have been aware of it, then I''m going to get straight to the point. Unfortunately, Carla''s parents have passed away a long time ago, but she is a sensible and capable girl. She works really hard," Karen stated gently, as she turned to look at Carla, who sat quietly.


    Even though she didn''t say anything, Carla knew very well what Karen was going to talk about.


    Pity that she hadn''t figured out a way to stop Karen in the past from this type of conversations.


    And this time she still could not find a solution.


    At last, Carla just concluded in her mind she would explain all to Terence later, after Karen left home.


    "On top of all, she has a younger brother to take care of. But you need to understand that he will grow up one day, then he won''t need her support anymore. If you are truly in love with Carla, you have to accept her and all her life in totality, including her younger brother. Terence, you will not disappoint me like all the other men before, will you? They were all superficial!"


    Karen sighed. ''Nowadays, people care so much about material things. The same story was repeating over and over again - once they heard that Carla has a sibling to support, they didn''t even give themselves a chance to make an effort, nor did they care any longer that Carla is actually a good girl, '' Karen concluded inwardly.


    Upon hearing Karen''s heavy words, Terence frowned. He had never thought Carla''s life was so hard. First, he looked sideways at her and noticed she was still sitting there quietly, like a statue, in a somewhat frozen state. Then he turned his bold gaze towards Karen again and said,"No, I will not! I will not let you down, Karen! I promise I will take care of Carla from now on. Speaking of Sean, I like him very much. I will make sure to arrange his education, even his wedding party. Don''t worry about it. I will support and protect them both."


    The courageous and firm statement of Terence had instantly provoked Karen to think very highly of him. She was quite impressed by his determination and love.


    At the same time, Carla instantly raised her head and looked at Terence eagerly.


    As if he had said something she had never expected someone would ever say, Karen nodded repeatedly and added,"Very well! I''m relieved to hear you say that. Terence, it doesn''t matter that you may not earn enough money at the moment. One day, you will have everything you want in life, only if


    you have the ambition to pursue it!"


    Somehow, Karen thought that Terence was not coming from a wealthy family, otherwise he would not have stayed in Carla''s apartment.


    But deep inside, Karen didn''t care about whether he was rich or not. She was concerned more if Terence was truly in love with Carla. If he was, he would help her and take off some of her burdens.


    "Well, Carla, No hurry to get back to work. Since Terence can''t walk properly after getting hurt, you''d better stay at home to take care of him. You can be absent from the restaurant until he gets better!"


    Karen explained motherly, as she stood up. She was about to leave now.


    Carla followed her boss to send her out. At the doorway, Karen lowered her voice down and persuaded,"He is a good man, Carla, you have to take this chance. You should know that it''s hard for you to get a rich, handsome boyfriend. This man is not rich, but he has a lot of potentials.


    Even though he has no wealth, at least, he is handsome, and he is the best choice you have now.


    Since you seldom asked to be absent from work before, you deserve a paid leave now. You have to remember that marriage is your lifetime event. It has to take priority over work."


    After Karen had left, Carla couldn''t stop thinking of her boss''s words. She was feeling so shocked.


    A moment later, she closed the door, shook herself off from the heavy thoughts and rushed to the sitting room.


    "Terence, do you realize what you were talking about?" Carla asked eagerly.


    He sat on the sofa, picked up his teacup and took a small sip, then replied,"Of course, I know. What''s the matter?"


    "You know? Are you sure you know what you mean?"


    Carla sat beside him and asked seriously, staring gently and deeply in his eyes.


    Well aware that she was a little anxious, he quickly put down the cup and nodded reassuringly.


    "Carla, what I have just said is not only to make Karen feeling content and it''s not an empty whim.


    Really, I mean it."


    After he confirmed again and again his intentions, Carla felt so surprised. She fixated her black bright eyes on his handsome face.


    Eventually, Carla glanced down and nudged his shoulder slightly, asking shyly,"Terence, why didn''t you tell me all this a bit early?"


    ''He must have feelings for me. If he didn''t, he wouldn''t have kissed me on the street; he wouldn''t have agreed to pretend to be my boyfriend and


    he wouldn''t even have been worried that I couldn''t sleep well on the sofa, so he carried me to the bed last night, even though he was still suffering from his wound.


    "Ah... Ah... Terence, if you promise me, you will turn your life around, and try to be good, then I will consider being with you and forgiving what you have done," Carla added excitedly.


    ''He has been chased down by the killer. On top of all, he has nearly been hurt by a gun. No doubt, he must be in big trouble.


    As long as he could forget the past and decide to restart his life, I don''t mind establishing a relationship with him, '' Carla concluded with determination inwardly.


    She was lost in her thoughts.


    Meanwhile he was mesmerized and perplexed by her words.


    The room was so quiet at this moment, that one could hear the noise of a dropping needle on the carpet.


    In a while, Terence finally realized what she meant and couldn''t help bursting into laughter. He looked at the girl, who was looking at the tiled ground shyly.


    "What do you say? You are so conceited, aren''t you?


    What I mean is that no matter what happens next, I will take care of you and Sean. I will merely treat you both like our family and make sure that you both have a good life. I didn''t mean to be your boyfriend, got it?"


    Carla was surprised by his words. A while later, gasping her utter shock and swallowing to clear her throat, she asked "Then why? Why did you tell Karen that you are my boyfriend?"


    "Gee! It''s not necessary to explain everything to them, especially when you can''t make them believe in you. It''s hard to convince her that you and I are not in a relationship, when she saw me staying in your room this morning."


    Terence uttered slowly.


    Never did he do anything in vain. If that ever happened by chance, he had to get what he wanted back in return.


    Closing her eyes, Carla gritted her teeth tightly, like a wounded animal. Finally, she spelled out,"Te-ren-ce!"


    "Yes? By the way, you are deeply touched by my previous words, aren''t you? Are you falling for me because of how sweet I was?"


    Terence teased her, smiling.


    "Get out!"


    As Carla yelled loudly, her voice, traveling through the walls of the small department, could be clearly heard even outside the room.

 Chapter 16 Mr. Terence

    After all of that, Carla ignored Terence for a whole day.


    No matter what Terence tried to say to her, Carla didn''t pay him any attention as if her ears had been plugged with wads of cotton.


    On that day, as soon as Sean came back from school, Terence immediately asked him to have a talk so he could ask for some advice.


    "Sean, what''s wrong with your sister? I have been trying to have some casual talk with her for a couple of times today, but all she ever did was ignore me!" Feeling so confused and upset, all Terence could do was complain to Sean when he reached home.


    Sean put his schoolbag aside, sighed, and said, "Terence, actually, I heard what you told her yesterday. Is it really impossible for you to fall in love with my sister?"


    Sean was only ten years old. But he lost both his parents at such an early age that he became more mentally mature a bit earlier than his peers. Therefore, he was able to comprehend what happened between Carla and Terence.


    "Hmmm¡­"


    Terence didn''t know how to appropriately answer this question at the moment.


    Sean continued to say, "Terence, my sister might always seem easy-going, not caring about the things that may upset her. However, she''s actually very sensitive and delicate. Yesterday, everyone sensible could feel how much you like my sister after hearing you say those words to Karen. But later, you¡­"


    The day before, they made somewhat of a racket in the living room that Sean couldn''t help but stop doing his homework and eavesdrop behind the door.


    Terence scratched his head, his face turning a bit reddish. At this moment, he heard some noise at the door, so he quickly fixed his posture.


    Soon enough, the door flung open. It was Carla who just got home from grocery shopping.


    "Sean, go back to your room and finish your homework first. I''ll just call you when dinner is ready."


    After sending Sean to his room, Carla immediately put on the apron and walked toward the kitchen.


    A few minutes later, Carla inadvertently turned around, noticing that Terence was standing by the entrance of the kitchen.


    "Carla..."


    Carla disregarded his presence and went about washing the vegetables. Terence sighed, walked over to her, and grabbed her hand. "Carla, don''t ignore me, please. Let''s talk about this, okay?"


    Carla drew her hand from Terence''s and turned around to wash vegetables.


    "There is no need for us to talk. I understand what you mean. When you''ve fully recovered, you can go anywhere and do whatever you like to do."


    Seeing Carla so indifferent to him, Terence let out a gentle groan. "I''m sorry that I was too impulsive. I have to apologize for saying those words to you."


    Not saying anything, Carla just continued washing the vegetables, turned on the gas stove, and began to fry them.


    Watching all of this, Terence could only turn around and walk out of the kitchen.


    After dinner, Carla took Sean out for a walk.


    Terence was left sitting in the living room. Only when they came back did he turn off the laptop.


    Sean wisely went back to his room, leaving the two to themselves.


    "Carla!"


    Terence stopped Carla, who was about to walk back to her room. He stood up from the sofa, pulled her by her hand, and walked towards the balcony.


    "Please stop ignoring me. During these two days, I have been feeling worse than a condemned man!"


    Terence dragged Carla into the balcony, closed the door, and stated.


    Recognizing that Terence was guilty, Carla unfurled her lips and said, "Terence, can I ask you a few questions?"


    "Okay," he replied without any hesitation.


    Carla looked at his bright eyes and asked the first question, "Why did you kiss me at the gate of the hospital that day?"


    Terence was in deep thought for a few seconds, and grinned, turning his eye


    s away from Carla. "Oh, was that your first kiss? Why are you asking me this now?"


    "Answer me."


    "Because¡­ at that day, I found someone following me outside the hospital. It was an emergency. I had no time to explain it to you. So, I could only use that way to make you help me at that moment,"


    Terence looked at her again and answered truthfully.


    "Then, what about that day, in front of Evan and Nina?"


    Carla took a deep breath and asked again.


    "You have asked me to act in accordance with you. Certainly, I had to play the part well."


    Terence answered honestly again, but Carla''s face was turning pale upon hearing his response.


    Although there were still several questions, Carla lost her interest to continue.


    She tried her best to fake a smile, concealing her frustration.


    ''Perhaps my parents passed away too soon and I grew up without much love from others, so when a man appears in my life and acts good to me, I may misconstrue it as him showing interest in me.


    Carla, you are such a fool!


    You''ve helped him before, that''s the only reason why he cares about you. He said that he would be responsible for you because he wanted to pay you back.


    It''s ridiculous for you to think that he likes you.


    Oh! What a shame!''


    "I see. You don''t need to think too much. Maybe I was just a little moved by the words you''ve said. But it doesn''t matter now. Everything has been made clear. It''s getting late. It''s time to sleep now. I still have to go to work tomorrow!"


    As she was saying that, Carla walked past Terence, swung the door of the balcony open, and was ready to leave.


    "Carla¡­"


    Terence tried to stop her. But she just ignored him and strode out of the balcony.


    He turned around, looked at the vastly beautiful night sky through the window, and heaved a heavy sigh.


    On the following day, Carla had gone to work while Sean had gone to school.


    Only Terence was left at home.


    "It''s me."


    "Mr. Terence? My God! Finally, you decided to contact us! Do you know that the An family has been looking everywhere for you? They have been making every effort to find you. Mr. Terence, where are you now? I will come pick you up right away!"


    "Race, calm down and speak in a lower voice. I only called you because I didn''t want to worry grandfather too much." Terence stood in the balcony with the silhouette of his back seeming so elegant and proud.


    "You can tell my grandfather what I told you. But make sure that no one else knows about this. And you don''t need to send anyone to pick me up. I will call you when I have finished handling everything well."


    Race had taken care of Terence since he was a child. He was the only one whom Terence could trust besides his grandfather.


    "Oh, Mr. Terence, why are you doing this? How are you going to adapt living alone outside? I have been the one taking care of you since you were a child. Your grandfather is so worried about you that he has suffered a heart attack for a number of times now. Doctors had to be at home every day, staying in so they could be around him at all times!"


    Race worriedly informed him. When Mr. Terence disappeared, some people in the An family were actually delighted while others were worried.


    People who were so concerned had lost their appetite and had been losing sleep. Whereas, the group of people who were ecstatic about it almost wanted to beat gongs and drums and set off firecrackers to celebrate.


    "Please rest assured. Tell my grandfather that I am doing fine. I think he will understand and respect my decision."


    Hanging up the phone, Terence deleted the number he had dialed.


    Outside the window, dark clouds were gathering in the gray sky. It seemed that the rain could pour at any minute.


    ''Has Carla¡­


    taken a raincoat with her?''

 Chapter 17 Men Are Not To Be Trusted!

    Noon had just struck, and so had the peak time for delivering takeaways arrived.


    Ever since ordering takeaways became a popular method of getting lunch for office workers, the likelihood of people ordering meals through their mobile phones for convenience had increased. That was the main reason why Carla started being so busy and rarely had any time to take a break around this hour.


    Running out of the building, Carla saw that there was such a heavy downpour of rain. After leaving home in such a hurry, she wasn''t able to bring a raincoat with her. If she tried to proceed with her deliveries now, she''d definitely get soaked from head to toe.


    At first, she felt troubled and was worried that the rain would prevent her from doing her job. But after pondering about it for a while, she eased herself and decided to take a break instead.


    Contemplating about it, she thought it would be better to wait till the rain stopped rather than be too anxious about it. She then noticed some stores inside the mall building, so she walked towards it in order to kill some time, not knowing when the rainfall would cease.


    As she entered the shopping mall, all she did was browse around idly.


    Suddenly, something went through her mind, Sean''s birthday was just around the bend. This could be a good opportunity to check if she could find a suitable present for him.


    Passing by a children''s goods store, the schoolbags displayed behind the window caught her eye, so she wanted to check and see if she could pick one for her brother. A high-pitched female voice suddenly came from behind her. "Carla, is that you? Why are you loitering about in here?" Carla turned her head around to see who was calling out to her. The woman added, "I heard that you''ve got yourself a fat cat boyfriend, but how come you are here now? Are you still working as a delivery girl? I couldn''t recognize you in your work overalls when I saw you from a distance. Have you been dumped by your boyfriend again?"


    There was a mocking laugh after the playful remark. It was Nina who was sneering and jeering at her.


    She was doing some shopping in the mall with her friend. Carla wasn''t really expecting to bump into her.


    Nina''s eyes peered over Carla from head to toe again, paying special attention to the takeaway icon on the overalls. Chuckling, she walked over close to her, "Before you go in, are you aware what the brand of that store is? Just a simple reminder, that children''s store is Amani''s. Do you even have enough money to pay for the goods? If not, I recommend for you not to go in just to get insulted and soil the store."


    Carla did not notice the facade of the store until Nina had stated the fact. It was indeed Amani.


    Then she let out a chuckle and ridiculed Nina, "I was just wondering where the foul stench of money was coming from. It turns out it was just you. Could you stay a bit further away from me? It seems that jar of water wasn''t enough to wash you clean at all the other day. Do you perhaps need another one to cleanse you?"


    At this time, Evan was not by Nina''s side. There was no need for Carla to take into account his dignity and so, she countered back.


    "What are you saying?" Nina felt offended.


    Surprised that Carla had such a sharp tongue, Nina was pissed off by the sarcasm, her face turning red. After a short while, she looked at Carla and said, "That day, your boyfriend treated us to a Michelin-starred restaurant for lunch. How generous of him! Where is he now? I want to thank him if he is here."


    When Nina mentioned Terence, Carla was left dumbfounded for a moment, desperately trying to find a way to respond.


    "What''s the matter? You really got dumped, huh? Or was he actually just casually playing around with you and wasn''t interested in you at all?" Nina, whispering this to her ear, snickered.


    Seeing that Carla made no attempt to respond, she thought she guessed right, and went behind her back, feeling quite amused.


    "Carla, don''t think so highly of yourself. Look at you, even your boyfriend has deserted you. I can''t begin to fathom how you could even have the nerve to compete with me over Evan. Have you seen yourself in the mirror? Do you have any idea how unpleasing you look? Since you got dumped by a poor boy, I suggest for you to just marry an old guy. At least, that could probably bring a happy ending to your life," Nina jeered at Carla.


    Hearing her nasty remarks, Carla was really pissed off. She bit her lips and tensed up, but after just a moment, pulled up a forced grin and refuted, "Nina, don''t be so cocky and complacent. Have you heard of the saying, ''He who laughs last, laughs the hardest?'' Let''s wait and see who shall have the last laugh!"


    Hearing her speak of the saying, Nina felt like she was listening to a humorous joke and burst into laughter. "Well, Carla, that makes a valid point, but even if you know it, are you capable of making that happen? Can you laugh the best and the hardest? Haha, I highly doubt that!"


    She let out an extensive laugh, as if to ridicule her even further, then continued, "My father is the general manager of a big company, which ranks amongst the top three of all the companies in BH City, while my mother is a university professor. I will be engaged with Evan next month. What about you? Do you still really think that you are capable of competing with me? Is that a joke? Just look how pathetic you are. You are in no position to compete with me. You''re barely even qualified to brush my shoes!"


    Nina held up her chin and looked at Carla with eyes that belittled her.


    "Well, in any case, maybe when I get married with Evan, I will send you some wedding candies to have a taste."


    Nina was born to a well-off family. It wasn''t necessary for her to worry about making a living, unlike Carla who consequentially had to.


    They had rather contrasting family backgrounds. It wasn''t fair, but nevertheless, it was the truth.


    Nina had always been arrogant and overbearing because she was well-bred, and her family background allowed her to behave at her will. As for Carla, it was an entirely different case.


    Just then, a male voice suddenly appeared from behind.


    "That''s good! When you and Evan eventually get married, we''ll be sure to attend your ceremony!"


    It was Terence. He strode over and laid one hand on Carla''s shoulders, who was looking a bit pale. Adding to that, he remarked, "But, Nina, you''d better pray for a happy life after your marriage. I am hoping for the best for you."


    "What... What do you mean by that?" queried Nina, looking quite mortified with Terence''s words.


    All she did was look at the tall man with a demanding presence standing in front of her, and her momentum weakened all of a sudden.


    She found it strange seeing him there, as she thought he had already broken up with Carla.


    "Didn''t you watch the news? I don''t think it''s that big of a deal, but if you


    really want to know, go find out yourself. I guess there is something you don''t know about Evan. Ah, but if you want, I may tell you now a little bit about his story if you like. The headline was something about a wealthy young man spending the night with a beautiful young model at his house, and she was seen leaving after 6 o''clock in the next morning. It was said that they made love with each other all night, and the model was intensely reluctant to leave the man before saying their goodbyes, hugging and kissing each other." As Terence was saying that, he gestured the movements as if it were happening right in front of them.


    "Nina, aren''t you feeling the urge to, like, ask where Evan was last night?" suggested Terence with a chuckle, making it very clear that the man who had an affair with a model could possibly be Evan.


    This time, it was Nina''s turn to get pale in the face.


    Nina tried to recall the scene last night. Evan really did tell her he had to meet some clients and could not spend the night with her. ''Did he really have an affair with a model?''


    "No, that''s impossible. Evan is not that kind of person! Don''t besmirch his name and attempt to alienate our relationship. I warn you. Stop doing that! I don''t believe you."


    As Nina was talking, she fled into a fit of rage, looking rather awful with mixed feelings of embarrassment and anger. All of this was clearly apparent to Carla and Terence.


    "I am not attempting to alienate your relationships. Why would I do that? What good would that do to me? If you don''t believe it, you can go watch the news yourself," argued Terence with a shrug.


    Then he got impatient and abruptly stopped talking, patted Carla on the shoulder, and brought her to the entrance of the shopping mall.


    "What''s the matter? You are such a bright and clever girl at home. How could you become such a nitwit and let yourself be bullied by her like that?" asked Terence, looking down at the girl in his arms. He took a deep breath and added, "If it weren''t for me arriving in time, you might be having a hard time and feeling down, right? I just don''t know. If I am not with you anymore, what''s going to happen to you? I wouldn''t dare to imagine that."


    After exiting the building, Carla escaped from Terence''s arms immediately.


    ''There were countless times I had been bullied, '' she thought to herself. And she had always managed to pull herself up to face all those hardships. Taking care of her brother and enduring all the struggles and sorrows bestowed by life, who was beside her at those times? There was no one.


    So, she had made up her mind even at such an early age to not let herself be looked down upon by anyone, depend on anyone, to get ahead in life, and achieve her dream and be successful. That was her life goal.


    "Are you... are you still mad at me? Please don''t be. Look, the moment I noticed that it was about to rain, I specifically asked Karen for the address you would be delivering the takeaway and brought you the raincoat, especially even while I was still injured. Isn''t this one of my merits? Don''t I get to have any reward?"


    said Terence, pouting his mouth like a child asking for praise. Seeing that Carla did not say anything, he just looked at her in silence as well and waited patiently.


    A few minutes ago, when Terence arrived at the building, he saw Carla''s scooter parked outside, so he guessed she must be inside the shopping mall taking shelter from the rain. He then went in to look for her, that was also the time he heard Nina throw those harsh words at Carla.


    Carla quickly grabbed the raincoat from his hand. She looked up at the dark gray sky, and it seemed like the rain wasn''t going to stop any minute soon, so she walked towards the sitting area, with Terence following her closely.


    As she was heading toward the seats, she told him, "Don''t brag about yourself. You don''t mean anything to me. You''re not worth the effort to get upset about."


    Carla sat down on the chair, opening the raincoat.


    Terence thought she might be thirsty, so he walked to a beverage store and bought her a cup of hot drink. Sitting down beside her, he stated, "You''re not mad about me. That''s really great. You know what? I am now dwelling in your place and depending on you. I have to be careful everyday to make sure I don''t do anything to displease you. Do you see how hard this is for me? Because I''m afraid once you''re not happy with me and decide to throw me out, I will have to sleep out on the streets. Isn''t that tragic? How pathetic it would be on my end if I had nowhere to stay."


    As he was telling her this, Terence swiftly put the hot drink in Carla''s hand.


    She accepted the drink and took a sip. Looking up, she said, "The news you talked of about Evan, was that real? Or did you just make all that up?"


    In Carla''s eyes, Evan had always been the perfect man, upright, handsome, and thoughtful. How could he be the kind of playboy who was a two-timer cheating on girls? There was no way she''d believe something like that.


    "I made it up? Do you really think so?" Terence asked disappointedly.


    Raising his eyebrows, he cast a look upon her, sneered and stretched out his hand in front of her, "Hand me your mobile phone and I''ll show you."


    Taking over Carla''s phone, he pulled up a website, and then handed it back to her.


    "Carla, see for yourself. This is the man you''ve had a crush on for three years. Evan looks quite gentle and mild-mannered; there''s no denying that. But still, he''s a man, so it''s only natural for him to be caught off track. If a charming woman throws herself on him, would he be able to resist the temptation? I don''t really think so. But I am absolutely different from him.


    What''s more, Nina is not someone appealing and captivating enough to be able to keep him for herself. It''s no wonder that Evan would cheat on her."


    As Terence was explaining all of that, Carla watched the news, her eyebrows raising in surprise. The familiar figure on the screen of the mobile phone might not have been very clear, but it was easily recognizable at a glance. It was Evan, definitely.


    In the video, Evan was holding a woman of excellent stature in his arms, while her hands were wrapped around his waist. They hugged tightly and kissed passionately, reluctant to part with each other. Anyone watching this scene would be able to sense that they must have had spent a wonderful night together.


    Carla originally thought it was just a trick played by Terence, but it turned out that it was the shocking truth. It was way beyond her expectations. In astonishment, she couldn''t help but exclaim, "How could that be!


    Mm-hmm, men are not to be trusted. I shouldn''t have trusted that man, and nor will I ever trust any other man from now on!"


    Switching off her phone, she glanced at Terence sitting by her side, still flustered and disappointed about the way Evan had behaved.

 Chapter 18 I Want You To Stay

    Terence almost choked on the beverage he was drinking when he saw Carla staring at him. He furrowed his eyebrows.


    "Carla, are you annoyed because you like me but I don''t reciprocate your love? That''s why you speak ill of men."


    Carla took a big gulp of her beverage and rolled her eyes. "Come on. Don''t flatter yourself, Terence. Do you really think that I like you?


    You just overestimate your charm! Even if Evan is a scumbag, at least he hasn''t hurt me."


    Then, Carla threw the empty cup at Terence''s arm, put on her raincoat and went out into the rain.


    Terence flinched, not because of the cup that she threw at him, but because of her reaction. The smile on his face faded as he watched her leave on her electric scooter.


    That evening, Carla was so exhausted. She collapsed onto the bed and even though her stomach rumbled in protest because she was starving, she didn''t have the energy to move.


    Moments later, Terence walked into the room with a tray of food. He placed the tray on the table in front of her.


    "Dinner is served! I have warmed everything up. Please, have some while it''s still hot."


    Carla lay on her side and looked at him and then at the food. The delicious aroma of the food made her mouth water. They were all her favorite dishes, especially stir-fried vegetables.


    Her empty stomach had made the decision for her. She crawled out of the bed and went to the table to pick up the chopsticks. When she had a taste of the food, she began wolfing it down quickly.


    "Hey, slow down! Nobody is going to steal your food. It''s all yours. Just slow down or you''ll choke."


    Terence reminded her with a gentle voice and handed her a glass of water.


    Carla swallowed a large clump of rice and took the glass from him to wash it down. "You don''t know how hungry I was after delivering so many take-outs. Especially at meal time, I almost drooled all over the food."


    The mealtime was the busiest time for food deliveries. She didn''t usually have time to eat her lunch until the mealtime rush hour was over and by then she wasn''t hungry anymore.


    "Actually, you won''t have to work as hard anymore and be so tired." While speaking, Terence took out an envelope from his pocket and placed it in front of her.


    "What''s this?"


    Carla put her chopsticks down and took a peek inside the envelope. Her eyes widened when she saw the stack of cash.


    "Where did you get all that money from?"


    With a blank expression, Terence replied, "I used to program computers in my spare time. I took a job recently. That''s half of the money that they owe me.


    I didn''t have a card on me, so I asked them to pay me in cash."


    Carla straightened up and removed the money from the envelope and began to count it.


    "Wow, you earn so much for just writing codes!


    There''s twenty-five thousand here! And you said it''s just an advance payment?"


    Terence just nodded and quietly placed the money aside. "Have your dinner first. It''ll get cold, and you shouldn''t eat cold food.


    It''s all yours. It should cover all of the hospital fees that you paid for me and the lunch at the 3-star Michelin restaurant."


    Carla picked up her chopsticks and continued eating. She felt pleased and relieved that she got her money back and didn''t have to work so hard anymore.


    ''That was good of him. He paid me back as soon as he earned the money, '' she thought to herself.


    Then, Terence continued speaking, "Once I finish the programming, I''ll get fifty thousand for it. I''ll give it all to you, to pay you back for everything that you have done for me.


    Then, I plan to leave."


    Carla suddenly lost her appetite at the news and stopped chewing.


    She swallowed the food that was in her mouth bitterly and looked up at him with a frown. "Right, now that your wings are stronger, you want to fly away.


    Terence, I rea


    lly didn''t expect you to be such an ungrateful person. I risked my life taking you into my home. Now, you want to brush me off with just a little bit of money!


    Why are you in such a hurry to leave when you just made a small step in earning money?


    Why didn''t you leave earlier when you lived and ate for free at my house?"


    Terence smiled at her words and


    stood up leaning closer towards her.


    "Didn''t you want me to get out of here as soon as possible? Now I am going to leave, and you suddenly don''t want me to go and are thinking up all sorts of lame excuses. Why?"


    Although they didn''t know each other for a long time, Terence knew what kind of person she was.


    Although she appreciated money, she wasn''t a materialistic person.


    Having him standing so close to her, Carla could feel her heart doing little flips in her chest. She blushed and looked down at the floor while pushing him slightly away with her hand.


    "Nonsense! I like money. You know that. You have cost me a fortune and you ate and lived at my place for free. Beside, I saved your life. Now, do you think that your money can pay back for all of that?"


    Carla couldn''t maintain eye contact with him, so she glanced nervously at the stack of cash on the bed.


    "Oh? So what do I have to do to earn my freedom?" said Terence, in a low seductive tone, as he leaned closer to her again. He could see the effect that he had on her. She was saying one thing, but he could tell that she was thinking another. It piqued his interest in her.


    Carla swallowed a lump in her throat that had suddenly become very dry, and she looked away and bit her lip.


    "Hmph, Terence!" she said poking at his chest with her index finger. "It seems that all you have to offer a woman is your looks and body and nothing else! All right, go and have a shower and please me tonight! If you do well and I am satisfied, then I''ll consider whether to let you go or not. Okay?"


    Terence''s smile grew deeper when he looked into her defiant eyes. She looked so sweet with her little furrowed brows and pouting mouth.


    "See. As I said, you don''t want me to leave. Now you are using the excuse that you want to make love with me so that I would stay. Aren''t you, Carla?"


    Carla meant it to be a joke, but inside she actually longed for him. But Terence had spoken it outright making it embarrassing. So she reached up and pinched him on the cheek.


    "You are right! Ever since you have been with us, Sean and I have been eating much better than before. So, if you are not in a rush, could you wait until after his birthday to leave?"


    ''If he really wants to go, I have no way to keep him here. He can just walk away.


    But Sean likes him so much, and it would mean a lot to him if Terence was there for his birthday.''


    "Ouch! Be gentle, woman!" Terence frowned as he pulled her hand away. He glanced at her in thought and asked, "You want me to stay just for Sean''s birthday and nothing else?"


    Carla bit her lip and looked him straight in the eyes. "Something else, yes. You mentioned it earlier.


    You said, that you''ll take care of Sean and me in the future. Do you remember?"


    Terence''s eyes glistened. "Of course I do."


    "All right. I have your word. If I run into any difficulty, I will come and find you. Let''s be clear. You have promised me. Don''t ever try to deny it when I come to you,"


    said Carla with tears in her eyes. Nobody could foresee the future. If she needed his help she would definitely think of turning to him


    for it.


    "I''ll keep my promise," Terence said as he looked deeply into her eyes.


    Carla felt uncomfortable under his stare and seeing the leftover food on the table, she started to clean up.


    But, she was stopped by a firm hand.


    Terence grabbed her and pushed her back onto the bed, leaving her unmovable beneath him.

 Chapter 19 A Man Of Mystery

    "... Terence, you''re too heavy! Get the hell off me!"


    Carla cried out loud. She kicked aimlessly, trying to free herself from Terence''s control.


    Looking at the woman under him who was struggling hard, Terence frowned and gave her a bitter smile. All he did was grab her lightly on the shoulders. He barely had to use his strength. "You, my lady, are no fun at all. It''s no wonder why no man has ever fallen for you."


    Women would usually be shy at such a moment. That would be if they had any affection for the man at all. Yet this woman, who Terence was sure did not have a crush on him but at least liked him in some ways, was acting very differently.


    Hearing Terence''s antics, Carla glared at him. Terence continued to taunt her and before he could realize anything, Carla kicked him on the belly.


    "Ouch!"


    The intense pain forced Terence to get off Carla. He lay on the bed with his back facing the ceiling. ''That was quite a kick, '' he thought.


    In a flash, he seized Carla. She tried to escape but he was faster. He turned her around roughly and held her tight in his arms. Carla could barely breathe with her face buried in Terence''s shoulder. He was too strong.


    "Carla, you may as well be careful next time. What if you kicked me on the wrong part and ruined my manhood? That would be bad news for you."


    Terence cornered Carla with his strong legs to stop her from struggling. He then pinched her chin to make her look at him in the eyes.


    "Bah! I couldn''t care less about it! Whether your manhood is ruined or not is none of my concern and it certainly won''t be. I shall leave that problem to your future wife to worry about." Carla glimpsed at the pair of long legs around her body and sneered.


    "Women always conceal what they really think. Stubborn."


    Terence grinned at Carla, his head resting on his palm. Then, he fondled her hair.


    "Anyway, I won''t leave for now. I promised to teach Sean how to play basketball, remember? Besides, I..." Terrence leaned in closer, leaving no space between Carla and him.


    "Sis? Terence?"


    While Terence was whispering in Carla''s ear, someone happened to break in.


    The door opened, revealing Sean standing outside with his hand still on the doorknob.


    Sean was about to step in when he saw Terence and Carla clinging to each other. He blushed immediately and looked away.


    "Terence, can you help me with my homework? There''s one problem I can''t figure out..." Sean awkwardly said.


    Carla had already jumped from the bed as fast as she could. She straightened her clothes first and then rolled up the sleeves to clear the leftover on her tray.


    On the contrary, Terence got up slowly. Walking towards Sean, he put on a smile as he saw Carla''s cheek flushing scarlet. "Sure, Sean. Tell me about the problem."


    After Terence and Sean left, Carla released a sigh of relief. She picked up the bowls and left the bedroom.


    In Sean''s room, Terence worked out the problem quickly. After he explained it to Sean, he received a worshiping gaze from the kid. However, Sean''s expressions quickly changed into something that Terence couldn''t figure out. "Terence, are you... are you going to marry my sister?"


    Terence burst into laughter. He placed his hand on Sean''s head and ruffled his hair.


    "You are such a rash little kid, aren''t you? Remember, haste makes waste. When you meet someone you like, you gotta take things slow. Win her heart step by step.


    Only when her heart is all yours can the two of you overcome all difficulties together. And trust me, after all the hardships and dangers you''ve been through together, the girl will never be able to live without you,"


    Terence explained confidently. To further prove his point, he extended his bare hands in Sean''s direction and closed them slowly. He clenched his fists, as if he was reaching something.


    On the other side of the door, Carla couldn''t help but scoff.


    "Sean, don''t listen to his nonsense! You''re still young. Don''t let this man misguide you!"


    Carla walked in and pulled her brother by the ear. "Bear in mind little one! Don''t you dare forget about your sister when you find yourself a girlfriend. Always listen to your sister! Is that clear? !"


    Sean was frightened. All he could do was nod acutely, begging his sister for mercy. "On the score of my Math exam, I swear, I won''t have a girlfriend wi


    thout my sister''s permission! God, just let me go, please."


    "That''s my boy."


    Carla patted Sean on the shoulder and grinned warmly at him.


    Terence shook his head and smiled at them.


    After a while, Carla noticed that Terence was still in the room. She realized that it was getting a little bit late for Sean. Without hesitation, Carla dragged Terence out of Sean''s room so her brother could finally rest. Then, she went to take a shower.


    "Achoo!"


    Carla sneezed as she walked out of the bathroom. She rubbed her nose.


    "You better take a pill in case you have a cold."


    Terence was in the living room doing some work on his laptop. He turned to Carla upon hearing her sneeze.


    Despite the raincoat, Carla failed to avoid getting wet under such heavy rain.


    "There''s no need for that. A glass of hot water should be enough." Carla didn''t like taking medicine. She took a glass of hot water and made a beeline for her room.


    She thought it wasn''t a big deal and fell asleep soon enough.


    However, she began to feel terrible at midnight. She was thirsty and her whole body ached. She reached for the glass of water on the nightstand, only to find that it had turned ice-cold.


    She decided to get up from her warm bed to fetch some hot water.


    The only problem was that as soon as she stood up, dizziness hit her.


    Looking for something to hold on to, her hand landed on the nightstand. She accidentally knocked over the glass of water and the glass broke into pieces on the ground.


    Shortly afterwards, the door of her room was opened.


    "What''s wrong?"


    Terence walked in. He turned on the light and found Carla leaning on the nightstand, staring blankly at the broken glass on the floor. But the first thing he noticed was that she looked really pale.


    One of the pieces of the broken glass had cut a wound on her bare foot. It was already bleeding.


    "What happened to you?"


    Terence strode towards her, ignoring the glass fragments all over the floor. He squatted down and cleared up the mess around her. Then, he lifted her foot and took a closer look at the wound. "Fortunately, it''s not a deep cut. I''ll get the first aid kit."


    Carla was still dizzy, lying back on the bed. Whenever she had a cold, she could neither fall asleep nor keep her eyes open. Her mind would always be in a mess.


    Terence returned in no time with the kit and a thermometer on his hands. He stretched her arm and put in the thermometer.


    "Eww! It feels cold..."


    Carla frowned and pouted as she looked down on the thermometer.


    Terence blamed Carla softly as he squatted down to deal with the wound, "Can''t you feel that you''re burning up? Just call my name if you need anything. I''m right outside in the living room. Why bother yourself?"


    Carla replied a soft groan. Her vision was blurred, but she could still recognize the man who was taking care of her.


    She wasn''t used to this, but somehow, she felt warm and cozy.


    Before she met Terence, she didn''t have anyone to turn to whenever she was sick. Naturally, she got used to taking care of herself. Every single time, she would fetch the water by herself and would go to the hospital on her own. But at that moment, she found it really great to have someone beside her.


    "Terence...


    Terence..."


    Carla repeated his name.


    "I''m here. I''m here," Terence tried to reassure her. As soon as he finished cleaning and covering her wound, he stood up and sat beside Carla. "Lift your head a little. Let me put the pillow right. That''s it. Now wait a moment. I''m going to get you some pills. Then you can go back to sleep."


    "Terence... I know nothing about you except for your name..."


    Carla lifted her head on Terence''s urging. All the while, she looked at him with her blurry eyes. She had never asked about his life because during their first encounter, she had thought that they would be no more than casual acquaintances.


    When it was clear that Terence was staying for quite some time, she had tried to ask him but couldn''t find a way to start the topic. She always hoped that he would tell her without being asked.


    Now, she was eager to know more about him.


    It was true that she didn''t know anything about this man, except for his name.


    Terence was in the middle of pulling up the quilt to Carla''s neck. When he heard what Carla said, he suddenly stopped.

 Chapter 20 A Temperature Of 39°

    Terence calmed down. He looked at the alarm clock on the table to see if enough time had passed since he placed the thermometer under Carla''s armpit. Seeing that it was time he carefully removed the thermometer.


    "It''s 39¡æ. You have to take some medicine immediately."


    Terence went into the living room and came back with a glass of water and antipyretics for Carla''s fever.


    Carla held his hand as he helped her take the medicine. She was delirious with fever and asked him, "Please tell me who you are. Why were those people trying to kill you? And how about your family?"


    Carla rambled as she dropped in and out of consciousness. Terence''s dark eyes narrowed at her questions. He put the pills in her mouth.


    "It''s okay. Take your medicine first."


    The pills were very bitter and Carla gulped the water down to wash the taste out.


    When the pills were finally swallowed, Carla got relieved. She heaved a deep sigh.


    "Terence, I know, in your eyes, I am just a passer-by.


    She propped herself up leaning against the bed head and said quietly, "You haven''t told us any information about yourself because you don''t expect to stay with us for very long. So you don''t want us to know much about you. Is that right?"


    Carla looked up at Terence who remained silent with misty eyes.


    "Fine. Just take it that I am talking nonsense because of the fever. I will never ask you this again. After my brother''s birthday, you can leave whenever you want. I won''t try and persuade you to stay."


    Carla lay down and tucked herself into the quilt.


    "I''m okay now. I have taken the medicine and you don''t need to stay. Just go back to sleep now and I''ll be fine," she mumbled.


    Even though Carla, was delirious from the temperature, she knew clearly


    that Terence did have many secrets.


    He seemed so indifferent to a lot of things, making it difficult for her to read him and distinguish from when he was joking and when he was serious.


    This made Carla feel like she was in a dream


    and when she woke up, he would no longer be there, leaving her life to be the same as it was before she met him.


    "I will stay for a little while longer. Just close your eyes and get some sleep," said Terence.


    He sat on her bedside and acted as if Carla had said nothing.


    Carla slept deeply, but as the medicine began to wear off, she started to sweat again. She moved about the bed uncontrollably uncovering herself.


    In obscurity, Terence wrapped the quilt around her and hugged her, whispering, "It''s okay. Don''t move or you''ll catch a cold again."


    Terence stared at the woman in his arms. His deep dark eyes were no longer as gentle as they were before.


    He struggled with different feelings of affection, but soon calmed himself


    and returned to his former self.


    After the fever broke and she stopped sweating. Carla relaxed and slept much more soundly. She snuggled into the human pillow that lay beside her and wrapped herself around it.


    The following day, when the sunshine filled the room Carla woke up, she yawned and opened her sleepy eyes.


    Carla blinked in shock to find that


    the skirt-style pajamas she was wearing was up around her waist exposing her pink underwear and her leg was pressed between the legs of a man.


    One of her arms was wrapped around the man''s waistline under his top, touching his skin


    and to her horror


    his hand was placed on her breast.


    Carla gaped at him in shock.


    ''How dare you!''


    Carla ra


    ised her hand and slapped Terence on the face.


    Terence lay fast asleep until he felt a sharp pain on his cheek. He woke with a frown at Carla.


    "Do you always slap people when you wake up in the morning?"


    "Take your hand off my breast!" she said glaring angrily at him.


    Terence raised his head slightly


    and looked at his guilty hand. He didn''t remember when the crime was committed. Terence was about to remove his hand, but lingered there a little longer, because it felt nice.


    He dared to move his thumb ever so lightly across the delicate skin.


    "Te-ren-ce!"


    Carla warned, her eyes glaring at his hand which didn''t want to let go.


    "Knife!


    Where''s the knife?


    Someone get me a knife!" she roared, looking around. "Fine!"


    Terence chuckled. He quickly withdrew his hand and grasped Carla, who was ready to get the knife and chop his hand off. He lifted his top and tucked Carla''s hand under it.


    "Here, you can touch back, for as long as you want!"


    Carla pushed him out of the bed and out of her room. "Get out of here!"


    "Come on. I swear that it wasn''t deliberate."


    "Bang!"


    Terence tried to apologize but the door was slammed shut


    and he had been kicked out.


    Terence laughed out loud when he looked at his hand that had been on Carla''s breast. There had been quite a lot of women who had tried to seduce him. But Terence had always preserved his moral integrity.


    Carla may not have ever been with a man, but Terence had never been with a woman either.


    Being with someone intimately for the first time might not mean much to other people, but to Terence it meant a lot.


    However, what he felt when he lay next to Carla, with her body next to him and his hand on her soft breast felt really good.


    He wanted more...


    Since Carla had been ill the previous night, she asked for a day off to fully recover.


    Sean was at school and would not be coming back for lunch. So there was only Carla and Terence at home.


    Carla kept herself busy and found things to do.


    She changed the sheets on her bed and did a load of washing and cleaned around the house.


    Sean''s birthday was coming up soon and she had planned to decorate the house a little.


    Carla opened the window to air the house and noticed


    two familiar figures walking towards the building outside.


    One of them was Tracy. She was aunt Li''s nineteen-year-old daughter who lived in the next building and the other was tall handsome Terence. She was speaking with him about something.


    "Thank you so much." Tracy took the bag of fruit from Terence and bowed shyly to express her gratitude.


    "You''re welcome. It was nothing." Terence smiled as he pressed the elevator button.


    "Oh. Terence. My mum steamed meatballs for lunch. It''s very delicious. Would you like some?" Tracy looked up at him with sparkling eyes.


    Terence thought for a moment and tried to politely refuse, "No, that''s okay. I don''t want to trouble you."


    "It won''t be a problem at all. I''ll pack some for you and Carla to have later. I''ll only be a moment."


    Tracy smiled, carrying the fruit and went to the next building where her apartment was.


    Terence walked upstairs


    and held the grocery bag in one hand, while knocking on the door with the other. He didn''t take the key with him because he knew that Carla was at home.


    But, no one opened the door after a few knocks.


    Terence frowned. ''What happened?''


    "Carla?" He knocked again. "Carla! Are you home?"

 Chapter 21 Nicholas Pops Up

    "Carla? Carla? Are you...?" Terence asked and knocked on the door.


    Before he could finish what he was saying, the door suddenly flung open.


    Carla looked at him, with bubbles from the detergent foaming in her hands.


    "Sorry, I was doing the laundry, so I couldn''t hear you," she told him.


    Terence walked in with a bag of vegetables in his hands. Putting them on the table, he stopped Carla who was about to go to the bathroom to continue washing the clothes. "You just got a fever yesterday, so you shouldn''t be doing any housework today. When are you going to start taking care of yourself?" he remarked.


    "Stop doing the laundry. Wash your hands and go to bed to take a break."


    Hearing this, Carla blew the white bubbles in her hands away and answered, "I''m not as helpless as you make me out to be. I''m feeling much better, which means I can do the housework. Just relax, will you?"


    After sweating all over the quilt last night and drenching it, she wanted to clean them.


    "No, you still can''t be doing the laundry. You not feeling ill doesn''t necessarily mean you''ve fully recovered. In fact, you''re still very weak. How could even bear to touch cold water and hang clothes out with the cool breeze blowing outside? Listen to me and be a good girl. Now go to your room and take some much-needed rest."


    Terence instantly grabbed her arm and dragged her into the bathroom without waiting for her response.


    Standing close together in the small bathroom, Terence held Carla''s hands and helped her wash them. Inevitably, Carla got a whiff his light scent. It was the same scent from her very own bath gel.


    "Terence, why do you always treat me so well?" she asked.


    Grabbing a towel, Terence wiped her hands and saw her bright eyes staring straight at his face. He replied, "Help me with a drop of water, I will return with the whole spring, let alone the fact that you saved my life.


    You''re sick now, so this time, it''s my turn to look after you. Otherwise, who else can you count on?"


    Taking in a deep breath she pried, "Is that true? Is this only about me saving your life? If so, is there really a need to take care of everything about me?


    Terence, to be frank, I don''t like having this vague relationship with you.


    If you''re interested me, just tell it straight to my face. Don''t do anything on the pretext of me saving your life. You know that''s not true."


    She thought she had misunderstood him, but now after all he had done for her, could she still consider his gesture as him being grateful?


    In that cramped bathroom filled with the smell of detergent powder, watching the bright eyes reflecting himself, Terence sighed and said, "Carla, you''re the only person I''ve ever wanted to treat well without strings. I mean it."


    Indeed, she was the only one.


    After witnessing too much fame and fortune, shrewdness, and subtlety in his world, he took those things for granted. ¡¤


    However, the moment fate brought them together, he began to realize that such a cute and pure girl existed in the world. The girl, who seemed so strong and brave, took on the responsibility of taking care of her family and protecting her little brother from such an early age.


    But what about herself?


    You wouldn''t be able to find any fancy clothes in her closet. Also, she only had simple gym shoes, all of which were cheap and comfortable. And even when she was sick, she never depended on anyone but herself because she didn''t want to trouble others.


    She was like a bright light that came down from the sky, illuminating his heart.


    He couldn''t just ignore it. There was no way for him to even if he tried.


    "So, your silence is telling me you don''t have any feelings for me whatsoever?"


    Carla raised her eyebrows asking further.


    No one could blame her if she misunderstood, for the things that had taken place between the two of them was beyond the normal relationship of a man and a woman, causing her to have her illusions.


    Being a frank girl, she had to raise the question to make everything clear.


    But each and every time she directly posed the question, she couldn''t get a proper response.


    "Are you that anxious to have an affair with me?" Terence retorted teasingly, touching her nose. After that, he added, "Carla, to be honest, I..."


    Knocks on the


    door untimely interrupted him all of a sudden.


    "Terence, Carla? Are you home?


    I have brought you some meatballs. Please open the door."


    Carla immediately ran toward the door to welcome the unexpected visitor, leaving Terence to watch her back, letting out a heavy sigh.


    He actually kind of had a crush on her, but some of his misgivings were so beyond her wildest dreams.


    All those things made him unable to follow his own inclinations to fall in love with a girl.


    However, he couldn''t control himself from trying to get closer to this woman.


    "Carla, these are fresh meatballs made by my mom. Eh? Is Terence not around?" Tracy asked when she saw only Carla, scanning over the house.


    "He''s inside," Carla said as she took the plate from Tracy''s hands without refusing.


    Catching a glimpse of Terence exiting the bathroom, Tracy walked toward him and smiled, "Terence, come with me and taste the meatballs. They''re tasty and very delicious!"


    "Thank you," he replied. Although Terence smiled back, he didn''t bother coming over next to her.


    Tracy was having a conversation with Carla, but she was obviously absent-minded, because all she could prattle about was Terence.


    As soon as Tracy left, Carla sat on the sofa, crossing her legs and enjoying the meatballs, which were indeed flavorful. At a glance, she asked Terence in front of the desk, "Why not come and savor some meatballs? They had been made especially for you.


    You helped her carry fruits while you were chatting and chuckling downstairs. I saw how delighted you were then. Why is it that you seem so poker-faced now?"


    Hearing her condescending tone, Terence stood up and walked toward her. Sitting considerably closer, he put his arm behind her on the sofa.


    He explained, "I just happened to bump into her carrying a lot of stuff, so I helped a little along the way. I think it could be quite helpful for you guys to have a good relationship. Wait. Are you perhaps jealous?"


    Staring at him, Carla didn''t humor him with a response and just went about eating the meatballs.


    "Carla, am I that much of an untrustworthy person in your eyes?" Terence earnestly asked.


    Carla put down the plate when she heard this and answered without so much as a hint of hesitation in her voice, "Of course, you are."


    Her immediate reply caught Terence by surprise and left him at a loss for words for a while. He grabbed her hand as she was about to stand up.


    "Carla, I think we should take this chance to talk about it," he suggested.


    Carla pulled her hand back and shrugged, "I don''t think that would be necessary. Aren''t you leaving? We won''t be interacting with each other anymore then. It''s not that important for me to know too much."


    Promptly, Carla stood up and headed for the bathroom. She wanted to finish doing her laundry, but it turned out Terence had already put all the clothes into the washing machine and cleaned the floor.


    Since he had already taken care of everything, she had nothing else to do but take a break in her room.


    In the living room, Terence felt the phone vibrate, so he picked it up and went out to the balcony.


    "Mr. Terence, this is Race," the man on the phone specified.


    "What happened? Is there something wrong with my grandpa?" Terence worriedly asked.


    "Mr. Terence, here''s the thing. As soon as Mr. Nicholas heard that you were in BH City, he arranged a private plane in secret, and so, he''ll be arriving there by tonight."


    "What?"


    Terence sulked after hearing the news. Looking around, he lowered his voice, "Didn''t I ask you to just give me some more time. Why does grandpa have to come here?"


    "I''m sorry, Mr. Terence. It''s Mr. Nicholas''s idea, and you know there''s no way for me to stop him. Your grandpa said the only way he''ll ever be relieved is if he can see you safe in person." Race informed him helplessly.


    Thinking for a while, Terence got a bit depressed and all he could do was respond with a sigh, "Fine, I know. Send me the address of the hotel where my grandpa will be staying."


    He immediately hung up.


    Closing his eyes, Terence dwelt on it for a moment and then proceeded to head for the living room.


    The instant he turned his back, he found a woman standing by the door, probably trying to eavesdrop on the conversation.

 Chapter 22 Are You Following Me

    "Um... Hey, Karen just called. She said there''d be a party tonight and asked me to take you and Sean along with me,"


    Carla explained herself before Terence could say anything. Actually, she didn''t even catch a single word from the call because he hung up right before Carla could come closer.


    "You know what? I actually have some errands to run tonight. Why don''t you go ahead and bring Sean with you?"


    Terence told Carla with his eyes locked onto hers. Stepping toward the groceries, he picked them up from the table and walked directly toward the kitchen.


    "Something''s not right," Carla mumbled to herself as she walked over into her own room.


    The night had fallen.


    "Sean, there''s somewhere I need to go to later. Behave yourself and have all your homework done. I''ll be back soon!" Immediately after Terence left the house, she tossed those words to Sean and went outside in a hurry.


    "Hey, Carla. Are you going on a date with Terrence? Hurry up and go quickly! I''ll keep my fingers crossed for you!" Sean grinned from ear to ear and teasingly yelled at her, throwing her an I-know-everything face.


    "What the hell are you talking about?! A date? I ain''t got time for that! I have something way more important to attend to. Remember this, if Terence somehow asks you about where we were earlier tonight when he returns, tell him that we went to Karen''s party. Is that clear?!"


    Carla opened her eyes wide and round, and tried to threaten her little brother.


    As soon as she was done talking to Sean, she walked toward the door swiftly to catch up to him.


    In Carla''s mind, this man had been living in her place for a while now. However, nothing about his background had ever slipped out of his mouth. It was as if an invisible barrier had been placed around him, guarding the secret of his mysterious identity. Finally, her "Sherlock" intuition had detected a few hints earlier that day and caught the opportunity.


    How could she just let the trace slip away so easily?


    Why would she?


    Of course, she wouldn''t miss this perfect opportunity!


    Carla was extremely eager to know who he really was and what he was hiding exactly.


    After hailing a taxi, she followed him to the first spot, a shopping mall. She then asked the driver to wait with her in the car as she peered directly toward the gate through the window. When Terence finally came out from the mall, Carla almost choked up.


    Terence changed his style drastically, much too different from what he had been wearing at home. Switching his T-shirt with a light cream polo shirt, it appeared as if it had been tailored to fit his body perfectly. The obviously pricey pants that he was wearing were simple but elegant. And last but not the least, he was wearing a pair of classy shoes designed by a well-known brand, which surely might''ve cost a fortune.


    Carla paused for a moment, and her heartbeat nearly stopped. The window of the taxi was like a wall that had separated two completely different worlds. Staring blankly ahead through the window, her jaw dropped. Even if she could step outside, she wouldn''t dare to say hello.


    Following his steps, Carla saw him get on a Lincoln limousine lengthened edition and leave right afterward.


    "Miss, do you still want me to follow that car?"


    The taxi driver had no idea who that man was, yet he had been astonished by the luxury limo and the person that went into it. He seemed a little lost and asked Carla.


    "... Of course! Follow them, please!"


    With her heart pounding intensely, Carla insisted. She tried to process the scene outside of the mall and piece together the whole story.


    ''I have gone this far for his secrets. Why would I choose to back out when I am almost there?!'' she thought viciously. She was so determined to follow through till the end and so eager to find out the truth.


    After a couple miles of driving, the limousine stopped at the main gate of the most luxurious hotel in BH City.


    Carla''s taxi followed the limo to the hotel and watched from afar silently.


    She paid the driver and got off the taxi, put on a pair of sunglasses, and then walked toward the main gate of the hotel.


    "Mr. Terence? You finally came!"


    Race trotted all the way to Terence as he welcomed him. They then walked inside the hotel together with a small crowd of people following them.


    In the meantime, Carla had also arrived at the gate. She peeked at the gate through her sunglasses, only to find out that a lot of people were standing there and giving him a warm welcome. Some of those among the crowd were obviously from the top management team.


    Carla took a deep breath because she could hear her own heart beating in an abnormal pace.


    ''Who the hell is this Terence guy?! Why would the management bother sending people to greet him at the entrance?!'' a series of questions were raised quickly in her mind.


    "Sorry miss, the hotel isn''t opened to the public today. Please come back at a later da


    te!"


    As half of her foot was about to step into the lobby, the security guard stopped her and informed her abruptly.


    "Dear sir, the person who had just entered the hotel is one of my friends. Would you please be so kind and let me in?" Carla faked a smile as bright as she could to the security guard and cooed to him.


    "Miss, don''t try to flirt with me. It is not funny. I''ve clearly told you that the hotel isn''t open to the public today. It would be best for you to leave now or I will have no choice but to send you away by force," the security guard raised his chin and treated her indifferently. He body-checked Carla with his eyes from head to toe, only to notice her mismatching outfit not befitting of the grand hotel.


    Carla couldn''t do anything but sprint hastily away from the gate.


    Suddenly, a flash of intuition came across her mind. ''It is impossible for a hotel this grand to have only one entrance! Sir, you have underestimated me, I would say.


    Let''s wait and see!'' Carla clenched her jaw and suppressed her vengeful thought, ''Today, I won''t be leaving this hotel until I figure out who this man really is!'' she swore aloud in her mind.


    Meanwhile, in the excessively decorated deluxe penthouse, a man in his seventies stood motionless by the huge French window. His hair had grown white, yet his spirit was still young and powerful. The Italian-tailored ash gray suit that he was wearing gave him a sense of sharpness. The whole scene was like a painting with him being the "royalty" in it.


    "Grandfather, what brings you here?"


    After the voice dropped, the calmness on the old man''s face was swept away immediately. Clearly, he was not immune to the owner of this voice. His brows moved slightly and turned toward the young man who was about to approach him.


    "Oh, Terence. It really is you..."


    Terence ran towards the old man and held his wrinkled hand with both of his, uttering with tenderness, "Grandfather, it''s me. Don''t worry! I am fine!"


    This old man, Nicholas, was the head of the An family. Nicholas shifted his eyes up and down to check on Terrence. Subsequently, he finally put his nerves at ease after making sure that his dear grandson was in perfect shape.


    "That bastard Marcus. If only I had seen today coming. I wouldn''t have agreed with your father to allow him to return to our family. How dare he stab his own brother from behind?! That cold-hearted brute only brings shame to our family!"


    Nicholas''s shaky voice spoke for his rage. After sacrificing his whole life for the country and building a strong reputation with numerous contributions, right now, as he''s aging, should be the time for him to start enjoying his success and spend his late years with the family in peace.


    However, he didn''t know such things would take place on his own family that would bring him deep shame and sorrow.


    "Grandfather, calm down. Nothing''s more important than your health. Marcus had been prejudiced against me for so long. There was a time when I still wished for him to recognize my efforts, but his actions spoke for him. Not being able to let go of the past, he couldn''t move on even after all these years."


    Terrence sighed as he held Nicholas''s hands and helped him sit down on the sofa.


    "Terence, you can rest assured that I won''t be tolerating such misbehavior. Something has to be done so that he won''t dare to touch you again. I''ve already informed your father earlier to transfer Marcus''s work to the NF City. Since that bastard and his men are gone, let''s go back together!"


    Nicholas stated with a firm tone and gently patted on his shoulder.


    Terence knew that Marcus would never leave his plan half done. Putting a bitter smile on his face, he responded, "Grandfather, you might think that Marcus has left for NF City. However, those men who are loyal to him haven''t moved an inch. Even if I go back with your protection, I would still have a target on my back. They won''t give up easily. They just won''t.


    Also, to be honest, I have some unfinished business to take care of here in BH City. Grandfather, won''t you please give me some time to settle things down?"


    Staring at the face of his favorite grandson, Nicholas''s smile grew tender. He asked, "Terence, tell me. Is it because of your resentment towards your father? Or has your heart been stolen by some woman in this city?"


    Terence just grinned, not humoring him with a response.


    "Terry, bring that child home if you really think that she is the one! Don''t worry. As long as you''ve made up your mind, I will be there for you no matter who she is. Nothing will stand in your way under my surveillance!"


    Nicholas laughed out loud as he didn''t get a reply from his beloved grandson. His silence had sold him out.


    Meanwhile, as they were chit-chatting merrily, a loud noise emanating from outside of the window caught both of their attention.


    Immediately, they turned their heads toward the window all at once...

 Chapter 23 Go Out For Wool And Come Home Shorn.

    "You! You back off! Back! Off! If you come any closer, I... I, I will jump!"


    Carla panicked. Although she was so afraid of heights, she pointed to the security guard and screamed aloud. Thirty minutes earlier, she was extremely annoyed by the guard at the front gate because he wouldn''t let her inside the hotel. On the verge of giving up, as she was walking outside, she found a group of janitors entering the hotel. After brainstorming a little bit and using them as a disguise, she sneaked in alongside them. But who would have thought that the floor Terence was on needed a special ID card to get in from the elevator? She certainly did not.


    There was no other way but to get off the elevator a floor lower and use the staircase to get to the intended floor she ought to reach.


    Having absolutely no idea that the security system was not something to be trifled with, Carla was found trespassing by the security just moments after entering the restricted floor. There was no other way to escape apart from the window so she immediately ran straight toward it without even thinking twice. Squeezing herself on the ledge, she moved slowly toward the next window, trying to find another exit.


    "I suggest you not to come any closer, sir! Or else, the big news entitled ''Young Lady Forced To Jump Out Of The Most Luxurious Hotel Of The City And Killed'' will be published tomorrow. Neither you nor you could bear the responsibility!" she tried to have them threatened by abruptly pointing to one of the guards and then to the other one right next to him as she moved slowly into the other window.


    She was immensely agitated about the tightness of the security and complaining within that little head of hers. ''This is way out of control! How come a hotel would have guards this many? How the hell were they able to find me?'' she roared in her mind.


    Beforehand, she pictured how she could use the outdoor unit of the air conditioners as steps and get to the other window. But there was nothing. ''Of course, they''d be using central air!'' Carla sarcastically laughed at herself for being so naive about the situation and continued thinking, ''This is absolutely nothing like what TV dramas were suggesting!''


    Hearing the uproar, Terence turned his head toward the window instantly. He furrowed his brows, and his heart tightened when he recognized the woman standing outside of the window. She was trembling while arguing with the security personnel as there were three groups of guards surrounding her. One team was on the same floor with him, the second team was on the ground floor, and the last group was equipped and climbing up the building. All of them were trying to catch this bold woman who dared to intrude.


    "Carla?" he murmured hastily, then hurriedly rushed toward the window.


    Sliding the window open, he stepped on the edge of the window. "Carla! Oh, my God! Give me your hand now!" Terence reached out his left hand towards the trembling woman and frightenedly shouted, stretching out his arms to reach her.


    Carla almost burst into tears when she heard that familiar voice. She couldn''t move after a few steps as her legs had grown sore after treading carefully on the edge of the building. Eight floors might not seem to be too high, but it was more than enough to kill her if she fell straight down.


    "Carla, I need you to concentrate and give me your hand! Trust me! Just a few more inches!" he softened his voice so as not to startle her.


    Terence noticed that she was constantly looking down at the security guards, so he went a little bit crazy toward them, "For all of you who are trying to seize her! Listen carefully! Catch this woman if she ever falls! If anything happens to her, I will make sure this would be your last day living in this world!"


    It was only a few more inches till the security guards could get to the so-called intruder. However, when they heard the stern voice screaming from afar, they paused briefly and then quickly returned to the ground, following Terrence''s order.


    After the well-trained guards went down from the building, they positioned in a net shape and got ready to catch the woman in case she fell from where she was standing.


    Seeing the security already in their position, Terence put his heart inside his gut and took a deep breath within. He then turned his head toward the "trouble-maker" and tenderly called, "Carla, slowly and carefully give me your hand. Don''t look down. There''s no need to be afraid. Just trust me. I will come get you."


    Stepping onto the edge of the window, he reached out his hand the furthest he could. Knowing that he needed to hurry because she had probably ran out of strength from her quivering legs, he locked his eyes on hers and repeated calmly, "Carla, just give me your hand. I''m here for you. Those people won''t be going after you anymore. Give me your hand. Everything''s going to be alright."


    Standing on the thin edge, Carla had finally calmed down, even if just a little, by his soothing voice. Coming back to her senses, she reached out her hand toward the worried man.


    This was when she regretted everything, all including following him, finding out about the exclusive limousine, and especially, ascending up the most luxurious building from the 7th to the 8th floor. ''This is so embarrassing. I should''ve just gone to the party with Sean instead of hanging here, LITERALLY.'' Frustration was written all over her face as she extended out her arm for Terence.


    If her curiosity hadn''t been piqued by his puzzling background, there was no way she would have ever had to be in this position.


    While her hand was held firmly by Terence, she had another dilemma. If it were just a straight edge, she could''ve easily but slowly moved toward him. This side of the building was somehow curved though, so the more she stepped toward Terence, the thinner the ledge became. The design of the building had made it exceedingly difficult for her to move any further and try to get closer to Terence.


    "Te-Terence, I''m scared."


    The unfortunate predicament had caused Carla''s voice to shake. She couldn''t bear her fear of falling any longer, and tears started streaming down her eyes while they were locked on to Terence''s.


    Terence''s heart ached tremendously after seeing this helpless woman weeping. With zero hesitations, and without any care for his own safety whatsoever, he took another step on the ledge of the window and got closer to Carla. Now, his whole body was exposed outside of the window.


    Without him even realizing, he had put himself in a position that was just as dangerous as Carla''s.


    "Terence! What are you doing?!"


    Nicholas bellowed out as he watched as the whole scene was taking place, in fear for his dear grandson due to his sudden risky move. Though deeply frightened, at the same time, he became interested in the woman whom his grandson was trying to save.


    Terence didn''t plan to get down from the ledge even after hearing his grandfather shouting at him because he had to save this troublesome woma


    n. Sticking out his leg toward Carla''s direction, he asked, "Carla, you can use my leg to step on. It will be alright. There are more than enough people to catch you if ever you do fall. Now, just try to move closer slowly and step onto my leg."


    Carla desperately tried her best not to picture herself falling down from the building. And although much too afraid to look down, she somehow managed to take a deep breath and follow Terence''s suggestion. Slowly, she pulled off a difficult step onto Terence''s leg.


    Feeling the weight on his leg, the pain sent a chill down his spine. This was the leg that got injured during the chase on the first time they met. He furrowed his brows but remained calm in order not to worry Carla.


    As she was slowly approaching him, Terence sought this chance to grab her by the waist and pull her swiftly. The outburst of adrenaline heaved Carla toward him. When they came close, they lost balance and fell on the soft carpet inside the hotel room. Just moments before they were about to fall, Terence flipped his position and made sure his back was the first to touch the ground, holding Carla tightly up on his chest and making certain she was unscathed.


    The security team had been waiting in standby inside the room for a while now. They immediately helped them up and started to run a check-up on them.


    "Are you okay? Were you hurt anywhere?" After the two of them got up, Terence pulled her inside his arms and thoroughly scanned through her body, wondering if she had been injured.


    Carla smothered a cough to disguise her embarrassment and paced herself back a bit to keep a short distance from Terence.


    "Um, I am fine,"


    she replied briefly. Meanwhile, a thousand excuses had been going through her head on how she''d come up with a proper explanation when she was asked the "what, why, and how".


    "Didn''t I tell you to wait for me outside for a moment? Carla, I don''t know what else to do about your curiosity anymore. I told you I would take you to my grandfather someday. Well, I guess today is the day. Since you came here uninvited, come and meet my grandfather. You''ve already gotten his attention anyway, just like what you''ve done to me when we first met."


    Knowing full well that she was busy thinking of an excuse, he came to her rescue for the commotion she had caused. Again, he tugged her close and rolled his arm around her shoulders. As they turned around, Terence introduced, "Grandfather, this is Carla. This is the very woman that had saved my life. I wouldn''t be here safe and sound if it wasn''t for her."


    Nicholas felt his grandson''s tension as he was precariously trying to save the girl, and also, the tenderness in the way he was talking to Carla a moment ago. Therefore, it was so apparent that this girl must surely be the one who had gotten a hold of his heart. Scanning Carla from head to toe, he thought to himself, ''Hmm, she is definitely very attractive, but her outfit doesn''t give justice to her beauty. But why should all this matter? There must be something about her that had my Terence captivated."


    "Carla, that''s your name, right? I am Terence''s grandfather, Nicholas. Please accept my thanks for saving Terry''s life. You don''t have any idea how much I appreciated what you did. I will ask Race to escort you home later. Name anything that you wish for and he will make sure it comes true."


    Nicholas smiled at her wholeheartedly and nodded with appreciation after finding out that she was the very woman who had saved his beloved grandson''s life.


    "H-Hi, Nicholas. It''s a pleasure meeting you. Actually, I need to leave now since I still have some unfinished business to take care of. Would you please excuse me? Why don''t you guys talk? I''ll be fine on my own."


    Thinking about how she had caused a scene just now, Carla was extremely embarrassed to hear Nicholas''s appraisal, wishing she could leave the room as soon as possible.


    "Hey, would you wait for me outside? I will wrap up our conversation shortly after," Terence closely whispered to her ear and let go of her. He turned to the door and requested, "Race, please take her outside and let her have some water. And do treat her as our guest."


    Pausing briefly, as he had never met a single person who got treated this well by Terence, Race nodded instantly and replied, "You have my word, Mr. Terence."


    Carla then waved goodbye to them, following Race outside to the hallway. Soon after stepping out of the room, she was somewhat put at ease. Heaving out a deep sigh, she uttered to Race, "Hey Race, would you please pass a message to Terence for me? Tell him that I have to leave immediately."


    "Hey, Miss Carla. Wait,"


    Race turned around and stopped Carla from her tracks and politely addressed, "Mr. Terence had requested me to accompany you until he finishes his conversation with Mr. Nicholas. I am in no place to disobey. So would you please be patient and wait for a minute? I believe he will be coming shortly."


    "I am not lying. I really need to go! My little brother was left at home alone. He is only 10 years old. A long time has passed since I left, but I told him that I would be back very soon! I am so worried,"


    Carla finished her words and made it seem like she was extremely anxious about his safety.


    However, she clearly knew that with herself always being busy with work and their parents passing away at such a young age, Sean had already learned to take care of himself. She used it as an excuse anyways because it worked every single time she was trying to get out of a situation.


    "Um..."


    After hearing there was a child that had been left unattended, Race hesitated. ''It is indeed unsafe for a little kid to be on his own, '' he thought.


    "Race, please, I have to go now. Thank you! And please don''t forget to tell Terence that I am sorry for not waiting for him. Bye!"


    Carla took advantage of his moment of hesitation and grasped her chance to get away. Turning around and dashing toward the elevator as she waved to Race, she made sure that no one would be able to catch up to her.


    Even though she entered the elevator, she couldn''t calm herself down as the image of what had just happened kept flashing in her head. A surge of profound feelings flowed through her veins like diving atop a cliff down to the deep ocean.


    For her, it was best to flee from the scene right away to avoid more questioning.


    On second thought, she had finally unmasked him. From the first time that they had met, she always had the impression that Terence was a member of some gangster group since he had been chased and injured. Or, much worse, he might''ve been a criminal who had just come out of prison, trying to get away from someone planning their revenge. Never had she ever thought that he was actually a young master of a wealthy family! It turned out he was also a reputable man.


    He had been hiding in so deep that


    when she managed to eventually connect all the dots, a chill went down her spine.


    "Where are you planning to escape? Huh?"

 Chapter 24 Lay Bare The Identity

    Carla was about to step into the elevator, when she heard a familiar voice from behind. She froze and couldn''t move.


    "I told you to wait for me. Why didn''t you listen to me?"


    he said as he walked quickly towards her.


    "Just stay away from me!"


    She turned her back to him and faced the elevator not having the courage to look him in the eyes. Before she entered she said in a shaky voice, "Terence, since your grandfather has traveled all the way here to see you, so please spend more time with him and don''t come to my house tonight."


    She then went in the elevator and began to press the close button quickly so the door shut before he had time to join her.


    "Sean and I will take care of ourselves. As for you, take care," she said just before they closed.


    She felt a sense of relief when the doors shut separating her and Terence. Carla leaned against the wall feebly. It seemed like there were thousands of bees buzzing inside her head. She felt numb and confused and had trouble thinking straight.


    Carla was overwhelmed with emotions.


    She didn''t know how to face Terence.


    Terence stood silently staring at the closed elevator doors. He could have stopped her, but he thought it was best to just let it all sink in. It was a lot for her to accept all at once.


    It was hard for her to bear so much in such a short time, so he let her go. Terence closed his eyes helplessly.


    "Race, arrange a car for Carla and take her home. Make sure she gets home safely and wait until she is inside her home before you leave,"


    Terence told his grandfather''s most trusted man, Race, who followed him.


    When Carla reached the bottom floor of the hotel and left the building, a Rolls-Royce limousine was waiting out the front for her.


    The parking boy stood by the limousine and immediately stepped forward to open the door when he saw Carla. With white-gloved hands, he ushered her towards the limo.


    "Miss Carla, this way please," he said formally.


    Carla was taken aback by the formality of the situation. She stepped back frightened, she was way out of her depth. For all of her twenty years, she had never once experienced such extravagance.


    "No, no, I can go back by taxi. Thank you all the same," she waved her hand as if to shoo him away. As a poor citizen, she couldn''t afford such a luxury.


    Race had just stepped out of the elevator and noticed Carla''s reluctance to get into the limousine. He approached her and said respectfully, "Miss Carla, Mr. Terence has given them instructions to take you home safely.


    Please, be compliant and allow them to drive you home. Otherwise, they will have to answer to Mr. Terence."


    She understood now, that it was Terence who had given the orders. Carla sighed and got into the limousine awkwardly. She knew what it was like when Karen yelled at her for doing something wrong, so she didn''t want to get the men that worked for Terence into trouble either.


    Once inside, Carla sat quietly in the luxuriously leather upholstered seats. She felt intimidated by all of the pomp and extravagance that surrounded her, from the leather seats, expensive crystal wine goblets, flat-screen television, and so the list went on. Carla dared not touch anything, and she felt way out of her comfort zone. But nothing had attracted her attention, because she was too shaken and dismayed to notice.


    When they had arrived at her home, the limousine pulled into the curb and the chauffeur opened the door for Carla. She got out in a daze.


    Carla trudged up the stairs. The chauffeur first made sure that Carla was safely inside the building, just as Terence had instructed and then slowly drove away.


    ''It was a dream, just a dream. Yes, it must be my dream. It was an illusion which couldn''t possibly be true.


    It must be! Wake up, Carla!'' she thought.


    "Carla? I heard a noise from behind the door and it turns out that it was you. Why didn''t you come in?" Sean said when he opened the door and saw Carla just standing there with a blank look on her face.


    "By the way, where''s Terence?"


    he asked scratching his head and looking behind her and then down the corridor.


    Carla went inside silently, with her shoulders slumped and her head down.


    "Carla, why don''t you answer me? Where''s Terence? Aren''t you two together?"


    Sean followed her and kept asking questions.


    Carla was becoming annoyed by his endless bombardment of questions. She gave him a cold stare, "Sean, don''t mention him to me. Not even a word. Do you hear me?"


    "But why? Why can''t I speak of him? Everything was fine when you left. What happened? Why didn''t Terence come back with you? I want to know the truth." Sean was unwilling to give up, so he kept persisting with his questions. Although he could tell that Carla was unhappy, he still wanted to know where Terence was.


    "He''s fine. He isn''t coming back be


    cause he will be staying with his family. That''s it!" Carla said, finally giving into him. "Oh, I see," murmured Sean.


    "Sean, Terence is different from us and we live in two, very different worlds. If he does leave, we need to accept it. Don''t cry or try to persuade him to stay. Are we clear?"


    Sean was bewildered by what she had said. "Why? Even if Terence does go home to live with his family, he can still hang out with us. We''re friends, aren''t we?" he asked.


    Sean couldn''t understand what the problem was.


    However, when he saw how upset Carla was, he hung his head down and didn''t ask any more questions.


    "I see," he replied in a quiet voice.


    Carla was emotionally exhausted. She crawled into her bed and wrapped the quilt around herself.


    The whole night she tossed and turned and didn''t sleep a wink. All she saw in front of her was Terence''s handsome face. Whether she closed her eyes or opened them, his image was always there.


    It was nearly sunrise when Carla dragged herself out of bed. She went to the bathroom and looked at her reflection in the mirror, and what stared back at her was a woman drained with two black bags under her eyes. She washed her face and brushed her teeth and went into the kitchen to make breakfast for Sean.


    ''It was Terence who had taken charge of the cooking, but now...''


    Carla thought of Terence unintentionally and she shook her head, trying to shake away the thoughts of him.


    She couldn''t expect a privileged child of noble birth, who had led an easy life with everything provided for him, would be willing to fall for her and do mundane household chores.


    Thinking of this, she laughed ironically.


    A tea towel that she was holding dropped from her hand all of a sudden when she wiped the table absentmindedly. She sat at the dining table and brought her knees up to her chest, and hugged them as she stared blankly into space.


    She had no idea how long she had been sitting there, when a sound coming from the front door roused her from her trance.


    Terence walked in quietly and was surprised to see Carla sitting there on her own.


    "Carla,"


    he called. But Carla stood up and went to her bedroom. Terence followed her and took her by the hand. "Don''t ignore me. We need to talk."


    "We have nothing to talk about. You wouldn''t have told me anything if I hadn''t followed you," Carla tried to remove her hand several times, but couldn''t.


    Terence held her tightly, fearing she would disappear.


    Mustering all her strength and fighting hard to hold back her tears, Carla said, "Terence, I''m sorry, Master Terence. It was only by chance that we had met. But I think we should shake hands now and go our separate ways. Take care of yourself, Terence." Carla finally withdrew her shaky hand.


    "Carla, please don''t do this. Your reaction is the reason why I haven''t told you the truth. I was afraid that you would become estranged from me when you found out my identity, just like you are now." Terence sighed deeply. He tried to keep the secret so they would accept him easier. Spending time with Carla was the happiest time in his life.


    He was planning to tell her the truth little by little when the time was right. So she had time to process it all and accept it.


    However, he didn''t expect that his grandfather would suddenly turn up in BH City.


    Nor did he expect that Carla would follow him to the hotel. His worries had come to light.


    Carla looked at the floor, feeling pitiful, "No wonder you never gave me a direct answer to my questions. Now, I know why.


    A privileged child and a poor delivery girl, we really don''t make a good match. You deserve much better. I should thank you for your kindness. For without you, I would never have ridden in a luxurious vehicle, nor would I have ever commanded a person of noble birth.


    One day when I am older and tell my tale, I will feel proud of myself."


    Carla had hardly finished her sentence when suddenly


    she found herself wrapped in Terence''s strong arms. Her head was pressed gently against his hard chest. He smelled so good and she closed her eyes enjoying his embrace, even if it was only for a moment.


    Indeed, she felt calm for the moment.


    "I''m sorry, Carla," Terence whispered in her ear, holding her tightly begging for her forgiveness.


    He should have done things differently.


    No matter what excuses he had, it was his fault.


    Opening her eyes, Carla tried to wriggle out of his embrace as she said with self-mockery, "Don''t say sorry, Master Terence. Don''t humiliate yourself to say sorry to a person of lower status in such a dingy place, which doesn''t match your dignity or stature. Let your hands go, otherwise, you''ll stain them."


    Terence''s heart broke when he heard she belittle and degrade herself. He gently lifted her chin up


    and bent over and kissed her hard on the lips.

 Chapter 25 A Young Master Experiencing A Different Life

    The overbearing kisses did not give Carla the opportunity to hide. The strange but familiar atmosphere calmed all of her senses, letting her involuntarily give up resisting and immerse in Terence''s breath instead.


    Carla realized that exhaustion had drained her strength. She wanted to push Terence away but her weak arms failed her.


    Terence took this chance to take advantage of the situation.


    Holding her at the back of her head, Terence pinned her against the wall while hugging and kissing her. The possessive kisses overwhelmed Carla, leaving her no chance to breathe.


    They looked like vines wrapped around a tree, entangling and extending endlessly until they could no longer be separated from each other.


    Carla knew that she was surrendering to Terence''s kisses little by little, without any resistance. If this continued, she was afraid that she would not be able to control herself anymore.


    "Ouch..."


    Terence cried out in pain as he touched his bitten lip. He frowned, looked at Carla and said in a husky voice, "Dear, be nice to me, please."


    Carla did not hesitate to bite him so she could stop him. Soon enough, both of them tasted the blood in their mouth.


    However, Terence did not intend to let her go and he leaned over again. Instead of being overbearing and tough, he gently sucked the blood from her lips. He parted from her lips right after and then rested his forehead on hers. He whispered, "Carla, I''ll give you some time to calm down and think it over.


    Since it can''t be changed, please learn to accept it. You love me, don''t you? Are you going to stop loving me just because of my family?"


    "I..."


    Carla wanted to say no but she didn''t have a chance to do so because Terence went for another kiss on her lips, preventing her from speaking any further.


    "Don''t tell me that you don''t love me. With an excuse like that, do you really think I''ll believe you?" Terence parted from her lips and softly asked.


    "Also, I promised you that I would leave after Sean''s birthday. I promised him that I would teach him how to play basketball. With that, can you promise me not to tell Sean about what kind of family that I come from? At the very least, let his birthday party pass first. Can you do that?"


    Terence pleaded a little.


    Even though Sean was still a young boy, he was quite articulate and could decide for himself already. Terence would like to spend more days with little Sean.


    Without any external interruption, he really just wanted to accompany Carla and Sean as a brother for a few more days.


    Terence''s incessant chain of kisses calmed down Carla''s already blazed mind little by little.


    Trying to get back to her senses, Carla breathed deeply and looked at the man begging in a low voice in front of her.


    "... Fine. I can allow you to accompany Sean for a few more days.


    But as soon as his birthday is over, I hope you can disappear from our life completely. Don''t show yourself to us ever again."


    They came from two very different worlds and in turn, lived very different lives.


    Their connection, despite of being strong and true, was temporary, like a beautiful incident.


    They were never meant to be together. Like parallel lines, they had to live the rest of their lives separated from each other.


    Terence frowned. He looked into Carla''s eyes and said, "Carla, don''t treat me like this. Being with you for the past few days allowed me to show you who I really am, the real me. You''ve accepted me for who I am. Why can''t you accept my family background?


    It would just be a matter of time. You''ll get used to it soon enough..."


    Carla looked at him and shook her head. She gave him a small smile, "It wouldn''t be the same. How could you say it like it''s nothing? As you said, my character won''t fit in your world.


    If I live in the world that you live in, do you think I would still be the same Carla that you know?"


    To change someone''s way of living was never easy. Not to mention that it hadn''t been that long since Carla and Terence fully opened up to each other. They didn''t have a chance to be certain with their feelings for each other yet.


    With the few days that they spent together as a basis to choose Terence as her soul mate and to marry him for the rest of her life


    was impossible for Carla.


    "Okay then, let''s just talk about it later. Now that you''ve allowed me to accompany Sean for a few more days until his birthday, keep your promise and tr


    eat me like you''ve always been. At least, let''s have some peaceful time for the rest of our days together, shall we?"


    Terence offered Carla. He knew that it didn''t make sense to argue with her. He would rather know her answer later if it meant he could avoid hurting her.


    Carla nodded in agreement. She felt lucky that she hadn''t had the chance to talk with Sean yet. He didn''t know anything about Terence''s true identity, which meant Carla could still fix it. She would eventually explain the whole situation to Sean, but not now.


    ''At least, we should let Sean have a birthday party without any regrets first, '' Carla thought.


    "I''m still sleeping here tonight. You don''t have to rush in throwing away my things." Terence looked at the already-packed luggage on the sofa.


    He was sure that the stuff inside the luggage must be his.


    ''This woman is really heartless. She''s ready to throw away all my stuff already.


    Why does she want to be separated from me so desperately?'' The thought made Terence mad.


    Carla did not say anything. She knew that Terence was too observant to neglect the fact that his things were all gone. She stared at everywhere else but him and whispered, "The house is small. It''s already too crowded for 3 persons to live here."


    Terence snorted at her halfhearted words. He let her go and walked towards the sofa to return everything from the luggage into their former places.


    "Why? Why would you rather sleep on my creaky sofa than stay in a hotel with comfortable accommodations? We both know you don''t have to do this at all," Carla asked, wanting to clear some confusion on her mind.


    "It doesn''t sound reasonable, does it?" Terence pulled out the clothes that he usually wore from the luggage.


    "I also think that I would have a good sleep in a hotel. but I found out that I have a better sleep on your sofa."


    "You are insane,"


    Carla remarked. She thought, ''With a family background like his, a phone call would obviously save him from a lot of inconveniences. It''s totally unnecessary for him to stay here for so long.


    He probably stays here in purpose to experience a different life.''


    "I know what you''re gonna say. But I have my reason, which is definitely not what you''re thinking about!" After changing his clothes, Terence waited for Clara''s reaction.


    Carla turned away and wondered if he could read her mind with just a glance.


    "It''s late. I should go to work." Carla looked at her watch and realized that it was time for her to leave. She walked into her room to change her clothes.


    Carla wouldn''t stop Terence from experiencing a different life. She thought it was his freedom to do so. Besides, there was nothing she could do to stop him even if she wanted to.


    She would let him continue as long as he wanted. Everything was up to him.


    Carla grabbed her clothes from her closet and was about to change. At that moment, the door was opened. Terence leaned on the door with one hand in his pocket and stared at her.


    "What are you doing? Get out of here," Carla exclaimed.


    Terence stayed right where he was and smiled beguilingly, "When I was changing my clothes, you watched me without blinking your eyes. Why couldn''t I?"


    "Shame on you! It''s different! I''m a lady!" Carla cursed. As a man, a pair of pants could cover him while he was changing his top. Moreover, she was already used to seeing him bare from the waist up whenever he was sleeping on the sofa these days. But she''s a woman, and it was impossible for her to change clothes in front of him.


    "Yes, surely it''s different. I know that. You just possess two more things than me," Terence replied casually. Since she called him shameless, he would like to show her how shameless he could be.


    Carla flushed in anger. On impulse, she grabbed the clothes on the bed and threw them on his face.


    Prepared to catch the clothes, Terence grasped them with his hands and then proceeded to inspect them. His smile became deeper, "Hey, why did you give me your clothes? Does this mean you want me to put them on for you?


    I know you''re playing a game. In reality, you don''t want me to leave. You want me to stay, right? Otherwise, you wouldn''t have given me your clothes," Terence said with a smirk.


    "Oh, what a lovely game. It''s really... difficult to refuse."


    He added as he picked up the pink bra with white lace and three rows of invisible buckles out of the pile of clothes she had thrown over.

 Chapter 26 Ill Dress You Myself

    Being upset, Carla had forgotten that her underwear was inside that bundle of clothes she had thrown at Terence. Feeling embarrassed she blushed, as she watched Terence pulling her bra out in front of her.


    He folded her clothes neatly and stacked them on her bed according to wearing sequence, just like a good housemaid.


    Carla felt her cheeks burning with anger when she saw that he had laid her underwear on top of the stack of clothes. She breathed in deeply to calm herself down and said, "If someone is going to put my clothes on for me, it will be my future husband! Who do you think you are to touch my clothes?"


    She never expected that he would be irritated by what she said.


    Terence stopped what he was doing and straightened up, glaring at her angrily.


    "I beg your pardon?"


    Carla put her hands on her hips. "I said it will only be my future husband who has the right to dress me and you are not him!" She ignored his angry expression and took the clothes from the bed turning to go into the bathroom to change.


    But before she had the chance, she was grabbed by two strong hands.


    "According to what you just said, then it''s my job to dress you. Just enjoy it, sweetheart." Terence held the sides of her white pajama top and was about to pull it over her head.


    Realizing that he wasn''t just joking, Carla suddenly felt nervous. She tried to grasp the top with her hands, but he was more powerful.


    "Terence, stop! I''ll call the police and tell them that you''re harassing me. Just stop!" she said in a loud desperate voice. Carla scowled at him. They had flirted, caressed and kissed, but they had never made love. She was afraid of what was going to happen.


    If this scenario had happened before she found out who he really was, she would probably have indulged herself and allowed him to dress her or have even been intimate with him. Because at that time, she thought they were from the same world.


    But now things were different. They would most likely break up sooner or later, so she didn''t want to cross that line with him and make things more complicated.


    "Harass, huh? That''s a minor charge. I want to make it a bit more severe if you know what I mean." Terence smiled wickedly. The thin material of the pajamas was nothing for his strong hands.


    With one tug, the pajama was torn off.


    It happened so fast that Carla hadn''t even realized until her skin felt cooler.


    She looked down and saw that her pajama lay in tatters around her waist. Her bar was unhooked the next second, and then he put the new one on her and hooked it carefully.


    Then the scent of freshly washed clothes dropped over her head. She was being dressed as a baby would be. One of her arms was lifted and inserted into a sleeve and then the other. The top was then adjusted and smoothed down around her body.


    "That''s my girl,"


    Terence said, satisfied. Then he frowned, looking at her pajama bottoms, thinking of how to change them quickly.


    Realizing what Terence was planning on doing, Carla quickly grabbed a pair of pants and rushed into the bathroom and locked herself inside. She rested her back against the door to catch her breath.


    Terence laughed out loud when he saw her run off. He bent down and scooped up her torn pajama from the floor and brought the material to his nose. He closed his eyes and breathed in her lovely scent.


    Carla finally came out panting as if she had just escaped from some sort of danger.


    ''He has finally shown his true colors. What a jerk! But why do I feel like I keep falling into his trap?'' she thought.


    After composing herself, Carla checked her watch. If she didn''t hurry up she would be late for work.


    Late in the evening that day


    when she had just finished work, even though Carla was really tired, she didn''t want to go home. So she stalled by riding her scooter around the streets.


    Thinking about the incident with Terence that morning, her heart suddenly began to beat faster. She felt nervous but excited as well.


    The phone in her pocket kept vibrating, so she finally pulled over to the side to check the phone. The number displayed on the screen was her home number. She was reluctant to answer because she didn''t know if it was Sean or Terence and she didn''t know how to deal with Terence just yet.


    "Hello..." she answered.


    "Carla, it''s me. Are you still at work?"


    "I''m nearly off duty. I''ll be coming home shortly,"


    feeling relieved that it was only Sean, she relaxed.


    "Okay. Please be as quick as you can. We are both waiting for you so w


    e can all enjoy this deliciously cooked meal that Terence has prepared. He won''t let me start without you. He says we have to wait for you. Please hurry. I''m starving,"


    Sean said while he glanced at Terence who was listening to their conversation.


    After hanging up the phone, Carla sat on her scooter for a moment to collect her thoughts. There was only one place for her to go now and that was home. She heaved a deep sigh and turned the scooter around.


    She arrived home and grudgingly went inside.


    Seeing that Carla was back, Sean quickly brought her slippers to her. He couldn''t wait to have dinner.


    Terence walked over to her, taking her coat. He hung it up like he usually did and said, "Carla, welcome home. Wash your hands and let''s have dinner."


    Carla had been used to this routine and in the past, it hadn''t seemed out of place. But now, it felt strange to Carla and made her feel uncomfortable. Knowing that the man who was staying with them, cooked their meals and did meaningless household chores was not used to that sort of lifestyle. He was used to having things done for him instead. For goodness sake, he had a chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce limousine!


    She couldn''t understand why he had chosen to do all of that for her. Since when did a privileged wealthy childe like to serve the poor? It just didn''t make any sense and it was very hard for her to accept.


    "Carla, I told you that Terence wasn''t an ungrateful man. It turns out that I am right," said Sean pouting at his sister. The previous night, when Carla had told him that Terence would be staying with his family and wouldn''t return, he didn''t believe her.


    So when Terence came back today, he finally proved to Carla that he was right.


    "Yes, let''s eat," Carla replied quietly. She put a spoonful of rice in her plate and bowed her head down to eat. She avoided meeting Terence''s eyes.


    Terence furrowed his eyebrows. "Don''t just eat the rice. I have made a few different dishes for you. Here, try them," he said as he


    got the chopsticks and piled fish, her favorite, stir-fried vegetables and shelled shrimp, of which he shelled himself onto her plate. Soon, her plate was so full of food that she didn''t know where to begin.


    Sean watched and felt jealous that Carla was getting all of the attention.


    "Terence, I''m still a kid, but Carla is an adult. Why are you picking dishes for her instead of me? It''s unfair," complained Sean, as he poked his chopsticks against his plate annoyed.


    Terence realized that he was favoring Carla over Sean so he put some shrimp onto his plate as well.


    "This is for you. Your sister has worked hard all day, so we should take more care of her. Besides, there is plenty of food for you to eat. Help yourself," Terence explained.


    Sean was satisfied with Terence''s explanation. He then glanced at Carla and then back at him and asked, "Terence, did you and my sister have a row?


    I was scared because I thought you weren''t going to come back anymore. I am so glad that you are with us now."


    Terence paused for a moment to wipe his hands on a napkin. "That''s not going to happen. But you have reminded me of something. Sean, how would you like to come to my city and study there?


    There are many schools where I come from. Some of which have a very good reputation. If you study at one of these schools, you will have a much better education. What do you say?"


    Sean was Carla''s weak spot and Terence was taking advantage of that. He knew that if Sean were to attend a school there, she would follow to be with him.


    However, he wasn''t expecting her reaction. Before Sean had a chance to say anything, Carla spoke up, "Definitely not!" Carla flatly refused on behalf of her little brother. "Sean has lived here for many years. He has made a lot of friends and gets along well with his classmates. It''s not a good idea for him to separate from them."


    With a mouth full of shrimp, Sean looked at Carla''s angry face and said, "That sounds good to me. When you two get married someday, I will surely be living with you, so it''s not a bad idea if I move there."


    Just like some of the kids from his class, when their parents moved to another city they naturally went with them. It was very common.


    Family was much more important to him than his classmates, so he didn''t have a problem with accepting Terence''s suggestion.


    "Ahem!"


    Carla cleared her throat in shock. She turned to Sean and frowned. She felt like kicking him under the table. ''What an unreliable sibling he turns out to be!''

 Chapter 27 Wait A Big Star In the Slums

    "Yeah. Sean is right, Carla, even a child has a bigger insight than you. Couldn''t you be more open-minded?"


    Terence looked at Sean appreciatively. It looked like his future brother-in-law had so much potential. After all, Sean conveyed his thoughts in a more sensible manner.


    A vein popped out of Carla''s temple. That was it. These two were getting on her nerves. She balled her hand in a fist and pounded on the dinner table.


    She barked, "What the hell you two are doing?


    Sean, a 10-year-old kid shouldn''t be worrying about marriage especially mine!"


    Then she turned to Terence, "And you, mister, just because I kindly let you stay here doesn''t mean you can do anything as you please! Just stop talking nonsense. I''m done!"


    With that, Carla stormed off as she went to her room. The two boys jumped up a bit when she slammed the door.


    Terence shrugged and wrapped his arm around Sean''s shoulders, "See? Girls get really shy and when they get really shy, they get irritated. From now on, we will only keep this to ourselves. Got it?"


    Sean nodded in agreement with determined eyes.


    He chirped, pumping his fist into the air, "You are right, Terence!"


    When Carla had gotten back into her room, she plopped down on her bed and stared at the ceiling.


    Carla was starting to smell something fishy about Terence. What did Terence want from them in the first place? It wasn''t like he only stayed because he planned of keeping Sean company.


    In order to avoid going out of her room and seeing Terence, she decided not to shower until it was very late.


    She glanced at her cellphone. It was already 10:30PM.


    Thank God! She couldn''t wait any longer! She changed into her pajamas and crept out of her room.


    She took a peek and sighed in relief when she saw no one at the living room. Maybe Terence was in Sean''s room.


    She tiptoed to the bathroom and noticed that the light was still on.


    "Anyone in there?"


    She asked but nobody answered from inside. She thought probably Sean forgot to turn off the light again, and so she turned the doorknob and went in.


    "Ah! Oh my Gosh! A pervert!"


    Carla screamed and quickly covered her eyes. Terence had just finished bathing and was already drying himself.


    He spoke up, "You know, I waited for a long time for you to get out of your room to take a shower. I figured that you weren''t going to come out so I helped myself."


    "Then why didn''t you say something when I asked if someone was inside?" Carla turned back and slammed the door behind her.


    ''Ugh. He''s so stupid! Like, I already asked who''s inside and he didn''t even reply!''


    "Well, I have the right to remain silent. Besides, this isn''t the first time you saw me naked," Terence wrapped a bath towel around his waist and walked out.


    At the first night he arrived at her home, she saw him butt naked.


    "I didn''t mean to see you naked around that time!" Carla exclaimed, trying her best not to kick Terence''s ass.


    Terence dried his hair with a towel and squinted at her, "It doesn''t matter whether or not you meant it. You saw me anyway and that''s what matters."


    And it was true that it happened that she saw him butt naked.


    Carla went speechless as the man started to pace around her house. She sighed deeply, trying to suppress her anger and turned her attention to the bathroom.


    Terence finally stopped on his tracks. His eyes trailed at the bathroom''s direction. Behind its frosted glass, he veered over a slender graceful figure. The sound of the shower came from it, bringing him out of the daze.


    He wasn''t the type to get impulsive.


    Yet he noticed that he was becoming more and more impulsive around Carla.


    When 20 minutes had passed, Carla walked out of the bathroom, wearing a towel on her head and her bathrobe. She tiptoed to her room like a thief.


    When she finally got inside the room, she started to sigh in relief.


    Terence was sitting in the living the room and was typing something in his lap


    top. He heard her door click and shook his head.


    He murmured, "If I want to get in, I will get in. Not even a hundred locks could stop me."


    The next day, it was already afternoon when Sean finished his classes.


    He went to play basketball with Terence in the playground of their neighborhood.


    Carla didn''t go back home right after work. Since she thought it was still early, she went to the mall and started browsing some toy shops.


    It was going to be Sean''s birthday on Sunday and it was already Friday. As his sister, she wanted to prepare something as gift for him.


    Every year, she would cook his favorite food and buy a small simple cake. But Sean was turning 10 years old, so she wanted to prepare something special for him.


    She was much older than Sean. Not to mention, they had a rather large age gap and she watched him grow up everyday.


    After their parents passed away, Carla assumed all the responsibility for Sean.


    "Hello, sir, how much is this?" She pointed at a remote-controlled toy airplane. She remembered the time Sean would beg her to buy that for him but she would disagree since it was too expensive.


    "Oh, this one? This drone is the latest model of our brand. It''s on for 999 dollars. If you would like, you can come in and take a look. You can also choose from any other models,"


    The shop assistant replied, smiling.


    Carla went inside the shop to walk around. Her eyes widened when she saw the prices of those toys! Some could cost from 3, 000 up to 8, 000!


    The one she saw at the window seemed to be the cheapest one.


    "I''ll just take the model like the one outside your window," she pointed at the toy.


    Considering her financial condition, she had to go with the cheapest one. For her, 1000 dollars was already too much.


    Back in the residence estate, Carla asked the doorman to keep the gift until Sean''s birthday. She wanted to keep it as a surprise.


    As she was walking upstairs, she noticed many people running towards the basketball court. Most of them were girls.


    "Abby? What''s happening? Is there anything there?" Carla quickly grabbed Martha''s second daughter Abby. Martha lived in the same building as Carla.


    "Well, I don''t exactly know the details but there are rumors that a big star came to our neighborhood. So I followed them to see it for myself," Abby replied.


    After she said that, she ran along with the others towards the basketball court.


    Wait what? A big star? Visiting the slums?


    What a ridiculous rumor!


    Carla didn''t believe it at all and was very skeptic about it.


    Then she just shrugged and followed the crowd. It wouldn''t hurt if she needed to confirm the rumor with her two own eyes, right?


    The basketball court was suddenly jam-packed. Almost all the people in the neighborhood went there to see what was going on.


    Carla made her way onto the edge of the court, bumping onto the crowd. Then she saw a familiar man who was dribbling the ball. He was followed by a shorter young boy who was trying to think of a way to steal the ball from him.


    Her mouth dropped when she finally recognized these two men inside the court.


    ''T-Terence? Sean?'' she thought.


    "Oh my gosh! Terence is so cool! I love him!"


    "Wait, does he even loves you?"


    "Of course! He loves his fans so he must love me!"


    "Oh yeah? Do you know him? Could you introduce me to him?"


    "Of course not! I am not sharing my Terence with anybody!"


    Carla listened to the banter of two young girls. She looked at the fully packed basketball court, clicked her tongue and shook her head.


    Why do these people have to be so zealous toward some good-looking guy.


    ''They are just some bumpkins who don''t really have an idea how the world works!'' Carla thought to herself, frowning.


    "Carla!" ''Oh God!'' Carla deadpanned.


    Sean''s sharp eyes caught the sight of his sister standing in front of the crowd. He smiled, wiped off the sweat from his forehead, and waved at her fiercely.

 Chapter 28 No Match For You Two

    "Hey, Sean, it''s getting dark. Let''s go home!"


    Carla said smiling at her little brother as their eyes met.


    Terence stopped playing basketball when he saw Carla. He picked up the water bottle from the ground and took a swig. He then picked up his T-shirt from the basketball stand and walked towards her.


    When Carla saw that both Terence and Sean was looking at her, she felt as if she became the focus of everyone''s attention.


    Everyone''s eyes were all on her!


    "Are you finished with your work already?"


    Terence said when he reached her.


    "Yeah. My god! You two superstars, look at what you''ve done. Are you guys really playing basketball? Or are you holding a concert? You two made quite a stir in the area! Sean, how many times have I told you? You should always keep a low profile to avoid trouble. Please tell me you do understand that,"


    said Carla as she put her hand over Sean''s shoulder and turned him around. They decided to go home. There were fans all over the area and they all stepped aside immediately when they passed.


    Terence smiled and caught up with them. He positioned his hand over Carla''s shoulder and said to her knowingly, "Well, how did it feel to be in the limelight?


    It must have been a little embarrassing at first, but I am betting that it made you a little bit giddy with happiness."


    Carla looked back at their fans. Some of them stared at her enviously, while others gossiped. There was no denying that for the first time in her life, she attracted so much attention.


    "Damn you! Are you taking me for a fool? There were so many people around. You surely knew that you caused quite a stir because you enjoyed exposing yourself in public so much. I''ve seen through your trick. You did that on purpose. I bet you really enjoyed being adored and ogled by those girls, didn''t you?"


    Carla said it so straightforwardly that it embarrassed him.


    Terence didn''t want to admit defeat. He lifted his eyebrows and gave her a playful punch on the shoulder. "Well, I saw that you pushed your way through the crowd just to reach us. I bet it took you so much effort. It seemed as if you were so eager to see me, huh? You are one of my adoring fans, aren''t you?"


    Carla''s face went pale. ''How can he possibly know that? Wasn''t he too busy playing basketball? I can''t believe he noticed that!'' she thought.


    "Come on! Are you comparing me to them? I''m not one of your crazy fans. I''m a rational and mature woman. Unlike them, I will never be obsessed with you. There are a lot of handsome men in this world. Who do you think you are?"


    Her ears burned with shame. Terence smiled again and whispered in Carla''s ear, "I got it. You mean you are not my ''crazy'' fan. You are my ''rational and mature'' fan. Am I right? Don''t be shy and just admit it."


    Carla became embarrassed when he came closer to her. She poked his waist with her elbow and ran away with Sean immediately.


    Terence rubbed his waist because her jab was a bit painful. He sighed and smiled, his eyes following the fleeing girl and her brother.


    ''So this is how it''s going to be? You always bully me physically when you lose the war of words.


    This is exactly your style!'' Terence thought.


    The three arrived home.


    Carla was about to prepare their dinner when she surprisingly saw that the table was already set. Their meal had been already made. The fragrance filled the kitchen and Carla couldn''t wait to eat immediately. It was obviously one of Terence''s surprises.


    ''It''s so strange.


    He was clearly born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He doesn''t need to cook for himself, but why is he so damn good at cooking?


    This is so strange!


    Are his ancestors all good cooks? Was he born in a wealthy family that is in the culinary industry?'' Carla thought perplexed.


    "Hey, what are you thinking about? The chicken soup is ready. Come on! Hand me a bowl," said Terence.


    Terence went into the kitchen after he took a shower. He lifted the lid and checked the soup. He then removed it from the stove when it was done.


    "Chicken soup?" Carla asked.


    Carla took out the bowl from the sideboard and took a look at the soup in the pot. The fragrance kept tempting her.


    "Well, I cooked it for you. You should eat more. It''s good for your health," Terence said as he took the bowl from Carla''s hands. He took the chicken out first, and then pour


    ed the soup into the bowl.


    Carla couldn''t wait to taste a mouthful of the delicious chicken soup. She rubbed her belly thoughtfully. ''Did this man figure out that I just got over my menstrual period?


    Normally, after their menstrual period, women are very weak. It is good to drink some soup to strengthen the body.


    But I can''t figure out how he knew?'' Carla thought.


    After a little while, Terence served their dinner. He also cooked braised spareribs and two other dishes. Everything was ready.


    Sean was very hungry because of the basketball game. At the sight of the delicious dishes, his mouth watered a little.


    "Terence, it was very nice of you to cook dinner for us. You are a really great chef! Thanks to you, we enjoyed so much delicious food!" Sean said happily to Terence.


    "Really? Then come and live with me. I will cook for you two everyday. Like you said, I''m a good chef. What I made today is just a drop in the bucket. There are more surprises waiting for you!"


    Terence said as he sat down. He was trying to draw Sean over to his side with his sweet talk.


    Carla took a sip of the tasty chicken soup and glanced at Terence. ''Well, it seems that I finally figured out the reason why he cooked for us today. He is really trying to persuade us to live with him, '' she thought.


    "Sean, don''t eat too much, or you''d get fat. If you get fat, your fans will be deeply disappointed. Girls will not adore you any more,"


    she teased her brother.


    But to her surprise, Sean ignored her completely.


    "Carla, I need a lot of nutrition to build up my body. If I don''t obtain enough nutrition, I can''t grow taller. If I can''t grow taller, girls will ignore me. I need to eat a lot so that I can grow as tall as Terence. This way, I can attract a lot of girls just like him. Do you agree with me, Terence?"


    Terence was amused by his wit. He rubbed Sean''s head affectionately.


    "You''re absolutely right. You should eat more and grow taller, so that you can get girls to be all over you."


    The cheerful banter of Terence and Sean silenced Carla.


    She put down her spoon and stared at them with anger.


    "Hey, Sean. I think it would be best if you just shut up and eat. Your dear sister is extremely irritated, and she is seriously contemplating returning to her room. If so, my chicken soup will be wasted." Terence tried to shift the attention to other things when he saw Carla put her spoon down in anger.


    Carla really wanted to leave the table. However, she just didn''t want Terence to know that he saw through her so she decided to continue eating.


    She imagined Terence as the food, chewed it and swallowed it.


    Ever since Terence appeared, she felt that her dear brother was now a lot more closer to him. Terence and Sean became the closest friends. Moreover, Sean defied her just to support Terence. She felt as if Sean preferred Terence more than her.


    ''Well, I admit defeat. I''m no match to those two. It does not matter how much he try, I will not live with Terence. My brother will not, either. He needs to stop daydreaming, the tricky bastard, '' she thought.


    After dinner, Carla left all the chores to Terence.


    She was hoping that it would give him a lot of difficulties. However, she didn''t expect that Sean would help Terence. The two worked happily together, and neither of them complained. They quickly washed the bowls and chopsticks, and then wiped the table.


    "Terence, can you please take a walk with me? I bet that my sister had a long day. We better let her take some rest," Sean said to Terence after they finished up with the chores.


    Because of the two-day holiday, there was no need for him to do his homework immediately. He wanted to play with Terence more.


    Terence did not turn him down. He smiled and said, "OK. Well then, please wait for me downstairs. Let me have a few words with your sister before we leave. I''ll be there in a flash."


    Carla was busy making rose tea. She was surprised to hear Terence''s words.


    She spilled rose tea all over the table because she couldn''t stop her hands from trembling.


    Sean closed the door and went downstairs happily.


    With butterflies in her stomach, Carla stared at the rose tea scattered all over the table. She sighed and started to clean it immediately.


    Suddenly, she felt Terence''s presence looming behind her.


    She froze immediately.

 Chapter 29 You Are Living In My House And Eating My Food

    Carla tensed up when she felt Terence hug her from behind. He rested his head against her shoulder. She looked down and saw two strong hands appear from under hers as he helped her pick up the tea leaves.


    "Relax. Don''t get yourself all worked up. I just want to talk to you for a moment. I promise I won''t eat you,"


    Terence teased. He continued to pick up the tea leaves and put them into the jar with her. When they finished he screwed the lid shut. "Carla, shall we take a walk outside?"


    "What did you want to talk to me about? We don''t need to go anywhere." Carla pushed him out of the way and took a cup from the cupboard and dropped some tea leaves in.


    Every time he got close to her, she would lose her mind.


    "Carla, please think about my suggestion carefully. Come with me and give me a chance to take care of you and Sean, okay?" Terence implored her.


    It was only a matter of time before Terence would have to leave BH City. They both knew that JA City, where Terence lived, was far away from them. He worried if something were to happen to them, he wouldn''t be able to get to them in time to help.


    So, he thought the best way to deal with that problem, was to ask Carla and Sean to come and live with him in JA City where he could watch over them.


    Carla filled her cup with hot water and turned to face him. "Go with you? And what shall I go as? The heroine that saved your life? I''m afraid that several months later you would become sick of us and we would end up hating each other. Then my brother and I would end up in a much worse situation than we are in now."


    ''In JA City, only dignitaries and very wealthy people lived there. People who were accustomed to living a life of luxury. It is the most prosperous city in our country.


    What could I possibly do in that city?'' Carla thought bitterly.


    "Carla, Don''t reject my suggestion on a whim. Think it through first. JA City really isn''t as terrible as you might think. I know that you are fearful about your future there. It''s true, there are many wealthy people that reside there. But, there are middle-class people that live there as well. But most importantly, JA City is much safer for you than it is here. If you were living there, Sean would be able to have a much better education. It''s what you want, isn''t it?"


    Terence said with his hands on her shoulders.


    "You still haven''t answered my question. What are you going to introduce me as to your family and friends? When they ask you who I am, what will you say to them?" asked Carla as she looked up into his deep eyes.


    Terence took the cup from her hand and put it aside. He then took both of her hands in his and placed them on his heart and gazed down into her eyes.


    "Well, you tell me," he murmured.


    Carla lowered her head and smiled bitterly.


    "Will you tell them I am your girlfriend? Your lover? Or the other woman? I know so very little about you. I don''t know whether you have a girlfriend or even if you are already married in JA City,"


    she said after pulling away from his grip. She took the cup in her hands and blew on the tea to cool it down, took a sip and then placed it on the table behind her.


    ''Women shouldn''t just blindly accept everything that a man says, '' thought Carla.


    Terence frowned and replied, "No, I have neither a girlfriend nor a wife. I am the youngest son in my family. My older brothers haven''t married yet. How can I marry before them?


    Since you know so little about me. Then I would like to give you as much time as you need to get to know me better. But first of all, you should give me a chance, right?"


    Carla sighed and wanted to change the topic.


    So, she said, "Well, I think we have spent too much time talking. Sean is waiting for you, downstairs. Don''t keep him waiting too long."


    Terence looked at her for a moment and then left without saying another word.


    By the time Terence and Sean came back, Carla had already taken a bath and was sleeping in her bedroom.


    Sean, whispered goodnight to his sister before he went into his own bedroom.


    In the dark of the night, Carla lay in her bed awake. She just couldn''t get to sleep. Before she had met Terence, she never had a problem with sleeping. In fact, she looked forward to hitting the sack after a hard day''s work. But later, she had had more and more things on her mind.


    She twisted and turned but to no avail. Finally, after hours of tossing and turning trying to sleep, she felt that she needed to go to the toilet.


    She tried to hold it in, but after several minutes had passed, she couldn''t hold it in any longer and had to get up. Carla put her slippers on and walked to the bedroom door. Opening the door quietly, she peered through the crack and


    found Terence lying still on the sofa. It appeared that he was sound asleep.


    Carla exhaled quietly. Then she tiptoed down the hall and past the sofa where Terence lay asleep and entered the bathroom.


    She closed the door behind and stared at herself in the mirror patting her cheeks.


    ''Carla Ji, what are you afraid of?


    This is your house! You don''t have to be so careful, in your own house! Come on Carla, are you really that afraid of him?'' Carla murmured.


    Carla took a deep breath and felt full of courage when she opened the bathroom door to walk out.


    "Oh, my gosh!"


    The moment she opened the door, there was a tall black figure leaning against it.


    Carla was so scared that she jumped back against the wall.


    "Terence! What''s wrong with you? What are you doing standing there at this time of night, like some sort of creep? You scared the living daylights out of me!" With her hand on the chest, Carla yelled at Terence in a trembling voice.


    Carla got quite a


    fright. She didn''t even hear when he had gotten up from the sofa and stood in front of the bathroom.


    Terence moved in closer to her and placed his hand on the wall above her head. It was dark in the room, so she couldn''t see his facial expression clearly.


    "You''re scared because you have feelings for me."


    Carla stared back at him angrily. Then she ducked under his arm and went to the dinner table and gulped down a glass of water to calm her nerves.


    Terence followed and stood close behind her. He trailed his long fingers lightly along the back of her neck and gently moved her hair to the side as he nuzzled her neck. "I have a request. Can I sleep in your bed with you tonight?" he whispered in her ear.


    Carla nearly choked on the water. "Well, finally you are showing your true colors, aren''t you? Just look at you! You are living in my house and eating my food. But that isn''t enough for you, is it? Now you are making requests to sleep with me in my bedroom!


    Do you take me for a fool?"


    Carla put the glass down on the table and gave Terence a disgusted glare.


    Terence chuckled when he saw her cute angry face.


    "Well, if that''s the case, we can go to my home. You can live in my house, eat my food and sleep in my bed. So it doesn''t cost you anything. What do you think?" he said in a calm voice.


    Carla was left speechless after what Terence had said. She was so angry that she stomped on his foot as she turned in a huff and went back to her bedroom.


    Seeing Terence follow her, she sprinted to her room and quickly locked the door before he caught up to her.


    "This is my home and not yours! The sofa is good enough for you to sleep on. If you think the sofa is not a good place for you to sleep on, then you can go to your hotel. There are plenty of comfortable and big beds waiting for you there!" she called out from behind the door.


    Carla smiled, pleased with herself. Now she could have a good sleep.


    Terence stood in the hallway on the other side of the door. He shook his head smiling and went back to the sofa. Fluffing up the pillows he lay back down and went to sleep. He got up early that morning. While Carla was busy with her work during the day, he went to a store and bought some new cushions and put them on the hard sofa, so even though he couldn''t have a decent bed to sleep on, he could at least have a good night sleep.


    "Carla, you are such a stubborn girl," murmured Terence.


    The house was so small that every little noise and movement could easily be heard.


    Terence could hear how restless Carla was at night so he deliberately played a joke on her to help her relax and sleep better.


    In the afternoon of the next day¡ª


    "Carla, tomorrow is Sean''s birthday. How about celebrating it in a restaurant? His birthday is only once a year. I think it is kind of boring to celebrate it at home,"


    said Terence, looking at Carla.


    Carla had an apron on and was cleaning a window. She had asked for half the day off work so she could prepare for Sean''s birthday. She turned back and glanced at him, "It will be too expensive for me if we eat out. I think it''ll be okay to celebrate it at home. We can decorate the house with some balloons and streamers. It will save me a lot of money this way."


    Terence sighed with a smile, "I think you know that I would pay for it, don''t you? I understand that you are trying to save money. But it will be Sean''s tenth birthday. It is very important to him. We should make it fun and special for him. Don''t you think so?"


    He knew how she was and if he wanted to carry out what he was secretly planning then he would have to get Carla to agree on some things first.


    Otherwise, the surprise he had planned would backfire on him.


    He was planning to, hire out the whole amusement park for the day, invite all of Sean''s classmates for a big birthday party and then get a table at the best restaurant.


    But if he did all of that without Carla agreeing, it would only make her think about the enormous difference between them. What was worse, she might even think that she was absolutely out of his league.


    Thus, he had no choice but to put a lot of effort to persuade her.


    Carla stopped what she was doing and turned around to face him, "What exactly is it that you want to say?"


    Terence took the rag from her hand and tossed it aside. He put his arm around her waist and drew her closer to him.


    "I''d just like to spoil you and Sean a little bit. Otherwise, your man can''t get any sense of fulfillment even if he does earn a lot of money," he said as a little joke. "Besides, I''m just suggesting having a meal at a nice restaurant with a comfortable atmosphere and affordable price. I would like to invite a few of Sean''s friends. But the house isn''t big enough to fit so many people. So what you think?"


    Terence smiled, for he saw a hint of hope in her eyes.


    Carla stared at him for a moment while thinking it through in her head. She removed his hand from her waist. ''It will probably be a good idea, '' she thought.


    "Let''s do it, okay? I am going to make a reservation right away." Terence was so excited to finally be able to make them both feel special that he read her silence wrongly. He thought her silence was an acceptance to his plan, but he didn''t read the other emotions in her eyes. Terence leaned over and kissed her on the forehead with a big smile on his face.


    Then he turned and left the house.


    Carla lowered her eyes and watched as Terence left. She stared at the door for a while and thought to herself, ''Well, let him.


    Anyway, this birthday party will also be Terence''s farewell dinner.


    After Sean''s birthday, there will be no reason for him to stay with us anymore.''

 Chapter 30 I Admit I Have A Crush On You

    It soon came to Sean''s birthday.


    Suddenly, Carla was a little regretful because she wasn''t sure whether it was right or not to indulge Terence with the arrangements of Sean''s birthday party, for it was much too luxurious.


    ''Did he promise to rent a simple comfortable place with a reasonable price?'' she began to doubt herself.


    But looking around, she felt as if she was in a park. So, did he actually rent the whole park to hold the party?


    It seemed like the ground had been covered with a green carpet, with flowers embellished. The orderly plants were trimmed into cartoon patterns with different forms, which were Sean''s favorite¡ªthe supermen.


    "Are you satisfied?"


    Walking behind her, Terence asked Carla. The park wasn''t too big, but it was filled with childishness and playfulness. It seemed fun, so he was contented.


    Carla turned around in silence and stared at him, implying that she wasn''t pleased.


    "Didn''t we agree to keep it low-key? I thought you''d just book a booth in a restaurant, and then make some simple decorations. But look at this place, it looks just like a wedding venue. Is this what you call ''low-key''?"


    she walked forward and questioned him, frowning.


    "Does it? I don''t think it can be more low-key, because it doesn''t even have any lush decoration. Besides, Sean and his classmates are kids who like running back and forth. This large park with fresh air would be just perfect for them. And it''s not expensive,"


    Terence followed her and explained.


    Suddenly, Carla stopped in front of a lawn that had been trimmed deliberately. Pointing at what was in front of her, she asked the man following him, "What''s this?"


    Without waiting for his answer, she walked toward it, full of curiosity in her eyes.


    But Terence immediately grabbed her hand when he realized that she was about to uncover his secret.


    "It''s for Sean. I promised to give him a surprise. So, it''ll be fun to ask him to find it."


    "Oh," Carla said. Terence knew what kids liked, which was unexpected. Wandering in the park, she let out a soft sigh.


    That poverty would limit a person''s imagination was so true. If she hadn''t met Terence, she never would have thought that a birthday party could be held outdoors, let alone in a park.


    "What''s the matter? Is there something wrong? Why did you sigh?" he worriedly asked. Standing behind her, Terence wrapped his arms around her waist and said, "I''ve been already very economical. The party would have been much better with more decorations, if only I wasn''t afraid of upseting you..."


    Carla was going to agree with him, but then she felt his touch, so she blushed. Looking around, she noticed that cleaners were near them, which made her more bashful.


    "Terence, please stop. People can see us,"


    she sheepishly said, trying to pry his hands from her waist.


    But Terence wouldn''t let her go and he held her even more tightly. His lips lingered closer to her ear, and with a cunning smile, he whispered, "I just want to hold you like this. Is there something wrong with that?


    You''re single and I am, too. We are seeing each other, so it''s very normal to hug you. What are you so worried about?"


    With a snort, Carla extended her hand back to pinch his waist, "Normal, huh? Did I say yes to being your girlfriend? Don''t you think you look like such a lady-killer who frequently hugs me without my permission? Shame on you!"


    "Keep scolding. Don''t stop. Anyway I''m already a bad guy in your eyes. Lady-killer, playboy, whatever, there''s no difference," Terence laughed, hiding his frown a little. ''How could a tiny girl like her be so strong. It really hurts.


    She always thinks that she''s opening the door to a dangerous enemy. Obviously, I''m the enemy, '' Terence helplessly thought to himself.


    With efforts going in vain, Carla got angry. She lifted her foot and was ready to stomp his, but unfortunately, he managed to escape swiftly.


    "Carla, to be honest, I don''t think it''s necessary for me to let my feelings spill out. I thought you know me, and you know I..."


    With his eyes closed, Terence buried his head in her neck and muttered slowly. The special scent from her body was like a drug to him.


    Carla was touched for a moment upon hearing this.


    A wealthy young man of noble birth was willing to sleep on her sofa, cook meals for her, and take care of her little brother, and he never even complained. What was his purpose?


    If the reason was to avoid danger for the first time, what about the following times after that? Yes, she some


    what understood his feelings.


    "I admit I have a crush on you. And as a man, I will be responsible for what I''ve done. What about you? Are you brave enough to love?" Terence asked with a defiant tone, tucking her hair behind her ear and stroking it gently.


    Upon hearing this, her heart started racing again. She had already lost herself in his caress, but then she got perplexed, not knowing how to reply.


    "Or am I making a mistake, because you''re actually just a total coward who only tries to act fearless? Do you admit that you''re a coward?"


    Terence continued questioning the woman in his arms after not getting any reply.


    Carla closed her eyes to avoid his query, for she knew he wanted to get a positive answer from her. However, she was not a simple impulsive girl anymore after so many years of experience. There was no way she''d promise anything to anyone so casually.


    Depending on each other¡ªCarla and her brother¡ªfor survival for many years had made her capable of bearing anything. Restraint was the most important lesson she had learnt so far.


    As for the result of impulsiveness, it had been much more than she could handle.


    "Yes, you''re right. I''m a coward and you misunderstood me. Terence, after tonight, let''s never see each other again," Carla said.


    Shaking him off, she ran out of the thicket as quickly as she could, fearing he would catch up to her.


    All of a sudden, there was no one in his arms for him to hold. Terence only smiled bitterly.


    ''Carla, is it safe to say that you''re not brave enough to fall in love with me because you don''t love me enough?


    If it were me, I will try even harder, '' watching her back, Terence asserted himself.


    The party began at nightfall because Sean was actually born at dusk.


    He was shocked by the scene as soon as he arrived on site. Hugging Terence in excitement, he shouted, "Terence, you''re my hero!


    It''s so huge and beautiful. How did you make all of this?"


    Jumping up excitedly, Sean let go of Terence and ran back and forth.


    Terence also invited his best friends at school who were surprised to see the extravagant party.


    "Sean, I have a present for you. Go and find it in this park. Have fun, young one!" Terence said when the dinner almost finished.


    "Really? Is there still a surprise aside from all of this? Hooray! Terence, I love you!" Sean thought the birthday party was already such an amazing gift, so he wasn''t expecting anything more. But hearing there was another present, he rushed to search for it with his friends.


    Taking a glance at the wrapped gift box on her feet, Carla was a little upset. She was just about to give it to Sean, but Terence stole her thunder.


    On the other hand, she was a bit curious about what kind of present Terence would give to Sean.


    In the park, Sean and his friends were spread out and looking for the present separately. They found some clues in no time.


    "Wow, you''re so cool, Terence! I''ve been looking forward to this UAV for such a long time," Sean remarked, expressing his gratitude.


    His cheerful voice attracted Carla, urging Carla to stand up and check the situation.


    The UAV was very popular among his group of friends.


    So, when Sean opened the package, Carla recognized immediately that it was actually the latest UAV she had seen in the store. Of course, its price was creepily high, much more expensive than hers.


    Terence smiled with satisfaction and walked toward him. With the remote controller in his hands, He responded, "You betcha. Come on. I''ll teach you how to control the UAV."


    Sean''s friends gave them looks of admiration. They were so eager to fly a UAV.


    Unfortunately, none of them had an elder brother who was as cool and generous as Terence.


    Carla who was standing behind them turned around in silence.


    She transferred the gift, which was wrapped carefully, from the table to the back of the lawn, trying to hide it away in secret.


    Compared to Terence''s expensive present, hers just seemed worthless.


    So, she didn''t want to embarrass herself by showing it to people.


    "What are you hiding?"


    Terence asked her after teaching Sean how to control the UAV. Sean was such a smart boy that he quickly got the hang of it, so Terence passed the remote controller to him straight away. The moment he turned back, he noticed Carla hiding something.


    Carla was in a state of panic when she heard him. Hastily throwing the box into the lawn, she stood up.


    ''Damn it! Why does this annoying man follow me all the time?'' Carla thought.

 Chapter 31 Girl, Dont Chicken Out.

    ''What is she doing over there?'' Terence wondered. Carla was acting a little weird, so Terence went straight up to her and found a gift box hidden in the grass. Confused, he decided to ask her, "Why did you hide it?" "Carla, is this what you''ve got for Sean''s birthday? Why don''t you give it to him then? Sean would be sad if he received this as a belated present."


    Terrence ripped the wrapping paper carelessly as he spoke.


    ''What did she get for Sean? Why was she hiding it?'' Terence''s curiosity was piqued.


    But when he saw what was inside, he was a bit surprised. Well, it turned out to be another drone. That was typical of her.


    Terence was amused, "Correct me if I am wrong, Carla. You little fool. You thought that I''ve already given Sean a drone in front of everyone, a better drone, in fact, so you decided that you couldn''t show him this one. Is that right?" Terence asked as he opened the packaging. A faint smile could be seen from his lips as he was handling the drone like a curious boy.


    Carla rolled her eyes at him and snatched the drone out of his hands. After she shoved the gift back to where it belonged, she turned to him and started to play dumb after pausing for a moment, "You fool. But you know what? I am not gonna give this to him. I''m gonna return it and get a refund! I''m not made of money. A penny saved is a penny earned!"


    Carla kept blabbering on and on and on, but she stopped all of a sudden, blushing because Terence had grasped her delicate hand with his sturdy one.


    But the pink aura around her vanished quicker than expected because that dumb Terence reached out his arm and put his hands on the drone again. "Carla, how about giving it to me?" Terence focused on the drone and asked, "You don''t have to return it. You can just give it to me."


    Carla opened her mouth, but she was at a loss for words. Looking right at him, she thought, "Are you really an idiot? You could afford a much better and much more expensive drone. Why would you ask for this cheap one I bought at a discount?"


    "So what do you think? If you don''t say anything, I''ll take it as a yes. You know, you''ve never bought me any gift yet," he tried putting on a pitiful look, "so I won''t decline this silly little gift of yours." Terence tried to act as if he didn''t value this children''s toy that much, but he could barely fake a careless attitude, because he even started to wipe the dust off the packaging with his sleeves.


    Carla was relieved, watching him put away his new toy. As a matter of fact, she didn''t really know what to do with this big drone anyway.


    It would be bad to just put it away and let it go unused, but she couldn''t return it either. The store had emphasized to her that discounted drones were non-refundable when she bought it.


    Carla just didn''t want to lose face in front of Terence, so she tricked him.


    On their way back home, little Sean was over the moon! He kept telling Carla and Terence that this was the coolest and the most memorable birthday he had ever had!


    When they got back together, Sean dashed into his room and threw himself onto the bed. Tomorrow was Monday, and a good schoolboy like him had classes to attend to.


    Carla also wanted


    ally want me out of your life?"


    Furious and anxious at the same time, Terence grabbed both of her delicate hands. His eyes were pleading her to keep quiet and just listen.


    But she refused to do so, "Rich and powerful? You can''t even protect yourself! Don''t forget your life is still under threat, or else, why would you hide in my lowly and humble home?" Carla sneered back at him, desperately wanting to wound his pride just like he did to her.


    "If I say if I choose to go with you, I''ll risk living in constant fear, so tell me why on earth would I choose such dangerous a life?"


    Terence frowned and looked straight in her eyes. Carla thought he would say something much worse, but he didn''t lose control. Instead, she heard his gentle voice, "Is that what you''re worried about? You shouldn''t worry about it. Just leave it to me. You are my girl and I''ll protect you. Carla, I won''t let you get hurt."


    She was still fuming with anger, "You can''t promise that. You can''t even protect yourself. And you know what? I''m safe as long as you stay away from me!" Carla knew she didn''t mean it, but she said that on purpose.


    "I know, but can you please trust me? I won''t let it happen again. Won''t you trust me? Please trust me." Terence was almost begging and pleading.


    But Carla wouldn''t budge on this. "Mr. An, I''ve already broken up with you. I think you''d better take care of yourself for now,"


    she paused, "I''m not saying that it''s impossible between us. But either way, it takes time, so how about we separate for now and let time do its job. Maybe, just maybe, one day I''d find myself still in love with you and start chasing you around. Isn''t that what you want?"


    Terence gazed at her, "So, you won''t stick your neck out for us? And you''re not going to go back with me, right?"


    Carla didn''t respond, but her reaction told him it was a relief for her.


    Terence knew that all he needed was a little more patience, so he replied by reaching out his hand and caressing her cheek. Her delicate face was even more charming under the moonlight.


    "Carla, darling. Just remember, no matter what, you belong to me..."

 Chapter 32 Terence, Dont Leave Us!

    As the morning sun of the next day began to shine lazily, Carla was still sleeping, as she had burned the midnight oil last night. The noise of someone thudding the door and the doorbell woke her up abruptly.


    "Who''s there?"


    After a rather unusual yawn, Carla wore her slippers and proceeded to open the door. The moment she stepped out of her bedroom, she saw Terence getting up from the sofa and answering the door.


    "Terence? Is that really you? I''ve finally found you!"


    A cute girl who seemed fashionable dressed in a purple dress appeared in front of the door. The girl hugged Terence tightly, as if she wanted to be embedded inside his body. Carla was surprised.


    Terence didn''t push her away immediately. Instead, he tapped her shoulder slightly and asked, "Why are you here, Megan?"


    "Why? You tell me why. You are so cold-hearted. Don''t you realize that I''ve been worried about you ever since you disappeared? Had I not begged before Grandpa to tell me where you were, I still wouldn''t have seen you by now,"


    Megan blamed Terence, with teardrops rolling down her cheeks, her hands encircling his waist, delicate and charming all the while.


    "Okay, please stop crying. See, I''m right here, in front of you," Terence wiped her tears, and comforted her in a soft voice.


    "Terence, you''ve no idea what I''ve been through during the days when you were not beside me. l was afraid that something terrible had happened to you. My eyes went dry after having rendered far too many teardrops for you. Furthermore, I asked my father to use his connections to look for you, but all the efforts went in vain...


    I was worried to my very life!"


    The longer she spoke, the more her voice began to crack. She ended up sobbing miserably. Megan buried her face in his chest, and continued crying.


    Standing behind them, Carla coughed a little as if she were desperate for attention.


    "Ahem, don''t just stand there. Come in and have a seat!" she said.


    Hearing her voice, Terence loosened his grip and let Megan go. Turning to Carla, he said, "Carla, have you woken up already? Let me introduce my friend, Megan Luo who grew up with me in the same neighborhood."


    Dissatisfied with Terence''s introduction when she heard his words, Megan poked him impatiently and asked, "Terence, do you plan to introduce me as your childhood playmate forever? The last time your father came to my house, he had promised that we would get married as soon as you return. Hence, when you introduce me, you should address me as your fianc¨¦e."


    "What nonsense! Megan, this is..."


    Before Terence could finish, Megan cruised towards Carla and held her hands zealously


    mmed the door instantaneously.


    He didn''t bother to bid goodbye or anything else.


    The moment the door closed, he bent over and began to kiss her. Enjoying her scent on the lips greedily, he wanted to occupy every inch inside her. His tongue swept everywhere in hers, mercilessly. They had waited for far too long for this promised moment.


    Carla was out of breath by his fierce kisses, blushing in surprise, but she couldn''t do anything.


    A few minutes later, he pressed her against the wall, his hands stroking her thin waist gently, and then he loosened his hands, panting.


    "To be honest, I am starting to feel maybe I was treating you too well. I respect you, so I connived your wilful behavior. You didn''t agree to have sex and you don''t want to come with me, so I obliged.


    If I had slept with you, you would have come with me. Why should I wait? I shouldn''t have offered the chance for you to refuse me. I''m such an idiot!"


    Terence gasped for breath, and rubbed her red and swollen lips.


    Carla panted too. Feeling his erection, she tried her best to move her lower body away, and begged, "Terence, please calm down..."


    She knew he was going to out of control. Hence, she was frightened out of her wits.


    "Yes, I was so calm that I lament about it now," he whispered.


    After staring at her with his dark eyes for a while, Terence let her go.


    "I''ll give you some time to reconsider my offer, but don''t let me wait for too long,"


    he then left without rendering her a glance.


    Terence opened the door and left.


    Carla stood against the wall, watching him leave in agony.


    What he didn''t see was her tears, shining like dazzling diamonds, falling down from her cheeks, which indeed made up a remorseful scene filled with irony and pain.

 Chapter 33 Visiting JA City

    Time had passed so quickly and


    it seemed like it was such a long time ago.


    It was easier for them to get used to having one more person living in their home. But it was very hard to swallow the fact that Terence was gone.


    A whole month had passed, since Terence had left. But neither of them had adapted to life without him.


    Every night, Sean would refuse to have his dinner, until one more place was set for Terence at the table.


    At first, Carla was against this. But in the end, she gave up because of his constant persistence in doing so.


    When the summer holidays finally came, all that Sean could talk about was JA City.


    When Carla arrived home from work one day, Sean continued with his nagging about JA City. He wouldn''t stop, until he got Carla to promise him that she would take him there.


    "Carla! My dearest sister!" Sean exclaimed in a soft and sweet tone.


    Carla hurried into her room when she heard his voice.


    Sean rushed after her. Quickly slipping into her room before she had time to close the door and lock him out. He gripped onto her arm and said, "Come on, sis! It''s summer vacation now. I have two whole months to spend. Why don''t you take me there just for fun?"


    Sean didn''t usually talk this way, but he really wanted to go to JA City to see Terence because he missed him so much. He was too young to travel alone, so he had to beg Carla to take him there, instead.


    "Forget it. I don''t have the time. You know how busy I am. If you don''t know what to do in your free time, why don''t you go to cram school? I''ve applied it for you." After Carla removed her arm from his grip, she took her coat off and hung it up.


    "Come on, sis! I ranked among the top five in every exam. It''s not necessary for me to go to a cram school. Plus, it''s just a waste of your money," Sean answered proudly, as he held his head high.


    Terence had spent a lot of time helping Sean with his homework and the results showed, especially in English. There were no more C''s in his school report.


    "Oh, yeah? It''s the top five in third grade. Big deal!"


    Carla gave him no praise or recognition for the vast improvement in his school work. Ignoring his pleas, she went into the kitchen. She put an apron on and began to cook.


    "Oh, come on, sis! You''re the best, aren''t you? I''ve been begging you for so many days now. Why can''t you take your little brother to JA City? Just for a few days, please! Please!"


    Sean looked at Carla with his sincere puppy eyes, but Carla didn''t answer.


    Carla took a bowl and filled it with vegetables. She then sat at the table and began to peel them ready for cooking. "Sean, my job occupies all of my time. You know that. Besides, JA


    und. Everywhere you went, you could see visitors taking scenic pictures.


    Terence was right about the fact that JA City was a safe one. Almost every five minutes they would see a police patrol car circulating around. Carla remembered hearing on the news that JA City had the lowest traffic accident rates in the whole country even though it was a popular tourist destination, that attracted heavy traffic. Everything was just so well organized and tidy.


    "Carla, it''s so beautiful here!" Sean exclaimed. He held Carla''s hand and said, "I wish I could stay here forever. I don''t want to go back to BH City now."


    Sean was infatuated with this attractive city. Plus, Terence lived here as well. Sean fell in love with the city at once.


    "You little rascal! You''ve forgotten about your home as soon as we got off the train, haven''t you? I shouldn''t have agreed to this in the first place," Carla sneered at him. She gave her little brother a scowling look, who was so quick to forget and disregard their own home.


    "No! No! I didn''t mean it like that! Of course, I love our home," Sean answered quickly in his soft voice, to win Carla''s sympathy. But secretly, he glanced around admiring his surroundings.


    Before they set off for their trip to JA City, even though Carla specifically told him not to contact Terence, Sean disobeyed her and had sent an email to Terence, letting him know that they would be coming.


    The main reason why Sean wanted to be there was to see Terence again. So it was only natural that he would inform Terence that both he and his sister were coming to JA City.


    ''Terence would be happy to see us and pick us up after he read my email, '' Sean wondered.


    Sean was sure of the answer. He had no doubt that Terence would come to meet him at the railway station.

 Chapter 34 A Sudden Classmate Reunion

    But where was Terence?


    Where?


    Oops.


    Sean facepalmed and felt chagrined. Not knowing their time of arrival, he told Terence that he would come with Carla without telling him when they would arrive.


    ''How could Terence figure out when we''ll arrive, and when to pick us up? How stupid of me!'' he began to blame himself.


    "Sean, what''s wrong with you? Why did you slap yourself?"


    Noticing his unusual behavior, Carla stroked his unruly hair and asked, worrying about her little brother who seemed to have been caught in a daze.


    ''Is there something he''s hiding from me?'' Carla doubted him for a second.


    "Eh, it''s nothing. I was just a little lightheaded after getting off the train. Carla, do you know where we''d be staying tonight?" Sean tried shifting the subject immediately, for he couldn''t let Carla find out about his secret for the time being.


    Otherwise, with her short temper, things could get really nasty.


    If she ever found out her little brother secretly contacting Terence, she would definitely turn around and go back to BH City at once.


    "I''ve booked a hotel. We''ll ride a taxi and head straight there." Carla gave him a suspicious look and then walked to the side of the road to hail a taxi.


    In the light of her search on the Internet, she learned that JA City was very large, much larger than BH City, and she wasn''t familiar with the area at all. So, she had to stoop so low to contact her former classmate, Violet. They went to the same senior high school. However, they hadn''t been in touch for quite a long time ever since graduation.


    When they were still in high school, they got along very well. But when Violet''s father transferred his job to JA City, their family¡ªwho were richer than Carla''s¡ªmoved here and never returned to BH City.


    Actually, Carla didn''t really want to bother Violet because of her pride, but she would be bringing along her ten-year-old little brother with her this time.


    Therefore, just to be on the safer side, Carla had to ask for help from Violet who was a friend, at least.


    "Hello, is this Violet? This is Carla speaking I''ve arrived in JA City, but it''s too late now, so I''ll be staying in a hotel nearby. I''ll just come and visit you tomorrow. How''s that?"


    Speaking on the phone, Carla asked Sean to get in the taxi. She then followed him soon after.


    "Have you arrived yet, Carla? Great. We''ll be having a class reunion tonight, and all of our classmates who are living in JA City will join in. I thought you wouldn''t catch up with us. I''m glad you''re here now. Please make sure to come to the party,"


    Violet said excitedly on the phone.


    "... What? A class reunion? I don''t think I can join you guys because my little brother is with me. Besides, we''re still tired after traveling for a whole day," Carla declined, sitting in the taxi.


    These classmates who were in JA City now were far more successful than she was. Although they used to get along very well, they hadn''t seen each other for years, so Carla opted not to go to the party only to embarrass herself.


    "Come on, Carla. It''s a rare opportunity for you to come to JA City, and it just so happens that we also have a class reunion tonight. This is a good chance for all of us


    hunk to change. So, what? Have you turned over a new leaf and become an upright person..."


    Carla covered her mouth before she could say anything further and quipped, "Don''t rake up the old stories. How embarrassing!"


    Thinking of the time in high school, Violet tried to hold back her laughter. It was truly very interesting. No one dared to bully Carla back then, because she was fearless, and the school hunk almost even became her boyfriend if only he didn''t have to transfer to another school.


    Carla sighed.


    ''Back in old days, I was young and had nothing to fear. I thought the simple but happy life at that moment was everything I could wish for.


    However, everything had changed since dad and mum died.


    If they had been alive now, I might still have been that carefree girl, '' she thought deeply.


    "By the way, I should inform you in advance. Ruth will come too. You know, that girl who was our school queen and your enemy? They say that she''s pretty successful now.


    As far as I''ve been told, Ruth hooked up with Rhys, the second son of the An family. Have you heard of the Ans? They are the omnipotent family in JA City who connects with political circles, military circles, and business circles. A single call from them is able to rally multitudes of people.


    Simply speaking, they are the Gods in JA City. Therefore, can you imagine how aggressive Ruth is now?! We should be more careful,"


    Violet did her best to explain the situation here so that Carla could avoid some troubles which might be caused by her lack of necessary information about the current situation.


    Carla understood Violet''s worries and appreciated it. After all, Ruth didn''t get along with her in high school at all. They had been young and naive then, but she wasn''t sure whether Ruth could turn over a new leaf as well.


    "I see. Violet, thank you. Just relax, I know what to do," Carla reassured her.


    When they were about to enter the room, a handsome man and a pretty woman walked toward them.


    "What bad luck?! Speak of the devil and she will appear," Violet cursed in secret. Tapping Carla''s shoulder, she mumbled, "See, Ruth is coming."

 Chapter 35 Dont Bully My Sister!

    Violet Bai watched Ruth and her date as they walked towards them, ''That doesn''t look like one of An''s son and he doesn''t look like the kind of guy that would associate himself with someone like Ruth.''


    Carla pulled Sean who was on the side and patted his shoulder, "Sean, whatever it is that will happen later, just keep eating and don''t say a word."


    ''Now that we are here, there is no going back.


    We are staying and we will face this bravely.''


    "Ruth, it''s been a long time since I last saw you!" Violet Bai greeted and held out her hand.


    Ruth was wearing a pinkish white Chanel one-piece dress which worked pretty nice with her fair skin. The smile on her face was elegant and stunning, "You are... Violet Bai?"


    Though Ruth replied, she ignored the hand that Violet held out.


    "Well, yes, I thought you have already forgotten about me, my old classmate." Violet pulled back her hand and pointed at the door, "Come in, please!"


    Ruth raised her head, responded silently with a smile and walked towards the room. But before she entered, she looked at Carla, "Who is this? Why is she here at our class reunion party now that her kid is at this age? Isn''t she ashamed of herself?"


    The tip of Carla''s lips twitched.


    ''Damn, is she blind? Has she forgotten all the maths she had learned in high school?!


    Sean is almost ten this year and how could he possibly be my son? Besides, everyone from our class knew that I have a little brother, '' Carla thought to herself.


    "Take it easy!" Violet knew Carla''s temper and patted her on the shoulder, comforting, "Don''t let her get her way."


    The atmosphere got heated when some of their classmates entered the room.


    Most of them were talking to Ruth, kissing up to her and gossiping with her.


    "Ruth, you are getting prettier, after all, you are born a beauty. With some makeup you certainly are gorgeous. No wonder the second son of the An family is deeply attracted to you!"


    "Well, Ruth, are you really in love with the second son of the An family? Why did someone tell me that it''s only a rumor?"


    There were people kissing up to her, and there were also people who doubted whether or not the rumor about Ruth was true or if she was only making a fuss.


    Ruth looked at her two old classmates who were surrounding her, took out her phone and made a phone call slowly, "You will know if it is true in no time."


    "Hi, Rhys, it''s me, Ruth. I''m at the Rose Club


    siness trips or work too late because she had to look after her younger brother, therefore many companies did not want to hire her.


    "Ha, look at this little kid! He is pretty protective of his sister and the way he clenches his fists, it seems he wants to have a fight with us..."


    The two women sitting across Carla pointed at Sean and laughed.


    "I heard that their parents were long gone. Do you think this kid was breast fed by his sister?"


    "What? What are you two talking about? How old do you think Carla is? Don''t be ridiculous! She didn''t give birth to this kid, so how could she be able to breast feed him?"


    "Who knows. Maybe they found a way? After all, milk powder is too expensive for them to afford."


    Beneath the table, Carla''s fists were already clenched and she pursed her lips tightly.


    "Enough! Do you really need to be so cruel to an old classmate?"


    Violet couldn''t stand it any more and stood up, "Sean was already seven when his parents died. Were you still being breast fed when you were in elementary school? Do you guys know what on earth you are talking about?"


    Ruth sat there, legs crossed as she looked at Violet who was defending Carla and said, "Violet, I know you were in good terms with Carla in high school, but time has changed. We are just having fun. What? Do you have a problem with that?


    Think this through. Do you really want to offend us just to protect your old playmate?"


    Ruth didn''t even see Carla as a person. She didn''t care to hide her intention that tonight she was deliberately picking on Carla.


    Those who helped Carla were surely enemies of hers!

 Chapter 36 Brouhaha at The Party

    Violet tried to rebut, but the words got stuck in her throat as it suddenly hit her that she needed to make a living in JA City after all. If she offended Ruth, she was going to have a tough time.


    "Carla, I want Terence. If he''s here, they would not be able to treat us like that,"


    whimpered Sean.


    Carla instantly snuggled her little brother, giving him a pat on the back, saying, "Don''t worry, Sean. You''ve got me right here. I can protect you. We don''t need anyone''s help."


    Carla stood up after she said those words, letting go of Sean.


    "Ruth, apologize to me and my brother now! This is an opportunity to offer you a way to step down."


    The other party-goers got frozen in place, their jaw dropped open. They couldn''t believe what they just heard, and burst into laughter when they came to their senses.


    "Oh, boy. You''re really funny! Ruth, did you hear what she just said?


    "She asked you to apologize to her and the poor little boy. This is so hilarious!"


    Ruth also chuckled after hearing Carla say those words. Glancing over at Carla, she replied with a cold sneer on her lips, "Carla, I will offer you an opportunity as well. Apologize to me! Right now and in front of everyone! Admit that what you said just now is bullshit. Then I will consider forgiving you. What do you say?"


    "Yeah, you need to know your place! Ruth is being so kind as to give you a chance to apologize. You have no idea what could''ve happened if it were others."


    While Ruth was still wearing a smirk, a glass of red wine was suddenly thrown into her face.


    The glistening scarlet fluid dripped over her face into her pink-white Channel dress. The wine stain was so conspicuous and easy to spot!


    "Ahhh!" Ruth screamed. Rushing toward Carla, Ruth tried to reach her and slap in her face.


    Quickly taking one step backward, Carla was able to dodge her hand and get around her. She deftly took up another glass of red wine on the desk and spilled it on Ruth''s back this time.


    "Ruth, your dress was not pretty enough. I just added some color onto it."


    Carla gazed upon her pink-red dress, nodding in her satisfaction, feeling quite amused.


    "You look gorgeous in it now. Red and black, just like the heartless person that you are."


    Feeling cold


    a nurse, so she knew some basic medical theory. A small quantity of liquor was good for fever, but it would be quite dangerous to pour a lot on a person, especially someone with an open wound.


    "Violet, who do you think you are? How dare you tell me what to do? Shut the fuck up! Or else, I''ll give you a liquor shower too."


    Ruth stared at Violet grimly.


    Carla was looking quite pale. Smiling at Violet, she sincerely said, "Thank you, Violet. I appreciate it! Just leave me alone. I''ll be fine."


    She should''ve held herself back a little more. If she did, things might not have been this worse.


    ''Why didn''t I just bear with it? Why did I have to break out?'' she asked herself.


    But involving Sean in their argue was the last straw. As his sister, she couldn''t stand someone insulting him right in front of her.


    Within a few moments, a big box of strong liquor was sent to the room by Rhys''s bodyguards.


    Ruth went over with a sneer, making them open every single bottle. All of a sudden, the room was fumigated with the smell of alcohol. The more uncomfortable people felt, the more wildly Ruth laughed.


    "Hold her tight and open her mouth now!"


    said Ruth. She walked toward Carla, with one hand holding red wine, the other liquor. As she was laughing, she said, "Don''t waste them. It would be more fun to drink and soak them all, isn''t it, Carla?"


    She was preparing to pour the two bottles on her head while speaking.


    The liquor and wine were just about to flow down along...

 Chapter 37 Mr. Rhys Versus Mr. Terence

    Carla closed her eyes. Her head throbbed because of everything that was happening.


    She was about to give up and accept the abuse that Ruth was aiming at her.


    However, the door of the private room was suddenly opened by someone.


    She was surprised when the door was violently kicked open from the outside.


    When Ruth heard the sudden loud noise, her hands that were holding the bottle of liquor and the bottle of wine shook. Unconsciously, she let go of the bottles to look at the door. A man just entered the room.


    At first she thought that he was one of Rhys'' men. She took a closer look at the man and was surprised to discover that he was oozing with power and confidence.


    Noticing him having such a strong aura, she found it hard to believe that he was just one of Rhys'' men.


    ''Who the hell is he?'' she thought.


    Rhys heard the commotion and frowned. He glanced at the door angrily. "How dare you... Terence?" he said shocked.


    He was stunned to see Terence, his younger brother. He hadn''t seen him for a long time.


    He then smiled and walked up to Terence. "Terence, why did you come here without informing me in advance?" he asked confused.


    When Terence entered the room, he immediately fixated his eyes on Carla. He saw that two bodyguards were holding her shoulders down. However, he appeared calm. There was no sign of annoyance in his eyes.


    "Rhys, please ask your men to release my woman. If they don''t release her right now, I will break their arms,"


    Terence said in a deep, calm voice.


    Even though he sounded calm, there was no mistaking the threat in his words.


    "What..." Rhys said stunned. He looked over at Carla and noticed that Terence was staring at her intently. He immediately realized what Terence meant. He was about to order his men to release Carla but it was too late.


    Two men entered the room. One was tall, thin and dark-skinned while the other was tall, thin and white-skinned. The two men looked identical. If it weren''t because of their different skin color, people would find it difficult to tell them apart.


    The two men took action quickly. Everyone in the room heard the crack of breaking bones.


    The bodyguards that were holding Carla found their arms broken and removed from her shoulders.


    Everyone was shocked to hear the helpless and miserable screams of the two bodyguards.


    "Terence, don''t be angry. It''s all my fault. I don''t know her relationship with you. I''m so sorry. We''re family, so please forgive me this time. I promise I won''t let such a thing happen again," said


    day was the same.


    She couldn''t believe that Rhys left her. How could he be so ruthless?


    Inside the luxurious VIP private room, everyone knew things had gone out of control and immediately said their goodbyes to Carla.


    "Carla, I need to go now. I have to do something important. I''m leaving first..."


    "I need to go too. My mother is waiting for me..."


    "I left my dog alone at home. I have to feed him now..."


    "I also need to leave now..."


    Those who kissed up to Ruth before were starting to leave one by one.


    "Ruth, I warned you earlier that you shouldn''t be so cruel to others. Now you have to pay for what you have done!" Violet said. She walked up to Ruth and patted her gently on the face.


    She got annoyed earlier when Ruth ignored her greeting. Seeing Ruth so upset and helpless now gave her so much happiness.


    She turned to Carla and said, "Carla, what do you want to do with her? If you can''t think of anything, I will gladly punish her for you."


    Carla finally calmed down. Because of everything that happened to her today, she now believed that JA City was a very dangerous place where everyone was bound to get in trouble.


    "You don''t have to hold back your anger. You can get back at her if you want. Don''t be afraid. I''m right by your side," Terence said encouragingly.


    Carla drew Sean aside without a word and turned around to pick up the bottle of wine and the bottle of liquor that Ruth intended to pour on her. When she was satisfied, she walked towards Ruth.


    She stood in front of Ruth and raised her hands.


    "Ruth, there is a saying that you should be lenient whenever it is possible!"


    She said and dropped the two bottles


    with a loud bang.

 Chapter 38 Finally You Are Here

    As Ruth screamed, the bottles smashed on the ground, leaving glass scattered all around.


    The smell of alcohol, mixed with Ruth''s urine gave off a foul stench.


    It was such a disgusting scene to see. If anyone saw Ruth in that state, they would certainly lose interest in her, including Rhys.


    "Sean, let''s go!"


    Carla reached out and grabbed Sean''s shoulder then walked outside.


    She didn''t even glance at Terence. As soon as they left the building, the world was finally quite again.


    Carla and Sean went straight to the roadside, ready to grab a taxi to take them both back to their hotel. However, Terence caught up with them and stood in front of her.


    "Carla, I just helped you! Why are you ignoring me? I don''t expect you to thank me. But the least you could do is saying goodbye to me before you''re leaving. Don''t you think?" Terence questioned her angrily when he saw that Carla was so anxious to get away from him. He stared at Carla sullenly.


    "Thank you!"


    Carla said curtly as she stopped in her tracks. She had a serious expression on her face.


    Terence chuckled when he saw her awkward behavior. He pulled her into his arms and commanded to his man, "Nathan, take Sean to your car." Then he turned to Sean and smiled. "Sean, I have something to discuss with your sister. Could you give us a moment alone, please?"


    Sean nodded. He glanced at the cool, tall man and followed him to his car.


    Terence led Carla to a Benz limousine parked at the front.


    "Carla, you are finally here!"


    Once they got into the limousine, Terence couldn''t keep his hands off of her. He pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly to him and then he held her face in his hands and kissed her gently on the forehead, eyes, on the tip of her nose and the lips.


    "Terence, please don''t be mistaken," Carla said calmly. She knew that it was impossible for her to stop him now, so she waited until he finished kissing her.


    "Be mistaken? About what?" he asked, confused. Terence loosened his arms a bit so he could see her better, but they still remained around her waist. He was ready to pull her closer to him at any time.


    "I only came to JA city because of Sean. It''s summer vacation and he insisted that I bring hi


    How could he just make decisions for her. What an arrogant man! She poked at his chest and complained, "Can you stay away from me? It''s so warm!"


    "Rainer, turn up the air-conditioning!"


    Terence commanded and then put his arms around her waist again. "Don''t worry, Carla. It will cool down soon."


    Carla didn''t reply. She looked down at his hands that were about to do something.


    "Carla, I know you''ll have a lot of chances to visit JA city. But this is your first time here. You''ll need a good guide. Have a good rest tonight and I''ll show you and Sean around tomorrow."


    As Terence spoke, his hands snaked up her T-shirt. His long fingers gently caressing her flat stomach. "If there are any tourist spots that you want to visit, just let me know. I''ll make them my priority.


    If you don''t have a preference, then I can organize the tour. Let''s just visit all of them one by one. What do you say?"


    Carla turned to look at him and gave him a smile. "Perfect. Let''s do as you say. But there is only one request from me."


    "What is it? I can promise you one hundred requests, let alone only one." Terence grinned.


    Carla gave a little snort. Suddenly she grasped his hand which was under her T-shirt.


    "I don''t need one hundred. One is enough! From now on, including the next few days, you can''t touch me. Not one bit!"


    Terence raised his eyebrows when his hand was stopped. "You are so rude, woman! Who else are you expecting to touch you, aside from me?" he asked.

 Chapter 39 Sea View Villa

    "So? Can you promise not to come on to me?" asked Carla, looking straight into his eyes.


    "I..." Terence was speechless. As he had been missing her so much, he wanted to smother her right away.


    But he also didn''t want to force her into doing something she didn''t want to, so he felt like he had been caught between a rock and a hard place.


    "Answer me. Can you promise me that?" urged Carla.


    Withdrawing his hands, Terence sat back and crossed his arms. He looked into her face with interest and replied, "What if my answer is no?"


    "If you can promise me not to come on to me, I''ll come with you to your house now. If not, please just send me back to the hotel at once," she answered firmly. In fact, she didn''t want to stay at his house at all. She was paying a visit to JA City for her own pleasure, and not so she could please him or satisfy his needs.


    Terence was at a loss for words, finding himself hating her, but falling even more in love with her at the same time. Gritting his teeth, he turned his head away and replied reluctantly, "Okay."


    Even though Carla didn''t see his face, she could clearly imagine that it was twitching a little because of her request.


    Hearing his answer, she felt relieved.


    "But, you can''t keep turning me down for I''m a man and I have sexual desires. I can promise you that I won''t be having sex with you without your permission for now, but eventually we''re going to do it, okay?" he complained. He felt a little upset that she kept rejecting him and his advances like that.


    Carla chuckled at his complaint. Grabbing a bottle of orange juice from the cupholder, she settled herself comfortably back on the leather seat.


    "Why do you keep pointing out that I''m treating you badly? We''re not in a relationship, and I''m not looking for a one night stand. Don''t you know that you''ll be a rascal if you come on to me now? You should thank me for stopping you from doing something so stupid. Stop acting like it''s a compromise of you."


    As she spoke, she tried to twist the lid off. With all her strength, she tried to open it on her own only to fail miserably.


    Letting out a gentle sigh after watching this poor little girl''s attempts, Terence took the bottle from her hand and twisted the lid off for her. Handing it back to her, he stated, "Haven''t I clearly expressed my feelings toward you earlier today?"


    "I said it in front of my brother and your classmates. You''re mine. Do you think it''s not enough? What should I do to make you trust my love for you?" he whined.


    ''What more can I do? Tell everyone we''ve met that she''s my girlfriend on a microphone?'' he thought.


    Sipping on the orange juice, she said, "They''re not important to me. I don''t care. But there is one thing I''m sure of. We''re clearly not suitable for each other." The orange juice was so sour that she frowned.


    "I''ve told you. I have the final say on our relationship," he declared.


    His love for her was certain. Without knowing it, he had reached out his hand to her, but he paused for half a second and didn''t place his hand anywhere on her body, simply resting his


    are we going to eat in the dark?" Carla said, bursting his bubble.


    She was telling the truth. It wasn''t ideal to dine outdoor with candles.


    It seemed as though that Terence had seen this coming. He didn''t say a word and just snapped his fingers.


    Just then, a screen slowly rolled out to cover their heads. And since the screen was transparent, they could still gaze upon the stars in the night sky.


    There were short transparent curtains around the screen, which prevented the wind from blowing in, and they could still see the views through them.


    Remaining silent when she saw the screen, Carla hadn''t seen this kind of high-tech before.


    She thought of a saying, ''It is poverty that limits the imagination.''


    "Are there any other problems? If there''s none, should we start eating?" he said with a gentle smile.


    Responding with an awkward smile, Carla picked up the glass of lemonade on the table and took a sip. Just then, several housemaids placed the dishes on the table one by one. She began to be aware that Terence was certainly a gourmet. All the dishes were very delicate and they smelled so delicious.


    She couldn''t help but wonder if she would become a fatty if she lived here for a year or so. As a foodie, she thought that was something which was very likely to happen.


    A moment later, Rainer walked up to Terence. He didn''t really want to disturb Terence and Carla, but he had to. It was already getting late, but Terence still hadn''t told him yet whether Carla would stay the night or not.


    "Mr. Terence, will Ms. Carla be staying here tonight? Should I have someone prepare a room for her?" he asked in a low voice.


    Terence had told him to prepare a room for Sean, but he didn''t mention anything about where Carla would be staying. Rainer thought that he''d better confirm it now, so he could have her room ready as soon as possible.


    Both Rainer and Carla were expecting him to say "yes".


    However, Terence wasn''t in such a hurry to answer. He seemed to have a plan of his own. Having a sip of red wine, he shot Rainer a glance.

 Chapter 40 This Is My Room

    "Rainer, can''t you see that we are having dinner?"


    Rainer understood instantly and nodded. "I''m sorry, for disturbing you. Sir."


    He made a hasty retreat.


    Once out of site, Rainer wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. ''Mr. Terence was always so considerate. How could he forget such an important thing?


    The only possible explanation, for his abruptness, was that he was preoccupied with other matters, '' he thought.


    Rainer just happened to walk in at the wrong moment and asked the wrong question.


    That was probably the reason why Nathan didn''t go, but sent him instead. How unlucky.


    Carla slowly swirled the red wine in the goblet, deep in thought. Then she looked up at Terence who was sitting opposite her. "He seems to be afraid of you."


    "Is that so?"


    said Terence vaguely while he continued to eat.


    In fact, she was the only person here who was not afraid of him.


    Carla studied his face intently. But still only found him to be amiable and not intimidating at all. Besides, he genuinely was nice to people. So why would anyone be scared of him?


    However, she wasn''t aware, that she was the only person who did feel that way about him.


    After they had finished dinner, Carla went to the bedroom to check on Sean. Seeing him sound asleep, Carla was reassured and ready to go to her room to have a rest. Then, it suddenly dawned on her, she didn''t know where her room was.


    ''Where is my room?


    Where will I be sleeping?'' she thought in confusion.


    "Miss Carla, this way please¡ª"


    The maid arrived right on cue. Bowing politely, she gestured to the elevator in front of them.


    Carla followed the maid into the elevator, feeling relieved. When they stopped on the third floor, the maid ushered her into a ridiculously spacious and lavishly decorated "guest room". Then she left.


    "Wow, it''s so big!


    How did I become so lucky? I just randomly saved a stranger, who just so happened to be, a mega-rich and generous guy. I''m on such a roll that I should buy a lottery ticket, which I might win,"


    she murmured to herself. Carla eagerly removed her shoes and looked around the luxurious six-star rated room, awestruck.


    She deliberately walked around in bare feet, savoring the feeling of soft, plush, snow-white carpet beneath her feet.


    Heaven!


    Anyone who slept in such a luxurious room would be in a good mood and


    Carla was no exception. She put on the slippers provided and yawned, stretching lazily. Humming a cheerful tune, Carla began undressing.


    She stripped down to her bra and panty and headed to the bathroom. On the way there, she spied a photo on the beige window sill.


    It was a profile shot of Terence. Carla picked the picture up to have a closer


    eep so well.


    Carla slept peacefully through the whole night until the next morning.


    "You''re awake.


    You must have slept well. I had planned to leave at nine, but it''s nine-thirty now,"


    said Terence, standing in front of the window as he pulled the curtains apart.


    Carla yawned and squinted at the bright light coming into the room. "Where''s Sean?"


    "Rainer took him out."


    Terence walked over to the wardrobe and opened the door. "I had someone deliver some clothes for you. Don''t worry about the clothes in your suitcase at the hotel. Try these on."


    Carla''s jaw dropped when she saw the designer clothes. She marveled at the beautiful garments hanging up in the wall to wall closet.


    "You really shouldn''t have been so generous. I have already troubled you enough by staying in your house. What do you expect me to do with all of these beautiful clothes? I can''t possibly accept them."


    Carla tried to be polite, yet she couldn''t help herself any longer. She rushed over to the closet with her bare feet. Terence had to chuckle when he saw how excited and happy she was.


    He knew she was just pretending to refuse these beautiful garments.


    Every woman loved clothes and accessories, and Carla was no exception. She wanted to try on these clothes!


    He knew her well.


    There was no need for her to pretend in front of him.


    After Carla had gone through the whole wardrobe of clothes and discovered every garment was precisely her size. She then opened another closet and saw more bras and panties than she had ever owned in her life. She glanced at him and asked, "Well chosen. Are these all your favorite styles and colors?"


    The styles ranged from pink lace, leopard prints, arty grids, sexy reds, and natural colors.


    There was more lingerie there than in a lingerie shop!

 Chapter 41 Terence, Will You Marry My Sister

    "Of course not. I don''t know what style you favor. So I buy them all for you so that you can choose whatever you like."


    Terence didn''t seem bothered at his declaration. He just smiled at Carla.


    Carla turned to look at Terence who was waiting for her to pick. She then randomly picked one without looking at the wardrobe. After grabbing the item of clothing, she immediately went to the washroom.


    The bras were all her size. She had no doubt that any one of them would fit her so she did not bother to choose.


    She looked down to see which bra she had picked, and froze.


    It was the one with the leopard print. "Today is not my lucky day," Carla muttered in annoyance.


    After getting dressed, Carla walked out from the washroom.


    She looked at herself in the mirror. The dress was simple but elegant. It fit her perfectly.


    "Did it fit you?"


    Terence asked. He looked her over as he was walking towards her.


    "Yes, it does," Carla replied. Carla tested if the bra was too tight. Apparently, it was not.


    She regretted checking the bra right after Terence asked her the question. Maybe he was talking about the dress? Maybe he was asking her if the dress fit her instead of the bra?


    Then a thought came to her head. How on earth could this man know her bra size?


    "I assume you''ve already forgotten. I helped you get dressed once. That was when I kept your size in mind. I don''t have the superpower to measure your size with my bare eyes,"


    Terence said with a smile. He knew exactly what Carla had been thinking. He circled around her and said "Nice dress. But there is one problem. I can still see a little bit of the one beneath it."


    "..."


    It was her fault to have picked up a leopard print. It was so scandalous! But it was not very noticeable. One could only see it if they criticized her whole outfit very carefully.


    "That''s all right. No need to change. It''s not that noticeable anyway," Terence said as he grabbed Carla. She was walking towards the wardrobe again to change her clothes.


    "Let''s go. We will only be wasting time if I let you spend all day changing clothes."


    JA City is very large. They would be spending quite a lot of time on traffic. If they didn''t have the whole day, it would be hard to have any fun.


    Carla had a quick breakfast. She took Sean with her and went out.


    "Terence, you have such a big and cozy house! Are you some kind of billionaire?" They sat in a limo. Sean couldn''t help but guess Terence''s true identity.


    One had to be super rich to afford such a large sea-view villa.


    Terence coughed and patted Sean on th


    ything he wanted free of charge in Terence''s family enterprise.


    At least, the card could guarantee Sean a meal and provide him with shelter one day.


    Carla''s temper eased as she listened to Terence''s explanation. She glanced at the card and said, "But anyway, boys shouldn''t stay in their comfort zone for too long. They should understand the hardship of earning money. I can''t bear it if Sean became too extravagant."


    "Carla, since it is already decided that I will become his brother-in-law, I must insist on sharing the responsibility of raising him with you. From my perspective, boys should be well-educated and decently-fed."


    Terence blinked at Sean, and went on, "Top-level education makes top-level kids. They will advance in life as long as they dare to accept new things."


    Carla was shocked to hear that from Terence. She groaned and said, "Sean and I don''t have the money to afford all those things. Besides, you are not his brother-in-law yet!"


    Terence snorted and leaned back on his seat. He grinned cheekily. "Still running away from it, eh?


    We were destined to meet that night. You can''t run away from your destiny. I will never let you run away either."


    Carla gazed out of the window. All she wanted was to live a normal life with Sean, away from the harshness of the world.


    It was her ultimate wish. It was the wish of both of her parents for them as well.


    However, Terence''s life was destined to be chaotic.


    What she was choosing was not only a husband, but also a way of life. If she acted impulsively, it could result in a lifelong burden for her and Sean. She would be tied to him forever if she agreed to marry him.


    Suddenly, Terence''s phone suddenly broke the silence as it rang.

 Chapter 42 Brother-in-law

    "Race, what''s up?"


    "Mr. Terence, I have something to tell you. After Mr. Rhys came back yesterday, he spread the news of what happened with you and Miss Carla to the whole An family. Even your father has heard about it now. Mr. Nicholas asked me to call you and tell you to be careful.


    You also know your father''s temper very well. At present, he has sent people to investigate Miss Carla''s background. I''m afraid that he''ll be coming for you soon enough..."


    Race informed him over the phone.


    The Mr. Nicholas that Race mentioned was Terence''s grandfather.


    And Terence''s father was Edmund An.


    Now that the condition of the Ans became complicated, it became too difficult to explain everything with just a few words.


    Upon hearing the news from Race, Terence was left speechless.


    After pondering over it for a while, he finally spoke, "I got it. Ask grandfather to take a good rest. I will go back to visit him in a couple of days."


    "Okay, I will inform him. Mr. Terence, Mr. Nicholas also told me to ask you one more question. Are you serious this time?" Race remarked.


    Nicholas told Race to ask this question just to be sure of the fact. If Terence really loved Carla and was serious about this matter, he could help him plan what to do and prepare in advance.


    If not, Carla, without precaution, might get end up in a difficult situation as getting involved with the An family was full of danger.


    Well, there might be also a chance that she could still be safe, but only if Terence tried his best to protect her.


    "Yes,"


    Terence uttered gently, stealing a glance at Carla sitting beside him.


    After hanging up the phone, Terence gradually looked out of the window, his mouth twisting into a wry smile.


    By rights, parents might show the greatest affection for the youngest son and dote on him the most, but Terence''s father didn''t like Terence very much even though he was the youngest son.


    On the contrary, Terence''s grandfather was the one who had always treated him very well.


    Terence''s father didn''t have as many connections and as high a position compared to that of his grandfather''s, so he wouldn''t ever dare to take action to against him. And in this way, Terence could grow up safely and smoothly in the family.


    "Terence, what''s wrong?" Sean shook Terence''s hand after seeing him stay silent, wondering whether someone told him something unpleasant over the phone.


    "Is everything okay? Did the person you were talking to through the phone say something to displease you?"


    Sean asked, his voice filled w


    dn''t always stay with me every day. After I was attacked and harmed by others last time, my grandfather decided to make them be my bodyguards,"


    Terence continued, walking alongside Carla.


    "Oh." Carla wanted to ask just now, why he had been attacked and chased by others in BH City even though Nathan and Rainer were by his side. Now, she found out that when he got assaulted at that time, Nathan and Rainer hadn''t been sent to be his bodyguards yet.


    Noticing that Sean had already seen most of the marine animals and had been playing for quite a while, Terence asked people to prepare the diving suits, intending to go for a dive with Sean.


    At last, Terence fixed his eyes on Carla.


    "You really don''t want to join us?"


    Carla shook her head. Indeed, she actually really wanted to go for a dive with them, but there were so many wild fish in the water. And as a woman who never had such an experience, whenever she got close to so many animals, she got so afraid of them.


    "No. I can just take photos of you instead! Sean, remember to strike some poses under the water. I will take photos of you and get the pictures developed to paste them on the wall."


    With these words, Carla greeted Sean as he was wearing the diving suit.


    After Sean made a gesture informing them that he was ready, he went under the water with Terence assisting him.


    Followed by Rainer, Carla went to the bottom viewing area of the aquarium to wait for them to dive under the water.


    She took out the camera and tried to take a few photos of other places to properly adjust the shooting angle.


    Right then, through the camera, Carla noticed a middle-aged man wearing a business suit and tie approaching her.

 Chapter 43 Meeting Terences Father

    "Hello, Miss Ji. My boss wants to talk to you. Are you available now? Just five minutes. You can come back immediately after,"


    said the middle-aged man who stopped in front of her.


    Carla looked at him in disbelief. She thought that he must have mistaken her for someone else. She pointed at herself and asked, "Are you sure your boss wants to talk to me?"


    "Of course, Miss Ji," the man replied with a smirk.


    Carla hesitated and glanced at Rainer who stood not far away from her.


    Rainer stepped forward and told her in a low voice, "He is working for Mr. Terence''s father. Miss Ji, be careful!"


    "Hmm. I see!" Carla was very nervous. Sean and Terence dived into the water and she was all alone.


    She could see Sean wave to her excitedly in the wather.


    "Rainer, take some pictures of Sean for me, will you? I''ll be right back!"


    After talking to Rainer, Carla glanced at Sean and left with the man.


    Terence was diving in the water when he saw Carla leaving. He frowned and made a gesture to Nathan before he left the water.


    Carla was still in shock.


    Did the people of the An family have super powers?


    They got her information not long after she arrived. Moreover, they found her in such a short time and came to get her in Terence''s absence. How could they possibly do that?


    Two bodyguards stood outside the aquarium park''s cafe.


    Carla came in and saw that there was only one man inside the room and he was sitting next to the window. He was about fifty, but because of his thick hair, he looked younger than his age. At first glance one might think that he looked similar to Terence. But when Carla looked at him carefully, she found that they were very much different.


    She had seen Terence''s brother before. She realized that Rhys and his father had the same appearance.


    Terence, however, did not look as arrogant as the two of them. Terence was much more well-behaved and elegant.


    "You really are from a small, uncivilized place. You are nothing but a country girl. How dare you? You didn''t even have the decency to greet me. Did your parents not teach you the proper way of greeting the elderly? How rude," Edmund mocked. He was making tea from a small porcelain tea pot.


    "Mr. An, this is ou


    filled a cup of tea for herself and drank it.


    "Mr. An, please forgive my rudeness. But you should really teach your son to behave himself. That would be all. Thank you and Good bye!"


    When she was finished, she turned around, and readied herself to leave..


    However, just when she started to walk away, she saw Terence coming over from the door.


    "Carla, how can you speak ill of me behind my back? Is that really what you think of me?" He said in a low voice as he was approaching her. He grabbed her hand and took her to face Edmund once again.


    "Dad, can you please tell me why you are here?" Terence asked with Carla beside him.


    Edmund still hadn''t recovered from the shock he got from Carla''s bold statement. He also got very angry when Terence grabbed her hand. He snorted and said, "Are you admitting it then, Terence? Are her claims the truth?"


    All this time he had thought that the girl was seducing Terence shamelessly with her tricks. But now it seemed that his son had lost his mind and was really pursuing a low-born girl.


    "Yes, it''s true. Even though Carla can sometimes be a little too straightforward, she has a very kind and friendly nature. Most importantly, I love her. It''s good that you met each other today. I was planning on taking her to meet you anyway."


    Because of Terence''s statement, Edmund almost choked on his tea.


    "Miss Ji, can you please just give us some space and excuse us for a while? I need to talk to Terence," Edmund said finally.

 Chapter 44 Divergence

    When Carla heard Edmund''s request, she removed her hand from Terence''s grip. She walked out of the room to wait outside.


    "Terence, you have always been against me ever since you were young. I guess you haven''t changed at all. Megan''s father and I already agreed on a marriage between you two. Why are you hanging out with this woman now? Do you want to embarrass me in front of Megan''s father?"


    Edmund questioned Terence as he pounded the table.


    "Listen to me. If you''re only looking for fun, I can turn a blind eye. If you insist on marrying someone else, I can also give you that. But it must only be to someone from the Hua family. Please keep that in mind!"


    Terence lowered his head and murmured, "Dad, why don''t you just let Marcus marry Megan, or Rhys? It doesn''t have to be me, you know."


    "How dare you!" Edmund choked.


    It was an open secret between the Ans.


    Marcus and Rhys were Edmund''s bastards. They had been born from other women before Edmund got married. Nicholas was a very proud man who valued his family very much. He never acknowledged Edmund''s two bastards.


    The only one that Nicholas acknowledged as the son of the Ans, was Terence.


    Theoretically, Terence was the only true-born son of the Ans.


    He was the only one who can marry a daughter from a prestigious family. Marcus and Rhys could never do so because of their circumstances.


    "How many times do I have to tell you? I''m the only one who gets to decide who I will marry. Like grandpa, I don''t care whether or not my wife comes from a prestigious family. As long as she is properly and legally married to me, she is welcome into our home. I don''t even care if she''s a beggar''s daughter,"


    Terence said coldly. When he was finished, he turned and left the room without looking back.


    Back then, Edmund had refused to marry anyone. He was afraid that if he got married, his time with different women would end. He had been involved in several love affairs and had even produced two sons accidentally. The birth of his two sons out of wedlock did not prevent him from continuing with his Casanova lifestyle. It was never his intention to marry.


    Nicholas was the one who forced him into one. That was the reason why Edmund eventually married Terence''s mother.


    However, Edmund never liked his wife, which in turn, made him care little about Terence.


    As soon as Terence was out of the room, he saw Carla wandering around outside.


    Carla noticed him immediately and walked towards him. "Did your father give


    t room area.


    "OK, sis. I will stay here. Take your time," Sean nodded. He was holding her purse in one hand and the bottle of drink in the other.


    After making sure that Sean was properly seated, she went to the toilet.


    When she got back, she searched for Sean at the bench under the tree where she had left him. Sean was nowhere in sight! Sean disappeared!


    ''Did Sean go to the toilet too?


    If not, then where did he go?'' she thought. "Sean! Where are you?


    Please answer me! I''m getting worried! Sean! Sean, please!"


    Carla cried out his name. She was so scared that her heart was beating very fast. Her whole body was trembling violently.


    "Not a good time for hide and seek, Sean! Show yourself! Please! Sean..."


    Carla looked around for Sean anxiously. Tears were running down her face. Her voice was shaking from fright.


    "Sean? If you''re playing a joke on me please stop! Where are you?


    Sean, please answer me!"


    After a few heartbeats, she finally found him.


    Carla closed her eyes and let out a heavy sigh of relief. She wiped the tears from her face and calmed herself down. She then strode towards Sean.


    Sean was sitting on the grass nearby.


    He was sitting on top of a blanket. Aside from the blanket, there were also ice watermelon juice, ice puddings and a refreshing plum juice. These were all Sean''s favorite snacks!


    Sean was happily eating the snacks. He was so busy with eating that he forgot all about his sister. He did not even notice that she was frantically looking for him.


    There was a man who was sitting leisurely beside Sean, watching him devour all the food and drinks.


    That man was none other than Terence.

 Chapter 45 Declaration

    Carla strode to Sean angrily.


    She slapped Sean on the back and yelled at him with rage, "Sean! I have been searching for you everywhere! Why did you leave without a word?! Do you know how worried I was about you?


    You almost drove me insane!"


    "Ouch, Carla! That really hurts! I am sorry. I am so sorry!"


    Sean felt her intense anger so in order to appease her, he just repeatedly nodded his head to express his apology. He gazed at his sister helplessly and murmured, "Carla, while I was waiting for you I got so hungry. That''s when Terence found me. He told me that he brought some snacks for me. I did not think that it will make you panic so I decided to follow him.


    Terence is our friend, isn''t he? I didn''t give it much thought. I am really sorry."


    Terence stood up and placed Sean behind his back. Then he said gently, "Carla, I am the one at fault here. Don''t blame the little kid."


    Terence grabbed Carla''s hand and dragged her towards the fountain close by.


    "Carla, listen. I don''t know how my father found you and I know that he must have said something hurtful to you. I know it was hard to listen to him. If I guessed correctly, he has threatened you to leave me.


    However, I just want to make it clear to you... My father was right about us. He was wrong to assume that you were the one that seduced me. You are not obsessed with me but I sure as hell am obsessed with you! I don''t want to leave you, Carla. I don''t care if you tell them that I''m a stalker. I don''t even care if you tell them that I''m a pervert. I love you and I want to be with you.


    My sole purpose in staying at your place is because I want to get to know you more. I want you to get to know me too. I was hoping that maybe someday, you will realize that you love me and eventually agree to marry me. I know it sounds weird to you and I know that this is not easy. However, my purpose is clear. You are my purpose, Carla.


    Like what Shakespeare said, "All for the purpose not to marry out of love is where bullying." That''s what I was planning."


    Terence poured his heart out for her to see. However, Carla just stared right at his face. She could feel the extreme tenderness and sincerity from both his words and expression. His eyes darkened and his brows furrowed. It seemed to Carla that he was really trying his hardest to convey his feelings to her.


    Terence winked at her as if he had thought of something. He then added, "Also, Carla. I want you to know something. My father is not the one who is in charge of our family. You know who is? My grandfather. He is in charge. Keep that in mind." Terence looked at her motionless face then gently caressed her on the cheek. Tenderly, he whispered, "You and my grandfather were both in a hurry when you and him met last time. I will arrange another meeting and formally introduce you to him as my girlfriend.


    As long as he accepts you, not a word from my father or other people will count. Believe me. You are in good hands."


    Although Terence''s words sent a huge wave of relief into her heart, she could not bear to be in a family that had that level of complication. However, there was a little voice in her heart that whispers, ''Don''t you like him?'' Of course she liked him! Her feelings toward Terence had grown drastically after their days of living together. Nevertheless, she didn''t want to live her life full of worries. His father just threatened her to leave. What would be next? She sighed and shook her head. She suddenly grew tired so she sat on the stairs of the fountain.


    After a little bit of thinking, she stared at Terence and said calmly, "Terence, I don''t want to be rude. I understand and appreciate what you have just confessed. However, you also need to know. Neither did I plan to nor even think of being a part of your family. You are barking up the wrong tree so don''t waste your time."


    After she spoke her mind, she lowered her head and looked at the ground. Deep inside, she knew that Cinderella meeting Prince Charming did not just happen in real life. The huge difference between their identities had made their future with each other complicated. Plus, she was just a simple person. Complications did not suit her.


    All she wished for was to raise Sean up with her efforts and live a peaceful life with him.


    "Carla, I know you don''t want to get into trouble because of my family. I am confident that all your worries won''t come t


    lso invited to play songs while they were enjoying the food. With Megan in the house, he was forced to change his plan into a normal dinner.


    "Carla, where do you plan to go tomorrow? If you don''t mind, I will recommend myself as your tour guide for the rest of your trip! I know a place that every girl on the planet would wish to go. I think you will like it!"


    Megan grinned at Carla as if nothing had happened outside of the house.


    Carla was not impressed with her offer. She stopped cutting the sirloin on her plate and replied after she scanned through Terence''s emotionless face, "I appreciate your invitation but I have to decline your offer. I think I will stay in the house and take a rest from all the ''sightseeing''." Carla recalled her two-day stay and sighed deeply.


    "Come on Carla. I assume you don''t get to travel a lot. Since you are already here, why don''t you go out and have some fun! Go out as much as you can so you won''t regret coming to JA City later! Don''t you think so?" Megan insisted as she glanced at Terence.


    On the other side of the table, Terence shut himself out from Megan and concentrated on cutting his steak. Suddenly, Megan reached her fork into Terence''s plate and took the small piece away. She then put the steak into her mouth and acted as if taking the food out of his plate was a completely normal thing between the two of them. Megan continued her conversation with Carla as if nothing happened, "Oh Carla, how many days are you planning to stay?"


    Terence was annoyed with the insensible woman. He put down his utensils and stared at Megan.


    "I asked a week off from work. I don''t really know for sure. I might leave any day now. My boss Karen is a very nice woman. I think she won''t mind if I stay a day longer or shorter."


    Carla behaved normally even after seeing them taking food off each other''s plates and "flirting". Since she didn''t hear a word of complain from Terence, she assumed that Megan and him had a pretty good relationship.


    "What did you say? Carla, why are you still working? I remember the Ans have given you several business shops. The rent of those shops should be more than enough to support you and Sean even if you decide to stop working. Why don''t you quit your job and start enjoying your life?"


    As she was asking Carla, she pouted at Terence and acted cutely as she waved her empty wine glass at him and clinked his wine glass with hers. Carla noticed that her cup was almost empty but Terence hadn''t drink any of his wine.


    Clearly, Megan was signaling to him that they should exchange their wine glass.


    Unfortunately, Carla caught everything with her eyes. She went speechless because of Megan''s weird actions.


    ''Even a blind person can see that she was sending a declaration. She wants me to know that Terence is hers.'' Although Carla understood the meaning behind her obvious actions, she stayed silent and kept working on the sirloin on her plate.

 Chapter 46 Chance For Carla To Practice

    "Go ask the maid to bring you one if you want," Terence grabbed his cup, squinting at Megan, and then he put it down on the side close to Carla.


    "Don''t be so mean. We''ve already shared a bed. It''s just one drink."


    Megan stood up playfully and took the chance while Terence wasn''t looking. After quickly taking his wine glass, she gulped it down within a few seconds.


    Terence''s frown deepened, and he said, "That was back when we were still little kids."


    However, Megan had already achieved her goal and smiled smugly. She gave a glance at Carla and said, "Carla, Terence and I are gonna get engaged. Why don''t you stay longer and attend our engagement ceremony?"


    Before Megan finished her words, Terence stood up and gave her a furious glare and said, "Megan, don''t piss me off. Now, you''d better get back to your own home."


    After he said that, he turned and went toward the villa.


    As soon as he left, Carla stood up as well and followed him immediately. The host had left them, so she, as a mere guest, wasn''t in the mood to eat anymore.


    Besides, with jealous Megan there, how could she enjoy the food?


    "Wait, Carla," Megan, still sitting there with a fork in her hand, called out to Carla.


    "I think you could see it clearly now. Terence and I are a couple. We''re going to get married sooner or later. If you''ve still got even just an ounce self-respect, you should disappear from his side.


    If you think that what I offered you is not enough, just tell me. I will give you whatever it is that you ask for."


    As she was saying that, she put down the fork on the table angrily and stood up.


    "You should know that if you hadn''t saved Terence, you wouldn''t ever have any chance to meet him all your life! And the two of you would never even be so close. You two come from two different worlds, and you''re not meant to be together."


    Carla originally didn''t really want to say a word about the thing between Megan and Terence, but now, she herself had been judged by Megan in such a rude way. She became a bit irritated and impatient, just enough for her to push her hair to the back of her ear and respond, "Megan, you''re probably right, but what a shame; there is no if in reality." Carla turned to look directly at Megan without flinching. "If I am not mistaken, it seems to me that Terence doesn''t really like you. Otherwise, you two would''ve already gotten married.


    So, no matter how hard you pretend to be intimate with him, you can''t hide the fact that


    Terence is indifferent to your love."


    Carla laughed lightly, but


    er step, Terence carried her back to the bed.


    "Carla, who says you are a guest? You are the hostess here. And as the hostess, of course, you have to sleep in the host''s room," Terence said seriously as if he was telling Carla something like "one and one equals two".


    ¡­


    Carla was at a loss for words.


    "Carla, I think it''s still a bit early. How about we go to the garden to enjoy the cool breeze?" Terence said with a cunning smile and his eyes deeply fixated on her unbuttoned collar.


    Carla instinctively reached her hand to cover her chest. "No, as I''ve told you already. I''m too tired."


    "Okay, then I''ll just go by myself." Terence drew back his attention, giving her waist a squeeze, and then he smiled in embarrassment.


    ¡­


    Carla stared back at him thinking, ''You promised me you wouldn''t lay a hand on me. It has barely even been a day since you said that. Have you forgotten it so soon?''


    Deep at night.


    It was a good thing that Terence just said that. He didn''t really even bother trying to convince her to let him sleep next to her.


    Carla set the alarm of the clock and tried to get some sleep. When the alarm finally went on, she woke up, yawned, and then took a look at the time.


    At this hour, Terence couldn''t possibly be still swimming in the pool.


    She had been itching to go for a swim in that pool ever since they got there, but she couldn''t because she didn''t want Terence to know. So, she had to pick the right time and went there in secret.


    At this hour, she could enjoy it freely by herself under the moonlight. It should be great.


    After changing into her swimsuit, she immediately put on a night-robe and sneaked out of the room and went downstairs.

 Chapter 47 Youre Still Wet Behind The Ears

    The water in the swimming pool was pleasantly warm after a long day of sunshine. Even though it was dark now, Carla didn''t feel cold at all.


    ''Ahh¡ª This feels so wonderful.''


    She held onto the edge with her back against the wall and paddled her feet leisurely in the water. Missing out on the opportunity to go diving earlier today, she made up for it with a relaxing swim alone, instead.


    While Carla was discreetly enjoying some time alone in the pool, a room on the third floor of the villa was dimly lit.


    But, because it was a full moon that cast a frosty light all about, the dimly lit room wasn''t easily visible.


    "Mr. Terence. You''re not in bed yet!" Rainer said surprised.


    He was on duty tonight. When he patrolled the house, he noticed the door to Terence''s room was half open and went to check it vigilantly.


    On entering his room, he discovered Terence perched on the window sill, observing something through a telescope.


    "Mr. Terence, what are you watching? Is there a UFO outside?" he asked with some humor behind the question. There was no response from Terence. He ignored Rainer and continued looking through the telescope. Rainer''s curiosity was further piqued so he leaned over the sill to see for himself.


    However, before he got a chance to see anything, Terence pushed him back and said in a low commanding voice, "Just go! It''s none of your business! Get back to work!"


    He then went back to watch something through his telescope with great interest.


    Rainer scratched his head feeling puzzled. He didn''t understand why Terence was being so secretive, yet he had no choice but to obey. As he walked outside, he mumbled to himself, "What''s outside? I have a telescope in my room as well¡ª"


    Terence straightened up upon hearing what Rainer had said. He yelled back at him, "Come back!"


    "What do you need, Mr. Terence?"


    Rainer turned around and bowed respectfully.


    However, Terence had daggers in his eyes and commanded him in a sullen voice, "Rainer, I want you to confiscate all the telescopes in the villa. Don''t leave one piece, including yours!"


    "What?" Rainer was astonished at his order.


    "Do it! Now!" Terence commanded coldly.


    "Yes, sir!"


    Rainer was at a complete loss as to why Terence would order such a thing. Even so, he didn''t dare question his boss. He immediately turned around to carry out the order.


    Terence poured himself a gl


    he argued brazenly


    Seeing that he was so shameless and cunning, Carla was too angry to fight back. Instead she thought of an idea. Her eyes lit up and she smiled.


    "Really? Do you want to see some more of me?" she asked seductively.


    Terence was shocked. He thought that he had misunderstood her at first. But when he saw her seductive smile, he thought she had finally given in and was willing to give herself to him.


    "Carla, it''s not a suitable place here. How about we go back to my room?" he said in a husky voice, staring at her with excitement in his heart.


    "Come here," Carla whispered waving to him.


    Seeing that he was taking the bait, Carla couldn''t help grinning.


    Terence smiled from ear to ear and hurried to her. "You can''t wait any longer? You should have told me earlier that you wanted me! You know, I''ve been having a hard time controlling myself around you."


    As he spoke, Terence reached out to her waist and leaned down, about to kiss her.


    However, before he did, he was pushed back hard.


    But Terence had always been swift and he immediately grasped Carla''s bathrobe. The next moment both of them fell into the pool, making a large splash.


    Carla and Terence both sank down.


    Before she could resist, Terence pulled her towards him and covered her lips with his, sealing all her complaints.


    She had aroused him and started a passionate fire within him. He had to express his unfulfilled desire and disappointment through this fierce kiss.


    "My darling Carla, you want to trick me, huh? Unfortunately, you''re still wet behind the ears¡ª" he grinned.

 Chapter 48 The Damn Wet Dream

    Terence uttered those words in a hoarse voice, and then he released his grip and stopped pushing her, drawing her onto the pool edge.


    Carla, who almost choked on water, wheezed. Weakly, she glared at Terence while still lying on top of him.


    She was extremely frightened and nervous when Terence suddenly dragged her into the water. Moreover, he even deliberately took the chance to kiss her in the water, so she felt much more exhausted.


    After taking a rest for a little while, Terence became full of energy again, his eyes burning with passion.


    He stood up and bent over to lift Carla into his arms.


    "I''ll take you back. It''s cold in the evening, so be careful. Try not to catch a cold again."


    Before Carla could give him a response, Terence walked toward the villa carrying her in his arms.


    When they got back to the bedroom, Terence fetched the clean bathrobe for Carla to change and took a towel to help her dry her hair.


    "I think I have to help you dry your hair with the hairdryer. Otherwise, you won''t be able to go to sleep early tonight as it is already way too late now, and it will take too long if you just wait for your hair to get dry." He brushed her wet long hair with his fingers and then stood up to fetch the hairdryer.


    Carla was disappointed in him for peeing on her just now. However, when she saw that he focused mainly on drying her hair and ignored his own wet clothes and hair, she began to think that this man seemed to be starting to care more and more about her.


    The hairdryer let out a loud noise as it blew hot air over Carla''s hair.


    Wrapped in a dry bathrobe, Carla sat on a chair and enjoyed the moment as Terence helped her dry her hair. She couldn''t help but want to see what he looked like while drying her hair, so she raised her head and took a quick glance at him.


    But she was surprised to see that his eyes were also lingering on her at that very moment.


    "What''s wrong? Are you tired?"


    Noticing her glancing at him, Terence thought that she might intend to ask why he hadn''t made her hair dry yet. Thus, he quickly dried her hair with the hairdryer for a short while and then turned it off immediately after touching her hair and finding that it was actually almost dry already.


    "You should go to sleep early. I also need to go back now,"


    Terence said, casting a glance at her, after which he turned around, about to leave the room.


    "Wait a minute..." Carla shouted abruptly.


    He stopped and turned to face Carla, his eyes fully set on her.


    Coughing gently to clear her throat, Carla stood up and pointed toward the chair and told him, "Please sit down. I''ll help you dry your hair. It''s not good for you to just let your hair stay wet like that."


    Although Terence could simply go and dry his hair by himself, it would be much faster and much more


    on the bed in an ill-tempered manner, after which he strode toward the bathroom.


    After sitting up from the bed, Carla glanced toward the bathroom and slapped her face to fully wake herself up, biting her lips.


    "Carla, what''s wrong with you? Why would you have such a shameful dream?" she muttered under her breath.


    She was 23 years old, so it was normal for her to think of or dream about something related to sex. However, today she almost...


    After about half an hour, Terence came out of the bathroom, wrapping a bath towel around his body.


    "Terence, I''m sorry,"


    Carla, who had already changed her clothes, apologized.


    After all, it was all her fault.


    Terence was just a man, but he could still manage to hold back his desire even though it was technically Carla who had seduced him in such a sexy way just moments ago. It seemed that he must have had a very hard time letting her go and calming himself down.


    "Why are you apologizing to me? You didn''t do anything wrong. It''s my fault. I shouldn''t have come here when you were having a dream.


    Anyway, I''m still very happy, because you dreamt of me and even did those kinds of things with me in your dream. I''m satisfied with that even though such a thing can''t become a reality at present,"


    Terence said, after taking a deep breath. Then he made his way to the wardrobe and fetched a set of clothes, planning to change his clothes in the adjoining room.


    Carla didn''t expect him to see it that way. However, in fact, she indeed had dreamt that she and Terence...


    With this in mind, everything happening in her dream flashed clearly through her mind. All of it just felt so real.


    "Are you thinking of your dream now? Can you share it with me? Tell me. What did I do in your dream? What kind of poses did I make?"


    Terence suddenly asked with a playful smile, bending over and leaning toward Carla.

 Chapter 49 When We Have Our Own Baby, You Are Not Allowed To Hit Him

    Carla couldn''t help the blush from appearing on her cheeks. Terence was closely watching her, making her forget to retaliate.


    "No, nothing... I..." Carla attempted to speak.


    "Let me guess. Was I on top in your secret little fantasy? Or do you prefer some other styles? Like from the back?" Terence whispered in her ear, his warm breath tickling her delicate earlobe, leaving her shivering like a leaf. With some clothes on his left hand, Terence wrapped his other hand around her waist. He gazed upon her with the right corner of his mouth turning up just a little bit.


    "Ahem," Carla faked a cough. Then, she looked away from him, but it did nothing to appease the beating of her heart. Although struggling, she finally spoke, "I''m hungry now. I want to get something to eat."


    Terence let go of her waist and as he looked down at her with a smile he said, "Carla, remember everything I did to you in your dream. In the near future, I would like to try them all, one by one."


    "..." Carla was unable to speak.


    "Let''s go. You said you''re hungry, right? Let me take you to eat," Terence excitedly stated.


    Up until then, Carla wasn''t fully awake. Her face went even more flushed because of what Terence said. On top of that, she was actually recalling the positions in her dream after he asked her about it! So shameful!


    Seeing that Carla was still in a daze, Terence couldn''t help but smile. "I''ve never thought that she would be so adorable when she''s a little confused," he murmured with love in his eyes.


    They had planned to relax at home for the whole day, so Terence didn''t schedule any activities far away from his house.


    Besides, Terence''s villa was grand. So even if they stayed at home for a whole year, they wouldn''t get bored.


    "Wow, this is so exciting! Rainer, higher, higher!"


    At a private park which was near the sea, Sean was on a swing. Every time he was pushed high in the air, he would get a good view of the sea as if he could touch the waves. It made him very happy.


    Wearing a sunbonnet, Carla was sitting under a tree. She smiled upon seeing Sean''s happy face.


    It had been the first time in a long time that she was seeing him really happy since their parents passed away three years ago.


    During those years, he seldom laughed as happily as today. Obviously, Terence''s presence in his life made him feel that he was being cared for by his loved ones again.


    In the past, he could get his sister''s love and care. However, it always seemed like it wasn''t enough.


    As soon as Terence ended his call, he walked towards Carla and sat next to her. "Why don''t you go swing there?" he asked, looking at the other swing.


    Before Carla came to the villa, they only had one swing. But Terence thought that she might like things such as swings.


    So he asked his workers to build another one at a spot where she could get a good view of the sea.


    enched his jaw.


    "Bryant, go and investigate Johnny Ouyang''s recent schedule. Whether it''s work or his personal life, I want to know everything. I need to know it as soon as possible," Terence ordered.


    After these words, , Terence quickly hung up the phone.


    He murmured, "Johnny Ouyang?


    Both of our families have been staying on our own sides for so many years. Now, he couldn''t wait anymore so he decided to help Marcus.


    Or maybe he has been holding a grudge all these years. He still remembers the conflict between our families several years ago, doesn''t he?"


    "Terence? I want to play computer games. Can you play with me? My sister is really stupid when it comes to games!" All of a sudden, the balcony''s door opened and Sean''s head poked out from it.


    "Okay! I''ll be there in a second," Terence''s mood quickly changed. Regaining his sanity, Terence felt very happy when he realized that Sean was so fond of him. He quickly stopped the whirlwind of his thoughts and prepared to play with him.


    The moment he stepped foot in the dining hall, a pillow came flying towards him.


    "Sean Ji, what did you say? Who''s stupid? Is it you or me? Say it again in front of me!"


    Carla scolded his little brother. One hand was placed boldly on her hip and one hand was pointing fingers at Sean.


    "Carla, your hand speed is very slow. I think it will be better to play with Terence," Sean explained. Carla didn''t play computer games that often. Most importantly, it was known to everyone that boys were better than girls at playing computer games.


    "Sean Ji,"


    Carla cried, trying her best to control her anger. When she was about to hit Sean, Terence walked over and stopped her.


    "Carla, don''t hit him. After all, he''s just a kid. Another thing... We''re going to have our own baby in the near future. Will you hit our baby all the time?"


    With a smile on his face, Terence asked as he hid Sean behind him.

 Chapter 50 The Party At The Seaside

    After hearing all the things that Terence had said, Carla was at such a loss for words that she was fuming with intense rage.


    All she wanted to do was to teach her brother a simple lesson, but for what stupid reason did Terence suddenly start talking about their future baby from out of nowhere?


    "It looks like we''re going to end up being strict parents in the future. Basically, I think it would be for the best if one of us acts strictly with our children," Terence chattered as he grabbed the game controller and sat down with his legs crossed beside Sean.


    Even though Carla had just kept silent as he babbled on, she was actually already feeling a bit exasperated.


    First of all, they weren''t even married yet, so why the heck would Terence start blabbering about having a baby? With all these thoughts in Carla''s mind, she just surmised that he could''ve just been fantasizing a lot and all of it was just caused by his delusions.


    At that moment though, Sean blurted out something stupid that just made her much more irritated than she already was.


    "Terence, I prefer being around boys more than girls. So if by the time the two of you finally get married and have a son instead of a daughter in the future, then I would be able to go out and play with him. If that ever really ends up happening, that would surely make me a lot happier!" Sean remarked as he was having a great time playing a game. After all, it was not often that he''d have an older brother figure who he could play with.


    Throughout his childhood, Sean had always preferred playing with boys his age rather than girls, thinking that it would be harder to get along with girls and that he''d have a better time if he hung out among the boys.


    "Sure! That''s a great idea. However, it doesn''t really matter much to me whether your sister will give birth to a baby boy or a baby girl. I will be sure to love him or her unconditionally nonetheless," Terence responded while having a good time playing with Sean and also casting a glance at Carla who was desperately trying to contain her anger.


    "Well, if ever you end up having a son, what would you like to name him?" Sean pried ever further.


    That ended up being the final straw. Carla just couldn''t take it any longer, so she sprung up and went to open the balcony''s door so she could take a breath of fresh air outside.


    With Sean and Terence on her mind, she wondered what kind of people would think too far ahead and plan as if it would be set in stone.


    Upon reaching the balcony, Carla immediately gasped for fresh air. She, just then, came upon the sudden realization that her brother had been steadily getting along more and more with Terence, and that this had started deeply bothering her.


    They had been cooperating so well with each other, especially when it came to playing tricks on her in order to annoy her. In fact, they''ve actually been able to pull it off more and more smoothly than ever before.


    When Carla was somehow finally able to calm herself down and get herself to relax, she happened to chance upon a beautiful woman waving at her on a beach not far away.


    "Carla!" Heading toward Carla, Megan promptly asked her, "What''s the matter? Why did you all suddenly hide yourselves from me as soon as you saw me come here acting as if I''ve ruined the pleasant atmosphere you have been having?


    I think you''ve already had enough time to rest and you''re not feeling tired anymore. The weather feels perfect today, so why don''t we all come outside and go for a swim?"


    Gazing at Megan who was wearing such a sexy yellow swimsuit, Carla couldn''t hold back her laughter, thinking that this woman was beginning to get really devious with her tactics.


    It was barely a few moments ago when Megan told her she wanted to play on the swing


    e, which was why people could easily get sunburnt there.


    Realizing that he was really just being concerned about her, Carla couldn''t say anything and decided to just remain silent.


    It would have been better if she had applied the screen a few minutes before coming out of the villa. Unfortunately, she didn''t really think that it would be necessary at all, unaware that the heat would be so intense.


    There was never really any chance for her in the past to go to the beach for a swim during holidays, so she had no prior experience and, because of that, she wouldn''t think of applying sunscreen whatsoever.


    "Come over here!" Terence quickly grabbed Carla''s hand, pulling her into the beach chair, and taking the sunscreen from one of his servants. Then, he later got her to lie face down on the chair so he could help her apply the sunscreen on her back.


    As she was taking quick peaks at Terence and Carla who looked like they were so close to each other, Megan, wearing her sunglasses, began to pull a long face. She had known Terence for such a long time, and they often went swimming even when they were still so little.


    However, she had never seen Terence so considerate and acting that nice to her.


    It was so disappointing and depressing for Megan to see Terence acting so nice toward Carla. In the past, she had always thought that Terence was already treating her well, but now, she realized that Terence had just always seen her as a friend.


    And it appeared as if he only cared for Carla from the bottom of his heart.


    Now, Megan was beginning to get more and more jealous of Carla.


    Even since she was a young girl, there hadn''t been a time where she didn''t dream of putting on a wedding dress and marrying Terence. And over the years, she still kept having that same dream. She was so anxious to spend a wonderful lifetime with him, wanting to be as happy every single day as they were when they used to play together when they were younger. However, the wonderful dream she had been waiting for so many years to come true was about to fall to pieces.


    Unwilling to accept defeat, Megan thought that she should take action in order for her to win back Terence''s heart. Otherwise, she would surely be regret it if she just let Carla end up with Terence and if she didn''t try to come between them.


    If Carla and Terence ever got married in the future, that would mean her long wait over the years would all be in vain by then.


    No!


    There was just no way she would simply let those things happen.

 Chapter 51 Megans Scheme

    "Okay, hold it right there. I can easily manage to apply the sunscreen on my own now," Carla stopped Terence just as he was about to smear sunscreen onto her chest. Taking the sunscreen away from his hands, she began applying it on her own while also shooting Terence quick glares.


    Terence was amused by her reaction, for it was so obvious that she was just being shy once again. But he was actually already feeling quite contented after being able to apply the sunscreen onto her back. Her skin felt so soft and supple as he massaged the lotion onto her.


    Without them noticing, Sean had already grabbed a lifesaver and gotten into the sea, while Terence was still so busy helping Carla put on the sunscreen. Rainer had been the one taking care of him all the while.


    After a few minutes, Terence and Carla were finally done applying the lotion, so they walked slowly and headed toward the sea. "Terence!" shouted Megan, standing from a just couple of meters away. She then walked over to Terence and suddenly informed him, "Terence, I''ve called a couple of my friends and invited them to come here to join us. The more the merrier. Right? Let''s all have a good time here at the beach! You wouldn''t mind, would you?"


    "What''s the point in telling me after the fact?" Terence sarcastically replied, visibly getting a bit annoyed upon her actions.


    "Please don''t get upset. Next time, I''ll be sure to get your permission first. And besides, I''ve already made the phone calls. I''d hate to be the one to bear the bad news that you don''t want them to come over. Please, Terence, can''t you just let this one slide?" Appealing to his pity, Megan leaned close to him and swung his arm as they were talking.


    It wasn''t the first that she had invited people to come over. In fact, she had already held two beach parties there before. Back then, Terence never really did mind at all, so she was under the assumption that he wouldn''t get mad at her this time either.


    With his brows deeply furrowed, Terence just stayed still, keeping his mouth shut. He would have preferred for him and Carla not to get disturbed by anyone during this vacation, but due to his disposition of not ever wanting to be rude to anyone, he just chose to keep quiet. Holding Carla''s hand, he guided her toward the sea. They walked hand in hand by the shoreline, trying to savor the moment before everybody else arrived.


    After about half an hour, the friends Megan had invited to come over had all arrived.


    It literally became a beach party. The spacious lounge area they had all to themselves earlier had now become a little too crowded. Some of them wanted to immediately plunge headfirst into the water. A small group was getting ready to have a beach volleyball match, and as for the others, they were just eager to grab something to drink.


    Lounging the beach chair, Carla watched as a crowd consisting of women surrounded Terence. They were following him wherever he went. All of them had such colorful swimsuits on, and some of them, obviously and shamelessly were trying to throw themselves onto him.


    In fact, Carla didn''t really expect Megan to call her friends to come over. She knew full well how much Megan deeply loved Terence. Thinking rationally, Megan would''ve never offered other women any chance to get close to him on a normal day.


    "Mr. Terence, do you still remember me? I''ve attended your party before. I came here two years ago along with my other friends," asked a woman who was standing right next to him. To be fair, she was wearing such a cute sheer dress. As she prattled on, she wore the sweetest smile on her face while clinging tightly onto his arm.


    "Yes, of course, I still remember who you are. Sorry if I''ve been too busy lately that I haven''t been able to ask any of you to come over. Go have fun, ladies," he responded, smiling politely back at them. After he was done welcoming them, he quickly turned around and headed toward the sea to go swim.


    "That''s actually what I''ve been thinking. Mr. Terence, we haven''t been to your house for quite a while. Would you mind showing us around later?" the woman with the sheer dress followed Terence to the seaside and shouted at him with a cunning smile on her face.


    Who didn''t want to marry a rich man? Well, almost every woman did. This girl wanted to make the most of this opportunity to get Terence to know more about her. She was eager to know more about him as well, on a higher level of intimacy.


    She was one of Megan''s close friends, so she knew damn well how much Megan loved Terence.


    But she didn''t really care


    let you watch cartoons whenever you wanted when you were little?" retorted Carla. Glaring at Sean who looked a bit irritated himself, she threw the husks of the melon seeds into the trash can.


    With his brows a bit furrowed, Sean continued complaining, "But... Terence has a lot of TVs in this villa. This is my room. Why can''t you just watch it someplace else?"


    Before Carla could say a word, a man walked in as the two of them were having an argument.


    "Sean was right. I have so many TVs here in the Villa. Is there really a need for you to watch your TV show here?" Terence said.


    It seemed he had already finished cleaning himself up and had gotten dressed.


    Carla didn''t bother humoring him with an answer and simply went on watching the TV. "I want to watch it here. You''re my brother. So, I want to spend more time with you during our precious vacation. Is there anything wrong with that?"


    Sean pursed his lips after hearing what Carla had said. Turning toward Terence, he said in protest, "Terence, aren''t you going to help out your brother-in-law?"


    Letting out a brief chuckle, Terence walked up to Sean and said, "Sean, let''s be gentlemen. If your sister says she wants to watch the TV in your room, just leave her be. Why don''t you go to the next room and watch the TV over there instead?"


    "Oh, that''s a good idea! Why didn''t I think of that?" Sean blurted out. Then, he made a face at Carla and ran out of the room, leaving the two of them to themselves.


    Settling down beside Carla on the couch, Terence placed his hand on her waist and hesitantly asked, "Carla, is there something wrong? Is something bothering you?"


    Wondering why she had insisted on watching the TV in Sean''s room instead of just lounging on hers, he sensed that there was something amiss.


    "No, I''m actually quite happy. Why shouldn''t I be?" she retorted. Cracking a melon seed, she gazed upon him with a such a puzzled expression.


    "Liar," he said with a disparaging smile. Resting his hand on her shoulder, he continued, "I know you''re a bit jealous. Do you really think you can hide your feelings from me? I know you''re trying really hard not to care, but the truth is... you do care about me."


    "Don''t think too highly of yourself. I prefer to do things at my own pace, especially in relationships. There''s no need for me to settle down right away. We haven''t known each other for very long yet. What makes you think that I can''t live without you already? Truth is, I''m not in such a rush to get hooked up with anyone right now," Carla carelessly said.


    She was aware that what she had said to him was a bit harsh, but she wasn''t really in a good mood, so she couldn''t hold herself back.


    After hearing all of the things she spouted, Terence just kept quiet. His face turned gloomy, and he suddenly stretched out his arm. Holding onto her chin, he forced her to turn her head and face him.


    "Look me in the eyes and say that to my face one more time. Didn''t you feel anything while you were watching me get flocked by all those other women?"

 Chapter 52 Carla Is My Priceless Treasure!

    "No. I''m sorry for disappointing you but no!"


    Carla answered without giving it much thought. She took his hand off her chin and went back to eating melon seeds and watching TV.


    "I don''t believe you," Terence frowned. He had seen her say yes but mean no, so he didn''t think she was too dense to feel his love. But he wanted to confirm his speculation as soon as possible so he decided to test it.


    Just then, some rattling sounds were heard from outside the door.


    "Mr. Terence? Are you there, Mr. Terence?" a woman asked.


    Taking a quick look at Carla who hadn''t moved, Terence stood up and walked towards the door.


    The moment he opened the door, the woman who was calling him walked towards his direction. She then held his hand and pouted like a spoiled child. "Terence, you''re the host, so you can''t hide your face in here. Otherwise, people will not think that I am welcome here," the woman''s voice irritated Carla.


    Carla watched as Terence left with the beautiful woman from the door that they forgot to close. She threw the seed shells at the door and murmured, "All men are trash!"


    From the faint noise that could reach the room, Carla thought that the people outside must be enjoying themselves.


    After some time, Carla noticed that it was getting late.


    She decided to leave Sean''s room. In contrast to the quiet corridor, it was very noisy on the second floor, so that was where she headed.


    There was a Karaoke room on the second floor which she never saw Terence visit. But with how loud the people in the room were being, it was hard to miss the place.


    Opening the door, the first thing Carla saw was entangled bodies of men and women under the twinkling lights.


    Terence was holding a woman''s waist while dancing in the center of the floor. His ecstatic look made him more attractive yet dissolute.


    Carla was stunned for a while. Having known him for a long time, it was the first time for her to see him like this.


    It seemed reasonable for him to act in that way because as a youth of a rich family, it was expected of him to throw himself into the most exclusive and most high-end of parties where he would be surrounded by all kinds of beauty while drinking the most expensive drinks. After all, he had everything. Why shouldn''t he just enjoy life?


    The Terence in front of Carla looked totally different. It was hard to imagine that he was still the same Terence that could only see Carla, the Terence that couldn''t bear t


    hout my permission. Megan is not an exception," Terence ordered.


    Then, he held Carla by the waist and they walked out of the Karaoke Room.


    "Terence! What are you saying, Terence? Did I do anything wrong?


    Why are you treating me like this? I didn''t make any trouble! For God''s sake, answer me!"


    Megan shouted at his back but all she could do was watch him leave.


    Unfortunately, Terence simply ignored her.


    Megan thought she could hide her secret, but it turned out she was wrong.


    How smart Terence was! He was aware that Megan called all of the people to irritate Carla and force her to leave. For Terence, however, he just wanted to make Carla a little jealous and maybe make her confess that she had affections for him.


    Although, he didn''t expect things could turn bad so suddenly. Carla was slapped by an awful woman


    which made him really angry


    and crazy!


    In his bedroom on the third floor, Terence grabbed the First Aid Kit and put some discutient on Carla''s swollen face. He gently said, "Carla, I''m so sorry. It''s all my fault! I shouldn''t have let them stay here!"


    Watching Terence frown nervously and blame himself, Carla grabbed his wrist and consoled him, "Don''t say sorry, Terence. It''s just a slap. It won''t kill me..."


    Besides, the punishment that he gave Viola was enough.


    "What do you mean by ''just a slap''? Of course, it''s not just a slap. I will never allow anyone in the world to hurt you, myself included," Terence earnestly said.


    Carla was his priceless treasure and his only love who he cherished the most. He couldn''t even bear to hurt her, let alone if it was other people doing it.

 Chapter 53 Back To The Beginning

    Carla touched her burning cheek gingerly and with a bitter smile she said, "Terence, if I were to stay with you, things like this would happen again and again. It''s only just the beginning.


    If it''s not her, many of your other admirers would do something similar. You won''t be able to look after me all the time. Besides, it would be too exhausting for me to have to constantly be on my toes looking out for people like that."


    Terence took her hand in his and looked at her sincerely. "Don''t worry. As long as I keep those sort of people away, things like that won''t ever happen again.


    I won''t allow anyone to touch a single hair on your head. Trust me."


    Carla breathed out a deep sigh. "Terence, there''s something I need to tell you. I plan to go back to BH City tomorrow tonight with Sean, and I have already bought the train tickets."


    The moment she had finished speaking, the atmosphere had suddenly turned awkward and silent.


    "Terence, I only asked for a week off work and the trip back will take another whole day. If I don''t go back now I may lose my job."


    Terence''s handsome face suddenly had a doleful expression as he shifted his eyes and remained silent.


    It was understandable that she wanted to go back to BH city.


    After all, it was where she was born and had lived all her life, but he couldn''t bear the thought of her returning back to her tireless job.


    Minutes passed before he finally spoke again, "Okay, but you should change jobs. Food delivery is too exhausting for you, Carla. You should do something that is less demanding."


    Since she had already made up her mind, he had to respect her wishes.


    Carla didn''t respond. She suddenly remembered the other purpose of this trip.


    She reached into her bag and pulled out the property title certificates and the bank card.


    "I''m sorry. I almost forgot. The money for the two months rent is still on the card. I haven''t spend any of it.


    I wanted to refuse these shops that day, but there were other people around so I couldn''t back then. I was thinking when I had a moment alone with you, I would give it all back."


    Carla put the proper


    here would still be some hope for them.


    Carla had to muster all of her courage to put on a brave face. She had to be convincing, even though she was suffering in silence. She painted a smile on her face and then looked up at him and said in a casual tone, "Okay, Terence. Then so be it.


    Just stay in your circle of people. Don''t fall in love with someone like me, a food delivery girl who can''t match you. If anyone knew, you would be ridiculed and your whole family would become the laughing-stock of JA City,"


    said Carla, who masked her sorrow under a smile.


    "Terence. You''re a really nice guy. I know that I will miss you and I''ll probably never meet a guy as nice as you.


    But, I really don''t deserve you. I know that. We are from two entirely different worlds, a gap of which can''t be filled. I don''t want you to be mocked for the rest of your life and I don''t want to be scoffed at by others, either,"


    said Carla as her voice began to tremble with emotions. She was about to stand up to leave, not wanting to cry in front of him.


    However, Terence suddenly stood up first


    and strode out of the bedroom slamming the door shut behind him.


    Terence put his hand to his throat and coughed, agitated. At that moment Nathan quickly approached.


    "Mr. Terence. Things have been settled, but¡ª We found out that your drink had been drugged," said Nathan with his head bowed down at the terrible news.

 Chapter 54 The Apartment Was On Fire.

    "If Miss Carla hadn''t entered the room and given you a piece of her mind, for sure, you would''ve walked right into their trap and done something you''d surely regret against your will," Rainer carefully said as if he had been threading a needle.


    As he was listening, Terence furrowed his brows a little. ''So, that''s why, '' Terence pondered to himself, coming to the sudden realization that it was his fault. He already thought something was up immediately after having a drink. If Carla had not come in and later thrown cold water over his pitiful heart, the intense desire and temptation that got stirred up inside of him wouldn''t have gone away so easily.


    "Um... Mr. Terence. I''m guessing you might''ve felt an urge to do some things after having that drink. I actually asked the woman called Viola. She told me that she spiked your drink and put three times the regular dose. Are you sure you''re really alright?"


    Nathan kept on asking because he just couldn''t calm himself down, quite unsure if Terence was feeling as well as claimed to be. For a man his age, when the drug finally took effect, an intake three times of the normal dose would completely ignite his passion, making him do whatever it was they were plotting for him to do. However, Nathan was a bit doubtful since Terence wasn''t really acting out of the ordinary, looking just as normal as he always would be. ''How could he possibly hold all of this in?'' Nathan wondered.


    "I''m doing just fine." Terence reassured him, suppressing his raspy voice. Of course, he certainly felt something stirring up within him. But if it wasn''t for Carla barging in, he couldn''t have been able to manage to subdue his carnal desires on his own.


    "Mr. Terence, since Miss Carla is still here, you could probably..." Nathan was so afraid that Terence''s body wouldn''t be able to bear it anymore after holding it in for so long.


    "Shut up!"


    Terence, not wanting to let Nathan finish saying what he was about to suggest, strode straight out of the room and extremely furious of Nathan for even thinking of him doing that to Carla.


    For Nathan, never in his life had he ever spouted anything unnecessary to Terence. If he didn''t find Terence''s condition so alarming, there was no way he would''ve said something so insensitive no matter what.


    Soon after Terence had left the room, he immediately called the family doctor up and asked him to give him a shot of Tranquilizer so he could fully restrain his burning lust. And then finally, his urges had started to subside.


    After a brief moment, he instantly collapsed against the cushions and couldn''t help but recall how distant Carla made him feel. The scene kept on playing on his mind. The way she had acted so indifferently toward him had shattered his heart into pieces, piercing right through his bones. He knew that even if the intake had been ten times the normal dosage instead of just three, his urges could have just as easily died down right after having that conversation.


    It hurt so much seeing the woman he cared most deeply about choose to leave his side and pour ice over his burning passion without thinking twice. There was nothing else that mattered to him anymore, not even taking back control over that drugged body of his.


    The next day.


    It was the last day of Carla and Sean''s summer vacation stay at the JA City. She had planned to head home, but not before they could go visit the most popular landscape in JA City¡ªthe JA Temple. ''There were indeed breathtaking sceneries around the city, '' she thought to herself. After all of their sightseeing was done, she wanted to take Sean to the railway station and return to the BH City immediately. And, in fact, she had actually already booked the ticket in advance online the night before.


    Terence couldn''t show up that day. However, he had asked Rainer to accompany them and escort them along the way, just in case they would be needing anything. In the end, he just couldn''t bring himself to show his face in front of Carla.


    As their day had already been planned ahead of time, Carla politely refused Rainer''s offer to, at the very least, drive them to the airport. Rainer didn''t try to insist as he understood it would be best for Carla to do these things on her own. Going their separate ways, soon enough, Carla and Sean finally reached the railway station and got on the train as soon as they arrived.


    The minute that the train began moving away from the city, everything that had happened seemed to have gone back to the starting point.


    She left, barely able to think about all of the things that had transpired. For her, the past few days had truly been so magical, as if it literally came out of a fairytale tailored just for her. However, she had to wake up sooner or later from this pleasant yet tempting dream and accept that her fantasy had ultimately come to an end.


    Although fully aware that this trip had been the most wonderful thing that happened in her recent memory, Carla also knew she had to carry on with her own life, her same old typical daily life.


    Just like Cinderella, the moment the clock struck 12 at midnight, her beautiful carriage, the shiny glass slipper, and the magnificent dress she was wearing all returned to its original state. The most beautiful princess reverted back to being that poor pitiful girl, while her p


    nce as a gift.


    Carla was taken aback by Sean''s reaction, not knowing how to break it to him that Terence came from an entirely different world beyond their reach and that he was now gone from their world for good. Keeping those thoughts to herself, she tried to put on a smile for Sean and responded, "Hey, don''t let them get to you. It''s not unusual for them to think you were only making things up.


    Compared to any other normal person, Terence is a very outstanding guy, like the brightest star in the sky. He''s in a place where no one can touch him. That''s why the teacher and your audiences didn''t believe you."


    Sean nodded along to her words, listening carefully and acting as if he understood it. Soon, the cloud on his face was swept away and a smile was put in its place. His eyes started shining brightly again and he confidently said to Carla, "I get it now. But Carla, one day in the future, I will let everybody know that I wasn''t lying!"


    Carla paused. However, she just couldn''t bear to tell him the harsh truth.


    She let out a cough as a faint smile faded away just as quickly as it had appeared, telling little Sean, "Maybe."


    Not long after that, they arrived at the bus stop near their neighborhood.


    Carla and Sean got off the bus. As they were walking toward their building, several fire trucks quickly drove past them to the direction of their neighborhood.


    "Oh, my God! Whose house is on fire?!"


    "Yeah, what happened?!"


    "I heard that it was only a few blocks away. An apartment is on fire. I wonder if there''s anyone home. God bless them."


    As they were walking past a group of bystanders, Carla overheard their conversation and her heart started racing. Her head started to spin, and without a word, she grasped Sean''s hand and ran toward the direction of their apartment. As she was running, she prayed over and over and over again, hoping nothing was happening to their place, and it would be the same as it was when they left it.


    "Carla! Thank god you''re not home! Oh my god, I was worried that you and Sean might''ve still been at home!"


    Jena was standing outside of the building. As she heard the fire alarm ring crazy several minutes ago, the occupants in the same building flooded down the stairs. And when she turned around and saw Carla running toward the building, she couldn''t wait to yell at them, feeling relieved that they were safe and sound.


    As Carla was just about to give Jena a response, she noticed that the dense smoke was actually swirling and billowing from their window. The director was busy sending firemen up on the scaling ladder and shooting the water gun into their balcony.


    A surge of blood rushed into Carla''s head and she couldn''t help but burst into tears. Sean had also just realized that the fire was actually emanating from their apartment. As he had never seen such an unsettling scene before in his life, he began sobbing as well.


    "Carla! What is happening up there?! I can''t understand! Why is our apartment up in flames?!"


    Fear and despair filled his meager young heart and he couldn''t stop the tears from falling. "No!! No!! All my books and my bed are still in there! No! And the drone Terence gave me was still in there! Carla! Please ask the fire to stop! Carla! I''m begging you!"


    Sean went fully hysterical, going out of control, prancing back and forth out of anger, helplessly screaming and shouting. Carla bit her lower lips a bit too hard that blood started to show at the corner of her mouth, as she watched everything fall to pieces and burn to ashes.

 Chapter 55 Carla, Would You Ever Think Of Me

    Carla''s eyes had reddened out of emotional pain. She couldn''t help her tears from rolling down her cheeks like an endless brook of sadness. She desperately yelled deep inside her mind, ''Why! This is our only home. Why would you do this to us!'' Sean was still crying out loud by her side. However, nothing could be done. Slowly, she wiped her tears away and raised her head, staring at the thick black smoke coming out from the balcony while grinding her teeth in fury.


    It took the firefighters several hours until the fire was put out.


    After a duration that seemed like a year, Sean was exhausted. Carla remained in her position and she was still sobbing in unbearable pain. She couldn''t think of any reason why their home would be set on fire by anyone.


    She thought over and over again. Every time before she left home, she would always check on the gas and turn off the electricity because Sean was always home alone. She had to make sure that her brother was safe when he was alone by himself.


    But, how did all this happen?


    When she went out this afternoon, she remembered that she had done her routine check on the gas and electricity. ''What caused the fire?'' she wondered.


    After a while, people standing in front of the building had returned to their home as their spontaneous curiosity began to fade. Carla forced herself went upstairs with Sean. As soon as they arrived in front of their door, Carla stopped. Everything in there had been burned to ashes except for the silver frame of the sofa and the TV. It was a terrible scene in every aspect.


    She had repeatedly told herself to face it with bravery on her way up; however, the debris of what was once their beloved home had cast a spell on her. She couldn''t budge an inch.


    Sean had stopped crying before they came up to the building. Maybe his tears had ran out. After seeing their sweet home burned out to ruins, he couldn''t help but burst into tears again. He sniffled as he asked his sister, "Carla...Oh no... Oh no... Carla, where will we go..."


    It was perhaps too much for a ten-year-old kid to witness his home crumble into nothing. He ran into Carla''s arms and cried intensely, forcing himself to forget the ruined place he once called "home".


    "Dear Sean, listen. It doesn''t matter as long as we are fine. Wherever we are, that''s where our home will be." She managed to wipe away his tears and put her hands on his cheeks, as she whispered, "Sean, remember how I always complained about our tiny home? I always wanted to buy a bigger place. Don''t you always want a study room? When I have enough money, I will buy one of those houses with a big study room so you can put all your books in there. I promise you!"


    Carla struggled to not give away her fears to Sean and locked her teary eyes with Sean''s. She knew that Sean was everything she had right now as she patted on his shoulder gently, trying to encourage her little brother and ease his tension.


    "Mm, but Carla... this is our home. I like it here than anywhere else..." Sean mewled. New teardrops began to appear from his reddened eyes.


    Carla gently wiped his tears again and sighed. She told Sean, "Hey, what goes around comes back around. I don''t want to leave here too. But we don''t have a choice, do we? Sean, let''s be brave. There will always be a place for us. There always will be.


    Stay here. I will check around to see if anything is intact. Would you wait for me here?" Sean looked up to Carla and nodded with tears flowing down his little face. Carla stroke his head gently and walked inside their apartment.


    Carla looked around at the gate. She was hoping to find something that was left unburned but she failed. Everything was burned down and not a single piece of the apartment was fit for use.


    For Carla, the fire was one of the most startling incident in her life. Her entire home had crumbled into dust in a matter of seconds.


    It was a heart wrenching moment for her to watch her room and her belongings burnt.


    She calculated the entire loss in her head and reckoned that it would take an exorbitant amount of money to recover her apartment. Also, in order to fix the interior and to refurnish the place, it would require even more amount.


    Carla knew her financial situation. She wouldn''t have enough money for the redecoration and refurnishing. Life really hadn''t been easy on her lately.


    At this very moment, she regretted returning the ownership of the business shops. If it wasn''t for her pride, they should have collected enough rent to rebuild their home soon enough.


    She also questioned her choice and wondered that if she should have agreed to be Terence''s girlfriend and did what he had asked, at least she would have someone to count on at this moment. Even if Terence eventually realized that she wasn''t the one, she could have at least got some compensation from their relationship. Such thoughts flooded her head, which made her gasp for breath. ''May


    a golden bachelor of the most weathy and powerful family in JA City behind and go back to your small place? I don''t understand it..."


    Violet banked on her curiosity and asked her confidently.


    "Violet, come on. I did answer this question last time, didn''t I? People have their own choices when it comes to their partner. Although I''m a woman, that doesn''t justify the supposed necessity that a woman needs to rely on a man for a living. Maybe it''s a yes for other woman, not for me though." Carla disagreed and patiently explained. When she was at JA City, Violet had enquired her a couple of times about why she rejected Terence, the golden bachelor.


    "Carla, you know what? You''ve totally won my admiration. A lot of women said that they don''t want to depend on men. But in reality? They are only talkers. But you impressed me by abandoning the golden life that every woman would die for. You are truly a heroine if I may say. I wonder who you were in your previous life. You may have been a royal since you don''t seem to give a damn about other people''s money in this life. The stubbornness must have been inherited from your previous soul!"


    Violet''s words encouraged Carla, in every single way. She finally won other people''s affirmation which strengthened her belief in herself even more.


    Carla knew herself very well. The stubbornness was carved into her bones that nothing could force her to lower her head regardless of the circumstances.


    ''Maybe this is why she is the only person that Terence cares about, '' Violet thought to herself.


    "Violet, stop praising me like this. I really am afraid whether I''m worthy of your praises. Also, don''t say the word royalty to me again. It''s so clich¨¦ to be honest." Carla laughed to Violet through the phone and looked at the clock hanging on the wall. Knowing that Sean could be home in any minute, she wanted to hang up the call and begin cooking dinner.


    "Alright Violet, Sean will be home soon and I need to go prepare dinner. Thank you again for the job. I will catch up later!" she said.


    After Carla hung up the phone, she danced to the kitchen as a beam appeared on her face. She hadn''t been so happy ever since her home was destroyed. Singing in the kitchen happily, she started cooking dinner.


    The sun set and rose up soon enough.


    After Sean left home for school, Carla put on a new dress which she had bought two days earlier since all her clothes were burned by the fire. She put on some light make up and left for the interview. She was so excited to see what this job was going to offer her.


    Meanwhile, on the other end of the BH City, Terence and his bodyguards were standing at the exit of the airport.


    "Mr. Terence, the meeting is at 9 o''clock. If we leave now, we may still be able to get there on time," Nathan informed Terence from behind.


    On the other hand, Rainer was standing close to Terence, holding his luggage.


    "Okay, let''s go," Terence slowly responded. He had his eyes fixed to one direction and something was shimmering deep under his dark eyes. ''Hi again, BH City. Hi, Carla, '' he murmured in his heart. While he was lost in thoughts, the same Rolls-Royce lengthened edition had arrived right in front of him. His lips curled slightly indicating a faint smile as he got in the limousine.

 Chapter 56 A Chance Encounter

    Carla had thought that she was an early bird, however, when she arrived at the interview, she found that lots of people were already there.


    The hall was crowded with many interviewees, who were in small groups talking about their former education, work experiences and thoughts about the upcoming interview.


    Looking at those high-spirited competitors, she couldn''t help but let out a sigh. She felt no hope about getting a job here.


    She graduated from a most common college and she lacked experience in her target position. What was worse, her family background might also take a toll on her potential value. To stand out from the fierce competition seemed an impossible task now. When she was downhearted, her phone rang.


    "Carla, have you arrived there? The HR manager of that company is a friend of my brother''s. I can recommend you to him. You just go to the front door now and the manager will meet you there,"


    Violet instructed her on the phone.


    "That company is very popular among job hunters. There must be a lot of interviewees already. You will probably be neglected if they interview you in sequence. Since we can ask someone for help, why don''t we do it?"


    Violet continued, fearing that Carla might be too proud to accept the patronage.


    However, Carla replied without hesitation, "Great! I owe you a favor, Violet!"


    She knew that it was useless to be stubborn now. After all, she had attended many interviews already but all failed. If she could get a job here, why would she refuse any help offered?


    Moreover, the position of purchaser was always considered to be profitable, therefore it might be the most popular position here. She wasn''t confident that she could be successful over the others.


    "All right. You go to the front door now. I''ll call him and tell him who you are," Violet added.


    After hanging up the phone, Carla pushed her way through the crowd and walked towards the building.


    Just as Violet had said, a man with a badge was at the front door, seemingly waiting for someone.


    "Excuse me, are you the HR manager?" Carla went over and greeted him politely.


    "Yes, I am. Are you Miss Carla Ji?" the man asked looking at the beautiful and cute lady before him.


    "Yes, I''m Carla. It''s nice to meet you!" Carla made a bow to him immediately and then followed him to the building.


    Just after they entered, next to the front door, three men arrived


    ecting to see Terence.


    Yet, Terence had promised her that he wouldn''t appear in her life anymore. Even though he had showed up just now, it wasn''t done on purpose.


    "Oh, Miss Carla, I was sent here by Mr. Terence. He wants me to deliver a few words to you. If you find yourself in any trouble, just let him know. Even though you refused him resolutely, he... he just doesn''t want to see you having a hard time."


    Rainer could only repeat word for word what Terence had instructed him to say. But Rainer couldn''t convey the frustration and sadness that Terence felt when he said those words. Carla would only understand if she had heard them herself directly from Terence.


    "Miss Carla, this is my personal suggestion to you. Cherish the moment!


    Goodbye."


    Rainer nodded slightly to her, turned and left.


    Carla gazed at Rainer''s back, and couldn''t help letting out a bitter smile. Did he think that it had all been her fault?


    That she was the person who didn''t cherish?


    In the afternoon, Carla attended another interview. She had applied for it long ago and didn''t want to give up even though a job was reserved for her already. If she passed it, she would have more choices.


    She was run off her feet the whole day until dusk. Finally she returned home, totally exhausted.


    But she still had work to do. She prepared porridge and buns for dinner, despite feeling tired and after that washed and cleaned vegetables.


    After everything was done and dinner was ready, she finally lay on the sofa to relax.


    She reached for her phone to check for any messages when the door bell rang.

 Chapter 57 Where Did Sean Go

    "Who is that?"


    There was no way it could be Sean because during this time, he should still be at school attending his classes. If it was not him, then who could it possibly be?


    Carla couldn''t think of anyone who would be dropping by for a visit, so she put down her phone on the table, put on her slippers, and walked toward the door. Looking through the peephole, she intrigued to find out who was outside the door.


    Surprisingly though, there was no one outside and all she could see was an empty stoop by her doorstep.


    Driven by intense curiosity, Carla slowly opened the door, craning her neck out carefully. Of course, she did it with extreme caution, with one hand pressing on the door, just in case she might need to draw back and lock it up anytime.


    However, as she was cautiously looking around, she got a bit startled after noticing a figure leaning against the side of the wall.


    It was a man, someone she wasn''t expecting to see at all.


    "Hey, there. It''s been a while. Aren''t you going to invite me in?"


    Terence stared at the woman who had been very wary all the while. She appeared to have been so stunned upon seeing his appearance after such a long time of having no communication between the two of them.


    Carla swung the door fully open, rubbing the back of her head. It seemed like she bumped it somewhere when she reflexively took a step backward in surprise.


    Terence observed every move she made. Back when they were still living together, he would have reached out a helping hand in an instant, caressing the back of her head, and playfully teasing her for being so clumsy and for behaving in such a silly manner.


    The truth was that he actually still had the impulse to hold her in his arms the moment he was finally able to lay his eyes on her again.


    But he simply refrained from doing so. In fact, it took almost all of his strength just to hold back the urge to do so.


    He knew full well that he had to be thick-skinned if he really wanted to meet her, because he couldn''t think of any other way he would be able to face her after everything that had happened.


    Upon entering the room, Terence deeply frowned. He was saddened by the fact that the current place Carla and Sean were staying in was even more cramped than their previous one. At least, back then, there used to be two separate bedrooms. Now, there was only one bedroom available and a living room with a sofa bed.


    The furniture and the electrical appliances looked so crude that it was so apparent, even with just a single glance, that they had only been acquired for temporary use.


    Looking around the apartment, he wondered out loud, "Does Sean sleep in the living room?" Unable to stop himself from asking, he simply couldn''t bear the thought of Carla sleeping in the living room.


    "I''m the one who sleeps here," Carla replied, "because I would most probably be out until way up late, so I just didn''t want to disturb him in his sleep by the time I get back from work if he stays in the living room instead."


    Upon closer inspection, he actually noticed Carla''s pajamas hanging on the headboard of the sofa bed in the living room along with a few of her other belongings within arm''s reach.


    All of it was proof enough that what she had just told him was indeed true.


    At that point, Terence started getting entangled with various kinds of complex emotions. It felt as if someone was tearing his heart into a million pieces and setting it on fire, greatly saddening and disheartening him.


    Coming from a rich family, he couldn''t begin to imagine how she could go on living while being stuck in such a miserable situation. She had obviously been going through a lot after that tragic fire in their old apartment.


    And she had never even spoken a word about any of this nor turned to him for help.


    "I''ve heard about what happened to your previous apartment. Have you found any clues?" Trying really hard not to look straight into her eyes, Terence forced it upon himself to bring up a different topic. He quickly turned his gaze away from her and stared at a piece of furniture, something which he could only describe using the word "depressing".


    "No. They only told me that it had been caused by leakage of natural gas, but no one was able to completely explain how it happened in great


    o so. Something deep down her heart always managed to prevent her from erasing him completely out of her life.


    Now, the number finally ended up coming in very handy.


    "I''m on my way back to the hotel. What''s the matter? Is everything okay?" Terence asked anxiously, thinking he had just been seeing things when he saw Carla''s caller ID upon checking his phone. He didn''t think she''d ever be the first to call him after their previous conversation.


    Upon leaving from her apartment, he didn''t go back right away, and instead paced back and forth around the building in exasperation for a quite some time to clear up his emotions.


    But as soon as he heard her voice, all of the complex emotions he had tried so hard to rid himself of suddenly came rushing back again just like that and his heart started hammering once more.


    "Is Sean with you? He should have been back home by now. Did you meet up with him when you went downstairs? Put him on the phone. I''ll let him know how I''m going to discipline him later. He needs to be taught a lesson for making me worry about him."


    Carla tried her best to make her voice sound calm over the phone, but it still came out trembling with uneasiness. All she wanted was to make sure Sean was doing just fine.


    "Has Sean gone missing? Hasn''t he come back to your apartment yet?"


    furrowing his brows, Terence asked. He gestured toward Nathan who was driving to tell him to turn the car around. "Carla, calm down. Sean isn''t with me right now. But I''ll go back to your apartment as soon as possible to help you look for him. I''m on my way as we speak. Stay right where you are. Don''t worry. I am here for you."


    Carla''s blood ran cold upon hearing Sean was not with him. Losing all of her strength, she turned so feeble that she couldn''t even hold the phone properly.


    She had already been frightened once in JA City, but that was a real false alarm because she found out later that he was just with Terence roaming around. This time, it was really happening. It was getting totally dark outside.


    And she still couldn''t see any signs that Sean might be coming back anytime soon.


    Carla''s heart was beating so loud you could probably hear it from a mile away. Anxiety had submerged her deeper than ever before.


    The fear of losing someone close was unimaginable unless one had already experienced it firsthand.


    Carla desperately wanted to go downstairs right away to look for Sean, only to find herself weak in the knees, unable to move an inch. She had never really hated herself before for being so vulnerable, not until now.


    She thumped on her legs as hard as she could, desperately wanting to get herself to move and find Sean as soon as possible. It would be much better to believe that Sean had just been having such a good time hanging out at his friend''s house, so much that he lost track of time.


    "Carla!"

 Chapter 58 I Will Not Let Him Be In Danger

    Terence strode toward Carla who looked so distraught and was helplessly sitting on the floor. Much too disoriented, she seemed to be totally out of it.


    Then, he lifted her up and carried her in his arms, saying with his brows furrowed, "Carla, please try not to worry too much. I''ve already asked Nathan and Rainer to look for Sean.


    I''ve specifically told them to check all of the surveillance videos around the school, and since the security cameras are basically everywhere, I believe that they''ll be able to locate Sean much sooner!"


    While comforting her, Terence walked inside the room holding her in his arms.


    "Terence, I''m so worried and frightened. I don''t know what to do. I feel so powerless.


    Sean is the only family I have left in this world. I can''t bear the thought of losing him!"


    Upon realizing that Terence had come back just so he could accompany her, Carla could not contain her emotions any longer and immediately burst into tears, clinging tightly onto his clothes with both of her hands.


    "No, you will not lose Sean. Please try to pull yourself together. He needs you to be strong, now more than ever. Trust me. I will do everything I can in my power just to help you find him and bring him back home to you safe and sound." Terence held her closely in his arms and patted her repeatedly on the back, trying to calm her down. And because he wasn''t used to seeing her in a state like that, it was hard for him to watch the strong woman he loved so dearly acting so vulnerable.


    Carla, upon reflecting on all of the things that happened, managed to calm herself down eventually. Then, she made a phone call to ask Sean''s teacher for the phone numbers of his close friends who he would often be playing with, after which she anxiously called them one by one to check whether Sean had just been hanging out with them all along, hoping he was doing just fine.


    However, the result just terribly disappointed her, because Sean didn''t come over to any of his friends'' houses.


    One of his friends told Carla that he actually walked out of the school together with Sean at the same time and thought that Sean had just simply headed straight back home.


    Carla, who had tried her best to remain calm up until that moment, started feeling distressed and worried again. In that brief moment of weakness, she suddenly couldn''t hold back her sadness anymore and began tearing up again in front of Terence, disregarding their differences and the state their relationship was currently in. Besides, there was no else left for her to lean on to apart from him, so she felt so grateful for his presence.


    "Carla, please don''t cry. Just give me some more time and be patient. Panicking would only make things worse. I promise that I will not let anything happen to him!"


    It was a bit hard to believe that just a few moments ago, Terence still hated how Carla had been so heartless toward him, but now, upon seeing his beloved girl crying, all of those feelings of hatred had instantly withered away, and instead, he simply felt sorry for her. Just as much as he wanted to make sure Sean was safe, he was also very eager to lift Carla''s spirits up.


    At this moment, Terence somehow came up with an idea, so he put his hands over Carla''s shoulders and asked, "Carla, this might be a long shot, but it''s well worth trying. Does Sean still wear the bracelet I had given him?"


    Carla had already forgotten about that bracelet, the real-time location of which could be tracked by Terence from an app.


    As Terence reminded her of that, she began feeling hopeful again, even if it was just a little bit, and immediately nodded. "Yes. That bracelet is so precious to Sean. He wears it every single day after you gave it to him," she answered.


    Terence bobbed his head to acknowledge Carla''s response and immediately took out his phone to check and sent Sean''s bracelet''s real-time location information to Nathan, with hopes that maybe they could find him sooner.


    Carla was still extremely anxious and distressed, her frightened expression showing signs of weakness. Throughout the years, she had always thought herself to be an independent woman with a strong will, but now, she was starting to realize how wrong she had been. She was actually just a frail city girl,


    e given the highest priority. No matter what kind of method you use, you have to ensure Sean''s safety and take him to me unscathed! Do I make myself clear?"


    Terence ordered, with a gloomy look seizing his handsome face.


    Upon hanging up the phone, Terence headed back into the living room. With tears still running down her cheeks, Carla walked up to him barefoot the moment she saw him.


    "Terence, did you get any updates regarding Sean? Were they able to track him down through his bracelet?"


    Without any intentions of telling her the whole thing in detail, including all his speculations, Terence just replied briefly and gently, "Yes. They discovered that Sean has actually been taken into a minivan near the school while he was walking on his way home. Now, the minivan has been located and is actually currently being chased by the police. Don''t worry. Since we have discovered this matter just in time, your brother can definitely be brought back to you very soon."


    "What? Do you mean my brother has been abducted by some human traffickers?"


    Carla was so horrified that she clenched her teeth a bit too hard. "Those human traffickers are so terrible! Sean hasn''t done anything to deserve this. When they get arrested, they should be given severe punishments!" she screamed, seething with so much anger.


    Although they were living in a seemingly peaceful society, there were still many criminals lurking around.


    To make matters worse, Sean usually went back home on his own, so those bad guys must have found out about that and tailed him in secret.


    "That''s right. They should receive serious punishments. Especially since they got an innocent child involved in this matter." Terence held her in his arms and caressed her tenderly. "Carla, the minivan is being chased by policemen as we speak, so I assure you that Sean is going to be fine."


    Desperately trying to hide a guilty expression in his eyes, Terence sighed and thought to himself, ''I''m sorry, Carla. All of this could possibly be because of me.


    I hope you can forgive me, but I really can''t bring myself to tell you about it right now. I''m scared that if you find out the truth, you would keep distancing yourself from me even more than you already are.


    Since we have appeared and are already so involved in each other''s lives, I will never leave your side. I''ll always be here for you.''


    At about 9:00


    in the evening, as Carla was worriedly waiting for more information about Sean, the gray minivan had finally been subdued by the police on the ring road of BH City. As expected, Sean was on the car, but he was asleep when they found him. And upon checking up on him to make sure he was alright, they found out that he had been injected with some unidentified drug.


    There was a large number of police cars parked on the four-lane asphalt road at the moment.

 Chapter 59 The Successful Rescue

    The whole street was filled with police cars, blocking all the exits. Flashing lights and sirens blared in all directions. The minivan was surrounded by police and the kidnappers had no other choice but to get out of their vehicle and surrender themselves.


    They hadn''t anticipated such a grand scale of police to come so they gave up the fight, coming out of the van with their hands in the air.


    The police quickly jumped upon them, restraining them all in handcuffs and led them away.


    Carla arrived at the scene and waited anxiously for clearance from the police. Once she got the OK sign she hurried out of the car and ran towards the minivan where Sean was. She waited as the police carried her brother out of the van. Carla was beside herself with worries. She kept repeating her thanks and gratitude to the police, "Thank you! Thank you so much!" The ambulance took over and put Sean gently onto a stretcher so that they could check his vitals. "Don''t worry, Miss. I have just checked your brother. He''s unconscious but he will be all right."


    "Sean!" She couldn''t help crying out when she saw her brother''s pale face. However, she felt greatly relieved when the paramedic told her that he would be okay.


    "Thank you very much. I don''t know what to say to express my gratitude. Thank you."


    Carla caressed her brother''s hair and gently kissed his cheek. ''Thank God, he is okay.''


    Terence followed Carla and shook hands with the police commissioner. "Commissioner, thank you, for bringing your whole squad team."


    The police commissioner saluted Terence. He replied with only the slightest smile in his eyes, "Mr. Terence, not at all. You are the grandson of our military leader from headquarters and that makes you our leader. Your words are the orders we must answer to. You don''t have to be thankful, sir."


    Terence nodded at him. As quickly as the squad team had come, they were just as quick to disperse. Once again the street had fallen silent.


    Carla followed the ambulance to the hospital.


    She waited for the doctors to run a full body check on Sean.


    Since the very beginning of the rescue, Terence had stayed by her side the whole time. She didn''t have to ask him for help. He voluntarily offered to solve issues that had arisen to allow her to rest.


    After a series of tests on Sean, the results had shown that he didn''t have any injuries. The doctors simply informed her that Sean was lacking in some vitamins and asked her to get some from the drug store.


    Carla could finally rest knowing that Sean was fine. She looked at her dear little brother and breathed a sigh of relief while she held his little hand in hers.


    "Terence, I don''t know how to thank you. You saved my brother, so you saved me as well." She gazed up at Terence who was standing beside the bed. ''If it wasn''t for you, I don''t know what would have happened next. I really don''t know, '' she murmured in her heart.


    Sometimes, God''s plans were not for humans to understand. When she had finally put everything behind her, burning the bridge to Terence, wanting to completely disappear from his world, the kidnapping happened. Fate had yet again conspired against her. She had to drop her guard and was compelled to ask for his help.


    This somehow brought her deep shame. She lost her shield and her fragile state opened in front of his eyes.


    Terence looked at her. Over the past days, she had grown thinner since the whole ordeal had taken a toll on her. He decided to cheer her up and teasingly said to her, "You''re welcome, Carla. But, I prefer actions over words. Do you know what I mean?"


    A moment ago, he


    me as Sean. It broke her heart to see Sean so fearful. Although she couldn''t accept being with Terence romantically, his action to help them really touched her heart.


    "It''s okay. We''ll stay with Terence," she replied tenderly.


    Terence smiled satisfied and relieved with her decision and then concentrated on driving.


    When they had arrived at the hotel, Terence called Rainer to meet them at the front gate. While they waited, Terence spoke with Sean to reassure him that everything would be all right now. When Rainer had arrived, Terence asked him to take Sean upstairs and to stay with him during the night.


    He knew that after the kidnapping and the overdosage of anesthetic, Sean would feel scared and may have nightmares.


    Fortunately, nothing serious had happened to Sean. They successfully rescued him in time.


    Carla''s room was right next to Sean''s. She went to check on him and make sure that he was fine. She then returned to her room and had a shower, eager to wash off all the negative energy and bad luck from her body.


    When she came out of the bathroom, she noticed Terence was there. He had been waiting for her in the suite while she was taking a shower.


    Carla stood silently staring at him. He was facing away from her, sitting quietly on the couch so he didn''t notice that Carla was there. His brows were slightly furrowed and he was looking down at the carpet, deep in thought.


    She quietly admired him from afar. His black hair glistened in the glow of the lamp. It was neatly cut and had a slight wave to it. Looking at his hair alone stirred feelings inside of her. She would love to run her fingers through that thick hair of his.


    Terence lowered his head slightly and rested his long perfectly manicured index finger above his eyebrow. He sat quiet and motionlessly the whole time, which made him seem like a magnificent sculpture carved from marble by a most skilled artist, his body superbly carved out in all the right places.


    Carla swallowed involuntarily.


    He was perfect. She wanted to savor the moment for a little longer.


    Carla''s eyes trailed his chiseled jawline and along his defined cheekbones. His eyes deep and dark, Carla would lose herself every time she looked into them. His nose was perfectly proportioned and his succulent mouth looked so irresistibly kissable.


    "Finished showering?"


    Terence suddenly asked without even raising his head.

 Chapter 60 Let Me Pay My Debt

    From where Carla stood, she didn''t see Terence was holding a tablet in his hand, so she thought he was simply musing. It turned out he was scanning through some documents in the tablet.


    He had a lot of work to do that day and on top of that, there was an important meeting that he couldn''t miss tomorrow.


    Terence barely had any time to sleep or rest for the past few days. If it was up to him, he would rather spend his time with Carla. And so, that was what he did.


    The moment Terence spoke up, Carla immediately looked up. Terence walked towards her.


    He moved aside to give her space on the couch. When she settled down, he handed her a folder. Then, he started to talk calmly, "You should take a look at these houses I chose for you.


    If you don''t care about your brother''s safety and whether he''s taken by the kidnappers, you can still refuse me and go back to your fingernail-sized house."


    Carla felt awkward so she coughed to disguise her embarrassment. She opened the folder and found that there were seven or eight apartments for her to choose. Her eyes went a little wide when she noticed that the smallest one was 134 square meters.


    "I think you should decide this. You can just pick one for us. I don''t have the money, so I''ll owe you this as a debt. I''ll pay you as soon as I earn some money." Carla placed the folder back on Terence''s hand. Since Terence chose the apartments himself, Carla was certain that they were safe enough and the road leading to the school would be safe as well. For her, there was nothing much to think about.


    Terence lifted his head up and raised his eyebrows, "The money to be used is from the rent of the shop so you don''t need to pay. This money is your reward to begin with. You have the right to use it."


    Carla took her eyes off Terence and meekly nodded. She realized that she shouldn''t pretend to be strong for Sean''s sake. The kid had gone through a lot of pain already.


    Although in her defense, she didn''t know those kidnappers'' underlying despicable intentions.


    Carla thought that they were just human traffickers randomly choosing Sean because he was alone and easy to handle, so she didn''t think too much of the whole kidnapping.


    However, Terence had no intention of telling her the truth. He had his own plans. If he could use this situation to keep this lovely kitten that always tried to push him away with her claws


    hat Terence had moved on.


    The moment Carla was placed down, Terence leaned forward slightly. He was so close to her lips that she could feel his breath.


    Suddenly, Carla''s lips trembled and just like that, their lips met.


    Her lips were so sweet. When she touched Terence''s lips, it felt like feathers were tickling his lips.


    Carla didn''t have much experience in kissing. She was very nervous but she kissed Terence fiercely. She sucked his bottom lip, begging for entrance. When Terence opened his mouth a little, she slid her tongue and deepened the kiss. Her hands roamed all over his body, to his arms, his chest, his face and rested on his hair.


    Although she was so clumsy, it still made Terence excited and a little aroused. Terence felt himself tense a little too.


    Terence''s breath soon became heavy, but he constrained himself. It was hard especially when Clara was kissing him like that. Soon enough, he let her tongue in and made her try all the things she wanted to do to provoke him.


    It wasn''t until Terence felt that Carla was getting tired that he took charge and kissed her back passionately. His tongue played and tangled with hers. Before he knew it, they landed on the bed on top of each other.


    "Terence... I''m sorry I don''t have anything to repay you for your help. Since you refused money, would you accept sex instead? Would that work for you?"


    Carla asked with ragged breathes as she watched the man above her undo his belt.


    In an instant, Terence became stiff.


    "Carla, did you do it on purpose?" Terence''s devastation could be heard in his voice.

 Chapter 61 New House

    Terence frowned, hugely turned off and thought crossly, ''If she hadn''t said that, I would have made love to her and taken her virginity right here and right now without any hesitation.''


    Either way, Carla would belong to him sooner or later. When he took her made no difference to him.


    However, when he thought of the reason why she was giving herself to him, it extinguished all the blazing passion that he had felt just a few moments ago. He wanted her to love him back, instead of doing this just to show her gratitude. It didn''t feel right. Terence thought that Carla had learned her lesson and would see how much she truly needed him, in her life.


    But in fact, she was still untamed at heart.


    "No, I mean it. Otherwise¡ª Why would I prepare this for you?" Carla''s beautiful eyes twinkled. She reached out and opened the drawer of the nightstand, pulling out a condom.


    "Come on. Don''t be disturbed. Let''s continue, shall we?" Taking the initiative, Carla reached out to unfasten his belt, only to be pushed aside bluntly.


    "It''s getting late. I''ve got business to do. I''ll come and see you later."


    Terence straightened up and fastened his belt. He grabbed his shirt and strode away from the bed. Picking up the tablet computer from the living room, he quickly left the room.


    "Ha¡ªHa!"


    Carla lay back on the bed and burst into laughter after his departure. She smiled as she glanced at the condom wrapped in silver foil in her hand.


    ''Why did he run away?


    Wasn''t he the one who wanted this so badly before?'' she wondered.


    In a room of the hotel next door, Nathan lay the files out that were just sent to them from the police station on the desk in front of Terence.


    "Mr. Terence, they are really traffickers. The only problem is that someone had sent them the information and asked them to kidnap Sean. But they don''t know who it was that sent them the information. This person is so deeply hidden. We haven''t been able to find their identity yet, in such a short time. But we''re still working on it."


    Terence crossed his arms and glanced at the files.


    "The time is too short? You haven''t found him yet?"


    Nathan lowered his head at once and said, "We have started with JA City. For the moment, Johnny and Marcus can be excluded. The trouble we brought them before wasn''t too serious but was enough to keep them busy for a while.


    As for your father, we don''t think he was the one, after the investigation. He doesn''t have motive." "So?"


    "So, there''s only Miss Megan left. You drove her out of the villa and she probably feels humiliated. She would hold a grudge against you. Every time she wanted to see you, you refused. It''s more than likely that she wanted to vent her anger out on Miss Carla."


    Terence held his chin in his hand and stared thoughtfully at the affidavit on the table. There were surging cu


    e.


    The flow of people there was comparatively large. Especially during the day when parents drove their children to and from school. Policemen would be there to regulate the traffic. It was perfectly safe.


    The apartment itself was much larger than their old one and it had a nice big balcony for Carla and Sean to enjoy.


    Terence must have devoted a lot of time and effort to find such a suitable house in so short a time, especially in the school district.


    "Miss Carla, from now on, this is yours and Sean''s new home. The designer has come this morning. If you have any ideas about the decor or furniture, please let me know.


    As for the cost of the furniture, you can rest assured that Mr. Terence has taken care of that. Anything that may appeal to you or Sean please feel free to let me know and I will arrange it. Please come in and make yourselves at home."


    Saying so, Rainer showed her around the house.


    "What a big beautiful house, Carla! Terence is so amazing! He found us such a wonderful new home in such a short time!" Sean said as he looked around in awe. His voice filled with adoration.


    "Carla, this is your room and this one is mine. And this one, is for Terence. He won''t have to sleep on the sofa anymore,"


    Sean said in excitement.


    "What..." Rainer looked at Carla in disbelief and then bent down to ask Sean curiously, "Sean, did you just say that Mr. Terence slept on¡ªOn the sofa in your old apartment?"


    Having been raised up like a prince, Terence had lived in seascape villas that were worth billions since he was a child. He rode in luxury cars such as a Rolls-Royce and Maserati. How could he possibly sleep on the sofa in someone else''s home so shamelessly?


    Sean blinked up at him with those black and innocent eyes of his and nodded without hesitation.


    "Yes. Terence always slept on the sofa, because Carla wouldn''t let him sleep with her!"

 Chapter 62 Rainer And Nathan

    Once Sean had exposed the little secret about Terence, he was flicked on the head.


    "Sean, shut up!" Carla glared at him. The boy was rescued from danger not that long ago. But he had already gotten over the fear and was even gossiping with Rainer.


    Sean made a face at Carla. He soon realized that he said too much to Rainer. He grabbed his arm and pleaded, "Rainer, don''t tell anyone else, please. Or Terence will be mad at me."


    "Ha¡ªHa! don''t worry. My lips are sealed! Sean, you can tell me whatever you want to."


    Rainer smiled. He felt a great sense of satisfaction because Terence hardly talked about himself in front of them. His secrets were not easy to be found out.


    In the evening, Terence returned to the hotel at a very late hour.


    What was worse, he was as drunk as a lord.


    Nathan helped him to the room and asked the hotel staff to prepare some hangover soup.


    "Nathan, why is Mr. Terence so drunk?" Rainer helped his brother lay Terence on the bed. He looked at him frowning. "Who dared make Mr. Terence drink so much?"


    "Nobody did! It was Mr. Terence himself," Nathan explained.


    "Oh," Rainer answered. Then he opened the closet and took out a pair of pajamas, ready to help Terence change into them.


    When he was about to get Terence changed, Nathan stopped him by grasping his hand.


    "Leave him like that. Where is Miss Carla? Tell her that Mr. Terence wants to see her. Ask her to come here," Nathan said to him, without showing much expression. Then he took the pajamas from his brother and put them on the sofa.


    "But, why? Isn''t this our job? Besides, Miss Carla is a girl and she¡ª"


    Rainer asked in confusion. However, before he could finish, he was shocked by Nathan''s action. Nathan pulled Terence across the bed, leaving him dangling precariously on the edge, so that he could fall out at any moment.


    "Nathan! What are you doing? What if Mr. Terence falls out?"


    Rainer exclaimed in panic.


    "Do you know why Mr. Terence got so drunk? Mr. Zhao had arranged two girls for Mr. Terence during dinner. He used it as an excuse that it was for work. You weren''t there. The girls were so hot. I barely even controlled myself when I saw how they flirted with Mr. Terence."


    Nathan lowered his voice. Then he closed Terence''s door and pulled Rainer closer to him.


    "Have you ever seen Mr. Terence try so hard and spend so much time, to get anything? As his men, shouldn''t we lend him a hand now?


    Go ahead. Ask Miss Carla to come over,"


    Nathan said encouraging Rainer. Nathan was a vigorous and energetic young man. Even though he didn''t have a girlfriend, he would never suppress his sexual desires and therefore had a lot of bed partners.


    If tonight, he had been in Terence''s position, he wouldn''t have refused the girls. He knew what


    she realized that it was an absolute waste of time and effort in trying to help a drunk man.


    It was completely useless! The best thing for her to do now was to leave.


    When Carla was about to take her bag and leave, Terence slowly opened his eyes. He tried to focus on the person before him.


    When he recognized her, he said in a croaky voice, "Carla?"


    She breathed a sigh of relief when he was finally awake. Carla put the soup on the table and said, "Great! you''re finally awake! Come here and drink the hangover soup now."


    She was anxious to get back to her own bed and have a good night sleep. She wanted him to drink it as soon as possible so she could leave.


    However, Terence shook his head and threw the covers from his body.


    "I need to use the toilet¡ª" he mumbled.


    Carla was feeling desperate now.


    No wonder he woke up all of a sudden. He wasn''t awaken by her, but by his full bladder.


    "Wait a minute! I''m going to get Nathan and Rainer to help you!"


    Terence tried to stand up and fumbled to find his footing. Carla was too small and weak to help him. Besides, even if she did manage to help him get to the toilet, how was she going to help him pee?


    "Nathan! Rainer! Open the door!"


    Carla rang the bell of their room again and again. However, there was no response. She pounded her small fists on the door several times and it was deadly quiet inside.


    On the other side of the door, Nathan and Rainer stood quietly listening.


    "Nathan, why don''t we open the door?" Rainer whispered to his brother who stood next to him with a frown.


    "We can''t! Just go back to sleep!" Nathan said coolly, as he returned to his bed.


    "But why?"


    "No more questions!"


    Carla still stood and waited for someone to open the door.


    When she was about to knock on the door again, she heard a loud noise coming from Terence''s room.

 Chapter 63 Terence Is Lovely

    Carla was thinking about asking a waiter for help. But after she heard the heavy muffled clunk from the Terence''s room, she stopped knocking on Nathan''s door and ran back to where Terence was.


    Her heart started to pound when she found


    Terence sat on the floor, sighing. One of his elbows was bent and propped on his knee. He looked up at the ceiling with a hand on his forehead.


    ''How could I have fallen?'' he thought.


    Terence eyed her and didn''t ask her for help as he saw Carla enter the room.


    Instead, he managed to lean his hand on the wall, trying to stand up slowly.


    He had almost hit the floor several times. Fortunately, he still managed to support himself up.


    Carla tried her best not to laugh and walked towards him to offer her arm, "Looks like you need some help. Your men, Nathan and Rainer, were kind of in a deep sleep. I tried to wake them up but I wasn''t successful."


    Terence leaned against the wall for a little while longer. He raised an eyebrow as he looked at Carla, who was trying hard not to laugh. He was a little unhappy but decided to not to say anything. He really needed to go to the bathroom and really needed help. Finally, he let her help him walk towards the bathroom.


    This scenario reminded her of the day when Terence got hurt.


    The only difference was that he was more sober than now.


    Carla had intended to leave after she helped him go to the bathroom. However, she tried to persuade herself to stay a bit longer in case he might need help. Trying to hide the flush on her cheeks, she asked, "Uhm... can you manage it?"


    She felt awkward at the thought of seeing his private parts.


    "Well, you tell me if I can!"


    Terence frowned as he replied. He started to unbuckle his belt in front of her yet he didn''t have the strength to continue.


    He had been in love with her and was still waiting for her love. It never crossed his mind to have sex with another woman. Otherwise, he wouldn''t feel so uncomfortable like right now.


    Carla quickly turned her head away. She stayed there for a while but he still failed to unbuckle his belt.


    Finally givin


    d put it on the thin quilt to feel his growing hard-on.


    She felt every hair on her body to rise. She tried to move away her hand but Terence managed to hold it down.


    "Well, this is what makes me unwell."


    His eyes were burning with lust. He whispered, "Carla, I am a normal healthy man. So it is normal that I want to bed you. Please don''t be afraid of me. I am not as bad as you might think."


    Carla tried her best not to look at her hand. She shifted her eyes on somewhere else.


    "T-Terence! Yesterday was just an accident. I am really sorry! I didn''t want it to happen! Please understand. I am a conservative woman! My m-mother raised me not to be an easy woman!


    Unless we get married, I think we should keep a safe distance between each other."


    Terence let go of her hand and asked again, "Well, why not try to help me in another way?"


    "Wait, what? Huh?"


    Carla spoke blankly as she glanced at him. A moment later, she felt her palm becoming hotter and hotter.


    Terence looked at her as if she was crazy. Looked like she didn''t know anything about sex.


    He thought to himself, ''Looks like I should feel happy about it. She never had any experience so I will be able to teach many things.''


    "Alright then. Relax. Just listen to me carefully and I will tell you what to do. But first, turn off the lights please,"


    Terence spoke hoarsely but his dark eyes shone in anticipation.

 Chapter 64 Be My Woman

    Carla didn''t understand. She didn''t understand any of it. After all, she didn''t have any experience so she turned off the light as told.


    The moment the light was turned off, arguing was heard in the darkness.


    "What are you doing?"


    "Of course I''m helping."


    "No!"


    "Yes!"


    "Why? !"


    "Because I''m protecting you."


    There was dead silence.


    It took a few minutes before anything could be heard again.


    "Terence, can you just let me go?" cried Carla in a trembling voice.


    Carla had never done it even though she was already twenty-three years old. It was her first time so she was going through a lot of thoughts and emotions.


    "Don''t cry. If you keep crying, I''ll shut your mouth with..." Terence threatened her with a hoarse voice.


    "What? Wait! "


    The next morning, Carla was awakened by the sunlight, but she couldn''t open her eyes.


    She couldn''t remember how she fell asleep and what happened last night as if she was drunk.


    Her memories were in a blur, or maybe, her mind consciously chose to forget something.


    She felt that her palm was slimy and instinctively rubbed her hand at the nearest thing she could reach. Appalled by what she touched, she opened her eyes.


    As if lightning struck her, Carla sat up immediately.


    She lifted the quilt and wanted to flee, but she accidentally overdid it and uncovered Terence, who was lying naked.


    She felt embarrassed and shameful at the sight of what she shouldn''t have seen. Biting her lip, she hurriedly threw the quilt back on him, covering his waist down.


    Then, she turned around, suppressing her nausea and was ready to run away.


    "Carla?"


    Terence was wakened by the noise and called out her name filled with uncertainty. He didn''t know why Carla was there.


    Rubbing his still throbbing head, Terence only remembered Nathan helping him because he was too drunk and nothing else.


    "Why aren''t you speaking? Did you just come in?"


    Terence asked unconsciously while shaking his head and rubbing his temple.


    Carla stood still. What happened last night flashed through her mind. Every detail of the shameful encounter struck her, but he just asked whether she just came in.


    She was cursing this despicable man in her mind.


    Seeing her stood still, Terence lifted his quilt and walked over to her, only to find himself...


    naked.


    Looking up at Carla who was backing away from him, he noticed that her pajama was crumpled as if she just got up.


    All the signs indicated one thing, which Terence had just realized. He picked up the bath towel on the ground to cover up himself and continued to walk towards her.


    Carla didn''t want to see him and avoided his eyes. When he approached her, she turned away.


    "Carla," Terence


    stated.


    Terence frowned as he didn''t understand what he meant. "What do you mean? Tell me why?"


    Nathan looked back at the white sheet again and held it up as if he was holding the evidence.


    Compared to Terence, Nathan had more sexual experience and therefore, more knowledge on the matter.


    "Mr. Terence. Miss Carla has always seemed reserved. She refused to have sex with you several times and kept you hanging. But the truth is, she probably had sex with different men before. She''s a liar,"


    Nathan explained.


    "Brother, what are you saying? Don''t you just judge people like that! I believe Miss Carla is not that kind of women!" Rainer quickly stopped him. ''What''s wrong with Nathan today?


    How could he say such satirical words when he was always a discreet man?'' Rainer thought.


    "Rainer, you don''t understand. Mr. Terence has done so much for her. We''re both witnesses to everything. I just feel like it''s not worth it," Nathan argued.


    Nathan thought that if Miss Carla was honest, he could accept her. If she was indeed a virgin like she said, then she would be a respectable woman. There were only so few of them.


    But now it seemed like she was not. He saw how Terence suffered for her, but she refused him every time.


    She already had sexual experience, but pretended to know nothing and played hard to get.


    He felt disgusted.


    Terence looked at Nathan who was indignant and knew what he meant. Nathan lifted the quilt because he thought they had sex last night.


    But there was no blood on the bed sheet, so he believed that Carla was not a virgin.


    Terence knew that Nathan was just looking out for his best interests.


    "Nathan, stop talking. Whether she''s a virgin or not, it doesn''t matter. From now on, she''s mine,"


    Terence reproached him and strode off to the bathroom.

 Chapter 65 She Wasnt Unfaithful

    Inside the bathroom, Terence stood in the shower, desperately rubbing his head and trying to recall everything that happened last night. However, his head still hurt from the hungover and he couldn''t remember anything after he was assisted to his room.


    ''What if Nathan''s judgment is accurate?


    If Carla did lose her virginity to another man before me, does it matter? Do I really don''t care?''


    he asked himself seriously. The hot water kept streaming down at him yet he was drowned with his thoughts so he completely ignored the heat.


    Terence knew that he came from a complicated background. However, no matter how many times various women threw themselves at him¡ªexcept for a couple of times when he had to act intimate with some women for the sake of their corporation¡ª


    not once did he really have sex with a woman. He remained a virgin.


    Moreover, he knew that whether men or women, once they had been blinded with lust, their own desires would consume them until it turned into greed.


    Fortunately, he was a man with discipline and kept himself in control every single time. Or, that was simply because he hadn''t really been attracted to anyone.


    He would rather stay alone and wait for that one special woman to enter his life than follow the trend and play with women''s feelings like they were wrapped around his finger.


    So technically, he had never surrendered himself to lust. He wanted to preserve it for that special woman.


    Everything remained the same until he laid eyes on Carla.


    Terence wiped the water away from his face and remembered the first time they met. It was dark at night and when he stopped her electric scooter, her beautiful eyes shined as she opened them widely and stared straight into his eyes. For a second, he thought that he had met an angel since looking into her eyes was like looking at the ocean¡ªas clear, as vast and as deep. In that very moment, nothing seemed important anymore. Just one glance at her lighted up his whole world and it felt like stars were falling out from her eyes. At that moment, he knew that he could never part from this woman, not anymore.


    Terence woke up from his recollection and walked out of the shower. He wrapped himself with a towel and entered the bedroom.


    He thought to himself, ''Even if Carla had a boyfriend when we first met, I won''t hesitate to try and take her away from him no matter what.


    If that''s the case, I don''t think her virginity matters to me. I will always take her as she is and never will I regret my choice.'' Terence concluded and curled up his thin lips.


    Meanwhile, downstairs in the dining room, the woman who was happily having breakfast with her little brother had no idea that Terence almost flipped his world upside-down after she left this morning.


    What she also didn''t know was that Nathan almost placed her in the lowest category in his head since he didn''t see any sign of her losing virginity after a whole night of sleeping together with Terence.


    She would never know how many accusations had been placed over her head. Even if in reality, she was the true victim last night.


    "Hey Carla, you know what? Terence got me a driver and he told me the driver will send me to school every morning and even pick me up at the end of the day. I told him that I don''t need a driver. I will just walk with my friends on the main road. But he insisted... So...So I said yes because I knew he won''t let me go on my own. I don''t know. I''m just a kid. But I think you should know about this,"


    Sean told Carla while they were eating. He pouted at her the whole time and looked straight at her with his puppy dog eyes.


    Sean was completely fine with Terence''s offer for he could still recall the other kids and their parents calling him a liar. He wanted the other kids to know that he was telling the truth but he was also afraid that Carla might be mad at him.


    "Okay. If he insisted, then just do as he said," Carla threw an unusual respo


    lding something in his hand.


    "Hey, Miss Carla. Mr. Terence asked me to give you this," Rainer smiled at her and passed the laptop to her.


    Carla paused for a second and finally, she couldn''t resist and laughed out loud. She thought that Terence was too busy to pay any attention to her when she came to his room. However, Carla was wrong about him. Terence knew exactly what she needed after observing her actions.


    "Miss Carla, Mr. Terence is working on a multi-million contract right now. He''s going to meet up with the main shareholders and discuss the next step. I hope you don''t mind but can you leave him to finish his work for the next two days?" Rainer carefully explained.


    Only, Terence didn''t ask him to say any of that. After this morning, Rainer was still apprehensive towards Carla so he tried to create a distance between Carla and Terence.


    "Oh no, not at all. Of course, I won''t bother him. I have never seen him this concentrated at work. If this is urgent, I''ll leave him alone for sure." Carla didn''t think much about Rainer''s words. She liked it when Terence focused on his work.


    ''Be a man, do the right thing. Being busy is good for him, '' she told herself and smiled at Rainer.


    "Okay, I need to go now. Call me if you need anything." Rainer turned around and disappeared in the corridor.


    Carla closed the door and threw herself on the bed. She turned on the laptop, logged into her email account and started to go through the regulations again.


    Two hours had past and Carla was getting tired. She pushed the laptop to the side and started to stretch her neck and back muscles. After staying still for almost two hours, it started to hurt. ''These freaking regulations are killing me. Hm... Let''s see if there''s any game in his laptop, '' she grinned at the laptop and pulled it towards her.


    This laptop was Terence''s backup. Carla was looking through the files and came across his photos. A whole new world started to appear in front of Carla''s eyes. Scrolling through the pictures, it was pretty clear that Terence had traveled all around the world.


    ''Duh, he''s a wealthy man who comes from a powerful family. Of course, he had traveled around the world. Oh shit... No way! Isn''t this the government hall of that country and their prime minister?'' she tried to remember the prime minister''s name but failed. As she continued to look through his gallery, more than one country''s head leader started to appear.


    Just when Carla was giggling and scrolling, her finger suddenly froze. She put her index finger on the touching pad and scrolled up very slowly. The smile instantly disappeared on her face.

 Chapter 66 Have You Slept With Her

    Carla''s gaze was glued to the photo of Terence and a woman on the laptop screen.


    ''Who is she?'' she thought, confused.


    She saw two photos of Terence and this woman before. Now, she just found several photos of them again. Carla began to wonder what was the relationship between Terence and the woman.


    She zoomed the photo and tried to see the woman more clearly.


    With widened eyes, Carla leaned closer to the laptop screen. She noticed that the woman had good-looking eyebrows. She kept on wondering if the woman had her eyebrows tattooed or not.


    With this in mind, she touched her own natural eyebrows.


    The woman also had a pair of beautiful and attractive eyes. Carla thought that this kind of woman was usually the ones who were often seen hooking up with men.


    Perhaps she had plastic surgery to open up her eyes and make them look bigger.


    She also had a pointed chin. Carla was confused as to whether she had plastic surgery or not. The thought kept on bugging her.


    While staring at the woman who was beside Terence in the photo, Carla decided to open her phone camera. She positioned the phone in front of her face and looked at herself in the phone screen. Oddly irritated with her actions, she threw her phone to the desk after checking out her face.


    If she guessed correctly, this woman was Terence''s ex-girlfriend.


    She was pretty sure that Terence had no sisters. If this woman was not an ex-girlfriend then, why did they have so much photos together? The only possible explanation for them having too much photos was that they were in a relationship before.


    Besides, she realized while she was looking at the photos that they always had their arms around each other. Either that or she could see them with their hands on each other''s shoulders. By her standards, it was a clear sign that the both of them were in a pretty intimate relationship.


    Carla bit her fingernails. She was too absorbed in her own thoughts.


    She suddenly remembered that last night, Terence pressed her roughly on the mattress and forced her to... She couldn''t shake away the feeling that she experienced every time she thought about it again.


    A thought popped into her head. What if she was not the only one? What if there were other girls before her? What if she was just one of his women?


    At the thought of this, Carla suddenly was disgusted with Terence. She slammed Terence''s laptop down on the desk in anger.


    She had a feeling that Terence did those things with a lot of women before.


    Terence was born a member of the An family. They were considered as one of the richest and most powerful family in JA City. He was wealthy and influential. It was a given that there must be a lot of women that admired and chased him all the time.


    Carla refused to believe that he had never slept with women before.


    "What are you doing? Why didn''t you answer the door? I''ve been ringing the bell for so long. Is something wrong?"


    Terence headed straight to Carla''s room when he finished his work. He wanted to see her so badly. He kept on knocking but there was no answer from her. He noticed that the door was not locked so he decided to just enter the room.


    He saw her sitting there sulking when he entered the room. It seemed that som


    "Carla, what about you?" Terence asked, looking at Carla who was smiling happily in his arms.


    Carla stretched out her legs and positioned her feet on the armrest of the sofa, comfortably leaning in his arms. She replied without thinking, "I have never slept with any man. My parents died about three years ago. At that time, my brother was still in kindergarten and I also had to go to school. I was already busy enough because I needed to take care of my brother and myself all the time. I had no energy to date anyone."


    What she said was true. During those days, she was having a really hard time. It was impossible for her to spend her time in building a relationship with any man.


    However, when she was in senior high school, she once tried to confess to the most handsome boy in their school. She and Ruth even made a bet over that to see whether she could win the boy''s heart or not.


    But before she succeeded in getting the boy, he transferred to another school. She didn''t even get the chance to kiss him!


    She also had a secret crush on Evan for three years. However, she was not brave enough to tell him that she liked him.


    With this in mind, Carla felt disappointed. She thought that it would be best if she did not tell Terence about all of those.


    After hearing her, Terence thought of what Nathan said this morning.


    He had no idea whether or not Nathan was telling the truth. Was Carla really hiding something from him on purpose?


    "Get your hand off me."


    Carla batted Terence''s hand away when she noticed that he was placing his hand on her chest. After that, she picked up her phone and browsed through it leisurely.


    With furrowed eyebrows, Terence leaned towards her and placed his hand on her chest again. He deliberately pinched her skin a little hard. "You have already slept with me and we made love to each other last night. Why are you being shy all of a sudden? What''s stopping you from letting me touch you for a while?"


    "Get your hands off me! Who told you that I did such a thing with you?"


    Carla spat at him quickly without thinking, glaring at him with rage.


    When she was finished speaking, she bit her lip hard.

 Chapter 67 I Will Bite You Until You Listen

    ''Damn!


    It slipped out.''


    Carla knew that she had accidentally spat out the truth so she stood up all of a sudden, ready to make an escape. But Terence grabbed her before she had the chance to. He put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her back to him. He locked Carla in his embrace and she couldn''t move a muscle.


    "Carla? Did I hear you right? Do you realize the price you will have to pay for lying to my face?"


    Terence breathed heavily onto her neck. Carla felt extremely embarrassed and was raging inside. ''What do you mean by lying to your face? I didn''t lie. I just didn''t tell you the truth because I didn''t know where to begin...''


    Terence knew that Carla was trying to come up with some way to get away from him again. He loosened his grip just enough to lift her chin up to him. Without giving her any time to respond, he brought his mouth down on hers and kissed her hard on the lips.


    He was angry with her that she had lied to him and wanted to punish her. Carla tried to pull away but that just made Terence tighten his grip around her waist even more. He thrust his tongue inside her mouth, exploring every corner greedily. Carla let out a small moan. Terence circled his tongue around hers, teasing and licking her lips with his. Carla''s heart was pounding hard and fast in her chest. He pulled her waist even closer to him. Carla''s head was spinning and she felt breathless. She parted her lips slightly and Terence nibbled them with his lips and then thrusted his tongue in her mouth again while he kissed her passionately.


    Terence was lost in the passion of the kiss. He held her head back over his arm, kissing her deeply, but wanting more. Carla wanted to fight back but was overcome by a feeling of helplessness. A warm surge enveloped her. She moaned, as her body took over and writhed in pleasure pushing herself against him.


    Just as quickly as the kiss came, it had ended as Terence finally felt satisfied. He released her from his embrace.


    Carla sat on his lap for a moment bewildered. Her legs were shaky and she felt hot and out of breath. When she slowly opened her eyes and saw Terence''s face, she blushed and lowered her head. She was rendered speechless. A heavy silence lingered between them.


    Carla felt deeply ashamed and aggrieved. Tears welled in her eyes and streamed down her flushed cheeks. She slowly looked up at Terence through wet eyelashes and when Carla saw his angry face, she straightened her body, defensively. ''How dare he give me that look after what he just did!'' she thought furiously.


    Suddenly, she reached across and pinched Terence''s arm as hard as she could. "Terence, you''re such an asshole! Can''t you remember anything you did from last night? You forced me to¡ª


    You! You... I don''t want to continue this conversation anymore. I don''t want to talk to you anymore! It''s best that you just go back to your JA City as soon as possible!"


    She made her hand into a fist and tried to punch him in the shoulder but Terence swiftly sidestepped and pulled her into his lap again.


    Terence held her for a moment until she calmed down. He looked down at her and seeing her reddened eyes and distressed face, he realized that she wasn''t making it all up. He narrowed his eyes and questioned, "Carla, are you telling me that we didn''t make love last night? Instead, I forced you to do something else. Is that what you''re trying to tell me?"


    ''If that''s the case, everything will make sense now. What on earth did I force her to do though?'' Terence wondered, his curiosity piqued.


    Carla looked away, not able to look him in the eyes.


    "Why didn''t you tell me earlier this morning?" Terence''s expression had softened and was replaced with a teasing smile. He gently lifted her head up in his hands and probed further, "Carla just relax. Tell me exactly what happened last night, will you? And don''t leave any details out."


    Carla couldn''t believe this man. He was actually flirting with her in such a nasty way! She was still reeling in shock from that brutal kiss and shot him a fierce look, but couldn''t bring herself to say anything. At the thought of what he made her do, a lump rose in her throat.


    How could she possibly describe in detail, about how she had to endure the humiliation of being forced to jerk


    himself inside his heart, ''No matter what has happened, Carla never left me once. Even if mom and dad had gone, I was never alone.


    I will never be alone because I have Carla and Terence.''


    Sean was emotionally and physically exhausted, so he quickly fell asleep inside Carla''s arms.


    Carla slowly laid him down on the bed and gently covered him with the soft blanket. Though she had been lied down for a long while, she couldn''t sleep. The only sound that she heard in the suite was the steady rhythm of Sean''s breathing. She tilted her head and looked outside of the window, lost in her thoughts.


    It had become late in the evening and Carla was still having trouble sleeping.


    She got out of bed and walked slowly to the desk.


    On the hand-carved wooden desk, a black box was placed on top of it.


    Under the shimmering light of the table lamp, the box seemed to glow in the dark. The cover of the box was made of glass and metal and normally, one would be able to see the contents through the glass. However, it was now covered in soot from the fire. If looked closely, the pink flower pattern could still be made out faintly under the light.


    The box was from her mother''s generation. After Marian was married, the box had stayed with her and was very well preserved. If it wasn''t for the fire, the beautiful pattern on the outside of the box wouldn''t have been burned and gone for good.


    Even so, the robust material of the box had protected the contents that were saved inside of it. This was the only thing that had survived the fire.


    Knowing that the box was so precious to her mother, Carla never tried to open it, not even once.


    The box was hidden in her closet after their mother had passed away because she was afraid that Sean might constantly be reminded of her. He always cried when he thought of his mother.


    Who would have thought that everything else was destroyed in the fire and yet this little box that was hidden away had survived? Carla had all but forgotten about it, until she found it again.


    Carla took a piece of cloth and began to wipe the soot and ash residue from the box.


    She recalled that her mother used to put all her important things inside. Every time she tried to touch it when she was a little girl, Marian would always refuse her and hide it in her room.


    Carla ran her fair fingertip across the cover of the box. The color contrast of her finger and the box was so extreme that the shades could have represented the past and the present.


    Carla''s heart was shattered when she felt the coldness of the box beneath her fingertips. Tears ran down from her cheek and she finally lost it. ''Mom, I miss you so much! I hope you are at peace, '' she cried inside her heart.


    Click¡ª


    The sound of a crisp metal voice was heard in the silence of the night. The box had suddenly been opened by Carla.

 Chapter 68 The Memorial Day

    Carla cautiously opened the little box. On top of everything, a black and white photo caught her attention. The edge of the photo had turned yellow and seemed aged. She could tell from the photo that it was taken when her mom and dad were very young. Beneath it, there were two colored photos of the day that they got married. The pictures were not so clear and colors weren''t that saturated which indicated the age of the photograph, yet again.


    Carla felt sad as she stared at the happy smiles on their faces. ''They were so young at that time, so beautiful as well, '' Carla drowned herself in deep sorrows and tears started streaming down her cheeks.


    Over the past few years after Marian passed away, Carla hadn''t allowed herself to recall the good old days when her mother used to be around. She knew herself so well that once she started thinking of her mother, she would become weak and would want to escape from the reality. She was just a little girl when she lost her mother but she had to bear all the responsibilities that were left behind--their home, and Sean.


    Therefore, she refrained herself. She had to be strong for her brother and bring him up on her own.


    Continuous stream of tears blurred her eyes. Carla took a deep breath and flipped her parent''s photos to the back. Then she started to explore the inside of the box. While she was trying to sort things out, something hard and cold touched her finger. She picked it up gently and patiently.


    It was a ring.


    Carla took a close look at it and reckoned that the stone on that ring was emerald in a size of a fingernail.


    Under the soft glow of the lamp, the emerald was glowing in crisp green light. The emerald was so transparent that Carla could effortlessly see through it. It looked ageless. ''When had mom bought this beautiful ring?'' Carla wondered.


    She had never seen her mother wearing this ring. ''It looked garish for mom since she preferred plain colors over bright colors, '' Carla mumbled from within.


    She rolled the ring over and noticed a couple of letters carved onto the ring itself. She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand and took a close look at the letters. But they were too small for her eyes to see. She gave up soon enough.


    Then she tried it on her fingers. Strangely, it fitted perfectly on the ring finger of her right hand.


    At this moment, she felt intrigued and puzzled. She used to try on Marian''s rings but none of them fitted her since her fingers were slightly thinner than Marian''s. She could now confirm that this ring didn''t belong to her mother. ''But... Who''s ring is this then?'' Carla furrowed her brows and guessed, ''Maybe it was a ring that had been passed over from generation to generation? Maybe it belonged to my great grandma or great great grandma, who knows?'' Carla put aside her questions and continued her exploration.


    Although many of the things seemed familiar to her, some of them were definitely a novelty to her eyes. Marian seldom took this box out in public so Carla didn''t really know what else had been stored inside.


    im. I will take good care of him until he doesn''t need me anymore.


    Mom, something happened accidentally and Sean was unable to go to school for a few days. But he is trying his best to catch up. That''s why I didn''t bring him with me today. I hope you don''t mind and I promise you that he will be accompanying me the next time!"


    For a long while, Carla continued to cry and laugh as she kneeled down near the grave. She told her mom a lot of things, including Terence and her trip to JA City. It was not until noon that she decided to stand up and return to the hotel.


    Right after Carla left her spot, a man who was wearing dark clothes and a black hat walked towards Marian''s grave with a branch of daisy held close to his chest.


    He stopped in front of the gravestone and spotted some white roses lying on the ground. He leaned down and put the daisy right beside it and curled up his dry lips distastefully.


    "What a coincidence, dear Marian. I have finally found something valuable from that old stinky man. I thought he has never left anything behind. It seems like he had hidden a diamond amidst this city.


    Oops, too late.


    I have found it now, '' the man spoke vengefully to the image of Marian with a crooked smile on his face.


    He continued, "I have sacrificed all my life for this family. My blood has been spilled and my soul has suffered on the way. No one can take it away from me, not even his own blood! Not even her.


    If any of them dare to come in my way, I will not show them mercy and cut their throats while they''re made to watch.


    With all due respect, Marian. Bye-bye."


    The man finished his evil speech spreading venomous sinister intentions to a grave soon enough. He took off his hat and bowed slightly towards the grave. As he straightened his body, he narrowed his eyes and a sense of ferocity flashed across his eyes.


    This man was a source of immense danger to the ones around him, just like a hungry wolf which was ready to strike its sharp teeth inside the throat of a new born sheep ruthlessly.

 Chapter 69 When Your Girl Was Moving, Brighten Up Her Day! (Part One)

    For the past few days, Carla had a lot on her plate. She went to work from Monday to Friday as usual. And back at home, she spent every minute she could spare on tutoring Sean. But she was actively engaged in what she was doing, so instead of exhausting herself, Carla felt like she was living a very fulfilling life.


    Now that their new home had been ready, Carla decided to move into the new place this Saturday. Carla didn''t have a big family. So for her house-warming party, she just invited some lovely neighbors from her old neighborhood, the ones whom she talked to a lot like Karen and the others.


    "Carla, my sweetheart! Darling, sorry for not coming to your party. I should''ve been there and helped you move! Our new boss just didn''t approve my asking for leave. He kept on giving more work for everyone and he even demanded that we work overtime!"


    According to Violet, this so-called "new boss" was tough and hard to please, yet Violet had no intention of impressing him at all.


    "Vi, maybe he''s not that bad. Maybe he''s just... Is he a workaholic himself? And, uh, how do I put this, maybe he thinks highly of you. You really need to look on the bright side. Maybe all of these responsibilities that he''s giving you means that you''ll get a promotion soon!" Carla said in a reassuring voice while sinking into the comfortable couch on their large balcony. It felt so good she could just sleep in there instantly.


    "Oh, Carla! You''re too kind. You always look at the bright side of life! But actually, I highly doubt that I''ll ever get a promotion. I''m gonna tell you a secret. It''s so embarrassing! Please don''t laugh! Right before that man became my new boss, I was at a party with a friend and that man was at that party, too. So what happened was, I walked into him kissing a girl against her will!" Violet narrated. "No way!" Carla gasped. "Yes! That''s what I''m talking about! You know me. I can''t just stand there when a man is assaulting a woman! So I grabbed my 4-inched heel, went up there and smashed it on his head!" Violet continued her story.


    ''Ouch!'' Carla thought as she touched the back


    My friend''s date, her date was so ugly! He definitely looks like he could be her uncle! Yes... That''s it!


    Sorry boss but I was gossiping about a totally irrelevant person! I''m sorry about answering a personal call on work hours. But I swear, it was the only thing I did wrong today! I didn''t insult anyone, especially you. And I have a lot of work to do, thanks to you. But that''s totally fine because I love my job! Work is everything to me. I''m basically a working machine here. So can you please let it go, please?"


    Violet rambled insanely fast. And she felt ashamed to fawn on him. But a grown woman like her knew when to display weakness, and when to use her charm if necessary.


    Violet hung up the phone.


    All Carla could do on the other side was pray silently to God that things weren''t that bad for Violet


    and that she didn''t have to resort to her woman''s charm.


    Hopefully, she could survive this. Carla raised herself up from the couch again.


    She just had a complete turn of thoughts. Something was going on. Sean had been on that phone call for like an hour! That was way too long for a 10-year-old boy. Was he talking to a girl? Wow!


    "Sean, who are you talking to? Is that a girl?" asked Carla.


    Carla had already pictured a sweet teenage girl in a pink skirt on the other end of the line. She giggled, took out two jars of frozen yogurt out of the fridge and gave one to Sean.

 Chapter 70 When Your Girl Was Moving, Brighten Up Her Day! (Part Two)

    Sean who had ended the call before Carla could eavesdrop on anything, crammed the dessert into his mouth before it reached room temperature. He looked back at her with a mysterious smile," Sis, you''re acting weird again! I was calling Terence, not some random girl at school! He has been gone for half a month. I miss him. Don''t you miss him? I wish he could come here and help us move."


    The name Terence tapped at her heart. Carla wanted to say something but she just numbly consumed her yogurt out of a straw. The TV was on and that was just the kind of distraction she needed.


    It was not right of her to ask Terence for help with such a minor problem like moving houses. That was not her way of doing things¡ªplaying the role of the weaker sex.


    She didn''t even tell him that they were moving this Saturday. She knew Terence. She knew that he would give up or cancel something really important to come and help her. She would feel guilty if he did that, although she did feel a little sad about not being able to have him right there.


    Sean sensed that his big sister was in one of her somber and detached moods today, so he decided to keep her company. But after a while, little Sean could hardly keep his eyes open. More minutes passed and Sean grew tired of being a considerate gentleman and went back to his room to sleep. Now, Carla was all alone in the living room, just staring at the television. She wasn''t really interested in the shows. She didn''t even know what was playing on it.


    She wanted to end the day as well, to enjoy a night of sweet and sound sleep. But she knew all she could do was lie awake. Besides, she was getting hungrier and hungrier.


    ''This is impossible! I just finished that yogurt!'' Carla thought while touching her stomach which rumbled even more. ''Hey! Stop yelling at me! I''m full!'' She eventually gave up and opened a large bowl of instant noodles. She poured hot water and submerged the noodles.


    Then she added the spicy beef-flavored seasoning and sausages. So yummy! There it was, Carla''s signature dish: Spicy Sausage Ramen Noodles! "Divine!" Carla mumbled through a mouthful of noodles as she took another bite of the homemade sausage.


    As she was reaching out for a glass of juice to wash the food dow


    can love. Do you understand what I mean? I heard that if you lose weight, that''s where it leaves first."


    His eyes fell on her breasts. And just like that, the atmosphere turned from purely romantic to that of a little steamy. In a second, Terence turned Carla around and was hugging her from the back. His arms circled her waist while his face found its place at the nape of her neck. His hands roamed upwards to her breasts and slowly caressed them.


    Carla felt her skin was getting warmer and warmer by the second. She stretched her neck to the other side to give Terence more access as he started to nose her neck. With the sensations being given to her body, she couldn''t help but released a soft moan. ''Thank God Rainer and Nathan are not here to see us like this, '' Carla thought. She was getting lost in pleasure until her mind snapped back when she felt him trying to unclasp her bra. "Hey! Stop it! Terence you shameless man! I know you''re up to something! No wonder you''re willing to cook this dinner for me!" Carla yelled at him as she tried to free herself from his arms.


    He smiled and looked at her as if he was saying, ''Didn''t you like it? Why did you stop me?'' She bit her lip and stared back at him.


    He laughed," I thought you would like it. Don''t you like it? I like it. Or maybe you prefer it when I just stare at them? Or maybe... Are you worried about being flat-chested? Don''t be. I''ve checked. They''re perfect,"


    Terence said, his eyes falling on her pink, tender lips.

 Chapter 71 What I Want Is Always You

    Before she could reply, Terence leaned down and kissed her on the lips. It was only meant to be a small kiss, but when their lips met, his lips took a mind of its own. He had not seen her in two weeks and his body wanted more than just her lips.


    Carla stopped talking and tried to stay as silent as she could. If she made any amount of sound, even the tiniest one, she was afraid he might mistake it for her wanting more. Terence might have only wanted to brush his hand with hers but now, he gave more than that with his kiss and caress. What a mistake!


    "What is on your mind? Shall we have some dinner now? I can''t stay long. I''m leaving again tomorrow morning. So you have to stay with me after dinner!" Terence finally broke his embrace around Carla. He filled her plate with food and filled a bowl of porridge for her.


    Carla sat down to eat and savor her food. As she took another bite, she asked Terence, "Why do you have a key to my home?"


    Terence sat across Carla, about to enjoy the last spoonful of porridge in his bowl, when she asked him the question. He placed the bowl on the table and faced Carla before he answered, "This is ''our'' home, Carla. Of course I have a key! Why didn''t you tell me earlier that you were going to move while I was gone? I would have returned earlier to help you move and spend more time with you."


    He wouldn''t have known about the move if Sean hadn''t called and told him.


    Carla laughed at herself for asking such a silly question. Of course Terence had a key! He was the one who chose this house for them. She owed him this favor.


    When they finished eating, Carla stood to clear the table and clean the dishes. But Terence stopped her and took the plates from her. He was going to wash the dishes this morning.


    Terence continued to clean the kitchen after he finished with the dishes. Carla watched this tall figure move around inside the small kitchen. He had been born into a well-off family but his feelings for her had never changed.


    She just imagined how it was like in his own home. Terence lived in a sea view villa, surrounded by dozens of house help staff and bodyguards. He was never alone. He never needed to do anything at his home. And yet, here he was, humming while he cleaned the kitchen in her small home.


    "What''s on your mind?"


    While she was imagining his home life, Terence had already finished and exited the kitchen to join her. He wiped his slightly damp hands in a kitchen towel and draped it on the dining chair. He wrinkled his forehead while he stared at Carla and asked, "Why do you have those dark circles under your eyes? Have you been having trouble sleeping?"


    Carla didn''t exactly know what her problem was these days. All she knew was she had trouble sleeping at night and was still up way past midnight.


    "Is it your work? You can always look for an easier job. Or just resign. Stay here. I can take care of you, support you. I just don''t want to see you suffer or get sick,


    u can find out where the ring is from, I''ll share the money with you, 80-20. 20% is yours."


    "You are really such a tightwad, Carla! But, I don''t need the money. I''m not here to take even a single penny from you!" Terence did not want Carla''s proposal. He had his own. He smiled at her, as genuine as a smile could be.


    "What I want has always been clear and has never changed. You''re the one I''ve always wanted. Give yourself to me and I will help you with this ring."


    Carla waited for him to finish before she scratched his foot. "Ow!" Terence screamed in pain. He rubbed his foot and argued, "Were you a cat in your previous life, Carla? Why did always you scratch me?"


    "A cat? Of course not! Cats are too mild!" Carla joked. She yawned and returned to her bed to get away from Terence.


    Carla did like cats, even though she was too busy to take care of one.


    When she realized Terence had no intention of leaving, she sat down on a chair again, away from the bed. She didn''t want to give him any indication that she wanted him to do more than touch her.


    Terence watched Carla''s every movement and knew exactly what she had in mind. But she forgot that Terence controlled everything, not her. And he wasn''t staying in any other room tonight.


    He might have took another room and even put his belongs there but only to mislead Carla.


    "Oh yes. I highly agree with you. Because you are never a mild one!" Terence grinned. He strode towards her and picked her up in his arms from the chair and towards the bed.


    Carla tried to stop him but was only successful in kicking the chair. She kept fighting him off but the next thing she knew, he had dropped her on the bed.


    Terence joined her on the bed and wrapped her in his arms tightly before she could protest. He covered them with a blanket and turned off the lamp by the bed.


    "You know, Carla, we are both adults here. How long do you really want me to stay celibate?" Terence whispered heavily in her ear.

 Chapter 72 The Engagement (Part One)

    The last time Terence was in BH City, he was so close to having sex with her. Now that she was in his arms again, and they were both lying in her bed, Terence felt he was turned on.


    He still remembered how bitter and wronged he felt last time she refused him.


    He felt like she was a glorious meal that had been served in a plate and placed right in front of him. An inch away and he would eat her alive. But the plate had an invisible cover that prevented him from touching her.


    Or maybe, he just wanted the cover to open up itself rather than opening it by force.


    "Carla? Were you asleep?" Terence tried to call her again to test if she had really fallen asleep.


    He waited and waited but there was no response.


    Carla fell into her dreams as soon as her skin touched the bed. She had been having a hard time falling asleep lately until tonight. Though she was completely relaxed, her arms still covered her body as a gesture of protecting herself. Terence, on the other side of the bed, could clearly hear her rhythmic breathing.


    He tried, with all his strength, to suppress the desire coming from between his legs. He breathed heavily and reached over to her earlobe, giving it a soft yet vengeful bite suddenly. The woman had already fallen in deep sleep and had no idea what the man lying beside her was going through. Feeling uncomfortable and dejected, Terence returned to his side of the bed and forced himself to sleep.


    Around six o''clock the next morning, Carla was woken up from her dreams by a loud noise coming from the living room.


    "Terence! You told me last night that I''d still see you when I wake up in the morning! Yey! You''re really here! Tell me, tell me! Do you know any kind of magic or something? Like Harry Potter?! You know like when you cast a spell and you''ll just show up in front of people! That is so cool!"


    Sean laughed out aloud like it was Christmas morning. He curled up onto Terence''s arm like a Koala and screamed with excitement.


    "Of course I know magic. You know what? I know every kind of magic in the world. If you don''t believe me, see it for yourself on the bookshelf in your room!"


    Terence claimed with confidence and patted Sean''s shoulder. He noticed that Sean had grown taller. The kid''s height barely reached his belly button when they first met and now, Sean was almost towering his chest.


    Sean couldn''t believe what he just heard and suddenly dropped himself down to the floor, ru


    reate a short distance from him. She then lied face-down on the bed, just in case his hands decided to invade her.


    Carla turned her head to Terence and tenderly explained, "Terence, I told you once and I''ll say it again for you. My family has been very strict on me. Before my mom passed away, she told me over and over again to keep myself safe from various men out there."


    Marian¡ªCarla''s mother¡ªwas very familiar with the woes of society so she was extremely prudent in her way of educating Carla. Because of this, Carla inherited her mom''s cautiousness.


    She knew that she might be seen as weird. However, she couldn''t care less about other people''s opinion. Moreover, she had never been in a relationship before. When she entered a relationship with someone, she wanted it to be serious. She wanted it to be with the right man, with someone that she could see herself marrying in the future. She wanted to do it in the right place at the right time as well. Apparently, Terence hasn''t met her expectations quite yet.


    "I know that society has changed drastically over the years. People are now more liberated and open-minded with their beliefs. It''s completely normal for them to just randomly find someone and you know, start relationships, fall in love, even do ''it''. But... relationships are messy and someone always gets hurt. In many cases, good people have a higher chance, especially women," she smothered a sigh and slowly uttered.


    For her, saving her virginity wasn''t just because of her upbringing but also for the promise she made to herself. She promised to save it for her husband on the day of their wedding.

 Chapter 73 The Engagement (Part Two)

    She frequently went out with her friends and almost every one of them had slept with each other or with other people when they were in a relationship. Carla didn''t feel comfortable hearing about those things.


    A relationship relying on sex was not something she wanted. For her, it''s simply not stable in the long run. She wanted her man to take her because of their love, not for something other than that.


    Terence''s blood calmed down a little bit when she started to get serious on the topic. He supported his head by his hand and smiled at her. Tenderly, he told her, "Carla, I have my full respect to your mother for she raised you in a very special way. Don''t get me wrong. It''s good. I do admit that there are jerks everywhere who play with women and dump them after they took advantage of them. However, you can''t put all men in that category. Although sleeping with each other before marriage is a little bit risky, it''s just another way of getting to know each other or expressing your love to the other person. There are also a lot of people out there who decided to get married before sharing a bed and then hated each other in the marriage because they weren''t compatible in the bedroom. My point is, as long as love exists, having or not having sex shouldn''t matter that much."


    "Oh, really? Then how does someone know that their love is genuine? How can a woman be sure that a man isn''t using words just to get into her pants?"


    Carla looked directly into his eyes and threw the words at him.


    It was true that she hadn''t have any experience with men because she didn''t want to. But all she needed to do was to look around at her friends and learn from their stories.


    Most of them became blind with their relationship and did a lot of things simply because society deemed it normal. They accepted it naturally and not one of them ever questioned whether it was right or wrong.


    Terence furrowed his eyebrows and gazed at her face. He knew that she had made up her mind not to do it until she was ready. But, he was a fighter who would never quit so easily.


    He mumbled to her ear softly, "Carla, does that mean you won''t allow me to touch you until we get married?


    Even if I''m tormented and struggling every day with the desire of having you? You won''t abandon your beliefs and stand solid with your virginity?"


    Carla sat up from the bed and stared right into his eyes. She asked, "Do I have to sleep with you to be your girlfriend? If I won''t let you touch me, does that make me any less of a person?


    k her mind so that Terence could know her better. However, he did trigger her by hinting that he would look for someone else to "deal with his desires." Her head was in a mess right now.


    Soon after, she regained her senses and assisted Sean in getting ready for school. The driver had been waiting for him.


    After changing her outfit and putting on some light makeup, Carla also left the house for work.


    On her way to the office, she wondered when would Terence come to BH City next time, since he doesn''t come here on a regular basis. Last time she saw him was about 2 weeks ago.


    Luckily, she had Violet as her informer in JA City and she could hear from Violet what was Terence up to even if she was in a different city from him.


    Violet always called her up and gossiped the recent news about the "golden bachelor" of the Ans.


    And as if on cue, her phone rang right after she got off work.


    She answered the phone and Violet''s voice rushed in her ear.


    "Carla, tell me what''s going on between you and Terence? Is everything going well these days? Or did you guys break up already?"


    Carla could feel her tension through the line.


    She was walking towards the supermarket and thinking of what to buy for dinner so she couldn''t comprehend Violet''s inquiries immediately. She answered casually, "Violet, hey. What could you possibly mean?"


    Violet replied hastily, "What do you mean what could I possibly mean? Don''t you know that the youngest son of the An Family is going to be engaged with some unknown woman? Wait! You REALLY didn''t know anything?"


    Violet almost dropped her jaw when she realized that Carla had absolutely no idea about the shocking news.

 Chapter 74 Encounter A Thief (Part One)

    "I''ve recently found out that Terence had been involved in a car accident about a week ago. Luckily, it wasn''t life-threatening and he managed to get away with just a few minor injuries. It''s a good thing his bodyguard''s car was following closely behind him that it seemed to have acted as a buffer upon impact during the crash and protected his car from getting wrecked even further. I''m really glad he could survive an accident of that magnitude.


    When he got into that car crash, Miss Bonnie of the Hua Family happened to pass by the scene of the accident, and upon seeing Terence, though she was so frantic at first, she was able to calm herself down and immediately had him sent straight to the hospital so he could receive proper medical attention. The Ans and the Huas are two of the wealthiest, most powerful, and most influential families in all of JA City. There''s no living person in that place who hasn''t heard of their names. Since Miss Bonnie seemed to have taken the trouble of visiting Terence every single day after he got admitted to the hospital, they say that they''re steadily getting closer to each other. Rumor has it that they''re actually planning to get engaged!"


    Violet spoke in great detail.


    When it happened, the circumstances regarding the accident Terence got involved in had been kept secret. Only a few close friends and family members were privy of that information. In fact, if the news that he was about to get engaged had not been spread everywhere, no one could have possibly known about his injury at all.


    Carla had gotten so shocked upon hearing the news from Violet that she couldn''t move from where she was standing and had been merely left dumbfounded.


    Terence was involved in a car accident?


    But why wouldn''t anyone tell her about that?


    Of course, Carla was earnestly listening to everything that Violet was trying to tell her, but it was just extremely difficult for her to believe that Terence could change his mind so easily and choose to get married to someone else. He might always seem a bit annoying and overbearing, but still, he was not the type of guy that could simply get swayed.


    She was thinking that, maybe, Violet had just been exaggerating with her storie


    tes, Terence appeared to be a bit hesitant to talk to her. After a brief second, he finally spoke, "Hello, Carla? Are you still there?"


    At this point, Carla quietly sat down in a little corner nearby, her phone in her hand, nervously biting her fingernails. There were a lot of things she wanted to ask him, but now, after hearing his voice, she had no idea what to say first. In the end, she decided to finally go with, "Yup, that''s me. I''ve heard from someone that you had been involved in a car accident. What happened? How? Are you okay? Did you get seriously injured? Are you in a critical condition right now?"


    Truth be told, she had actually intended to hang up the phone just then, but upon hearing his voice, she just could not bring herself to do so, wanting to confirm whether he was fine or not instead.


    She was still a bit skeptical of what was going on between Terence and that other woman who answered his phone. But because she wasn''t really able to witness everything that had happened in person, she thought that there was a possibility that she might just be misunderstanding things.


    On the other side of the phone, Terence immediately responded, "I''m alright now. The injuries haven''t been really severe enough to warrant an extended hospital stay. The doctors said that I would be able to fully recover after about half a month of rest. You don''t have to worry about it. What about you and Sean? Are the two of you doing fine? Please tell him I said hi."

 Chapter 75 Encounter A Thief (Part Two)

    "Yes," Carla replied, as the memories of the last time they had a fight before he left her house started flooding her thoughts.


    Throughout all of those times they had been together, he had always been nice to her, treating her very well. But still, she always thought that was just because he was only feeling grateful toward her for rescuing him that one time when she found him on the street.


    Now, here came another woman who had just done the exact same thing Carla did before for him. She saved his life and she was now even taking good care of him, so Carla was in deep fervent thought, under the notion that she herself had just now ceased from being the only special girl in his eyes.


    "I''m glad that you''re doing fine. Do you have something else in your mind that you wanted to talk to me about? If not, then I''ll hang up the phone now. I''ll make sure to pay the two of you a visit as soon as I get fully recovered," Terence remarked in a calm demeanor.


    "Wait just a second." As she finally found the determination to ask him about the rumors regarding his engagement, Carla accidentally bit her tongue a little. Ever since she heard the news from Violet, she had been feeling unusually uneasy, desperate and dying to know what all of those things meant. If she didn''t take this chance to ask him about the real situation, she wouldn''t be able to get rid of her restlessness.


    "What''s wrong? What do you want to talk about?" Terence asked, pressing his index finger onto his lips, gesturing toward Nathan, who had just walked into the room as they were talking, trying to tell him not to say a word and keep quiet.


    By sheer coincidence, a couple passing by suddenly caught Carla''s attention. The two of them were quarreling for some reason or another. This caused her to shift her gaze toward the ground, looking as if her eyes had been glued to it.


    "Someone has just told me the news that you are bound to get engaged. I''m just a little curious. Is that true?" Gasping for a little bit of air, she carried on saying, "If it really is true, I want you to tell me. Don''t try to even lie to me or hide the truth from me. I promise I''m not going to hate you for it or whatever. You got that?"


    For a moment there, Terence ju


    going after their partner.


    "Get away! You go step aside!"


    Carla screamed impatiently upon realizing that the thief who had snatched her bag was about to escape and leave out of her sight. Knowing full well that her bag contained some important things she didn''t want to lose, she thought that she had to try her best to stop that man from escaping and going away with it.


    "What did you just say to me? You''re asking me to move away? For what reason do I have to do that?"


    the young man shouted back with a voice filled with so much arrogance.


    Carla guessed that the arrogant prick must be conspiring with the thief, so she didn''t have to hold back and pushed him aside. There was no way she''d just simply let those low-lives get what they wanted.


    In the past, when she was still a student, she was so intimidating that no one dared to get on her nerves. Although she became a little gentler and more restrained now, she remained as a person who wouldn''t let herself just be pushed around or bullied so easily.


    The young man wasn''t expecting her to have the audacity nor the strength to push him. Due to this, he actually almost got hit by a car that happened to be passing by.


    "Bah!" the young man blurted out furiously, after which he pulled a glistening, sharp knife out of his pocket, with the intent of stabbing her out of anger.


    "You bitch! Think you can just go around pushing me?" ...


    After shouting those words out loud, the young man quickly ran toward her.

 Chapter 76 Carla Was In Pain

    Carla turned around and almost jumped out of her skin at the sight of the man with strawberry blonde hair. Something suddenly caught her eyes as she glanced down to find that he was holding a dagger in his hand. ''I suppose it is better to get mugged and lose everything you have, rather than losing your life, '' she thought.


    Carla looked at him and asked herself, ''Why am I still standing here?'' She immediately turned around and started to run as fast as she could.


    He saw Carla running and became furious. He wasn''t going to let her go that easily. The man tried to run after her but he knew she was too far ahead to catch. He threw the dagger straight for her back.


    A young woman walked past and saw the man throw a dagger at Carla. The passerby wanted to help her but knew he would go for her as well. Doing the best she could to help, she called the police.


    Carla jumped to the side and successfully dodged the dagger the man threw at her.


    He realized he missed. Then the man reached for another dagger and threw it at her, this time injuring Carla.


    She saw the dagger coming towards her face at a rapid pace. Carla''s instincts kicked in and she lifted her hand to guard herself. Feeling an instant pain, she glanced down to find the dagger had sliced through her hand.


    Carla screamed out in pain, "Ouch!"


    In pain and exhausted from running, she had no more energy to dodge the daggers. Carla was beginning to give up hope and give in.


    The man saw she was exhausted and knew that the advantage was on his side. He lifted another dagger into the air and was about the throw it one last time.


    Before the man could throw the dagger into the air, he felt a powerful kick to the back from a man behind him and fell to the floor. The passersby that were watching this whole scene unravel immediately came to restrain the man.


    The man that saved Carla''s life ran to her aid.


    "Are you okay?" he asked.


    Carla froze for a second when she saw him. He seemed to look familiar.


    He was looking at her with gentle eyes that showed concern. This man had a muscular body and broad shoulders. His bright eyes and distinctive jawline made him so handsome. Looking at him was like seeing the sun start to shine on a cold day.


    Carla looked down at her open wound on her hand.


    "I''m fine. The cut is not that deep," she responded.


    It finally occurred to her that he was the man she met at the hotel that day. As he came closer, her heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest.


    In fact, any girl would feel this way if a man of his structure would even look their way.


    The man moved closer and said, "Let me see." He gently lifted her hand to see how badly injured it was.


    The man looked at her wound and frowned, "This cut is quite deep. How about I drive you to the hospital to get it checked and cleaned up? My car is nearby."


    He bent down and picked up a box of gastric medicine. He must have dropped it whe


    nothing serious happened to his sister.


    "Isn''t it weird that it was first me and now it''s you that got hurt? What is happening to us, Carla? I got spotted by traffickers when I went to school and you got hurt when you went to work!"


    Sean''s eyes widened and he continued, "It must be a sign! Carla, how about we go to JA City and stay with Terence? He has a numerous amount of bodyguards to protect us. We will be safe there."


    Carla was sitting on the couch and drinking water. Her face turned pale and she almost spat the water out of her mouth when she heard Sean mention Terence.


    Carla looked at him and sighed, "Sean, people have their own lives. Bodyguards can''t always protect you. When a crucial moment comes our way, we still have to rely on ourselves."


    The president of the country could also be attacked, not to mention, even an ordinary person like herself. There was danger everywhere and there were many ways for criminals to outsmart a bodyguard.


    But fortunately, for her, it was only a minor wound.


    Carla went to the room for a little while to get some rest. She forgot her glass of water in the living room and went back to fetch it. When she went into the room, she saw Sean quietly talking to someone on the phone.


    Assuming that it was Terence he was talking to, Carla grabbed the phone out of his hand.


    She was furious and yelled, "Sean, I told you before! Don''t call Terence all the time. He is a busy man. He will come and see you when he is free. Stop hassling him."


    Sean saw how angry Carla was. "No, I didn''t call Terence, Carla.


    It''s Rainer," he said with an aggrieved look on his face.


    Hearing it was Rainer, Carla took a glance at the phone on the table and questioned Sean, "Yeah? Do you know that Rainer is Terence''s assistant? You call Rainer, and he will tell Terence."


    Sean looked up at her with tears in his eyes and said, "But Carla, Rainer just told me something. I''m not sure if I should tell you."

 Chapter 77 My Shoulder Is All Yours! (Part One)

    From the look on Sean''s face, Carla could easily tell that he was about to cry. She sat beside him and gently rubbed his back to comfort him. Of course, she knew he wouldn''t be able to accept it so easily once he found out, but it was still hard for Carla to see his brother looking so down. She then asked him, "You heard from Rainer that Terence is about to get engaged to another woman, right?"


    In an instant, Sean raised his head and stared at Carla. Looking quite surprised, he blurted out, "Wait, what? You knew about it? When did you find out?!"


    Sean''s nose was stuffed up and a little runny so he sniffed and explained to her, "Rainer wasn''t really planning to tell me about it, but I overheard some people in the background having a conversation about Terence''s engagement with someone. So, when I asked Rainer, he had no other choice but to tell me the truth.


    Rainier knew that I might let it slip so that he asked me to try not to think about it too much. And, he also asked me to make sure not to tell you..."


    Sean had always pictured Terence as his future brother-in-law from the time they had been together. How could he possibly remain calm knowing that Terence was bound to married someone other than his own sister? After all, he was still a child and a child would never lie. So Sean decided to be honest and tell Carla about the news. He thought there must have been some mistakes.


    Carla had been contemplating the news an awful lot. However, she thought that everything just went off so smoothly without as much as a hitch that it almost seemed like all of it had been carefully planned out by someone. It was particularly because she had just recently come to accept Terence in her life to see where it might lead them to. For that reason, her hunch was telling her something was up.


    ''It was just a simple fender bender, so Terence got off with just a few minor injuries. Then, this woman from the Hua family just happened to coincidentally pass him by exactly when the accident took place. Shouldn''t she be somewhere fancy sipping tea with her besties?'' Carla''s thoughts went out of control.


    Even though Terence had not yet recovered then, news of the engagement had already been made public. Carla wasn''t able to string it all together until


    she recalled that Rainer had ad


    at least, for the time being, everything would just go back to how they used to be.


    "Is that what you honestly think, Carla?" The truth suddenly hit Sean in the face. He was finally able to understand why Carla had been so reluctant to let him call Terence his brother-in-law. She knew fully well that the day would surely come when awful things like this would befall them.


    Little did he know, she wasn''t telling the truth. It was completely far from it.


    "Carla, if you really think so, then I am totally on your side! I wish I can grow up sooner so that I can get to work my ass off and earn tons of money! By the time all of it finally comes true, I''ll make sure to give you the perfect wedding, so we can prove to everyone who doubted us that they are less worthy of us than they make themselves out to be!"


    That resentful speech was made by a ten-year-old Sean. In his heart, he promised himself that one day, he would come on top and become the strongest sword and shield for his sister. ''No one should dare looking down upon us anymore!'' he yelled with conviction from within his distant dream, his thoughts running wild.


    Carla was surprised upon hearing those words from him. All she could think about right now was how grateful she was for having such a brother who would never ever leave her alone. Filled with so much warmth and delight, Carla had to give the best of her strength to try not to cry. Instead, she smiled at Sean as she stretched out her arm toward his head and gently planted a kiss on his forehead.

 Chapter 78 My Shoulder Is All Yours! (Part Two)

    "Sean. I feel so lucky to have you as my little brother. If that''s what you really want, then I look forward to seeing the day you turn all of that into reality."


    Tears started welling up in her bloodshot eyes. She wrapped her arms around Sean and had him in her clutch for a long while, much like how they had always depended on each other through the years.


    The night soon grew darker. Carla tucked Sean in his bed moments after he fell asleep. As she was walking toward her room, her phone suddenly buzzed.


    Without even checking who was calling her, she immediately picked up the phone. "Who is this?" she asked.


    "It''s me."


    From the sound of her voice, Terence could easily tell that she seemed quite exhausted and was about to go to bed. With a heavy heart, he got so infuriated, "Are you seriously about to go to bed? You''ve got to be kidding me. How can you sleep so easily knowing everything that happened?!"


    Realizing that it was Terence calling, she yawned and took a glance at the clock hanging on the wall. Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she squinted and saw that the clock was about to strike one in the morning.


    With a lazy voice, she replied, "What are you on about? So what if I''m going to bed? It''s already way past midnight. What else should I possibly be doing at this time?"


    Terence couldn''t stop himself from getting upset, but he tried his best to, at least, calm himself down a bit. Taking in a deep breath, he blurted out, "Woman, how cold of you. I thought that you might be losing sleep tonight after the conversation we had earlier. I''ve been patiently waiting for quite a long time for an opportunity to sneak out of my ward. They finally let their guard down just so I could call you and explain everything to you.


    It seems like you were never really interested to hear my explanation at all. You don''t seem to care about everything that''s happening regarding the engagement nor with whom I am going to be engaged with! You''re really breaking my heart, Carla. Do you know that?"


    Only then was Carla finally able to understand why he was so pissed off that she was about to go to bed. He had been caught up in a difficult situation, and yet, there she was, about to sleep soundly at night. She didn''t turn the lights on in her room, so as she was staring blankly in the darkness, she calmly mumbled, "Terence, it''s not that I don''t care. I don''t really have any right to say anything about your enga


    rd to stop the tears from coming and faked a bitter smile with her brows intensely furrowed. "Don''t do anything stupid or try to go against them in any way. Most of all, don''t you dare think that you have to prove that you''re a man of your word and insist to make all your promises come true.


    You''d only be wasting your time because I don''t care anymore."


    The minute he said he''d give her some time to think it over, Carla knew instantly that he was up to no good. Go against his family? Run away on the engagement day? Merely thinking about the plans he might''ve laid out was enough to give Carla a headache. Even though it hadn''t been so long since they''ve been together, she knew Terence wouldn''t just give up on her that easily. Therefore, she might as well sprinkle some salt on his wounds by saying she didn''t give a damn.


    Upon hearing her response, he muted himself from the line and burst into laughter on the roof of the hospital. ''This woman knows me so damn well. Of course, I won''t be choosing any woman other than her. God, she''s perfect, '' Terence thought to himself feeling extremely elated. About two seconds later, he cleared his throat and immediately got back on the line.


    "Carla, I admit that I may not always be perfect, and I may not seem to be a man of my words, and I may not always be able to keep all of my promises. However, for you, I will..."


    He desperately wanted to tell Carla that no matter what, he would always be there to protect her and fight for her. But before he could say anything else, the sound of some light footsteps coming from behind him suddenly caught his attention.

 Chapter 79 He Was Getting Engaged

    It made Terence swallow what he intended to say, quickly.


    ''Only for you, Carla, '' Terence thought to himself.


    He wasn''t always a man of his word. He would make random promises to others when he had to, yet whether he would keep them was another completely different matter.


    But he meant every word he had said to Carla. He said he loved her and he would protect her and Sean, and he would no matter what. There was no way he would ever let her leave him.


    "Take good care of yourself. By the way, I will send you an invitation when I get engaged. Because you saved my life. But you don''t need to come with gifts. I understand your situation,"


    Terence said slowly and with difficulty in his low and deep voice. But it was difficult to tell what his true feelings were without listening carefully.


    Carla was angry when he finally admitted that he would take another woman. And now, he said that he would send her an invitation card to his engagement party. He even implied that she couldn''t afford the gifts guest would give the couple, which made her even angrier.


    "Gifts? Damn you, Terence! Go to hell! I never want to see you again!"


    she blurted out an angry curse.


    Terence smiled silently to himself. But there was not a single hint of delight in his eyes.


    "How rude! You are such an ungracious woman. You''re only worthy enough to be married to a lowlife, such as a peasant or a laborer.


    I''m going to hang up now. I have told you all you need to know. There is nothing more to say to you."


    Terence hung up the phone. The very moment he put the phone down, a pair of delicate hands with purple nail polish snaked their way around his waist and hugged him. "Terence, it''s late. Why don''t you go to bed? Be careful or you will catch a cold. It''s freezing here on the rooftop at night."


    Terence looked down at the pair of delicate hands. Carla''s skin were also very fair, but she never wore nail polish.


    She always cooked for her brother with that pair of fair hands, even though it wasn''t delicious.


    She did what she wanted to do, without beating around the bush.


    Carla was infuriated when Terence hung up on her.


    She threw the phone on to the bed angrily. She wished she were an eagle and could fly over to JA City to scratch Terence with her talons until he was all bloodied. With both hands clenched into fists, she yelled out, "Ungracious? Me? Ha, Ridiculous!


    How dare you, Terence! I''m the ungracious one now, huh? If I had been so ungracious, I would not have saved your life in the first place! Casting me aside now just so you can be with another woman? Shame on you Terence! You''re the ungrateful one here! And what? I can only marry a lowly peasant, huh? Then why did you have to keep pestering me, since I''m certainly not good enough for a noble master like you?"


    Carla squeezed and kneaded the quilt irritably while


    hing was still there.


    She had only a small amount of cash in the bag at the time. She was most concerned about those import documents and was greatly relieved to find them all there.


    "Mr. Noah?


    You''re still here. Can I invite you to dinner?


    To thank you for saving my life,"


    Carla said when she walked out the police station and saw Noah. He was standing next to a black Land Rover outside the police station and had just finished a telephone conversation. He looked up at her as he tucked his cellphone away.


    "Well, I don''t have a place in mind, for dinner. Since you''re from BH City, Miss Carla, you would know where all the delicious food is,"


    Noah said with a friendly smile. He had accepted her offer.


    Just moments before Carla had arrived, someone had called Noah on the phone. It was to tell him that the test results had confirmed, without any doubt, that Carla was the daughter of the Hua family. She was somehow lost many years ago.


    Indeed, she was the only daughter.


    Andrea had never had another child since Carla''s birth. Allen Hua later had to adopted three sons and a daughter.


    But this was a well-hidden secret of the Hua family. Almost no outsider knew anything of it.


    "Well, I''d like to treat you to dinner today. Just give me a moment. I''ll see if there are any seats available," Carla pulled out her cell phone. It was the least that she could do. To treat Noah to dinner, given that he had saved her life.


    Even though she wouldn''t usually go to fancy expensive restaurants, this occasion shouldn''t be skimped on.


    Carla started to search for the most luxurious restaurants in BH City on the Internet. After finding the customer service number of one, she dialed the number.


    Whilst Carla was on the phone inquiring about seat reservations for them, she didn''t notice


    the cruel intent behind the eyes of the man that she was about to have dinner with.

 Chapter 80 On The Verge Of Death Without Knowing It

    The restaurant seemed to be packed with guests. Luckily for her, it was not a weekend and Carla was told that there was one private room remaining. Since she rated it as being good enough, she booked it without hesitation. Soon they arrived at the restaurant and were led into the private room.


    "Mr. Noah, please feel free to order anything that suits your liking,"


    said Carla, pressing her fingernails deeply into the skin of her leg under the table when she alarmingly noticed the prices on the menu. Her heart wrenched.


    Noah was amused to watch her pretending to be generous while her attempts to conceal the pain in her heart was failing miserably. She reminded him of a cute little fox trying hard to hide its disproportionately large tail.


    "Okay, thank you for your hospitality," said Noah. He took up the menu and quickly scanned the golden letters on the black paper. He quickly ordered a few dishes.


    Every time he uttered the name of a dish, Carla''s eyes frantically searched the menu to calculate the total. One thousand, two thousand, three thousand¡­


    Noah was from a financially sound family. Of course, he ordered the most tasty and expensive dishes.


    "That is all. Miss Carla, take a peep and choose your dishes, will you?" Noah asked politely. He knew very well that she couldn''t afford to order anything else after his order.


    Hence, he had already ordered food and deserts enough for both of them.


    "No, thanks. I think you have ordered enough for both of us. It would be a waste to order even more." Carla waved her hand hastily and returned the menu back to the waiter.


    Noah reckoned that she never came to this kind of place from her frugal manners and he suddenly felt pity for her.


    As the only daughter of the Hua family, she should have lived an extravagant life with luxurious clothes and tasty food. But look at her, she was struggling to afford one fancy meal.


    Bonnie was only the adopted daughter of the Hua family, but the money she paid to get her hair styled, would probably be enough for Carla to live for a year.


    "Wow, the food tastes really good. No wonder it is the most expensive restaurant in BH City." Carla enjoyed the food and appraised whole-heartedly.


    She wasn''t a picky person on food but she could still tell that the food was really good. So this place actually deserved its reputation.


    Noah took a small cut of the steak and chewed it slowly. After he swallowed it, he commented unhurriedly," Right, not bad. The steak is fresh enough, and is from Japan, but it is not the real Kobe beef. It tastes jus


    nd terrified.


    He had never been so soft. At this moment, he hated himself for being indecisive and rather confused.


    "What''s wrong, Mr. Noah? Maybe you can let me get off here. I don''t want to get in the way of your work and disturb you," Carla spoke when she saw he was unhappy, absolutely ignorant this man''s real sinister agenda.


    ''It''d be better if he doesn''t delay his work in order to drop me back home.''


    "Miss Carla, do you think I look like a nice and decent person?" Noah asked abruptly.


    Carla laughed as an initial reaction to his question. And then she started to observe him carefully and asked," Why do you ask this question? You are refined and graceful in your etiquettes and manners. You should be from a very wealthy and honorable family.


    Moreover, it was a noble and brave act by you when you saved me. I am really grateful for your kindness. Of course, you are a nice and decent person."


    Hearing her compliment, Noah gave out a laughter, perhaps mocking her innocence, or out of guilt.


    "Miss Carla, you do realize that it isn''t right to judge a book by it''s cover, don''t you? By the way, do you have any family members around?" He asked deliberately.


    He had already dug into her background and understood it cautiously. He simply asked like a stranger, in case he spilled off some information about her accidentally. He had to be more careful and discreet.


    "Oh, right. Mr. Noah, could you please drive faster? I forgot I have left my brother alone at home. He probably hasn''t had dinner yet."


    Carla nodded her head regretfully, blaming herself for forgetting about Sean entirely.


    ''Poor Sean, he probably is starving. How could I forget about my dear brother entirely?''

 Chapter 81 Mr. Terence, You Are So Shameless

    It was pouring rain in JA City.


    Terence stood in front of the window and looked out at the gloomy gray sky. He watched as the heavy rain dripped from the eaves.


    "Mr. Terence, I have just received news about Miss Carla from BH City. She ran into some trouble yesterday."


    Nathan said as he stood quietly behind Terence, waiting for a response.


    "Tell me all about it." Terence didn''t turn around. He remained to look out of the window. ''What happened to Carla?'' he thought with a slight frown.


    "Noah has been spotted in BH City lately, and it is still unclear what the purpose of his visit is. However, he has also been seen with Miss Carla," Nathan said carefully when he reported the recent events of Carla to Terence.


    Terence turned when he heard Noah''s name mentioned and faced Nathan directly. He narrowed his eyes.


    "Noah?"


    Nathan nodded and continued gravely, "Noah is a ruthless and greedy man. He leaves no room for negotiation and is very cruel with his methods of persuasion. Ever since he took charge of the Hua Group, he has used every method possible to achieve his goals. If anything were to stand in his way, he would simply eliminate the problem. He must have some sinister motive since he has approached Miss Carla."


    Terence''s face suddenly took on a serious expression. His mood got worse after hearing what Nathan said. He clenched his teeth as he reached for the cigarette box and pulled one cigarette out.


    "The Hua family and the An family never interfere with each other. But recently, Bonnie Hua had come to JA City and shortly afterward, Noah Hua had been spotted in BH City. He has lived in HA City for a long time. That''s so weird.


    What the hell is the Hua family up to? After so many years of peace between the two families, why did they suddenly decide to make a move?"


    Terence frowned, puzzled about their purposes. He sat back in his leather chair. He took a drag on his cigarette and expelled the smoke slowly. He only smoked when he felt disturbed about something and this was one of those occasions.


    "Did you find out how Noah got in touch with Carla?" he asked.


    Nathan nodded his head.


    "Yes. I found out the whole story. Miss Carla was mugged on her way home from work yesterday and the thieves ran off with her bag. Miss Carla tried to pursue them and she was attacked with a knife by one of them. Noah appeared right at that moment and saved her.


    He drove Miss Carla to the hospital. She had sustained some minor cuts and bruises, but she is all right. This afternoon they ran into each other again at the police station to give their witness statements. And then they had dinner together.


    After they had dinner, Noah personally drove Miss Carla home. She has got home safe now."


    Terence''s heart sank when heard that Carla was injured. He sat up in the chair and butt the cigarette out into the ashtray vigorously, as if the cigarette was the villain who hurt Carla.


    "Noah is only interested in doing things for his own personal gain and he is notorious for h


    The investigation was his specialty.


    Terence hung up the phone.


    He rubbed his brow irritably and pulled another cigarette from the box and lit it up.


    Carla had been hurt.


    Terence was worried about her injuries and how she was coping.


    He wanted to go to her right away, but he couldn''t leave now.


    The reason why he said those cruel words to her on the phone was that he hoped that she could be prepared for any unexpected situation. So that even if something bad happened in the future, she could bear it.


    And according to how the current situation was, he really needed to stay away from her temporarily.


    It was for her own safety.


    "Mr. Terence, you haven''t recovered fully yet. Please go easy with the cigarettes," Rainer said as he entered the room and poured a cup of tea for Terence and placed it on the table.


    Terence tapped the ash from the end of his cigarette into the ashtray, his eyes narrowed and no one could tell what was going through his mind.


    Suddenly his eyes lit up and he looked up at Rainer who was standing beside him.


    "Rainer, I am going to assign a very important task to you. It is imperative that it must be carried out tomorrow."


    Rainer straightened his posture and put his hand on his chest for assurance.


    "Mr. Terence, you can rest assured that whatever it is that you want me to do, I will do it for you!"


    But, Rainer, never expected what Terence was about to ask him to do would be so shocking.


    "I want you to go to BH City and install two hidden cameras in Carla''s house. One in the living room and the other in Carla''s bedroom.


    Remember, be absolutely covert and interference-proof and make sure to be discreet about it. I have to see the monitor screen before tomorrow night!"


    Rainer was completely shocked by what Terence said and lowered his head in silence.


    ''Did I hear it right? Mr. Terence wants me to install cameras in Miss Carla''s house?


    And even in her bedroom?


    Mr. Terence, you are so shameless!


    Where are your morals?''

 Chapter 82 Installing The Cameras (Part One)

    On the other side of the country, in BH City, an apartment window visibly had all its lights on in a high-rise building.


    Upon opening the door, Carla was welcomed by the sight of poor little Sean slurping some instant noodles from a cup.


    Sean heard the door open and reflexively turned to the entrance. Knowing it was just Carla, he shot her a beaming glance and shifted his eyes back on the cup of noodles without even saying anything.


    "Oh, Sean. I''m so sorry! I''m truly sorry! Please forgive me!" Carla rushed to his side and quickly wrapped her arms around him, hugging him so tight that it made it hard for him to breathe. With guilt written all over her face, she whispered to Sean, "How could I forget to cook dinner for you?! I''m such a bad sister. With all of my heart, I sincerely apologize. Would you forgive me, Sean?"


    Sean sniffed, giving her a cold stare, then he murmured with a hint of anger in his voice, "You''re such a terrible sister for leaving your only brother home alone to eat these unhealthy instant noodles! Where have you been? How could you leave your poor little brother behind and have dinner somewhere else without me? If dad and mom were still alive, you surely would''ve earned yourself a spanking!"


    Carla couldn''t help but look at Sean with a slightly rueful grin as she thought to herself, ''Yeah, I dined out alright. One hell of a dinner that almost caused me a fortune!''


    But she decided it would be best to hide it from Sean because he''d probably resent her even more if he finds out.


    "Sean, I''m so sorry I forgot. I knew you haven''t eaten yet, so I brought home some food for you! See?" Carla brought out the take-outs and placed them in front of Sean as she spoke and try to appease his anger. She then planted an apologetic kiss on his cheek.


    Sean might have been upset that Carla forgot to prepare food for him, but what can he do? He''s just a kid. There was no way he''d ever hold a grudge over something like that. So, as he watched Carla take out all the delicious food she had brought back, his eyes began widening and he rubbed his hands in glee, so ready to have a feast for himself. It looked like he had already forgotten how upset he was just a minute ago.


    Because of her injured arm, Carla had to call her superior and ask for two days off from work. She wanted the wound to heal first before she came back to work again. After all, it would be much better that way.


    For that re


    night, Carla ordered some take-out from a nearby restaurant. When the two of them were done having dinner, she wasn''t able to wash the dishes because of the injury on her arm. Before she could even ask, Sean had already volunteered to do it instead and quickly ran into the kitchen and began washing the dishes. After he was done doing the dishes, he brought out a clean towel and wiped the table clean.


    Carla watched Sean do all of those things on his own. The thoughtful gesture made Carla feel so at ease that she couldn''t help but smile at him. Just moments after, Carla smelled her hair and realized it had accumulated a lot of dirt that she couldn''t hold the thought of taking a shower.


    The doctor had advised her not to take showers until the wound got better, so, for that reason, it had been two days since the last time she had taken a bath. She headed straight toward the bathroom, but the moment her hand got in contact with tap water, she thought she shouldn''t go against the doctor''s orders if she wanted the wound to heal up faster. After a few seconds of hesitating, she finally gave up. Opting to just wipe herself with a damp towel to clean up, she went back to bed, ready to doze off.


    Inside her bedroom, Carla put on an oversized pajamas while humming a tune. Later, she stretched out her arms the best she could and leaped onto her bed, wriggling, tossing and turning around the quilt until she found the perfect position to sleep in.


    This poor little carefree sleepyhead didn''t have a single clue that


    every little thing she did, and even the tiniest move she made was caught under surveillance.

 Chapter 83 Installing The Cameras (Part Two)

    Terence fervently watched the woman on his laptop as he listened to the tune she was singing. Everything sounded clear that it was quite impressive. Yeah, there was just no way she''d ever think that a camera was set in her bedroom and hidden cameras these days recorded sounds.


    ''Oh, my God, you ungrateful woman!'' Terence couldn''t help himself from springing up and swearing in a fit of rage as he peered upon her through the screen. The woman''s face wasn''t showing any signs of worry or distress in spite of all the things he had done for her.


    ''Has she already forgotten everything about a man called Terence after having dinner with that Noah guy for just once?!'' Rage began welling up inside him, and it was already starting to show through his eyes.


    Terence clenched his teeth upon seeing Carla leisurely relaxing on her bed, about to doze off. ''She had got the audacity to even sing?''


    His chest got filled up with so much jealousy as he started visualizing Carla and Noah having some fancy dinner together. He was also upsetting at the same time that he could feel his veins were about to burst.


    Just when he was about to lose it, the woman on the screen suddenly sat up from her bed. It took almost all of his strength just to control his anger and force himself to sit back down on the chair, extremely eager to discover what this woman would be up to next. Fixing his eyes on the target, he tried his best to just patiently watch as the woman kept on tossing and turning all over the bed. On the other side of the monitor, actually, Carla just felt an itch on her back so she pulled up her pajamas a little. However, it wasn''t of much help at all. After that, she reached out her uninjured arm toward her back and scratched but to no avail. Still feeling so itchy, she straight up took her pajamas off just below her waist and continued scratching even much more vigorously, and she just kept on doing that until she got satisfied. Then, finally, she fixed herself up, put her pajamas on, and rolled over into the quilt.


    She had no idea that all of it was being carefully tediously observed through the camera under the guise of the new "light bulb" which the inspector had just replaced for her. And another thing, she also wasn''t aware that Terence was watching her every move clearly from the opposite side of the camera. On any typical day, who would be cautious a


    en waiting for him to wrap up what he wanted to say, Terence shot him an intense glare. If his eyes were guns, Rainer would''ve surely been dead by now after getting shot more than a thousand times.


    ''If only I had a better way to see her with my very own eyes to make sure that she''s safe and sound, then there''s no way I would''ve ever stooped so low and done this. I had no other choice. This is my last resort.'' Intensely screaming deep inside, Terence wanted to kill Rainer with his cold stare.


    Being fully aware that Terence had been so pissed off, Rainer got rid of his smile and quickly attempted to butter him up by saying, "Um... I sincerely apologize, sir. I didn''t know what I was saying just now. Let me rephrase it for you. Eh.. Eh.. It should be a privilege for Miss Carla to be watched over by you. What could she have possibly done in her previous life to deserve this honor? Save the whole universe? Also, watching over the place is your way of taking care of them. These cameras can detect anything, so that means you would be able to prevent another fire or other dangerous things from happening again.


    It''s an enlightening experience for us to see your flawless judgment. I''m so deeply impressed by what you''re willing to do for them. Serving you is such an honor, sir!"


    Rainer did all that he could just to resist his urge to laugh as he was spouting all of that nonsense, then he gazed at Terence, trying to check if his anger had been squelched. When his eyes met Terence''s, the man sitting on the chair took off his slipper and threw it straight to his face.

 Chapter 84 Its Better To Raise A Flower Than A Cat

    "Get out right now! Don''t ever come here without my permission!"


    Terence suddenly exclaimed as he rested his head atop his one hand which was gracefully propped up on the table. He took a cold glance at Rainer.


    Rainer, who was holding the slipper, put it back to its original place and nodded to Terence. "Yes, I''ll leave now," he meekly said.


    He let out a deep sigh, knowing that Terence was still in a bad mood.


    Normally, even if he talked in a straightforward manner, Terence wouldn''t be so angry.


    Outside the window, the rain drizzled in the silent dark night, showing no signs of stopping.


    Terence held a cigarette between his fingers and rested his head on his palm once again. He looked through the glass window from which lightning could be seen flashing through the dark sky, followed by a rumble of roaring thunder. The grass on the lawn was bent down by the rain again and again, and they never seemed to straighten up.


    ''Are they hurt?


    Not really. It seems like the only way for them to grow up. Though the grass is humble and trivial, they stubbornly have a strong vitality.


    After the sky clears and it stops raining, they can still hold up their head high, '' Terence contemplated.


    Terence wanted to protect them from the rain, the wind, and the thunder.


    He wanted to become a huge tree that would stand out in the forest to shield the grass from any natural disaster that would come their way.


    No matter where the grass would take its root, the tree could always reach out to them, letting them enjoy the nourishment of the sun and the shade of the tree.


    He could even cultivate them into precious orchids.


    As everyone knew, orchids looked like grass when they were small. After growing up, orchids would be white and tender as innocent and elegant as girls, deeply loved and respected by people.


    The cigarette had burned up to the end but Terence didn''t smoke one huff, so he simply put it out. A smile began to emerge on his handsome face as if he had finally figured out something. His deep dark eyes glittered like stars resided on them.


    ''Since she doesn''t want to be a cat, then let her be a flower. Though it''s undoubtedly harder to raise a flower, it''s her wish after all and I totally don''t mind, '' contemplated Terence.


    In the busy streets of BH City, a car was parking by the street.


    "Sir, you''re being soft-hearted. Yesterday wa


    uld be brave about but...


    she was worried about her own safety.


    She had no idea what his intentions were by approaching her.


    He was different from Terence. Terence would never hurt her, no matter how he treated everyone else.


    How could she trust a man whom she had only seen several times?


    "Mr. Noah, how about this? I have a friend who often goes to such occasions. She''s pretty and experienced with these sort of things. She''ll be a good date. I''ll call her..."


    Carla was just reminded of her friend Sherry Chen. Sherry liked to show up in celebrity parties and was really well-versed with socializing.


    "Miss Cala..." Noah tried to stop her.


    But she was already making the phone call before he could say anything further.


    "Sherry, it''s me, Carla. I have a friend who needs to attend a dinner party, but he needs a date to go with him. Are you available tonight?" Carla excitedly asked.


    Sherry Chen was her classmate at university. Right now, she was working in a big corporation and would go to different kinds of parties dressed in designers'' brands.


    "Yes! Of course! I''ll be there. Where is the address? Is there a car picking me up? If not, it''s okay. I can go by myself," Sherry went on quickly with the details. Hearing a dinner party, Sherry''s eyes were immediately radiant with glow.


    "About the car, I''ll ask him about it and try to get it for you. I''m so glad that you can come. I''ll call you later," Carla happily replied.


    After she ended the phone call, Carla looked for one of Sherry''s selfies on her social media and cheerfully showed it to Noah.

 Chapter 85 Turn To Terence For Help With A Difficult Math Problem

    "Look. This is her. Isn''t she beautiful?


    She''s free today. Can you go to pick her up if you have time? You don''t have to prepare any clothes for her. She can prepare that by herself."


    While speaking, Carla browsed through Sherry''s profile pictures and showed them all to Noah.


    Noah felt bitter looking at the pictures of which he had no interest in, but he looked up at Carla and smiled gently.


    "Okay... But, Miss Carla, most women would jump at the chance of going to such an event. It could broaden your chances of meeting someone influential and possibly help you in the future. After all, it''s at events like these that people meet each other and who knows, what may happen between them in the future.


    Are you sure that you want to pass up such an opportunity and give it to another person?"


    Carla just glanced at him and gave him a small smile.


    If it was truly her desire to be rich and famous, she would have agreed to be Terence''s girlfriend. Terence also happened to be the heir of the An family that was the wealthiest and most powerful family in JA City.


    And if she insisted on marrying Terence, she was certain that he would agree to it. Then he would most certainly provide for her and she wouldn''t have to worry about money ever again.


    "Thanks for your kindness and generous offer, Mr. Noah. But there is no one to look after my brother and he would be home alone. I''m worried about leaving him by himself.


    I can give you Sherry''s phone number so you can ask her to go instead,"


    she said, as she searched through her contact list in her cellphone and then showed the number to Noah.


    Noah could tell that she had already made her mind up. So there was no point in pursuing the matter further. Instead, he wrote Sherry''s phone number down.


    After she got back home. Carla immediately called Sherry to remind her to be careful.


    She felt a little responsible for Sherry''s safety, because she was the one who suggested that Sherry go to the party, in her place.


    However, what Carla didn''t know was that she was just worrying too much unnecessarily.


    Since Noah''s target wasn''t Sherry, Sherry would not be in danger.


    "Carla, how do I work out this mathematical problem? I''ve been trying to solve it for a long time now, but I just don''t know how to..."


    Sean asked Carla with a baffled expression as he leaned his head hopelessly onto his hand.


    Carla was sitting on the sofa watching some program on the television when Sean called out to her. She immediately got up and switched the TV off and went to help him with his homework. However, after looking at the math problem for a while, Carla had difficulty working it out as well. She frowned. "Why is math for primary school students so difficult now?


    Let me think it over again."


    With his chin resting in one of his hands, Sean pouted and said, "If only Terence was here. He would definitely be able to work this problem out in a jiffy and find the right answer..."


    Sean had become used to turning to Terence for


    his little heart.


    Sean''s sobs just grew louder. He wasn''t paying attention to what Carla had said at all.


    Just then, Carla''s phone rang in the living room where she had left it.


    Carla sniffed as she wiped the tears away from her cheeks with the back of her hands and went to answer the phone.


    "Don''t scold Sean. He''s just a kid,"


    Terence said on the other end of the line. He caught sight of Carla on the video chat just before they were disconnected and she seemed furious. He was sure that she would blame Sean and be angry with him.


    "Don''t be angry. Sean just asked me to help him solve a math problem. That''s all."


    Carla was shocked for a moment when she found out that it was Terence on the phone. Then her shock turned to annoyance. She sat down on the sofa with the phone in her hand and took a deep breath in and let it out slowly.


    Once she had managed to calm herself down, she responded, "Terence, this is my family matter. It''s none of your business. And it''s my responsibility to teach my brother to be an independent person. So don''t meddle in my affairs." Her voice sounded hard and cold.


    Carla didn''t like to drag the relationship on with Terence. She preferred a clean break with no more ties. Besides, he was going to be engaged soon, so it was very inappropriate for them to keep contacting each other.


    "I''m not engaged yet. The matter isn''t how you think it is. So stop over thinking everything and coming up with your own assumptions,"


    Terence remarked in a familiar and attractive voice.


    When Sean made the video call to Terence, he was in the middle of having dinner at the An family''s house. As soon as he saw that it was Sean, he left the dining table and answered the call.


    Carla didn''t respond. She just kept quiet.


    After they both stayed silent for a while, Terence cleared his throat and swallowed. He wanted to say something but hesitated.


    The word seemed to flash through his mind many times, and finally, he couldn''t help but utter, "Babe..."

 Chapter 86 Have I Gone Insane (Part One)

    Terence questioned himself, ''Am I psychotic? Have I gone insane?''


    He placed several cameras in Carla''s home for the sake of her own safety. However, it was also one of the worst things he could have ever done to himself since he created his own nightmare.


    Every second that he watched her on the screen was agonizing. It made him just want to be with her even more. He wanted to play with her hair, touch her, hold her and never let her go. Every time he saw her, she looked more beautiful than before. These feelings were consuming him. ''This is too much for me to handle. It''s pure torture!'' he thought, almost got insane.


    Carla''s words brought him back to reality,"Stop being so cheesy. Please call me by my real name, Carla. That nickname stays with us in the past."


    When Terence called her "babe", she felt an uneasy feeling in her stomach and a sense of sharp pain in her heart. Memories and feelings of the days they lived together came rushing back to Carla. It was only a few weeks. But to her, it felt like years.


    His voice just brought back an excessive amount of unnecessary feelings that were too much for her to handle. It torn her nearly healed wounds opened. Cold and brutal, Carla had no other choice but draw this line between them.


    Hearing her words were like a slap in the face. Terrence kept silent for a short while. He wanted to be intimate with Carla, but he also knew at the current situation, the more he pushed her, the further she would run away from him. He had some more important things to finish before he could finally take her.


    Terence went into silent for a while. He sighed in acceptance and mumbled,"Very well. It''s your decision, Carla. The reason for my call was to tell you that the engagement will take place at the beginning of next month. I think it is fair for you to know this from me."


    As Carla heard the news, her throat immediately dried up. She reached out for the glass of water on the table and took a sip but there was a huge bubble in her throat that was preventing her from swallowing.


    Her hands were shaking so badly that she had to put the glass of water down.


    Terence didn''t


    am so nervous. But, I do want to leave them a good impression though."


    She pointed her pinky finger at Terrence and continued,"Let''s make a promise. After we get engaged, you have to promise me that you won''t change and that you will still look after me the way you do now. If you are mean to me in any way, I will tell both of our parents."


    Bonnie pouted her lips. She had the most beautiful eyes, high cheekbones, full lips and her skin was flawless. She looked like a Victorica secret model that had just come off the runway.


    Terence halfheartedly smiled at her and said,"Of course Bonnie, I promise, everything will remain the same. I will make my wife the happiest woman on earth and shower her with love and gifts. Like, ALL her life."


    However, Terence was thinking otherwise. ''My wife, not you.'' Terence thought to himself. He hid the sarcasm in his voice very well that she didn''t even notice.


    After hearing his "heartful" words, Bonnie had butterflies flying around in her stomach and her heart was beating faster than normal. Blushing profusely, she looked at Terrence with heart-shaped eyes and said,"Stop Terence, you are making me blush. We haven''t even got engaged yet and you are already calling me your wife. Geez, you are so sweet." Little did she know, Terrence was actually referring to someone else.


    Bonnie''s perfection made Terrence nauseous. Without another word, he turned around and walked away.

 Chapter 87 Have I Gone Insane (Part Two)

    Meanwhile, in BH city, a storm was brewing although it was a beautiful day and the sun was shining brightly.


    Something unexpectedly was coming Carla and Sean''s way and none of them were ready for it.


    After Sean got back from school, he walked into the entrance and threw his bag on the floor. Carla could see he wasn''t himself. He seemed very sad and looked like he wanted to cry.


    She walked out of the kitchen and wiped her wet hands on her jeans as she took a look at her brother and asked, "Sean? What happened at school today? Who stole your sunshine?"


    Sean looked up at Carla with tears in his eyes, "Jeremy was so mean to me today. He laughed at me and told me that I was lying about what I said at the parents'' meeting." Sean looked tired and leaned on the couch for support.


    Carla frowned, "What lie? Why would he say such a thing? What...what''s going on?" Since Carla completely forgot the speech Sean had made that day, she couldn''t seem to understand why Jeremy would be so mean to her brother.


    Sean remained silent for a short while and was trying to think about how to tell her.


    He slowly mumbled, "Do you still remember when we had the parents'' meeting? I told the whole class that you and Terrence were going to get married and that I was going to be his brother-in-law. I don''t know how they found out that Terence was going to married someone else. As soon as I walked into the classroom this morning, everyone started laughing at me.


    They said that I was delusional and Terence would never choose us because all we want is his money, not him."


    Jeremy''s parents were both work


    creen.


    Carla answered the phone and tossed four words to the person, "I am busy, bye." Then, she hung up straight after. It was Terence and she wasn''t going to give him a chance to say a word.


    Suddenly, she remembered that he claimed that he was coming to BH City and he wanted to meet up with her. Carla knew that he could be somewhere close, breathing the same air as her.


    Speaking of which, someone knocked on the door right after she hung up the phone.


    Picturing the person standing right behind that door, she ran to the sofa and covered her ears with her hands as she hugged her knees.


    She didn''t want to face him. Not right now.


    Sean also heard the knocking. He saw Carla having a meltdown and immediately guessed who it might be. He jumped off the sofa with excitement and ran to the door.


    Sean opened the door and saw a familiar face standing in the doorway. The peer attacks and sadness he had been through the whole day instantly disappeared. He cried out in excitement, "Terence! I can''t believe you are here!


    Pinch me! I must be dreaming."

 Chapter 88 I Love You Being Rude To Me (Part One)

    "Hey Sean, I''m back."


    Terence greeted Sean when he opened up the door. However, the first thing he did was looking across the room and searching for Carla. When he finally laid his eyes on the woman who sat quietly on the couch, he shifted his attention back to Terence.


    "Terence! What took you so long? I missed you so much!"


    Sean asked Terence. All day, Sean has been filled with never-ending jokes and judgments. But as soon as he heard Terence''s voice, they all slipped away. He was so excited to see Terence and rushed to hug him. Tears ran down his cheeks as he held on tightly to Terence.


    Sean might have gone through a lot but he was still like most kids. Their moods always changed, depending on the situation at that moment. And this was also why their feelings and reactions were always pure as gold.


    Terence reached over to close the door and hugged Sean tightly. Terence stroked his back to calm his sobs away and spoke to Sean, "Sean, you''re the only man in this house. Didn''t I tell you? Real men don''t cry over little things." He gave Sean a smile to comfort him.


    Sean looked up at Terence and nodded. He wiped his tears away with the back of his hand while the other hand still held on to Terence. He calmed his sobs before he said, "Yes, Terence, I remember it. But, you also told me that a real man never goes back on his words! Didn''t you tell me you were going to be my brother-in-law? And now, the whole world knows that you''re going to marry another woman! Who can be better than my sister? There is only one Carla!


    You won''t go back on your words, right? Because real men don''t and you always kept your promises. Don''t break it with my sister this time. Please, Terence."


    Sean stared into Terence''s eyes with a glimmer of hope embedded in his.


    Terence had never seen such a clean and pure vision in anyone else''s eyes. It was like watchi


    ing what Carla was suggesting, he looked to Terence to rescue him. When Terence stayed silent, his face fell and he lowered his chin to his chest. He kept his eyes on the carpet and mumbled, "Terence, I need to go back to my room now."


    "It''s okay, Sean, good luck with your homework." Terence squeezed Sean''s shoulder and smiled at him. He added, "I''ll be here until tomorrow morning. If you have any question about your homework, just let me know, okay?"


    Sean nodded his head and felt strengthened by Terence''s offer.


    Sean left and returned to his room.


    "Mr. Terence, are you finished? Do you still have anything you need to say to a rude and ungracious woman like me? If you do, we can discuss it at the cafe downstairs, not here. But If you''re done, then you are more than welcome to leave now."


    Carla took off her apron and threw it on the floor. She didn''t want him in her home, especially since she didn''t want Sean got disturbed while he was studying. Most importantly, she didn''t want to give him any chance to talk to her.


    Terence knew exactly what Carla was doing.


    Without a word, Terence grabbed Carla''s hand and pulled her towards her room. Once they were inside, Terence locked the door just in case Carla would run away.

 Chapter 89 I Love You Being Rude To Me (Part Two)

    Everything happened in a whirl. He had to do it quickly because he didn''t want to give Carla any pause to fight him back.


    "Yes, you are right. You are a very rude woman. If you can''t influence someone to do what you want with brutal words, then you''ll change your strategy and use your fist instead. Carla, whether you like it or not, I have gotten used to your little trick. What are you going to do now? I can tell you that when I look at these perfectly behaved women now, all I want to do is throwing up. Do you hear me? You''ve completely destroyed the taste I had for perfect women. What will you do now?"


    Terence let go of her wrists but pushed her against her brown drawer. He pressed his hands against the drawer on both sides of her body to lock her in place. Carla glared at him while she rubbed her red wrists.


    "Is that all you''ve got, Mr. Terence? You are behaving like such a hooligan right now. Only people without shame love to be abused. I''ve got news for you, Mr. Terence. Why don''t you teach your perfect little fianc¨¦e how to use a whip or play with hot wax so she can use them to please you. And I''m sure you''ll love her just as much as you love me. Isn''t that a great idea?"


    Carla didn''t hold back. She was a nice person but when people pushed her, she could be extremely mean. And they wouldn''t have the chance to fight back.


    Since Terence was used to Carla and her mean ways, he knew how to tame her. He raised one eyebrow and rubbed his index finger on her lips. He curled up his lips to seduce her. He leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Is that what you like, Carla? We can try that. One day. Just be careful with the wax. If you burn yourself by accident, my hear


    ong time. You haven''t gotten any from your perfect little fianc¨¦e?"


    Carla made fun of him. But Terence thought otherwise and twisted her words.


    He pulled her chin gently close to him and nibbled her bottom lip. He laughed at her, "What? Is my babe jealous?


    Yesterday, she did seduce me to come into her room. She looked like she didn''t know what she was doing and acting reserved but I knew she was playing ''hard-to-get''. The fact is that, I also knew she couldn''t wait to throw herself on my bed. But you know what? She was just a foster child of the Huas, which was way far from being qualified as my wife."


    He finished his sentence with a cold sneer. Terence shared this information with Carla for only one purpose, that, he wanted Carla to know what was going on between he and his "perfect little fianc¨¦e". However, Carla seemed not appeased. Deep in her heart, Terence''s fianc¨¦e might have been adopted, but still, by a wealthy family. It could hardly make any difference. But, what did she have in hand? She only had Sean since the beginning and it would always be that way. Who was she to have a say in this matter?

 Chapter 90 A Warning From Terence (Part One)

    Only a handful of people knew that Bonnie was adopted, one of them being Terence. It was extremely difficult to keep anything from him. He had always been exceptional at finding things out.


    Carla glanced at Terence and said, "Not even the daughter of the Hua family deserves to be your wife. I don''t think any woman deserves that. Terence, please let me go!" He was squeezing all the air out of Carla, making her feel like a deflated balloon.


    Terence disenthralled his grip and playfully dragged her to the bed. He pulled Clara onto his lap and pinched her cute chubby cheeks.


    Lovingly he turned his head to her and said, "My sweetheart, you are overanalyzing everything again. I was like that before I met you, but I have changed. I have goals now and I have a future with you to look forward to."


    Carla brushed off his hand and let out a sneer. "Terence you are such a flirt and have a talent for hitting on girls. My! You are quite the package. I don''t want to burst your bubble, but you are getting married soon and should be saving these words for your lovely fiancee. At the moment, your future is with her.


    When you get tired of me, will you have more mistresses lined up in your room awaiting your sweet words?"


    Terence frowned slightly and let out a sarcastic laugh. "You can''t help but belittle me, can you?


    That''s fine. I''ll take it. I deserve it for what I have done to you."


    Terence wrapped his arms around her waist and laid her on the bed. He caressed her long soft hair and asked, "Carla, I see you have gotten pretty close to the master of the Hua family lately? Has he hurt you in any way?"


    Carla became furious and pushed him away. She had no idea why he had asked that question.


    She lifted her eyebrows indigna


    anything bad to happen to them. She had Sean to protect as well. That was why she always stayed as far away as she could form trouble.


    Terence lifted her face up and gently pressed his lips onto hers. He lay down beside her and wrapped her whole body into his to conciliate her.


    "Carla, please don''t let anything you hear get you down. If something upsets you, don''t keep it to yourself. I will always be here for you. Call me and I will take the blame for it. If that doesn''t do you justice, then I will personally fly from JA City and let you pummel me until you feel satisfied. Does that sound good to you?"


    Because there were things he had to do, he had meant to separate with her for a short while, but he found he couldn''t. He wanted to see her every day, every minute and every second. He needed to see her.


    Terence noticed she was being awfully quiet. Carla usually liked to interrupt his babbling, but this time she didn''t.


    When he heard no response from her, he whispered, "Carla? You are being incredibly quiet. Are you alright?


    Carla, my darling?"


    Terence glanced down at her to find her sound asleep. ''She is so beautiful, '' he thought.

 Chapter 91 A Warning From Terence (Part Two)

    Even though she said that she hated him, Carla couldn''t deny the truth, that she felt a sense of security with him being around. It was like a natural tranquilizer.


    He held her tightly the entire night until it was time or him to leave.


    Stealthily, he got out of bed and quietly left early in the morning. Terence had to catch his flight back to JA City.


    Carla considered what he said last night and understood it completely, but her perspective still remained the same.


    The thought of him marrying another woman drove her insane. What would happen to her? The saddest part about all of this, was that she would never be with him again. Carla couldn''t even go an hour without thinking about him. How would she manage a lifetime?


    It was much easier for a man to break his promise than to keep it. In today''s society, promises had no meaning. Why keep a promise when you could just take it back anytime you like?


    The following day, she received a phone call from her friend Karen. She asked Carla if she would come to her shop after work for a visit.


    At the shop, Karen poured herself a glass of water and sat opposite Carla. "How is your boyfriend doing? Strangely I haven''t heard anything about him since the last time I saw you," she inquired.


    Carla had been keeping to herself lately. It was good for her to catch up with a friend. Since she stopped working at the shop, they had a lot to talk about.


    Karen was curious to see how she was doing and how her love life was going. They always had a strong connection and could talk about


    heal first."


    Karen looked as if she had been sworn at. Her eyes were as big as lemons. She glanced over at Carla and began to lecture her, "What are you waiting for? You are not going to find your prince charming sitting on the sofa watching TV and mourning your break up. Hurry up! Time waits for no man, Carla. You are beautiful, Carla! Now is the time to find a man to marry and settle down. Before you know it, you are going to be old and saggy. No man wants that, rather marry them now and then they will have no choice but to love you when your face wrinkles and your butt hangs. Find a man when you are young and attractive so they will accept your brother tagging along with you as well. Just think about it!


    Alright, stop wasting time. It''s decided." Karen took her phone off the table and made a call.


    Before Carla could say anything, Karen had already made the decision for her. "Okay, so I have booked a place for you to meet one of them tomorrow. It''s time to get back in the saddle. Carla, please be there on time!"

 Chapter 92 Dont Go On The Blind Date (Part One)

    After letting out a lengthy sigh, Carla clasped her hands behind her head, looking quite dejected and despondent. She seemed to be so out of it.


    Karen eventually managed to setup two blind dates for Carla. Both of them were scheduled for Saturday, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon.


    And she also made it very clear to Carla that if ever she didn''t enjoy having their company, she''d just arrange more dates for her on Sunday.


    Even though Carla was feeling so anxious about it, she just couldn''t say no to Karen, because she knew Karen actually meant well.


    Early on Saturday morning.


    Carla was still at home getting dressed, preparing for her date. Whether she liked it or not, she didn''t have much of a choice anyway. A girl should always look pretty on a date no matter what.


    Sean, who was standing by the doorway, kept a watchful eye on her just like a spy.


    "What are you doing? Have you got any plans for today? Why are you dressing up so early on a Saturday?"


    Sean asked in a condescending tone, crossing his arms on his chest and watching as Carla changed her clothes twice. This just made him feel even more curious.


    "Keep your nose out of this, kid. It doesn''t concern you," Carla replied. After shooting him a quick glance, she immediately shifted her gaze back toward the mirror to check how she looked.


    After pondering about it a little bit more, Sean was eventually able to put two and two together himself, and he pried, "Are you going on a blind date, Carla? Didn''t Terence clear things up with you yesterday? Haven''t the two of you gotten back together already?


    How come you''re still planning to go on a blind date? Why are you doing this? You''ve already got a boyfriend!"


    Upon hearing Sean say those words, Carla looked away from the mirror and glared at Sean then yelled, "Shut up, Sean! Don''t be ridiculous! He''s already engaged and bound to get married.


    , it would improve his chances of getting a second date with Carla, possibly even a third or fourth. Who knew?


    Seeing how polite and chivalrous he was trying to be, Carla let out a soft chuckle. She refrained from arguing with him further and just decided to make herself at home. Besides, insisting to go fifty-fifty with the bill would just cost her more money anyway.


    No one had a clue that Noah was just sitting in the private room next door, at a table where he had a clear view of Carla and Ronnie seated on the public area outside.


    Upon overhearing Carla and Ronnie''s conversation, he couldn''t help but smirk. He focused his attention over to the person sitting opposite him and said, "I''ll be staying in BH City for a while. If you have any important matters to discuss with me, you can just come and meet me here."


    For as long as it was something of great value, Noah would surely be interested in getting a hold of it.


    He would grab onto it with his very own hands, and little by little, he''d do whatever it took just to make it his. Only then would he be able to truly enjoy what he considered his noble undertaking of acquiring something.


    "Miss Ji, since we are both searching for a life partner, forgive me if I will be straightforward with you,"

 Chapter 93 Dont Go On The Blind Date (Part Two)

    Ronnie lifted his head up and remarked, as they were having their meal. "I''ve been informed about your family''s situation. If I remember correctly, I heard that your brother is quite young and still in elementary school. It truly is a pity that your parents died an untimely death, and by circumstance, the heavy burden of raising your younger brother had befallen you.


    If I''m completely being honest, I do feel for you, Miss Ji. And I sincerely want to be of help to you and your dear brother. I believe we came here with similar intents, for the sole purpose of finding a suitable partner to get married to. So, why don''t we just stop beating around the bush and get right down to business? What do you say, Carla?


    Carla, who was in the middle of eating, almost gagged on her food and was almost gasping for air. She took a sip of water to try to clear her throat and nodded in agreement.


    "So we''re seeing eye to eye on this, right? Okay, I''ll promptly cut to the chase," Ronnie added, seeing her give a go signal. However, even he got a bit red-faced because of that, causing him to lower his head a little. "The conditions I have aren''t unreasonable, are they? If you think it''s worth giving ''us'' a try, then I''m sure we can work on this together.


    Regarding the matter with your brother, once we finally get married someday, of course, the two of us would be raising him together. In spite of that, there''s something else I have in mind, and I need to make sure we''re on the same page here.


    The fact of the matter is, when your brother eventually decides to get married in the future, of course, we can help him out a little bit, but, for the most part, he should be able to learn how to depend on himself by then for where they''d be residing in along wit


    ourselves, we''d also be needing to move in together in our own apartment. Don''t you think that your decision is a bit rash?" he asked, shifting his glasses.


    If Ronnie were to have his own brother, even then, he probably wouldn''t be able to just casually give a big apartment to him just like that. Everyone would rationally be putting their own needs as the highest priority.


    Even though the housing prices in BH City weren''t as steep as that of the other neighboring cities'', an apartment with an area of a hundred and fifty square meters would easily go for higher than a million!


    Carla couldn''t totally hold back her laughter and chuckled, her eyes glittering with excitement.


    She wasn''t lying about the house, and she surely brought it up on purpose.


    She didn''t have time to waste discussing all of her plans for the distant future with a man she just met about half an hour ago. Who would?!


    She deliberately said that she would give the house to her brother in order to set up a situation where the two of them would eventually argue about her decisions.


    After that, she could just brush it off and tell Karen it didn''t work out between the two of them.

 Chapter 94 Tactfully Ditching Ronnie In A Blind Date

    "I don''t think so. I''m his sister and since he only has me in his life. I have the responsibility to look after him and give the house to him. I think that is the right thing to do. Besides, I can live with you in the future."


    Carla put on a shy smile and lowered her head to appear sweet and innocent. Whereas in actual fact, she was choosing her words carefully to deliberately make Ronnie dislike her.


    Then she added, "After we are married, you will buy us a new house, right? Before my mother died, she told me that the bridegroom should pay a handsome bride price to my family.


    It won''t cost you too much money, and you will just need to offer 199, 999. But if you can''t afford that amount of money, then I won''t marry you."


    Ronnie was so shocked by the amount of money that she was asking for, that he choked on his tea and even spat it out of his mouth.


    "What''s wrong, Mr. Luo? Are you all right?"


    Carla blinked innocently at him and handed him a tissue.


    With a straight face, Ronnie took the tissue from Carla and wiped the tea from his face and the table.


    "Miss Ji, with all due respect, why do you still ask for a bride price when your parents have passed away?


    It will just increase our burden."


    Carla made a sad face and retorted, "What do you mean? Do you think that I should just let others walk all over me because I have no parents?"


    "No, no, no. I didn''t mean that at all. I just think that the bride price is just too much. I''m just an ordinary office worker, so I couldn''t afford that much money. Well, if you really want to marry me. I will reduce the bride price to just 50, 000. What do you think?"


    Since they were getting down to the nitty-gritty side of things, Ronnie thought it was best to be open and blunt about his feelings and thoughts.


    After all, he was looking for a woman to marry, so these problems should be nipped in the bud from the very start.


    "Besides, I think it would be a better idea to leave your house to our future son. This would ease the burden on us in the future. Don''t you think so as well?"


    Carla was amused and lowered her head to appear bashful once again, but she did it more so to hide the smile on her face. She had to bite her lower lip hard to stop herself from laughing out loud. Once she had composed herself she made a serious expression and looked up again.


    "No, I don''t agree with that at all. I have already decided to give two houses to my brother. As for you and me, we can live together in your house.


    Besides, I can go to work as well and when we earn enough money, we can buy a new house for ourselves.


    The bride price will show just how sincere you really are. Wha


    However, when she looked up at Noah, she felt a little intimidated. She wondered whether such a handsome, gentle and friendly man could really be that dangerous.


    "That sounds great.


    But I have no idea how much homework my brother has. I will check with him when I get back home. It would be wonderful if I can take him there to play,"


    Carla responded vaguely. She thought that it would be best to think of an excuse to reject his offer after she got home.


    Although she didn''t believe everything that Terence had said about Noah. She did, however, think that it was best to be cautious around people like him.


    She was afraid that if he really was as dangerous and ruthless as Terence said and she offended him in some way, he may retaliate against her and Sean.


    "Miss Carla, are you afraid of me?"


    Noah raised his eyebrow and stared at her intently. He was very good at observing people. He could tell by Carla''s body language and the expression in her eyes that she seemed afraid of him.


    Two days ago, he got news from his men, that Carla once rescued a man and let him stay in her house.


    The man''s description matched that of Terence of the An family, who had been missing for some time before.


    His investigation proved to be correct and the mystery man certainly was Terence An.


    Noah assumed that Carla and Terence were still in contact with each other. And, because Terence would surely know of Noah''s background, he would most likely have told Carla about Noah.


    If that were the case, then it would be meaningless for him to hide his surname from Carla.


    And perhaps his plot would be disclosed by others before he had time to take any action.


    With this in mind, Noah started to feel enraged, even though he still looked calm on the outside.

 Chapter 95 The Ostentatious Sherry

    Carla was stunned for a moment at Noah''s sudden question. But after calming her nerves, she put on a smile and answered, "There is some truth in what you''re asking. After all, I don''t really know much about you. You are very intimidating and look very powerful. Just like a born leader. It looks like you are from a wealthy house and in charge of people''s livings.


    I believe that almost every woman would fear a man like you. Don''t you agree?"


    After finishing her words, Carla put on a naughty smile. She reached for her juice as she needed something to calm her pounding heart. But the orange juice wasn''t helpful at all.


    "You''re right. People around me are afraid of me." Noah did a quick evaluation of himself as he had another sip of his latte. He had to admit it. Lots of people did seem to be afraid of him, even when he pretended to put across a tender image of himself.


    "But I hope you don''t fear me, Miss Carla. I would really like to be friends with you. If you are afraid of me, I will definitely feel frustrated,"


    Noah added with a gentle smile as he looked at her.


    When Carla saw Noah''s friendly smile, she couldn''t help but wonder, if perhaps, she was being way too nervous and wronged him.


    After all, she had no reason to fear him. She didn''t do anything to upset him or go against him in any way. Was it truly necessary for her to be so over cautious? He may become suspicious about her if she put up such a guard.


    "Well, how about you bring your brother at 9 o''clock tomorrow morning?


    Don''t refuse me. Or I will be heartbroken." As he said that, Noah pulled out two tickets and lay them on the table in front of Carla.


    "Miss Carla, please give me a chance to prove to you that I''m not a scary person but in fact, quite friendly. Is that okay?"


    Noah looked into her eyes with sincerity and pleaded with her. She found it hard to resist his tender smile and those beautiful amber eyes.


    Carla hesitated for a moment. He really had put her on the spot. She blinked and glanced down at the tickets. Carla really didn''t have much of a choice but to accept his offer. After a brief moment, she came up with an idea so that she wouldn''t have to be alone with Noah and said, "By the way, Sherry called me earlier and asked about you.


    How about I invite Sherry to come with us, and you can have another chance to prove to me that you really are friendly? What do you think?"


    Noah''s eyes twinkled and he chuckled out loud. Nodding his head, he passed her another ticket.


    "Is there anyone else that you might like to bring? I''ve got plenty of tickets," he said waving them at her with a smile.


    Carla looked at the pile of tickets in his hand. She thought for a moment as Jena''s grandson and Tina''s nephews would love a ticket each.


    However, after rethinking it, she realized it wasn''t worth it. She didn''t want to feel indebted to Noah just because of a few extra free tickets.


    "No one else. Just the three of us," Carla replied.


    She thanked Noah for the tickets and then said goodbye.


    Noah watched as Carla disappeared off into the distance. His friendly smile changed back into a cold stare and he was lost in his thoughts.


    Things had become more complicate


    too deeply into her private life.


    "No, it''s not. You''re over thinking it." Carla then stood up and went to Sean''s bedroom door and called out, "Sean, it''s time to get up!"


    Sherry put her hand to her cheek and thought for a moment. Then she turned to Carla with doubt in her eyes and asked, "So, how do you know Noah? I mean, he''s not just some nobody. When I went to the business party with him, everyone there showed him the utmost respect."


    Carla was starting to tire and develop a headache from Sherry''s relentless questions. So to finally get Sherry off her back, she explained the whole story to her, about the thief incident and how Noah had saved her.


    Satisfied with Carla''s explanation, Sherry finally understood and nodded her head.


    She couldn''t understand how someone like Carla could get to know a noble gentleman such as Noah. Even though Sherry attended upper-class parties where ever possible, she still wasn''t able to meet someone like him.


    Sherry was becoming impatient and restless. Even though it was still too early to go to the amusement park. She was very eager to see the charming man.


    She began to urge Carla for them to leave as soon as possible. Claiming that it wasn''t good for them to be late.


    Carla couldn''t stand to listen to her nagging anymore, so they departed shortly afterward.


    The official opening day for the amusement park was Sunday. That day was deliberately chosen to attract the maximum amount of people because it wasn''t a working day. There were many people already lined up at the gate, waiting to got inside.


    "See, that''s what I said! I told you we should have come here earlier. Look at all those people waiting in line to get inside now. It''s so annoying!"


    Sherry complained as she looked at the long queue in front of them and stomped her foot irritated. She held her sun hat with one hand and said, "Carla, it''s too hot to stand in the queue out here in this sun all day. Why don''t you make a phone call to Noah and ask him to let us go inside without waiting?" Sherry was feeling hot and bothered by the sun.


    She held onto Carla''s arm and begged her to call him.

 Chapter 96 A Tour In The Ghost House

    Carla couldn''t resist rolling her eyes. Despite being a kid Sean kept quiet in the queue and never complained, but Sherry couldn''t stand it.


    But she let it go anyway. She asked Sherry to come with them in the first place. Now Carla felt obliged to had to pay adequate courtesy to a princess wearing high heels to play in an amusement park.


    Luckily, Noah gave her his phone number yesterday.


    "Hello, Mr. Noah. This is Carla. We have arrived at the amusement park. Right now we are waiting in a queue at the entrance to get in." Carla didn''t mention the intention of her call directly, but her words did render a hint.


    Noah was a very smart person. Of course he figured out what she was trying to imply.


    "Why didn''t you call me earlier? You and your friends can wait for me at the VIP passageway. I will be there as soon as I can," said Noah via the phone.


    After hanging up, Carla accompanied Sean and Princess Sherry to the VIP passageway.


    Sherry took a long breath of relief after having got out of the endless line. She pulled her dress straightening it up and took out the face powder to fix her makeup which required some amelioration.


    "Carla!"


    Noah walked over in front of them. "Next time you come in here, call me in advance and you won''t have to wait for so long under the sun."


    As he said that, he handed over some drinks and gave them to Sean, Carla and Sherry.


    "Thank you," said Carla as she accepted the icy drink. She pulled Sean over to her side and introduced, "Sean, this is Mr. Noah, a friend of Sherry and I. Our tickets for this time have been given by Mr. Noah."


    Sean blinked instantly and smiled at Noah. "Thank you, Mr. Noah."


    Noah chuckled as he praised him for being smart, and then said, "Sean, if you could see me as your big brother and just call me Noah, I''d be happier."


    Sean turned a deaf ear to him and just twisted off the cap of the bottle and started to drink.


    Of course he wouldn''t call him Brother.


    In his heart, he had only one brother. That was Terence. He was irreplaceable for him.


    If any other person want to be treated as a big brother by him, they had to at least make sure if he was in a good mood.


    "Mr. Noah, how are you? You have been ignoring me so far." Sherry''s eyes had never left Noah since he appeared, but he hadn''t said a word to her voluntarily so far.


    Noah turned to her and gave out a gentle smile after hearing her words. He reached out his hand and said, "Hello, Miss Sherry. I apologize for my rudeness. You look gorgeous today! You won''t be mad at me, will you?"


    Sherry gave him a shy smile and shook his hand, and th


    imaltaneously getting rid of the horrid sight.


    "Don''t be afraid. It is fake. Made of silicon." Noah held her by her waist and helped her get back on her feet. His calm and soothing tone reassured her.


    Carla was terrified to her bones. She grabbed Noah''s hand instinctively and panted with her mouth gaping wide open.


    Noah knew she was terrified and he patted her on her back softly in an attempt to console her and help her regain confidence in herself.


    It was the first time he was so close to her and a light scent like that of an orchid flower reached his nose. Her hair accidentally brush by his chin and made him itchy. He remained silent for while.


    Noah sensed the scent of a virgin. This was something Sherry lacked. Despite being intermingled with strong scent of perfume, he could tell the difference.


    Besides, Carla never got used to being touched by men. She felt uneasy even with slightest physical contact with a man, which proved his assumption.


    That could also act as an extended proof to the assumption that nothing had happened so far between her and Terence.


    With all these thoughts running wildly in his mind, Noah curved his lips upward slightly and the crude desire for his prey grew stronger inside him.


    "It is okay now. Thank you."


    Carla regained her calmness and got out of his arms hastily and stepped away to maintain a safe distance from him.


    Having been pushed away by Noah just a while ago, Sherry was both furious and envious. She walked over, stared at Carla and said with a sense of disappointment, "Carla, you didn''t fake it, did you? You hadn''t shown a single sign of fear all the way from the entrance to here, and now you want us to believe that you''re suddenly frightened to the core?"

 Chapter 97 Go Meet Me At The Hotel Tonight (Part One)

    "Carla! What happened? Are you alright?"


    Sean worriedly asked, looking so concerned as he quickly turned back after hearing his sister screaming.


    Carla suddenly grabbed Sean''s hand to stop him from running away again.


    "I''m fine now. But don''t you ever dare run away from my sight again next time. You got that?"


    Sean, as he was staring at her, quickly nodded his head and reassured her he wouldn''t be doing it again.


    Without even giving Sherry any response, Carla simply dragged Sean and exited the ghost house.


    Watching all of that, Sherry and Noah also followed them soon after.


    With her hand still keeping a tight grip on Noah''s arm, Sherry suggested, "Noah, since it''s still quite early. How about we go for a dinner? What do you say?"


    When she asked Noah, she just meant the two of them going a dinner date by themselves, as she wasn''t really able to get any opportunities to spend some alone time with him all day long.


    "Sure. That''s actually a great idea." Noah went ahead a little and asked, "Carla, Sean, it''s getting a bit late now. Shall we have a nice dinner before heading home? I know of a nice place to eat just around the corner. I''ve been there once before when I went with a client. Why don''t we just head straight there?"


    Upon hearing what Noah just said, Carla turned back and glanced at the two persons who were walking right behind them. Then, she shifted her gaze toward Sean and caught him wilting. As it turned out, he was now feeling so famished after running around and playing the whole day.


    "Then..." Carla was suddenly cut off before she could even give an answer.


    "Oh, right! Carla, didn''t you tell me earlier that you still had some matters to attend to this evening?"


    Upon noticing that Carla was about to say yes to Noah, Sherr


    busy checking the menu and choosing what to order at the moment.


    Sherry''s eyes were fully fixated on him, filled with so much love and deep admiration. Taking off a high heel, she sneakily "accidentally" touched his leg through his pants with her foot, wearing only silk stockings.


    Feeling her touch, Noah couldn''t help but frown. He reached his hand under the table and carefully grabbed her foot, which was still awkwardly rubbing against his leg.


    "Sherry, it''s better for women to have some decency and self-respect. Otherwise, men won''t be able to treasure them if they don''t start taking themselves seriously," Noah remarked in a faintly cold tone.


    He surely had a lot of experience with women, no doubt about that. And he would always treat them well.


    But he still laid down his own rules when it came to his sexual partners. First of all, he would never go for young girls. That would be the bottom line. There was no room for compromise. Secondly, not any woman who was under wedlock. He just had no interest in someone else''s wife.


    And last but not least, he needed to be fascinated by her as well. Needless to say, he wouldn''t ever touch someone that he didn''t like.

 Chapter 98 Go Meet Me At The Hotel Tonight (Part Two)

    Upon hearing Noah express his opinion, Sherry was immediately flushed. She lowered her head and tightly held onto his shirt feeling so embarrassed that she wished the earth would just swallow her up right then and there and get it over with.


    "Noah, I know that was so thoughtless of me. But you just won''t look at me no matter what I do. I couldn''t think of any other way to grab your attention aside from..."


    Sherry abruptly stopped talking, but what she was trying to express was clear as day. It was a smart decision for her to directly admit her mistakes after getting exposed. It, at the very least, made her look upstanding since she made no attempts to deny it.


    Noah handed the menu over to her and said, "Have a look at the menu and see what else you would like to have for dinner. I''ll ask them to cook these dishes first. When Carla and Sean get back from the restroom, they can just add some dishes later."


    Sherry was visibly feeling distressed as she shot him a glance and said in a sulky voice, "You seem to be only concerned when it comes to Carla. I noticed how your eyes had been glued to her the whole time. But you never once looked at me even though I was the one standing right next to you."


    Noah''s hand was frozen for a moment when he was about to grab his cup of tea. Then he turned and looked toward the corridor and checked to see if Carla and Sean had gone back yet.


    "It''s good that you''re aware of it. I''m glad to hear that,"


    Noah flat out replied without trying to evade her question. Carefully picking up his


    to expose her.


    And he probably wouldn''t have said anything at all if she hadn''t taken things too far today. Specifically speaking, she had just gone so way out of line that it annoyed him to the point that he couldn''t stand it anymore.


    But even though he pointed all of that out straight up to her face, Noah still had the decency to let her keep some dignity, because, at any rate, he chose to made clear of that while the two of them were alone instead of embarrassing her in front of everyone else, which he could''ve done just as easily.


    "What are you two talking about? Do you mind if we join in? Sherry, you don''t look so good. Are you alright? Is everything okay here?"


    Carla and Sean finally came back from the restroom after what felt like an eternity as Carla had really intended to give Sherry and Noah a chance to be intimate.


    But the second she stepped into the booth, she noticed after just a single glance that Sherry was looking so pale and it appeared as if she really wasn''t feeling well at the moment.

 Chapter 99 Terence The Lothario

    Sherry touched her pale face with a slight grimace. "I''m going to the bathroom."


    Carla watched Sherry leave and sensed that something was wrong judging by the look on her face. She glanced at Noah who was casually pouring a cup of water for her brother and passed it to him.


    "Mr. Noah, what''s wrong with Sherry? Did you two argue?"


    The waiter carrying two plates of food approached and placed them on the table.


    "You don''t need to call me Mr. Noah. Just call me Noah. My full name is Noah Hua. But my friends just call me Noah," he said quietly.


    Carla was startled for a brief second. She thought that he would never tell her the truth.


    "I''m sorry. But I don''t usually like to tell people my full name when I just meet them because I don''t want any unnecessary trouble. But we are friends now. If I didn''t tell you my full name now, then it would appear that I was an insincere person."


    Noah smiled amiably and pushed the plate of food on the table closer to Sean.


    Sean was so hungry, and his mind was only on the food in front of him. He wasn''t paying much attention to their conversation. He picked up the chopsticks and began devouring the food.


    "You don''t need to explain. I fully understand. It''s very acceptable for people of your social status to feel that way," Carla said with a smile. She didn''t expect that he would be so candid with her.


    A long time had passed when Sherry had finally returned.


    She sat at the table with her eyes downcast.


    Sherry was feeling frustrated. She went to the bathroom to save herself from creating an embarrassing scene. She had barely entered the bathroom when she burst into tears. It took her a while to finally calm down and although she put a thick layer of face powder on, it was still obvious that she had been crying.


    Sherry became quiet and focused on eating, barely saying a word.


    After dinner, Carla suggested that Noah and Sherry go together, while she and her brother catch a taxi home.


    However, Noah insisted on taking them all home himself. Carla and Sean first and then dropping Sherry off on his way back to the hotel.


    Carla didn''t refuse since it was safer to have so many people together.


    When Noah had dropped Carla and Sean off, he turned to Sherry and asked, "Where do you want to go?"


    Sherry shifted uncomfortably in the front passenger seat.


    She kept her gaze straight ahead and said stiffly, "Go to the hotel."


    Noah paused while looking at her for a moment and then turned the car into the direction of the hotel.


    In the luxury suite of the hotel.


    Sherry had a shower and then slipped into some sexy lingerie and covered herself with a bathrobe.


    She was bitterly upset at the restaurant when she found out that Noah would never be hers. Since then she had thought it over and decided if she couldn''t have this man, then she would sleep with him once. That way, she could at least say that he was hers, even if it was for only one night.


    Besides that, if she couldn''t get him then Carla couldn''t dream of having him either.


    Noah had left Sherry at the hotel while he went to handle some business m


    you to keep away from Noah. Why did you go out with him today?"


    Carla''s frown deepened and she stared directly into his beautiful dark eyes.


    "You followed me again? "


    Terence breathed in deeply and was silent for a moment. "I am protecting you. The situation has become complicated lately. I had to look out for your safety."


    Carla didn''t say anything more. She lay silently as she put her hands on her breast to guard them against Terence.


    "What are you doing? Do they feel good?" Terence was amused by her gesture to defend herself against his wandering hand and he said it to mock her.


    He rolled to the side of the bed and supported his head with his hand. Terence gazed at her with his bedroom eyes and wondered what she did when she was all alone in the dark in her bed¡ª


    Carla took the opportunity to immediately grab the quilt and pull it up to cover herself.


    "Why did you come back again? Are they handing out free airfare tickets?"


    She was well aware of how far apart JA City and BH City were. It took about four to five hours by plane. And coming to BH City and then going back again would take almost ten hours. Why would Terence want to do that?


    "Because you are here,"


    he simply replied in just four little words. He pulled her onto him and held her tightly in his arms while planting tender little kisses on her cheeks. "You smell of perspiration. Go take a shower," he said releasing her from his grip.


    Carla gaped speechlessly at his comment.


    ''I smell, but you still keep kissing me.


    I thought you might give me a shower of kisses and I wouldn''t need to have a shower myself.


    "I was coming here to get my clothes to have a shower. But you haven''t let me go ever since I came in here," Carla muttered as she went to the wardrobe to get her pajamas.


    ''How could I possibly not be stinky after running around after Sean all day in the burning hot sun?''


    She glanced at Terence before she left the room. He was lying leisurely on her bed watching her. Then he casually said, "Carla, wash thoroughly. Or you will taste salty."

 Chapter 100 The ‘Royal Prince’

    Carla rushed to Terence angrily as soon as she got out of the shower as she had gone mad the moment she saw herself in the mirror.


    "Terence! Look what you have done to my neck!" Carla couldn''t avoid yelling at Terence, who was sleeping peacefully on her bed at the moment.


    He woke up immediately due to her yelling and rubbed his drowsy eyes.


    "Sorry, I may have overdone it a bit," Terence replied in a hoarse voice apologetically and tried to open his heavy eyes with great difficulty.


    He desired her so much that he even wanted to eat her alive. Now there was only one hickey left on her neck. He was careful enough to not leave behind any mark while kissing her. Apparently, he didn''t feel so sorry about that. Instead, he was pretty satisfied with what he had done.


    "Terence!"


    Carla was spewing with fury at him after hearing his explanation. She approached Terence and prepared to take it out on him. It was so hot out there. What could she wear to go to work by hiding this mark? A high-collar shirt? It was way too hot!


    Besides, the hickey he left on her neck was so dark and obvious that anyone would notice it at the first sight.


    Terence held her by the hand and pulled her into his arms as he constrained her between him and the bed. Then he added, "What can I do to make it up now? Do you want to leave one on me as well?"


    He stretched his neck towards her as though he were offering her an opportunity for revenge.


    Obviously, Carla wouldn''t agree to his suggestion. She only took it out on him by scratching him twice.


    "Terence, can you stop visiting me from time to time? And don''t be so intimate to me without asking my permission. Am I understood?" With eyes widely open and glaring at him, Carla was visibly angry at the moment.


    But she knew that it was useless to argue with him. What she needed to do was to solve it once and for all.


    In the meantime, Terence was not displeased with her protest at all. Gently looking at her, he turned his body sideways, with one hand supporting his head. It seemed that his Carla was just like a rose filled with thorns. It was easy for him to get pricked but the fragrance was mesmerizing.


    "I''m made to feel as if I''m your pet. And whenever you are delighted, you''ll come to me and amuse yourself. You have never given any consideration or importance to my feelings and emotions! I''m a person. And I have got my own life, its problems and so on. Will you stop behaving as if I owe you happiness in life?"


    Saying that angrily, Carla pushed him away and got off the bed.


    "It''s just a hickey, Carla. Don''t be so mad. It will fade away soon. Besides, you can cover it with make-up."


    Terence stepped forward and embraced her in his arms as he kissed her on her forehead.


    However, he hadn''t realized that the problem was not the hickey. Hickey was merely the tip o


    ever.


    "Who is this celebrity? Is he a film star? Why is there so much fervour for his engagement on my phone? But I have to say that he is really handsome. I like his eyes, so deep and graceful. And his lips are so good-looking."


    "Come on. He is not some film star. He is the ''royal prince'' of JA City!"


    "''Royal prince''? What do you mean?"


    "His grandfather on his mother''s side was the mayor of JA City. His grandfather on his father''s side was the former military chief. And his father is the most successful businessman in JA City. Now you realize why he is dubbed as the ''royal prince'' of JA City, huh?"


    "Really? Oh, my gosh! Then his fiancee must be rich and noble as well, right?"


    "Of course. She is the only daughter of the Hua family. It''s said that her grandfather on her mother''s side was a secretary of some Municipal Party Committee. Not to mention that the Hua family is rich enough to be a suitable match to the An family."


    Carla covered her ears with her palm as the random talks in the office about him made her lose her calmness. She couldn''t bear any more of it. She was remorseful and regretful at the moment.


    In spite of trying hard to devote all her attention and focus into her work, the problem was that she could never pay any attention to it. She was visibly distracted. She could think of nothing but him. Moreover, by every passing second, the regret just got worse. Eventually, she asked for two days off to take some rest at home.


    Her manager permitted directly as she seldom asked for a leave. She was a dedicated employee of the company and the manager was fond of her.


    After Carla got back home, she threw her cellphone to the table and disconnected the cable for the Internet as she got onto her bed and buried herself in the quilt. She badly wanted to cut herself off from the rest of the world which was seemingly enjoying Terence''s engagement.

 Chapter 101 Studying In JA City For One Month

    Carla told herself repeatedly not to care about Terence.


    But, could she really deny her love for him?


    After spending a long time together, Carla and Terence knew each other like a couple. Thinking back to those happy days, she felt like she was watching a movie, remembering everything as if it were only yesterday.


    Ironically, the more she tried to resist the urge to see Terence, the more she told herself that she really cared about him.


    Though she didn''t want to admit her love for Terence, she had fallen deeply in love with him.


    The more she tried to suppress her true feelings, the more she missed him.


    Carla had to admit that she really cared about him a lot, but she was afraid that she was too humble to be his girlfriend.


    Despite of her sense of inferiority, she loved him from the bottom of her heart.


    She actually cared about him so much, but she always assumed an air of indifference. She had masked her feelings well.


    All she had left was her dignity.


    She would rather keep her dignity than humbly entreat him to pity her. Even if he left, she hoped that she would be able to survive without him.


    Carla curled up into a ball and covered herself with the quilt, trying to soothe herself.


    Still, she felt sad with longing.


    She often recalled Terence''s handsome picture from the cover of a magazine where he was formally dressed and had a broad smile. The more he smiled brightly, the more she felt pain in her heart.


    The feeling of heartache almost engulfed and choked her.


    Sean came back from school. He called out to her as soon as he came into the house.


    "Carla, Carla.


    Where are you, sister?"


    Hearing her brother''s voice, Carla quickly wiped away her tears, combed her tangled hair and got dressed. Then she went out to greet him.


    "Have you finished your class?"


    She didn''t want her brother to see how helpless and depressed she felt at the moment. After all, she was his older sister who was responsible for protecting him. She had to make herself strong because he looked up to her for guidance and relied on her.


    "Yes, Carla. Have you been crying?"


    Although Carla smiled, Sean could see the sadness in her eyes.


    "No. My eyes are sore. Why did you come home so early today? I''ll start dinner for you," she said, trying to change the subject. Carla hurried off into the kitchen.


    Sean followed her and grabbed her by the arm suddenly to attract her attention.


    "Carla, I have something to tell you."


    He looked up at her and said, "I mentioned this to you last year, but you have probably forgotten about it since you are really busy. Anyway, our teacher said that seven outstanding students would be selected and sent to study in the best school in JA City for one month this year.


    It''s an inter-school communication program that has been running for a while now. Well, the teacher said it would be implemented this year.


    The school selects seven of the best students according to their comprehensive performance and results¡ª"


    Sean blinked and furrowed his brows, looking at her. It seemed that he had something to say but stopped f


    After all, you are a girl," Sean said as he folded his clothes.


    Seeing Sean behave like an adult, Carla smiled with satisfaction and felt touched, "My dear little brother, when did you become so thoughtful?"


    "Of course, I have grown up. It''s time for me to start taking care of my sister," Sean said as if he were a small adult. He folded the clothes neatly and packed them into the suitcase.


    "I''ll pack the rest. You go to bed and get some rest. I''m going to prepare some food to take on the way," Carla said while patting her brother affectionately on the shoulder.


    Sean nodded, yawning. Feeling tired, he went back to his room.


    Carla was busy preparing food until very late. She put the boiled eggs and snacks in a separate bag and packed it into her suitcase. In addition, she gave her neighbors the perishable items out of her refrigerator, since they were going to be away for a month.


    By the time she had finished everything, it was already past midnight.


    Feeling extremely tired, she went to bed.


    Carla didn''t hear the alarm clock in the morning; perhaps, it was because she went to bed very late.


    When Sean woke her up, she found that it was already half past seven.


    The teacher had asked them to arrive at the school gate by eight o''clock.


    "Don''t worry. It doesn''t matter. Let''s go immediately and take a taxi. We are sure to be there in half an hour," Carla reassured Sean who was about to cry.


    "We don''t need to take a taxi. I''ve asked Uncle Carey to wait for us downstairs." Pursing up his lips, Sean looked up at his sister.


    "Really? If that''s the case, then that would be even better. You''ve made a good decision." After praising her brother, Carla hurried to wash up.


    Carla realized she had to be careful. Even if she was in a hurry to go, she closed the main circuit. She also checked the gas range all over again before leaving her house.


    Fortunately, their entire luggage was packed and ready last night.


    Carla quickly grabbed their suitcases and carried them downstairs. She was ready to go to the school with Sean.

 Chapter 102 Entertainment On The Way

    Carey was already waiting for them outside.


    He was familiar with BH City so he picked the quickest route to Sean''s school. They were lucky that they had a good run with the traffic lights.


    And that Sean''s school wasn''t far away from their home. So when they did arrive at the gate of the school, they were right on time.


    When Carla saw the bus still parked at the curb, she breathed a big sigh of relief.


    Sean was pleased as well.


    Everyone was already on the bus ready to go except for Carla and Sean.


    The two teachers that would accompany them to JA City were waiting outside of the bus for Sean and Carla. They helped Carla put their suit cases in the luggage compartment and then they all boarded the bus.


    Once everyone was settled and took their seats. The bus set off.


    "Sean, you are so late. We were all waiting for you!"


    It was a boy named Jeremy who was sitting in front of them. He turned around to grumble to Sean.


    Jeremy was from a wealthy family. His grades were only average but his family managed to arrange for him to go on this trip.


    Only the top students were supposed to go on this tour since they were traveling to JA City''s best school to further advance their studies.


    Unlike Jeremy, Sean had actually earned his spot for this tour. He studied very hard and the results showed. He was also very good at sports. Sean was always polite and thoughtful, all of the teachers at his school liked him.


    Since Sean knew that he was one of the select few to be chosen to take this tour, instead of buying his spot he felt proud of himself and just ignored Jeremy and didn''t say anything.


    "All right, that''s enough Jeremy. Just stop it.


    He is Terence An''s brother-in-law. Not someone we can afford to provoke," Jeremy''s mother, Mrs. Jiang, said with a tone of sarcasm in her voice. She didn''t like the poor, like Carla and Sean.


    People on the bus heard what she had said and burst into laughter.


    Even the teacher who was sitting in the front shook his head and laughed. He did like Sean because he was a smart student, but he also thought that Sean was too stubborn.


    Sean had been going around claiming that he was Terence An''s brother-in-law even though Terence was already engaged to another woman.


    Carla lowered her head feeling hurt and embarrassed after hearing the laughter. She was getting used to being the laughing stock of the city these days. Since everyone had heard of the


    ou dare to answer it and Terence acknowledges that he knows you in any way, then you win, okay?"


    Waving the cellphone in the air, Mrs. Jiang added with a cruel smile, while looking at the other parents on the bus, "After all, we''ve got plenty of time before we arrive in JA City. Why don''t we entertain ourselves a little? Also, it will prove whether Sean was telling lies in school or not. So, will you do it?"


    "Yeah, right. That''s a good idea. Mrs. Jiang, you are such a capable person since you can get Terence An''s number. I''m afraid only you could have those sort of connections to be able to do that. None of us in the school would be able to do that. Am I right?" another parent said flattering Mrs. Jiang.


    "Yeah! You are so capable!"


    the rest of the parents echoed with a smile as well.


    The teacher who was sitting in the front of the bus turned around and glanced at Carla, who was sitting silently with her head down. He cleared his throat and said, "All right. Forget it. Let''s have some rest since it''s still early in the morning."


    He felt bad for Carla and was trying to get them all off her back.


    After all, if they did call Terence An and he didn''t remember her, then she would definitely be the joke on the bus. All the way up to JA City and all the way back to BH City and everyone was already giving her a hard time.


    As a teacher, he felt that it was his responsibility to maintain peace and harmony and avoid embarrassment.


    "Fine! Make the call and I''ll take it!"


    Sean stood up suddenly as he couldn''t stand it any longer. His voice was so loud that it startled everyone on the bus.

 Chapter 103 Make The Phone Call In Front Of Everyone

    Carla felt helpless as it seemed that everyone was against her. The people on the bus wouldn''t stop and Sean wouldn''t give up. She rubbed her eyebrows and gave him a warning glance. However, Sean was so hyped up that he didn''t even notice.


    Carla was losing her patience with Sean. She couldn''t do anything about the way the other people were treating her, but this was her brother. Sean was just inviting more trouble to her.


    She had totally cut off from Terence.


    What would it look like if Sean called him out of the blue all of a sudden? Thinking about that, Carla could just sigh silently under her breath.


    "Great! Look Jeremy, Sean is a man of his own word after all!" Mrs. Jiang commented something seemingly nice although she was still mocking. She was about to make the call and then she stopped for a moment.


    "I''ll make the phone call then. Is everyone okay with it?" she asked again as she looked around at everyone on the bus.


    Her eyes finally landed on Carla, who had been silent the whole time. All of the passengers on the bus were eager and excited for her to call. Looking forward to seeing how it was all going to unfold. Everyone that was, except for Carla.


    "Carla, has the cat got your tongue? Why don''t you answer me? It seems as if I''m bullying a kid. Do you dare to let me make the call or not?" Mrs. Jiang added with sarcasm in her voice.


    Carla rubbed her eyes lightly and frowned. She looked up at Mrs. Jiang, who was holding the phone taunting her with it.


    "Fine! Just make the call," Carla replied firmly.


    If she didn''t agree to it, then Sean would lose face in front of everyone. She couldn''t let that happen.


    After all, Sean was all she had. If he felt sad, then Carla would be upset as well.


    It shouldn''t matter if Sean answered the call anyway. He was still a kid, so Terence might not think too much about it.


    "Okay! Great! Here we go." Mrs. Jiang gave Carla a thumbs up gesture and dialed the number out quickly.


    She then passed the phone to Sean in time before anyone had answered the call.


    There was a nervous tension on the bus. Everyone was silent. All that could be heard was the dull hum of the coach motor and the dial tone of the phone. No one dared to make a sound in fear of missing a detail.


    After several rings, the call was finally answered. The people on the bus stretched their necks out and pricked their ears up to hear better, even though the call was already on speaker.


    "Terence! It''s me, Sean!"


    Sean got excited with his little heart racing inside his chest once he heard that the call got through.


    "Sean? Which Sean?" The man on the line seemed to be confused. The air grew thick with anticipation.


    The excited smile on Sean''s face froze and his heart sank, when he realized that it wasn''t Terence''s voice on the line.


    "Mrs. Jiang, this isn''t Terence. It must be a wrong number," Sean said with doubt in his eyes.


    "Not a chance!" Mrs. Jiang barked at on


    ut on a whim. She spoke in a low tone so only Sean could hear, though she really felt like teaching him a lesson with her fists.


    But it was all in vain. Sean was not going to give up that easily.


    "No way! Terence will definitely pick up the phone when he sees that it''s your number. What''s more, what chance is there that his fiancee happens to pick up his phone for him,"


    Sean pleaded with his sister shaking her arm.


    Carla was left speechless.


    The desire to teach her brother a lesson with her fists grew stronger with each passing moment. She was so vexed with him at the moment.


    "Forget it! I have already deleted his number!" Carla replied, raising her voice slightly.


    "That''s okay. I don''t need his number. I know it off by heart,"


    he said as he reached out expecting Carla to put the phone in his hand.


    Carla gaped at Sean''s insistence. He had overstepped the bounds of acceptable behavior. She had never expected that Sean could be so stubborn.


    Carla had daggers in her eyes. She was trying to teach Sean the proper way to act and he was going against her.


    All of a sudden a voice interrupted them.


    "Sean, here you are. You can use my phone to call Terence. But put it on speaker when you do, okay?"


    It was the parent of a girl, who was sitting in front of the bus. She smiled as she offered him her phone. This woman had just added fuel to the fire. Carla was beside herself.


    Looking around, she realized that the people on the bus had all been listening to her conversation with Sean.


    In other words, her conversation with Sean was not a secret on the bus at all.


    Sean shot Carla a defiant look as he grabbed the woman''s phone out of her hand. He knew Carla would try to stop him, so he darted forward with the phone still in his hand before Carla could reach him.


    "Thank you!"


    Sean moved away from Carla to another seat on the other end of the bus, so she couldn''t distract him. Then he began to dial the number.

 Chapter 104 I Want To Prove It To Everyone! (Part One)

    Carla watched Sean and sighed feeling dejected. Sean had snatched the phone from her and he had never acted in such a way before. Carla didn''t know what to do.


    She breathed in deeply to try and calm her nerves. Carla was at a loss on how to handle her ten-year-old brother. Soon he would be entering the teenage years which would be even harder because he was already starting to defy her. Even though she had practically raised him by herself. He was as stubborn as a mule.


    Carla wondered who Sean had taken after to be so mulish. Because, neither her mom nor dad were ever like that.


    Carla could feel her heart beating fast in her chest when she saw Sean dialing the numbers. She felt nervous and her palms were sweating. She could recite Terence''s number even in a dream, but she didn''t know that Sean could as well. Carla didn''t know that Terence and Sean were that close.


    ''My gosh, what a terrible sister I have been, '' thought Carla. At that moment she had realized that Terence had also won over her only family member. And that Sean must be suffering the severance from Terence just as much as she was.


    Carla''s heart sank. She had always put Sean first. Whenever there was a choice between her wishes and Sean''s, she would always choose what would be in the best interest for him. Sean was still a little boy. He didn''t have two loving parents to look after him. She had to try and fill that gap and be a mother and a father to him. He had no one else in his life except for her.


    But when Terence came into their lives, he had been a positive role model for Sean. Filling the father-like figure that was void in his life of which Carla couldn''t. He had obviously become very attached to Terence and that was why he liked him so much.


    It was inevitable that Sean would become close to Terence.


    The phone didn''t ring long, but to Carla, it felt like every second it had rung was equivalent to an hour. A few seconds later, Terence picked up.


    Sean had already put the speaker on before he dialed. So every sticky beak in the bus could hear the conversation. They had all become even more curious than the first time when they had called Rhys by mistake.


    Once again, they leaned forward in their seats, eager to hang on every word said. It was a combination of human weakness and the need to fish out more gossip where ever possible. So they coul


    . He had to admit that it felt good to be needed by this little boy.


    "Of course, I promise! How could I say no to my little Sean? I''m going to take you to the best amusement park and I''m going to take you to anywhere else you want. How about this? When you settle in, you can write down all the places that you wish to go to and then we can go to them together and cross them off your list one by one. Won''t that be great?"


    Hearing what Terence had said, tears ran down Sean''s little cheeks like a river. He felt like a lost child that had finally been reunited with his parent. Terence''s words encouraged Sean and he wiped his tears away and raised his head proudly.


    "Terence, can I ask you one more thing? I want to tell my friends that you are my brother-in-law. Can I tell them that?"


    Carla froze as she felt like she had just been hit by a bus at full speed. ''Oh¡ª Please no! Please no! Please no! Where did that come from?'' Carla screamed in her head. She sat up like a deer caught in the headlights. Everyone around her felt the same. They stared wide-eyed at Carla in shock. She was so embarrassed she wanted to die. Terence would think that she had manipulated Sean to get back at him. What would everyone else say if Terence said no?


    Carla couldn''t stand it anymore. She burst out and yelled at Sean, "Sean, stop it! What are you doing?"


    Carla quickly sprang up out of her seat and rushed over to Sean, trying to snatch the cell phone back from him. "Damn it, Sean Ji! Give it to me! Give me the phone! You little monster! Hand it over or I will kill you!"

 Chapter 105 I Want To Prove It To Everyone! (Part Two)

    Carla was shouting and pointing her finger at Sean in absolute desperation. This just infuriated Sean further and he yelled back at her, "No! I am telling the truth! He is my brother-in-law! Terence An is my brother-in-law. I am telling the truth!"


    Sean was screaming so loudly that his high pitched voice bore into everyone''s brain. He wanted to smack the smirks off everyone''s face that was making fun of him.


    The scream was deafening and so ear piercing that it nearly made your ears bleed.


    Sean wouldn''t give the phone back to Carla. He held onto it as if his life depended on it. Instead, he screamed even louder and glared back at Carla with a defiant look.


    Terence felt partly to blame as he might have encouraged Sean, so he decided to step in, "I heard you, Sean. Stop doing that. It''s bad for your vocal cords. I know you are a good boy, so you won''t disobey your sister." Terence smiled proudly to himself. It felt good to be a hero in front of Carla and it felt even better knowing that Carla was freaked out.


    "Fine," mumbled Sean. "I''ll do as you say and apologize to Carla. Hey Terence, do you want to speak to my sister? She''s sitting right next to me. Wait a minute! Actually, no... She''s not sitting next to me. She''s standing next to me. And I bet I will be getting two big bumps on my forehead in a minute!"


    Now that Sean had gotten everything out of his system, he got to prove that he really was good friends with Terence to the ignorant people on the bus. He got to speak with Terence again and he screamed his little heart out, ridding all of the built-up frustration that he felt inside. Sean was feeling pretty good. Even if Carla were to choke him to death or knocked him unconscious, it would all have been worth it.


    He would not put up with bullies anymore.


    Today was the day that he was going to take his revenge!


    From now on, he could proudly hold his head up high and say that he was an honest person. Everything he had ever said was true. It felt amazing.


    Carla was so disappointed with Sean that her body was trembling. She didn''t raise him to be like that. She couldn''t understand why Sean would become such an unpredictable brat. Carla felt like cursing but she bit her tongue and refrained from using foul language in front of the kid


    could be a fearful thing.


    Terence was already engaged to that woman. The precious daughter of the Hua family. Her name was Bonnie, the future bride of Terence. The only woman who could stand beside Terence by right and by title. All other women, if there were any with such a magnificent stature would have to simply step aside and make room.


    Bonnie had taken the moral high ground. Carla stood no chance and could never dream of competing with someone like that. And even if she did, people would treat her like a home wrecker. She didn''t have anything to hold on to.


    So what if she proved her relationship with Terence to everyone?


    People would laugh in her face. Even though she came earlier than Bonnie, people would say that Terence was just having an affair with her, nothing serious.


    Because nobody would believe that golden boy Terence An would marry a commoner like Carla. She felt that she was pathetic and hateful and wouldn''t dream of destroying someone else''s marriage. She didn''t live in fairy tales. It was just impossible between them.


    For the rest of the long and tedious journey, Carla and Terence became everyone''s topic of conversation. The endless drive didn''t seem all that bad to the others. But, to Carla, it was a living nightmare. All they did was talk, talk, talk and never shut up. All day and all night, even while they slept.


    They were mumbling about her in their dreams, snoring and drooling.


    Then finally, after the prolonged torturous journey, they had arrived at JA City.

 Chapter 106 He And Another Woman

    Although it was Sean and Carla''s second visit to JA City, they were still astonished by the splendid and grand scenery here.


    People on the bus effortlessly diverted their topic of discussion to the great scenery in JA City.


    The bus arrived by the apartments soon enough.


    The school had arranged nice apartments for each family. And every apartment contained two bedrooms so that the parents and the children could have some good rest. In addition to it, a kitchen and a bathroom were also part of each apartment. It was said that the students were going to be picked up by the school bus every day.


    Every parent was satisfied with the arrangements. The services were so considerate. It must be a great school.


    It was their first night after arriving here. The children went to bed early while almost all of the parents ended up staying up late.


    They needed time to get used to a strange place as this.


    Sean was pretty clever. He knew that Carla would teach him a lesson once they arrived. Hence, he began pretending to be asleep long before they arrived.


    As soon as they got inside their apartment, Sean rushed to his bed regardless of however loudly Carla was calling him.


    He pretended to be asleep so that Carla could do nothing to him though she had prepared to teach him a good lesson after having arrived.


    Carla felt complicated and tensed after she returned to JA City, yet again.


    After realizing that she could hardly fall asleep now, she cleaned every corner of the bathroom, as well as the kitchen so that she could use them up-front tomorrow.


    Everything was available here. The TV, fridge, air conditioner and even the daily necessities in the kitchen. There were also some commodities that were left by the last family who lived here. Therefore, she didn''t really need to buy anything else for now.


    After cleaning everything up, Carla took note of the time. It was already past one in the morning.


    Exhausted, she threw herself onto the bed with her thoughts wandering back to the wilderness.


    She kept recalling what happened on the bus today and what Terence had said on the phone.


    She couldn''t resist overthinking about it despite her genuine efforts to divert her own attention.


    Terence and the daughter of the Hua family had gone abroad for a tour?


    As a couple who just got engaged and went abroad to have a vacation together, they must be enjoying their sweet love now, wasn''t it?


    How many men in the world can resist that temptation? Even though he had been so considerate to her before she cut him off clearly, would he refuse another woman''s tenderness now?


    Besides, Carla realized that she wasn''t so affectionate or tender to him. And she didn''t know how to please a man.


    The more she reflected, the worse she thought of herself.


    She remembered that Terence once said that he couldn''t bear it for too long. Now, there was a gorgeous woman by his side. Would he refuse such a beautiful


    tionship. Hence, she wanted to make up for it today. That was why she kept asking Carla to join them.


    Realizing Mrs. Jiang wasn''t going to give up, Carla finally agreed.


    She went downstairs after she got changed.


    Just as she had expected, the car that Mrs. Jiang had rented was waiting there.


    After Carla got into the car, Mrs. Jiang fired the ignition of the car. Their destination was a street named AX Street, which was the hottest street in JA City.


    "I have searched on the Internet earlier. This restaurant is very famous. It has got both Chinese food and western food. And their chefs are all well renowned. I have already booked a table. Let''s have some fun today!"


    Mrs. Jiang said with a smile as she picked up her phone and checked the order number.


    It was almost noon. Time for lunch.


    Carla was a little upset and alienated among these middle-aged women since she was still young.


    Actually these women looked pretty fashionable and were all good at talking. One could barely tell they already had children. The enthusiastic women took Carla around and just wouldn''t shut up no matter what.


    "This way. Let''s go find out if it is as tasty as Mrs. Jiang claims. After all, we can split the bill. It won''t cost too much since we have got many people for the bill. What do you think?"


    a parent asked with a tender smile, looking at the rest of them.


    "Well, I chose this restaurant. So it''s my treat today. Enjoy the lunch. We can split the bill next time, alright?"


    Mrs. Jiang advised. She had offended Carla so badly on the bus yesterday. It was a good chance for her to make it up discreetly.


    "Sure. After all, Mrs. Jiang is rich and the bill amount will not be a matter of worry for her, right?" a parent teased with a bigger smile and patted Mrs. Jiang on her shoulder.


    Mrs. Jiang lifted the corners of her lips as well in a beam and followed them into the elevator. The restaurant was located at the top of the building.

 Chapter 107 A Chance Encounter

    Carla didn''t contribute much to the conversation. The main reason was that there weren''t many topics to talk about that she had in common with them. The only subject left for them was children''s education.


    She had to play the role of Sean''s mother, as their real mother had passed away. So Carla was left to do that job and


    Sean''s education was something she couldn''t ignore.


    Thus, this became the shared topic between her and the middle-aged women.


    The waiter looked at the booking number of Mrs. Jiang and led them to a large table where they could all be seated. The restaurant didn''t have a separate VIP private room.


    The motto of the restaurant was that all of their guests were VIPs and they didn''t differentiate between the classes.


    The restaurant was large so there were plenty of seats for choice. The food catered for events like birthday parties, couples or large friend gatherings, and so on.


    Guests were all well educated and cultured. Rackets were very rarely seen and people were courteous and spoke in low voices.


    Mrs. Jiang had been considerate. She was aware that some people may not enjoy western cuisine and so ordered Chinese food instead. She did a little research before they had arrived at the restaurant and took the liberty of ordering the most delicious and popular food. Virtually all the most recommended meals was ordered from the menu.


    Since they were all from BH City and they knew their preference for food from that area, their table manners weren''t full of etiquette and they ate heartedly.


    "Wow, Mrs. Jiang, the bill amount won''t be small,"


    said Mrs. Xu, the mother of a girl student who sat at their table. She took the bill and calculated the amount roughly.


    Mrs. Jiang laughed and replied, "It''s okay. It''s a rare opportunity for us all to get together like this. Just eat whatever you like and don''t worry about the cost."


    "Next time we will treat you, Mrs. Jiang, okay?" Seth''s mother said.


    Carla stayed quiet most of the time. But she did notice the change in their behavior towards her. They eyed her differently now. Their attitude to her was in total contrast from when they were on the bus.


    But she didn''t care. They could think about whatever they wanted.


    She couldn''t explain nor would she either.


    At that moment, two couples came out of th


    void water splashing on her expensive dress.


    She then went back to look at herself in the mirror and applied some more lipstick on her lips. Pressing her lips together to even out the color.


    Carla saw Bonnie''s pretty face in the mirror and her eyes widened. She soon lowered her head and drew a piece of tissue paper from the box to dry her hands and left the bathroom.


    She recognized Bonnie. Pictures of her and Terence were everywhere in the news and on magazines.


    After Carla had left, Ivy finished fixing her makeup. She linked her arm through Bonnie''s and they walked out of the bathroom together. As they walked she said, "Bonnie, you see, wealth makes the difference between women.


    The woman we just saw now is attractive. But she is a poor person. The clothes on her can''t be worth more than three hundred dollars. And she still had the nerve to come to a place like this¡ª"


    Bonnie''s lips that were in the most popular lipstick shade curved down slightly with loathing.


    "It requires skill. You must carefully choose with whom you have children. It''s not just by coincidence that we were born into such wealth."


    They continued to chat and as they went back to join Terence and Theo.


    Everything they had said in the bathroom was overheard by Carla. She was standing by the window outside of the bathroom to have some fresh air before she went back to her table.


    And the words they said on their way was also heard by Carla.


    "Terence!"


    Bonnie saw Terence come out of the men''s room and she called him gently in hast.

 Chapter 108 Carla VS Bonnie

    Upon hearing Bonnie, Terence turned around to look at her.


    "Terence!" Bonnie strode towards him, took his hand and leaned against his shoulder sweetly.


    "Wow, Bonnie. Terence cares so much about you. You were only gone for a few minutes to the ladies room and here he is looking for you already," Ivy uttered deliberately, with an envious look in her eyes.


    When Terence looked in Bonnie''s direction, he also caught sight of a familiar person standing behind her.


    Carla stayed in that spot with her back turned to Bonnie the whole time, because she instinctively turned around the moment she saw her come out.


    When she heard Bonnie call out Terence''s name, she was stunned and froze. She stood rooted to the spot and didn''t turn around even though she was about to go back to her table.


    She had no idea whether Terence saw her or not.


    After a short time, she couldn''t hear them talking, so she turned slowly around, relieved to find that there was no one there anymore.


    Carla didn''t want to run into Terence, because she would feel embarrassed if she did. After all, Terence and his fiancee had just returned from a vacation together and they must be so in love. Carla didn''t know whether she should greet him or not at that moment. She was caught off guard.


    When Carla returned to her seat. She found that the table where Terence was sitting at with his friends was diagonally opposite her across the aisle.


    But since his table was a bit of a distance away from hers and she also sat by the window, it was difficult to see him easily from her position.


    Carla hoped that they could just have their meal in peace without any dramas.


    However, she noticed that the four mothers that she was sitting with were behaving strangely and kept casting odd glances at her.


    "Mrs. Jiang, I heard someone call out ''Mr. Terence''. Do you think that he may be here at the restaurant? Huh?"


    said Mrs. Xu in a low voice, who was sitting next to her.


    Mrs. Jiang had also heard his name being called out. After secretly searching for the engagement photos of Terence and Bonnie, which were taken a few days ago, she leaned to one side and compared Terence with the man in the photos on the sly.


    "He seems to be, the Terence."


    Even though they spoke in a hushed tone, Carla was still able to hear them as they were sitting close to her at the same table.


    The four of the women agreed that it was Terence. But it was difficult for them to see him clearly, and now that he was there in the flesh, they couldn''t help themselves but constantly turn to glance at him.


    "Terence, those women at that table keep looking at you,"


    Theo said jokingly after he took a sip of his wine and pointed at the table where Carla was sitting.


    Both curious, Bonnie and Ivy looked in the direction he was pointing at. Ivy laughed and spoke in a mocking tone, "Terence, it seems that you are so charming that not only young girls but even middle-aged women are attracted to you."


    B


    er arms defiantly.


    "I refuse to accept your apology! You will have to pay the original cost for all of my things that have been damaged from falling onto the floor," Bonnie said arrogantly raising her chin and looking down her nose at Carla.


    Bonnie saw her cellphone on the floor and picked it up. She turned the calculator function on and started to calculate the cost of her things.


    "Miss, it''s common courtesy to say ''sorry'' to others. But by saying that, it doesn''t mean that I am admitting that it was my fault. It wasn''t my fault that you bumped into me and your things fell out onto the floor. Why are you asking me to pay you compensation?"


    Carla retorted when she saw that Bonnie had calculated the price of her items and it had racked up to ten thousand dollars.


    Ivy who had seen the whole thing strutted over to Carla and rudely pushed her. She was still annoyed with Theo for admiring her beauty earlier and finally got the chance to take it out on her.


    She certainly wasn''t going to miss out on the opportunity to take this girl down.


    "What are you saying? How can you be so rude and impolite after you knocked into her?"


    Ivy said in an angry tone as she poked her pointy finger into Carla''s shoulder. Then she turned to Bonnie. "Bonnie, how can you be so kind and reasonable to her? It''s not enough for her to just pay the amount she owes you for the damage.


    You shouldn''t let her get off so easily!"


    Bonnie looked at her and wondered what Ivy had in mind.


    Right then, Ivy picked up the broken lipstick from the floor and pushed it into Bonnie''s hand. "Use this lipstick to scribble on her face. Do you see how she rudely glares at us?


    After all, she would probably be too poor to pay you the money anyway. It is a good way to punish her. We would even be showing her mercy for what she did to you!"


    When Bonnie heard Ivy''s idea, her mouth twisted into a cruel and wicked grin. She held the lipstick tightly in her hand and walked up to Carla.

 Chapter 109 A Fight (Part One)

    "What is wrong with you? It''s not like it''s my fault that your stupid lipstick dropped and broke. Who made you queen and gave you the right to trample on me and treat me disrespectfully?"


    Carla strongly protested, swiftly grabbing Bonnie''s hand and immediately flinging it away.


    ''This is so ridiculous! Does she think I look so weak that I''m such an easy target to bully?'' Carla thought to herself.


    Something just like this scene had happened the last time she went there for a visit.


    And then there she was again, caught in that exact same situation. Could a city possibly learn to hate someone?


    It seemed that JA City had something against her, so it proved difficult for her to simply enjoy her stay without incident whenever she came.


    "What did you say? My stupid lipstick? You stupid bitch!" Bonnie snorted, making a mockery out of Carla''s ignorance. "Do you have any idea how much that costs? You won''t even see them in stores, let alone purchase them. This ''stupid lipstick'' right here is custom made, and there are only a handful of people in the whole country can afford it.


    Ivy''s right. There''s no way you''d be able to pay me for breaking it. If you''re a smart girl, you''re going to just sit back and let me draw a couple of crosses on your face, only then will we be able to call it even."


    Bonnie kept glaring at Carla with so much hostility.


    Helping out her friend, Ivy went ahead and grabbed Carla''s arms. She was surprisingly strong, so much so that Carla couldn''t do anything to get away.


    All the while, Theo was just casually sitting there as if he was watching everything from a front row seat. To him, there was just nothing more interesting than watching a good old catfight, so he would never dare try to stop it. He wouldn''t miss it for the world.


    the¡­ Ow! Ow! It hurts! My eyes are burning!"


    Bonnie screeched in excruciating pain.


    Carla paid no attention to her screams, carefully put the chili jar aside, and wiped the chili oil off of her hands with Bonnie''s dress, much like what Bonnie did to her. Payback could indeed be such a bitch.


    "You crackpot!" All Ivy could do at that moment was scream at Carla. She was in such disbelief that her jaw dropped, pointing a finger at Carla with her mouth wide open. Then, she instantly leaped at Carla, eager to fight her.


    "Who do you think you''re calling a crackpot? Keep your stupid mouth shut!" Carla jumped down Ivy''s throat as she raised her hand and slapped her good in the face.


    Her voice wasn''t really that loud, but it sure was cold as ice. And in that very moment, Ivy got so scared out of her wits that she couldn''t say anything.


    Carla had a short fuse, and there was no way she would ever let it slide whenever anyone got under her skin.


    "Ow! It hurts! It burns so bad! Terence! Where are you?! Help me!" Bonnie kept on shouting frantically as her eyes were closed tight and tears kept streaming down her face.


    At this point in time, Terence finally came back in.

 Chapter 110 A Fight (Part Two)

    "What is going on in here?"


    Terence asked, with his voice sounding so indifferent, as he walked up toward them.


    The fact of the matter was that he had only been gone for a mere five minutes. The waterproof lipstick on his face turned out being a bit arduous to wash off, so it took him quite some time.


    He saw Bonnie standing there quivering like a nervous horse. Her face was covered all over with chili oil, and the same went for her white dress. Upon a closer inspection, there seemed to be a disgusting fingerprint stain on it.


    When he turned around to check on Carla, he could clearly see a red cross on her tiny and flawless face, though it looked much better than Bonnie''s case.


    It was so easy for him to read the air after noticing that Carla''s hands were stained with chili oil.


    There was only one plausible explanation, starting with that Bonnie must have started it all. He was already so sure of it the minute he saw Carla.


    "Terence, where is she? I''m going to kill that bitch! I swear I''m going to kill her! Mark my words! I will!"


    Bonnie cried out as her face was still stinging due to the heat from the chili oil.


    A waiter had quickly fetched a basin of water and handed her a towel to rinse and wipe the oil off of her face, but she just furiously drove him away.


    "Bring me all the chili oil in your restaurant this instant! Bring it to me now! I''ll pour it all over her! I''ll let her know what it tastes like and what it feels like!"


    Bonnie bellowed so loud that it almost echoed throughout the entire restaurant. From the looks of it, it seemed that she had already lost it. All she could think of now was how to get revenge. A woman of her status would never in her life let someone like Carla simply walk away without paying for what sh


    Carla, trying to act confused, asked tepidly, raising her eyebrows and watching as Terence painstakingly cleaned her fingernails.


    "Shhh! It''s going to hurt if you let the chili oil stay in contact with your skin for too long. Just stay still and let me clean it first, okay?" Terence said, with his brows deeply furrowed. A few minutes later, he realized that the tissue wouldn''t be enough to clear it all off.


    Right then and there, he pulled out a pocket square from his jacket and carried on carefully wiping her hands with it.


    Watching as all of this transpired, all of the onlookers, as anyone might expect, were left dumbfounded and at a clear loss for words.


    Just what the hell was happening here? Who was that mysterious girl?


    Why would he leave his fianc¨¦e¡ªwho was obviously in so much pain due to getting chili oil smeared on her face¡ªon the hands of others, while he decided to stay in the restaurant just to clean off a bit of chili oil that got onto another woman''s hands? What was her relationship with Mr. Terence An? Could she possibly be a mistress?


    Why was he being so kind and considerate to her? He had been treating her so tenderly this whole time.

 Chapter 111 Be My Secret Lover

    Terence let Bonnie leave deliberately, because he didn''t want her to be there at that moment. Otherwise, she would have sensed the close relationship that Terence and Carla shared between each other. And in the future she might seek revenge upon Carla.


    Terence wasn''t concerned about getting into trouble. He was worried for Carla, not wanting her to be in any danger.


    After he carefully and thoroughly wiped the chili oil from Carla''s hand, he raised his head to look at Carla''s face.


    There was a red cross drawn across Carla''s flushed cheek. Terence smiled inwardly as he studied her face. She looked so sweet with her furrowed brows and flushed cheeks. And the red lipstick mark only made her look even more adorable. In Terence''s eyes, she was lovely no matter what.


    "Carla, now I am beginning to think that the chili is very becoming on you..."


    Terence said affectionately. Carla reminded him of a little red hot chili pepper at the moment. She was indignant and so her face became red.


    Carla looked up at him with sincerity in her eyes. She was surprised to see that Terence had stepped in and openly took action to care about her after tactfully asking his friends to take his fiancee away, which was a clever thing to do.


    He wisely managed to avoid an ugly situation between Bonnie and Carla. Otherwise, Bonnie would never have let Carla off easily.


    What was worse, if it had escalated then Terence would really have been in a dilemma.


    Besides, Bonnie was after all his fiancee, so if he defended Carla in front of Bonnie, then people would make unkind remarks and accuse him of being a playboy.


    However, the situation was different now.


    Since Bonnie was no longer there, no matter what happened between them she wouldn''t be a witness to it.


    When Terence released Carla''s hand, Carla remembered the lipstick mark on her face and was about to reach up to wipe it off.


    "You won''t be able to wipe it off. Your skin will just get irritated if you try to wipe it. I''ve figured out an easier way to remove it,"


    Terence said in a low voice grasping Carla''s hand before she raised it to her face.


    "He''s right! Carla, I have the makeup remover. You can use it to wipe the lipstick from your face. It''s very useful."


    Mrs. Xu took the bottle of makeup remover from her bag and held it out to Carla.


    But before Carla got the chance to take it, Terence took it from Mrs. Xu first.


    "Thank you."


    Terence then took Carla''s hand and led her to the bathroom.


    After they had left


    the people sitting at the tables nearby looked at each other with confused expressions on their faces.


    It took them a while to absorb what had just happened and what was going on.


    "Wow! Mr. Terence is very considerate and polite," Mrs. Xu said happily, feeling proud of herself for being wise just now.


    After what unfolded in front of them, it was obvious that Bonnie was only Terence''s fiancee nominally. Even though Bonni


    of potatoes into the room. He then dropped her unceremoniously onto the soft king-sized bed.


    "Carla, you like to play hard to get. Well, that''s okay. I love that too."


    When Carla noticed that Terence was about to come down on top of her, she quickly rolled over and moved to one side of the bed. Through gritted teeth she said, "Terence, you''re really thick skinned! You are cheating on your fiancee and have brought another woman to a hotel room with you. How dare you be so shameless! You even expect me to do the dirty with you!"


    Carla glared angrily at him. But Terence wasn''t annoyed at all. He simply lay on his side with his head resting on his hand and he stared at her with a cheeky grin.


    "Are you saying that you want to be my secret lover? If you make love to me, Carla, and I die on the spot from exhaustion after that. It would all be worth it..."


    Upon hearing Terence''s rude remarks, Carla cast him a sidelong glance. She chose to ignore what he said and changed the subject. "By the way, remember the ring I asked you to investigate for me? How''s it going? Have you found anything out yet?"


    It had been a while since she had given Terence the ring.


    She wasn''t anxious about it. But she was curious to find out why her parents insisted on keeping such a valuable ring, when they could have pawned it off to get some money to pay off the expenses for medicine.


    She wondered why the ring was so important.


    "I have received some clues, but we still have to wait a bit longer to get more information.


    I will tell you all about it as soon as I get all of the information together,"


    Terence replied with a sparkle in his beautiful eyes. At that moment he gave her a big smile.


    Thinking of the possible truth, he felt very pleased within himself.


    But until he found out all of the details and put everything into place, he would have to hold back the excitement that he felt in his heart and keep a calm composure at all times.

 Chapter 112 An Unusual Promise

    Carla''s curiosity was piqued when she heard that they had found something out. She immediately drew closer to him and asked anxiously, "Are there any clues about where the ring came from? Did you find that out?"


    Terence took her hand and brought it to his lips kissing it gently and said, "Settle down. More than twenty years have passed since the ring was lost, which was quite a long time. There are too many variants to take into consideration and much information has been inevitably lost in the course of time. We can''t come to any concrete conclusions just yet.


    I don''t want to say anything, not until I get all of the facts and information. I don''t want to disappoint you just in case what I say is not correct."


    Carla figured that he was probably right. It would be better to wait until they knew all of the facts first so she didn''t ask him any more questions about the ring.


    Suddenly


    Terence''s cellphone jingled to life.


    He casually glanced at the screen of his phone.


    Carla expected that he would seek some privacy and go into another room to take the call, but he didn''t. He just propped himself up in the bed and answered, "Hello, Bonnie."


    "Is that you, Terence? Where are you? Why haven''t you come here?"


    He could tell by her voice that she was about to cry.


    She didn''t understand how he could be so cold-hearted and ignore her when she was suffering so much.


    "I''m busy at the moment. I have an important person that I have to meet. I assure you that I will come and see you as soon as I can," Terence said as he glanced over and winked at Carla.


    Carla was unimpressed and turned her eyes away from him. "How can he be so disgraceful and ruthless?" she thought.


    "An important person? Terence, please tell me that you are not with another woman," Bonnie said feeling unsettled. She always felt some trepidation with Terence, but she couldn''t put her finger on what it was. There was always a feeling of uncertainty.


    She had even turned to Ivy and Theo for advice, but they couldn''t tell her anything that could help put her mind at ease.


    "Don''t be so suspicious of me. I''ll come to see you as soon as my work is done," Terence replied with hast and then hung up the phone. Carla had been sitting on the edge of the bed staring at him in sheer disbelief. Terence just smiled down at her and then pulled her into his arms.


    She was no match for Terence in physical strength, so there was no point in trying to fight him. She just let herself be dragged into his embrace. She said with a wry face, "How can you be so remarkably despicable and unashamed!"


    Carla couldn''t get over how thick-skinned and callous he could be.


    By now Terence had become used to Carla''s insults and innuendo''s. He smiled and gave her a quick peck on the cheek and said, "Of course I''m shameless otherwise I wouldn''t have fallen for you."


    "......" Carla fell silent. She could bet that if she gave Terence an inch he would take a


    mises and I will never make any of my words of honor by this," Terence said as he attentively watched her with deep affection. "But if you should ever cry, I will exhaust all possible means and devote all my heart to making you happy again.


    I will do all that I can do to prevent you from getting hurt. If by some misfortune you are hurt, I will always be by your side to take care of you and never leave you."


    When he finished, he kissed her forehead gently.


    To make such a promise to someone meant to live by it for a lifetime. They were not just some empty words that were inspired by certain circumstances.


    There were so many variants in life. Who could tell what the future may hold? Life could be so sweet but it could also be bitter at times.


    Companionship was always the deepest confession of love.


    He could not agree more with that thought.


    The most convincing proof of his love for her should be his companionship and the fact that he would always be there for her.


    Carla looked up at him, and tears welled in her eyes and slid down her cheeks. They were tears of happiness. Never did she imagine that this moment would ever happen to her. She never allowed herself to dream of something like this and only thought that it happened in fairy tales. But here she was in that fairy tale. However, she never imagined that moment would


    ironically come shortly after Terence was engaged to another woman.


    "Terence¡ª"


    she called.


    "Hmm?"


    he gently responded.


    "I can feel something hard of yours. Can you please move that away from me?"


    Hearing the beautiful words that Terence had just said to her, Carla was too overwhelmed to feel anything but love and devotion. With tears still glistening in her eyes she wondered how he could possibly be aroused at such a divine and touching moment.


    Now she began to feel doubt. She wondered whether all of those heartwarming and soul-stirring words were from his heart or from his arousal!

 Chapter 113 How Did You Come In ! (Part One)

    Terence gazed upon himself along with everything else around him and smiled, feeling quite proud of himself and pulling over a thin Durham quilt to cover himself up. And then he laid right next to her and whispered closely to her ear, "You''ve been writing me off for so long, so I can''t help but fall even more in love when there''s a beauty right here by my side."


    Carla didn''t bother humoring him with a response. All she did was to gently bury her head into Terence''s arms and pull the quilt over to herself as well, closing her eyes and snuggling into his arms to take a nap without a care in the world.


    She had slept for more than an hour after that. When she finally woke up, Terence wasn''t by her side anymore and had already gone.


    She quickly scrambled for her mobile phone to check it, and found a single unread message.


    "I''m sorry I left without saying a word. You looked so beautiful in your sleep that I didn''t want to disturb you. I have to visit the hospital first, and then I''ll just come over to see you and Sean later in the evening."


    It was a message sent by Terence after he left.


    Carla lay sprawled out on the bed, looking at this message, and even though she didn''t really want to, she let a soft smile slip into her face.


    Today, he answered Bonnie''s call while he was in her presence, indicating that he did not intend to hide anything regarding his affair with Bonnie. He didn''t seem to mind even if Carla was listening to their conversation.


    Actually, Terence ?didn''t bother to hide anything from her.


    The bond between Bonnie and Terence was only driven by commercial interest, solely for financial gains. So, Terence didn''t really feel anything for his so-called fiancee. It was nothing personal, strictly just business.


    And it wasn''t like there was anything he had to hide about the work that they do.


    In the Hospital.


    Due to the burns she received from the chili oil that got smeared onto her face, Bonnie''s eyes had to be covered with eye patches, under which the medicine for immediate relief had been applied. The doctor advised her not to take it off until the wounds have fully healed.


    "Terence, Terence, are you here? Answer me please."


    Bonnie wanted to quickly rip the ey


    was who grew up at the mercy of other people in the orphanage.


    With all of those thoughts running in circles in her mind, Bonnie held Terence in her arms tighter, much tighter.


    He was the only person she knew she could count on, and the fate of her future could be at stake. Since she was just adopted, she wasn''t technically a true biological daughter of the Huas, so she could only think of one way for her to secure a good future for herself, and that was to get into the An family by marrying Terence.


    She had three other brothers that also got taken in by the Huas along with her¡ªfirst, her eldest brother, Noah; her second elder brother, York; and third, the youngest among her other brothers, Triston¡ªand all three of them were alarmingly ruthless and unforgiving. They might be known by everyone else as the children of Mr. and Mrs. Hua, but the four of them were in no way bound by blood, so they were neither loving nor attached to each other except by familial interest.


    The "tigers" in the Hua family had grown up, so she was afraid of what could end up happening by the time the need to split up the family properties arose. There was no way to tell, but surely it could even get bloody.


    Because of her fear, she realized that only by marrying Terence would she be able to secure and get her hands on a place to stay that was as big as the Ans properties and spend the remainder of her life in safety.


    Therefore, she couldn''t bear to lose him! Not to anyone else!

 Chapter 114 How Did You Come In ! (Part Two)

    "You should take some rest so that your wounds can heal up faster. I consulted with your doctor and he told me that you still need to be under observation for at least one more day. If you''re feeling better by tomorrow, then maybe you can get discharged from the hospital. For now, please take a good night''s rest. I''ll be heading out first!"


    Terence informed her as he grabbed her hands and took them off of him.


    Bonnie desperately wanted to pull him back closer, but she decided it would be best if she didn''t. That man didn''t like to be bound tightly by anyone and she knew that full well.


    "... Well, would you be back tomorrow to come and pick me up?" Bonnie softly said, lowering her head and looking so down.


    "I''m not sure yet. I''ll see. If I have the time, I''ll come over tomorrow and fetch you myself. But in case I don''t, I''ll have Nathan come by," Terence answered in a deadpan tone, looking her in the eyes.


    Bonnie didn''t say a word, but she just bobbed her head gently.


    Listening to sound of his footsteps growing softer, Bonnie carefully went back to her sick bed feeling so miserable and helpless.


    There was just no way she''d let it slip. She had to find out no matter what who the woman who smeared chili oil all over her face today was. No chance in hell she''d let her off lightly!


    ...


    Carla went back to her apartment carrying a large bag of groceries on her hand. It was currently four o''clock in the afternoon, which meant Sean would be coming home from school in just about an hour.


    She headed straight toward the kitchen to store the perishable goods in the refrigerator, and then she proceeded to wash the fruits and put them on the table.


    After that, she went ahead and washed the rice, and placed it on the rice cooker.


    Sean was steadily getting bigger, so he usually shouted "Hungry" as soon as he got back home from school. So, basically, what Carla usually did was to prepare the meals early so that by the time Sean arrived, the food would be just the right temperature for him and he could go ahead and eat immediately.


    After she was done preparing the food


    oked into the wardrobe and she saw that he filled it with clothes that would be just perfect for this season. With just a single glance, she could tell there were more than 20 sets of different clothes which filled the whole wardrobe.


    Would it really be alright to still call that "some"?


    "You don''t have to look like that. Please don''t act surprised. As my future wife, you only deserve the best treatment possible, so it would be best for to learn to get used to it little by little." Terence explained as he was looking at her after hanging up the clothes and closing the wardrobe.


    The words were already at the tip of her tongue, but she instantly swallowed them. Holding the nightgown in her hands, she was getting ready to walk over to Sean''s room to get changed.


    "Why do you have to go to Sean''s room? What for?"


    Terence asked, suddenly grabbing her hands and closing the door, and then looking at his expensive-looking brown wristwatch, he remarked "There''s still twenty minutes before Sean leaves school, so there''s plenty of time for you to change."


    "I''m aware of that, so I''m gonna go to Sean''s room to change quickly!"


    Carla retorted, looking a bit confused.


    But he grinned and crossed his arms on his chest, leaning back against the door and looking at her as he let out a cunning smile.


    "You can just go ahead and change here. There''s no need for you to go anywhere else!"

 Chapter 115 You Are A Cheeky Devil

    Carla chuckled as she got a glimpse of Terrence.


    She turned towards the window, "You are naughty."


    However, she didn''t insist on going to Sean''s room to get changed anymore.


    Looking out the window she saw the most beautiful view.


    The sun was just starting to fade. There was a glow of different shades of purple, orange and pink that lit up the sky. The clouds were scattered all around, similar to abstract art. It was like a colorful canvas painted by the gods.


    Carla had a pink, silk nightgown that had black lace sewn along the edges. She made sure her back was facing Terence and gently slipped it over the towel that was around her body.


    After she made sure the nightgown was on properly, she yanked the towel off and turned around to face him.


    Terence''s mouth dropped to the floor, he had never seen anyone as beautiful as her. The sunset behind her complimented her features and the nightgown accentuated her curvy figure perfectly. At that moment in time, it was just him and her, it was like nothing else existed. Carla''s beauty left him breathless.


    He couldn''t help but compliment her, "Carla you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen."


    He was so content with life. He had everything he ever wanted and he was so glad that he didn''t miss it.


    Terence walked towards her, grabbed her and hugged her from behind. He kissed her neck and whispered in her ear, "What shall I do to you? Your beauty captivates me. I can''t hold it in any longer."


    Maybe it was because beauty was in the eye of the beholder. He found her even more beautiful every time he looked at her, and everything she did turned him on. He loved every one of her flaws, even the small mole on her face.


    Carla rolled her eyes and shot him a sidewards glance. She stamped on his foot and unraveled herself from him, "Terence, stop. Sean is coming home from school soon.


    Terence acted completely oblivious to the fact that she stepped on his foot. He didn''t mind the pain. Just as she was about to walk away, he grabbed her, held her even tighter and finally let go when he felt satisfied.


    Terence looked at her from her head to her toes and gave her a naughty smile, "I will give you five minutes to put your underwear, otherwise I will put them on for you myself."


    Carla''s eyes widened at the realization that she wasn''t wearing anything under her nightgown. She shrugged her shoulders and quickly went to find underwear in her drawer.


    Walking to her, Terence''s eyes met hers. He lifted her chin and laid a kiss on her soft pink lips. He looked her at her body once more, smiled and then left the room.


    Carla quickly got dressed and walked out of her bedroom.


    She walked into the living room and saw Sean was already home. Carla caught him whispering something mysterious to Terrence.


    She saw three bowls of congee on th


    n''t care if anyone in the building saw him and judged her.


    But Terence was different. He was still Bonnie''s fiance to the public. She cared about how he spent the night here would affect him and his reputation.


    Terence sat beside her and towel dried his hair. He looked at her and put the towel down next to him. Putting his arms around her, he said, "Okay, I will stay."


    Carla was slightly confused, "What? She thought that he had misheard what she said.


    She argued, "That''s not what I said."


    Terence gave her a magical smile that lite up the room and said, "A woman in this room tends to say one thing when she means another. I decided to follow the rules of reverse phycology in this particular situation."


    "In case you scared my brother-in-law again by staring at him with teary eyes in his bedroom at midnight."


    Carla was speechless, ''Stupid Sean! He even told him that?''


    Terence continued to say, "Carla you shouldn''t be ashamed of your love for me. I promise to cherish you and to love you all my life. You are my Queen and always will be. Your heart is gold and it is priceless. No matter what happens, I will always protect it."


    That was true.


    She was devoted to him, in all sincerity. For him, that was the most important and precious gift.


    She felt humiliated and uncomfortable because she was supposed to be a tough woman, but what Sean said to him exposed her vulnerability. It was a good thing though because if Sean didn''t tell him, then this would have never happened.


    Terence put the towel on his shoulder. With a faint smile on his lips, he lowered his head and kissed her on the forehead.


    "Come on, Carla. Keep your chin up and look at me. Speaking of which, I fell in love with you first and I will never be ashamed of it."


    Tapping her fingers on the couch, she nodded her head and said, "It''s different. You are a cheeky devil. I am not."

 Chapter 116 Give You A Drawerful Of Diamond Rings

    After hearing Carla''s words, Terence felt amused as he ended up laughing. Then he turned to stare at Carla who seemed to be a little shy at that moment.


    "It is you who trained me to be thick-skinned. You can also ask others to check whether I''ve chased other women before?"


    It was the first time that he had chased a woman, but he was often annoyed by her. Even though he tried to do a lot of things to please her, he was always ignored by her. He had pursued her for almost half a year. Despite that, he didn''t even get a chance to make love to her.


    At last, they could finally start to be in a steady relationship. They might still have to face many difficulties and have the hard time to go through in the future.


    However, Terence wasn''t frightened or terrified by the future. He was indeed excited about it.


    Thinking of the future which he would lead a happy life with Carla, he was full of hope and strength.


    "You are a man of noble birth and have been being admired by others ever since you were a child. Hence, the girls you like may have surely shown their affection for you willingly and you didn''t have to chase any of them, of course,"


    Carla responded, casually casting an annoyed glance at the ring on Terence''s slender middle finger.


    The ring was designed for men, with a diamond inserted in the wider area of the ring. The diamond appeared to be sparkling under the light.


    To Carla''s surprise, Terence''s ring looked somewhat similar to the ring which Bonnie wore.


    Carla dropped her gaze, pretending not to notice that. Since Terence had been engaged to Bonnie, it was fine for them to wear the rings designed in the same style.


    Instinctively, Carla stretched her right hand to touch her left hand without any ring on it. Then she stood up from the sofa and said, "It''s getting late. I have to go back to my room to sleep."


    "Why do you have to go to bed so early?" Seeing Carla suddenly stand up and make her way to the bedroom, Terence felt confused, wondering why Carla, who looked so energetic until now, got exhausted all of sudden.


    After having turned off the TV, Terence also stood up, following her into the bedroom.


    Carla just lay down on the bed. She yawned, changed to a comfortable sleeping posture and then pulled the quilt to cover herself. "If you want to stay here, you can sleep on the sofa. After all, you''ve gotten used to sleeping on it," she blurted out.


    Having noticed a visible change in her tone, Terence got faintly suspicious, raising his eyebrows slightly.


    After staying by the bedside and staring at her for a while, Terence tried to recall and figure out what had happened within just a few minutes that made Carla annoyed to this extent.


    Suddenly, he remembered that her gaze was glued to his hand a while ago.


    Seeming to realize something, Terence touched his head and glanced at the ring on his fin


    se rings right now!" she roared over the phone.


    Did Terence take the drawer to be a safe box?


    She didn''t say anything about his ring last night and didn''t even complain about anything at all, but why was he so crazy to buy these many rings?


    Terence was surprised to hear Carla yell at him. He had assumed this move would win him her heart in a single stroke. He rubbed his ear and said, "Carla, I''ve given you these rings, so it is not appropriate for me to take them back from you. If you like them, you can keep them; if you don''t like them, you can dispose of them in any way you like.


    I have to go to the office later, so I need to hang up the phone now. Contact me if you need any help."


    After he finished speaking, Terence hung up the phone.


    "Terence..."


    Noticing that Terence ended the phone call, Carla got furious and threw the phone on the bed. Then she stared towards the shiny rings in the drawer.


    After a while, she brushed her hair, took a deep breath and picked up her phone again to search for the diamond rings on the Internet. At last she cast a good glance at those diamond rings.


    Her hands even began to tremble faintly.


    She had never seen so many expensive rings before all at once and had no idea of how much each of them cost him.


    She briefly calculated the total price of those rings and was surprised to know that it was worth about 60 million. Besides, the price of those diamond rings varied according to the different shapes and processing of diamonds. Even if Carla had only roughly calculated the price, the total price astonished her.


    Generally having one diamond would be a miracle for an ordinary person in the whole life.


    However, Terence, who hadn''t gifted her any diamond before, chose to gift her a drawerful of diamond rings all at once!


    Even if she decided to put those rings on all her fingers and toes, there would still be many rings remaining!

 Chapter 117 What Happened To Your Face

    In a hospital of JA City, Bonnie was standing outside the ward shifting impatiently from one leg to the other. She murmured, "Where''s Terence? Why hasn''t he come yet?"


    Sometime later¡ª Terence still hadn''t made an appearance.


    "Miss Bonnie, I''ve found something out for you,"


    said Burton Wang striding up to her in the corridor. Burton Wang had been working for the Huas for many years. He was one of the people from her inner circle that she trusted to find important information for her. Bonnie had asked him to find some information about the woman who had spilled chili oil on her face.


    "Come in,"


    Bonnie said as she gestured for Burton Wang to enter her room. She took one last look down the corridor to see if she might catch sight of Terence before she went back to the ward. But she was left feeling extremely disappointed.


    "Tell me what have you learned about her?" Bonnie sat on the hospital bed and picked up a hand mirror. She looked at her eyes and was pleased to see that the swelling had gone down a little. It made her blood boil when she thought about what happened at the restaurant yesterday and her anger flared again.


    "The woman''s name is Carla Ji. She is twenty-three years old and she has ten-year-old brother. They live in BH City. The reason why they are here is that her brother was chosen to study in a school of JA City because of his good grades,"


    Burton Wang spoke in a hushed tone as he handed the file to Bonnie.


    She took the file and read over them for a moment.


    Bonnie paid little attention to the quarrel in her family but either way, she was sure that there was no possibility for her to get even a penny from her brothers. Hence, she didn''t know what was going on.


    Another thing that she didn''t know was that Noah already had his eyes on Carla and her brother.


    When she saw the photo of Carla and her brother together her brows furrowed slightly.


    "It turns out that this country bumpkin is a nobody from BH City. How dare she lay a finger on me! Have you done a background check on her yet?"


    Bonnie asked again.


    ''Why is she so arrogant? She must have someone powerful on her side to give her that sort of confidence, '' thought Bonnie.


    "I''m sorry Miss Bonnie. I''m not sure about her background. If I paid another visit to BH City now, it would use up too much time. At present that''s all the information that I have on her for now," Burton Wang answered truthfully. His ability was limited and it wasn''t easy for him to get that sort of information anyway.


    Bonnie threw the files angrily onto the table. Then she scoffed with exasperation, "Burton Wang, go to the school that her brother is attending and arrange for something to happen so that her brother is expelled from the school. I don''t care what you do I want them out of JA City.


    If her brother is expelled from the school then they have no reason to stay here any longer."


    Burton Wang hesitated for a moment in thought and then sa


    e and tended to his cuts she was still very worried about his injuries. She thought it would be best that a doctor did an examination to make sure that he didn''t have any broken bones or any brain swelling.


    "Hello! Where are you now?"


    Carla left Sean''s bedroom and called Terence on the cellphone.


    Terence didn''t stay with Carla tonight because Bonnie had asked him to have dinner at home. After dinner, his father asked him to stay a little longer. So he decided to spend the night there.


    "I''m at my father''s home. What''s the matter? Don''t tell me that you still want to return the rings. Since I have sent them to you I won''t take them back," said Terence walking to the yard with the phone in his hand.


    "No, it''s not about that. Are you available? Can you come here? I need your help."


    Right now Carla was in no mood to talk about the rings with him. She was filled with white-hot rage. And she was terribly worried about her little brother hoping that everything would be all right.


    "Do you want me to come there now?"


    Terence asked glancing at his watch. Just a few minutes ago his father asked to play a few rounds of chess with him.


    "Just tell me whether you can come here or not!"


    Carla was direct with him because she was in a hurry to take Sean to the hospital and it was too hard to explain it all on the phone to Terence.


    "Carla what happened?" Terence sensed that something had happened by the tone in her voice. Although he didn''t know what had happened, yet in his mind, he was already thinking of a reason to tell his father why he had to leave.


    Tears welled in her eyes and she sobbed.


    Through clenched teeth she said, "Sean was beaten up by some senior students in his school. I am worried about him and want to take him to a hospital.


    I''m not familiar with JA City and don''t know any doctor in the hospital. So I had no choice but to ask you for help."


    Terence stopped in his tracks and said, "I''ll be there in a second!"

 Chapter 118 Who Used My Name For This Dirty Deed (Part One)

    Terence didn''t ask any more questions. As soon as he hung up the phone he ran out the door of the mansion.


    "Rainer, tell my father that I have something very urgent to attend to. I''m leaving now!"


    As he called out, he saw the Lamborghini sports car parked outside. Initially he was going take that thinking it would be the fastest car to get to Carla and Sean. But then a thought crossed his mind. He quickly jumped into the Maybach that was parked next to it instead.


    The sports car could only carry two people, so Terence decided to take the other one which had more room.


    Nathan had sharp eyes. When he saw Terence running out in a hurry, he immediately drove another car and followed Terence without asking.


    Terence drove as fast as he could all the way and pulled up in front of Carla''s apartment.


    He ran up the stairs and Nathan quickly followed.


    When Terence saw Sean''s little face had been beaten black and blue he flew into a rage and almost kicked the table over in anger. "How could this happen? Sean, tell me who beat you so badly? Don''t be afraid. I''ll back you up and help you get revenge right away!"


    When Sean saw his hero Terence, he thought of Terence as a knight in shining armor. He had been crying so bitterly and was so sad and swollen that he couldn''t speak at all.


    Nathan was also distressed when he saw the little boy''s face so badly beaten. He went to Sean and consoled him softly. Then he advised Terence and Carla in a calm low voice, "Mr. Terence, Miss Carla, please try and calm down. It''s very late now. Even if we can get in touch with the school the students have all returned home and are probably in bed by now. Besides, Sean needs to be seen by a doctor now. I''ll contact the school tomorrow morning and find out the truth."


    Carla thought it through and agreed with Nathan. "Nathan is right. We should find out the fact first before we do anything. If the school director believes that it''


    ere too young to be Sean''s parents. "You''re not Sean''s parents, are you?"


    "No, I''m his sister," Carla said as she put a hand on Sean''s shoulder.


    Sean stood between Carla and Terence.


    "You''re his sister? Why didn''t your parents come? Where are your parents?" Cameron asked as he sat casually on the chair and crossed his legs looking down at Carla from his glasses.


    "Our parents had passed away a long time ago, Mr. Cameron. I''m Sean''s guardian. I''m here to ask you why my brother was beaten up like that yesterday?


    And why wasn''t I notified about it as soon as it had happened?"


    Usually, if children were involved in a fight at the school, their parents were notified of it immediately. However, Carla didn''t know anything about it until Sean had come home with bruises. It was highly unusual.


    Carla put her arm around Sean''s shoulders and stepped closer to question the director about the incident.


    Terence remained in the background careful not to draw any attention to himself. He was still waiting for the right moment to expose who he was.


    He thought he had made the right decision to stop Nathan from calling the school beforehand. Otherwise, the director would have put his guard up and Terence would never have known that the director should treat Carla so rudely.

 Chapter 119 Who Used My Name For This Dirty Deed (Part Two)

    "Why was your brother beaten?


    Why don''t you ask your brother how he bullied the junior student?" Cameron said without regard as he raised his teacup and blew on it.


    After hearing what Cameron had said and the way he casually said it, Carla could feel her pressure rising. She raised her chin defiantly and sneered, "Oh? You said that my brother bullied the junior student. Then show me the evidence. Is he also black and blue like my brother here? Please, call the junior student and the seniors that beat my brother to the office now. I''ll ask them myself how my brother bullied the junior student.


    If the bullied student has bruises all over him like Sean does then I''ll take him to the hospital myself and pay for all of his medical expenses. If Sean did bully and hurt him then it will be my responsibility to answer for it.


    That being said, those students who beat my brother must also be held accountable for what they did!"


    ''Why was Sean beaten for no reason and charged with an unwarranted imputation?''


    Cameron blew the tea again and had a slow sip. He then looked up at Carla and ridiculed, "You have such a trashy tongue, my dear!


    I can tell you now that it will be impossible for you to interrogate my students.


    However, I can give you a little advice.


    You should think twice before offending some bigwigs next time."


    Cameron had given her a hint that Sean was deliberately targeted and framed.


    He casually put his teacup down and pulled out ''a notice of expulsion'' from the drawer and lay it on the table before her. "Sean has been expelled from our highly reputable school. We do not tolerate that sort of behavior. So, my dear, just


    ambled to get back up he stammered nervously, "Mr. Ter- Terence, why did you come in person?"


    When Carla heard what Cameron said she stared furiously at Terence. To her it was now obvious that Cameron had been ordered by Terence previously to do this terrible deed. She looked wildly around the room and spotted a world globe on the desk. She quickly grabbed it and smashed it against Terence.


    But Terence was prepared for it this time and blocked it out of the way. He grabbed Carla by the hands and held her while he looked her straight in the eyes and said, "Carla! I never ordered him to do anything. Calm down! Let me find out who did."


    Then he turned with daggers in his eyes and looked at Cameron.


    "You had better tell me exactly what the hell happened right now! Why is my name involved in this?" ''Who used my name to do this despicable deed and try to drive Sean out of JA City?''


    Cameron stood against the table. He rubbed his side gingerly. "Mr. Terence, didn''t you send your subordinate to tell me that Sean must be driven back to BH City?


    That''s why this whole incident was organized."

 Chapter 120 It Was All Your Fault!

    Terence''s eyebrows rose into a perfect furrow. He figured out the whole story in a moment''s pause.


    It was Bonnie who was responsible for everything.


    Bonnie wanted to retaliate against Carla, and she found out that Carla had a brother, Sean. She didn''t have any connection at Sean''s school, so she arranged a plot to set Sean up in the name of Terence.


    Suddenly Carla broke away from Terence''s embrace and shoved him away.


    She was trembling with rage, staring at him with tears flowing from reddened eyes.


    Now, she had known it all.


    Even though it seemed that she was the winner yesterday, her little brother suffered its consequence today.


    To make matters worse, Bonnie was aware that Carla didn''t have a strong background or influence in JA City. Hence, she obviously just took advantage of her fianc¨¦''s influence to hurt Sean!


    Regardless of whether Terence knew it or not, he was the origin of the chaos.


    Sean glanced at Terence and Carla, seemingly unaware of what had just happened between them. He looked innocent and naive as usual. Why was his sister so furious?


    "Mr. Cameron, will I be dismissed and sent to BH city?


    I swear I didn''t hurt anyone! I just helped the younger pupil get up when I saw him falling to the ground. I didn''t hurt him! Will I be dismissed for helping someone?"


    Sean asked abruptly after a long, awkward silence. This was what concerned him the most.


    He considered himself as a man even though he was still a child. Hence, he didn''t want to be mistaken as a bully. Moreover, the education quality in this school was very good, and he didn''t want to ruin the opportunity because of a single mistake.


    He wanted to grasp the opportunity of a better education desperately for the sake of his future.


    His innocent remarks went through as a stab to Carla''s heart. He didn''t deserve this!


    "Sean, it doesn''t matter. We don''t have to stay here! We can go to other schools! Let''s return to BH city, okay? At least nobody will bully us there!" Carla tried to comfort him. She wiped away her tears and left the office with Sean as she gave Terence a cold glare.


    After they left, Terence stared at Cameron with eyes that depicted burning fury.


    "Who told you about this plan? Show me the CCTV footage NOW! And, find out all the students who beat Sean. Publish an announcement that mentions their misbehavior and dismiss all of them!


    Nobody shall lay a finger on Sean, not even my father! Do you understand?


    And the last one, you. You are such a mean rat. How can you be a teacher and teach these innocent children?" Terence snapped.


    Cameron was literally bathing in sweat as he heard Terence scolding him. He kept bowing and nodding as he replied, "Yes! Yes! Mr. Terence, I''ll do as you s


    or perhaps even his life, the next time?


    "Bonnie has shown me how merciless and cruel she could be by hurting a young child. Undoubtedly, she is capable of doing anything to me and my family!"


    As words kept coming out of her mouth, Carla couldn''t help shedding tears. She sneered, "Terence, I didn''t realize how reckless and stupid I was, until this moment.


    It turns out that my instinct was right all this while. I should stay away from you! See, whenever I get close to you, I''ll get in trouble!"


    Carla lowered her head and wiped her tears using the back of her palm. She trembled as she continued, "Terence, I give up not because I''m not perseverant or brave enough.


    I give up because I can''t take this risk! I don''t have any influence or power, which means anyone here can bully me!


    I know you like me, and I admit that... I like you even more. But it doesn''t change anything! I''m vulnerable and so is Sean. I''ve to take utmost priority to our safety."


    Carla complained, feeling the tears running down her cheeks. "You treat me so well. You are gentle and kind. Moreover, you are handsome and rich. Any girl in my position would fall in love with you!


    It is no surprise that I love you."


    She stopped abruptly. She couldn''t find any more strength inside her to continue. She had gone numb with pain, both physical and emotional.


    Terence frowned and stared at her. Tears started to gather in his eyes.


    He didn''t dare to touch her right now, fearing that she was too fragile to bear it. He was unsure of how she''d react.


    "Terence, my life can''t stand any risks like this, nor can Sean''s. So... Sorry, I can''t continue this relationship!"


    Carla looked up and said, as though knocking a final nail on to the coffin.


    She stared at him through her teary eyes and her voice trailed, in unbearable pain.

 Chapter 121 I Have Issues

    Terence grabbed her arm to stop her. "No, You do deserve it and we can surely continue this relationship." It felt as if someone ripped his heart out of his chest, threw it on the floor and stomped on it.


    He walked towards Carla and put his hand on her shoulder to give her reassurance. "I swear, Bonnie means nothing to me. You and my grandfather are the only people that mean the world to me."


    Bonnie was nothing compared to Carla.


    No matter what Carla chose to do, Terence would stick by what he said. He vowed to never give up on her and never let her go.


    Carla attempted to push Terence away, saying, "Please stop. Don''t be ridiculous. If you hurt her or mess with her in any way, you know her father will come for you. Trust me, they will haunt you for the rest of your life. You will never have peace if you stay with me.


    I know your marriage is only because of the money. If there was no money involved, there would be no engagement."


    Terence grabbed Carla and embraced her tightly. She tried to break free but he was stronger than her and held her even tighter. He looked down at her and kissed her forehead. "Please don''t punish me. I want you and only you.


    When I look at you, I can see our future. I dream about you every night. You know you can see our future too. Don''t deny it. You put up this wall to protect yourself and try to shove me out. What do you want from me, Carla?


    I know I have issues. Everybody does. Most of this is my fault, but I''m not afraid to admit it. I will make it up to you, I promise. I will prove to you that I am worth it and that I can protect you and Sean." He lifted her chin with his hand and gently pressed his lips on hers. "Carla, I made a lot of mistakes but you definitely weren''t one of them. Please forgive me. Will you give me another chance to prove myself?"


    Terence grabbed her hand tightly, lifted it to his face and slapped himself with her hand.


    He continued to slap himself over and over again, not stopping.


    The sound of the slapping echoed through the room.


    Carla didn''t want to hurt him and couldn''t bear to see him getting hurt. She yanked her hand from him and managed to break free from his grip.


    "That is enough Terence!" she shouted.


    Terence carefully took her hand and gently kissed her red palm. He didn''t care that his cheeks were burning.


    He could have slapped himself, but using her hand seemed t


    ked at Carla at the restaurant. Now she knew something wasn''t right, as she was starting to put all the puzzle pieces together.


    When she was bullied, Terence just asked her to stop horsing around and get Theo and Ivy to take her to the hospital.


    ''What happened when I was gone?'' she thought to herself.


    Bonnie''s mind was chaotic. She rubbed her hair into a mess, murmuring to herself, "I can''t panic now."


    What would happen to her even she hurt Carla''s brother? Terence hadn''t come to confront or blame her.


    That was to say, she still held a special place in his heart.


    Even if she made a mistake, Terence would just forgive her and let it go.


    Burton bowed his head and patiently said, "Miss Bonnie, we are in JA City. This is not our territory. You should be more careful. If anything is held against you, it will ruin your engagement with Mr. Terence. It will be a great loss for everyone."


    He watched Bonnie grow from a little girl into a charming lady. In the Hua family, everyone sought benefit for his own sake, so he had to look out for Bonnie.


    Bonnie nodded. She already had a plan in her mind. "I know. It would be silly to act dumb if Terence already knows everything.


    Burton, please arrange the car. I''m going to see Terence and apologize to him."


    Considering what Carla had done to her, it was only fair for her to take revenge.


    If she took the initiative to apologize, it would only prove her innocence.


    Burton nodded, feeling satisfied. "Brilliant, Miss Bonnie. I have heard that Mr. Terence is in his Seaview Villa. I will arrange the car immediately."

 Chapter 122 Terence Is Devious

    At the entrance of Terence''s villa, Nathan and Rainer were helping Carla carry her things to her designated bedroom. Carla took her time to look at the two of them, then on the villa. It had been a long time since the last time she was there. She sighed and turned to look at Terence.


    From the moment they left the apartment to the time they arrived at the villa, Carla kept asking him again and again, "Before I get out of the car, I''m saying this for the last time. Have you really thought this through? Do you really want me and my brother to live with you in your house?"


    With one arm on her shoulder, Terence replied to her again as they walked towards the villa, "Of course, I have mentioned many times that this is my home. And in the near future, after we get married, it will become our home. You will become the hostess of this house. So, you don''t have to live in that small apartment anymore."


    Carla became silent for a short while, and then she pointed out, "But it''s far from Sean''s school. He has to get up thirty minutes earlier than before."


    "If he''s going to give up thirty minutes of sleep so he can live in a better house, I believe he''ll be okay with that," Terence assured her. After entering the villa, he asked his maid to prepare a drink for Carla and bring it upstairs.


    Carla didn''t say anything. She thought, ''He''s putting me at risk little by little. Because if he''s kind to me, other women will become jealous which puts me be in a dangerous position.''


    Carla''s bedroom was between Terence''s and Sean''s. This time, he didn''t force her to sleep in his bedroom. Perhaps, it was because he knew that this time, Carla would live in the house for a long time.


    While Carla was still cleaning her bedroom, someone knocked on the door. After she called out, "Come in," the door opened to reveal Rainer.


    He turned to Terence and stated, "Mr. Terence, Miss Bonnie is on her way here. Her car will arrive at the villa''s area in five minutes."


    At that time, Terence was helping Carla hang up her clothes. Upon hearing what Rainer had just said, he turned to look at him.


    He whispered to himself, "What is she doing here?"


    He closed the cupboard door and rolled down his sleeves. He then turned to Carla and told her, "Carla, you don''t have to hide in your bedroom. You have the freedom to roam around in this house."


    With a scornful laugh, Carla asked, "Really? Are you sure that I don''t have to hide in the rooftop?"


    Terence raised his eyebrows at Carla and walked towards her to pinch her chin playfully. Then he responded, "Of course you don''t have to. There''s no need to be afraid.


    But I''m going to announce to the public that you''re the one who saved my life in BH City. My elders had always taught me to give back when someone helps me. Therefore, it''s only appropriate for you to live here.


    In that case, even though my father doesn''t approve of it, there''s no


    won''t you?"


    Terence asked with raised eyebrows as he took a sip of his coffee and leaned on the sofa once again.


    In fact, she didn''t have any right to say ''no''. She wavered that off the moment she ordered her people to look into Carla.


    Bonnie removed the disbelief on her face and forced a smile.


    She responded, "Well, I can''t agree more. We should look after them. I''m the one who should be blamed for his injury. What''s more, they saved your life six months ago. We''re supposed to do something for them."


    Terence nodded his head and addressed Rainer who was standing beside them, "Rainer, go upstairs and invite Miss Carla here. Tell her that there''s no need to be mad anymore. And ... tell her that Bonnie wants to meet with her to apologize."


    Rainer nodded his head and started to walk towards Carla''s bedroom.


    He thought to himself, ''Mr. Terence is becoming more and more devious.


    Not only did he bring his loved one¡ªMiss Carla¡ªat home to live with him, but he''s also forcing Miss Bonnie to apologize to her in an ingenious way. Although she''s very angry with what Mr. Terence has done for Miss Carla and her brother, there''s nothing she can do.


    I''m sure that what happened today will make her blood boil.''


    A moment later, Carla was walking downstairs.


    It was unexpected that Terence didn''t ask her to hide in her bedroom this time. Instead, he was asking her to meet people.


    "Carla, come here," Terence acknowledged her as soon as he saw her.


    Seeing that Carla was close to the end of the stairs, Terence placed his coffee on the table and stood up to greet her.


    His attitude towards Carla made Bonnie subconsciously clench her fist.


    When she saw Bonnie sitting on the sofa, Carla became a little nervous. After all, Bonnie was Terence''s fiancee.


    Terence took Carla by the wrist and asked her to sit on the sofa. Then he turned around and shouted, "Leilani, serve a cup of tea for Miss Carla."

 Chapter 123 The Crafty Couple

    With these words Terence sat down and crossed his legs. He stared at Bonnie with a sullen face. There wasn''t a hint of a smile on his handsome face.


    "Carla, I know Sean''s suffering was torture for you. But Bonnie didn''t mean to do it, as she said. And she wasn''t aware that you had saved my life.


    For my sake, just allow Bonnie to serve you a cup of tea as a humble apology and let bygones be bygones. What do you say?"


    On the surface, it appeared that Terence was on Bonnie''s side. But Carla knew that he was rooting for her. A nice hard punch to Bonnie''s face would have been much more satisfying for Carla, but, she had to make do with a cup of tea as an apology instead.


    But would Bonnie be willing to do that?


    A cold and subtle smile appeared on Carla''s face. "Oh, will she? But I''m afraid that Miss Bonnie''s dignity may not allow her to apologize to a nobody like me?"


    At her words, Terence smiled in silence casting expectant eyes to Bonnie.


    Bonnie gave a slight cough. She stood up picked up a cup of freshly poured tea and walked to Carla.


    "Miss Carla, it was all my fault. You saved Terence, so you are also my savior. This cup of tea is an apology. I would appreciate it if you could forgive me and accept it."


    With these words, Bonnie bowed and held the teacup to Carla.


    Carla raised her eyes from Bonnie to Terence, who was watching her with a warm smile on his face.


    She was in no hurry to take the teacup. Compared to what Sean had suffered, holding a teacup for a while was nothing. Bonnie deserved it.


    It was not until Bonnie''s arms started trembling that Carla took the cup from her hands slowly.


    "Since you have shown your sincerity, I forgive you," Carla said in a tolerant and generous tone.


    Standing in the corner, Rainer lowered his head in silence.


    He wanted to correct what he had just said. Miss Carla was just as devious as Mr. Terence. They were very suited to each other.


    Bonnie took a deep breath. Her eyes were filled with hatred and resentment. No matter how much she hated Carla, she would have to endure this indignity for the moment.


    Bonnie stretched her back slightly and glided over to Terence. "Terence, I feel tired. You will let me stay here tonight, won''t you?"


    Bonnie said in a cutesy manner as she sat beside him and gazed at him with pouty lips.


    Now that she had made an apology, as Terence''s fiancee she was supposed to be allowed to do what she wanted.


    Terence looked away ignoring her. He simply patted Bonnie''s hand and said, "Don''t be so childish, Bonnie. Carla and Sean have just move


    up. He even thought his injuries were a blessing in disguise.


    Had he not been injured, Terence wouldn''t have insisted on bringing Carla and him to live with him.


    Nathan had told him that Carla refused firmly when Terence raised the idea.


    But in the end, Terence gave up on asking and used another method of persuasion. He threw Carla over his shoulder and carried her like that downstairs. Later on he asked the servants to pack her things up and bring them to the house. That was how Carla moved into Terence''s house.


    Ha¡ªHa! Terence was quite a man!


    "Wow! This mousse cake is so delicious! Carla, it''s much better than the cheapie made in the bakery near our apartment."


    Gobbling down the cake, Sean was full of praise. "Yummy! It''s so sweet!"


    "Oh Sean, look at you. Mind your table manners. If you were somewhere else, people would laugh at you." Carla chuckled and wiped the crumbs from his mouth with a napkin.


    Sean grinned flashed his straight pearly white teeth. "I''m not afraid of being laughed at. And you know what Carla? I''m going to make a fortune in the future and buy you the most expensive cakes and a beautiful house for you."


    Terence, who was having his dinner sitting beside them tapped Sean''s plate with his spoon.


    "Sean, all you have to do is to work hard and provide a good life for your future wife. As for your sister I''ll take care of her. You don''t have to worry about that."


    Terence filled a bowl of delicious mushroom soup and passed it to Carla.


    Carla enjoyed Chinese food so he told the cook to prepare all kinds of Chinese food for her.


    When they had finished dinner, Rainer approached them.


    "Mr. Terence, there''s a phone call for you. It''s your father."

 Chapter 124 Being Caught Peeping (Part One)

    After Terence was finally done eating, he wiped his mouth elegantly and then immediately grabbed the phone from his hand.


    "Dad, how are you doing? Have you eaten dinner yet?"


    Upon hearing him and finding out that he still had the mood to say those words, Edmund snorted. "Terence, don''t you think you are being too impulsive?


    You just went ahead and took the girl and her brother to stay in the villa again? Are you out of your mind? What do you expect Bonnie to think?"


    Bonnie came back with an awful face and he asked her and soon knew what happened.


    "Bonnie told you about it? Dad, Grandpa has always taught me that one should always be grateful for the things other people have done for you. Bonnie harassed Carla and even her younger brother so terribly in my name. I am only doing this to try to redeem myself after what Bonnie did to them,"


    Terence said calmly in a matter-of-fact manner as he had expected him to call. It came a little bit sooner than he thought, however.


    "Terence, let me tell you this. You''re nowhere near as composed and prudent as your elder brother is. Unlike you, he always looks at the bigger picture and never acts on an impulse." Edmund thought of his other son who was still back in NF City. If it weren''t for Terence''s grandfather objecting his decision, he would''ve loved for him to just come back home.


    "You''re right. We both know that deep down inside your heart, I won''t ever be good enough for you¡ªlet alone be as good as Marcus. If you''ve got nothing else to say, I have to go now," Terence remarked, his eyes looking so soulless and devoid of hope for his father.


    Even after the committing the unforgivable sin of trying to kill his own brother, Edmund still vehemently took Marcus''s side.


    Had there no


    his hand, Terence told him that it won''t be necessary, causing Rainer to immediately stop in his tracks and refrain from following him any longer.


    When Terence finally got to the third floor, it was just as he had feared it would be.


    There was only one wall separating Terence''s room and hers. Aside from Carla, there''s no one else he''d ever allow to freely enter his room.


    Minding his own business, Sean was simply doing his homework in his own room. Since there was no one for her to hang out with, Carla began feeling bored, and so, she decided to drop by Terence''s room. The last time she came to the villa, she had stayed in his room, so she was already quite familiar with it.


    But there was something else she had in mind. She had actually brought a drawerful of diamond rings from her apartment and wanted to somehow secretly stuff them back in his room without anyone noticing.


    Above all else, she badly needed to look for a place safe enough to hide so many rings.


    She rarely stayed there in the villa. So, if she carelessly decided to hide them somewhere in her room, by the time she left, the maid might accidentally find them while cleaning the room.

 Chapter 125 Being Caught Peeping (Part Two)

    As luck would have it, Carla was able to find the perfect hiding spot, a drawer which was almost empty. There was only one tablet PC in it. So Carla took it out and put the rings in there.


    It would be dangerous to keep $60 million worth of rings around her. If he truly wanted to give a ring to her, she could just choose to pick one from the lot.


    After putting them away safely and cautiously, Carla heaved a lengthy and heavy sigh. Picking up the tablet PC and playing around with it, she knew all of Terence''s passwords from when she last stayed at the villa and she was able to easily log in.


    She had always been fond of rummaging around. She was much more keen to rummage compared to most women. No matter how hard you tried to hide something from her, she was always bound to find it.


    She could do that with just a glimpse.


    However, this one particular glimpse brought the problem.


    Accidents were always bound to happen.


    She fumbled around with the tablet until a window accidentally opened. She immediately closed it regretfully. If she opened way too many windows she might get caught.


    However, after she closed it, she started to wonder.


    "Something doesn''t seem right. Why do I feel like I''ve seen those photos somewhere?"


    She cautiously clicked the window once again and dug around. She couldn''t believe what she was seeing! The more she looked, the angrier she got. It pissed her off so much that she angrily threw the tablet PC on the bed.


    "Terence! You shameless asshole! You''re such a piece of shit!


    I wish I had known! I was so blind to like someone as disgusting as you! What a pervert!" Who would have known that you were a


    nk that he would ever get caught. Now he wished he could reverse time.


    He didn''t expect that Carla would be that good at digging around.


    "Oh, really? You haven''t seen anything, huh?" Carla sighed angrily, her breathing extremely ragged from anger. She gritted her words in between her teeth. "I change clothes in my room. I sleep naked in my room. And you''re telling me that you haven''t seen that. How stupid do you think I am?"


    Terence couldn''t speak.


    He knew that if he continued to talk, he would only try to cover up his lies.


    He knew about her sleeping naked because he had seen it. He had seen it and he didn''t take his eyes away from the screen.


    "What? Cat got your tongue? You''re going to think of some fucking lie again, you fucking asshole?"


    Carla''s anger was seething. Terence took a step back from fear. She was so furious with him that he could almost feel her heat.


    "I-I''m sorry. Yes. You''re right. I saw everything."


    Terence admitted quietly, embarrassed and ashamed.


    It would just be much better to tell her the truth and pay for his actions than to keep lying to her.

 Chapter 126 Carla’s Background (Part One)

    Terence furrowed his brows looking at Carla and then a smile appeared on his handsome face. Before Carla burst into tears, he held her in his arms. "You belong to me and only me. Since we will be getting married in the near future, I think it''s okay for me to see you naked. I''ll see it sooner or later anyway. Don''t you think so?" Terence said to justify his wickedness.


    But Carla didn''t feel any comfort from his words. She was so angry that she could hardly speak. "Terence, you''re such a horrible man! You don''t have a sense of any boundaries, do you?" she sobbed.


    "Yes, I do. But there is no limit to what''s acceptable with you. Because you are my bottom line,"


    Terence whispered as he held her tighter in his arms. When he was with Carla he felt totally at ease. He could truly be himself without worrying about his appearance or how he composed himself.


    Everyone had their limits where they would draw the line.


    As for Terence, the line that he would not cross was Carla. She was very important to him.


    "Well, really? You are becoming better and better at flattery," mocked Carla trying to free herself out of his arms but failed.


    Terence wouldn''t let her go. He kissed her tears away and then looked her in the eyes. "Carla, I''m serious. I''m not just saying those words to make fun of you. I love you. I love everything about you. I love to see you naked and I will never tire of that. I watched your beautiful body the whole night, yet I am still hungry for more. To be honest, you''re the first woman who has made me feel this way."


    Even though Terence was giving her a compliment and was trying to make her feel better, Carla only felt angrier and more embarrassed.


    attention to it. He leaned back against his chair and asked, "Let''s cut to the chase. Have you found anything out about Carla''s background?"


    Bryant stopped clowning around and suddenly became serious.


    "I did find something out, but it''s going to take a long time to explain it all to you, Mr. Terence. So you will have to be patient with me."


    He knew that Terence liked to get the information as quickly as possible with only the key points. But what Bryant had found out was a complicated story that needed to be told from the start to the end, with no short cuts.


    "Okay, I got it. So cut the crap and start your story now,"


    urged Terence with raised eyebrows as he spun his pen twice.


    After clearing his throat, Bryant began, "It all started about twenty years ago. When Miss Carla''s parents got married they found out that Marian, Miss Carla''s mother couldn''t have children of her own. Miss Carla''s father loved his wife very much and couldn''t bear the thought of divorcing his wife because of that. So they both decided to keep the secret to themselves and not tell anyone, including their elders about it.

 Chapter 127 Carla’s Background (Part Two)

    From then on, Miss Carla''s father had been asking around about where he could adopt a child. As it happened, one of his villagers named Chandler Qian could help him. He ran an illegal business of buying and selling children. When her father had found out about his business, he told Chandler Qian that he didn''t want to adopt a child that had been abducted. He preferred to adopt from a poor family, who had lots of children already and wanted to give one of their babies up for adoption willingly. The baby also had to be a girl.


    During that time most people considered boys to be much more important than girls. So it was very easy for Chandler Qian to find a baby girl for him. Shortly after, Miss Carla''s father, Gene Ji, adopted a baby girl. As you know that baby girl was Miss Carla.


    It was winter time when he brought Miss Carla to his home. She had only been one month old. In order to hide the truth, the baby had to be very young. Gene Ji and Marian thought that it was best to leave their village and live somewhere far away, so as not to raise suspicion about their baby. This way everyone would believe that Miss Carla was their biological daughter. They left for several years. After all, when the child became older it would be difficult for people to tell exactly how old the child was."


    Bryant stopped and coughed.


    "Mr. Terence, please excuse me while I have a sip of tea. My throat is very dry and I''m far from finished."


    Terence remained silent and he was lost in thought, ''No wonder Carla always thought that Gene Ji and Marian were her biological parents. It turns out that her father was very cautious and discreet. Even their own parents didn


    ion that I just told you about. I easily found out that in the 80s, that ring belonged to Mr. and Mrs. Hua. But no one has ever seen it since then.


    But now, the ring appears with Miss Carla. So there is no doubt that she is that baby girl that was left in the street all those years ago.


    I am however confused, why Mr. and Mrs. Hua left their only daughter on the street so carelessly and yet adopted four other children afterward. What happened to them that year?"


    questioned Bryant shrugging his shoulders. ''Who would know what runs through the wealthy people''s heads?'' thought Bryant.


    "Several years ago, Mr. and Mrs. Hua discreetly sent their people out to search for Miss Carla, why would they do that?" said Bryant confused.


    Seeing that Terence was not responding and remained quiet, he added, "Well, Mr. Terence, how about sending Miss Carla back to Mr. and Mrs. Hua? If their biological daughter returned home, then their adopted daughter, Bonnie, would certainly feel threatened and become as meek as a lamb. And you can finally marry Miss Carla. That''s a wonderful bonus. What do you think?"

 Chapter 128 Im A Disobedient Girl

    Terence called Nathan and asked him to bring a cup of coffee. He looked up at Bryant through his long thick lashes.


    "Of course I want to do that but I can''t. You know nothing about the situation of the Hua family. Under the calm waters are the dark tides. It just seems like everything is going smoothly, but in reality, conflicts continue to spread and intensify. If we expose Carla''s real identity this time, we would put her in danger," Terence expounded on the situation.


    Hearing Terence''s explanation, Bryant hesitated for a moment. He was an expert in searching for information but he had no idea about the complication of power struggle between warring families.


    "But...that can''t be true! Miss Carla is the only true biological daughter of the Hua family. Isn''t she supposed to be the apple of their eyes? How could she be in danger?" Bryant curiously asked.


    Terence just sneered and shook his head.


    "Bryant, you don''t understand. I know this kind of family very well. The Hua family adopted three sons. Aside from Bonnie, those three sons have already been fighting tooth and nail for the family inheritance. The mere presence of Carla, being the only true biological daughter would only make them unite to bring her down," Terence clarified.


    With a large fortune in front of them, even biological siblings became enemies, what more would happen with family members who are not related by blood?


    If Carla''s true identity was made public at this moment, she would become everyone''s target.


    After hearing Terence''s concerns, Bryant fully understood his reasons.


    "How silly of me! If that''s the case, Mr. Terence, you must take good care of Miss Carla and keep her away from the Hua family or she would be in danger!" Bryant concluded.


    It was clear then that the situation was not just any small matter. The Hua family had such a huge wealth and influence that it wouldn''t be surprising if people killed each other for it.


    "You shouldn''t worry about that. Carla is my future wife. Of course, I''ll keep her safe," Terence confidently assured him. Terence called on Nathan¡ªwho was waiting at the door¡ªto come in.


    Then, he turned off the laptop and sat down on the sofa.


    "Here''s your coffee, Mr. Terence." Nathan placed the mug on the table and stood quietly behind him.


    Having sat for too long, Terence started to feel pain on his back. He stretched his shoulders and placed his hand on the arm of the sofa, fingers tapping gently on it. "Nathan, you told me last time that Noah, the eldest son of the Hua family, tried to approach Carla. Is there any other thing about that encounter that seems significant?" Terence carefully asked Nathan.


    Nathan thought for a moment before speaking,"we found out that Noah was the one who instructed the robbery. But we still don''t know h


    whenever he was asleep.


    Knowing it was Carla, he relaxed and squinted his eyes.


    Thanks to the accident in BH City six months ago, he was no longer careless and reckless.


    Carla stopped and turned around. The man was still lying on his bed with his eyes still closed. "Well, I was just passing by. I was wondering why you didn''t come down to have breakfast," Carla tried to make excuses.


    Terence opened his narrow eyelids and looked at Carla. He gestured for her to come closer to him.


    "...... Come and give me a hug," Terence pleaded with his low, husky voice.


    Carla remained at the door. Eyes twinkling, she responded with a sly grin,"I''m a disobedient girl. Don''t you know that?"


    Moreover, considering what he had done behind her back, she would never obey his wishes.


    He should be grateful that she came to check on him.


    Hearing these words, Terence defeatedly retracted down his hands and rolled over to the other side of the bed. "Okay, never mind," Terence mumbled lazily. "I was considering taking you out for a hike. But since you''re a disobedient girl, I don''t think you''ll go with me.


    Such a pity that you''ll miss the beautiful landscape! The verdant mountains, exquisite rocks, natural caves¡ªthere''re eighteen of them! Let alone the scenery inside. What a feast for the eyes! Well, I suppose you can''t go, right? What a shame!" Terence tempted her with his plans.


    Hardly had his voice faded away when Terence heard a little pattering of feet behind his back.


    Knowing she had fallen in his trap, he snickered.


    Terence knew her quite well. She had a kind of wanderlust inside her. Having stayed at home for two days, she must be terribly bored. She wouldn''t be able to resist the temptation to go out.


    Unsurprisingly, she took the bait.


    The moment Carla was near enough, he jumped up from the bed and wrapped her in his arms.

 Chapter 129 Why Werent You Jealous

    Terence held Carla in his arms. After kissing her thoroughly a few more times, he released her from his embrace. "Let me sleep a bit longer, Carla. When we wake up, let''s have some brunch and then set off," he said.


    Carla said nothing.


    She only let him hold her and kiss her because she did want him to take her out for some fresh air. However, she hadn''t forgiven him yet. It would take some time before she could forgive him.


    They slept for about an hour more.


    After waking up, Terence took a shower and then ate something. Carla was becoming restless because he was taking too long to get ready.


    If they couldn''t leave by noon, they needed to putt off their trip until after lunch. They would definitely arrive at their destination late in the afternoon if they dally longer. They wouldn''t have enough time to have fun!


    Nathan and Rainer already loaded the car with the mountaineering essentials. They were holding the door open for them outside of the villa when Carla and Terence walked out.


    Carla wore a pink sportswear and a white pair of sneakers. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail.


    "Hurry up, please!" Carla shouted. When she turned around, she saw that Terence was just stepping out of the door.


    Terence decided to wear a grey sportswear that matched hers perfectly. He also wore a pair of white sneakers.


    However, the collar of his top had a vertical design to cover the long scratch on his neck.


    He was wearing a charming smile when he stepped out of the house. When he saw that Carla was beckoning to him from inside the car, his smile broadened.


    He strode quickly to the car.


    What an impatient girl! It was obvious that she wanted to go already.


    Carla was trying to get settled inside the car when she suddenly heard another car approaching from a far.


    Carla looked up to see a white BMW approaching the Seaview Villa.


    "Mr. Terence, it''s Miss Bonnie''s car,"


    Rainer said as he walked up to Terence.


    The white BMW stopped in front of them.


    Bonnie, who was wearing a white sportswear, got off the BMW and ran up to Terence.


    Bonnie was restless. She found it difficult to sleep last night. She was really anxious at the thought of Carla living with Terence.


    Unlike her other brothers, her only way out of their family was Terence. Her happiness for the rest of her life depended on whether or not she could marry Terence. She was determined to mar


    n small matters could upset great plans. She must endure whatever Bonnie would say from this moment on.


    Besides, there was nothing else she could do. She couldn''t just drag Bonnie away from Terence just to make her shut up, could she?


    If she couldn''t control her feelings and do something stupid, she could get both herself and Terence into trouble.


    While Carla was listening to her music and browsing the news on her phone, Terence suddenly sat next to her. He lifted her chin with one finger and kissed her on the lips.


    "Hum!"


    Her eyes widened immediately. Carla just stared at Terence who was kissing her violently. She wanted to say something but Terence had her tongue in his mouth.


    What was happening? What was wrong with him? Bonnie was in the car with them!


    After a while, she managed to free herself from his arms.


    "Terence! Are you insane?" she shouted at him.


    Terence was staring at her intently. He then decided to rub her red lips with his thumb. She gasped involuntarily. "Yes, I think I am insane. Your indifference drove me crazy!" he yelled.


    How could she listen to music in this situation? It seemed as if she wasn''t jealous at all!


    When Terence released her, Carla immediately checked on Bonnie. She saw that Bonnie was sleeping in her seat.


    "What happened to her? Why is she sleeping? What did you do to her?" Carla asked.


    Why did she suddenly fell asleep?


    Terence chuckled. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her to him gently.


    "She was too noisy, so I put her to sleep. She was starting to irritate me,"


    Terence answered coldly.

 Chapter 130 Mountain Climbing

    "Did you drug her?" Carla asked gaping in shock.


    She was worried about Bonnie''s well being and moved closer to check her. ''Thank goodness, her breathing is smooth and stable.''


    Carla thought that Terence was violent enough to knock Bonnie out because she was too annoying. It turned out he used drugs instead of fists.


    "Where did you get the knock-out drops?" Carla asked, still confused.


    Terence pulled her into his arms after canoodling her and he answered, "I got Nathan to prepare some before we got into the vehicle."


    Carla fell silent.


    ''Did he know already that Bonnie would be coming with us?


    But wait, why would he have knockout drops at all? Or, wasn''t this the first time that he has used the drug?'' Carla thought concerned.


    Since Bonnie was out cold, Terence could kiss and cuddle Carla as much as he wanted without worrying about Bonnie. He held her in his arms until they had almost reached the destination. Finally, when they were nearly there he let Carla go. With a bit more time left on her hands, she took her phone and began to play games.


    "Carla, can you pretend to be asleep?" Terence asked as he caressed her hair.


    "What?" His random question distracted her from the game she was playing and she looked up at him in confusion.


    Terence explained, "Bonnie will wake up soon after the drug wears off. If she wakes up and sees that she was the only one asleep, she will get suspicious. The best solution is that we both pretend to be asleep as well."


    Carla nodded and plugged her mobile to charge before she lay down across the seats and closed her eyes.


    Terence grinned satisfactorily when he saw Carla sprawled across the seats. He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.


    Then he returned to his own seat and leaned against it as if dozing.


    As they lay in their positions, Bonnie woke shortly afterwards.


    Bonnie blinked several times and shook her groggy head. Shocked, she wondered, ''When did I suddenly fall asleep?''


    Then she looked around for Carla and noticed her sprawled across the seat sleeping. ''Vulgar girl!'' thought Bonnie resentfully.


    Then she felt strong shoulders next to her, she looked across and noticed that she was still leaning on Terence. Just like she had been before she had dozed off. Terence had his eyes closed and looked to be sleeping.


    After a short while, Terence opened his eyes and glanced at Bonnie saying, "You''re awake."


    He pretended to yawn and stretch as he sat up. He didn''t sleep last night, thinking what he should do to protect Carla and carry on his plans, so he looked tired and exhausted. But to Bonnie, she just thought that he looked as if he had just woken up.


    "Carla, wake up! We''ll arrive soon!"


    y taken the phone from her.


    "With pleasure," Carla smile. Carla just took Bonnie''s phone without hesitation. She climbed up a little bit and turned around to find the right angle.


    She held the phone up towards them. "Terence, don''t be so serious! Smile!"


    Carla looked at Terence in the screen and reminded him.


    Terence creased his eyebrows and stared at Carla sullenly. He managed to make a smile.


    Bonnie was smiling sweetly and leaned on Terence with her head on his shoulder.


    "Perfect! It''s done."


    Carla took two pictures of them and returned the cell phone to Bonnie.


    Bonnie checked the pictures as soon as she got the phone. She looked satisfied and appreciated the photos for quite a while before she finally packed her phone away.


    However, just as Bonnie had packed her phone away, Carla pulled hers out and gave it to Bonnie smiling wickedly.


    "Could you also do me a favor, Miss Bonnie, The selfie stick is too short for a group picture, could you kindly take a picture of all of us, please?"


    Bonnie''s smile froze. Her expression changed suddenly. However, she couldn''t refuse her request since Carla just took her photo.


    She took Carla''s phone reluctantly and Carla grabbed Terence''s hand and dashed over to Nathan and Rainer.


    Terence was surprised by Carla''s behavior. She was such a cheeky girl! He could have hugged her right now for being so clever. She was learning fast.


    Carla arranged the three of them to stand together, with Terence in between the two brothers and she stood in front of the three men because she was the shortest. The pictures of them made Carla look daintier and cuter.


    "Miss Bonnie, you can take the picture of us now, we are ready. Thank you!"


    As she said it, Carla stretched out her arms like a tiny bird and smiled at Bonnie.

 Chapter 131 A Chance Meeting with Noah

    Bonnie''s eyes gazed at Terence who stood behind Carla through the cellphone camera. She noticed how soft his eyes were when he looked at Carla. She chewed her lip as jealousy gradually filled her chest.


    She ignored that feeling and tapped the phone several times.


    After the photo was taken, it looked a bit different. It was hard to tell whether it was because of the lighting or the angle.


    Carla took the phone so she could see the photo. It seemed like Terence, who stood behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist.


    Nathan and Rainer looked like two door-gods due to the expression of their faces. Nathan had a solemn expression while Rainer flashed a gleaming smile.


    "This photo looks so good. And I applaud Bonnie for taking such a wonderful photo,"


    Terence looked at the photo and glanced at Bonnie as he praised her.


    The unpleasant look on Bonnie''s face faded a bit and it turned into a smile. She was kind of distracted while she walked all by herself.


    "Ms. Carla, if you would be so kind, please send the photo to me! This is the first time I got a photo with Mr. Terence and I want to frame it!"


    Rainer said with an enthusiastic smile.


    "Alright. I will be sending it!"


    Carla replied and sent it to Rainer via WeChat.


    At long last, their group had finally reached the mountaintop.


    Carla smiled as she couldn''t help but admire the majestic scenery before her. There was a cave with stones elegantly dipped around it.


    Some caves were embellished with lighting, making it appear as if it was sparkling. Some caves were beautiful but not suitable for sightseeing due to being too dark.


    There was a beautiful pavilion near a babbling spring. The special light made the running water look as if it was sparkling.


    Furthermore, some caves were rebuilt into commercial establishments such as restaurants, hotels, and entertainment places.


    "Don''t take too many photos or else you''ll drain your battery."


    Terence reminded Carla as she was snapping away ceaselessly.


    As he finished his word, she shouted, "Ah!


    Ugh. You jinxed me!"


    She groaned. If she could remember correctly, she had charged her phone up a bit inside the car. But unfortunately, it was far from enough and because she kept snapping photos along t


    for a long time! What have you been doing so far? You never sent me any messages!"


    Noah gave her arm a pat and smiled, "I have been a very busy man recently. I am always in a business trip. Besides, you''re already engaged to Mr. Terence. You can''t always stay with me."


    Bonnie felt her cheeks heat up and glanced at Terence secretly.


    Carla finally caught up to them.


    ''I don''t need to be here, '' She thought as she observed them.


    Her presence wasn''t needed anyways.


    However, her appearance surprised Noah. His dark eyes glittered.


    He never thought he would see her there.


    Carla gave him a lovely smile as a greeting.


    "Miss Carla, how unexpected! You''re here too!"


    Upon hearing those words, Carla almost lost balance but she managed to get back at her feet quickly.


    "Oh my!" Carla exclaimed, still with a smile. "What a coincidence, Mr. Noah."


    "Well, indeed it is. Whom are you with?" Noah glanced at Terence.


    Terence smiled, stretched out his arm, and pulled Carla toward him, "She comes here with me. I didn''t expect you knew each other though."


    Terence actually knew that Noah knew Carla, but Bonnie and Julie didn''t know the truth so he pretended to be surprised.


    Noah noticed Terence''s hand on her shoulder. He was so clever that he knew it was a declaration.


    After all he knew their fellow men so well.


    Even though Bonnie was already engaged to him, he had someone else inside his mind.


    Noah thought, ''Looks like things are getting really interesting now.''

 Chapter 132 Keep Your Distance

    "Mr. Noah was really great! With just one kick, the thief was down!" Carla complimented with much gusto.


    "It must be a trick of fate that we met somewhere in BH City," Noah smiled as he took back his glance from Carla.


    Bonnie couldn''t help but be stunned.


    She thought that Noah could help her out but it seemed that Carla also knew him.


    Since Carla, Bonnie, and Terence hadn''t eaten, they decided to move to a bigger table.


    Noah and Julie sat side by side, across Terence and Bonnie.


    Meanwhile, Carla suddenly felt out of place. She wanted to join Nathan and Rainer at the other table. As she stood up, Terence raised a hand to stop her. Without any word, she sat back down beside Terence.


    There was a heavy air of awkwardness during the meal.


    It was so heavy and thick that one could cut it with a spoon.


    Bonnie chewed her lip as she glared at Carla. The latter could feel her sharp glares while Terence was picking food for her.


    It was normal that Bonnie hated Carla.


    However, Carla didn''t understand why Julie also disliked her. Julie managed to mask it well though.


    Women had sharp instincts, after all. Carla could pretty much sense that Julie didn''t like her. It made her wonder.


    Was it because she was Noah''s girlfriend and possibly Bonnie''s future sister-in-law? Since Bonnie didn''t like her, there was also a chance that Julie wanted to back Bonnie up.


    She just shrugged. ''Whatever. Who cares about them? Their family has nothing to do with me, '' thought Carla.


    With that, she started to eat.


    She was so hungry since she was exhausted from all the mountain climbing.


    During the meal, Carla didn''t pay attention to their conversation and only had her focus on the delicious fish meal in the restaurant.


    After the meal, Bonnie dragged Julie out. The two women went to the pool where various Koi fishes inhabited and a huge crowd gathered around it.


    "Mr. Noah, your girlfriend is really beautiful," said Carla, looking up at him.


    Terence went to fin


    back to reality. She was just feeding fish and chatting with Julie when an idea popped inside her head.


    Noah grinned. "Ah, it''s nothing important. We should probably go to the cable car now so we could go down the mountain. It''s already this late." Noah put his hands inside his pockets as he glanced at Julie.


    The smile on Julie''s face remained. It made her look ladylike, as if she came from a well-mannered family.


    She walked over to Noah''s side quietly. She didn''t do anything intimate, not even holding his hand.


    Bonnie called Terence and agreed on meeting with him by the cable car.


    When they had all gathered, Terence, Nathan, and Rainer were waiting for them by the entrance.


    "Terence, I just have a tiny request. Can I ride the cable car with my brother?"


    Bonnie put up her hands together as if she was praying. She needed to spend a moment with Noah alone. She would let Carla have her fun this time.


    "Alright." Terence instantly agreed.


    Bonnie and Noah went onto the first cable since it could fit two people. Then Nathan and Rainer. Then Julie was left alone.


    She didn''t mind after all. There wasn''t any trace of displeasure on her face.


    Finally, it was Terence and Carla''s turn to hop on.


    In broad daylight, Terence held her hand like a princess, letting her go in first, and finally himself.

 Chapter 133 The Cable Car

    Once they entered the carriage the staff locked the door and the cable car started running.


    Before Carla had a chance to adjust to the moving cable car she was grabbed by two strong hands and a pair of lips came crashing down on top of hers, smothering her with a passionate kiss.


    While the cable car rocked and shook Carla feared to make any sudden moves. Terence thought that she was allowing him to make out with her so his kiss became even greedier and more intense.


    He had pressed himself so close to her that he could almost feel the warmth of her curvy body.


    Carla didn''t want to move the car too much in case people would get the wrong idea and wonder what was happening in their car. But Terence didn''t seem to be letting go of her any time soon, so she pinched him hard on the waist.


    Terence winced a little but instead of pulling away he bit the tip of her tongue and kissed her deeper still, for punishment.


    The kiss was so passionate that she could hear him swallowing.


    Carla''s face flushed as she thought of what he was swallowing¡ªher saliva!


    Terence finally let go of her when he was satisfied with the kiss.


    Carla''s face was as red as a boiled shrimp. She looked outside the window and was relieved to find that the stop was still a distance away. It would give her time to recover. Otherwise, people would definitely know that they were up to something.


    "Carla, I wonder what it would be like to do it up here. I would love to try it." Terence said in a sexy husky voice as he pulled her into his lap.


    "What do you mean? Aren''t you already in the cable car?" Carla asked as she tried to catch her breath. She was already used to Terence''s carnal desire''s that he showed from time to time.


    If she got angry every time he asked something like this, she would be spending her life in anger.


    Besides, she really didn''t have the strength to get mad.


    He kissed the life out of her and it was just an effort to speak, let alone argue with him.


    "I mean doing what we will both enjoy." Terence gave her a seductive smile as he nibbled her earlobe.


    When Carla realized what he was referring to, her face flushed red again.


    This man was so capable of flirting with her.


    "Terence, can you stop being such an ass?" she said angrily, sitting next to the window and looking at the scenery outside.


    "It''s only because you won''t ever let me have my way with you. I was just consoling myself with false hope. Are you really that cruel to even take that away from me?" Terence pinched her out of discontent.


    Many couples had sex after less than a week of dating. But Terence could only kiss her even after half a year of dating.


    Carla felt the st


    en if Carla is out of the picture, there will be other women competing against you. Do you want me to kill all of them for you?"


    Bonnie became silent. She bit her lip hard and lowered her head helplessly.


    "Then what should I do? I don''t know how to make Terence notice me again. And if he finds out about the car accident and that it was arranged by me, he will hate me even more¡ª"


    This was also what unsettled Bonnie.


    Indeed, Carla had saved Terence''s life. But Bonnie was the one who was supposed to marry him, and that decision was made by their families long before Carla even came into the picture.


    Originally, Bonnie thought that even if Terence wound someday find out what she had done, they would already have been married by then, and he could do nothing about it.


    But now, things had changed.


    "Bonnie, there are many ways in the world. Take my advice, choose the one way that suits you most." After Noah had finished the cable car had almost reached the end, so he had to be brief.


    "Listen, Bonnie. Not only is Terence fond of special girls, I am as well. All men are. Carla is a very special girl.


    If you want Terence to notice you again, you will have to make yourself more excellent and more outstanding, other than that, nothing is useful. Do you understand?"


    As Noah finished his words, the cable car had reach its destination.


    It was better to hold your head high and fight than to weep and beg.


    Bonnie stopped crying and fixed her makeup. "Noah, thank you. I know what to do now."


    ''Noah is right. If a woman wants to be exceptional she can''t just rely on her status.''


    Noah and Bonnie came out of the car and then Julie followed.


    Then came Nathan and Rainer.


    Finally, Carla and Terence''s cable car arrived at the end of the destination.

 Chapter 134 Bonnie, You Dance So Well

    When Carla got out from the cable car, Terence held her around the waist to carefully help her.


    Bonnie, who was waiting not that far away from them witnessed the whole scene. Understandably, she couldn''t help but feel hurt and jealous. Like all other girls, she couldn''t turn a blind eye to her fiance''s intimate behavior with another women.


    "Terence!" she called out. After she had recovered her composure with a smile, she gracefully went over and took his hand in hers and then walked to the parking lot with him.


    Julie also went to Noah and asked, "Noah, shall we go back now?"


    "Yes, let''s go," Noah replied and walked away.


    Julie quietly followed him.


    She was hoping to leave hand in hand with Noah, just as Bonnie and Terence had. But she knew that Noah wouldn''t like that so she didn''t dare try.


    The prerequisite of staying with him was to be obedient and to follow his lead.


    Carla was left behind with Nathan and Rainer at her side.


    The trip was a good one for her. She was not the type of person who would ask for much. She had enjoyed herself and had delicious food. What more could she ask for?


    Even though the two groups were heading for different destinations, there was only one way out from the mountain.


    Terence''s car was in front, while Noah''s car followed.


    When they had arrived at the foot of the hill, they all got out of their vehicles and bid each other farewell.


    Carla felt so sleepy that she really didn''t want to get out. But when she heard Noah mention her name from outside of the car, she couldn''t find it in herself to be so impolite.


    "Terence, I am handing my sister over to you. Please take good care of her. She has been spoiled by us and at times she might be unruly and displease you. But she is kind in her nature. Please don''t take it too much to heart when she does make mistakes."


    When Carla was about to get out of the car she heard what Noah had said to Terence.


    She froze on the spot.


    Carla stayed in the car a moment longer so she could hear how Terence would answer Noah.


    ''Will he promise Noah against his will or¡ª''


    "Noah, you can rest assured that even if she weren''t my fiancee, she is your sister, after all. I will take care of her for certain,"


    Terence replied with a smile.


    To the average person his reply seemed flawless. Just a standard polite reply.


    However, Noah read between the lines and interpreted it with another meaning altogether.


    Terence didn''t mention which sister he was referring to, as he didn''t mention Bonnie''s name. Carla was also Noah''s sister.


    "Great! Then I can leave with peace of mind," Noah smiled politely back.


    e himself when he saw Carla flop back down into bed again.


    How could she ignore his warning? At times he felt as if things were the other way around. It felt like Carla was his little sister because he was always worried about her.


    Finally, Carla threw the covers aside and gave Sean a look. She got up and walked out reluctantly.


    She chose to take the stairs instead of the lift. Because she didn''t want to alert them that she was coming and if Terence was doing something that he shouldn''t be, then she would catch him out.


    Once Carla was nearly at the bottom of the stairs of the second floor, they came into view from there. She was stunned to see Bonnie in Terence''s arms as they glided gracefully across the floor.


    They danced beautifully and every movement was fluid and smooth matching each other perfectly.


    Both Terence and Bonnie were born in prestigious families and so the Waltz was a basic skill for them.


    Terence stood tall and proud with his arm around Bonnie''s waist. Their postures and steps were so harmonious and light, like a pair of butterflies. Bonnie was gazing into his eyes, smiling happily and she looked more gracefully and sweeter than ever before.


    As romantic music played on, Carla could see a slight smile on Terence''s lips and a sparkle in his eyes.


    Carla stood there until the dance was finally over.


    Bonnie stared at Terence, her eyes full of expectation. She was so touched by the romantic atmosphere that she leaned forward and gave Terence an unexpected kiss on the lips.


    "Terence, you did great," she said in an alluring voice.


    Carla was so distracted by what she had just witnessed, that she forgot to look down at her footing. All of a sudden, she missed a step and came tumbling down the stairs.

 Chapter 135 Terence The Good Actor

    "Carla! "


    Sean screamed.


    Carla had already tumbled to the ground. She was wincing in pain as she held her ankle gingerly. Carla glanced at Sean signaling for her brother that she was all right and to stop screaming. There were only two steps left, so how bad could she have gotten hurt?


    Then she looked across and saw that Terence and Bonnie were walking towards her.


    "Err¡ª I''m fine. My brother finished his homework and insisted that I come down with him. I''m sorry to disturb you,"


    she said as she waved at them. Carla got up quickly and hobbled on her injured ankle hurriedly into the elevator with Sean.


    "Terence¡ª"


    Bonnie held on to Terence''s arm as he was about to stride over to the elevator. Her beautiful eyes gazed at him and she said in a soft voice, "Terence, I''m your fiancee. If Carla can stay in your home, surely I can as well. Can''t I?"


    Terence looked down at her hand that was stopping him from going to Carla. A shadow of darkness flashed through his eyes, making it hard for others to figure out what he was thinking.


    "Bonnie, your being my fiancee is exactly the reason why you couldn''t stay here. You are different from other women¡ª


    ... I''ll have someone take you back."


    Then, Terence broke loose from her hold and without explaining any further to her, he called the driver.


    After that, he turned on his heels and briskly walked into the elevator.


    Bonnie stood rooted to the spot as she helplessly watched Terence leave. She felt desolate and miserable in her heart. She was his fiancee, but Terence still wouldn''t touch her in a way that lovers do.


    Nonsense!


    Her brother had said, that if a man didn''t want to touch a woman even if he could, it could only mean one of two possibilities, that either he didn''t love her or he loved her too much.


    It was obvious what Terence felt about her.


    Bonnie had planned to leave with the driver. However, curiosity got the better of her.


    She wanted to see for herself how Terence had behaved with Carla when she wasn''t there.


    Was it true that Carla was only his life-saver and he was grateful?


    Or, were they actually romantically involved?


    "I''m not feeling very well. Wait for me outside, please. I will only be a moment. I need to go to the bathroom,"


    said Bonnie to the driver, who was waiting for her.


    "Yes, Miss Hua." The driver nodded respec


    to do?"


    Carla felt as though her heart had just been ripped out of her chest. She coughed ferociously as she fumbled to stand up and leaned against the sofa for support. The pain in her ankle cut through her like a knife and she gave out a short gasp.


    "All right! Terence, you win! I just don''t like your fiancee. She hurt my brother. How can I like her?"


    Carla said, rubbing her ankle and gave out a sneer. "It''s easy to get me in, but it''s going to be hard for you to get me out! Even if, as you say, I don''t deserve it! I''m here now. You can try and throw me out if you dare! I will not leave!"


    Carla then hobbled angrily to the door and then remembered that she had forgotten to put her slippers on.


    So she hobbled back to the sofa and bent down awkwardly to put on her slippers. After she put one slipper on her good foot, she pulled the other slipper onto her sore foot and winced in pain. So she limped back towards the door with one slipper in her hand and one on her foot.


    Bonnie quickly left from behind the screen when she heard footsteps coming.


    She felt so relieved.


    How could she have believed that Terence could fall in love with a vulgar woman like Carla? The truth was, she was his lifesaver and she was using it to take advantage of him.


    Since that was the case Bonnie didn''t need to worry anymore.


    It meant that Carla wasn''t as difficult to handle as she had imaged she was.


    While Carla was


    limping to the door with one slipper in her hand, a man suddenly walked up and grabbed her from behind scooping her up off the ground.

 Chapter 136 Carla Can You Bite Me Gently On The Lips

    Carla could feel that it was Terence without even looking. She hit him square on the face with the slipper in her hand and shouted, "Are you freaking insane? You just said that I was a nobody and was just your frigging savior, didn''t you? Have you already forgotten what you just said to me?"


    Terence quickly removed the slipper from her hand and tossed it onto the floor. He heaved her over his shoulder and took her back to his bedroom.


    After he put her down onto his bed he called Nathan on his cell phone.


    "Nathan, has Bonnie left?"


    "Yes, I just saw her get into the car and leave now," replied Nathan.


    In fact, when Bonnie quietly went upstairs, Nathan had already noticed it. So, he immediately informed Terence.


    Even though Terence had already found out himself.


    Terence heaved a sigh of relief. He glanced at Carla, who was glaring at him full of fury and he explained, "I need you to calm down and hear me out. Bonnie was hiding behind the screen eavesdropping. So I had to say something to hurt your feelings. I only said it to make her believe that we''re not lovers. Because once she found out, I''m afraid she would try to do something to hurt you."


    Carla brought her knees up to her chest defensively and to keep Terence at a distance. She made a grunting sort of noise and questioned with doubt in her voice, "Really? But just a moment ago, I saw her kiss you downstairs.


    You seemed to be enjoying yourself, didn''t you? Your fiancee is such a good dancer, and you must feel very proud of her, right? And she loves you so much that it''s only natural for her to kiss you. Isn''t that right?


    Terence, if you want to admit that you love her, I will respect you as an honest man. But how could you cheat on me?"


    Terence burst out into laughter. If she hadn''t been hurt he would have laid her out onto the bed and taught her a lesson. But he stopped because he didn''t want to hurt her injured foot. "Why are you saying that I am cheating on you?


    Do you know what I was thinking while I was dancing with her?" asked Terence with a smile on his face.


    Carla hugged her knees and looked away, saying, "It''s none of my business and I don''t care what you were thinking about at all."


    "I was thinking that it would be wonderful if my Carla would learn to dance. Then I would hold a ball for you and dance with you all night long." He cupped her face and leaned in to kiss her.


    But Carla refused. "Don''t kiss me! You kissed another woman with those lips just now."


    "Come on. I''ve brushed my teeth and washed my mouth out many times. You can check for yourself by smelling my breath," said Teren


    ng is not enough. I have to spend more time climbing the mountains and get my whole body involved and stronger, '' she thought.


    Later on that day, Terence, Rainer, and Nathan were all away on business. And Sean went to school. Carla was left alone and she felt a little bored.


    She was sitting on the swing to pass the time.


    "Miss Carla, I''m sorry to bother you. But Mr. Terence ordered some greenery and flowers and they had just arrived. Where should I place them?"


    Sophie came up to her and asked.


    Carla hopped off the swing and looked at the yard. She saw a lot of fresh flowers and greenery on the back of a large truck.


    "Maybe you should make a call to Rainer or Nathan and ask," replied Carla feeling a little awkward.


    Sophie smiled patiently and shook her head. "Mr. Terence has told me, that it''s up to you. You can place the flowers wherever you like."


    Before Carla came to stay at his villa, Terence had told his servants that once Carla moved in, she would be the hostess of the house. If there was anything that they couldn''t decide they should ask Carla for advice.


    Carla stood dazed for a moment and thought, ''According to what Terence has said to his servants, they might misunderstand and think that I am an absolute dragon.


    But at least, it will help me kill the boring hours.''


    Carla circled the villa and paid more attention to the places which were suitable for the greenery. Also, she specially consulted a gardener about the feature of greenery and flowers.


    An hour later, she asked the gardeners to carry the greenery and flowers to the places that she had planned out.


    When she was busy with the placement of the flowers, Sophie came to her again and told her, "Miss Carla, our chief is coming."

 Chapter 137 Nicholas Visited

    Carla was fixing a pot plant with her sleeves rolled up to her elbows. She turned back and asked, "Who?"


    "Miss Carla, Chief is Mr. Nicholas. Mr. Terence''s grandfather. We all call him Chief," Sophie explained patiently.


    "He''s who¡ª Oh, my gosh! What''s he doing here?" Carla said in a panic, suddenly remembering who he was. She met him once briefly in BH City.


    The old man came across as too aggressive and she found him very intimidating and hard to handle.


    Now that Terence wasn''t here she was left to deal with him on her own.


    "Miss Carla, I believe the old master would have been aware that Mr. Terence wasn''t here at the moment. It''s obvious that he is coming to see you,"


    Sophie analyzed. She had been working for Terence for a long time and so Sophie had a relatively good insight of what was going on.


    Carla shuddered hearing her say that. She looked down at her soiled casual outfit and said, "Sophie, can you stay with him while I go clean myself up and change into something more appropriate?"


    "Okay. Don''t panic, Miss Carla. Chief looks forbidding, but in fact he is nice to young people," Sophie said trying to ease her fears.


    "I see. Wait¡ª How should I call him? Chief?" Carla was about to run off to get changed when she suddenly remembered to ask her. Sophie was older and more experienced at dealing with these sorts of things.


    Since Carla and Terence were in a subtle relationship, properly addressing his grandfather would be extremely important.


    "Well, Mr. Terence calls him Grandpa. Maybe you can call him the same too?"


    ''Terence loved Carla so much. It''s most likely that they will marry. So once Carla was married to Terence, then it would only be natural for her to call him grandpa as well, '' thought Sophie.


    "I don''t think that''s a good idea. He may think me too presumptuous," Carla said furrowing her brows.


    Sophie chuckled and agreed. Carla''s concerns sounded reasonable. "Miss Carla, the people outside of their family, like us call him, Chief. Younger people or people close to him call him Mr. Nicolas or Nicholas. You could call him Mr. Nicholas or just Nicolas. It wouldn''t be offensive."


    Carla nodded. She vaguely recalled that she may have calle


    o much. He said if I wanted to see my granddaughter-in-law, I had to come here myself.


    He said in view of the current situation, even if he did ask you, you wouldn''t have come with him to see me, anyway. So instead, I came here myself."


    She bowed her head down and became silent. Nicholas looked at Carla with a warm smile on his face and said, "Don''t feel embarrassed. Me coming here tells you everything, doesn''t it?"


    ''Nicholas loves his grandson so much.


    That''s why he has accepted me, the girl that Terence loves.''


    Carla nodded slightly but still kept her head down and said in a meek voice, "Thank you, Grandpa. It''s not that I didn''t want to see you. I just felt that I don''t deserve¡ª"


    After all, to the Ans she was a country girl from nowhere. She didn''t have the courage or confidence to just go and visit Terence''s family.


    Nicholas bellowed out a hearty laugh and it made Carla suddenly feel relieved.


    "Silly girl. You''re the one that Terence has chosen. Why wouldn''t I like you?" Nicholas said smiling with a face beaming full of affection. "Let me tell you something. No matter what others might think, as long as you and Terence love each other, that''s all that matters. You are a promising couple!


    We all have hurdles in our lives


    and if you want to get through the hard times sooner. I have a piece of advice for you."


    Nicholas leaned forward with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eyes.


    Carla pulled her chair closer to him.

 Chapter 138 Have A Child

    She gazed into the old man''s eyes and listened intently.


    "The solution is, to have a child with Terence! The sooner, the better!"


    Nicholas'' tone and expression were serious.


    "But¡ª," Carla uttered in shock.


    "That way, things will be set in concrete. You have my full support and nobody can separate you after that!" Nicholas explained confidently.


    Carla sat in shock staring at Nicholas. After she regained her composure she smiled awkwardly and said, "Grandpa, we''re not even married yet. Isn''t it too early to even speak of a child?"


    "Exactly my point. That''s why I suggest having a child as soon as possible. If you want your happy life with Terence to come earlier, this is a shortcut to it." Nicholas smiled and patted her hand. "Carla, I don''t have a great-grandchild yet. Terence''s eldest brother is in NF now. And even though Rhys is engaged, he is unlikely to have a child any time soon, since he''s still a playboy.


    What''s more, Terence is the only legitimate heir who is recognized by the whole family. His child will be the most anticipated and welcomed!


    Both Marcus and Rhys are bastards. Even though they are also successors legally, they will never become the heir of the An family.


    Apart from the law, an heir must also be recognized by the three branches of the An family.


    It''s a family tradition that has been passed down for centuries. Even Edmund has to comply with it, let alone Marcus and Rhys."


    "But, Grandpa¡ª Isn''t the reason why Marcus and Rhys are not recognized that they were children born out of wedlock? If Terence and I have a child before we are married, wouldn''t our child have the same status as theirs?"


    Carla bit her lower lip and couldn''t help asking.


    "Carla, you little fool! How can it be the same? They ended up like that because Edmund didn''t want to marry their mother in the first place. But you and Terence are different. You love each other and he can ask to marry you when you are pregnant. Your child will still be legitimate and it doesn''t contradict to our family rule,"


    Nicholas patiently explained it to her.


    Carla thought for a while. Initially, she thought Nicholas'' suggestion seemed a bad one. However, after giving it some more thought, it did actually make sense. The idea had never crossed her mind before, but now, she was seriously considering his bold proposal. Although this wasn''t the result that she wanted at all.


    "Grandpa, please stay and have lunch with me. I have already asked the chef to prepare some dishes that you like." She wanted to shift the topic as soon as possible.


    Nicholas smiled and nodded.


    It was natural for this girl to feel shy. After all, this was the first formal meeting between them


    could help with that?


    Your cousin wants to study at JA University. You know, it''s a very reputable university and she will have a much better future for herself if she can study there. So you see¡ª"


    JA University was among the best universities in the country. Her uncle wanted his daughter to study there through the way of influence. It really was a tall order.


    "Uncle, you have really overestimated me. If I had such an influence, I wouldn''t have studied in a small college in BH City myself! You''re asking the wrong person."


    Carla couldn''t help grinning. How ignorant her uncle was to ask for such an unrealistic favor!


    "Carla, don''t turn me down so quickly! I know everything. You know the An family''s heir, right? How can I be asking the wrong person? Since I know you have such a strong relationship with him,"


    Hasen smiled. "Besides, if your cousin settles down in JA City, you can take care of each other. After all, you are relatives. It will be a good thing for both of you."


    ''News travels fast, '' thought Carla.


    How did he know of her relationship with Terence even from BH City?


    Her uncle even thought that she could help with his daughter''s college entrance qualification?


    Nonsense!


    It was really ridiculous!


    "Uncle, I will try to help you since you insist. But you shouldn''t believe all the rumors. In fact, I don''t know the An family''s heir very well. We are only casual acquaintances. Besides, what you are asking isn''t going to be an easy task. You will have to first prepare some gifts for me to take to him before I go to meet him."


    Carla''s eyes twinkled wickedly. She didn''t turn him down directly, but she could shrink him back in some other ways.


    However, She didn''t expect that Terence, who was standing behind her had heard the whole conversation.

 Chapter 139 Sending A Gift To Mr. Terence

    "A gift?" Hasen paused and asked.


    "It is only polite to bring a gift. One can never go empty-handed when asking others for a favor. Am I right? Besides, the An family is a powerful family. They are sure to be accustomed to these kind of things. We have to make sure that the gift will be lavish. If we bring something, Mr. Terence might acknowledge our request. If that happens, he might consider helping us. We must bring an expensive gift just to be sure!"


    Carla said with a smile. Then she added, "Uncle, selecting a University is one of the most important thing a person will do in her life. She is your precious daughter. It is only right that you spare no expense to provide her with the best. I am not entirely sure whether I can help or not. However, you can call me whenever you need me. I promise that I will try me best to help you," said Carla.


    Hasen hesitated when he heard about the gift. Moreover, there was a chance that this may not succeed.


    His wife was sitting next to him and she was getting impatient. She snatched the phone from his hand and said, "Carla, aren''t you together with Terence now? From what I''ve heard, you and him are now dating. Based on your relationship, is a gift really necessary?"


    Carla withdrew the phone slightly away from her ear because her aunt was speaking loudly. She then glanced at Sean who was listening carefully in the conversation. She returned the phone to her ear and replied, "My dear aunt, there is an old saying that seeing is believing. Have you seen us together in person?"


    "I heard that Terence was engaged with another woman. But a lot of people are saying that it was over and that you two are together now. Can you give him some pillow talk? Persuade him to help us? Maybe he will agree to help us if you talk to him very sweetly. What do you say, Carla?" her aunt pleaded.


    Carla sneered and said, "Aunt, it is easy for you to say that. When I was in college I heard that even the daughter of our mayor failed to enter the JA College. And only by one point at that. Your daughter failed by ten points. Do you really think it is possible to get her in?


    Now without contributing a single cent, you and my uncle want me to ask the Ans for help. Tell me how to do that?"


    Struck dumb by her sharp words, her aunt thought for a little while and said, "How about this? You cover the cost of the gift for us first then we will pay you back after. We can even give you more money if you managed to help us!"


    "I''m so sorry, Aunt. I do not think that I can do that. I am just a young woman in my twenties. I also need to pay for my brother''s education. How can I possibly buy an expensive gift for you?"


    said Carla. She can''t help but feel offended with her aunt''s words.


    "So Carla, are you saying that you are not willing to help us? Is that what you are implyi


    rried? You can keep on dreaming, big guy!"


    Terence chewed the banana and threw the peel into the trashcan. He cocked his eyebrow and replied to Carla "Don''t forget your words! If I end the engagement, you need to marry me and bear my children! Right? There is no backing out now! You can''t take back what you said."


    Carla walked up to the wine cabinet and poured herself a glass of wine.


    "Do not misinterpret my words and take them out of context," she said.


    The most important thing right now was for them to get married.


    It would mean a lot to her.


    Instead of answering her immediately, Terence just stared at her silently. He was rubbing his chin while contemplating.


    Carla was acting different. She was silent.


    Like an elegant Persian cat, she was looking at the wine glass lazily with her eyes half open.


    She looked sexy and pure at the same time. She was like a beautiful michelia alba that was blooming in a valley. Her black hair covered half of her fair face and her bright eyes blinked beautifully from time to time.


    His head was filled with words that could possibly describe how beautiful she was at that moment but he found it difficult to say them. Her beauty was making him speechless.


    "Carla, I promise that I will marry you.


    No one is more qualified to become my wife than you,"


    Terence said while approaching her. He took the wine glass from her hand and drank from it.


    Carla took the wine glass back and told him, "Thank you, your majesty. I will be eternally grateful to you for your appreciation. I promise to take good care of you as carefully as I can!"


    "Oh, really? How grateful are you? Can you please show me?" said Terence. He was like a bad boy. His dazzling eyes were being filled with tenderness.


    Carla smiled sexily at him. He was now flirting with her hard.


    ''Okay then, Mr. Terence. I will give you what you want.''

 Chapter 140 Why Start What You Cant Finish

    Raising the goblet to her lips, Carla drank the wine to the very last drop.


    She put on an alluring smile and turned to face Terence. Looking him straight in the eyes, she took his hand and brought it slowly up to her mouth. She used his finger to slowly wipe the wine drops from her lips.


    Then, ever so slowly, she licked and sucked his finger. She felt his body react and tense up.


    His dark eyes gazed at her, he could feel a raging fire stirring in the pit of his hard stomach.


    Carla was just having a bit of fun and teased him.


    She got him so fired up that he could barely resist the temptation. This woman could make a scene like a shrew, but she could also seduce Terence like an enchantress.


    Suddenly, Terence grabbed her around the waist and kissed her throat. "And? That''s all?" he said in a low husky voice. "That''s not enough for a grown man like me."


    Carla''s eyelashes fluttered. The look of complete purity returned back to her face. "But¡ªI don''t know anything more than that. I learned that from a movie."


    Terence burst into laughter.


    This woman was a total wild card. He could never predict what she would do next. Right after arousing his desire, she dragged him back into reality with her innocence and purity.


    Forget it. After all, she was still a young girl.


    "All right then. Give me a kiss and I''ll let you go." Terence smiled and bent down a little. "They have set the table. Kiss me and we''ll go downstairs to have dinner."


    Carla stood on her tiptoes. She drew her lips close to Terence''s and just as she was about to kiss his lips, she nibbled his Adam''s apple instead.


    After that trick, she turned and bolted out the door to the elevator.


    When Terence came out of his daze, he chased after her. He found her pulling faces at him from the elevator just before the door closed.


    Terence smiled and touched his throat where she had just nibbled him. A wave of arousal flooded over him once again at her unexpected behavior.


    His Carla wasn''t that innocent any more.


    But, he liked that.


    After dinner, Carla and Sean went for a seaside walk. The beautiful night was lit up by a silvery moonlight and the sky was filled with millions of dazzling stars.


    Terence had joined them shortly afterward.


    With the moonlight highlighting his broad shoulders he walked in between the two of them and held both of their hands. They looked just like a family of three.


    Among the three, Sean had the widest smile on his li


    d, "Women are oversensitive.


    Carla stays with me now and we are always together. Bonnie''s bound to get suspicious. My words may have had some effect but wouldn''t put off all of her doubts."


    Putting his nightgown on, Terence turned to Nathan. "How is the investigation on Bonnie going?"


    Nathan nodded and answered in a serious tone.


    "Bonnie is a careful person. At school, she behaved well and seldom made mistakes. She is always obedient to her parents'' wishes.


    However, at sixteen, she fell in love with a boy. Her family kept it as a secret, but I discovered it.


    Bonnie loved him very much and often would sneak out to meet him. They most likely had sex and because of that, her parents locked her up for a month.


    Back then, it was only a guess. But six months later, the guess was confirmed, because Bonnie went to the hospital for an operation. Well, you know, a restoring operation for young women."


    Nathan paused for a moment and then continued, "I guess it''s probably not a big deal for girls of that age, but for a prominent family like the Huas, it was scandalous.


    The family tried to disguise the fact and that''s why they forced her to have the restoring operation, in fear that peoples would use it against them in the future."


    Terence wasn''t in the least bit surprised by what Nathan told him. He simply tightened the belt and replied, "I see. Find the boy for me, and create a chance meeting for them."


    "Yes, Mr. Terence," responded Nathan.


    "Oh. If he is poverty-stricken, don''t forget to lend him a hand. Otherwise, the noble Miss Bonnie may look down on him."


    With that, he went off to the bathroom.

 Chapter 141 Listen Behind The Wall

    At midnight, Carla felt someone holding her in her sleep. She half opened her eyes and glanced across. Then closed them again and went back to sleep.


    Terence crawled into her bed again, leaving his own luxurious room to be with her.


    It was hard to change the habit.


    She was used to him crawling into her bed at midnight, so she closed her eyes and continued to sleep not arguing with him.


    Terence spooned her pulling her close to his body.


    One hand was under her neck and the other on her waist.


    He slipped his hand under her pajama top. It felt much nicer to feel her silky smooth skin beneath his hand.


    He slept in Carla''s room so often that Nathan soon stopped being concerned about the whereabouts of Terence, as he knew that he was in Carla''s room when he wasn''t in his own.


    The next morning, Terence and Carla took Sean to Ice Kingdom.


    The Ice Kingdom was an underground castle made from real ice. It was said that it took hundreds of workers five years to complete this magnificent piece of art.


    "Carla, Terence. Can I play in the maze?"


    Sean was well rugged up with a heavy down jacket. He pointed to the sign with a picture of a large iced maze.


    "Okay, you can have whatever you want today. Let''s go to the maze." Carla was also wearing a heavy jacket, looked at the sign and began to walk there with Sean holding him by the hand.


    Terence was wearing a dark green down jacket. He followed closely behind.


    Nathan and Rainer were in charge of carrying the bags and protecting them as usual. They followed as well.


    "Carla, you don''t need to hold my hand. I can find the exit by myself faster," . Sean said itching to try on his own. Carla grabbed him so he couldn''t run off.


    "Sean!"


    Carla didn''t feel confident to let him go by himself. She was afraid of losing him since the maze was bigger than she imagined.


    Terence walked over and took Carla''s hand. "It''s okay. Let him go."


    Then, he turned around and said, "Nathan, follow him. Make sure he doesn''t get lost."


    Nathan handed the bags to Rainer and


    om the next room.


    "William, I''m exhausted. Can you, stop and let me go?"


    The voice sounded familiar to Carla.


    If she could hear it more clearly, she could tell who it was.


    " Violet, I thought you wanted more since you held my waist so tight,"


    the man said, out of breath.


    Hearing the two names, Carla was so surprised that she stared wide-eyed. ''Violet?''


    The woman that was screaming and moaning in pleasure next door was her friend, Violet.


    Seeing Carla taken aback, Terence laughed. "Carla, is she your friend?"


    Judging from her surprised look, he was right. His memory always served him right. When Carla came to JA City for the first time, he met her once then.


    Carla nodded. Never did she think that she would be in such an awkward position. To be with her boyfriend while she listened to her friend having sex next door.


    "Let''s go, or I''ll be turned on." Terence sighed ready to go.


    Seeing Carla still sitting on the bed, lost in a trance, Terence leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "Carla, Carla?"


    "What?" Carla came back to her senses hearing Terence call her and got out of the bed.


    Her face was flushed and seemed unnatural.


    "Tell me, what were you thinking about?" asked Terence as he suddenly grabbed her shoulders.


    He was curious why she was blushing like that.


    Where did her little mind wander off too?

 Chapter 142 Tell Me What You Want

    Carla rolled her eyes, pretending not to understand what he said. "Nothing. I wasn''t thinking about anything. Didn''t you want to go? Then let''s go. Hurry!"


    "No, tell me first and then we''ll go," said Terence, as his interest was piqued. He pushed her into a corner beside the ice wardrobe.


    "I''m not telling you. If you want to know, then you''ll have to come inside my mind," said Carla staring at him and humming.


    Terence laughed out and leaned forward with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "Are you sure that you want me to come inside of you?


    Since you''ve invited, how could I say no?"


    He took a step closer to her and wrapped his arms tightly around her pushing his pelvis against hers.


    Carla''s cheeks were still red and now they became even redder. What was he thinking? He misunderstood her words.


    "Terence, don''t be silly. You know what I mean."


    He must have seen the movie episode when Fairy Zixia went into Joker''s body to see his heart. Carla believed he was just playing dumb on purpose.


    Terence smiled deeply and kissed her gently on the lips. "Okay, I''ll stop fooling around. Just tell me what you were thinking about and I promise I''ll let you go."


    Terence wasn''t going to let up. Carla rolled her eyes and mumbled out, "Nothing, I was just wondering what position they were in. I couldn''t understand, so I was just thinking about it¡ª."


    Carla had no experience what so ever. When she heard Violet''s boyfriend mention holding the waist, she was curious about what position it was.


    No sooner had Carla finished when, Terence grabbed her buttocks with two strong hands and hoisted her up onto his waist. She shrieked and instinctively wrapped her legs around him, holding him tightly around the neck like a koala.


    "What are you doing? Terence! You scared me!" shouted Carla as she held him tight.


    Terence replied with a hoarse voice, "You want to know the position, so I''m showing it to you."


    Carla was speechless for a few moments.


    She couldn''t help but look down into his eyes and when she saw the desire in them, she blushed and shifted her eyes away. "Okay, okay, I know now. Let me go."


    Terence didn''t put her down, instead, he walked forward and leaned her back against the wall.


    Then he put his hand behind her head and kissed her lips feverishly like a sweeping storm.


    Even though the kiss took Carla''s breath away, she was still in control of her sen


    grass and then I must have passed out. No one even tried to find me when I was missing. That''s the kind of people they were.


    Somehow, I really don''t know how, William found me and brought me into his villa.


    I was too drunk to do anything, but William said that I seduced him. He said that I took my clothes off and danced in front of him asking him to take care of me.


    Unable to control himself, he laid me down on the floor and had sex with me."


    After Violet finished her dramatic story her head couldn''t have been lower. She felt so ashamed of what she did.


    What made her do that? Being drunk must have turned her into a temptress. Now she had made herself into his pet and had no more freedom.


    Carla couldn''t help laughing after hearing her story.


    It was so Violet. She could be really crazy sometimes.


    "Then what?" asked Carla, still laughing.


    Violet took a bite of the dessert and continued, "Then I became a prisoner in his villa. He takes me to work in the morning and brings me back home in the evening."


    In other words, she was his plaything. As long as he wanted her, he would keep her and have her.


    The afternoon passed very quickly discussing Violet''s love story.


    When the dusk fell, Carla and Violet came out of the club.


    After Violet had left, Carla headed out into the street. She had already called the driver to pick her up, so he shouldn''t be too long.


    "Well, well, well¡ª Miss Ji, isn''t it?"


    Suddenly, two men appeared from out of nowhere and approached her.


    "You are?"


    Carla glanced at them feeling threatened and unconsciously took a step back.

 Chapter 143 The Kidnapping

    It seemed that those two strange-looking men quickly exchanged a cautious glance just so that they confirmed their target.


    Then, they split with each other to cover her either sides, held her arms tightly and forced her to move towards the car that was parked by the side of the road.


    "Who the hell are you people! Let me go! I will..."


    Carla''s attempts to resist the men went in vain. She was forced into the car. Her terrified scream found no helping ears. A man tightly gagged her mouth and threatened,"Shut up if you wish to live!"


    Carla didn''t want to cooperate with them. She defied his threat and kept yelling for help. But a sharp knife being kept on her neck stopped her from doing anything more. She couldn''t do anything but shiver in absolute fright.


    The ice cold metal finally shut her up. She thought, ''What on earth just happened?


    Why would they kidnap me? I didn''t do anything but have a coffee with my friend! I hate this fucking place.


    What the hell is wrong with this city?''


    "Alright! Relax dude! I won''t scream anymore. I promise! Can you tell me what do you want from me? Clearly, I am not a rich girl and I don''t have a rich cousin. What exactly do you want from me?"


    Carla was trying to keep her voice calm and figure out the reason why she was being forced by two strange men.


    A part of her was hoping that they had mistook her for someone else.


    A man with a long beard around his mouth responded to her query promptly,"You are right. We don''t want a penny from you."


    He paused for a moment. He checked her body out and licked his lips. His sinister intention seemed to be very obvious. He continued,"You''re lucky! You showed up right in front of our eyes when we were craving to do something very bad."


    He touched Carla''s face against her will and continued talking,"Don''t worry. We just want to have some fun. We will let you go once you''ve satisfied all of us."


    His words frightened Carla to her bones. JA City was famous for its impressively low crime rate, but Carla appeared to have run out of luck right now. Carla felt sick of all the misfortunate incidents that had occurred to her ever since she step foot in this rotten city. She never took the warnings seriously.


    "Hey guys! I am not dumb. If you sincerely had the intention of eventually letting me go freely, you would at least cover your faces up!"


    Carla was trying to calm herself, but her heart was beating like crazy. ''It is nearly impossible for me to survive from this kidnapping'', she assessed.


    The bearded guy gave her a nasty smile and said,"Don''t be so afraid. We are good guys. We have our own ways to ensure that you keep your mouth shut after we have had our fun. We won''t hurt you as long as you


    iously confused and decided to double check the matter. He took his phone out and made a phone call.


    "Mr. Rainer, have you arranged for any other car to pick up Miss Carla?" asked Wade.


    He was very confused, because he was the one who was responsible for driving Carla around in the city.


    Having received a negative response, Wade was even more confused and dumbfounded. "But she just got into a car with two men."


    He then narrated everything that he witnessed to Rainer.


    Wade didn''t really know what was going on. He held the phone waiting for some instructions regarding his next move. His eyes were staring in the direction that the car drove away. He was intrigued.


    Upon hearing this, Rainer''s forehead wrinkled. He had an ominous feeling about this.


    "What are you talking about? Are you sure that she got into the car with two men and left?" asked Rainer impatiently.


    As the driver of Ans, Wade was very cautious. That was why he made the call to reconfirm. He was absolutely certain of what he saw with his own eyes!


    "Yes, Sir! I am very sure about this. Mr Rainer, you might want to check with Mr Terence. It might be him who sent another car for Miss Carla. If he didn''t, we need to investigate this immediately. JA City has a very low crime rate but it still definitely has a significant number of criminals roaming around," said Wade thoughtfully.


    Wade didn''t feel right about this, but it was hard for him to imagine what exactly Carla was going through at this moment.


    Rainer hung up the phone and rushed into the meeting room.


    Terence was in a meeting with the board. Being interrupted by Rainer didn''t upset him. He knew that it had to be something very important for Rainner to do so.


    Terence rolled his chair back. Rainer stepped in and whispered the situation to his ear.

 Chapter 144 Make Her Drink This

    After Terence heard Rainer''s report, anger gathered in his eyes. He was beside himself full of rage but he still managed to control himself.


    "Dear guests, the meeting today is over. Let''s call it a day and I''ll have my secretary inform you of the next meeting." Terence smiled.


    He was trying hard to retain his composure. Since he was going to be the leader of AJ Group in the future, he would never allow himself to show a hint of panic in public no matter how urgent the situation was.


    He left the meeting room immediately, and strode to the direction of the elevator with a sullen face. "How did it happen? What was the driver doing at that time? Why didn''t he follow the kidnappers?" Terence shouted.


    Rainer and Nathan quickly followed after him.


    "Mr. Terence, Wade is a very experienced driver in the group. If the kidnappers dared to commit the crime in such a public place they must have been extremely cautious. They would have noticed that someone was following them. However, Wade did mark the plate number of the vehicle and texted it to me already,"


    Rainer replied carefully as he wiped the nervous sweat from his brow. He knew that Terence must be very worried for Carla. Rainer was confused as to why someone would dare to kidnap Carla.


    It was obviously done to provoke Terence. Rainer shuddered at the thought of what Terence would do to them when he found out who was behind it all.


    Terence glanced at the phone to check the plate number and threw it to Nathan. "Check this plate! I want to know where that fucking car is! You''ve got five minutes!" he shouted.


    Meanwhile, in a deserted building, a few men gathered.


    A bearded man, by the name of Quintin, asked the man with dark sunglasses, "Boss, why did you change your mind all of a sudden? We don''t have to kill her, right?"


    Once he was instructed to kill Carla, Quintin was unwilling to accept it. He couldn''t bear to kill a beautiful and harmless girl and commit a deadly sin.


    "Quite simple. We have more than one client now, Quintin. This one has offered a much higher price. The first client hired us to rape her and the other¡ª Wants her dead!


    We can make double on this girl. Why would I turn such a good offer down?"


    The man in the dark sunglasses sneered as he took a long drag on his cigarette.


    "Our business is always dangerous and risky. But the money we are going to get from this sweet deal will set us up for life. We would be insane not to do it," said


    ward to get the chair.


    "All right! I''ll give it to you!" Carla shouted as she threw the chair at him with all of her might.


    Immediately she turned around and grasped two of the beer bottles one in each hand. But Jimmy and Ted were closing in on her. She could only hit one of them. She chose one as her target and closed her eyes as she belted him across the head.


    ''One is better than none!'' she thought.


    "Fuck!"


    Ted who was hit cursed out loud as he put his hand to his head. He looked down at his hand and it was covered in blood. Filled with anger and rage he grabbed at her arms.


    Jimmy ripped the bottle from her other hand and they both restrained her, holding her arms painfully hard.


    Ted who was enraged clenched his teeth and grabbed her roughly by the collar, tearing it.


    Carla''s T-shirt ripped open exposing her collarbone. Ted glared at her and was about to pounce when Quintin stopped him.


    "Easy, Ted. Don''t be so rude to the young lady. I suggest we give her a little drink first. After all, this bitch is too feisty. If she fights back, she might hurt us. Make her drink the aphrodisiac and we can do whatever we want."


    For what it was worth, Quintin was trying to make Carla suffer less.


    The boss who had been standing aside picked up one of the bottles of beer from the ground and pulled the cap off with his teeth. He took a small bag of powder from his pocket and poured it all into the beer. He then covered the opening with his thumb and shook it.


    He removed his thumb and passed it to them. Foam poured out of the bottle.


    "Make her drink it! Be quick. We''re running out of time!" he ordered.

 Chapter 145 Let Me Shoot

    Ahern was the name of the one they called the boss. He always wore dark sunglasses.


    He held the beer bottle that was mixed with the aphrodisiac and handed it to Ted who had just been attacked by Carla. Ted grabbed the bottle from his hand and with one hand held Carla''s head back, he poured the beer into her mouth.


    Carla tried to shake her head from side to side and stop the beer mixture from going down her throat.


    She chocked and sputtered and spat the beer out of her mouth.


    "Shit!" cried Ted, who copped a face full of beer from Carla''s mouth. He briefly let go of her to wipe his face with his hand, yelling, "It turns out that you''re a bit of a wild cat. Well, the wilder you are the more fun I''m going to have with you!"


    Ted then grabbed her chin roughly and pushed the bottle in her mouth forcing her to drink the contents from the bottle again.


    Just at that moment, Jimmy came rushing towards them in a panic after he had a look downstairs.


    "What do we do? We''ve been found out. Some vehicles are heading this way! They''re fucking military vehicles!" shouted Jimmy in a frenzy.


    They expected to see police cars. But when they saw the military vehicles they knew that the woman they had been holding hostage must be very important indeed. They were shocked and terrified.


    "Who would have thought this bitch had someone in the military on her side? Just calm down! We''ve still got the hostage here," replied Ahern as he glanced anxiously downstairs.


    "Take her to the roof. If they dare shoot, we will kill her before they reach us,"


    ordered Ahern, with his cruel and cold voice. He seldom did these kinds of jobs anymore. But the promise of a lot of cash made him greedy and he decided to take the risk.


    However, the risk involved might prove to have outweighed the profit in the end. Now things had suddenly become much more complicated and dangerous.


    No wonder the employer banned them from casing the branches in advance. Instead, the employer asked them to wait till they were told to take action.


    It turned out that maybe the employer didn''t want them to sense that someone powerful was on her side. He feared that they would become afraid and refuse to take the job in the end.


    "You two, take her to the roof. Find a good place to hide yourselves! Go quick!" Quintin said to the two gunmen and turned to Ahern.


    Jimmy and Ted quickly grabbed Carla by the arms and dragged her up the stairs.


    "Ahern, what should we do now?" he asked him anxiously.


    Ahern, who had been wearing his sunglasses up until now, slowly took them off. One eye was missing and the other bulged slightly. He looked gruesome.


    No wonder he always wore his sunglasses.


    "Quintin, we have no choice but to sacrifice those two for our safety. There is an exit at the underground garage. Take some explosives with you and detonate the explosives there. Then we can get out of here," Ahern said as he wiped his sunglasses clean. He put them back on and continued, "Listen to me. I''m going upstairs to calm Jim


    k much about it, she knew that there was infighting among the four gunmen. ''In this survival situation, perhaps the boss has already got out of the building, leaving these two behind, '' thought she.


    "Can I say something? Please trust me, okay? I can persuade them to let you go. Or at least, I can persuade them to give you a chance to leave here,"


    Carla said to them.


    She was sure that Terence would listen to her. As long as they guaranteed her safety, it was likely that Terence would give them a chance to leave here.


    However, after she finished talking, Jimmy just shoved the gun harder into her temple and yelled, "You shut up!"


    "Okay, okay, don''t be angry. I will shut up and stay quiet! I was just trying to help you out. Also, I think in a survival situation, your lives are more important than friendship. Don''t you think so?


    Okay, I''ll stop now. Please don''t kill me!"


    Carla put her hands to her mouth and took the chance to move a little closer to the window without them noticing.


    Suddenly, Ted spoke up, "Jimmy, it''s not a good idea to hide and wait here the whole time. Let me make a call to Ahern."


    Ted then took the cell phone and began to dial Ahern''s number.


    But there was no reception in the area so he couldn''t get through.


    That was when Ted began to panic. He kept on trying to dial his number, traipsing in front of the window from time to time.


    Jimmy began to freak out too. He shouted, "Just stop going in front of the window, okay? Don''t you know there are a lot of guns aiming at us right now?"


    "Jimmy, I think there''s something wrong. I can''t get through to Ahern or Quintin and they still haven''t shown up. Are we going to just wait here till they pop us off like sitting ducks?" Ted shouted back. He was becoming stir-crazy with all the waiting.


    Jimmy gritted his teeth and said, "Ted, our brotherhood will last forever. Since we''re not coming out of here alive today, let''s take this woman with us. So we''re not lonely in the underworld. What do you say?"

 Chapter 146 We Cant Die

    Ted had thought that Jimmy would be opposed to his suggestion.


    However, Jimmy replied, "Let''s do what you said, since we''re going to die anyway. But before we die, we take her to hell with us. After all, she caused all of this!" Jimmy felt so indignant.


    What Ted said made sense. Since they wouldn''t see their boss anymore and it was just a matter of time when they would be killed, they might as well kill Carla as revenge.


    Carla almost fainted when she heard what they were going to do.


    She knew that she didn''t stand a chance if the gunmen had decided to give up on their lives.


    They pointed their guns towards Carla simultaneously as if they had done it many times before. Carla backed up toward the window.


    "Ah!! No! Please don''t!"


    Carla screamed and closed her eyes. However, they didn''t stop. She could clearly hear the sound of gunshots and death was whispering in her ear.


    At the same time, she could hear the horrible


    sound of bone cracking and brains splattering.


    She fell to the floor with a ''Thud!''.


    Was this the feeling of dying?


    But why?


    Why could she still hear the sound of the helicopter propeller hovering overhead? The noise was getting louder and louder.


    Why did she still have senses after death? Right, there was someone that she couldn''t let go of.


    It was her little brother Sean. He was only ten years old. He had lost both of his parents and now he would lose his last remaining family, his sister.


    But, surely Terence would take care of Sean for her, right?


    After all, she died because of him.


    ''Do you regret meeting him?'' she asked herself.


    Once she thought about Terence, her heart was full of him.


    No, she didn''t regret it one bit, even though she did die for him.


    If there was a regret it would only have been, her refusal to Terence. She pushed him away time and time again. Now that she had died, she could never be intimate with him. If she had known that her life would end in such a way, she would have made love with Terence before she died.


    So that she could leave without any regret.


    It broke her heart to think that Terence would give his first time to another woman.


    Moreover, she died with two kidnappers. How could she rest in peace after death?


    In addition, she was drugged when she was alive. It was really a torture for her!


    "Carla! Carla! Wake up!


    Don''t scare me, Carla!"


    Terence patted her face anxiously. Why was she still unconscious? Where was she hurt? He had already checked her and there was no wound.


    "Carla!" Terence continued to call her.


    He took his top off and wiped the blood from h


    .


    All of a sudden, Carla''s whole body shuddered. She felt something awakening inside of her and spreading to her limbs until she was engulfed by the hot feeling everywhere.


    "What happened? Do you feel cold?" Terence asked concerned when he felt her trembling. He called out, "Nathan, turn off the air conditioning."


    Nathan obeyed immediately.


    It wasn''t because she felt cold. It was her body''s reaction to the aphrodisiac she was forced to drink that was mixed in the beer. She didn''t feel the effects of the drug early, because she felt too anxious being in a life or death situation and the adrenaline took over.


    But now that everything had quieted down and she was relaxed in Terence''s arms, the drug was starting to slowly take over her sanity.


    One of Carla''s hands snaked up Terence''s shirt and was caressing his broad chest. Then she lifted her head and started kissing his neck, mumbling in a trembling voice, "Terence, do you want me?


    I want you right here, right now!"


    Terence furrowed his brows and looked down at her in shock. He put his palm on her forehead and could feel that she was burning up. "Carla, have you been drugged?"


    Carla didn''t reply but brushed his hand away from her forehead impatiently. She twisted in his arms and forced him to lie down and climbed on top of him, straddling his body. Leaning down she covered his lips with her own, kissing him passionately and slipping her tongue into his mouth.


    Her hands fumbled urgently to unbutton his shirt, but she failed because she was trembling so much. The fire inside of her burned hot making her feel uncomfortable and desperate for release. She pulled harder on Terence''s shirt, ripping it open.


    "Nathan, pull over!"


    Terence commanded.

 Chapter 147 I Want More

    Nathan found a secret spot shortly after and parked the car. He stood three meters away, guarding the vehicle.


    He instructed the guards to park their cars even further away.


    Inside the car, it was already a battle field.


    Carla was in such a rush that she didn''t even give Terence the chance to gain the upper hand. She unbuttoned the rest of his shirt and ripped it apart exposing his hard abs.


    She couldn''t wait anymore. For the past several months, everything that she had ever felt and wanted to do with Terence, but kept suppressed inside of her had just been heightened to the brink of boiling point thanks to the drug.


    Now Carla was nearly aggressive with her passion and longing, like a dominant queen wanting to be in charge.


    "Carla, let''s change positions,"


    Terence said in a husky voice. He grabbed her waist and wanted to put her beneath him.


    "Don''t move!"


    Carla pushed him back.


    Outside, under the street lamp


    Nathan frowned. He could make out what was going on since he wasn''t standing that far away from the vehicle.


    Although he couldn''t hear what was going on, he was surprised that Terence wasn''t taking control because he could clearly see who was on top.


    It seemed to Nathan a bit of a failure for a man''s first time that a woman was taking charge.


    The windows began to fog up from all the heavy breathing that was going on inside and the vehicle began to rock.


    "Terence, are you okay?" she asked breathlessly as she rested her head on his shoulder.


    "I want more..." moaned Carla.


    As Terence''s self-esteem as a man was trodden on, he smiled wryly in silence. He flipped Carla over pressing her beneath him and


    regaining full control of the situation.


    Terence moved his hips as though he had done this many times before. Natural instinct had kicked in and raw passion had driven him.


    As the night grew darker, what was happening inside the vehicle seemed like fireworks blossoming against the dark night sky, enticing yet dangerous.


    When Carla had finally woken up the next day it was late morning and the sun was already high up in the sky.


    She looked around the room and found that she was in Terence''s Seaview Villa, in his bed to be more precise.


    Carla also found herself to be dressed in a clean pajama. Her body was clean and she could even smell a lovely fragrance on her.


    Carla closed her eyes and


    got a flashback of what had happened the night before. It was a living nightmare.


    Although it all seemed surreal now, Carla knew that it all happened. She could see everything crystal clear in her mind.


    Narrowly


    they had didn''t matter anymore.


    The boss sent the bearded guy, who was the dumbest one, to the underground garage to make an exit by setting up an explosion. Little did he know that the boss only used him as a decoy. He meant to use him as a distraction only. That way the boss could make an escape for himself."


    Carla was astonished at how ruthless and calculating the boss was. She grabbed Terence''s hand and asked, "So why didn''t the bearded one manage to escape as well when he exploded the underground garage wall?" asked Carla.


    "There was no chance of that happening. The building hadn''t been finished yet. There was no exit. It was just a lie that the boss had made up. He didn''t even put a crack in the wall. Even if he did manage to detonate all of the explosives, there would still be no chance of an escape. It was a thick rock-solid wall,"


    explained Terence patiently.


    Yesterday when Carla''s life was left hanging in the balance, he expected her to make a scene and break up with him once she had regained consciousness. Especially since what she had been through was practically all his fault.


    Even before he entered the room, Terence was already wondering how he would begin to apologize to her and ask for her forgiveness.


    But seeing her now, all of his worries were gone. The scene that he was expecting, never eventuated.


    "Carla, if you feel anger inside yourself, don''t hold it in. Take it out on me. I deserve it all," said Terence sincerely as he gazed at her with his beautiful dark eyes. He gently caressed her cheek. "You can do whatever you feel that you need to do."


    Carla looked up at him and lifted her eyebrows mischievously. With sparkling eyes she said, "All right, do you promise?"

 Chapter 148 He Was Her Humble Servant

    Terence frowned and put on a comforting smile. He held her hands firmly and added, "I''m willing to do anything for you, but on one condition, you have to promise me that you will never leave me."


    "Okay. Are you sure there''s nothing else?" Carla asked impatiently.


    "No," Terence shook his head with certainty.


    "You have my word then," Carla''s beautiful eyes twinkled as she reassured him. "As you''ve said, everything that happened yesterday was merely a nightmare. I''ll forget it. We won''t talk about it any more."


    Taken aback by her words, he paused for a moment.


    Terence raised his brows into a furrow as he inquired, "Everything?"


    "Of course. Don''t worry about me. I have nerves of steel. Moreover, I''m fine now, and I''ll be careful in the future," Carla shrugged casually. She touched her empty belly as she started to feel hungry.


    As his girlfriend, she had prepared herself for whatever consequences that would befall in the future. As long as Sean was safe, she wouldn''t mind at all.


    Terence gazed at her cautiously. He picked up the phone and ordered the servants to bring in the food.


    Carla''s stomach was letting out a weird noise. She was so hungry that she felt as if she could eat a horse right then. She grabbed the bowl and gulped it down instantly. She belched with a contented smile on her face and took a sip of the orange juice.


    "I''ll go for a nap in my room."


    Having eaten her fill, Carla stretched herself and trotted to her own room.


    Terence blinked and raised his eyebrow. Something didn''t feel right.


    He snapped his fingers at the servants gesturing at them to clear up the table. He then followed her spontaneously.


    "Carla?" "Carla!"


    Carla had just gotten back to her room. Hearing his voice, she opened the door and peeped out at him.


    "Yes?"


    Terence squinted his eyes and smiled at Carla, who was as vigilant as before, "Carla, open the door and let me in."


    Now that she had given herself totally, and his happy days had finally come, how could she pretend as if nothing had happened earlier?


    No man liked to let go of that good feeling once he had tasted it.


    She couldn''t forget it. She just couldn''t. He wouldn''t allow that.


    "So? What do you want?" Carla stared at him, confused and nervous. She left the door ajar and stepped aside¡ªsince she wouldn''t be able to stop him if he insisted on coming in.


    Terence walked into the room and shut the door. He strode forward and wrapped his arm


    In anyone else''s eyes, Terence was the noble, handsome and well-bred young master of the An Family. As long as¡ª


    As long as¡ª Miss Carla was not by his side.


    "Mr. Terence, the head of the gang was caught and we confiscated his cell phone. There were two people in his contact list." Rainer showed him the data stored in the laptop.


    "One of them disguised her voice whenever she contacted him."


    Rainer played the audio and said, "We restored the voice and narrowed down the line of potential suspects. And after using the positioning system, we are sure that it was Miss Bonnie.


    But Miss Bonnie''s plan was to ruin Miss Carla''s integrity but not to kill her. Maybe Miss Bonnie''s intention was to disgrace Miss Carla, so that Miss Carla would be so ashamed and disgusted on herself that she would choose to leave you voluntarily,"


    summarized Rainer.


    Terence smiled drily and leaned back in his chair. He skimmed through the information and grasped the gist of it, "And who''s the other person in his contact list?"


    Nathan explained, "Mr. Terence, this man is deeply hidden. We tracked down on every clue we had and found an ordinary man. He was only working for someone else who he didn''t know."


    Terence glanced at him, apparently unsatisfied with his answer.


    Even if there was no clear evidence, he wanted them to render him a possible suspect.


    Nathan lowered his head and added, "But I think he may well be a member of the Hua family, since Noah had also attacked Miss Carla in BH city.


    We were thinking, Mr. Terence, maybe we could no longer keep Miss Carla''s real identity a secret, since it has been known by many."

 Chapter 149 Bonnie Stayed (Part One)

    Nathan uttered not a single word after saying that.


    He just took a wild guess based on the conversation he had with Bryant, nothing but speculations.


    This caused Terence to give him a cold stare. Pausing for a brief moment, Terence replied, "You''re wrong. It couldn''t be Noah. I think it was his two brothers."


    Noah wasn''t the kind of guy who would be stupid enough to do something like that.


    And even if Noah, for some reason, were to really commit a crime, for sure, he would plan it so perfectly that no one would be able to find a trace.


    All Bonnie wanted to do was to get Carla as far away from Terence as possible out of her intense jealousy. It was not like she wanted to physically hurt her. But that mysterious person seemed to have truly wished for Carla to die.


    "Let''s take this one step at a time. The state of affairs with the Hua family is getting rather complicated. So, we have to make sure we do this slowly but surely," Terence remarked, letting out a lengthy sigh. Looking around the room, he noticed that there was a pack of cigarettes just lying on the table. He then reached out his hand to take it since he was beginning to get pretty stressed and uneasy now.


    However, the second he grabbed it, he simply decided to put it down immediately.


    Knowing full well that Carla didn''t like the smell of cigarettes, he didn''t want to risk displeasing her when they saw each other again later.


    "But we need to put an end to this. I can''t take my engagement with Bonnie any longer. I can''t bear to watch Carla suffer because of it," Terence said to himself as he repeatedly tapped the table with his fingers, still deep in thought. At least, he should find a way to get rid of other people''s notion of him having a fiancee.


    If he just let things stay the way they were and continued being with Carla


    e. As she was about to go upstairs back to her room, Bonnie stopped her in her tracks and abruptly called her, "Carla! Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"


    With her face seeming so distressed, Bonnie took Carla''s hand and exclaimed, "You know what? I was worried sick! The news circulated all throughout the city and it even caused unrest to a lot of people. I came here immediately as soon as I heard about it.


    I didn''t want to disturb you because you were sleeping the moment I got here. How are you feeling now? I can''t begin to imagine the stress that you must''ve been in. Are you all right?"


    If Carla didn''t know better, she would have been fooled by the concerned look on Bonnie''s face, but the manic glint in her eyes easily gave her away. It was as if they were telling her, "You must have been freaked out and scared to death. Damn right, you should be! Going through something like that should be more than enough to teach you a lesson." However, the words she said was clearly far from what she truly felt. It was amazing how she could act like that in front of Carla.


    She feigned her concern and acted as if her tears had really been shed for Carla when they both knew full well that wasn''t the case.

 Chapter 150 Bonnie Stayed (Part Two)

    "I''m feeling much better now. It was indeed a really perilous situation, but Terence arrived just in time to save my life. I''m fine now and it''s all thanks to him. I''m grateful that you''re concerned about me, Miss Bonnie! I really appreciate it,"


    Carla politely responded just as well.


    Terence''s eyes were totally fixated on Carla from the second she came downstairs.


    She looked tremendously cute and beautiful wearing that beige dress. The falbala was barely enough to cover her thighs, and


    every time she moved, he would catch a glimpse of her delicate legs. They were exceptionally long and alluring that he had to hopelessly control his urge to strip her clothes off.


    Letting out a lengthy sigh of relief upon hearing her answer, Bonnie then turned around and looked at Terence.


    He had to shift his gaze away from Carla. In the past, he had never really been the kind of man who was fascinated with the concept of sex. But after everything that happened yesterday, he had been having a hard time trying to hold back his impulse to get his hands all over that lush body of Carla every time he saw her.


    Who could blame him though? After all, yesterday had actually been his very first time!


    "Terence! I''ve asked you a couple of times before to allow me to stay with Carla here. If only I had been there with her, she would have had someone to talk to and wouldn''t have felt so bored and gone out to find something to do. In that situation, there''s no chance for her to have been abducted by those gangsters!


    In any case, it could have been much, much worse. So, this time you have to listen to what I have to say. After all the horrible things that Carla had been through, we can''t just let her stay alone in here any longer. I have to be by her side!"


    Bonnie grabbed and shook Terence''s arm, trying


    e first.


    When the time came that Terence found out about all of the things she had done, it would be too late for her and she wouldn''t be able to do anything about it.


    Bonnie knew without a single doubt that time was ticking on her.


    Terence scoffed as he stared at her standing there with quite a resolute face.


    "All right, go ahead. Do as you wish. I have plenty of vacant rooms here anyway," he replied flatly.


    As soon as Terence left the kitchen, Bonnie could finally breathe much more clearly again. In spite of everything, at the very least, she managed to persuade him to let her stay.


    In her heart, she believed there was still some hope left for as long as she could stay close to Terence.


    She just couldn''t bear to leave Carla and Terence alone to themselves at any cost. There was no telling what could happen if she let them freely live together under that same roof. If Terence got to know her just a little bit more, there was a possibility¡ªno matter how small¡ªthat he might also fall for Bonnie. A lot of things were uncertain, but all she could do now was to try to do everything within her power.


    At the end of the day, everyone knew that she was still Terence''s real fianc¨¦e!

 Chapter 151 Terence Is Self-Reflecting

    It was time to have dinner. Carla just had some yogurt and bread. She was still hungry, but she didn''t want to have dinner with Bonnie.


    Not only Carla but Sean, her little brother, also refused to go downstairs to have dinner with Bonnie after school.


    They didn''t like Bonnie and didn''t want to see her. Instead of having dinner with her, they would rather stay in the bedroom and go hungry.


    After a while, Carla knew that Sean was really hungry, so she decided to go out for some food. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.


    When Carla opened the door, Rainer came in wheeling a serving table full of food. "Miss Carla, Sean, I guess you two must be hungry. Mr. Terence cooked these dishes for you. Come, help yourselves."


    Sean breathed in the delicious aroma and his stomach grumbled. "Wow, it''s so nice of Terence to cook for us. We haven''t enjoyed his delicious cooked meals for a while now. I can''t wait to dig in."


    Rainer was busy setting the table. He smiled and said, "Mr. Terence learned to cook from Mrs. Dany, his aunt. Mrs. Dany is a great chef and the owner of a five-star restaurant. She has restaurant branches all around the world. Her restaurants serve both Chinese and Western foods, which have gained popularity. Come and eat while it''s warm."


    "Really? No wonder Terence is a great chef, too! It turns out that he was blessed with the guidance of a great teacher," Sean said as he started eating with chopsticks.


    Carla looked at all the food. They were all her favorite dishes and there was a dish of crayfish which was Sean''s favorite.


    "Does Bonnie stay here now?" Carla asked as she sat down and picked up the chopsticks.


    Rainer signed and nodded.


    "She has a room on the second floor. Try not to be angry, Miss Carla. Their engagement will be broken off soon. Mr. Terence only cares for you. He won''t let you down."


    Carla tasted one of the delicacies and asked, "What about Terence? I guess he hasn''t had dinner either. Why doesn''t he come here to eat with us?"


    Rainer smiled. "Well, Mr. Terence is self-reflecting."


    "What? Has he done anything wrong?" Carla asked with the chopsticks in her mouth.


    Rainer didn''t give anything away, instead, he just smiled and said, "Well, if you''re curious, please go and see for yourself after dinner."


    Carla savored the delicious food. She had it when Terence was living with them in BH City and he would always cook. Carla missed the old days and pondered for a moment about what it used to be like back then.


    After dinner, Carla asked Sean to go


    was surprised, and proud of her. On one hand, he hoped that she could rely on him and ask him for help anytime she got into trouble. On the other hand, he hoped that she could be more mature and independent so that she could get out of trouble herself.


    "Come on! Don''t give me that look. You''re not my dad,"


    Carla complained. Terence looked at her the same way a father would look at his dearest daughter.


    She put her arms around his waist and smelt his clean fresh skin and alluring cologne. Then she boldly opened his bathrobe and had a look at his manhood. "You had a shower, right? Did you scrub it well?"


    Terence was a little surprised by her brash action. His eyes burned with passion. He would take her on the spot if he could. But he kissed her instead. "Would you like to check it yourself?" he teased after a long passionate kiss.


    She smiled and ran her hands down his hard sculptured torso. "All right, we can have some fun tonight. But first, you must deal with the woman in your room.


    I don''t care if she is your fiancee or not. She is lusting after you. But she will never have you. Keep it in your mind. You are mine!"


    Her voice sounded powerful and threatening. Terence stared at her affectionately. "I will speak to her and ask her to leave. I promise. I won''t let myself be taken advantage of by any other woman, except for you."


    Terence, couldn''t be more thrilled at the thought of what they would do tonight.


    Last night was the first time for both of them. But Terence was already obsessed with Carla''s seduction. He couldn''t wait to strip her naked again.


    And he would comply with all of her requests unconditionally. He would do everything for her.

 Chapter 152 Carla, Help Me

    Even Carla was surprised at Terence''s efficiency. It just took him an hour and


    she saw Bonnie leave the Seaview Villa in a hurry.


    As for the reason behind why she left in such a hurry, well, it could be anyone''s guess. But whatever the reason was, Terence had obviously been very persuasive about it.


    After Terence made sure that Bonnie had left the villa, he couldn''t wait to go to Carla''s bedroom.


    "Carla, let''s spend the night here in your room. My bedroom is currently undergoing an extra thorough cleaning,"


    said Terence. Bonnie had laid in his bed and been in his bedroom. Terence was afraid that Carla would mind. So he ordered the servants to change the bed sheets and wash the carpet. And decontaminate the whole bedroom thoroughly. So while they were doing that, he thought it was best to stay in her bedroom with her.


    Terence held her in his arms while he buried his head into her neck and began to kiss her hungrily.


    "Well, Terence, I''m sorry that¡ª" Carla murmured, pushing Terence slightly away.


    Terence frowned as he looked at her. "Carla, have you changed your mind?


    Not a chance! It''s too late for that!"


    He heaved her over his shoulder without giving her a chance to argue with him. Then he walked over to the bed and put her down on it. With one fluid movement, he lifted her top over her head, exposing her milky white breasts. As he kissed her lips, one hand was caressed her breast circling the nipple with his thumb.


    "Well, I''m not¡ª" Carla tried to explain again.


    But he didn''t give her a chance to say anything. Terence was so swept away in the moment of passion. When Carla had opened her mouth to try and tell him again, he put his tongue in her mouth and circled his tongue around hers, exploring her mouth with his tongue. He nibbled and licked her lips with his.


    After a while, Terence noticed that Carla wasn''t responding and he finally stopped to look at her and asked, "Do you¡ª have your period?"


    Carla nodded and blinked up at him. "I tried to tell you, but you didn''t give me the chance. I''m supposed to get it in two days. I don''t know why I got it earlier. Maybe it''s because of all the stress from the last few days, or maybe it''s from the drug the gunmen made me drink is to blame."


    She didn''t notice that she had her period until she went to the bathroom just a few minutes ago.


    It was normal for girls to have their period a few days earlier or later.


    Terence felt crestfallen. He ran his hands through his thick black hair and breathed in deeply to calm his racing heart. ''Fate has a way of circling back on me. We spent a wonderful night making love last night, and I was looking forward to more tonight. How could she get her period today?'' he thought frustrated.


    "Could we¡ª still make love when you have your period?" questioned Terence, who was reluctant to accept the bad news.


    He was really tu


    that she was afraid she might have lost her ability to work once she returned to BH City.


    Carla couldn''t help pulling open one of the drawers in Terence''s desk and rifling through the items inside it. But a moment later, she shut the drawer.


    She thought, ''Well, I''d better stop now.


    I will feel very embarrassed if I find something that Terence doesn''t want anybody to see. In that case, he may get angry at me.''


    "Then I think it should be okay to watch a movie,"


    murmured Carla as she turned on Terence''s computer.


    While the computer started up, Carla went to make herself a cup of coffee.


    When she returned to the computer, she saw an unread email.


    Carla tapped her finger anxiously on the desk. She wanted to click on the email but also knew that it was very inappropriate to do so. But she couldn''t fight off the curiosity.


    She struggled to resist the temptation.


    But in the end, the curiosity got the better of her, and she clicked on it.


    Password?


    Once she had clicked on the email, a password box popped up. She remembered the password to the tablet and quickly typed it in. But she soon found it to be wrong.


    ''Well, Terence, did you create the password to prevent me from seeing the secrets in your computer?'' thought Carla.


    She raised her beautiful eyebrows and smiled. "Terence, congratulations! You have successfully aroused my curiosity."


    She tried typing in her birth date, but it wasn''t correct. Then she tried Terence''s, but that wasn''t right either. A moment later she wrote down both of their birth dates on a piece of paper and rearranged the numbers. Then tried punching in those numbers.


    The computer made a ''ping'' sound. She had finally unlocked Terence''s computer.


    After it was opened Carla burst into laughter. ''Terence, you underestimated me!'' she thought.


    She then clicked on the email again, and it opened.


    "Oh, what''s that?" whispered Carla.

 Chapter 153 How Long Will You Like Me

    ''What the heck¡ªWhat is this?'' thought Carla.


    Carla looked at the jumbled words on the screen. Nothing made sense. The characters were all garbled. ''What could it mean?'' she frowned displeased and closed the window. ''Was the email a virus?''


    The thought crossed her mind that the message could be in some code. Either way, she was disappointed about not being able to read the email.


    ''What a shame!''


    Carla accepted that she wasn''t going to be able to read the email and cast it aside. She decided to watch a film as she had initially planned.


    It was a thriller. Carla went to get some snacks and then continued watching the film. Halfway through the movie, Carla could feel the building tension and fear within herself due to the film''s plot. With her eyes wide open and glued to the screen, she absentmindedly chewed on a snack as she watched the exciting scene unfold before her. All of a sudden, a window popped up on the computer screen.


    "Arhh¡ª" Carla shrieked.


    With the added tension and suspense from the movie, Carla jumped and instinctively pushed back hard on the chair. The chair overbalanced, and she landed on the floor.


    As she lay on the floor rubbing her head, she heard a voice coming from the computer.


    "Terence? Err¡ªWhere are you?"


    Bryant''s face popped up in the little window on the screen. He frowned because he saw that Terence was online. However, he was nowhere to be seen. He wanted to report what was happening with the investigation.


    Bryant peered into the screen trying to spot Terence


    and then he saw a chair appear in view, but still no sight of Terence.


    "Terence, where are you?" Assuming that Terence was somewhere in the room, Bryant began with the report. "The things that you asked me to investigate are almost done. The Hua''s sons, York and Tristan, are not ordinary rivals.


    They won''t be easy to deal with, let alone their brother, Noah. Now he''s a real crafty one! Terence, it''s going to be really tough for you to remove all of the obstacles for your future wife."


    Carla, who was still on the floor, listened in shock.


    ''What''s he talking about?


    Why is he talking about the Hua family?


    I''ve got nothing to do with the Hua''s. Then who was Terence''s future wife that he is referring to?'' thought Carla. Her mind was running at a million miles an hour.


    "Terence, why are you hiding it from everyone? I know that you want to marry the daughter of the Hua family. So why don''t you tell anyone? You''re just making things complicated, and people misunderstand you because of that."


    Suddenly the chair toppled over again.


    Bryant stared at the screen in surprise and with a frown on his face. He was wondering what the heck was going on. He could see that Terence was online, and one mo


    for her?" Sophie explained nervously. She could see the angry look on Terence''s face.


    Terence didn''t say anything. He just clenched his teeth and strode out to the parking lot.


    Still dressed in his business suit, Terence sped out of the parking lot shortly afterward on an off-road motorbike.


    Terence accelerated the motorbike at full throttle as he searched for any trace of Carla along the beach.


    Finally, he saw a small figure curled up on the bank in the distance.


    It reminded him of a lonely and helpless little kitten.


    The serene sound of waves lapping up at the shoreline was interrupted by the thunderous roar of a motorbike. Carla looked up and saw a man with a black helmet on a black motorcycle heading her way.


    She felt intimidated by the sight, and there was nowhere for her to run or hide.


    Suddenly she felt regret for staying out so late on her own. She held her breath as she watched


    the motorbike stop in front of her.


    When the man removed the helmet and strode up to her, she was relieved to find that it was Terence. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly.


    "Carla, why did you come out here alone? You didn''t even take your cell phone with you! I was worried half to death when I couldn''t find you!"


    Carla smiled gently and said, "It''s not my fault. I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the sunset and forgot the time. Look, isn''t it beautiful?"


    Terence breathed a sigh of relief. He had thought that she might have been unhappy for some reason. He caressed her silky hair and said, "It is. But the next time when you want to see the sunset, tell me, and I''ll come with you. We can watch it together."


    Carla didn''t reply. She hugged him tightly and placed her cheek on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. After a while, she asked, "Terence¡ª How long will you like me for?"

 Chapter 154 Carlas Worry

    Carla asked him because she thought that affection came fast and went fast.


    Even couples that had been married for years couldn''t guarantee that their marriage would last a lifetime, let alone the love she and Terence had. How long could it last?


    "Why are you asking me a question like that all of a sudden? Tell me, are you worrying about something brought on by your own imagination again?"


    Terence lowered his head so he could look her in the eyes and smiled. He tapped her nose affectionately.


    "Carla, I think verbal promises don''t mean anything in a relationship. They only sound beautiful. I prefer to prove my affection to you with action. I''ll show you how long I will like you for."


    Carla leaned against him and looked out at the vast sea. She then said, "But I would like to hear the beautiful words from you now. Say them to me, please."


    Terence put his arm around her shoulders as he looked out into the distance. He sighed, "Carla, I don''t know what I did to have made you doubt my feelings for you.


    Anyone who knows me would know that I don''t make a promise so easily. You are indeed the first girl that I have fallen head over heels for and spent so much time and effort to pursue. You will also be the last. If I could, I would show you my heart."


    Terence then turned to look her in the eyes. "One more thing. My feelings for you are not that of ''like''. It''s love.


    I love you, Carla Ji! And the next time you want to ask that question again, do remember to ask me how long I will love you for, won''t you?"


    He lifted her chin and gently ran his thumb across her lips.


    Carla''s eyes were full of tears because of the heartfelt confession that he made. She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck.


    "Terence, I know the road ahead of us will be very difficult. But I will try my best to put my full trust in you and overcome the challenges with you, hand in hand. So please, don''t ever break my trust, okay?"


    What she heard today from the man on the computer rocked her very foundation of trust.


    But she still chose to believe Terence, because the words didn''t come from his mouth. She refused to allow someone else''s random words change her mind.


    "Of course! Your trust is so precious to me. How could I possibly break it?" Terence smiled and kissed her tenderly. Then he helped her up,


    e grief that she felt. Her whole world just shattered before her very eyes. His words played over in her mind.


    "I will marry the daughter of the Hua family without any doubt."


    If he was already planning on marrying Bonnie all along, then what was Carla to him? An interim?


    Terence had said that she was the first one he fell head over heels for and that he loved her.


    However, no matter how much he loved her, he was still going to give her up, because he was obliged to marry the daughter of the Hua family.


    If that was the case, then Terence didn''t lie to her at all. He did love her from the heart, but he didn''t have a say in their future.


    The thought of this possibility made Carla feel a little better, even though she was still deeply hurt because of their doomed future.


    Carla stood up and washed away her tears. She took a deep breath. ''It''s just a relationship. At least I also gain happiness and love in it, right?'' she comforted herself.


    Terence treated Bonnie coldly because of his love for Carla. She also heard from Rainer that Terence might cancel his engagement to Bonnie because of the kidnapping.


    She couldn''t help but worry for Terence. How could he manage to fix and strengthen the relationship with the Hua family, if he provoked them with something like that?


    While she was thinking and calming herself down in the bathroom, she didn''t realize that she had been in there for a while. There was a knock on the door all of a sudden.


    "Carla? You haven''t finished showering? Are you all right?" Terence asked.

 Chapter 155 Not Letting You Bargain On This One

    Terence stood outside, listening by the bathroom door. He felt there was something fishy going on. Carla didn''t usually make him wait like this.


    "D-Don''t worry! I''ll be finished soon!" Carla replied with panic present in her voice. After washing herself roughly, she went outside and her eyes met Terence''s worried ones.


    "Carla, can you tell me what''s wrong?"


    he asked, frowning. Something was indeed fishy today. She wasn''t acting like herself.


    Carla was drying her hair with a towel. "There''s nothing wrong. I''m fine. If I am not feeling energetic today, it''s because I am not used of not working. I am usually busy with work and frequently work overtime."


    Terence couldn''t help but grin. "You should know that you now are my woman. I would rather have you not do anything than work yourself to death like a horse.


    If money is your concern, I can make more than enough. The only thing you need to do is to love me and enjoy life with me. Get used to it!"


    Then he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, leading both of them into the bedroom.


    Carla gave a moonlit smile, leaning her head on his shoulder. "What if I couldn''t get used to it, hm?"


    Terence answered, "Well, I don''t think you''ll really get used to it. After all, you still get a lot of work to do. Once you have wedded into the An family, there are many tasks waiting for you. The An family is huge and many domestic affairs will be entrusted to you."


    Terence took the towel from her hair and dried her hair with it carefully and gently.


    As An family''s future hostess, Carla would have to deal with a lot of things. They might be in the clan itself or their own family.


    Even if her responsibility sounded big on her shoulders, he would be there for her and make sure she didn''t carry the burden all by herself.


    Carla sat down on the sofa, chewing on her lower lip. Wasn''t he going to her the truth?


    Would she be able to marry him? Would she be able to share the responsibilities for him?


    In marriage, love and responsibilities would go hand in hand. Was she even qualified to take on those responsibilities? Many questions rang in Carla''s head.


    Terence used the hairdryer on her hair, snapping her out of her thoughts. His dark eyes were filled with concern. "Carla, seriously. What


    "So yours will be over in two days, if I recall correctly," he added.


    "Hmph!" Carla grunted and fell asleep.


    Terence sighed and gave a peck on her lips softly. He suppressed his urges and only closed his eyes.


    The next morning, Terence woke up early and decided to make breakfast for her. He knew that she loved porridge so he cooked it for her.


    Terence called out, "Carla, you better have breakfast now. I have something to show you later."


    It was already 9 AM when he called her.


    She stretched up lazily as she yawned. Then she quickly sat on the bed.


    "Something to show me? What is it?" She asked curiously.


    She drank a cup of water and took a sip of the porridge. She smiled happily. It was very delicious.


    Terence replied, "You''ll find out once we get there. It''s a surprise."


    Bonnie had done such an evil thing to Carla. How could he just let it go so easily?


    Not to mention, besides Bonnie, there was the other group in Hua family that wanted to harm Carla. Before he found out the other group, he would just pin them all onto Bonnie first. As for the other group, they wouldn''t be able to survive for long.


    Terence was certain that after today''s show, he would be calling off the engagement to Bonnie.


    Carla savored the porridge happily and gazed at Terence''s serious face. She couldn''t help but ponder on what he was thinking. Then she only shrugged and took her last spoonful of porridge.


    Once breakfast was finished, they both prepared themselves to leave home together.

 Chapter 156 Bonnies First Love

    Terence took her to a relatively remote club.


    At first, Carla had no idea what he was up to. The spot they were in was secluded but had a great view. So Carla began to work out what it was all about.


    Soon, Bonnie appeared.


    Apparently, Bonnie was waiting for someone. She took her mirror out to fix her make-up and looked around anxiously.


    "Are you sure she''s not waiting for you?" Carla whispered, looking at Terence.


    Who could she be waiting for if not her fiance Terence?


    "Just wait and see," replied Terence. He put his arm around her waist and asked her to be patient.


    Soon, a man appeared. Carla''s eyes glittered at the sight of this handsome man.


    Terence leaned into her ear and whispered, "Do you know what a refined rascal is? You''ll see later."


    Carla was impressed with the image of the man that had come to meet with Bonnie. But the thoughts were immediately snuffed out after what Terence had said.


    Seeing him coming, Bonnie seemed nervous and said, "You''re here."


    He was tall and lean and dressed in smart clothes. As he approached Bonnie he looked at her from head to toe and said with a smile, "Bonnie, it''s been a long time. You haven''t changed a bit. You look exactly the same as when we were in college."


    It''s hard to forget one''s first love.


    People would sometimes find themselves reminiscing of the years of their youth.


    Bonnie, looked at the tall, handsome man standing in front of her in a trance. Seeing him again, the memories flooded her with nostalgia.


    "Please have a seat," said Bonnie as she heaved out a deep breath. She gazed at him across the table. "Yves, we haven''t seen each other for almost seven years, right?"


    Yves nodded. There was a hint of maturity and wisdom on his young face. Other than that, he was exactly the same Yves, that she had fallen in love with all those years ago.


    "Yes, I''ve been abroad for years and seldom come home. I barely have any contact with any of my former classmates," said Yves while he called the waiter over to order a bottle of red wine and several western-style dishes.


    Hiding in the corner, Carla watched the two and then looked back at Terence and asked in a low voice, "She is your fiancee. Do you feel jealous that she''s meeting another man?"


    Terence raised an eyebrow at her and pinched her nose jokingly.


    "Unless the woman sitting there is you, I''m not jealous of anybody," replied Terence.


    Then, he lightly flicked her on the forehead, feeling annoyed at her que


    Carla, biting her lip.


    Although Carla couldn''t really bring herself to forgive Bonnie for what she had done, she actually understood why she did it.


    Terence was her fiancee, but he was having a relationship with Carla. So Bonnie acted out of jealousy and did the wrong thing. It was understandable.


    She was also a victim.


    Terence''s angry glare pierced through her like a sharp dagger. He grabbed her hand and squeezed tight and said, "What did you mean? That I''m wrong? That I went too far?


    The engagement was just her long-planned conspiracy. I''ve sacrificed a lot by agreeing to it. But she puts you and Sean in harm''s way time and time again.


    And you think that I went too far? Carla, what are you thinking? I am doing all of this for you!"


    Terence was truly peeved. He let go of her hand.


    He thought that Carla was a reasonable woman and understood all of his efforts. But now it seemed that she didn''t.


    He had done so much for her and yet she could say something like that. Her words had cut him to the bone.


    Carla lowered her head and said nothing. She squeezed her fists so tight that her fingernails made a deep dent into the flesh of her palms.


    "Carla, you know that I love you. But that doesn''t mean that you can always doubt me and treat me like that," said Terence with a bitter smile. He was heartbroken. He opened himself up to her and always told her the truth about how he felt.


    But she never really accepted him.


    "Since you''re not in the mood, you should go home. I''ll get the chauffeur to take you back,"


    said Terence frowning at her. Then he stood up and strode out the door without looking back at her.

 Chapter 157 Silent Treatment (Part One)

    Terence turned around and walked out without a single word. Carla was left in a state of stupefaction, and she couldn''t believe what just happened. Huddled up in her seat, she watched his figure slowly fade into the distance. The realization that he was gone brought her back to reality.


    This was the first time that he had been really angry with her.


    He had a soft spot for Carla and always forgave her.


    This time was completely different. She pushed him over the edge and he was really mad at her.


    Carla mustered up the strength to get up from her seat and walk out of the club. She looked around to see if she could spot Terence, but he was already gone.


    Wade saw the whole situation unroll and obviously, Terence must have said something to him. "Miss Carla, may I take you home?" he asked with concern in his voice.


    Carla attempted to force a smile, but she wasn''t very good at pretending. She shook her head and said, "No, thank you. I want to walk and clear my head."


    "But, Miss Carla..." Wade hesitated. The accident that happened a few days ago remained fresh in his memory. It was only natural for him to feel the way he did. He dared not to leave her alone, not even for a second.


    Carla understood his concern, but all she wanted was to be alone. She put her hand on his shoulder to reassure him, "Wade, I will be fine. I''ll just walk around the block. You are welcome to follow me if you want."


    Saying that, she turned around and strode away. The last thing she wanted to do was go back to the seaside villa. Going back there now would drive her crazy. Carla needed to pull herself together and the only way she could do that was to get some fresh air.


    She roamed the streets aimlessly and wondered how everything escalated so fast. Carla strolled past shops that had a lot of interesting commodities but none of them caught her attention. The streets were crowded with p


    ge style and the mysterious beauty it held. She always loved things that had a story behind them.


    "Do you know an ancient poem that goes: ''I grasped your hand, together with you, I was to grow old.'' It is so romantic. Doesn''t it make you want to go back to the old days when love was so much simpler? This pair of fish symbolize everlasting love," the shopkeeper explained, persuading her to buy it.


    Carla really fell in love with this bracelet. It reminded her of her situation, she felt some sort of connection to it. It wasn''t expensive and her need for it was uncontrollable. Knowing that she would regret not buying, Carla immediately decided to buy it.


    Feeling quite satisfied with what she bought, Carla walked out of the store. It was already noon and the sun was at its hottest.


    Attempting to find her way home, Carla strolled down the busy streets. Something in one of the shop windows caught her eye and she went to investigate, it was a beautiful abstract painting. She admired it for a few minutes and carried on with her journey home. JA City is so big that it was easy to lose yourself in the crowd. Anyway, Carla was lost. Sending her location to Wade, she let out a sigh of disappointment in herself and waited for him to come and fetch her.

 Chapter 158 Silent Treatment (Part Two)

    After a very nerve-racking day, Carla eventually got home an hour later.


    She sat on her bed and thought to herself, ''Maybe it would be best if I left. We need to give each other some space to cool down and clear our heads.''


    But she couldn''t put herself in danger. She just had a narrow escape a few says ago. She wouldn''t risk her own life by running away from home.


    Carla needed to protect herself. She only had one life.


    Carla realized that she must have made Terence really angry, because she hadn''t received a single call from him since they went out and that was unlike him. He could never go a day without talking to her.


    Carla waited up late for him to return. Not being able to keep her eyes open anymore, she fell asleep. For the first time in her life, she had no idea where Terence was.


    When they usually had an argument and she was wrong, Terence used to forgive her immediately and just brush it off his shoulder like it was nothing. It was different this time, and he wasn''t going to forget this.


    Carla finally came to realize one thing about Terence. Either he tolerated all her faults and never took it seriously, or he would be really mad and really hard to soothe when she crossed the line.


    She had always been hardheaded and stubborn. Carla wasn''t going to apologize to Terence as she believed she wasn''t in the wrong this time.


    Their love life ended faster than it started. It was heartbreaking to know what they could have had; they shared something special together that not many couples could achieve.


    Carla felt that all the love, affection and memorable moments were all just a waste of time. Their relationship was bound to end horribly. He had to marry Bonnie someday and she had to leave him. They had to end this relationship. The sooner the bette


    Carla! Hasen! Look! It''s Carla."


    "Oh, yes indeed!"


    Carla forced a smile as a two women and a man got out of the car, "Uncle? Aunt? Why are you here?"


    "Carla, it''s really you! Thank goodness I asked the driver to stop." Hasen''s wife was more than happy to see her. She trotted to Carla and grabbed her hands.


    "Carla, you have no idea how hard it was to find this place. We spent almost two hours trying to sweet talk the security guards to let us in. Don''t tell your uncle but I secretly slipped them one of the gifts, and that is why they let us in. Hasen thought it was his charm. You best not tell him dear. If he knew that I did that it will give him a complex about himself."


    Hasen''s eyes twinkled with delight as he spoke to Carla. "We know Mr. Terence is a very busy man. We didn''t want to bother you, Carla, but we don''t have any other option. That is why we came here." What do you say? Carla, could you please introduce us to Mr. Terence?"


    Hasen''s wife added to the conversation, "Yes, please, Carla. We have come all the way to see him. We also brought gifts with us! Introduce us to him, will you?"


    Hasen''s wife demanded, with an eager, ingratiating smile on her face.

 Chapter 159 Carlas Uncle Came Looking For Her (Part One)

    Carla pulled her luggage tightly while her lips couldn''t help but twitch. For her, right now was obviously not the right time for her uncle and aunt to visit her


    because she and Terence were not in a good place. He hadn''t been home for two days. How could she call him right now?


    "Carla, you''re my cousin. Just do me this favor, please?" Lynn begged as she walked over to Carla and held her hand. She looked straight into Carla''s eyes and continued, "Carla, I''m dying for a chance to study at JA University. If it''s impossible for me to study there, then the Medical University of JA will be fine as well."


    Lynn''s major was medicine. The medical department of JA University was well known to be one of the most prestigious schools in the country. However, if she tried and still failed to enter the university, she would be happy to go to the Medical University of JA instead. After all, it was still a decent place to take up medicine.


    As a nineteen-year-old girl, Lynn had just finished high school. She was wearing a thick pair of glasses, but that did not hide her exquisite features. Both Hasen and his wife thought their daughter was very beautiful. So, they were trying their best in helping Lynn to stay at JA City. They also hoped that in the future, their daughter could snatch a rich husband there.


    In their eyes, Lynn was far more proper and therefore, a better choice for the rich men than Carla. To them, Carla was just a mediocre girl and on top of that, she had a younger brother to take care of. They thought, ''Since Carla has been associated with the An family, then it wouldn''t be difficult for Lynn to find a rich husband.''


    Seeing their expectant faces, Carla glanced at her luggage and smiled bitterly.


    "C


    mates on their way to JA City.


    Back then, after she got Terence on the phone, Sean took over and talked with the man. But at this moment, she had no choice but to talk to him herself.


    Carla sighed, took out her cell phone and dialed a phone number.


    "Hi, Rainer, is Terence there?" Carla hesitantly asked when the call went through. It was Rainer that she called because she was sure that he must be with Terence. Being Terence''s bodyguard along with his brother Nathan, it was only natural that he was with Terence at all times.


    "Oh, it''s Miss Carla!"


    Knowing that it was Carla, Rainer especially cried out in a loud voice. Discreetly, he watched Terence who was enjoying his coffee in front of his desk. Rainer noticed that Terence quickly turned to his direction upon hearing her name.


    "Is Terence there?"


    Carla asked again.


    "Mr. Terence, he..." Rainer glanced at Terence and coughed. Then he continued, "Mr. Terence is busy right now. Is there anything I can help you with?"


    "Well, I''m in XH Restaurant. Can you please check if it would be possible for him to come here at lunchtime? I need to talk to him," Carla directly stated.

 Chapter 160 Carlas Uncle Came Looking For Her (Part Two)

    Rainer put his phone on speaker so Terence could hear their conversation. Upon hearing what Carla had said, Rainer stared at Terence, waiting for the man''s reaction.


    Terence kept silent for a short while and gestured for Rainer to tell Carla that he would be there.


    "Well, unfortunately, Mr. Terence has a lunch appointment with an important client, so I''m afraid he will be unavailable..." Rainer feigned disappointment. After seeing Terence''s look, he quickly added, "But Miss Carla is an exception. Since you''re asking him out, I''m sure he will be there."


    The moment Rainer hung up, Terence threw the pen that he was holding into Rainer''s direction.


    "Rainer, do you want to get your ass kicked?" Terence half-jokingly asked.


    Rainer picked up the pen and walked towards Terence with a smile. "Mr. Terence, I know there is trouble between you and Miss Carla right now. I''m just trying to make you look really cool.


    It''s not always a good move to just give and push your affections towards her. Sometimes, you need to take a step back and pull. You know, act a little cold towards her. Only in this way will she realize how it feels when you''re not there. Before you know it, she''ll be the one chasing you," Rainer explained in detail.


    If looks could kill, Rainer would have been dead with how hard Terence was looking at him. After a while, Terence looked at his watch and saw that it was just past ten in the morning. Then, he stood up and walked out of his office.


    "Mr. Terence, what are you going to do?" Rainer asked.


    "Take a bath and get changed," Terence responded before he could fully leave the office.


    Rainer was left alone in the office, speechless.


    illing to give you money and food, then you should learn to be contented."


    Hasen''s wife guessed that Terence must be angry at Carla because she was pressuring him to marry her. As a result, he kicked her out of his villa.


    Carla couldn''t bear it anymore. She suddenly stood up and said, "Uncle, auntie, since I already made a call to Terence, I''ll be leaving now." After these words, she immediately took her luggage and started to walk out.


    "Please stay here with us," her aunt begged her. Upon hearing Carla''s words, she hastily stood up, approached Carla and continued, "You''re the reason Terence is coming here. He doesn''t know us. If you leave, he wouldn''t pay any attention to us. Carla, please be patient. Just do me this favor, okay?"


    Carla tried to calm herself. She took a few deep breathes and then stated, "Uncle, Terence will show up in a minute. When he arrives here, you can say whatever you want to say to him. I''ll be leaving now."


    Then, she immediately turned away from them all and headed towards the exit.


    When she opened the door of the private room, Terence was standing at the doorway.

 Chapter 161 The Only Chance

    Carla instinctively took a step back, hiding the suitcase behind.


    Terence stood at the door, wearing a pair of dark sunglasses. His handsome face frowned when he saw the suitcase.


    "Mr. Terence, you''re here! "


    Hearing the noise, Hasen''s wife immediately pulled her back. "Carla, sit back. Let''s talk later."


    When Hasen saw Terence coming, he stood up and tidied his clothes. Lynn also stood up and looked to the door.


    Lynn was drinking her glass of water, and when Terence entered the room, she was startled and nearly choked.


    Her mother shot her a fierce look and Lynn immediately put her hand over her mouth.


    Lynn had assumed that Terence must have been some short fat man, otherwise, how could he fall in love with Carla?


    However, the moment she laid eyes on him, she was stunned at how handsome, tall, and elegant he was. She couldn''t believe her eyes.


    Never before had she seen a man like that. Dignified and graceful.


    "Mr. Terence, I''ve heard a lot about you. Please, have a seat," said Hasen as he stepped forward to pull the chair out for him.


    Terence sat down and glanced around without removing his sunglasses. He frowned and said, "Let''s cut to the chase. What do you want?"


    His aloof attitude intimidated the family of three.


    He thought when Carla asked him out for lunch, it would be just the two of them.


    But when he came in and saw the others he was disappointed.


    One thing that really had irritated him


    was that Carla was apparently going to leave as she had a suitcase with her. ''Where was she going?''


    She didn''t even try to make things work. Instead, she decided to leave without even telling him.


    Terence''s anger mounted.


    "Waiter, serve the dishes quickly." Hasen went to call the waiter and then sat down facing Terence.


    "Mr. Terence, I''m Carla''s uncle. That''s my wife and this is my daughter Lynn. We didn''t want to bother you. But thinking of my daughter''s future, I had no choice but to ask for your help. Mr. Terence, you''re close to Carla. So please, can you help us?"


    said Hasen while looking at his daughter like a worried father would.


    These days parents were trying every possible means to get their children into the best universities to carve them a brighter future.


    The An family had high power in JA City. If Terence agreed to help, Lynn could go to any university she wanted.


    So, they made a great effort to come to JA City and meet him p


    uneral arrangements, neither of them picked up the phone to call her and offer their help.


    Now Carla had used her only opportunity offered to her for help in the future on her cousin, Lynn.


    They realized how selfish they were.


    Hasen stared at his wife with a look of blame.


    "Okay!" Terence laughed and drank the tea. "Within one month you''ll have good news. I''m leaving now."


    Then he stood up and strode outside not even looking at the various dishes on the table.


    "Mr. Terence! Please have lunch with us before you leave," Hasen called out excitedly. He was beaming with joy, as Terence agreed to help them.


    Terence didn''t hear as he had already left the room.


    The moment Terence left, Carla stood up and bid farewell to her uncle. "Since you have what you wished for I am going as well."


    "Carla, why are you in such a hurry? Stay and have lunch with us," requested Hasen as he frowned.


    Carla ignored them and walked outside with her suitcase.


    It was such an embarrassing moment. Now Terence knew that she was planning to leave.


    Things just happened. They were, after all her relatives, and it would seem ruthless not to help them.


    It was midday.


    Carla left the restaurant where her uncle was and planned to find another one to eat at. She wouldn''t be able to swallow a single bite in there with the Hasen family.


    "Where are you going? Leaving home like that? Are you going back to BH City?"


    said Terence looking at Carla who was striding ahead with a suitcase. He was still wearing the sunglasses and was leaning against a blue Porsche casually with one hand in his pocket.

 Chapter 162 Lets Talk

    Carla was too caught up in her thoughts to notice Terence. When she finally noticed his presence, she composed herself and looked at him.


    "You... haven''t left yet," Carla said softly.


    For a moment, all the rage she had in her disappeared. All she could do then was look at the suitcase in her hand.


    She intended to return to BH City but things didn''t quite turn out the way she wanted them to.


    "Rainer, can you please help me with my suitcase?" Carla addressed Rainer as she put her suitcase down.


    Rainer nodded, took her suitcase and placed it in the trunk. Then, he turned to her with a gentle smile, "Ms. Carla, forgive me for saying this but please don''t be upset with what Mr. Terence said earlier."


    In reality, Carla knew Terence well enough to know that those harsh words were not for her.


    She looked at the man who had done a lot of things for her that she couldn''t even count all of them even if she tried to. All he did earlier was to protect her from his aunt and uncle.


    Feeling her eyes on him, Terence turned his eyes on her. Still on his immobile position, he stared at her.


    Carla raised her eyebrows and approached him. "Terence, let''s talk somewhere quiet," Carla stated.


    For the longest time, she had been holding back a lot of her feelings.


    It was time for him to know.


    Carla was not the kind of girl who can hide her emotions and pretend like everything was fine. But for Terence, she managed to hold it in her for so long.


    Today, she decided that she needed to tell him everything!


    At that moment, Carla didn''t care about picking a fight with him anymore. She would rather end the relationship than stay and suffer more.


    Terence went inside the car as a response to Carla''s suggestion.


    "Rainer, take us to the An''s Mansion," Terence plainly ordered.


    The An''s Mansion was an exclusive property for the members of the An family. They only came to the place for important or confidential meetings, because the place provided a venue for quiet and discreet matters.


    The ride to the mansion was silent. Only the car engine and the screeching of tires as it hit the road could be heard. Carla and Terence did not utter a word. If one listened closely, their breaths could be heard. Soon enough, the car stopped in front of the An''s Mansion.


    The two of them walked towards a small conference room.


    Upon entering the said room, Carla went straight for the window. She stared at the view that it allowed as she pondered on how to start the conversation. They kept quiet for a while. Finally, Terence broke the silence. "Alright, what''s on your mind?" Terence asked. He sat on the table with his arm crossed and his eyes focused on Carla. However, it seemed like what was outside had caught every bit of her attention. She remained mum and didn''t answer his question. Terence took a deep breath and continued with a cold tone, "I told you. I don''t like to force people into anything. If you wanted to leave, you just needed to tell me. I would have let you go."


    Carla shivered a little


    s for me? On the one hand... I knew you won''t be able to marry me in the future, but on the other hand, you kept telling me about how our future would be. My heart was broken over and over every time that I think about it."


    She raised her head slowly and looked at him with swollen eyes.


    Terence was surprised and hurt. It hurt him to see the woman he loved in this way.


    It never occurred to him that she had spent the past few days in such a miserable way. No wonder she wasn''t acting like herself and kept on talking like a sharp-tongued woman.


    But he couldn''t blame her. It was not her fault at all.


    Carla never knew her true identity, nor did he reveal a word to her. There was no way for her to know that the daughter of the Hua family was actually herself!


    Right now, Terence was certain that Carla never had any doubts about her own identity. It was impossible for her to know that he wasn''t talking about Bonnie and that instead, it had been her all along.


    She didn''t know. She knew nothing about it.


    No one even told her a word about it.


    "Is there anything else that you want to say?" Carla asked. She took a deep breath and nodded with a tearful smile. She calmly started, "Terence, I don''t blame you for anything. Even if you marry Bonnie, I won''t hate you.


    I have to admit that I was a little impulsive today and I have to say sorry for that. I stayed here because of you, but my existence only brought you more troubles. You can''t even go back to your own house right now. There was no point for me to stay. That is why I want to go back to BH City without you."


    Carla calmed down and continued, "When Sean finishes this semester, I will take him with me to BH City. Terence, I think it''s time to stop fighting. It''s our fate. We''re not kids anymore. We have to accept it. We tried but it''s catching up on us. We need to let go."


    Without hesitation, Carla walked out to the conference room.


    Before she could leave, Terence grabbed her arm and quickly said, "Carla, Please hear me out!"

 Chapter 163 Bonnie Made A Mistake

    Carla heard his words. She looked up at him and waited for his explanation.


    Terence frowned and remained silent. He didn''t how to explain it. He didn''t even know how to start.


    He was afraid that if he told her the truth, she wouldn''t be able to process it. Her true identity was kept a secret for twenty-three years.


    It was not only about her. It was also about her little brother, Sean.


    "Carla, please let me explain. Just give me more time. There are more to the story than what you think," said Terence. He was not convincing at all.


    He stuttered while he was trying to explain the situation. Carla chuckled and said, "Okay. There are still ten days left before Sean is finished with this semester. You can think about it and explain it to me later. You better come up with a good excuse."


    Carla knew that there was nothing more to be explained.


    She just gave him hope. She wanted to make him feel better.


    Terence took her back to the Seaview Villa.


    Neither of them said anything while they were on their way home.


    Rainer who was driving the car also felt the tension in the air. Usually when they bicker, they tend to argue heatedly. But today, there was only dead silence.


    They just recently made up from their previous argument. How could this happen again so soon?


    Terence had already asked Sophie to prepare their lunch in advance.


    When they got home, their lunch was already prepared for them.


    When they were already seated at the table, Terence kept on picking food onto her plate. He remained silent while they ate.


    After lunch, Carla went upstairs to take a nap.


    Terence checked the time on his watch and realized that there was still time left before his afternoon meeting. He thought he better follow her.


    When he arrived in her room, he saw that Carla was not taking a nap.


    Instead, he saw that she was unpacking her suitcase. He felt terrible and didn''t know what he could say or do to comfort her. He ran up to her and held her firmly in his arms.


    "Carla, I''m sorry..."


    He could only utter those three words. He wanted to explain but he was at a lost for words.


    Carla decided to accept his apology. She turned to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "All right. I heard from Rainer that you have


    nly one woman accepted him no matter who he was.


    Terence looked up at Carla who was standing on top of the stairs.


    Bonnie cried hysterically while shaking her head. She kept on tugging at Terence''s shirt. "Terence, I swear! I don''t care whether you''re rich or poor. I love you! I will always love you for the rest of my life. Please don''t cancel the engagement. Please!"


    "Stop it, Bonnie. Yves is a good man. He came back from abroad and now owns a small company. He has the means to support you,"


    said Terence as he removed his hand from her grip.


    That day, when he left the club with Carla, Bonnie and Yves enjoyed themselves with each other in the room upstairs for the whole afternoon. It was true that he drugged her wine but he only added a small dosage. Bonnie could have managed to control herself if she wanted to.


    However, she decided not to control herself. She indulged in the pleasure that Yves gave her.


    Yves was good at pleasing women. He was sure that they had a great time being intimate with each other.


    The next day, he was informed that Bonnie and Yves met again at the same place. They did the same thing for an entire night. The first time was an accident but the second time was definitely on purpose.


    He would never accept a fiancee who had an intimate relationship with another man!


    "Bonnie! Come here!"


    Suddenly, a loud voice echoed through the living room.


    Carla looked at where the voice came from and saw that it was Noah who spoke.


    Why did he come?

 Chapter 164 Chpater The Hua Family Has More Than One Daughter

    When Bonnie saw Noah approaching, she was fearful and ashamed. She had spontaneously hidden behind Terence and didn''t want to face any of her family members, especially her brother, Noah.


    "Mr. Terence. I am sorry for what has happened. I''m here to take Bonnie back home. It''s our fault that this shameful thing has happened. It seems that we have spoiled her too much. I only hope that you can find it within yourself to pardon what Bonnie has done, for the sake of our two families!"


    As Noah spoke, he made his way towards Bonnie and reached out to pull her from behind Terence''s back.


    "Noah, no! I won''t go! I don''t want to call off the engagement! Please!" Bonnie cried out. She pleaded desperately and struggled to free herself from Noah''s tight grip that was around her wrist.


    Noah frowned and scolded, "That''s enough, Bonnie! Have you no shame? How can you even mention your engagement to Mr. Terence?


    You will come home now and think about all the damage that you have caused!"


    Noah pulled her to him and pushed her behind his back. He bowed solemnly to Terence. "Mr. Terence, I apologize for my sister''s unacceptable behavior. I''m sincerely sorry for what has happened. This is our fault. I''m going to take her home, and she will be punished. After her mind clears, she will apologize to you in person, next time."


    Once Noah had finished talking, he glanced at Carla, who was standing on the staircase.


    He then grabbed Bonnie, turned on his heels, and abruptly left.


    Noah forced Bonnie to get into his car.


    "Noah, why didn''t you help me? Yes, What I did was wrong. But Terence betrayed me first. Why do you all only blame me now? It''s so unfair!" Bonnie cried hysterically.


    "Foolish woman!"


    Noah snapped coldly. "Bonnie, Terence is a man. The fact that he has a mistress doesn''t harm his reputation. Besides, do you have any proof of his affair? You''re different! You are the daughter of the Hua family. A high born lady. Your scandalous behavior is a disgrace to our house! How can a prominent house, like the An family, accept you into their home now? Let it all go!"


    Bonnie sobbed. She refused to accept the result that their engagement would be called off.


    "Have a good look at these pictures! They''re all from that bastard, Yves'' cell phone! How dare you go to Terence and ask him for forgiveness!"


    Noah reprimanded and threw the cell phone to her. Then he started the car and left Terence''s Seaview Villa.


    Bonnie picked up the phone with trembling hands. She swallowed a lump in her throat and pressed to open the file. To her horror, she saw the sex video and naked pictures of her having sex with Yves. It was obvious from the angle that the photographs and video were taken, that Yves was the one who took them.


    She was shaking because of how furious she felt.


    Bonnie didn''t expect that Yves would ruin her life for the second time. She would be pleased to see him dead right now.


    "But Noah, why do you have the video


    htly, unmindful of his bleeding arm. He didn''t let go of her no matter how she struggled and cursed.


    "Terence An! Let go of me! I swear I''ll tear you apart if you don''t let me go! You''re such a jerk!" Carla tried everything she could to resist. However, she was still tightly wrapped in Terence''s embrace.


    "Go ahead. I''m not letting you go even if you tear me to shreds," Terence whispered, while he still held Carla tightly in his arms.


    Carla only bit him because she was deeply hurt by his words and how candid he was about it. It was a bit of frenzied attack. She could never hurt him on purpose, for she cared too much for him.


    "All right. Stop it. You''re bleeding. You should get that cleaned up. Just let me help you,"


    Carla said, as she touched the blood on his arm.


    Terence released her from his embrace. He gazed at her with many thoughts running through his mind and caressed her face gently.


    "Carla, you will know just how much I love you, one day."


    He chose not to tell her the whole truth because he didn''t want to burden her with worries. He was afraid that it might hurt her before he cleared the way for her. There were too many enemies would hurt Carla once her true identity was exposed. That was something he would never allow to happen.


    Sometimes, staying uninformed was a blessing.


    "Yes, I can tell it even now! You''re such a jerk! You set a trap for me, and now I''m stuck in it. What else can I do?" Carla looked at him, angrily and pushed him away.


    Then she went to get the first aid case. She cleaned the wound and disinfected it. Finally, she put some medicine on it and bandaged it up.


    Terence waited patiently for her to finish. Once she did, he embraced her again and pleaded pathetically, "Carla, even though you think I''m a playboy, I am a bachelor now. Can you stay with me, and not leave me?"


    He chose to be misunderstood by Carla this time. However, when the time was right in the future, he would tell her the truth.

 Chapter 165 Remember That My Family Name Is Ji (Part One)

    Dabbing quite hard on his wound, Carla shoved him back, gritting her teeth quite hard. "You wish! Today you say that you want me to stay right next to you. But in the future, when you meet someone else and fall for her eventually, you would throw me away and marry her instead. Is that what you were so deep in thought about just now?


    Terence, I am warning you right now. There''s no way I would ever let something like that happen. From this day forward, if you somehow manage to find the guts to get engaged, let alone marry any woman other than me, I''ll show you just how dangerous I can be when I get angry!"


    Just as the old proverb went, ''Where there is nothing to lose, there is nothing to fear.'' If he ever dared to mess around with other women even just one more time, he would get a taste of her fury when she fought back and both of them could get hurt in the process.


    Needless to say, she had already experience having sexual intercourse with Terence, so she was no longer a virgin after that sensuous night. After getting quite intimate with him and letting down her defenses, Carla couldn''t just let those kinds of things slip and watch as Terence dumped her and got married to someone else.


    Upon hearing Carla spout those words, Terence was a bit shocked that he seemed to have been frozen for a moment. Then, he looked straight in her eyes, showing his beautiful and perfect pearly whites, rested his hands on both sides of her waist and effortlessly lifted her up from the floor.


    "Carla, please don''t ever forget the words you said just now!" Terence exclaimed.


    As she was hoisted up in the air, Carla peered down at Terence with a sullen look on her face. She was a little confused why he would say that, so she asked him, "Terence, you''re quite a peculiar man. Are you aware of that? I can''t fathom how you can still smile after all the things I''ve just told you."


    The truth was that Carla was so sure that Terence would either be frightened or enraged after her telling him that she would go head over heels crazy in love with him. That wasn''t the case though, because she could clearly see the look on his face as he lifted her up. Far from how she had ex


    thing that you might be interested in?" If you want, I can go hire a tutor for you, and you can learn lots of things from the teacher when you get back from school in the afternoon."


    Pondering about it for a short while as he blissfully munched on the drumstick, Sean then opened his mouth and blurted out, "I enjoy playing basketball a lot."


    "Terence has a point. Sean, as a growing boy, you should take advantage of every opportunity you can in order to learn more about a lot of different things. Mmm, then how about the piano? Would you like to learn how to play the piano?" Carla enthusiastically suggested.


    Back in the day, there weren''t really many chances for Sean to take any interest in pastimes, because, truth be told, they were really very poor and couldn''t afford such things. But now that they were living with Terence, they didn''t have to worry anymore about how much it was going to cost. Therefore, Carla thought it would be a great idea to nurture Sean''s interests in all facets of leisure.


    However, after pausing for a second, Sean simply shook his head and said, "I''ve never really liked playing the piano or any other instrument. I like sports. If I''m going to learn something, I want it to be about sports."


    Terence picked up a drumstick for Carla and commented, "Well, Carla, we should respect Sean''s decision. It''s up to him what he wants to do. Since that''s what he prefers, then we''ll hire a tutor in sports for him."

 Chapter 166 Remember That My Family Name Is Ji (Part Two)

    But Carla still didn''t agree though and tried persuading him once more, "Sean, the boys look much more handsome whenever they''re playing the piano. It''s a sure-fire way of grabbing a girl''s attention. As for basketball, I honestly think you''re already playing it quite well. Are you really sure you don''t want to learn something different such as the piano?"


    Carla was acting just like any other typical parent would. Of course, they would support their children and let them learn what they liked. Even though Sean was just her brother, there was still a part of her that wished for him to learn something she was passionate about. Ever since she was a little girl, she had always been amused by watching the boys play the piano. There was just something about it that seemed to have charmed her.


    Be that as it may, Sean couldn''t help rolling his eyes at his sister. "Carla, I''m just ten years old. Don''t you think it''s still a bit too soon for me to think about stuff like how to dazzle the girls? Apart from that, if you''re really that fond of the piano, why don''t you just have your own child learn how to play it? You''re bound to have one eventually, right?


    And aren''t you forgetting that Terence is an extremely good piano player? That should be enough for you."


    The minute he was done spouting that nonsense (to Carla''s point-of-view anyway), Carla was evidently raging with anger.


    ''This and that are two different things! I just sincerely believe it would be much more awesome to learn the piano instead of some sport. Am I wrong to think that?'' Carla said to herself.


    As anyone might have expected, Terence was on Sean''s side on this one. With tears in his eyes as he desperately tried holding back his chuckle, his face broke into a smile and said to Carla, "Carla, Sean is right. Don''t you think so, too? It wouldn''t be right to force him to do something he doesn''t like. If you truly like the piano that much, then we can just ask our child to learn how to play in the future."


    Glancing over to Sean, he reassured him, "Don''t you worry. Since you like playing basketball a lot, I''m going to hire a tutor for you right after we''re done having dinner."


    Beaming with so much pleasure and satisfaction, Sean hunched up and gave Terence a high-five. "Apparently, women won''t ever be able to get how we feel," Sean concluded.


    Not taking kindly to what Sean had just said, Carla raised her hand a little bit and playfully slapped the side of his head.


    "You''re still just a ten-year-old boy! You''re not even a teenager yet, for goodness'' sake! Stop spouting that nonsense and just finish eating


    te. At the very least, they always appeared to be high-spirited.


    "Actually, I''ve never really enjoyed serving in the army. Bearing that in mind, there''s really no reason for me to give off the aura of being someone from the military, aren''t there?" Terence retorted, taking a sip from the bottled water and fixating his eyes on the coast far from where they were standing.


    He might not have been fond of contributing to the army, but that didn''t necessarily mean he didn''t like serving his country. The only reason he had was that he truly believed it wasn''t right to solve conflicts by using violence.


    Upon hearing his answer, Carla stopped asking any follow-up questions. It was at that moment that she was finally able to wrap her mind around the reason why he was able to stealthily slip from the watchful eyes of his numerous enemies. On top of that, he was actually much lighter on his feet compared to any typical person.


    Deep in thought trying to take all of that in, she realized that


    everything made sense once she found out that he had at least gotten some sort of training while he was still in the army.


    When she was finally done catching her breath, Carla sprinted around the track two more times. After getting some good strenuous activities, she then headed back to the villa and went straight upstairs intending to have a quick bath to rinse off the sweat before going to bed.


    Upon getting a whiff of her scent and smelling the sweat from all that running, Carla immediately rushed toward the bathroom inside her bedroom.


    Meanwhile, in the hallway, carrying a black tote bag in his hand, Nathan walked closer toward Terence as he was standing motionless beside the window, staring at the beautiful night sky.

 Chapter 167 Carla, Please Let Me

    "Mr. Terence, I bought the things you asked for. I didn''t know which one you prefer so I just bought everything..."


    Nathan explained as he took out boxes from the black tote bag. He continued, "These are the biggest sizes and these are for women. And these two are special; one is for emergency and the other is for long periods of time."


    Terence watched Nathan intently before he said, "It seems like you know a lot. I just asked you to buy a box of condom, but you bought so many."


    He asked Nathan to buy some because he only had a few spare ones left. He didn''t expect him to buy so much.


    Nathan was slightly taken back and responded, "Mr. Terence, it''s not that I know a lot; it''s just that you''re too late in knowing about all of this."


    Terence laughed as he said, "I''m not like you. I''m only dedicated to one."


    Nathan just shrugged off his shoulders and didn''t argue any further.


    Terence was one of the few men with integrity that he knew. For that, Nathan admired him a lot.


    Terence kept to himself for twenty-eight years until his true love finally came.


    "What is this?"


    Terence suddenly asked when he saw a purple box the size of his palm in the bottom of the plastic bag.


    Terence tried to grab it but Nathan immediately pushed his hand away. Nathan explained, "Mr. Terence, check it out later. For now, you should take a rest. I should also leave."


    Terence didn''t inquire further and went back to his room carrying the bag.


    The moment he entered his room, it so happened that Carla was coming out of the bathroom. "What is that?" Carla asked as she stared at the black bag Terence was carrying.


    "It''s nothing," Terence nervously stated. Then, he hid the bag behind him and walked towards the bed.


    Carla adjusted the bath towel that was covering her as she watched Terence who was acting very mysteriously. Then she covered her wet hair and approached him really quietly. Trying to make as little noise as possible, she tiptoed her way towards him.


    She saw Terence put several boxes into a hidden drawer at the edge of the bed.


    "What are you doing? Do you have to be so mysterious? I know that''s just boxes of condoms,"


    Carla unexpectedly exclaimed.


    Terence was surprised and he immediately looked at her. Seeing that she was about to approach him, he looked at the bag and saw that there were still some boxes left in it. He quickly poured everything carelessly into the drawer.


    If they were just condoms, it would not be a big deal, but Nathan bought something else on his own will.


    Terence had no idea what it was earlier until it dawned on him what it could be.


    It was no wonder that Nathan didn''t want him to see it earlier. When everything was in the drawer, he stood up as fast as he could and pretended not to hear what Carla had just said.


    But Carla was naturally a curious person. She wouldn''t let it go so easily. Terence tried to grab her but she was fast and made it past him. Without a second glance at Terence, she pulled out the drawer


    it was hard to get it back.


    He was getting a little scared that Carla wouldn''t be able to sleep well for the next few years. Somehow, the thought made him smile unconsciously.


    When lunch was delivered a few hours later, Carla was still lying on the bed, so Terence woke her up. For a little while, Carla just tossed and turned. She still wanted to sleep more.


    When Carla could finally keep her eyes open, Terence took a towel to wipe her face and hands carefully, doting on her like a child.


    "Carla, open your mouth," Terence softly told her.


    She was still drowsy and could barely move a muscle. When she saw Terence feeding her with a spoon, she was suddenly wide awake and she immediately stood up.


    "No, I''ll eat by myself," Carla insisted. She didn''t want to be spoiled like a child, so she took the spoon and got out of the bed.


    As soon as her feet touched the floor, Terence helped her up.


    "Why don''t you let me feed you?" Terence whispered into her ears as he carried her onto the sofa.


    He knew that Carla had no strength to do anything at the moment. He immediately knew when he touched her arm and it felt like it had no bones.


    Carla could only stare at him. She sat on Terence''s lap and couldn''t get up. Meanwhile, Terence held her waist tightly.


    He reclaimed the spoon from her and picked up some food from the bowl. He held it up onto her mouth.


    Carla deliberately ate in a careless manner, getting rice all over his clothes.


    Terence seemed not to care. He just added food to her bowl, watching her eat. When she finished, he took a wet tissue to wipe her mouth.


    And then he took her back to the bed.


    When he settled her, Terence began to eat his own meal.


    As soon as he finished his meal, Rainer came in the room running and exclaimed, "Mr. Terence, your father is here. He''s waiting for you in the living room."


    Hearing the news, Carla was surprised and she immediately looked at Terence.


    ''What is his father doing here?'' Carla thought to herself.

 Chapter 168 The Most Serious Way To Be Unfilial Is To Produce No Heir

    Terence''s father must have come here to interrogate him about Bonnie.


    But how could Terence explain how things went to his father?


    Carla sensed that Terence''s father was a very strict man, especially towards Terence, and that he was not as easy-going as Terence''s grandfather.


    "I knew it,"


    Terence uttered. He took a few bites unhurriedly before he placed his chopsticks on his plate.


    "Carla, maybe you should take a little break for now. I''ll be back soon," Terence suggested. He got up and out of the room before Carla could reply.


    Carla dragged herself out of bed and quickly got dressed before she followed Terence out the door.


    At the dining room, Edmund poured himself a cup of Pu''erh tea while he studied Terence, who sat across the table in front of him.


    "What are your next plans? Tell me now," Edmund demanded as he breathed in the scent of the tea. Being a tea lover for decades, Edward always had a cup of tea during confrontations to accompany him.


    Terence wasn''t in the mood for tea and politely declined when Edmund offered him a cup.


    "Father, you traveled a long way and that is all you have to say?"


    Edmund placed the cup on its saucer before he faced Terence. "You promised this family that you would definitely marry the daughter of the Hua family," Edmund snorted. "And what have you done?


    You drove her to another man''s bed!"


    "Father, that was not my fault. Don''t blame that on me," Terence defended himself.


    "Well, son, Bonnie would not have run to another man if you had treated her well. So yes, you are still to blame. She doesn''t want to be with you anymore because she knows your heart is just for Carla and it made her feel jealous all the time,"


    Edmund fumed. He blamed Terence but he also blamed Carla.


    If Terence had treated Bonnie the way a man treated his fiancee, he would obviously have won Bonnie''s heart.


    A lot of people blamed Bonnie for being disloyal to Terence. But Edmund knew the truth. He knew everything and he knew this wasn''t Bonnie''s fault.


    "Father, I had just gotten engaged to Bonnie. And a few days later, she had already gotten lonely and climbed into another man''s bed? If we hadn''t called it off, who''s to say she won''t do that again?" Terence sneered and told Edmund, "My dear father, do you really want me to become a pushover?"


    epare yourself to be a grandfather, alright? My brothers and I will take good care of the family business and our family legacy. Stop worrying about it."


    Edmund found himself speechless. With a look of doubt on his face, he asked, "Terence, you''re telling me the truth, right? She is really pregnant with my grandson?"


    Terence crossed his arms and maintained eye contact with Edmund. "Father, why do you doubt my abilities? The same abilities that you taught me. We''re together everyday these days. What do you expect?"


    Edmund couldn''t speak.


    A few minutes later, Edmund relented and said, "Fine. Do whatever you want. But remind that girl to maintain a low profile. No one else can know about this."


    Edmund finally gave in.


    After all, to produce an heir was the purpose of the marriage anyway.


    The dice was cast and Terence wanted to marry her only. There really was nothing Edmund could do or say to change that. He couldn''t force him now to marry another girl from a noble family, could he?


    And Edmund was also afraid of his father, who cared greatly about Terence.


    So he finally gave in and let Terence do whatever he wanted.


    Terence exhaled a sigh of relief when his father left.


    He stayed glued to the spot he took when his father left and thought, ''I will continue this lie as long as I can. I just need time, time to prepare everything before I can finally expose Carla''s true identity.''


    Terence finally moved and turned to join Carla upstairs, when he caught sight of her, at the top of the stairs, her eyes on him.

 Chapter 169 I Want To Ride A Horse (Part One)

    Up on her feet and carefully staying still on the staircase, Carla glanced down at Terence. She then forced out a cough and rested her hand on her flat midriff, acting as if she were expectant.


    "What do you think you''re doing there just standing still? Get up here and hold my hand while I go down the stairs. If I accidentally fall, it might be bad for our baby."


    Just a couple of minutes beforehand, Terence actually went ahead and told his father that Carla was carrying his baby.


    Upon hearing that, Terence instantly knew that she was pulling his leg. Feeling quite amused, he couldn''t help but burst into laughter as he walked up toward her to offer his hand and assist her carefully as she went down the stairs. "All I said was imply that he''ll be having a grandson soon enough. It''s not like I literally told him you''re already pregnant now. It was just that my father interpreted it the wrong way. He just took it at face value when I told him about his grandson."


    As soon as she came downstairs, Carla immediately headed for the kitchen to grab a bottle of yogurt from the fridge and enjoy it on the sofa. "But your father already thinks that''s what you really meant to say. Sooner or later, he''s bound to figure out that you lied to him. For now, what do you plan to do about it? I''m dead sure he''ll be so pissed when he finds out."


    "We''ll just deal with it when the time comes. If nothing else, at least we can be at ease for the next couple of months without having to worry about it." Terence remarked, lounging right beside Carla.


    Carla''s legs were feeling quite sore, so she hoisted them up and rested them on Terence''s knees, leaning against the sofa while holding a pillow. As she leisurely drank the sour but sugary yogurt she stated, "Give it maybe three or four months, he''ll be onto us and realize that I''m not pregna


    d have some fun with him.


    She was dying to finally do something leisurely outdoors, but her body disagreed and was convincing her not to go.


    Terence''s teasing abruptly came to a halt upon seeing Carla looking a bit down in the dumps. "Fine. You can come with me. But when we arrive there, make sure not to walk around the area. Just have a seat somewhere and appreciate the view, okay?"


    ''In any case, I would need to ask Nathan to bring us in the RV. If we do that, she''d be able to squeeze in some time to rest on our way there.


    When we arrive, I have to be certain that she''ll only be going for walks as little as possible. Anyway, she can just lounge around and enjoy the view. That way, she won''t risk getting herself exhausted," Terence thought, carefully laying out his plans.


    Being quite pleased that she was able to convince Terence to let her go, Carla simply smiled at him and bobbed her head to everything he said.


    That afternoon, when they finally arrived at the racecourse, Carla felt so contented to be able to come alongside Terence.


    It seemed as if the green grass extended far into the horizon. The horses were visibly in high spirits. And the atmosphere just felt so relaxing and invigorating.

 Chapter 170 I Want To Ride A Horse (Part Two)

    In actuality, the racecourse wasn''t actually any stranger to Carla.


    "Yo! Correct me if I''m wrong, but she''s not the same as the one you brought here last time, right?"


    From a distance, Theo noticed him carefully assisting Carla as she was getting out of the car. He somewhat felt like his eyes had been playing tricks on him because it was something he had never seen Terence do before.


    "Well, if my memory serves me well, the girl you brought here with you last time was Ivy, right? How is she doing? Where is she now?" Terence hurled back, grinning just a tiny bit as he held Carla by the hand while walking toward Theo.


    Theo shrugged and waved to a sexy woman behind him paying Terence no heed after hearing what he just said. "It''s already over between me and Ivy. Don''t sweat it. Meet my new girlfriend. She''s Ashley Fang. Kindly make sure not to call her by the wrong name."


    Theo jabbered as he wrapped his arms around Ashley''s slender waist. Then, he gave her a peck on her lips and prattled on, "Ashley, let me introduce him to you. This guy right here is Mr. Terence. He''s a good friend of mine.


    And this is Mr. Terence''s girlfriend, Miss..."


    Terence shot a quick glance at Carla and uttered, "Theo, her name is Carla Ji. Remember that at all times."


    As a close friend, Terence believed it would just make perfect sense that Theo should know the name of his wife.


    At that moment, it suddenly came to Theo that he had already met her before at a restaurant. But at that time, he didn''t know her name yet.


    "Okay, heard that loud and clear! Carla. But her name somewhat rings a bell. Let me see... Oh! Are you perhaps the woman of the hour who saved Terence''s life back in BH City?"


    Theo asked, snapping his fingers after remembering where he heard that name.


    Of


    m at the shade.


    When he realized that Terence was heading back, Theo was a little bemused. Just before he could ask him why, he also noticed that Carla was talking with another man. From that, he was able to put two and two together.


    Carla and the mysterious man were sitting on a bench, casually chatting.


    "I''m Kelvin. It''s a pleasure to meet you. May I ask for your name?" Kelvin introduced himself, moving a little closer toward Carla. Then, he reached out his hand to initiate a handshake.


    Staring at his hand, Carla remembered what happened just moments ago. Terence didn''t seem to like her shaking hands with another man. In fear of upsetting Terence, she didn''t stretch out her hand but politely answered with a smile instead, "My family name is Ji."


    Seeing that Carla didn''t bother stretching out her hand, Kelvin was still just all smiles. These days, women on the defensive like her were too few and far between that he was rather amused. "So you''re Miss Ji.


    However, you still have yet to give an answer to my first question. Did you come here alone?"


    Before Carla could give him an answer, in a tone loud and clear, she suddenly heard a voice coming from behind her.

 Chapter 171 Horse Racing

    "Mr. Kelvin, do you know my girlfriend?"


    Terence dismounted from the horse and approached Carla with a box of fruit in his hand. He handed it to Carla and said, "This is for you."


    Carla accepted it and glanced at his sullen face. ''He is jealous!'' Carla thought.


    Kelvin gaped at Terence. Shocked, he was unable to say a word.


    "Er... Mr. Terence! What a surprise to see you here. So Miss Ji is your girlfriend? No wonder! She is extraordinarily beautiful and outstanding. It''s my honor to meet you here!"


    Kelvin flattered her as soon as he came to himself. It was obvious that he was embarrassed.


    Just then, a voice called out to them, "Kelvin, why haven''t you chosen a horse?"


    A man came over from a stable near them.


    Carla turned to the direction of the voice and saw an impressive face. She couldn''t help herself from sighing. JA City was really a place of greatness that nurtured so many handsome men. Even though Kelvin was not exceptionally handsome, he spoke beautifully.


    The man approached them on top of a brown horse. He was gorgeous. He had a pair of cold, starry eyes that could send people who see them in awe. His lips were thin and had a charming shape. Carla could tell from his appearance that he was a ruthless man.


    It reminded Carla of her ''handsome men list''. The men in the top three of her list were all graceful and handsome.


    The first one, of course, was Terence. If she labeled them with royal positions, Terence would be listed as the noble prince.


    The next one was Noah. He was crafty and cunning. She would list him as the King''s hand.


    The third one was the man in front of her. It was the first time that Carla had seen anyone who was both aggressive and handsome. He was like a general who had slaughtered thousands of enemies in the battlefield.


    "Ouch!"


    Carla cried in a small voice. Someone pinched her at the waist! Terence was obviously displeased when she became absent-minded when the man showed up.


    She was only curious about this man, nothing more!


    Johnny glanced at the girl next to Terence. She was obviously entranced with him. He grinned at her coldly. He was not surprised because the admiration from almost all women was the most common thing in his life.


    ''Easy girl!'' he thought.


    "Terence. Haven''t seen you for a long time!" Johnny greeted while reigning his horse.


    Terence stared at Johnny. He was his arch enemy from childhood. They had been competing with eac


    he saw Carla leave with the horse. It was the first time that a woman rode that horse.


    What a brave woman!


    Terence had just finished with the horse race. He turned around when he heard a familiar voice behind him.


    Wearing a black helmet, a slim figure riding a strong and tall horse galloped out from the stable.


    Carla looked tiny in contrast with the brawny horse. She looked so attractive in that moment for conquering a fiery steed even though she was so small.


    "What? The competition is over? Who won? Tell me!"


    Carla rushed to them and asked. She was so upset because she did not witness how it ended.


    Terence was amazed when he saw her on a horse but he couldn''t help but worry. However when he saw her experienced movements, he was relived. He reminder her, "Carla, be careful!"


    He didn''t stop her


    because he saw that she was really enjoying it. It also looked as if she could protect herself.


    "Johnny won," Terence replied casually.


    Victory and defeat were both common in a competition.


    He could have won against Johnny but when he got near the end of the race, he looked back at Carla. He wanted to share the glorious moment with her. However, he did not find her sitting on the bench. He got distracted for a little bit and because of that, Johnny took the opportunity and went past him.


    He decided not to tell her that though. He was lost and he didn''t want to look like he was trying and find excuses for that.


    Carla turned to Johnny who looked as if he was unwilling to talk to her. She asked, "Mr. Johnny, since Terence lost to you, how about we have a race between the two of us?"

 Chapter 172 Be In The Limelight (Part One)

    Johnny was dumbfounded by Carla''s bold advice.


    ''You are just a woman. How dare you challenge me like that? How demeaning!''


    He sneered on the horseback. "I won''t compete with a woman," Johnny said contemptuously, deciding to dismount from the horse instantly.


    "Well, does it mean that you look down upon women? Or is it just an excuse for you to save your face from being defeated by a woman?" Carla said with a sly smile on her face. She was quite self-confident at this moment.


    In fact, she was genuinely interested in horse racing and was eager to have a try. She wanted to compete with Terence initially, but later she gave up the idea thinking of the possibility that Terence might conceal his ability and let her win. If so, it would end up being a boring game.


    Hearing this, Johnny shot a weird glance at Carla. ''Um-hmm, you haughty woman, how dare you provoke me?''


    "Haha, what a wild mare your girlfriend is! Terence, I guess you should hold the reins and discipline your girlfriend. She is way too naughty!"


    Terence looked at Carla lovingly. "Come on, Johnny! Don''t be so boring. Now that Carla is so enthusiastic in it, why don''t you compete with her? Don''t take it seriously. Just have some fun! You won''t be so mean and turn it down, will you?"


    Terence tried every last weapon in his arsenal to fulfil Carla''s dream. He didn''t want to disappoint her. It was OK if she lost the game. After all, Johnny was an expert in horse riding. It was understandable and comprehensible if Carla was no match for him eventually.


    On the other hand, if she won the game luckily, it would be a big surprise and everyone would think highly of Carla and him. It was a win-win situation for all.


    Terence''s words left


    a woman. Just take it easy." Carla smiled, trying strenuously to distract his attention. She leaned forward, held the reins and waited for the right moment to surpass him.


    Johnny raised his eyebrow apprehensively. He couldn''t help staring at her, this time with fear of defeat. ''How could she really keep pace with me? She must have been adequately trained!'' Her face beamed with a shallow smile. It seemed that she didn''t care about the result of the game after all.


    "Haha, I have to go first. Bye!"


    Carla suddenly snapped the reins and sped up, cruising toward the finishing line hastily.


    Johnny didn''t want to admit defeat. He also sped up the horse using his excellent riding skills.


    "Yeah! I win!"


    The front hoof of Carla''s horse crossed the finish line, and Carla won by a narrow margin. She loosed the reins and waved to Terence excitedly.


    Terence quickly walked toward his excited girlfriend, put his arms around her waist, and gently lifted her down from the horseback.


    The moment her feet touched the ground, Terence lifted her chin and kissed her keeping the entire crowd as witnesses, happiness radiating from his eyes.

 Chapter 173 Be In The Limelight (Part Two)

    The enthusiastic kiss seemed to confirm to suspicious onlookers about their close relationship.


    "You did a great job! It''s your award."


    Terence was more than happy. Carla''s victory not only helped elate his honor, but showed how excellent his girlfriend was.


    People who once looked down upon her due to her humble origin stood dumbfounded by her splendidly unexpected performance.


    Suddenly, some passionate moments came rushing to Terence''s mind. He squeezed her hand and whispered, "Sweetheart, no wonder you prefer to be on top when we get intimate. Now I see."


    Hearing these flirtatious words, Carla blushed and stared at him. "Well, that''s some filthily rich imagination," she teased.


    Terence smiled and held her closer to himself. They then proceeded to the rest area.


    Meanwhile, Johnny got down from his horse. He couldn''t believe that he had lost the game against a woman.


    He had never been this embarrassed ever before in his life. Moreover, she was Terence''s girlfriend.


    "Johnny, don''t take it to your heart. It is purely a beginner''s luck. Nothing more." Kelvin came rushing to Johnny''s aid, patted him on the shoulder and tried to console him.


    Johnny flicked his hand away and shot them an angry look. He removed his helmet, threw it away, and retreated toward the exit with his head held down.


    Carla had enjoyed game, and she was satisfied with the result.


    Despite her muscles aching mercilessly after the fierce game, she was delighted like never before.


    Soon, they got in the car and returned home happily. Carla lied in Terence''s arm, and Terence fed his adorable girlfriend some grapes. Carla held her waist and complained about the excruciating pain she was going


    er another one.


    Carla was not surprised. Although Terence tried to keep a low profile, his exquisite wealth still had a noticeable effect on him. For example, the decoration in their house looked ordinary to him, but it was invaluable and extravagant as far as she was concerned.


    In a daze, she opened her mouth and took another bite, assuming that Terence was feeding her another grape.


    "Oh! I''m sorry, Terence."


    She wasn''t particularly focused and accidentally bit his finger. From Terence''s facial expression, it did seem like a painful bite.


    Terence lifted his eyebrow and looked at the teeth mark on his finger. Carla was apologetic. She leaned closer, clutched his finger and gently blew on it.


    Amused by her lovely gesture, Terence couldn''t help lifting her chin and kissing her.


    The sweetness of the grapes was permeating in their mouths.


    Meanwhile, the car was cruising on the highway.


    "Dear, I wanna take you. Now," Terence whispered in her ear passionately.


    He firmly pulled her body against his. His eyes beamed with a light of passion. He lifted her chin and gently touched her lips with his finger.

 Chapter 174 Carla Left

    A stiff smile appeared on Carla''s face. She closed her legs subconsciously and moved farther along the seat. "We''re still in the car! It''s inconvenient now¡ª Let''s talk about it when we get back home, okay?" she proposed carefully.


    Even though they had agreed that only Carla would decide when they could have sex, Terence never followed the rules nor listened to her.


    He wanted her several times every day. Once he got the urge, he was content to keep her in bed for the whole day. No matter how much she opposed it.


    "How can it be inconvenient? Don''t you remember our first time? It was also in the car, and you enjoyed it!" Terence smiled with his bedroom eyes that were full of longing and desire. He leaned down, but Carla saw him coming on top of her. So she raised one leg against his chest to stop him. "Terence, you can''t do this. Let''s make a deal. You can only have me once a day and no more! Otherwise, I can''t bear it!" she complained.


    She was exhausted and sore all over. She couldn''t remember how many times they had made love since last night.


    Terence grabbed her ankle and lifted her leg up onto one side of his shoulders. He grinned down at her. "Carla, do you like this position?"


    Carla rolled her eyes at him and turned away. "Don''t try to push me. I''m serious. If you really can''t control yourself, then let''s sleep apart! We can''t always be together," Carla said, feeling frustrated.


    She couldn''t bear much more of this. If she indulged him with sex, their whole lives together would be full of it.


    "Don''t even think about it. I''ll never let you sleep alone." Finally, Terence gave in. He caressed her cheek and said, "All right. I''m letting you off this time. But you can''t turn me down tonight."


    He didn''t want her to think that he would accept her deal.


    Carla groaned reluctantly when she heard that he would have his way with her again tonight. She tried to remove her leg from his shoulders but failed.


    She got angry with him and raised her other leg to kick him away.


    However, Terence gripped both of her legs without any effort.


    "I''ve changed my mind. I''m going to have you here and now. Who knows what you will do tonight to refuse me." Terence smiled wickedly. He pulled the curtain aside and had a look outside. ''Good, we''re still miles away from home, '' he thought.


    "You dare!"


    Carla seethed in a threatening voice.


    Terence chuckled. "You''ll see." Terence closed the curtain and leaned down to kiss her lips¡ª


    When they finally arrived at the villa, it was late in the evening.


    Carla was sore all over, and she could barely move. However, she didn''t want anybody to notice her embarrassment. So she refused Terence''s help and struggled to finish dinner with Sean.


    She went to her room soon after and locked the door behind her.


    As soon as she lay in bed, she fell asleep imme


    o play around the home.


    She cleaned the room and turned everything back on and then went to bed and had a good nights rest.


    The next day she went to the company.


    She planned to resign some time later. They were short of staff at the moment, and she couldn''t find it in herself to leave right now.


    But she had already made up her mind to leave BH City.


    After all, she couldn''t leave Sean alone forever in JA City.


    Time flew by very fast. A week had passed in the blink of an eye. Carla had been very busy since she had returned. All she had time for was work and home. She worked from morning till late in the evening, and by the time she had arrived home, she was exhausted.


    During that whole week, she only had calls from Sean.


    Terence had completely ignored her.


    Carla knew that she was at fault. So every night before she went to bed she would send him a message and share some exciting things that she did. Sometimes she was so tired, and all she sent him was a goodnight message.


    Even though Terence never replied, she was sure that he read all of her messages.


    She was right.


    Terence did check her messages every day. Sometimes he would have to wait until late for her message when she was late from work to send it. He would read her message several times before he went to bed.


    He wasn''t really mad at her. When she left so suddenly, his ego was bruised a little, and he loved her so much that he wished to spend every possible second with her. He didn''t want to hurt her no matter what she did.


    Even though he had treated her coldly several days ago because she misunderstood his relationship with Bonnie, he didn''t mean to hurt her feelings for real. After all, she didn''t know the truth behind it all.


    "Mr. Terence, you''re not sleeping yet?"


    When Terence was sitting at his desk thinking about Carla, Bryant''s face popped up on the computer screen.

 Chapter 175 Did You Miss Me

    Terence''s eyes grew wide and knocked over the camera with his pen. "Don''t just show up like that. I know you are skilful enough to hack into my computer. You can scare people at night!"


    Bryant scratched his head while he chuckled.


    "I thought it was you last time! I mean, you don''t usually allow anyone into your study. I didn''t expect it to be Miss Carla..."


    Bryant hastily explained his mistake from the last time.


    "Fine. Go. What do you have for me this time?" Terence asked. He leaned against his chair and fiddled with the pen he picked up from his table.


    "Look, here''s the problem. When I started to investigate into Miss Carla, I found that Noah had already started an investigation before me. And York, the second son of the Hua family, also seemed to know something."


    Bryant continued, "Allen''s health is getting worse by the minute. That''s also why he has deployed more people to find Miss Carla. His sons are eager to find her right now. That is also why I need to remind you to take good care of your woman!"


    Terence froze at what Bryant just shared with him. It took him a few seconds before he fidgeted with the pen in his hand and replied, "Okay, yeah, got it."


    The more his sons tried to covered the truth, the sooner Allen would know of Carla''s existence.


    It looked like Carla''s family secret would be revealed and exposed soon.


    In the BH City, after Carla arrived home from work, she remembered that Terence once placed cameras in different areas of her house.


    She rolled up her sleeves and searched for the cameras in every nook and cranny in her house.


    She needed to dismantle all of them.


    But she couldn''t find a single camera. Where were they? Where could Terence have installed them? But then, she recalled someone changed the bulbs for her.


    Carla went back to her bedroom. She stood on a chair to remove the bulb from the ceiling light. As expected, there was a pinhole camera inside it.


    She checked the lights again one by one and found all the cameras. Carla exhaled a sigh of relief when she found the last one. Finally, some privacy!


    At the Seaview Villa in JA City, Terence returned to his bedroom and turned on the CCTV system on his tablet like he always did. But this time, all he could see was static. He checked the camera in Carla''s living room and it was the same static.


    He set his tablet on the desk, and his b


    e and she needed to get up early to attend to pile of work in the morning.


    At a little before 5 in the morning, small noises jolted Carla up and away from her beautiful dream. She heard someone sneak into her home.


    She lived alone so she had already trained herself to stay alert to any little noise.


    Carla kept her eyes closed but she knew someone was already there and they were coming closer. She slid her hand under her pillow and grasped the wooden stick underneath.


    The stick was heavy and long and made a very useful weapon to drive away any thief. That was the main reason she bought it.


    She hurled the stick at the intruder with a scream but a familiar hand grasped it tight. She looked up and discovered Terence in her bedroom. Terence took the stick away from Carla and shouted, "Carla, stop! It''s me! And why do you have a stick under your bed?"


    Carla exhaled the breath she held when she swung the stick. She was relieved to hear Terence''s voice and not have to confront a thief.


    "Terence, are you crazy? Why are you sneaking inside? Were you trying to scare me?" Carla yelled and threw a pillow at him.


    She always needed to be prepared, in case of another kidnapping.


    She was alone in a big house and she didn''t feel safe staying there by herself. How could she fall asleep without being prepared?


    Terence placed the stick on the table, safe from everyone. When he turned around to face Carla, she had already gotten up and threw herself into his arms.


    He smiled at her beautiful face and embraced her tightly.


    "Did you miss me?" he asked Carla.

 Chapter 176 Shes Going To Be A Good Girl

    Holding Carla in his arms, Terence''s heart melted. He didn''t have it in him to blame her for anything at all.


    "Yes, I miss you so much!" Carla said, snuggling into his embrace.


    It had been over a week since she came back from JA City. Carla had to admit that she really missed him.


    Although she knew how far the distance was between them, she still wanted to see him as often as she could.


    So when she saw him in the house, her heart did a little flip and all she wanted to do was hug him tightly. There was no point in trying to hide how she felt, and there was no need for questions to be asked. She was just overwhelmed with happiness to see him.


    "Until you finally come back to JA City, I will come to see you once a week," said Terence.


    While Terence was holding Carla in his arms, he could tell that she had lost some weight. He pinched her waist and criticized, "Listen, what I am going to say to you is not a joke. If I notice that you lose any more weight on the next time that I come, I will take you home with me whether you like it or not!"


    When Carla heard his lovable reproach, she lifted her head and kissed him on the cheek.


    "Got it! My dear boyfriend. How long are you planning to stay here? Shall I take half the day off to keep you company?" She asked with a lovely smile.


    It was almost five o''clock in the morning, and Carla had three more hours before she had to go to work.


    Terence looked down at the woman he had dreamed about every day and every night and sighed, "I would love to be able to do that. But unfortunately, this is just a short visit. I have work in the afternoon. I''ll have to leave right after daybreak."


    Carla responded with a sigh as she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned on his shoulder.


    For a while, they just enjoyed the moment content to be in each other''s embrace. Until Terence spoke up, "Are you going to just let me sit like this until dawn?"


    "Err¡ª" Carla raised her head and looked at him with her bright eyes feeling a little embarrassed. She then playfully poked her tongue out at him and began to remove her pajamas.


    Terence chuckled at her adorable reaction, and then he gave her a desirous look.


    He just wanted to lie down and cuddle for a while. He wasn''t expecting Carla to take the initiative and start stripping off. However, since she was already naked, he didn''t want to waste her efforts.


    "Carla¡ª"


    He murmured her name and groaned feeling aroused. He grabbed her waist with bo


    ah was not in the mood. He said nothing but gave Julie a cold glance.


    Julie immediately pulled the shirt aside and gave him a small smile and said, "Hmm¡ª Actually, I''ve changed my mind. We''ve already chosen a lot of shirts. We can get it next time."


    Carla waited for Noah to finish the payment.


    Then she smiled and said goodbye to them.


    Terence canceled his engagement to Bonnie because of her. Although she was a friend of Noah''s, Bonnie was his little sister.


    If it was possible, Carla would prefer not to run into Noah again; however, given the circumstances, she had no choice but greet him and be polite.


    After that uncomfortable and awkward incident, Carla went to the supermarket for some groceries and left the store with her arms full of bags.


    As soon as she came out


    she saw that Noah''s Rover was parked on the roadside.


    Carla assumed he was busy with something else, and she walked around it, trying to avoid him.


    However, a few steps later, Noah called out to her, "Carla!"


    He got out of his car and rushed over to her, "Here, let me help you with those bags. It''s late. I''ll take you home."


    Without waiting for her response, he reached out to grab the bags from her arms.


    Carla jumped back like a frightened deer. She smiled awkwardly at him. "Noah, thank you. But I''ll be fine, really. You have already helped me a lot. I can''t ever repay you for that. I¡ªI really don''t know how to say this. But¡ªI don''t like to beat around the bush. Err¡ªI''ll try and make it simple. Let''s¡ª Let''s stay away from each other!"


    She tried her best to put her bags behind her so he couldn''t reach them and took another step back.

 Chapter 177 The Expired Juice (Part One)

    Bonnie despised Carla so much to the point that she resorted to hiring gunmen to abduct her.


    Noah was Bonnie''s elder brother and the eldest of the four Hua siblings. Needless to say, being next to him made Carla feel so uneasy.


    The hand that Noah reached out to Carla was shaking. Realizing that Carla suddenly went on the defensive, he let out a soft smile on that lean and handsome face of his.


    Taking a small step forward, he looked down at Carla, seeming to be in a state of shock. "Carla, even though Bonnie is my sister, we are totally different. I''m not like her. You don''t have to keep your guard up when you''re around me. Whatever it is that happened between you and my sister won''t affect our friendship."


    After saying that in an attempt to reassure her that she could trust him, Noah grabbed onto her arm and snatched the heavy bag from her hand, then he walked over to his Land Rover which was parked just across the road.


    He placed the bag right in the back seat of his car and, just like any gentleman would, he opened the door of the front passenger seat for her.


    Noah could see as bright as day that Carla was still so hesitant about getting into his car or not, so he nudged her to get in and carefully closed the door.


    "Mr. Noah, I''m not sure... Oh, my God!" Before she could finish what she was trying to say, Noah suddenly hit the ignition without warning. She was so startled that she couldn''t hold herself back from screaming.


    As it turned out, he was a bit upset. Despite the fact that it wasn''t literally written on his face that he was angry, she was somehow able to sense it.


    She had no clue why Noah could possibly be mad.


    ''If he wasn''t really happy to see me, then he can just ignore me for all I care!'' Carla thought.


    She took a deep breath once she got used to his driving spe


    "Mr. Noah, do you have any reason to try to kill me?


    Are you perhaps blaming me for getting in the way of your family''s plans?"


    Carla''s thoughtless question caused Noah''s eyes to darken and his teeth to clutch lightly. He then turned and fixated his eyes upon her. Although, before he could begin to say anything, she added, "I know everyone in your family might have gotten so upset when they found out that Terence had broken off the engagement with Bonnie. But... but that decision was not mine to make. I don''t have any say on that matter. I don''t think I''m the one that you should blame for it."


    Terence didn''t love Bonnie, he never really did. That being said, even if Carla never came to his life, he probably still wouldn''t have agreed to the engagement.


    Rolling down the window, Noah stretched out his hand to flick the ash off his cigar. Before giving her any form of response, he took another puff of smoke from it.


    "I''ve already said a few times before that I''m not mad and I won''t ever be mad at you just because of what became of Bonnie. And yet here you go still doubting me."


    When he was finally done smoking his cigar, Noah flicked it outside the window on the side of the road, and then

 Chapter 178 The Expired Juice (Part Two)

    he proceeded to drive the car away from the reeds and back onto the usual road again.


    It was just at that moment when Carla was finally able to let out a sigh of relief. Letting go of the handrail on the roof of his car, Carla spoke, "Mr. Noah..."


    "Why are you calling me Mr. Noah? Stop it with the formalities. Please just go ahead and call me by my name, Noah," Noah abruptly interrupted her.


    "Well, Noah, If I''m completely being honest, you almost scared half the life out of me with what you did just now," Carla admitted, resting her hand on her chest, trying to calm herself down.


    "Would you mind telling me what made you fall for Terence?" Noah pried.


    That was one question she wasn''t expecting him to ask. She was simply staring blankly into space, at such a loss for words after hearing what Noah had just said.


    "Is it because he is the heir to one of the wealthiest families of JA City? Or could it possibly because of the way he looks? Tell me, what kind of magic did he use to thaw your heart?" Noah continued prying even further.


    At that point, Carla simply shook her head.


    "Definitely not. The first time we met, he was still a nobody, helplessly running around the street. Back then, he had nothing to his name and I didn''t have a clue whatsoever that he was actually from a wealthy family. I''m aware that you''re still trying to do something about it, but it''s Terence who wishes to call off the engagement. It''s out of my hands,"


    Carla exclaimed, taking in a deep breath.


    Noah gave her a quick glance but didn''t say a word. The road they were taking was now heading toward the direction of Carla''s house.


    He seemed to have taken the route that would directly lead to her home. And soon enough, they arrived at her place and he park


    s city. If you want, I can introduce her to you so that you can have a professional come along."


    "Carla,"


    Carla took out her cell phone with the intention of searching for her former classmate''s phone number. Without warning, Noah stood up, walked over closer toward her


    and seized hold of the cell phone she was holding.


    "I''m not just some bad guy scheming something and I don''t mean you any harm. Why do you still keep on doubting me? Because you seem to be so scared out of your wits, I feel the need to prove that I''m not the person you''re making me out to be. That''s why... I promise in the name of the Hua family, I won''t do anything to hurt you. Please give me a chance just this once, okay? The way you''re acting is really driving me crazy."


    That being said, Noah then placed her cell phone on the coffee table next to him. "Let''s just set an appointment for now. I''ll drop by to come pick you up here at eight in the morning this coming Sunday.


    Thanks for the juice. Although, I think it''s already somewhat past its expiration date."


    Upon commenting that, Noah took just one good hard look at Carla before turning around walking toward the door to leave.

 Chapter 179 An Accident

    After Noah left, Carla breathed a sigh of relief. She always felt intimidated by him. She always had this feeling that something would go wrong.


    She then scratched her hair. ''Is the juice really expired?'' she wondered.


    She opened the refrigerator and took out the box of juice. Noah was right. However, what astonished Carla was that the juice was only one day past due. How could he tell the difference?


    There was one more thing that concerned her.


    He wanted her to be his tourist guide?


    Even though she had lived in BH City for so many years, she didn''t feel confident enough to be anyone''s guide.


    Soon enough, Sunday came.


    Noah called her right on time at 8 o''clock in the morning.


    "Are you ready? I''m already downstairs," Noah plainly stated on the phone.


    Carla was still putting on her shoes when she answered, "All right! I''m almost ready. I''ll be there soon!" Carla stumbled upon her words.


    When she came downstairs, she saw that Noah was wearing a gym suit while he was waiting for her, next to his Land Rover.


    He opened the door of the passenger''s seat for Carla as soon as he saw her.


    Carla had intended to sit on the backseat to create some distance away from him. But with his gesture, she had no choice but to sit next to him.


    After they both got inside the car, Carla looked at the vacant backseat and asked, "Isn''t Julie going to join us?" She waited for him to respond. When he didn''t say anything, she continued, "You see, I''m not really that fun to be around with. You''ll get bored with me soon enough. I think you''re going to have a lot of fun with her."


    As he drove the car, Noah finally spoke, "She has other things to deal with."


    Carla nodded. In her mind, she was dreading the thought that Julie might hate her even more after today. She could tell that Julie didn''t like her in the past since Noah paid too much attention to her.


    She didn''t want to officially become one of Julie''s enemies, but things were out of her control that day.


    Their destination that day was the most famous tourist spot in BH City¡ªthe Dragon Temple.


    It was said that in ancient times there had been a Dragon King in the ocean that protected the people of BH City. Therefore, the people that lived there constructed a temple to worship and pay respect to the Dragon King. Up until that day, people would come to the temple to pay tribute to the said king.


    The temple was located on a beautiful mountain. As time went by, it had become not only a ritual site but also a popular tourist spot. Many tourists were attracted by its fascinating scenery and the history behind it.


    Carla didn''t think that she could offer much help during their journey since most of the time they could just simply enjoy the sights by themselves. She showed Noah and his four clients around the mountain and made a brief introduction of its history and stories.


    Her introduction was vivid and interesting because she had lived in BH City for so many years. When she was young, she had visited the place for so many times. The place had fascinated her since the first time she went there. It actually came as a surprise to her that she was having a lot of fun sharing the place to a f


    ought to herself.


    If he had planned it, he would have just killed the man once and for all. Or he would have made it perfect enough that Carla would never suspect him.


    He wouldn''t stoop so low as to send a man to harass her.


    Carla was convinced by his explanation. She rubbed her back and figured that Noah was not the kind of person to use dirty tricks.


    They went back inside together. Noah noticed there were several people not far away hiding behind the trees. He turned around and looked at Carla who was massaging her back. Some thoughts started to brew in his mind.


    He had noticed them when he had arrived here.


    They seemed to mean no harm to Carla. Instead, they looked like they were protecting her.


    So, even if he hadn''t helped Carla, someone would have kept her safe.


    "Is it bad? Do you need me to check it?" Noah stopped and asked her. She had been pressing her back for a while now.


    Carla shook her head immediately. She forced a smile and assured him, "I''m all right. It''ll be fine sometime later."


    She removed her hand from her back and continued to walk.


    As soon as Carla passed by him, Noah took a closer look at her back and frowned. No wonder her face was crumpled painfully. There was blood on her clothes.


    Her clothes were dark so he didn''t notice it immediately.


    Noah caught up to Carla and grabbed her wrist. "You have to deal with this injury. I saw a small medical station not far away when we came here today. You have to get your back checked."


    Noah did not let go of her wrist and instead placed his other arm on her waist to assist her in walking. He called his clients and told them to wait for them.


    "I''m fine, Noah! I''m here to be your tourist guide. You don''t have to take care of me. It''s better to be with your clients. I will go to the doctor myself!"


    Carla tried to convince him


    but Noah just ignored her. They went through a shortcut and soon they arrived at a small medical station.


    The medical station was set up for sudden illnesses or injury like for tourists.


    After they arrived, they found out that there was only one male nurse on duty inside.

 Chapter 180 A Power-hungry Man

    The place of the wound was a bit embarrassing. Carla had to treat it, or it might become infected. She hurt her back, and the injury was exactly beside the clasps of her bra.


    "No, thanks. I''ll deal with it by myself." Carla politely declined Noah''s offer to help her with blushing cheeks. Taking some cotton swabs and iodine, she went into the cabin and drew the curtain across for privacy.


    She took her phone out and pressed the front-facing camera on and leaned it against the wall, so she could see her back. Then she lifted her shirt to deal with the wound.


    "Ouch!" She frowned as she fumbled with the clasps.


    There was a trickle of blood from the wound down her back, and it hurt so much.


    She dipped the cotton swab into the iodine solution and reached up behind her back. Carla clenched her teeth to stop herself from screaming, but she couldn''t help let out a painful groan.


    Girls are afraid of pain, and Carla was no exception.


    "Are you all right? Need a hand?" inquired Noah with concern in his voice. He was waiting on the other side of the curtain.


    "No, thanks!" answered Carla in haste. "I can manage it."


    If Noah were a woman, she would have let him in to help her without any hesitation. But he wasn''t. So she had to keep him at a distance.


    Otherwise, it would raise Terence''s blood pressure.


    But to her surprise, regardless of what she said to him, Noah pushed aside the curtain and strode in towards her.


    She was so shocked. ''Didn''t he hear what I said?'' thought Carla horrified. With eyes as wide as saucers she froze on the spot, not knowing what to do.


    Carla was so astonished that she forgot to pull her top down.


    Fortunately, Noah could only see her back and nothing more.


    "Just be still and don''t move around." Noah reached for the cotton swab and dipped it in the iodine solution and gently dabbed at the wound.


    He then put a gauze on the bleeding wound.


    Noah''s breathing was as steady as his hand, and all of his attention was on the wound only.


    "Don''t be nervous. To me, you''re only a little girl, just like my younger sister. I''m not interested in you."


    Finally, he had finished taping down the gauze with medical tape and stood to stretch his back. "I''ll wait for you outside," said Noah in a low voice.


    Then he left.


    Carla reached back and touched the gauze gently. She had to admit that she wouldn''t have been able to do that on her own. In time the blood and her shirt would have stuck together, making it even more difficult and painful for her.


    She sighed with relief. Noah had done nothing except help her treat her wound. In her eyes, he seemed to be an amiable and decent man.


    As they came out of the medical stat


    side every second so he could keep an eye on her.


    "Okay, okay!" Carla replied in haste. "Don''t panic, Terence. I got back safe and sound. What''s more, you have sent your undercover people to secretly protect me, haven''t you?


    So everything will be just fine. You have nothing to worry about," Carla said to console him.


    "Beware of Noah. He has approached you with some sort of intention. Carla, I mean it. I wish you would come back and stay with me. You''ll be much safer by my side. I''ll protect you, and nobody can harm you."


    Terence tried, again and again, to persuade her to go back to JA City, which was his domain. No matter how powerful Noah was, he wouldn''t dare approach her in Terence''s presence.


    Carla''s real identity was like a ticking time bomb. Since Noah knew who she really was, he wouldn''t let her go that easily.


    "Okay. I understand."


    Carla promised him sincerely. Those who were meant to come would come sooner or later. She was ready to face them.


    This was her fate. She might run, but she could never hide.


    If she were doomed to go through something terrible, she would have to face it with her eyes open, no matter how afraid she was.


    "Carla, please. Quit that job and come back to me as soon as possible. I can''t live without you. You know that," said Terence with a sigh.


    Of course, he was aware of her future.


    But he couldn''t just sit by and watch her walking step by step toward a hopeless abyss. He was determined to keep her safe, no matter what it would take and what would happen.


    However, there will be times that she would have to face things by herself.


    ''Carla, my beloved girl. You will grow from a little sparrow into a phoenix.


    And I''ll be with you standing by your side for evermore.'' Terence made a silent vow in his heart.

 Chapter 181 Business Travel To HA City

    After ending the call with Terence, Carla kept wondering about what he had said to her.


    If Noah approached her with a purpose just as Terence said, then what did he want?


    What could he get from her? She was just an ordinary girl.


    Carla sensed that Terence was holding something back from her. Things just weren''t adding up, and it was becoming more and more evident as time passed that there was definitely something going on.


    It was becoming all so overwhelming for her, and her mind was a mess thinking about it all.


    ''Just forget it! Stop thinking about it, '' she thought to herself, feeling frustrated.


    No matter what the secret was, the truth would always managed to surface in the end.


    The next morning, when Carla arrived at the company, her desk was already stacked high with work waiting for her to do. She was only slightly injured and didn''t want to be the reason to slow everyone else down.


    "Carla! The manager wants to see you in his office, now," informed one of her colleagues.


    "Okay, I''ll be there soon."


    Carla put down the order sheets on the desk and headed out towards the manager''s office.


    "You wanted to see me, sir?"


    asked Carla as she pushed the door open. The manager was engrossed in his work behind the desk. When he heard her, he said, "Carla, come in.


    Please, have a seat." Manager Zhao placed a thick file in front of Carla he then rested back onto his seat and said, "Carla, there''s a package of high standard goods that needs someone to supervise in the factory personally.


    I was wondering if it would be convenient for you to take a business trip? The factory is in a newly developed suburban area in HA City. Naturally, the business trip will be subsidized. Can you make it?"


    Carla took the file and looked through it. Since she had been working in the company for a while now, she knew the importance that this package of goods had. It needed to be handled with high precision. Any deviation would have a significant influence on the end result.


    It had happened several times in the past. However, this time, the order was substantial, so it was needless to say that the company expected to arrange for Carla to have a business trip to make sure everything ran smoothly.


    "It won''t be long. A week at most. The key is to make sure that their products match our sample products. If there''s any problem ask them to fix it and deliver the goods in time," added Manager Zhao.


    Carla thought about it and nodded. "Okay, no problem."


    Since Sean wasn''t at home with her, then she really didn''t have an excuse not to accept the offer to go.


    "All right. You can leave work earlier today. Go home and pack what you need for the trip, and you will be leaving tomorrow morning. I will send the rest of the details like the address of the factory and th


    up and said, "Do you remember the restaurant Gangnam Building in HA City that I told you about? I''ll take you there this time."


    At the mention of food, Carla couldn''t refuse and immediately nodded. She also had other plans brooding in her mind.


    The Hua family had so many secrets.


    She had just found out that Terence would marry another daughter of the Hua family. Why did it always have something to do with the Hua''s?


    Only by approaching Noah could Carla finally find out the truth.


    So now she changed her attitude and would not refuse Noah anymore. She was curious about what was hidden behind them.


    After dinner, Carla went to the bathroom. When she came back, she saw Julie.


    She was dining in the next room.


    Julie also noticed her and was surprised as she didn''t expect to see Carla here.


    "Julie? You''re here as well. I was wondering why Noah didn''t ask you to dine with us," asked Carla as she went to greet her since they had already seen each other.


    "Carla? What a coincidence! You''re here with¡ª Noah?" Julie stood up from her table and came out of the room, she glanced down the hall, trying to spot where Noah was.


    It was apparent by Julie''s reaction that she didn''t know that Noah was having dinner here with Carla. Carla suddenly felt awkward and self-conscious.


    ''Why did they both choose to dine at the same restaurant? Or was it just a coincidence?'' wondered Carla to herself.


    "It''s all right. You continue to enjoy your dinner," said Julie looking down at the floor.


    "No, wait, Julie!" Carla held her by the arm. She felt terrible that Julie had mistaken her dinner with Noah for something else.


    And she didn''t want Julie to suffer unnecessarily.


    Carla led her in front of their room and pulled the curtain apart. "Hey! Noah, look who I ran into," said Carla, smiling.


    Then she pulled Julie into the room with her.

 Chapter 182 Not Meant To Be

    Carla gazed at Noah. She noticed his eyes kept shifting from her and Julie back and forth. Then she took the seat across the two as Julie took her place beside Noah.


    Julie tried her best not to sit too close to Noah. When her hand grazed his sleeve, she jolted and shifted herself further away from him. Julie said, "Noah, I am here to dine with a friend. I didn''t expect you and Ms. Carla would also be here.


    Please don''t mind me. Just enjoy yourselves! My friend is waiting for me." She was about to stand up when she felt someone tug her hand.


    "Julie, there''s no need to be shy around us! Just invite your friend to dine with us."


    It was Carla who stopped her and Carla looked at Noah, convincing him to do something.


    Noah cleared his throat as if he knew what Carla was thinking. He smiled, "Julie, since we just bumped to each other, why not ask your friend to come dine with us?"


    Julie was surprised but it was replaced with a warm feeling in her system. She nodded as she smiled brightly. Then she called her friend to join them.


    Once they were all seated, Julie''s friend sat beside Carla.


    The girl was more energetic than Julie, judging from her sunny smile. She looked at Noah and enthusiastically greeted him, "It''s so great to meet you, Mr. Hua! Julie would always tell me about you. She keeps on going about how awesome you are. And finally, I met you in person! The person who makes my little Julie giddy!"


    "Lily, please stop it,"


    Julie whispered with her face getting flushed with embarrassment.


    Lily Bai''s eyes widened at Julie. "Come on, Julie! Why can''t you be more open to your boyfriend? You''re being too prude right now. If you won''t ask him, then I''ll ask for you!"


    Lily Bai''s eyes met Carla''s. "So hey, I don''t mean to be rude, miss, but what''s your relationship with Julie''s boyfriend?"


    Lily Bai was, after all, Julie''s best friend. She knew Julie could be some sort of a pushover and wasn''t expressive of her feelings. She took it upon herself to be some kind of spokesperson for Julie.


    Her sudden question made Carla dumbfounded. Then she broke into a polite smile. "Ah, Mr. Noah is a friend of mine. I was asking him for some information since I am going to a business trip tomorrow at HA City.


    Since he comes from there and has a large influence there, I was asking for some information. Maybe he could offer me some help during my stay."


    Noah looked at Carla. She didn''t tell them the truth that he asked her out. Was she trying to protect him by making up stories?


    "Hmph, I see. Looks like you''re quite familiar with Mr. Hua, eh? You just called him by his first name. Do you know him well?" Lily Bai pushed on, ignoring Julie''s


    dly, "Julie, I''ll transfer the two properties to you. The BMW will also be yours."


    Julie fell back onto her seat when she heard his words. Tears kept on flowing from her widened eyes.


    "Noah, please don''t do that to me. I promise I won''t make the same mistakes again! We have been together for so many years. We have been through so much. Please don''t cast me aside because of one mistake," she begged.


    Noah slowly turned to look at the teary Julie. She rarely showed him her tears.


    "I think I have already told that I am going to that restaurant. Why did you show up when you clearly knew I would be there?"


    He spoke coldly.


    "Even though you didn''t tell Lily to say anything, I know you allowed her to say those things and I bet you were secretly glad. Don''t you dare to hide it from me.


    Julie, you are still young. With the properties I will give you, you can go find and marry a man who loves you and will give you a happy life. It''s over between us. Leave me be."


    Once he was finished speaking, he opened the door and got off.


    Then he threw the key at the parking valet and started walking to the hotel.


    Julie hurriedly got off the car and tried to catch up with him. Her hair was getting messy and her dress was ruined. But she didn''t care. She grabbed his hand again, put it on her cheek, and pleaded, "Please. Don''t leave me! I''m sorry. Give me another chance. I beg you."


    Noah looked at her. He didn''t care if the hotel staff were staring and gossiping amongst themselves. He gave her a warm smile and said, "Julie, we are just not meant to be. It''s over."


    Then he withdrew his hand away from her and walked towards the lift. Julie stood frozen with her hand still slightly outstretching. Her tears flowed as she swallowed down the broken pieces of her heart.

 Chapter 183 A Stopover In JA City

    Julie stared at Noah''s back. He was cold but restrained without any sign of anger. Her heart sank.


    She knew him well.


    Noah was a determined man. His words were like spilled water, and there was no chance that he would take them back. No matter what happened in the future, he would never come back for her.


    Julie would never be a part of his world again.


    Even though Noah was cold emotionally, he wasn''t stingy with his money. A considerable sum of money was transferred to Julie''s account in less than an hour.


    The houses, car, and money that Noah had left for her were more than enough to set her up for the rest of her life.


    It was just that¡ª


    She would never see Noah again.


    It was soon nightfall.


    Carla had returned home exhausted. She had a shower and then shuffled to the bed.


    But she was still worried about Julie, so she decided to make a call to Noah to ease her mind.


    "Hello, Noah. It''s me, Carla. How is Julie? Is she still angry?" she asked as she sat up in her bed.


    Julie didn''t look okay when they were having the meal. Carla wondered if she was all right.


    Carla would feel terrible if the couple started an argument because of her.


    "Everything is fine." Noah''s tone sounded very peaceful.


    Carla heaved a sigh of relief. She nodded and said, "I''m glad. Noah, women get jealous very easily, so don''t take anything seriously. And just so you know we like sweet words rather than dull lectures. You should say something nice to comfort her."


    Noah fell silent for a moment before replying, "I see. Thank you."


    "Good. You''re a man. So be kind to your girlfriend and don''t start a fight. That''s all I called you for. I''m going to sleep now. Bye."


    Carla hung up the phone.


    She had barely put the phone down when it rang.


    "My sweet Terence! Miss me?"


    Carla answered the phone excitedly as soon as she saw that it was Terence.


    "Who were you talking to just now? It took you a while to answer." Terence sounded a little jealous from the other end.


    Carla was immediately aware that Terence must have called her several times. She couldn''t help laughing. "Goodness me, I can smell your jealousy from miles away. Let''s go to video chat. I can''t wait to see your jealous face!"


    She hung up the phone and pressed video chat.


    A second later Terence''s handsome face appeared on the screen.


    Carla''s eyes sparkled when she look


    d Carla to the limo. Since it was noon, Terence took her out for lunch first before they went home.


    As soon as Carla got into the limo, she began searching for something here and there.


    "What are you looking for?" Terence couldn''t help but burst out laughing when he saw her like that.


    Carla didn''t answer him. She found what she was looking for in the locker under the bench chair. She turned to look at Terence with a flash of slyness in her black-pearl-like eyes. She held the condom up and waved it slightly in front of him as she smiled.


    Terence had to stifle a laugh. He watched as his bold woman came to him and straddled his lap. He ran his hand along her thigh and groaned seductively, "You just can''t wait, can you?"


    Carla poked him in the chest and looked up at him. "Something for a starter, you know. But I have to remind you first. We don''t do this in the afternoon. I would like to spend the afternoon with Sean. So we can only make love twice today."


    She had to set the rules first.


    Carla was well aware of Terence''s appetite for lovemaking. If she hadn''t set the rules, then they would be taking her to the airport on a stretcher tomorrow morning.


    Terence couldn''t contain himself anymore. He burst out laughing and pinched Carla on the cheek. "You are so cute, babe. I just can''t stop loving you."


    She was so adorable so different, so raw and sincere. And she was just so good at firing him up.


    He couldn''t imagine his life without her.


    If that day should ever come, how could he possibly find another woman just like her? She was irreplaceable.

 Chapter 184 Be With You Forever (Part One)

    "You should know damn well that you''re supposed to love me. The two of us should forever be in love. How could we possibly live together if you''re not in love with me?" Carla articulated, sitting on his lap and staring him down straight in the eyes.


    Love was the vital source of life of marriage. There was no way she could accept a marriage unbounded by love.


    Terence then rested the palm of his hand on the back of her head, planted a kiss on her soft lips and swore to her, "I love you so much. Of course, I do! You should be well aware of that!"


    Peering right into his eyes, Carla was able to tell that it was what he genuinely felt. For that very reason, she couldn''t hold herself back from grinning like a Cheshire cat. Leaning in a little closer, she then kissed him back.


    As Carla was getting up from his lap, Terence suddenly reeled her in. And without any warning, he slipped his tongue right into her mouth.


    Being quite crazy in love, they passionately got all over each other, when suddenly the car came to a bend, causing the two of them to abruptly fall off the seats.


    Terence was thrown on top of Carla, his eyes glittering with intense desire, so anxious to get his hands all over her at that moment.


    It seemed that luck was on Carla''s side this time though, because the ride to where they were heading to wasn''t that long. So, they were able to get to their destination within just half an hour.


    The moment the car stopped, Carla stopped Terence in his tracks and prevented him from doing anything to her.


    Heaving an audible, deep, and lengthy sigh, Terence unwillingly got off of Carla. She then quickly sat up and fixed herself up. Terence, in turn, grabbed his shirt from the floor and put it back on.


    As Carla exited the limousine, she was stunned by how the fancy restaurant looked from the outside.


    re. And besides, Terence was still waiting for her at their table.


    After quickly putting on her dress, she slowly opened the door of her cubicle and casually walked outside. She then went straight into the wash area.


    She tried her best to lower her head, but she still unintentionally caught a glimpse of the man.


    At a quick glance, he looked a bit familiar.


    Thus, she decided to give him a second look.


    Wasn''t that Johnny? The man who had just lost to her?


    When Johnny finally noticed that the woman was looking at him, he looked back and his blood ran cold the moment he saw Carla''s reflection in the mirror. The passion he had been feeling just seconds ago drifted away in a blink of an eye.


    Carla acted as if she hadn''t noticed them at all. As soon as she was done washing her hands, she simply exited the restroom as though nothing happened.


    "What''s the matter, Mr. Johnny? Is everything okay?" the woman asked, feeling a bit confused. She had been too caught up in a whirlwind of emotions that she didn''t even realize that there was someone else in the restroom at all.


    And on top of that, Johnny''s men were standing guard outside so she was certain that no one else could possibly come in after them,

 Chapter 185 Be With You Forever (Part Two)

    completely unaware of the fact that Carla had actually gone in before them.


    She tried to haul Johnny back in, but he had already lost interest upon being interrupted. He pushed her away and sorted himself out before heading out first.


    In the hall, Terence saw her coming from a mile away.


    "You''re finally back!" he exclaimed as she walked closer.


    Terence took a quick peep at her waist. Although the finish wasn''t anything great, at the very least, it wasn''t easily noticeable anymore. He signaled to the waiter and then he promptly handed a bag over to him.


    Out of curiosity, Carla opened it and saw a fresh dress inside the bag. She naturally smiled and told him, "I''ll just change into it after we have lunch."


    "You may do as you please," Terence replied. Then, he proceeded to serve a plate of his own beefsteak for her, which he had already cut into bite-sized pieces. Terence didn''t really care what she wore. All that mattered was whether she felt comfortable wearing it.


    Spending quite some time laboring on her dress, Carla was actually quite starving by the time she returned to their table, so she gladly basked in the full flavor of the beefsteak.


    As she was happily enjoying her lunchtime, she suddenly felt someone''s eyes piercing right through her. She abruptly looked up to check who it could possibly be, but there was no one standing there.


    She tried looking around and found Johnny and his friend sitting at another table. What was strange though, was that the woman she had seen together with him wasn''t there with them.


    "What is it that you''re looking at?" Terence queried as he set the dessert right in front of her at the table.


    Carla pointed toward where Johnny was seated and remarked, "See that? The man lost to me last time is also eating here at this restaurant."


    Terence looked at the direction where she was


    umor him with a response, instead she just beamed him a smile and rested her arm on top of his.


    Grabbing his hand tightly, she touched a small gear piece on the fish''s head. And right then and there, the two fishes were suddenly securely locked together.


    She had clear white skin and her arm was slim. On the other hand, he was tan and muscular. Together, their arms seemed to have painted a harmonious picture.


    Seeing the two fishes intertwined was more than enough to melt Terence''s heart.


    With their arms locked together, using her free hand, Carla grabbed her cell phone and took a picture of their bracelets connected together. Then, she went ahead and set that picture as her cell phone''s wallpaper.


    "Look! Isn''t it beautiful?"


    She appeared to be so delighted to show him her new wallpaper.


    "Yes, it definitely is so beautiful!" Terence honestly thought so as well. He intended to take out his cell phone to also take a picture of it himself. However, it slipped his mind that their bracelets were still locked together firmly as he reached out his arm into his pocket.


    A man''s arm strength tended to be quite powerful.


    Being caught by surprise, Carla was instantaneously dragged down by his unexpected movement.

 Chapter 186 Punish You To Face The Wall

    Bang!


    Carla bumped against the table and hit her hip on its edge.


    A bottle of a limited edition 1982 Bordeaux red wine fell and rolled to the floor. It broke into a hundred pieces and spilled wine around the area.


    When they heard the loud crash, all the patrons in the restaurant raised their heads up to look for the source of the noise and wanted to know what happened.


    "I''m sorry, Carla. I just can''t do it. How do you unlock this thing?" Terence asked while his fingers fumbled with the lock of the bracelet. He didn''t see clearly how Carla was able to lock their bracelets together.


    Carla huffed and swatted Terence''s fingers away from her bracelet. She reached up to touch the lock and flick it open.


    Luckily the bracelet was made with hemp rope and the force didn''t tear it apart.


    She straightened her posture and discovered she was stained with red wine everywhere, on her hands, her arms, her dress, and her shoes. She tapped her face and felt some streaks of wine on her cheeks and chin. What a mess!


    "Oh wow! Your bracelet is so beautiful, Miss. Where did you get it?"


    the woman seated at the table beside them asked. The woman''s eyes sparkled at the sight of Carla''s bracelet. She nudged her boyfriend beside her and pointed to the jewlery.


    "Which store did you buy it from? I would love to get one, too!"


    The other women patrons heard the woman gush over Carla''s bracelet and rushed to her. They ask her the same question and fawn over the bracelet at the same time.


    Carla needed to clean herself up before it got more difficult to remove the wine stains but the woman swarmed her and made it impossible for her to get away first. She ended up sharing the address to get them to leave her alone.


    They might not be able to find the exact one when they went to the store, though, since it was an antique shop and every product was a one-of-a-kind product.


    Johnny wanted to laugh at and tease Carla from his table. But he couldn''t do it and shifted his eyes away from Carla and Terence.


    He had just witnessed their love for each other first hand and was no longer in the mood to do it.


    Terence took off his jacket and placed it on Carla''s shoulders. He led her to the toilet so she could clean up. He kissed her on the forehead and whispered in her ear, "I''m so sorry, Carla. That was my fault."


    It was his fault. He was the one who placed Carla in this awkward situation.


    He reached into his pocket for his handkerchief and wiped away the wine stain on her chin. His other hand caressed her cheek and he gave her a sweet smile.


    Carla didn''t want to see that same look he always gave her when he messed up. She took the handkerchief from his hand and went straight to the sink. She soaked the handkerchief with cold water and used it to wipe the stains on her face.


    "Fine. I''ll take your apology. But you''re going to face the wall and think what you did," Ca


    ew.


    "Terence, why do you keep staring at me?"


    Carla asked. She plucked a piece of grape from the fruit platter on the table in front of them. She threw it in her mouth while she stared at Terence. When they arrived at the villa, Terence freshened up and changed his clothes before he joined Carla on the top floor.


    He couldn''t believe she was there and couldn''t stop staring at her. Terence checked his watch and smirked.


    "Didn''t you tell me to face the wall for an hour and think about what I did? Well, facing the wall is too boring. That''s why I''d rather face you."


    ''Well, at least, it''s not another woman, ''


    Carla thought to herself. ''Every girl would dream to have Terence stare at her for an hour or even all day.''


    Carla plucked another piece of grape and bit into it to cut it in half. She crossed her legs underneath her and faced Terence. "Well, I asked you to face the wall. I mean, do I look like a wall to you?"


    Being stared at for a long time made her uncomfortable.


    Terence continued to stare at her while he laid down on the sofa. He couldn''t move his eyes away from her.


    Carla shifted in her seated position. She had been enjoying the fruits but now his stare made her paranoid.


    "Fine, you don''t have to face the wall. Just stop staring," Carla conceded. His gaze felt like a million ants crawled all over her skin.


    Every woman dreamt of a handsome man who couldn''t stop staring at her, but it was a different story when they gazed at you for an hour.


    Carla felt like such a fool though.


    "Of course, you need to punish me. I''ll do everything you say since you''ll be my future wife," Terence countered. He sat up and checked his watch. "Five minutes have already passed," Terence teased Carla. "Fifty-five more minutes to go."


    He brought his fingers to his lips to kiss it and held it against Carla''s own lips. He smiled and resumed his position on the sofa, his eyes remained on Carla.

 Chapter 187 What Did You Paint

    Carla felt agitated when she found out that there was still fifty-five minutes to go. She stood up from the sofa and paced impatiently around the room.


    She glanced at Terence and saw his smiling eyes following her around the room.


    She finally stopped pacing and closed her eyes and let out a long exasperated breath. ''Okay, just let him be. He can do whatever he wants. After all, it''s a rare opportunity that he will get to gaze at me for such a long time, '' thought Carla.


    Terence narrowed his eyes. ''What''s she up to?''


    Carla then strode off to find the paints, brushes, canvas and everything else that she may need to paint a picture. In the Seaview Villa, you could almost find anything. You named it, and it was probably there.


    Painting a picture would be the most time-consuming activity right now.


    She prepared the canvas on the easel and squeezed out various paint colors onto the palette.


    She then stared at the canvas, mentally working out the outline of the man sitting on the sofa.


    Terence couldn''t help but laugh out loud when he noticed that Carla was using him as her model. Actually, he admired her cleverness.


    This way, not only could she ease the embarrassment but also¡ª


    "Hey! Don''t move! Get into a relaxed pose and then stop moving!"


    demanded Carla.


    Terence cleared his throat and said, "Okay, when you finish it, I''ll get it framed and hang it up in the living room."


    Carla wanted to laugh at his suggestion, but she held it in and straightened up.


    Terence frowned slightly and wondered what the final result would be like since Carla was snickering weirdly.


    Carla made a draft with a pencil deciding the rough outline. After that, she started to mix the colors and brush them on the canvas.


    Watching Carla, who was totally engrossed in painting Terence almost believed that she could actually be a talented artist.


    This woman had so much hidden potential. He thought that he knew everything about her, but she always managed to surprise him with something new.


    The minutes ticked away.


    Terence looked at his watch and reminded her, "Master Carla, it''s already been one hour and twenty minutes. Have you finish


    right, they would suffer more if they rushed into the marriage.


    He wanted to give Carla a happy marriage, not one filled with pressure and problems.


    Sean may not know, but Carla could understand it.


    Although she didn''t know exactly what he was waiting for. But, for now, it was definitely not the best time to get married.


    She was well aware of that.


    "All right, Sean, it''s adult business, and we''ll sort it out. Now your job is to study hard. You behaving well is the best thing you can do for me,"


    said Carla smiling as she caressed his hair with affection.


    Sean nodded and promised. "Carla, don''t worry, I will. I''ll let everyone know that Carla has an amazing brother!"


    Sean was not like Terence.


    Terence would become Carla''s husband. But Sean would be the only man in the Ji family. If he became powerful one day, then the An family would respect his sister more.


    "Sean, take your sister to have dinner. She especially came to visit you. You two have a good time," said Terence.


    He opened the door of the elevator and let them go down first.


    Then, he went to the table near the sofa to pick up their phones.


    It was already getting dark outside, and the lights in the villa gradually turned on.


    When Terence picked up the phones and was about to go down and join them, he suddenly remembered the painting.


    So he turned back and walked to see the painting that had made him suffer for two hours straight.

 Chapter 188 Terences Portrait

    Terence approached the easel with curiosity.


    The lights in the room were almost all turned off, so the room had only dim light. Terence could only vaguely make out an outline on the canvas.


    He didn''t really expect that Carla would do a portrait of him, and as he came to stand in front of the canvas, his suspicions were confirmed. He saw an image of a pig on the paper.


    The pig was drawn in great detail. It had a fat body and cute ears, but the most striking feature was its uplifted plump butt and behind it a puff of air. The pig was obviously farting.


    "Oh my! I can''t believe it¡ª"


    Terence removed the picture from the easel and studied it for a moment. He couldn''t help but grin about it.


    However, when he remembered how Carla made him sit still for two hours straight just to draw the silly pig picture, he was somewhat irritated. His back was still sore, even now. But he resisted the urge to tear it up.


    Terence turned to leave, but something on the easel had caught his eye. He turned back and looked closer at another canvas on it. Because the room was so dimly lit, he hadn''t noticed it initially when he removed the picture of the pig.


    Terence stopped


    and then his eyes lit up as soon as he saw what it was. His heart melted, and he was so happy.


    He stood alone in the quiet room and


    smiled joyfully.


    His heart was filled with love and tenderness.


    The picture of the pig that was in his hand dropped to the floor. Terence pulled up a chair and sat in front of the easel, admiring the painting that Carla had done.


    It was after all a painted portrait of Terence on the canvas. The man staring back at him looked like Terence, although it wasn''t as good as professional artistic work. But it did have Terence''s unique characteristics. As an amateur painter, she showed true raw talent.


    ''Isn''t this girl a treasure?


    The odds were all against her. You would imagine that Carla would be an ordinary girl considering the family she grew up in and her education. However, she had surprised me with her excellent horsemanship and now with her talented painting skills.


    She was born to be an outstanding person, but her real talents had been suppressed because of her misfortune in life.


    Otherwise, who knows what she may have achieved by now given the opportunity, '' Terence thought proudly.


    Terence remembered that Bryant mentioned once that Carla''s and Sean''s father was a teacher when he was alive. He liked to paint and do calligraphy as a hobby. Carla must have learned to paint from her father.


    Carla had been taken away from the Hua family from when she was o


    m the bookshelf.


    "What are you doing, Carla?" Terence asked. He then came in and reached the book for her and hugged her from behind.


    Carla put the book on the table and moved his arms away and continued to reach for another book.


    "The business trip will last for several days, so I was thinking to grab some books to take with me in case I feel bored at night," she answered.


    She wasn''t really playing hide-and-seek with him. The idea had occurred to her at that moment, so she ran off to get some books from his study for the trip.


    Terence helped her take all the books that she needed.


    "Do you need more?" he asked anxiously. He was actually eager to touch her right now. How many books did she need?


    Carla looked at the four books and said, "Nope. I think that''s enough."


    As soon as she answered, Terence, pounced, hugging her, and kissed her lips.


    "Carla, this place is perfect! Having sex in the study. I like it!" Terence smiled.


    "You are crazy," Carla teased. Then he turned down the lights and pushed her against the bookshelf.


    The room was dimly lit with faint yellow lights. Their heavy breathing was especially obvious in the quiet study.


    Terence was very passionate and aroused that the whole bookshelf rocked with his movements.


    Carla closed her eyes and held his shoulders, enjoying the feeling that Terence gave her. When suddenly an object fell down, making a sound. She opened her eyes and glanced at it.


    Suddenly she opened her eyes wide and pushed Terence away immediately.


    "Carla! What happened?" Terence asked in a husky breathless voice frowning at her sudden action.


    Carla wrapped herself with the bath towel and bent down to pick up the object.


    It was a tiny photo frame.

 Chapter 189 Terences Long Lost Love

    The photo frame was dusty, indicating that it had not been touched for a long time.


    After inspecting the photo, Carla threw it at Terence and asked, "What is that?"


    Terence was astonished as he was still filled with lust. He picked up the frame and looked at the picture. His eyebrows immediately furrowed.


    "I don''t know this woman," he answered resolutely.


    Carla didn''t believe him. She pointed at the photo frame again and accused him, "Why did you have a picture with her if you don''t even know her? You even hid it in such a concealed place!"


    In the picture, Terence could be seen with a girl.


    He looked much younger, and the girl with him looked like she was of the same age. They looked like they were really happy as evidenced by their wide smiles. They were really close with each other. Terence even had his arms around her. Anyone who saw the picture would undoubtedly have the idea that they looked like a young couple.


    His bookshelf occupied the whole of the wall. The photo frame, on the other hand, was the same size as a book. Therefore, nobody found it amidst the numerous books.


    Terence brushed his hair fretfully and stared at the photo frame. If someone saw him, they would think he was looking at a test paper. He started to frown, trying really hard to recognize the girl. ''Who is this woman?'' Terence kept repeating in his head.


    After a while, he just gave up. He really could not recognize the girl no matter how hard he tried.


    "Carla, I really can''t figure out who she was. She might be one of my friends but I''m not sure. After all, it was a long time ago. Basing from this picture, I''d say it was taken before I joined the army. But I don''t have a single clue about it¡ªthe location, the time and most especially the girl!"


    Terence looked into her eyes and explained as genuinely as he could.


    Thankfully, his serious and sincere expression finally convinced Carla. She put the frame down on the table and decided to let the matter go. It was natural for her to get mad at Terence at that moment because this intimate picture appeared when they were having sex.


    But everyone had a past, even her.


    She had seen pictures of him with other girls before. However, what was really bothering her...


    "Are you sure I''m your first one? You didn''t lie to me, right?" Carla suddenly asked.


    She wanted to know his answer. She didn''t mind his ex-girlfriends who had already separated with him.


    She only cared about whether he lied to her or not.


    She could forgive everything as long as he was honest with her.


    "It''s true. I didn''t lie to you about this fact," Terence immediately and calmly answered. He pressed his forehead against hers and threw the photo frame to the tras


    Nathan hesitated.


    "We don''t know actually. But I only know you went camping with her in a mountain once, alone. As for what you did there... W-we don''t know," Nathan stammered.


    Bang! Terence pounded on the table. "What did you say?"


    Nathan replied in the sincerest voice he could muster, "Mr. Terence, you are our boss! We couldn''t tell you what to do or not. You liked Erica just like how you like Miss Carla right now.


    Mr. Nicholas adored you so much that he didn''t intervene in your love affair with Erica even though she was the daughter of a servant. As for us, we didn''t dare to say anything since Mr. Nicolas allowed your relationship with her."


    Terence asked in a trembling voice, "What? The daughter of a servant?"


    Rainer didn''t know anything about this old story because he had been in abroad for training at that time. The story also surprised him and he teased, "Mr. Terence, it seems that you have a preference for Cinderella girls.


    But it has been a decade from now. Does it matter if you don''t remember? She could be-"


    Terence gave him a warning glare and he stopped talking immediately.


    To take Terence''s attention away from Rainer, Nathan started to explain, "Yes, Mr. Terence. She was the daughter of a servant. She was a year younger than you, and you were in a relationship with her for one year. You completely forgot her after you were injured. Mr. Nicholas sent her away and she disappeared since then."


    Terence couldn''t believe such an absurd story. He continued to rub his temples and looked at the beautiful girl in the picture.


    "Rainer, Nathan, you have to keep this secret for me. Don''t tell anyone a word about it, especially to Carla, is that clear?" Terence said as he addressed Rainer and Nathan simultaneously.


    Nathan and Rainer nodded, "Yes, Mr. Terence!"

 Chapter 190 Carlas First Visit To HA City

    After Nathan and Rainer left Terence frowned at the picture that was on the table. He then picked it up and fed it through the shredder and threw the shredded pieces in the trash.


    Terence had long gone and forgotten about the love he once had for the girl in the picture. It was ten years ago. If it hadn''t fallen from the bookshelf during their passionate lovemaking, he wouldn''t have even known that it was still there and be reminded of it.


    But Rainer was right. It was a thing of the past


    even if he didn''t remember it didn''t matter. After all, it was no big deal. It was only an infatuation from his youthful years. Right now, he only had eyes for Carla and no one else.


    Besides, it was a long time ago.


    Terence decided that today he would turn a new leaf


    no matter what had happened in the past or what might happen in the future. One thing he was certain was that Carla would be the only woman in his heart, and that wasn''t going to change for anything or anyone.


    Terence figured that Carla would have landed at the airport of HA City by now, so he picked up the cell phone on the table and dialed her number.


    At the airport of HA City


    as soon as Carla got off the plane with her luggage, she got a call from Terence.


    "Have you arrived yet?"


    Carla put her suitcase down and sat on it while she spoke to Terence. "Yes, I just arrived, and I was just about to go to the hotel that you booked for me."


    "Okay, just wait on the curbside the car I have arranged to pick you up is on the way. I''ll send you the license plate number to your phone, so you know which car to look out for," Terence said as he sent her the plate number of the car. "Carla, you''re a stranger to HA City and not familiar with anyone or the place. Try to avoid going out at night."


    "Come on, Terence. I''m not a little kid anymore. Don''t worry about me. I''ll stay safe," said Carla as she kept an eye on the cars passing by.


    "I get what you are saying. But you can''t be too careful. You''ve never been there, and I''m not there with you." Terence was still worried about her. Even though he had arranged his people to protect her. If she found herself in real danger, she would have to get out of it herself.


    Carla suddenly smiled and guessed what Terence was anxious about. "Are you afraid that Bonnie will try to do something to hurt me? It will be okay. HA City is such a big city, and there are so many people here. How could she possibly know that I''m here?"


    "Okay, well, if there is anything that you need or have a problem with whether it''s to do with work or anything else, please don''t hesitate to call me for anything. Okay?" said Terence.


    "Yes, yes, yes. I get it," Carla answered before she said bye and hung up.


    Then she saw the car that


    d. Anyway, it was still early, and it was probably a good idea to have dinner first and then go back to the hotel.


    "Well, okay, then. Thank you."


    She trusted Hardy Lin because he was the one that Terence had arranged for her.


    After driving for a while, Hardy Lin finally stopped the car at a remote location. Carla looked around a little confused and asked, "Hardy, is there a restaurant out here in the middle of nowhere?"


    "Oh, well, Miss Carla, just as the old proverb goes, ''Good wine needs no bush.'' Although this restaurant is a little secluded, the food is excellent and delicious. You''ll know what I''m talking about when you try it," replied Hardy Lin whose eyes were shining strangely. He got out of the car and looked around nervously and then walked over to open the door for Carla and walked ahead with her leaving the car behind.


    That was when Carla noticed that there was something wrong with the way he walked.


    "Hardy, what''s wrong with your legs?" Carla asked, surprised. ''Before I went into the factory, he was fine. Why is he limping now?'' Carla wondered.


    "Oh¡ªI''m fine. It''s just my rheumatism playing up," hesitated Hardy Lin. Then he suddenly stopped in his tracks and said anxiously, "Actually, Miss Carla, let''s go back to the car."


    Carla looked at him in surprise. She wondered what was going on with him. He was acting very peculiar.


    ''Why would he suggest to bring me out all this way to have dinner and then say that we should go back without even having dinner?'' thought Carla.


    But Hardy Lin seemed to have made up his mind. He grabbed her arm and began to nearly drag her back, hurriedly to the car.


    Just at that moment before they made it back to the car, there was a loud gritty voice that called out from behind them.


    "Stop right there! Since you''re here, it''s too late to run now!"

 Chapter 191 Carla Was In Danger Once Again

    Carla stopped and tried to turn around instinctively. However, Hardy dragged her limping towards the car without even looking back.


    When they were just several steps away from the car, a man suddenly approached them. He grabbed Hardy by the arm and threw him on the ground. "Looks like you did not get enough in the toilet. Let me beat the shit out of you again. You certainly deserve it. I told you to bring her here. Where are you taking her?"


    Then he turned to his men and shouted to them, "Come here. Beat the shit out of him! Don''t kill him. Just beat him until he realizes that death is much better than being alive. Also, keep him breathing just a bit if it''s okay."


    Hardy shouted at Carla, "Miss Carla, I''m so sorry. I... I... I didn''t mean to hurt you."


    That was when Carla remembered that there was something wrong with the way he walked. It turned out that the gang of thugs had already had their eyes on her when they were still in the factory. At that time, they hit and threatened Hardy. They forced him to take Carla to the place where they were now.


    "What are you trying to do?"


    Carla asked him while staring at the evil-looking men who were advancing on her. All of the men had tattoos either on their arms or on their legs.


    "Take her away!"


    The man who was wearing a black vest shouted at the men behind him. He had an azure dragon tattoo on both of his arms.


    Before Carla was dragged away, she heard that some people were beating and threatening Hardy, "Listen! If you dare report this to Terence secretly, all of your family members in HA City will have a hard time. Think carefully."


    Carla then realized that she was in HA City and not JA City.


    Everyone knew that HA City was the territory of the Hua family.


    ''How did Bonnie know that I came to HA City?


    The only person I informed of my plans was Noah. Was he the one who told Bonnie where I would be?


    Maybe they are working together?'' thought Carla.


    She looked around and found that she had been taken to a brothel. Carla couldn''t help but laugh bitterly. The last time she was kidnapped, she was taken to a cement building. She found it funny that this time, it was a brothel.


    They took her to a different place but their purpose was the same. It was to ruin her.


    The place appeared to be a magnificent entertainment center on the outside. However, Carla could tell immediately at a glance that it was just a false facade.


    There were plenty of sexy girls in cat woman costumes. They were walking all over the place. They had bottles in both their hands. They were flirting with the guests from time to time. Some even went into private rooms with the customers.


    Carla was taken into a dark room. The door was locked from the outside. Her bag and cell phone were taken away from her. She couldn''t see nor hear anything except for some moans and groa


    tampons. "The bathroom is in there. Once you are finished, come out right away."


    Carla thanked Erica before she entered the bathroom.


    When she got out of the bathroom, Erica asked her to change into a different uniform. She also made her wear a pair of cat earrings. When she was satisfied with how Carla looked, they left the locker room.


    As soon as they came out, the sounds of shouting and screaming filled their ears.


    While looking around, Carla realized that there was some kind of caste system in the brothel. Some of the girls were wearing cat costumes while others were wearing rabbit costumes. There were also some dressed in dog costumes. Carla didn''t know what it meant but she noticed that their duties were different.


    On Erica''s orders, Carla was assigned to the front desk. She needed to deliver what the customers ordered according to their appropriate seats and private rooms.


    First, she went to the front desk to get the order. Next, she walked to the bar for a bottle of wine. Then, she took the wine to a private room on the fourth floor.


    Erica was right. It was a place from which no one can escape.


    Carla looked around and found out that there were guards at every exit. There were also cameras everywhere.


    As for the girls, they didn''t seem to be forced to work here like Carla. Instead, they seemed to have volunteered to work here.


    When she entered the private room, Carla gritted her teeth. She tried to stop herself from hitting the customer with the bottle in her hand. When she got out, she massaged her thighs desperately with her hand.


    She took a deep breath and thought of it as being licked by a dog. Just as the old proverb said, ''Lack of forbearance in small matters upsets great plans.''


    However, Carla didn''t expect that


    when she came downstairs, Brooke would suddenly appear. He ordered his men to grab her arm and to drag her into a room.

 Chapter 192 The Entertainment Club

    "Mr. Brooke, please, I have obeyed all your orders. What are you going to do to me now?" Carla asked.


    Brooke pushed her into the room and thrust a phone into her hand.


    It was her cellphone.


    "Someone called for you. Call them back and tell them you were in the shower. That''s why you missed their call. Tell them. Now! Call them!"


    Brooke commanded. He chewed on his gum while he took a sharp knife from his men. He pressed it against Carla''s throat and threatened, "Don''t say a word about us. Or I''ll slit your throat! Your friend won''t be fast enough to save you!"


    Carla held back her tears and assured him, "I won''t try to do anything stupid, Mr. Brooke. I promise I won''t tell them anything about this and about you. Please, just don''t hurt me with the knife, please!"


    But Brooke kept the knife against her throat. She fought back her tears and lifted her cellphone to eye level so she could check her calls. There were five unanswered calls.


    Four were from Terence, and the last one was from- Noah? What!


    Carla took a few deep breaths to calm herself before she talked to Brooke again, "Mr. Brooke, please, can you move the knife away while I make the call? The knife is making me nervous. And my friends will hear that I''m nervous while I''m talking to them. They''ll know something is wrong."


    Brooke thought for a minute and removed the knife from her throat. He knew she couldn''t escape anyway. And even if she told them, she would be dead before they could find her.


    Carla took several more deep breaths to calm her nerves. She turned to her phone while she fought back tears. She was about to press Terence''s name when her phone rang.


    "Answer it, now! And use the speaker!"


    Brooke commanded in a panic.


    Carla accepted the call and answered, "Hello?" She tried to make herself sound normal.


    "Carla! Where have you been? I have been calling you several times!" Terence''s voice boomed on the speaker. He was worried when Carla didn''t answer his call immediately.


    Carla cleared her throat to clear the nerves. She bit her lower lip before she answered, "No need to panic, Terence. I was just in the shower; that''s why I wasn''t able to answer your calls."


    "Are you all right, Carla?" Terence continued to ask. He had been worried when she didn''t answer but he was relieved when he finally heard her voice.


    He called her five times and she only answered on the fifth call. He was ready to organize a search party for her.


    "Yes, yes, I''m fine. Hey, did you like the pig that I drew for you?" she asked. A smile formed on her lips unconsciously as she remembered her small gift for Terence. Tears threatened


    both legal and illegal channels. Nobody could and would dare to offend him, especially in HA City.


    "Mr. Brooke, please. I know you took me here because someone ordered you to do it. But you need to think about what you''re doing now. Whose side are you on? Who is more important? Mr. Noah or this other person?"


    It might not be against her throat anymore but Brooke still kept the knife near and ready to attack in case Carla did something he didn''t like. She tried to pacify him and reason with him instead.


    Because now, she was sure it was Bonnie who asked Brooke to kidnap her. There was no one else who could hate her that much.


    Bonnie did it all behind Noah. Noah had no idea that Bonnie had done such a thing or he wouldn''t have called her.


    Brooke didn''t answer Carla. He didn''t know what to say. But, before he could answer, one of his men called him.


    "Brooke, you got a call from the boss!"


    One of his men handed him the cell phone.


    "What''s going on now? Is everything going according to plan?"


    Bonnie demanded on the other side of the line as soon as Brooke answered.


    "Yes, you can rest assured. Everything is going according to plan," Brooke answered with a tremble in his voice.


    "It better be. I want you to use your cellphone and take a video of her. Make sure I can see her face clearly. And make sure it''s a long video. Then send it to me. Once you send it, I''ll give you what I promised. You have my word,"


    Bonnie reminded Brooke.


    She thought that Carla had someone film her in a sex video in the past. And today, Carla must go through a similar event.


    The video would be sent to Terence, her brother Noah, and all the people who knew Carla.


    She needed to let them know what a shameless dirty cunt Carla was!

 Chapter 193 Just Accept Your Fate (Part One)

    "Of course, that can be done easily. But can you wait a bit? We have very important guests right now and she needs to attend to them. And we do not want to offend them, especially since they will appear in the video, too. How about this? I''ll wait until the important guests leave, so you can get the video tomorrow?"


    Brooke suggested. He glanced over at Carla and glared at her.


    "Fine. Send me the video tomorrow morning. When the guests leave, you''ll have the chance and plenty of time before dawn comes," Bonnie agreed since her plan was still intact.


    Anyway, Carla was not an innocent woman any longer. She was working as a prostitute now. Bonnie had already won half the battle and she wasn''t in a hurry to declare her victory.


    ''Will Terence accept a whore?'' Bonnie thought to herself. A vicious smile appeared on her lips. ''I don''t think so. He may be kind but he''s not a saint.''


    "Yes, of course. You can count on us,"


    Brooke promised Bonnie on the phone.


    He gave the phone back to his men and smirked at Carla, "See? I''m not the one who wants to harm you." Brooke turned to his men and pointed to Carla, "Take her out! Get her to work now!"


    Brooke strode out of the room and left Carla with his men.


    Brooke was still disturbed because of Noah''s call. ''Mr. Noah might want to protect Carla. I don''t want to disobey him. What if he knows about this plan?


    ''But Miss Bonnie insists on revenging on Carla. And Miss Bonnie is Mr. Noah''s younger sister. It is her decision, not mine. So Mr. Noah won''t blame on me.


    I''d better do as Miss Bonnie bids.'' Brooke made up his mind.


    Carla watched Brooke leave. Her stomach rumbled and she kn


    fought back her tears and changed into the purple dress. She took the plate that Erica gave her and dragged herself to the private rooms on the second floor.


    Carla stopped and took a deep breath. She held her shoulders high. ''I won''t give in. I am the master of my own fate!'' Carla told herself.


    ''If it had to come to the worst, I would rather die than be ruined by them.


    I will do this for Terence so he can keep me in his mind his whole life, '' Carla smiled through her tears.


    She knew Terence was not going to be able to save her. This was HA City, not JA City and it was going to take time for him to get here.


    Besides, HA City was a big city, under the domain of the Hua family. It was going to be a miracle if he could come to her quickly.


    "Go inside now! Don''t just stand there. Chop-chop!"


    One man saw Carla had stood frozen outside the door and shouted at her.


    Carla grimaced. She felt so disgusted but she knew she had to endure this for a few more days so she could escape. She opened the door and stepped inside to be greeted by a sea of strange faces. Panic rose up in her.

 Chapter 194 Just Accept Your Fate (Part Two)

    When she entered the room, all the men sized her up instantly. Some licked their lips while they looked at her from head to toe. Some smirked and some frowned. But one thing was for sure, they all looked like hungry wolves who waited for their prey.


    She forced herself to walk further into the room and placed the plate Erica gave her on the table in the middle of the room. She was relieved for a second that nothing was about to happen when a callous hand slithered to her waist. She heard one man chuckling beside her.


    "You must be new. I''ve never seen you before," one of the men asked, a lewd smile occupied his face.


    Carla slid her hand on her waist to remove his arm and forced herself to return his smile. "Yes, I am, sir. And if you''ll let me, I''d love to set your table first."


    She held her breath and turned to march to the door.


    But one of the men grabbed her shoulder to stop her.


    "There''s no rush, my dear. The others can take care of the dishes. Come here. Sit by my side," the man invited her. He took her hand and pulled her down towards her on his lap. He was a strong man and she couldn''t break free from his grasp.


    Carla closed her eyes and prayed for this to be over soon. She opened her eyes to look for a way to escape. Even if she fought back, she''d be able to fight off only one or two men but she couldn''t handle all of them.


    And Brooke was right outside the door. He''d catch her immediately.


    She racked her brain to find some way to escape when the man''s hand slithered to her breast.


    All sense flew


    as fast she could away from the room.


    Half-naked and disheveled, Carla dashed to the other side of the hallway and searched for a way to escape.


    "Hey! Stop!"


    She didn''t turn around but knew everybody in the room came running after her.


    Carla saw a fire exit at the end of the door and used a quick second to decide to exit through that door or the front door. If she ran out from this door, she couldn''t get far because of the narrow streets. But the front door would give her better chances to escape.


    It was risky but it was worth it.


    Carla made up her mind and used all her strength to run faster and down the stairs.


    Thank goodness she was on the second floor. Even if the men took the elevator, she would still reach the front door ahead of them.


    Carla gasped for air when she saw the front door. She didn''t hesitate and dashed towards it.


    But the moment she approached the front door, another man pushed the curtain towards her and entered.


    Carla saw him at the last second and slammed into the man.

 Chapter 195 A Special Reunion

    The curtains pulled open and Noah entered the club. He was looking for Carla and didn''t expect he''d bump into her as soon as he arrived. He caught Carla and they almost tumbled to the floor.


    When Carla realized who she bumped into, she grabbed onto him tightly. Noah saw the panic in her eyes.


    A loud yell reminded Carla why she ran and she quickly hid behind Noah.


    The men had just emerged from the elevator and marched towards her with rage in their faces.


    Noah watched as the men got nearer and nearer. Carla held tight to his clothes and he felt her shiver behind him.


    He sensed something was wrong when they talked on the phone. Good thing HA City was his territory.


    It took time to track down this club or he would have been there even earlier.


    "You bitch! How dare you run away? Come out and face us! You think you can hide from us, you sneaky, stupid bitch? This is HA City. No matter where you hide, I''m gonna find you!"


    Carla peeked from behind Noah and the man saw her. He didn''t realize she hid behind Noah and rushed towards her.


    Carla hid behind and held tight to Noah, even if she wasn''t sure whether he would save her. If this were Terence, he''d have pummeled the man already.


    The man screamed and Carla shut her eyes.


    Before the man could even touch her, Noah stopped and grabbed him.


    Noah lifted his arm and twisted it back. He kicked the man on the waist and sent the man groaning on the floor.


    "Brooke! Brooke!"


    the man had shouted for Brooke while he writhed in pain on the floor. Brooke rushed from behind and through the group of men in front of Noah. "What''s going on?" Brooke asked when he saw the man on the floor. He raised his head to throw Noah out when he saw who it was. "Get ou - Mr. Noah!"


    "Get these people out, Brooke!" Noah commanded in a voice that made Brooke tremble.


    "Yes, sir, Mr. Noah!" Brooke waved his hand to his men and pointed to the mob.


    Noah turned his attention back to Carla. He finally noticed her ruined dress. He took off his jacket and covered her with it.


    Even with the nice gesture, Carla found it hard to calm down.


    He might not have been involved in what happened b


    ged for one of his men to check up on her at the hotel. But they found no one in her room. He immediately told his driver to take him to the airport.


    He took the next flight to HA City.


    "Mr. Terence, are we going to help?"


    Rainier asked. He didn''t understand why they stood there, just watching.


    Terence watched Carla stay away from the Hua family. He didn''t know what happened but he was glad to know she was alive.


    "Let''s go back, Nathan. Rainer, stay here and take care of Carla."


    Terence shot a lingering look at Carla, who still didn''t know he was there. He walked out of the hospital before she could see him.


    Carla finally met her family.


    If she saw him and went to him, he would definitely take her away.


    But things always happened for a reason.


    And Terence decided to just let things be and let things unfold in the right way.


    "Yes, Mr. Terence,"


    Rainier nodded and made himself comfortable at the hospital. He knew better than to question Terence.


    At the waiting area, Tristan asked Brooke through gritted teeth, "I am asking you who did Noah save. Because that''s just impossible. Noah is not like that."


    Brooke debated in his mind but knew he had no choice but to tell the truth. He pointed to Carla on the other side of the room.


    They followed Brooke''s finger and all of them Tristan, York, Bonnie, Allen and Andrea saw and fixed their eyes on Carla, who stayed quiet throughout their debate.

 Chapter 196 It Is My Pleasure To Get Hurt For You (Part One)

    "It''s you! It''s you again! You''re such a bitch. You''ve already stolen my fiance away from me. Isn''t that enough? And this time, you even want to take away my brother. You are the reason he''s here in the hospital. He saved you at the risk of his own life,"


    Bonnie shouted at Carla as she briskly walked towards her. The second she was close enough, Bonnie raised her hand in an attempt to slap Carla in the face.


    Fortunately, Carla was quick enough to stop Bonnie just in time. Holding on to Bonnie''s hand, Carla leered at her with a sneer. "You have it all wrong. Your brother got hurt, not because of me but because of YOU! If you hadn''t planned all of those things to hurt me, this wouldn''t have happened! How could you do this to your own brother?" Carla couldn''t help but burst and gave into her emotions.


    If Bonnie hadn''t schemed to ruin Carla, Noah wouldn''t have gotten hurt by saving her life.


    "What are you talking about? That''s bullshit," Bonnie cried out. Bonnie''s eyes flashed from left to right. She couldn''t accept that it was her own doing that placed her brother''s life in danger. She was so angry that she grabbed Carla''s hand and dragged her towards her family. "Dad, mom, this is Carla. She is the reason Terence decided to call off our engagement.


    Even though she knew Terence and I were engaged, she still insisted to live in his villa and be with him every day. Gradually, Terence fell in love with her. As a result, in order to protect her, he broke off our engagement,"


    Bonnie accused as she yanked Carla in front of her parents.


    Andrea and Allen looked at each other before fixing their eyes on the outlandish girl in front of them


    e without saying a word to me?"


    She didn''t even have a chance to see him.


    "Miss Carla, I just went out to buy you these clothes a moment ago. Why don''t you change your clothes in the bathroom?" Rainer offered as he handed the bag to Carla.


    It was at that moment when Carla realized that she was still wearing a Man''s suit. "Okay, thank you so much," Carla gave Rainer a small smile.


    Carla took the bag and went to change her clothes in the bathroom.


    It was already afternoon but


    Carla and Rainer were still sitting outside of Noah''s ward. It was inappropriate for her to go inside because all of Noah''s family members were there.


    Noah''s family members didn''t leave the hospital until it was getting dark. After all, they were not just any citizen. Almost all of them had something crucial to do.


    But before they left, they hired several nurses to take care of Noah and some bodyguards stationed outside the ward. So they didn''t have to stay in the hospital all the time.


    "I''m Mr. Noah''s friend. Can you please let me in? I just want to see how he''s doing right now. It won''t take long,"

 Chapter 197 It Is My Pleasure To Get Hurt For You (Part Two)

    Carla begged the bodyguards. But their response had been the same since hours ago: NO.


    "Sorry but Miss Bonnie specifically told us not to let you in," refused one of the bodyguards with a cold face. Carla had been standing near the ward for the whole day. Of course, the bodyguards knew who she was.


    But Bonnie particularly ordered them not to let Carla in. They had no choice but to listen to her.


    "Mr. Noah? Mr. Noah..." Carla was so worried about Noah that she raised her voice and called on him.


    After a short while, a nurse from the ward came out and said, "Mr. Noah asked me to let her in."


    Carla was really glad to hear that. Then she followed the nurse to the ward.


    It was a very big ward. Carla walked inside for a while before she saw Noah.


    At that moment, Noah was sitting on the bed. He couldn''t lie down because he had a wound on his back too.


    After a long operation, he looked a little weak and pale. But when he smiled as convincingly as he could, Carla knew that he was still the warm and kind gentleman that she had known.


    When he saw her walk in, he immediately called on to her, "Carla, come here and sit with me."


    Carla walked over and sat next to Noah''s bed.


    "Mr. Noah, I''m really sorry for everything that happened. You got hurt because of me," Carla regretfully said with her head down, looking at his hand which had a needle attached to it.


    Noah took a look at the two nurses who were busy doing chores around his ward and told them, "You can go now. I want to rest."


    After the nurses left the room, Noah turned to Carla who was clearly still blaming herself. Then h


    drinking when she realized that she maybe a little impolite. After all, Noah was a patient. She shouldn''t have gotten some water for herself without asking if he was thirsty or not.


    Noah looked at her with a smile. Then he shook his head and answered, "No, I''m not thirsty. Don''t be overcautious. Are you hungry? If you are, you can just tell me. I''ll ask the nurses to get you something to eat."


    Carla shook her head.


    But just at that moment, her stomach started growling.


    In reality, she hadn''t eaten anything or drank a sip of water since yesterday. So she was not just hungry. She was starving.


    Noah didn''t ask her any more questions. He directly told his nurses to prepare some delicious food and send them to his ward.


    Very soon, the scrumptious dishes and warm rice were being served on the table in front of Carla.


    As the dishes were being served one by one on the table, Carla stared at them as if she couldn''t wait to enjoy them.


    However, when Carla was finally eating happily, shouts were heard outside of the ward.


    "Miss Bonnie, there you are."

 Chapter 198 Its Not All About Business, You Know

    Carla was eating peacefully in the outer room. Then she felt her food got stuck in her throat when she heard Bonnie''s voice. If Bonnie decided to come inside, she would surely see her first.


    She immediately gulped down the food with a glass of water.


    ''Ah, here we go again, '' Carla rolled her eyes. She knew that Bonnie would start mocking once she stepped into the room. So she prepared herself.


    The moment she stood up from her seat, the door suddenly opened.


    Bonnie''s lips formed a small "o" when her eyes and Carla''s met. She couldn''t help but glare. She thought that Carla had left since she ordered the guards to keep her away.


    How did she get inside the room?


    "Oh my gosh! I can''t believe there is someone so thick-faced to be in this room! What do you think, Julie?


    I am Noah''s little sister and you''re his girlfriend. So what is this whore to Noah? Some sort of a petty pastime, perhaps?"


    Bonnie raised a eyebrow at Carla with Julie following her from behind.


    Carla was surprised that Julie came with her.


    But then, Julie was Noah''s girlfriend so she was right to be here. She probably have heard about Noah''s injury not too long ago and hurried to the hospital.


    Bonnie grabbed Julie''s hand and glared at Carla. "Let''s go, Julie. I''ll take you to see my brother. Who needs to waste time looking at her slut face anyway?"


    Julie was pulled along with Bonnie. When she heard that Noah got hurt, she hurried to the hospital. It was the first time he got severely injured since they had been together.


    She knew very well that Noah might refuse to see her so she asked Bonnie to take her along.


    She entered Noah''s hospital room.


    Bonnie let her in alone. She folded her arms in front of her chest, as if guarding the room. She glared at Carla and spat out, "Carla Ji, you bitch! How dare you show your face here? But I really have to ask. Who do you like at all? Terence? My brother?" Then she proceeded to gasp dramatically, "Or maybe you love them both?"


    Carla silently stood up from the sofa and asked the nurse to clean the table. Then she coldly turned to Bonnie. "Take a wild guess, honey. I have no time to deal with you."


    Why would she even bother talking nicely to Bonnie


    ie didn''t even thought that Noah would do the same for her.


    "Noah, for the sake of our relationship in the past, could you let me stay here to take care of you? Even for only a couple of days?"


    Julie pleaded, "Please?"


    If she missed this opportunity, she would never see him again.


    Noah didn''t bother to remove his gaze from the book. "You do know that there are nurses here, don''t you? Do you think you are more qualified than them?"


    "B-But it''s not the same! I have taken care of you for the past four years! I know you better than any of them!" Julie spoke up.


    How could he even compare her to the nurses?


    Noah finally looked at Julie menacingly. "Julie, do you think I am a man who clings to the past?"


    He was the type of a man who would cast away anything once it was useless.


    Julie was allowed to stay with him because he saw her as a bed partner. When loneliness would strike him, he would come to her. It was always convenient whenever he got the desire.


    Not to mention, she obeyed him and was considerate. She knew what should and shouldn''t do. She didn''t poke her nose into his business. That was why he had let her stay for four years.


    "N-Noah... Have you ever thought about the future? It''s not all about business, you know. Do you really think you can find someone more suitable than me?" Julie''s tears flowed on her face. Her voice was laced with melancholy.


    She wanted to talk to Noah badly, even if he didn''t want to see her anymore.

 Chapter 199 Small Inconvenience

    "Noah, please listen to me. We have gone through so many hardships together. I can promise you that I won''t interfere with anything! Even if you have other girlfriends, it won''t bother me. Will you please let me stay by your side?" Julie''s gaze lowered and her eyes twinkled with tears.


    Noah slammed the book shut, startling Julie.


    He put it on the table as his eyebrow furrowed.


    He would let Julie stay a little longer.


    But the situation had changed. He needed to concentrate.


    All he wanted was power and influence. He should be the head of the Hua family! If he failed to get that position, what was the point of the other things?


    "You know what? I''m tired. Please leave," Noah sighed.


    Julie decided not to push on. She stood up. "Noah, I won''t change my number. If you need me, you can always find me, okay?


    Have a good rest. Goodbye."


    Then she turned around and left.


    When she was finally gone, Noah took out his cellphone and looked at the time. He decided to scroll on the contacts in his cellphone. After pausing for a while, he dialed a certain number.


    He asked gently once the line was connected, "Carla, are you already at the hotel?"


    "Yes, I just arrived," she replied. She just received his call the moment Rainer pulled up the car at the hotel.


    Noah smiled, "That''s good to hear. Take care of yourself. Have a good sleep tonight. If you have any problems, feel free to call me. I can always offer you some help in HA City."


    Carla smiled as she made her way to the elevator. "I''ll keep that in mind. But it would be good if you keep your sister away from me. She''s being a pain at my neck."


    "Don''t worry. I''ll deal with her. I promise," Noah said. He took a look at outside and saw Julie talking to Bonnie.


    "Very well then. Noah, I hope you have a good rest. I''ll visit you tomorrow. Oh yeah, do you like porridge? I can make some for you when I visit tomorrow evening."


    She finally gotten off the elevator and walked to her room.


    Rainer also booked a room beside Carla''s in order to protect her.


    "That would be lovely. Than


    erstand why did he suddenly changed his mind.


    "I am sorry, Ms. Carla, I couldn''t heed your request since I am very busy today. Please come back tomorrow." The director waved at her politely.


    Carla wanted to argue but Rainer held her shoulder to stop her. "Ms. Carla, let us not waste our time here."


    Once they have left the factory, Carla decided to vent out her frustration. The director promised her that the sample would be ready and she could finally take a look for herself. But he went back on his word. How unprofessional!


    "Ms. Carla, I''ve seen so many cases like that. I have a hunch that someone was behind this. Someone pitched in with the director to change his mind,"


    Rainer told her.


    She suddenly felt enlightened by his words.


    She thought of telling Noah about this matter. She was going to visit him in the evening and he promised to help her anyways.


    Once she came back to the hotel, she asked the staff if she could use their kitchen. When they had agreed, she started making porridge as she told Noah.


    "Ms. Carla, I have a suggestion. Why don''t you tell Mr. Terence and ask him for help?"


    Rainer asked while they were on their way to the hospital.


    Carla shook her head. "No need. I think it was Bonnie who messed it up so I guess the Hua family can fix it up for me. This is just a small inconvenience. No need to bother Terence about this."

 Chapter 200 I Have A Boyfriend

    Now that Terence had finally got rid of Bonnie, everything was way easier. Carla didn''t want to ask Terence to help her about her work related problems. She knew he would but those were for her to deal with.


    The Hua family''s issue should be solved by themselves. In the end, she and Terence were just some people from the outside world to them and she knew that was how it would remain.


    Soon enough the car stopped in front of the hospital, just close enough to the gate. Carla got out of the car alone and went straight inside.


    "Noah? Have you had dinner yet?"


    she shouted standing at the door the room, carrying the dinner box. Carla decided to enter straightly this time, and the bodyguard wouldn''t dare stop her.


    However, she was afraid of Julie being there. ''It would be awkward to bump into them being intimate again, '' she thought.


    "The door''s not locked. Come in!"


    Noah shouted back from the inside.


    She opened the door gently. For a brief moment she glanced around and saw just a nurse inside. Assured there was nobody else, she came in, smiling at him.


    Noah had just taken another injection of the medicine and the nurse was wrapping the bandage for him.


    Carla put down the meal box and came to help the nurse, handling her the scissors.


    Then she approached Noah; she couldn''t help but bite her lip in silence and shock. Despite the thin layer of the gauze around the wound, she saw it open clearly for the first time. The wound had become larger, as it was cleaned every day. Stitches and swollen skin were going in fishnet beneath the surface of the bandage.


    "Are you frightened?" said Noah, looking at her, sensing her shock.


    Carla was frightened indeed, her eyes wide open, tears coming up. But only after the nurse finished wrapping and left, Carla dared to come closer and hand him his clothes.


    "Noah, did it hurt?" asked Carla almost whispering, looking at him with wet eyes. She wouldn''t allow herself to cry in front of him but the view was heartbreaking.


    The woman imagined having a wound like this. It would definitely hurt like hell and an ugly scar was inevitable. She knew he had to accept it.


    "A little, but now I''m fine," replied Noah, pointing at the bandage on his chest. He took his clothes and put it on. "It''s okay. The doctor said that it''s not severe. All I need to do is to rest a lot."


    Carla helped him to put his shirt on, gently holding a sleeve. But she was worried and said, "Don''


    g people coming, Carla stood up and bowed politely.


    "Mrs. Andrea, how are you?" she asked.


    Andrea was slightly surprised, as she didn''t expect Carla to be here. She ordered the servant to bring in the soup that she made at home and came closer to them.


    Andrea nodded to Carla with a polite smile and turned to her son.


    "Noah, who is this?"


    "Mother, she''s Carla, a girl that I met in BH City," he replied. "She''s an amazing woman and a very interesting person."


    Hearing that she was from BH City, Andrea''s interest was intrigued. "Carla, do you have someone else in your family? From BH City?" Andrea asked.


    Yesterday when she first saw her, Andrea felt Carla somewhat familiar. This was more an intuition than a logical feeling.


    At home she told Allen about her, but he asked her to calm down and do not put so much hope into it.


    After all those years every hope turned into disappointment.


    "Oh, I have a brother," answered Carla in surprise. She didn''t expect Andrea to ask her about her family.


    "Noah, tell me what''s your relationship with Carla?" Andrea couldn''t help but ask.


    She wouldn''t believe that they were just pure friends. Her son saved this girl''s life at his own risk! There must be something going on.


    Before Noah could answer, Carla explained, "Mrs. Andrea, you must have misunderstood. Noah is like my brother. He has always taken care of me.


    Besides, I..." She hesitated for a moment but decided to continue nevertheless, "I have a boyfriend. He''s in JA City."


    ''You probably know him, '' she wanted to add that, but swallowed it. Something in her heart wouldn''t let her continue.

 Chapter 201 How Dare You Show Your Face In Here

    "Oh," Andrea exclaimed as she nodded her head. She understood now. Bonnie told her that Terence broke up with her because of Carla, so Terence must be dating her now.


    This girl was more complex than she had imagined.


    Andrea couldn''t help but think that the An Family was one of the most prominent families of this country.


    And Terence was the most promising one among his peers. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Terence was the ''prince'' of the An family.


    But now, Noah, her favorite son, was also infatuated with Carla.


    Everybody knew that compared to his brothers, Noah excelled in every way.


    Andrea stared at Carla with curiosity. She couldn''t wait to know who would own this beautiful and capable girl in the end.


    While Carla was talking, Noah kept silent. He just leaned back against the headboard and watched her with a warm smile. Nobody noticed the sadness hidden in his eyes.


    After sharing some small talks, Carla didn''t stay long and she left immediately. She didn''t want to be a hindrance for a mother and her son to spend time together.


    Andrea watched her leave thoughtfully.


    Then, she turned to her son with a smile. "Noah, tell me. You like the girl, don''t you?"


    Noah gestured the maid to stop serving him another bowl of soup. "No, thanks. I''ve already had a lot of congee." Then, he looked at Andrea and clarified, "Mother, Carla and I...well, it just won''t work out. I''m not good enough for her."


    Andrea noticed the meal box on the bedside table and asked, "She was the one who brought you the congee?"


    "Uh-huh." Noah nodded.


    Andrea''s life experiences taught her how to see the essence beyond the appearance. She knew very well what kind of a person her son was. He wouldn''t fall in love with a girl that easily.


    Even if Noah had been deceived by the girl, what about Terence? No matter how manipulative the girl was, she couldn''t have seduced two excellent men at the same time.


    "Don''t be silly. You deserve every respectable girl in the world. And as a man, you should fight for your true love, no matter how strong your rival is. Don''t give up at the beginning or you''ll certainly regret it," Andrea told her son. She was calm but there was conviction in her voice.


    As someone who had been through a lot, Andrea persuaded her son to win the girl he really loved. After all, opportunities didn''t wait for people.


    Noah smiled without answering. After a few seconds, he changed the subject. "How is father these days, mother?"


    Andrea shook her head. "Still the same," she sighed. "He won''t listen to the doctor''s advice. He says that since he''s living on borrowed time, he would just do as he like...Forget it. Let''s not talk about him," Andrea responded, dismis


    ife! Why can''t I get my revenge on her? Tell me! Why can''t I? I will destroy her! Your words will only fuel my desire to do it!"


    Unconvinced, Bonnie yelled at him in a huff. She couldn''t understand. Carla was a nobody. Why did Noah care for her so much?


    "You don''t need a reason. I won''t allow you to harm her," Noah stated in a low, husky voice.


    "Noah!" Bonnie whined even more. "What''s wrong with you?" Bonnie stared at Noah meticulously for the first time. Then, she continued, "Hah! I knew it! You''re in love with her, aren''t you?! You broke up with Julie because of her. Am I right?" Bonnie questioned in agitation.


    Carla was quite taken aback by Bonnie''s words. ''Noah and Julie? They... broke up? How could that happen?'' Carla muttered to herself. She was so shocked her eyes went wide and she remained frozen by the door.


    "Was it because of... me? No, that''s impossible." Carla shook her head in disbelief.


    She pressed her ear against the door and waited nervously for his answer.


    After a pause, Noah answered with certainty, "Yes. I do like her. Are you satisfied?" Without waiting for Bonnie''s reaction, he sighed impatiently. "Bonnie, can you leave me alone for now? I''m tired and I need to rest."


    Hearing his words, Bonnie almost fell backward, reeling from shock. It never dawned on her that Noah might actually admit it.


    Too shocked to say a word, she tottered to the door.


    She opened the door with a trembling hand, only to find Carla standing in front of her.


    Instantly, Bonnie exploded with the rage that had simmered for months. She had forgotten all the good education she had received.


    For years, she had been highly praised for her merits and good etiquette. But now, she couldn''t see the point in them. She was nothing, compared to this ignorant, shallow and vulgar girl!

 Chapter 202 Ill Cut Your Face

    Without any hesitation, Bonnie pushed Carla fiercely.


    "Carla Ji, don''t you have any shame? How can you still come here?!" Bonnie yelled at her.


    Since Carla was unprepared, she was pushed a few steps back. She staggered for a while until she stabilized her feet to avoid knocking on the table.


    She was still shocked by the fact that Noah said he liked her. So she wasn''t able to dodge Bonnie''s sudden attack.


    "Are you crazy, Bonnie? Haven''t you done enough?" Carla glared at Bonnie when she finally composed herself.


    In a span of a week, Bonnie had gangsters kidnap her and humiliate her. And on top of that, she even found a way to mess up her work. It seemed like she wasn''t going to stop her nonsense. Was she insane?


    Carla couldn''t stand her anymore.


    Truth be told, Carla felt pity for her in the beginning because of Terence''s cruel demeanor towards her. Later on, she started to realize that a woman like Bonnie didn''t deserve her sympathy! She deserved Terence''s cold shoulder!


    "Am I crazy? Yes, I am. You drive me crazy, bitch! First, you took away my fiance, and now you''re going to take my brother as well, when he''s the only one who cares about me!"


    Bonnie was filled with rage by then. Cursing Carla was not enough for her to release her hatred. She even wanted to...


    All of a sudden, Bonnie saw a fruit knife on the table. Since the group of people that she sent all failed to hurt Carla, she had to do it by herself now!


    Once Carla saw what Bonnie was looking at, she rushed towards the table, trying to take the knife before her.


    Carla was certain that Bonnie was emotional and crazy enough to do anything so she hurried to prevent her from doing anything that she might regret later on.


    "Aha! Come here! Take it from me!" Bonnie sneered as she waved the knife in front of her face. But Bonnie was closer to the table than Carla. She had already taken the knife before Carla could even come close to the table. She approached Carla slowly and threatened, "Bitch, tell me. If I cut your face, will Terence still love you? Will my brother still love you?"


    Carla looked at the knife and retreated back. She raised her voice a little. "Bonnie, you''re really driving yourself to the last ditch! Compared to the majority of people, you''re very fortunate. You have a lot of things that people could only dream of. You always take your good fortune for granted. Why do you have to stoop this low?"


    Given her family background and talents, Bonnie could live in happiness for her whole life even without Terence. But she never knew how to treasure life and love herself so she placed herself into a despised position.


    "What did you just say? Why do I have to stoop this low? How ridiculous!" Bonnie snorted. "You can easily say that because you''re not in my place! YOU ARE NOT ME! How can you understand my feelings?!"


    As she yelled at Carla, Bonnie slowly took a few steps towards her, still holding the knife in her hand. She felt sick looking at her face. She would never let her leave HA City like that. It would be too good for her!


    At that moment, Noah staggered out of his room an


    compared to everything that he had done for her.


    "All right. Noah, I have to go now. I need to pack my stuff tonight and catch an early flight tomorrow," Carla started to bid goodbye as she stood up from the chair.


    Noah turned his attention from the watch to Carla. "Okay, have a nice trip. Give me a call when you reached home," Noah told her.


    Carla smiled at him. Suddenly, she came closer towards him and did something unexpected.


    She hugged Noah, and he froze in her arms. His hands reached out to hug her back instinctively. However, when he was about to touch her, he controlled himself. Then, he heard her say, "Noah, thanks for everything! In my heart, you''re almost like my own brother. You saved my life, but I can''t visit you so often. Don''t blame me for that!"


    Carla joked and patted his shoulder which was uninjured. She then sighed and told him, "Get well soon. Don''t get injured again. I won''t be here so that would be likely."


    After she was finished, she let go of him.


    "I know. Carla, don''t blame yourself for this. I''m glad that I could save you," Noah comforted her one last time as he looked at her face full of self-blame.


    Carla didn''t say anything, but turned around and took her leave.


    After she left, Noah grinned mysteriously. He took a look at the watch and sighed, ''How can she be so dense?''


    The incident happened unexpectedly and he saved Carla just in time. That part of the story was true. But there was one thing that he lied about. He was actually not that injured.


    In fact, the surgery was finished in a short time. But he asked the doctor to hold him at the operating room for as long as possible so that it looked like he was severely injured.


    Since God had arranged a heroic drama, he thought that he would definitely make good use of it. After all, he wasn''t doing anything to hurt anyone. He just wanted to impress her.


    Now, it seemed like things were going well enough.


    He had both patience and wisdom. He firmly believed in the saying ''Haste makes waste''. He would take his time until he got what he wanted.

 Chapter 203 Terences Secret Date

    Carla had all of her stuff packed up as soon as she was back at the hotel. The next morning, she and Rainer booked a flight out of HA City.


    Rainer accompanied her all the way to BH City.


    After sending her home safely, he left for JA City.


    Terence wanted Rainer to stay with Carla but she declined.


    She didn''t want anyone to watch her all day long, especially a man. It would only bring her too much trouble.


    Half a month passed.


    The company had gone through the busiest period and soon, it was time for Carla to resign. When the day came for her to submit her resignation letter to the manager, she was ready.


    The manager didn''t want her to leave but after she explained that her brother was left alone in JA City, he finally agreed to accept her resignation.


    She found it strange that Terence actually waited this long for her without doing anything unnecessary to make her come back earlier.


    However, Carla knew that he wanted her to return as soon as possible. He didn''t even allow her to talk to Sean through the phone!


    He made it clear that if she missed her brother, she needed to go to JA City to see him.


    She had no choice but to agree because Sean was her weakness.


    After finishing her resignation procedure, Carla booked a flight to JA City. She bid farewell to Karen and had everything arranged at home before leaving the city.


    That same night, Carla flew to JA City as soon as everything was settled.


    When she arrived in JA City, it was already past 11 P.M. She didn''t tell Terence that she was arriving because she wanted to give him a surprise.


    She missed him so much and she couldn''t control it anymore. She needed to see him as soon as possible.


    That was just how love worked. Once you fell in love with someone, your heart didn''t just belong to to you anymore. At first she wanted to stay away from Terence because she wanted to protect her heart, but she found herself failing miserably. She fell for him pretty hard.


    If she couldn''t help but fall for him, then she''d rather love him wholeheartedly despite everything. She would rather not think on how their love would end someday. She was just hoping that she wouldn''t regret it in the future.


    It was not long before she finally arrived at the Seaview Villa.


    "Miss Carla?" Rainer exclaimed. He was so surprised that he stammered. Carla left her luggage in the entryway and proceeded to the lift.


    "Miss Carla, please wait!"


    Rainer chased after her and asked, "Miss Carla, why did you return all of


    la''s anger was boiling in her heart. She took an exhausting late-night flight from BH City


    in order to surprise Terence.


    However, it turned out that he was the one who gave her a ''surprise''.


    It was already past midnight but he was still in a night club meeting with some other woman.


    She wouldn''t believe it until she saw them for herself.


    Rainer knew Carla''s personality. If he didn''t show her where they were, she would turn this club upside down. He decided to lead her to the top floor.


    It was an open panorama terrace, and only one table was occupied.


    From a distance, Carla could see that there was a couple that was talking intimately on a sofa under a red umbrella.


    The girl sat with her back to Carla and across from her, she recognized Terence immediately.


    He was sitting elegantly with a glass of half-finished red wine beside him. His charming eyes were staring at the girl in front of him, and he was listening to her intently.


    The girl''s voice sounded familiar but she didn''t care about anything other than Terence. She stared at him angrily.


    It seemed like the girl was saying something that made her sad, because she suddenly started crying. Terence took out his handkerchief and wiped away her tears. He was comforting her softly.


    It was like they were in their own world and that they forgot everything around them. Carla had been standing there for so long but they didn''t even notice her.


    At that moment, she became extremely angry.


    How could they do this to her behind her back? She trusted Terence with all her heart, and this was how he was going to repay her?


    She was going to make sure that he would regret this.

 Chapter 204 She Ran Away Again

    Rainer was mentally prepared for Carla''s anger. However, to his surprise, she just turned around and left.


    "Miss, here is your purse¡ª" the waiter politely addressed Carla as he handed her her purse. But Carla grabbed her purse quickly as she hurried to the door. She didn''t even wait for the waiter to finish his greeting.


    Fortunately, the waiter recognized Rainer and instantly knew that they were with Terence. So he didn''t say much.


    Carla headed straight for the car without looking back.


    Rainer followed her immediately and sat in the driver''s seat.


    "Take me to the Seaview Villa," Carla plainly stated with a deadpan expression.


    Her tone was as cold as ice that it worried Rainer since he hadn''t heard her used that tone until now.


    "Yes, Miss Carla!" Rainer obediently stated. In reality, rage was actually burning inside of Carla. She just wasn''t the type to lash out. Thankfully, Rainer didn''t dare to say anything anymore. He just started the car and drove to the villa as quietly as possible.


    He thought that Carla would wait for Mr. Terence''s explanation, but she didn''t.


    The moment they arrived at the Villa, she waked up Sean and grabbed her unpacked suitcase. As was expected, Sean was half asleep and didn''t know what was going on. He just did as told and walked out of the Villa with Carla.


    "Miss Carla, what are you doing?" Rainer said in panic. Rainer couldn''t imagine what would happen if he didn''t try and stop her from leaving.


    "Rainer, stay away from this! I am not in a good mood! And I really don''t want to take it out on you! Don''t get involved in this!" Carla stated with all the patience she could muster. She kept walking towards the door with Sean.


    In an attempt to stop them, Rainer quickly ran and placed himself in front of the door. "Miss Carla, can you at least give Mr. Terence a chance to explain himself?" Rainer pleaded. At that point, he was really trying all that he could do, even though he wasn''t sure if it would work.


    Carla stopped. She looked at Rainer and sneered, "I don''t think there''s a need for him to explain himself to me. I already saw it with my own eyes. What else is there for him to explain?"


    ''If they were just friends, why do they need to talk in a place like that especially in the middle of the night?'' Carla laid out her suspicious in her mind.


    As she remembered the events that just happened, Carla paused for a moment and tried to hold on to her anger. But she couldn''t hold it anymore. All she wanted was to leave but Rainer wouldn''t let her. Finally, she yelled, "I left my job for him this morning! I couldn''t wait for a second to se


    forced me to take her where you were. I didn''t want to, but she threatened me! I... I had no choice but to take her to the club where you met Erica."


    Rainer wiped more sweat on his forehead again, and continued, "She wasn''t happy to see you with Miss Erica, so she came back here, took Sean and drove away..."


    Rainer finally finished the story and Terence finally caught up with everything. Terence asked in shock, "Is Carla the one driving the car that I saw earlier?" Rainer nodded. "Are you sure it was her?" Terence asked again.


    Rainer nodded again.


    Terence glared at Rainer then threw the water bottle to him. Without saying anything else, Terence walked out of the room.


    At the foot of the mountain...


    Carla stopped the car. She didn''t know where to go. She could barely remember the directions in broad daylight. What was more now that it was in the middle of the night? There wasn''t much for her to see. She was lost. She was sitting in the car and trying to find the way.


    "Carla... What''s going on? I''m about to throw up..." Sean said. He was half-asleep when she dragged him into the car. Now he was fully awakened by her horrible driving skills.


    Suddenly, she realized she could use the Map on her phone. She put the destination in and started the engine.


    "Sean, it''s a long story. It will take a while for me to explain to you. To make the long story short, tomorrow is Saturday. I''m taking you out on a trip!" Carla excitedly told him.


    She gently stepped on the gas and turned to the left.


    This time, she drove very slowly.


    The only thing on her mind was to step on the right pedal.


    As she was focused on driving, a Porsche suddenly passed her and stopped in front of their car, forcing her to stop as well.

 Chapter 205 A First Love That Came From Nowhere

    Carla panicked when she saw that her way was blocked by the car. She couldn''t think clearly so she forgot to step on the brake until there were only a few inches between her car and the car before her. However, they still crashed.


    Fortunately, she was driving very slowly, therefore the impact of the crash was not strong enough to cause any injuries. It was just a slight rear-end collision.


    When Carla was ready to get off, the driver of the Porsche that she just hit got out of the car.


    It was Terence who had been following her from the villa. He approached her car and knocked on the window. "Carla, get off the car!"


    Carla started to become furious again at the sight of him. Then, she started the car engine and reversed. Since his cars were all in good quality, a few damages wouldn''t cause big problems.


    She reversed until there was enough space for her to bypass Terence''s Porsche.


    However, she stopped the car immediately


    because Terence stood in front of the way.


    Carla had no choice but to open the door and get off. "Terence, what are you doing?" she snapped.


    Once Terence saw her get off, he strode to her as he addressed Sean, "Sean, keep your eyes closed until I say that you can open them!"


    While Carla was still confused at his strange command, Terence hugged her tightly. Then, he leaned over to kiss her.


    But before he could touch her lips, Carla gave him a hard slap.


    "Don''t touch me! Terence, from now on, I won''t allow you to lay a finger on me!"


    Carla''s slap made Terence dumbfounded. Nathan''s and Rainer''s mouth dropped to the floor as well.


    They saw exactly how Terence was slapped.


    "You two, just leave. Take Sean back home with you!"


    Terence ordered. When he turned to them, they saw the mark that Carla''s palm left on Terence''s cheek. Even the night couldn''t conceal the redness of his cheek.


    They answered yes immediately and drove away, leaving only Terence''s Porsche.


    They couldn''t help but feel pity for Terence. He would definitely be having a hard time tonight.


    "Who are you expecting to touch you except me?" Terence grabbed her arms and asked. A frown started to for


    ng that you want to know. You can decide for yourself after you hear me out. Okay?"


    After he finished speaking, Terence got on the car and drove back to the Seaview Villa.


    On their way back, something occurred to Terence.


    "Carla, when did you get your driver''s license?" he asked, concerned.


    Carla, who was staring outside the window, was suddenly pulled back to reality. She scratched her hair and stammered, "Well¡ª I¡ª I don''t have a license."


    She almost forgot about that very important fact.


    The atmosphere froze immediately.


    Terence looked at her in shock. He had seen her drove poorly, and he thought that she might haven''t driven for a long time after she got her license. However, he didn''t expect that she had no license!


    Driving was among the several things that Carla didn''t know well enough. She almost forgot that she didn''t have a license before Terence asked her.


    Even so, she had driven several times when she worked in an entertainment park. She had tried driving the tour vehicle, and she thought that driving was pretty simple. However, she had never thought of getting a driver''s license because she didn''t have a car for one.


    But Carla was confident enough to drive any kind of car.


    So she didn''t think that it was a big deal to drive without a license.


    Upon returning to the Seaview Villa, Terence told all the staff that Carla was not allowed to touch any vehicle in the future.

 Chapter 206 A Reward For A Mistake Impossible!

    "Promise me, Carla. Don''t put your life at risk the way you just did. You really scared me, taking Sean with you and leaving like this. You know I can''t bear to see you two get hurt," Terence sincerely told her. Terence didn''t want to blame her. He was actually rejoicing inside for getting Carla back in one piece when the girl just drove a car out without having a license. But in all honestly, that was the least of his concerns. What was more important for him was she didn''t really know how to drive properly. Terence didn''t know what he could do if something happened particularly because Carla did it from misunderstanding his actions. He could really thank his lucky stars that Carla and Sean were both safe.


    Carla''s eyes glared at him. She cocked her head to one side and stated, "Don''t try to avoid the topic. I wouldn''t have left if you hadn''t pissed me off."


    Her temper quickly boiled as she listened to Terence.


    However, if she were being honest, she also got scared of her recklessness.


    "Yeah, I admit. It was my fault," Terence softly said. Terence didn''t argue with her. He just apologized and carried Carla in his arms all the way upstairs.


    Once he managed to get Carla into his room, Terence locked the door really tight, in case she wanted to run away again.


    "I assume you''re thirsty. Here, have some milk..." Terence told her as he handed her the glass of milk that he fetched. Carla had been on the plane for the whole night and flew into a series of anger afterward. So her belly must be rumbling in hunger.


    Carla ignored his kindness. She just sat on the sofa, sulking, with her arms wrapped around her legs.


    Terence sat beside her and sighed very softly. He started to explain, "It was really a long story. I never wanted you to know about her at first, since I didn''t know about this at that time.


    And I didn''t think that I would meet her ever again.


    I didn''t know where she was until that time when I went to see you in HA City. I went to Entertainment Club first, and that was where I met her."


    Hearing this, Carla suddenly turned to Terence. She thought, ''Entertainment Club? Was she the woman who worked there?''


    "Don''t be too surprised. You''ve seen her before. She was the girl in the photo, remember that? Her name is Erica Su. Everyone in the Entertainment Club calls her Erica," Terence continued to clarify.


    Carla''s eyes widened as words came out of Terence''s mouth.


    ''Erica? !'' The name rang in Carla''s head.


    "I assume you must know what she does for a living. So it must be obvious by now that nothing would ever happen between her and me. I went to see her because I found out that I had some responsibility regarding her present situation. Therefore, I asked my men to bring her here," Terence patiently narrated.


    As he carefully watched Carla, he realized that she hadn''t recovered from being in shock. So he stuffed the glass of milk into her hands and said, "Have some. It will help ease your mind. The rest of the things that I''m about to tell you will be more surprising."


    Indeed, it was too much for Carla. She took a sip of the milk and instantly felt a slight sense of satisfaction. Terence was right about her hunger.


    After seeing her reaction to the milk, Terence continued, "Back when I was serving in the army, my head got


    tell me if your relationship with her was more than that. But actually, I don''t care. You have made such a long and twisted story, only to show me that you''re innocent. Don''t bother..."


    Hardly had she finished speaking when she heard him flick her forehead.


    Terence then stated, "I''m serious, Carla. I''m picky about women. She came from a servant''s family of my house. No matter how much I liked her, there wouldn''t be a good ending between us."


    Terence was clearly aware of that. It was the unwritten code of the Ans: no one should have a romantic relationship with the servants.


    The reason why Terence''s grandpa didn''t forbid him from playing with Erica was that he knew Terence could restrain himself.


    "That''s moving. So you wouldn''t like a servant, but you like me, a poor girl from a normal background?" Carla questioned him. Carla sighed really deeply. Then, she poured the rest of the milk into her mouth, placed the glass on the table, and stared at Terence.


    "If the servant was not Erica but me, what would you have done then?" Carla challenged him.


    Terence''s eyebrows trembled slightly. He should have expected odd questions like this from Carla.


    "I have told you everything that you should know, Carla. It''s getting late," Terence stated as he glimpsed at the clock on the wall. Then he continued to say, "It''s already two o'' clock. Let''s get some rest. We can continue talking tomorrow if you like."


    He couldn''t expect Carla to process all of what he just said in such a short time. It would take a while for her to digest everything.


    Carla didn''t disagree with his suggestion. She stood up and walked towards the door.


    "Where are you going?" Terence asked.


    "Going back to my room to sleep," Carla plainly stated as she walked to the door and tried to open it. She found out that it was locked. She tried to unlock it so that she could leave.


    Terence had ruined her day. But after all that he had done, he still expected her to act as if nothing happened and sleep with him. A reward for a mistake? It was impossible!


    Totally impossible.


    However, as she was about to open the door once again, the man behind her rushed over to where she stood in a flash.

 Chapter 207 Call Me Honey

    Terence, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind, whispered, "Carla, haven''t I made it clear already? Why do you still insist on leaving?"


    "You''re the one who said it yourself. You said that you needed to get some rest. So, I''m just gonna go back to my room as well. Or are you planning to throw me out of the villa?"


    teased Carla. This had not been a good day for her whatsoever, and the same went for Terence.


    But it appeared as though she had underestimated him a bit. If he wasn''t feeling good, then the two of them were in the same boat.


    Turning her around, Terence pushed her into the door. Holding her chin on one hand, he pressed his lips intensely upon hers without a warning, as if to give her some kind of punishment.


    "Te..."


    "Call me dear husband! I won''t be accepting anything less!" Terence demanded, leaning back for just a brief second. Wasting no time at all, he continued biting her lip. Of course, he had no intention of hurting her, but certainly couldn''t let her have the pleasure at the same time.


    "No... Why would I do that?!" Carla blurted out in refusal, barely able to get away from his passionate kiss. "We''re not married yet."


    Terence loosened his grip. However, he grabbed her chin and lifted it up a little and asked, "Which law is it that states you shouldn''t call me your husband before we get married?"


    Carla took that window of opportunity to take a deep breath as she glared at him through her moistened eyes. "Look, could you please just let me get some rest? It''s getting way too late. I still have to go job hunting tomorrow, so I need to get some much-needed sleep right now."


    There was just no way she could simply stay home all day and do nothing. She desperately needed to be in the company of others.


    Upon hearing that she was still intent on going to sleep, Terence heaved a heavy sigh and questioned her, "Carla, was the kiss still much too gentle for you?"


    Then, he positioned her face closer to his again, and pressed his luscious lips onto hers, gradually heading south.


    "Terence, what do you think you''re doing?"


    ''We''re going through this again?''


    There was really nothing Carla could hope to do about Terence''s sexual appetite. And he had actually gone a step further this time, not just on the lips, but even on...


    Terence was bringing out all of his techniques just to somehow get her turned on, and didn''t give her what she wanted.


    He tried checking with her again, "So, how about now? Do you still plan to return to your room?"


    Carla had to catch her breath, but she didn''t bother trying to stop him anymore. Shooting him a quick cold stare, she turned off the lights and slithered onto his body and finally gave in to him.


    Under that faint moonlit night, Terence''s gaze had been completely fixated on Carla''s gleaming eyes. Under his breath, he whispered, "Carla, I thought about something, if you were to have been in Erica''s p


    ble that Terence might be doing something this afternoon. I''ll just have to take you somewhere else then," Carla replied. She hadn''t seen Terence all morning. Who knew where he could have gone?


    "Who was it that said I might be busy?"


    When Carla was just about done talking, Terence walked in on the front door, his dark eyes filled with excitement. "Sean, I''ll take you to the shooting club, and we''ll also bring your sister along with us this time. It''s possible she hasn''t ever seen a real gun before in her life."


    Then, shifting his gaze over to Carla, he explained ever so softly, "Carla, I''m sorry I had to leave so early. I just didn''t want to bother you. Something was up in the company this morning. I''ll just make it up to you in the afternoon."


    Carla turned her head and then proceeded to grab Sean to wash his hands and get ready for lunch. But before walking away, she said, "I don''t need it. Why don''t you just spend time with your Erica instead?"


    Sensing that jealousy was spilling all over the place, Terence approached her and wrapped his arms around her slender waist, whispering straight into her ear, "You never said anything about that last night. Just who was it that crept onto me like a koala bear last night, begging me for more?"


    Carla became flushed red in an instant. That was then and this is now. Those were two completely unrelated things.


    "Carla, Erica is also going to be there. Who knows? Maybe this is a chance for you two to get to know each other better," Terence added. He didn''t want Carla to have any weird ideas about his relationship with Erica. He was the one who got himself into this mess, so he needed to find a way to smooth things out.


    Taking one big gulp, Carla turned around to give him an intense glare.


    ''Please tell me he didn''t just say that, '' thought Carla to herself. She was at such a loss for words that she actually wondered whether her ears had been playing tricks on her.

 Chapter 208 Confrontation

    "Terence, what did you just say? You want me to meet Erica?" Carla asked just to make sure that what she heard from him was right.


    Terence walked towards her and placed his hands around her waist. Then he whispered to her, "Yes. I want you to meet Erica. Since you got so angry with what happened last night, I think it is necessary for me to reassure you that the real relationship between Erica and I right now is purely about business.


    Anyway, let''s go and have some lunch. After that, I''ll take you to a great place where I''m sure you will have a good time,"


    said Terence while leading her into the dining hall.


    Just as the old proverb said, ''Seeing is believing.'' Terence was afraid that Carla would get the wrong idea if he didn''t show her that he had no feelings for Erica anymore.


    That day, Terence took Carla to a club. When they got there, she realized that it was exactly where she met Erica last time.


    The club was very big and apparently, what she saw the last time she was there was only the the tip of the iceberg.


    Sean had been there before so he was already familiar with the place. When he got out of the car, he immediately rushed to go inside.


    Theo was a real party boy and by the time Terence and Carla arrived at the club, he was already there with his new girlfriend, Ashley. They were happily sharing a cup of dessert while waiting for Terence.


    They didn''t stand up until they saw that Carla and Terence were walking towards them.


    "Took you long enough. We''ve been waiting here for you all day!"


    Theo complained to Terence and Carla and then said, "Why didn''t you get an early start? Our schedule is pretty full today. After our activity here, I''ll go bungee jumping with Ashley. We also have a lot of plans for tonight. Let''s have dinner, drink wine and sing in a KTV! How about you promise to accompany me until the end of the day, Terence?"


    "Okay. That sounds exciting. Let''s have fun all day!"


    Terence replied while looking happily at Carla.


    Carla finally came back from BH City so he was not alone anymore. He was in an extremely good mood.


    The four of them headed towards the shooting range with Sean.


    Just then, a woman descended from the stairs and was now walking towards the five of them.


    Carla recognized that the woman was Erica. She still couldn''t believe that the call girl that she met in the Entertainment Club had that kind of relationship with Terence, her boyfriend.


    However, Erica didn''t look like the call girl from the Entertainment Club at the moment. In fact, she looked like a weather-beaten girl who just wanted someone to love.


    She was like a plum blossoming in December. Even if it was freezing, she still managed to look beautiful. There was an occasional sad light twinkling in her eyes and it made her look more soft and stunning.


    Theo froze for a short while when he saw that a beautiful woman was walking towards them. Then when he was about to say hi to her, she moved towards Terence. He sighed and thought. ''Why do a


    cerity in her eyes.


    Just outside the window, Theo walked towards Terence with a gun in his hand. "Terence, do you know what they are talking about? Are you dating both of them? Are they confronting each other face to face?"


    After loading a shot, Terence took off his earplugs and goggles to glare at Theo.


    "Just mind your own business," replied Terence.


    Compared to Terence, Theo had more girlfriends than he could count.


    "I have my own principles and that is to fall in love with only one woman at a time. This way, I don''t have to deal with any trouble concerning my girlfriends," Theo said confidently.


    His girlfriend at the moment was Ashley and she was shooting on the other side of the room so she couldn''t hear what they were talking about.


    "Really? Then please tell me what happened with Ivy last time you saw her?" asked Terence while pushing Theo away. He glanced behind Theo to see Carla who was walking towards them with a smile on her face.


    Theo coughed to hide his embarrassment. He wondered, ''When and how did he know that I slept with Ivy recently?''


    Just a few days ago, Ivy came looking for Theo and she told him tearfully that she wanted to get back together with him. He felt terrible whenever women cried in front of him so he comforted her and tried to cheer her up but it ended with him having sex with her.


    "That was an accident. There are so many beautiful women waiting for me and I just want to keep my options open. As for you, I think you should also keep your options open. I admit that Carla is pretty amazing but don''t forget that no matter how perfect she is, she is just a woman and she can be easily replaced,"


    suggested Theo. He didn''t notice that Carla was just a few steps away from them.


    Instead of stopping, Theo added, "A man is just like a teapot, and he can have countless of teacups. If you always pour water into the same cup, what''s the fun in that?"


    Theo turned around when he was finished speaking and saw that Carla was behind him.

 Chapter 209 Marry Me In A Year

    "What a wonderful metaphor! What Mr. Theo said is exactly on point,"


    Carla exclaimed with a smile, irony flooding in her voice.


    As she walked towards them, she added, "A teapot always comes with a couple of cups, but it only has one lid. The cups are for drinking but they''re not really part of the teapot. As for the lid, it''s inseparable from the teapot.


    Without the cups, one can also drink straight from the teapot. However, without the lid, the teapot is not complete at all."


    Theo didn''t expect that Carla would happen to hear what he had just said. After hearing Carla''s argument, he was rendered speechless. His face became pale due to the embarrassment.


    Seeing the commotion, Terence took Carla''s hand and started to teach her how to fire a gun. He then kissed her by the cheek and said with a tender smile, "Carla is right! A couple belongs to each other like how a teapot belongs with the lid.


    As for those cups, they could be like a married couple''s kids. It''s not bad to have some kids. Am I right, Carla?"


    As her face flushed red, Carla elbowed Terence on his arm and warned him to focus on teaching her how to fire.


    Terence was born to be dedicated and focused. But when it came to teaching Carla, it turned out to be a challenge for him.


    "Carla, how about I teach you?" Sean suggested with a big smile after taking off his earmuffs.


    Nonetheless, as soon as Sean finished asking, Terence turned him down at once. "Save it," Terence firmly stated. Then, he positioned himself between Sean and Carla and softly said, "Carla, you should pose like this at first."


    After hanging around for a while, they stepped out of the club.


    It was not extremely hot any more which was suitable to play sports outside.


    So Theo brought Ashley up the mountain for bungee jumping. It was way too scary for Carla.


    She hadn''t experienced bungee jumping at all and didn''t have any plans of trying it out. Therefore, she chose to stay at the foot of the mountain to wait with Sean, Rainer, and Nathan.


    The problem was...


    Terence felt bored with jumping by himself. Since he had received a lot of harsh training years ago, bungee jumping was just a piece of cake for him. After seeing Theo and Ashley jumped down together, an idea came to Terence all of a sudden.


    At that moment, Carla was watching Theo and Ashley who had just jumped off the platform. She couldn''t help but feel petrified so she tightened her arms around Sean.


    Sean was a little scared as well. After all, he was still a kid.


    Bungee jumping was too much for him just like with most adults.


    While Carla and Sean focused all of their attention to the bungee jumpers, a man approached them in haste.


    It was Terence.


    "Carla, come here. I need to talk to you," he said without showing much emotion in his voice.


    "What''s the m


    hat Carla was already pregnant. Therefore, his father had almost given up on interfering with his love life.


    Instead of choosing a fiancee for his son, Terence''s father asked him to get married and have babies as soon as possible.


    Terence told Carla about all of that since he wanted her to believe that he was determined to marry her from the very beginning.


    And now, he was moving forward towards that goal step by step.


    Carla felt a lot of emotions at that moment. It felt strange to be proposed to when both of you were a hundred feet from the ground. She looked around and felt a little bashful.


    Face flushed, Carla could sense her happiness at the moment. It was the first proposal that she had received.


    "Carla? I just want you to know that you are the woman that I want to get married to. There''s no one else," Terence added with a tender smile as he looked into her eyes.


    Upon hearing his words, Carla recovered from her daze. Just in time, since they were about to land at that time.


    "Mr. Terence, that''s so casual for you to do that. Did you just propose to me while we''re gliding?" Carla immediately asked.


    When they landed on the ground, Carla gave a huge sigh of relief. Her heart was still racing. It was hard to tell whether it was due to the terrifying experience of gliding or Terence''s words.


    Terence helped her take off the safety device first and then he whispered by her ear, "Carla, trust me. I''ll give you a decent proposal. And whatever you ask then, I''ll promise to give it to you."


    Carla took off the device completely and looked into his eyes, "Alright. You said it yourself. No matter what I ask, you''ll promise to give it to me."


    "Yes, just as I said," Terence assured her with sincerity.


    There would only be one proposal for her in this lifetime so he would make sure that it would be a special and precious memory for her.

 Chapter 210 Little Tadpole Looking For Mommy

    "Ehem.. Ehem..."


    Theo coughed to get their attention. He stood there for a long time but they acted as if he was invisible.


    Carla and Terence finally noticed him and a few minutes later, Nathan and Rainer arrived with Sean by their side.


    "Okay, let''s us all go to dinner. You can order whatever you want to eat,"


    Terence said to Theo while holding Carla in his arms. It was apparent that he was in a good mood tonight.


    Theo snapped his fingers and said, "Okay! Carla, you should also drink some wine tonight. Every once in a while, you can actually witness Terence get drunk."


    Terence looked at Theo happily. They had been friends for a long time and they went through a lot of drunken nights in the past.


    Theo might look easy going but he could be really reliable when he was serious.


    Among all of Terence''s friends, Theo was the most special. He would act like a playboy most of the time but the truth was that he was a serious person without being careless when it came to things that really mattered.


    They all decided to finally head to dinner.


    Carla asked Rainer to take Sean home as soon as they finished eating. He was still a child and they needed to be considerate as to not expose him to the harmful side of an adult''s night life.


    Moreover, although it was not her style, Carla was planning on getting really drunk.


    She would be so embarrassed if her brother would see her drunk.


    Theo''s girlfriend was a heavy drinker and Carla tried very hard to keep up with her.


    "Carla, stop drinking. You are already drunk," Terence said to Carla. Drinking some wine was okay once in a while but she already drank too much.


    Carla shook her head then smiled at Terence. Her vision was already becoming blurry.


    "I got it. I will not drink anymore. I promise."


    She chugged the rest of her wine then added, "Guys, I need to go to the bathroom. I''ll be back soon..." She stood up and stumbled over to the bathroom.


    Someone grabbed her hand


    when she reached the doorway of the bathroom.


    She looked back and saw that it was Terence.


    He decided


    lved by now."


    "Todd, we still have chance. Accidents happen in this world everyday. As long as we..."


    They were both thinking that no one could stop an accident, even Terence.


    The man sitting at the back suddenly uttered, "Enough! I know what I am doing!"


    Todd looked back at his master and said, "But sir, something very bad was going to happen to the Hua Family. Are you sure that we could handle that?"


    Noah was almost healed after resting for a long while and he also knew that the Hua Family was in a critical situation.


    "Mr. Noah, Mr. Allen has been looking for his missing daughter all these years behind your back. Isn''t it obvious?


    There was always a special bond between people with the same blood. You contributed a lot to the family over the years. However, you are not related to them by blood.


    What''s more, Mr. Allen did not change the will and it was making the whole Hua Family anxious."


    Mr. Allen must be aware of his imminent mortality and it was the reason why he started looking for his lost daughter. He wanted her to succeed the family.


    As the adopted son of the Hua Family, the situation made him really anxious.


    Noah could see that Carla was happy with Terence.


    He crushed the unlighted cigar in his hand and threw it outside the window.


    He could only imagine what would happen


    when Terence finally introduce Carla to his family.

 Chapter 211 Watch The Sunrise With You

    Noah started to wonder if it was still worthy to pursue her.


    She only cared about one man and unfortunately, that man wasn''t him. Should he continue to invest his time and energy on her?


    All the efforts that he had given since day one were to sweep Carla off her feet. One day, he was hoping that it would be enough to make her fall in love with him.


    At that time, he could finally officially reveal her true identity to Allen.


    If she became his woman, it wouldn''t matter whatever Allen decided. And finally, he could win the game.


    But the reality was that all of Carla''s heart belonged to Terence.


    And he didn''t have that much time left to wait.


    "Mr. Noah, what if Terence knows about Carla''s true identity all this time? That''s why he keeps her to himself,"


    the man beside Todd said out of nowhere.


    At that idea, Todd was suddenly alarmed and he went on to tap on his thigh in contemplation. He then stated, "If that''s the case, things will become even more difficult. This girl is a nobody right now, but with the An family backing her up, things can be really tricky.


    If Mr. Allen decides to give all of his money and properties to this girl Carla, it will be easy for us to get it from her by pulling some strings. But if the An family is involved, it''s going to be more complicated. The worst case scenario would be that everything that is owned by the Hua family goes to them."


    While analyzing the current situation, Todd became more and more anxious.


    The clock was ticking. Allen''s health condition was deteriorating day by day. The doctor said that he might not make it in three months.


    "No, that''s impossible!"


    Noah clenched his fists, eyes piercing into the dark of the night to a far away distance.


    How could he give up the company that he had put his heart and soul his entire life?


    They had to kill him first for that to happen.


    Meanwhile


    at Seaview Villa, Carla didn''t want to go to sleep and kept on insisting to go to the beach to watch the night view.


    Terence felt that her idea was terrible. It was dark at the beach and not even a star was hanging in the sky that night. There was literally nothing to enjoy.


    "I don''t care. I just want to go!" Carla demanded. She knew that she wouldn''t be able to go to sleep until they went to the beach.


    "Okay fine, let''s go," Terence defeatedly said. Feeling helpless, Terence had no choice but to agree. He asked Nathan to prepare the tent and everything that they would need.


    Terence thought that the wind was strong at the beach. So if she got tired, she would have a place to rest.


    Nathan accompanied Carla an


    have I missed? What a waste!'' she thought.


    Terence blinked numerous times as the sunlight became stronger. He watched Carla dance happily on the beach with a smile so bright that could rival with the sun itself. Walking towards her, he said, "Better late than never, right? As long as you want to, I can be here to watch the sunrise with you every single day!" He gazed at her lovingly and giggled quietly. He knew that she was not the type to get up so early in the morning.


    Carla turned around and looked at him.


    Her long hair was a little messy from sleeping. But she appeared more beautiful with the soft sunlight casting on her face.


    With the glow, she smiled, unconsciously casting a charming spell on Terence''s mind. She looked like a goddess who fell down from heaven to grace the earth with her presence. And at that moment, it was only for Terence.


    Yes, Carla was indeed a gift from God to him.


    Then, he suddenly remembered something and turned to give Nathan a signal. Nathan immediately handed him the phone.


    Terence turned the camera towards her. Sensing what Terence was doing, Carla smiled sweetly at him.


    When he was satisfied with the number of pictures he had taken, Terence picked one that he liked the most and set it as his phone''s wallpaper. He looked at her beautiful profile, smiled in satisfaction and walked towards her.


    "Carla, let''s go. We should go home," he told her.


    The sun was already up by then. In a few moments, it wouldn''t be healthy for their skin.


    "Okay!" she agreed, still in bliss from the view. Terence grabbed Carla''s hand as she continued to play with the sand and waves one last time.


    She took a final look at the sea and went home with him, a part of her unwilling to leave.

 Chapter 212 Have You Ever Wondered Who Your Are

    As soon as they returned from their beach trip, Terence grabbed breakfast together with Carla and then he headed back to the company immediately.


    That was on a Sunday. So, Carla just decided to stay at home and hang out with Sean. And even though she wasn''t any good at playing basketball, she still wanted to play with him anyway.


    Basketball was the only pastime Sean was truly interested in. With Carla being his sister, she thought that she should at least give his favorite sport a chance, otherwise, they could end up having nothing to talk about in the future.


    Initially, she could barely even hold the basketball well, causing her to be laughed at by Sean.


    Sean used to look up to her, but now that Terence was around, it seemed as though he had taken her place in Sean''s life.


    "Hello? Noah..."


    Her mobile phone suddenly rang, so Carla flung the basketball toward the court and picked up the phone, a little bit out of breath.


    Noticing that she was panting, Noah''s eyebrows furrowed in an instant. "Carla, is now... a good time for you to be taking a call? Because if not, I can just call you later. That''s totally fine."


    It looked as though Noah got the wrong idea about what she was doing. He actually thought she was in the middle of having...


    Realizing that, Carla was cracking up so much, and she said, "Noah, what was it that you thought I was doing? I was out on the court playing some basketball with my brother!"


    "Oh, so that''s what was happening." A grin crept up on Noah''s face, feeling quite embarrassed as he had utterly misread the situation and took her gasping for air as being due to something else. "Carla, are you busy right now? Would you be able to come and see me? I''m actually in JA City at this moment."


    Carla looked at the watch and checked what time it was. It was barely just ten in the morning.


    "Okay, sure. Where would you like to meet?" Right after deciding on the time and the place, she headed straight toward the villa to get dressed and get ready.


    Upon her arrival at their designated meeting place, she saw that Noah was already waiting for her and had already taken a seat at one of the tables.


    "Sorry for being late. Did you wait too long?" Carla glanced at her watch. Due to the fact that she had been sweating all morning after playing basketball with Sean, she needed to take a shower and put on a fresh change of clothes. To add to that, she also got caught in traffic.


    "It''s totally fine. No need to worry about it," Noah reassured her, letting out a gentle smile as he watched her looking a bit uneasy.


    Carla could tell he was just being nice. Taking a seat across him, she took a sip of the water and asked, seeming to be so worried, "How are you? How are things going? Are you already feeling any better?"


    "Certainly. I''ve been doing fine. I''ve already gotten discharged from the hospital, haven''t I?" Noah replied, with a smile still glued to his face. But she noticed in an instant there was a shadow underneath his dark eyes. Wasting no time at all, his tone abruptly turned serious and he asked, "Carla, There''s actually something that I''ve been meaning to ask you. Forgive me, but I''m gonna have to cut to the chase. To tell you the truth, I''ve been implored to ask about it."


    Seeing him suddenly g


    oing this. Focus your attention on the ball, and give it another try," Noah patiently instructed her.


    Carla forced out a cough to clear her throat and adjusted her form, bearing Noah''s instructions. Then, making sure her eyes were fixated on the ball, she took a deep breath and swung on it again.


    On her second attempt, she was able to hit it right away. The moment the club came into contact with the ball, it produced an audible loud sound. Carla screamed out feeling so exhilarated.


    Barely a few seconds later, they heard a howling sound coming from the direction where the ball just flew.


    "Shit! Who did that?!"


    Johnny yelled as he rubbed the part of his head where he got hit by the ball. Looking into the direction where the ball came from, he saw Carla standing there, who was now holding a golf club.


    Carla couldn''t hold back her laughter, but she immediately walked over to where he was. It looked like she was somewhat getting the hang of it already. Just on her second attempt, she had already hit something.


    "I''m really sorry, Mr. Johnny. I had no idea it would hit you. It wasn''t on purpose. I guess that maybe the ball got a little bit jealous of your handsome figure,"


    Carla apologized, albeit playfully, as she was walking closer to him. The caddie was already holding in his hand the ball that hit Johnny.


    Johnny had his eyebrows deeply knit as he glared at her. His handsome face would be tense and serious all the time by default. "I have no time to argue with a woman. You can leave as soon as you retrieve your ball."


    "Huh?!" Carla snickered. That was so typical of Johnny.


    "So, Mr. Johnny would never argue with women no matter what, wouldn''t he?"


    teased Carla, playing with the ball, tossing it upwards and catching it. "If my ball accidentally hits you one more time, I truly hope you can forgive me as always."


    Giving her a cold stare, Johnny didn''t bother humoring her with a response, thinking it wouldn''t be worth it. Besides, he knew full well that she wouldn''t be able to hit him a second time. After all, her first time was nothing but a fluke.


    Of course, she was just bluffing. There was no way she could pull that off again.

 Chapter 213 Let Her Go

    "Is that your friend?"


    Noah asked in a tender voice.


    Since he was still in recovery and was advised not to do extraneous work, Noah gestured Carla to place a ball instead of doing it himself.


    Carla shrugged her shoulders and put down the golf ball. Then, she tried to find the best angle to hit it. "Of course not. I just defeated him once," she responded.


    "Really? How did you beat him?" Noah asked with a bigger smile. Although he didn''t know Johnny, he still knew about his family, the Ouyang family. After all, the said family also belonged to the top list of HA City.


    Carla hit the ball and replied, "Horse racing."


    Her words apparently surprised Noah. His eyes immediately went wide. But more so, he was delighted to find out that Carla was even more interesting than he had thought. With a broad smile, he exclaimed, "Wow! It seems like we should go to the racecourse next time. Don''t you think so?"


    Carla was certainly not that good at playing golf. That was why Noah hadn''t expected that she would excel in some other sports like horse racing.


    Hearing Noah''s words, all that Carla could do as a response was to give him an embarrassed smile because her golf ball was lost again.


    She took another ball from the caddie because she believed that she could be better as long as she kept trying.


    So, she hit the ball again with twice the force as the previous one.


    However, an angry curse was heard as soon as her ball landed.


    It turned out that her ball interfered with Johnny''s goal. What a coincidence!


    Carla lifted the corners of her lips and stopped the caddie who was about to pick up the ball.


    "Oops! Sorry about that. My ball ran over yours again!" Carla apologized as she bent down and reached her hand out for her ball. She was really pleased to see Johnny get mad.


    Actually, it was normal for a newbie like her to hit the ball in the wrong direction. But it was such a welcome coincidence that her ball stopped Johnny from scoring.


    Johnny''s face darkened as he picked up her ball before she could and threw it out heavily.


    Then, he turned back to play golf without a word as if she was not there.


    "Grow up!" Carla snorted at him and then went back to playing as well.


    After playing for a while, she got on the golf course''s electronic car and headed for the locker room to get changed.


    After wiping herself up, Carla got changed and went out of the locker room.


    When she walked past a corridor, it seemed like she heard someone calling for help. There were some lounges there and it sounded like the person came from a distance.


    She wanted to leave but the sound was getting louder.


    "Is there anyone in there?" Carla asked.


    Carla couldn''t just ignore it so she knocked on the door of the lounge, from which the sound came. But no one answered the door.


    Carla slowly opened the door, only to see a huge middle-aged man throwing himself to a girl. The girl was wearing the golf course''s uniform, indicating that she worked there.


    "Sir, please let her go!" Carla immediately tried to stop the man.


    But the man didn''t take her seriously when he took a glimpse at her and saw how petite she was


    st. I forgot to call you. But everything is fine now. I''m okay!" Carla explained with a relaxed smile as she glanced at Johnny, who had just got into a car and drove off.


    At the same time, Johnny looked at Carla and Noah through the rear view mirror and then he stepped on the accelerator.


    "Johnny, what relationship do you think they have?" Kelvin asked as he was pretty confused. Carla was Terence''s girlfriend, wasn''t she?


    But as far as he could see, that man was also close to her.


    "Noah Hua, the eldest son of the Hua family," Johnny replied. Although he hadn''t met Noah before, the top list of the HA City was pretty small. Everyone knew everyone. But there was no denying that Johnny was really curious now since he thought Noah''s younger sister used to be Terence''s fiancee.


    How come he was so close to Carla, Terence''s girlfriend?


    Judging from their actions, they seemed to be just friends. But it was still hard for him to understand their relationship.


    "Really?" Kelvin was astonished since Noah was famous in HA City.


    "But, Johnny, didn''t you say not to meddle in others'' affairs? Then why did you suddenly change your mind and help them?" Kelvin asked with a smile.


    Johnny focused on the road since he didn''t know either why he changed his mind and helped that stupid woman.


    "It''s human nature. Any man with a conscience will help them," he plainly stated. He tried to find himself a decent excuse, just so he wouldn''t admit to Kelvin and to himself that that woman was special to him.


    Meanwhile, Noah had planned to drive Carla all the way home


    but halfway on the road, she asked him to pull over.


    They stopped at the AJ Group Building.


    "Noah, drop me off here, please. I want to give Terence a visit," Carla explained with embarrassment in her voice. She hadn''t expected that she would pass by Terence''s company on the way home.


    But as soon as she saw the building of the AJ Group, she couldn''t help but pay a visit to Terence while he was working. She had never seen his workplace before.


    ''It is still early. He is probably still at work, '' she thought.

 Chapter 214 Seeing A Different Side Of Terence

    "Okay, you can go ahead. Take care,"


    Noah said after a moment of hesitation.


    After he watched Carla leave, his smile faded and his eyes turned sorrowful.


    Meanwhile, Carla was stunned by the magnificent AJ building. She had passed by it before but she had never seen its interiors. It was her first time to come into the building.


    "Hello, where are you?" Carla asked as soon as Terence answered her call. She had just entered the building.


    "I''m in the company. I''ll be home soon. Do you miss me?" Terence''s familiar voice came through the phone, sounding soft and gentle.


    Carla walked to the door and looked at the spotless glass. She smiled and asked, "I''m wondering whether you''re already finished with your work yet? Also, can you drive me home?"


    Then, she pushed the door open and strode in.


    "Where are you?" Terence asked, realizing that she was not at home.


    Carla took out a card from her purse and handed it to the guard before he could ask.


    Seeing the card, the guard bowed politely and let her in.


    "I''ll soon arrive at your company. Don''t mind me, just do whatever you need to do. I''ll come and find you when I get there," Carla responded mischievously.


    "Sorry, Miss, do you have an appointment?" the woman at the front desk instantly asked.


    Carla put her finger on her own mouth, gesturing for the woman to be quiet. Then, she showed her the card that Terence gave her.


    "Where are you exactly?" Terence curiously asked. He recognized the voice of the woman at the front desk from the phone. But Carla just said that she was just about to go to his company''s building.


    "I''m not in your building. I am hanging out with my friends!" Carla continued her lame lie.


    The woman at the front desk politely handed back the card while she eyed Carla from head to toe.


    Carla took the card, gave her one last smile and walked inside.


    "Okay, I know," Terence replied. Terence didn''t want to expose her lie but he pressed a button so that he could see what happened at the front desk through the security camera. As long as he wanted, he could see any corner inside the building.


    When he saw Carla walking through the hall on the screen, he was intrigued and amused. His thin lips lifted up unconsciously.


    Holding the card, Carla asked the staff where Terence''s office was and went onto the elevator. Terence''s office was on the top floor of the building. Carla smiled as she patiently waited for the elevator to arrive at the right floor. She could just imagine Terence''s surprise once she walked in his office, a few moments from then. The elevator chimed in, announcing its arrival. Carla giggled a little as she waited for the doors to open.


    "Ah!"


    Carla shouted because she was caught off guard.


    The doors revealed a Terence standing and waiting for her expectantly. To say that it gave Carla a shock was an understatement.


    He stepped forward, grabbed her hand and took her out


    le.


    But now, he was sitting on a chair, with a stern look on his face as he bit his lips. He rubbed his index finger on his straight handsome nose as he slightly squinted his deep eyes.


    The dark blue shirt made him look more rigid. When he raised his hand, the button on his cuff reflected the light.


    Carla had never felt coldness from Terence because he was always smiling at her, concealing this side of himself.


    The man sitting in the conference room right then was a different Terence to her. He was like a stranger.


    Carla couldn''t hear their conversation, so she observed their gestures and expressions. From time to time, she noticed that they would frown while they continued to discuss.


    They might have encountered something really tricky.


    Carla looked around the outside of the room and saw a map of branches hanging on the wall.


    Seeing that the AJ Group had branches all over the world, Carla was stunned.


    The AJ Group was indeed a giant corporation!


    It had industries and branches all over the world. Especially in countries where tourism prospered. It had hotels and fancy restaurants in those countries.


    After reading an article about the industries and the current development of the AJ Group, Carla was in awe.


    No wonder


    people say that the tree of the An family was intricate. The different branches of the An family controlled different industries.


    No wonder


    Terence would feel a lot of pressure in the future. A lot of people would be depending on him


    because he would inherit all of these industries.


    Even if Marcus and Rhys acquired a part of it, Terence would still be the head of everything.


    How could people not envy him?


    When she first met him, she never thought that he enjoyed such a high position.


    Meanwhile, the meeting still went on, so Carla decided to go back and wait at Terence''s office. The moment she turned around, a huge commotion was heard from the conference room.

 Chapter 215 A Business Trip

    The noise was piercing that it made Carla turn around immediately.


    She quickly approached the door and peaked through the transparent window. She saw that Terence was standing up then and the chair beside him had been overturned, a clear proof of how mad he was at that moment.


    There were several middle-aged men sitting on both sides of the table. One of them picked up the overturned chair in haste while the rest remained silent, listening intently to Terence.


    It was hard for Carla to hear from outside the room what Terence was saying. But she could still sense that he was pissed off.


    Her attention was suddenly disrupted when she saw Rainer approaching the conference room with some tea on a cart.


    An idea quickly came into her mind. She walked towards the door of the room and then opened it for Rainer.


    "Thank you... Miss Carla?" Rainer looked up and was surprised to find Carla right there.


    Carla blinked her eyes at him and subtly gestured him not to expose her identity. Rainer glanced at Terence and immediately knew what was going on. He walked into the meeting room like everything was fine.


    Carla followed Rainer inside and helped him serve the tea to everyone in the room.


    "Terence, I should be blamed for what happened. It''s all my fault. I''ll personally go and ask them to revise the project tomorrow. Compared to the loss we''re going to have, it''s more important for us to maintain the reliability of our brand right now,"


    a middle-aged man sitting on the right side said.


    "But the loss is not that small. It''s a 700 million dollars investment. Do you think you have the right to make revisions at your will?"


    a bald man on the left side disagreed.


    "Stop it, both of you. In my opinion, it''s better to send a team to investigate the situation first. If there is something that needs to be revised, then that would be the time for us to do it. If the requirement of the products can be fulfilled by over 60%, we probably can leave it as it is. This way, we can save half of the loss,"


    a man in a white shirt suggested.


    With his right hand on his chin, Terence remained silent for a while. He was in deep contemplation as he sat in the middle of all the suggestions and arguments. Eyebrows furrowed, he looked at the report in his hand one more time and then slammed it down on the table.


    "I''ll personally pay a visit to NF. As for revising it or not, we''ll decide on it when I get back," Terence said as his sharp eyes scanned the managers. All of a sudden, he not


    d. How about this? I promise you that I will come back safe and sound. If you don''t believe me, I can write it down and sign it." Sensing her discontent, Terence tried to appease her.


    Carla was still not happy with what he just said so she got off from his lap and sat down on the chair beside him. "Forget it. How can something like that be assured by a piece of paper?


    If you don''t want me to go with you, then I won''t go!" Carla could understand his concern. However, the problem was that she was worried about him and she wanted to offer some help.


    Terence pulled her chair closer and held her hands as he asked, "Are you angry with me? Carla, think about it. if you go with me, then who would take care of Sean?"


    Being reminded of Sean, Carla hesitated for the first time. That was right. Her little brother was still a child and she was his only family.


    "Although he''s already familiar with the servants in the villa, it wouldn''t be the same to him if you''re not there," Terence explained with a tender voice. His eyes were filled with love towards Carla as he added, "Besides, I''m not going to leave right now. I''ll leave after a week at least."


    Upon hearing that he wasn''t going to leave right away, Carla cheered up a little bit. Her eyes glimmered as she reached out her little finger and said, "Pinkie swear to me that you''ll come back as soon as you can. And that you would be safe!"


    Terence couldn''t help but laugh out loud as he held out his little finger.


    He stopped laughing to say, "So do you. Promise me that you''re going to stay in JA City and be safe while waiting for me."


    Then, Terence kissed her on the lips to finish the pinkie swear.

 Chapter 216 Preparing A Gift

    "Well, it''s getting late. Let''s go to the rooftop to enjoy the view. After that, let''s go to dinner. I know a great place..."


    Terence stood up and stretched. Then he placed his arm around Carla''s shoulder and led her out of the conference room.


    Once out of the AJ Building, Terence called his driver and told him to take them to the restaurant. They returned home after dinner.


    Tired and drowsy, Carla stretched herself out on the sofa. What should she get as a gift for Nicholas? She racked her brain the whole day just thinking about it because she was going to Nicholas''s house with Terence tomorrow and that would be the formal visit.


    She really wanted to show her sincerity. She stood up and began to pace around the room.


    Terence came out of the bathroom while still drying his wet hair.


    He stopped when he caught sight of Carla. She was still walking around the room looking for some inspiration.


    "Carla, what are you looking for?" asked Terence, amused. "Terence, give me some advice. What should I get for grandpa tomorrow?" Carla asked.


    Carla scratched her head. She had searched her mind for a good idea all day but she still couldn''t find one.


    Nicholas was already so rich that he could get whatever he wanted. But she couldn''t possibly go with empty hands during her visit.


    "Don''t worry about it. I''ll prepare the gift." Terence consoled her. Every time they visit relatives and friends, Nathan and Rainer would always prepare the gifts for them.


    "No," refused Carla decisively. "This is a token of my affection. I''ll do it myself." Carla could be stubborn at times. She threw herself on the sofa and concentrated on coming up with an appropriate gift. Suddenly, a good idea came to her. She jumped up and ran down the stairs.


    Carla went into the living room and gazed at a painting on the wall. It was a framed portrait she drew for Terence. It could easily be mistaken as a masterpiece by some famous painter.


    The gift may be simple but she thought that it was the most appropriate gift of all. It is the thought that counts.


    Her eyes sparkled with delight. She rushed out of the living room at once and headed up stairs to the attic.


    Carla dug out a painting canvas, some paint and some brushes. Without delay, she started drawing a portrait of Nicholas. Terence provided the photograph as reference.


    She worked on the painting the whole night. The lights in the attic were dimly lit. Terence was sprawling at ease across the sofa with his arms draped over the back. He glanced at Carla who was buried in her work. He didn''t want to disturb her so he found himself a book and started to read.


    The clock struck midnight.


    Terence fell asleep


    ast Yard."


    Carla nodded. "How about your mother?"


    Terence was silent for a moment. He leaned back and stared absently outside the car window.


    "She passed away," said Terence dryly.


    His father had been cheating on his mother and cared little for her. She had spent her last days in tears and she simply faded away with grief and worries. She was just a young woman who should have enjoyed her life if it wasn''t for his father.


    Carla was silent for a while. Then she held his hand gently. "Sorry. I didn''t know..."


    "It''s okay," said Terence softly. "I want you to know everything about me. Since we are already here, after visiting grandpa, let''s visit my father too."


    "Yes," agreed Carla. Suddenly, a problem occurred to Carla. Terence told his father that she was pregnant. She rubbed her flat belly and thought that their lie would be exposed at once.


    She quickly grabbed a seat cushion and stuffed it under her coat.


    Terence couldn''t help but laugh at her clumsy attempt. "Carla, you are overdoing it. It looks like you are almost 5 months pregnant."


    "It''s all your fault!" complained Carla while pouting. "You placed yourself into this mess and I''m just covering up for you! Be grateful." Carla shot him a glance and continued fiddling with the cushion.


    Terence finally took the cushion from her.


    "Don''t bother yourself. You are only 3 months pregnant so it wouldn''t be that obvious. The more you try to hide it, the more easily you will be exposed."


    Terence brushed the dust off her clothes and said with a gentle smile.


    Carla scratched her head. She never had a chance to observe a pregnant woman so of course she wouldn''t know that.


    The car finally stopped at the gate of the North Yard.


    They got off the car and walked towards Nicholas''s place.

 Chapter 217 Visiting Nicholas (Part One)

    "Carla, what''s wrong? Are you feeling okay?" Terence asked anxiously. Carla was sitting beside him, sweating with nervousness.


    As soon as they were about to get off the car, Carla started to feel uneasy. This was the first time she was going to visit Nicholas officially and the way she acted amused Terence. Terence knew how important this meeting was for Carla, so he put his arms around her waist and gave her a quick, comforting and reassuring hug. "Calm down," he whispered to her ears.


    Carla took a deep breath and nodded, too nervous to speak. She frowned and looked at the rear-view mirror with concentration even though there was nothing to look at. Her palms sweated and she started fidgeting around. "Terence, I am suddenly not feeling well. I need to get out of here. I can''t breathe." Carla looked even more flustered after she removed herself from his comforting embrace, "I want to create a good first impression. I''ve never met Nicholas like this before. What if he doesn''t like me at all? What if I don''t know what to say or worse, what if I say something wrong! What if he''d instantly hate me for everything?"


    Terence lovingly patted her on the back. "Hey, hey, sweetheart, look at me. You need to stop worrying about these things. It will be all right! I promise you that. My grandfather is the kindest person in the world. You met him before and you knew it, right? And what do I always tell you? Don''t cross the bridge until you get there," Terence said patiently. He held her delicate hands in his firm ones to calm her down. She was frantic with worry, and this was not a good sign. Carla might chicken out again. He was not going to let that happen. He was holding her and this seemed to calm her down for now. He could feel her ice-cold hands grew warm again. Carla stopped moving and let Terence help her remove the creases in her dress. "Carla, my sweetheart. Listen to me. You are the most beautiful and wonderful woman I have ever seen. And you will also be the most beautiful, elegant and extraordinary woman for my family. They will surely love you. Grandpa will love you. You have nothing to worry about. Trust me on this. Do you understand?" After saying those comforting words, Terence looked her in the eyes with a mischievous and teasing smile, "But... maybe you do lack something important."On hearing that, Carla panicked, "What? I knew it! I knew I had forgotten something! You have to tell me what it was!" Terence couldn''t hold back his laughter and p


    ke that so he patted on his grandson''s back as if reassuring him of something. "Good! Good! I am good and you are good. That''s the best news in the world," he said.


    Though he was old and retired, Nicholas was still clear-headed and even sharp-minded. He paid a lot of attention to what had happened these past few days. So basically the old man knew everything that mattered. He was not as useless as he appeared to be. It was more of a camouflage, an act. Nicholas felt sorry that his acting broke his grandson''s heart.


    But Terence knew what Nicholas was up to. So he didn''t let the mood influence him much. "Grandfather. I wanted to apologize to you. I said I would come home but I didn''t. I am sorry. I owe you an apology. Now I am returned with Carla, your future granddaughter-in-law. Can you please forgive me?" Nicholas sighed. He shook his head in disapproval. Terence didn''t expect that so all of a sudden, and he didn''t know what to do. Was it a gesture of accepting his apology or not? Terence had no choice but to apologize again, this time more seriously. "It is my fault. I''m sorry I did not come home earlier. I''m sorry if I have let you down. I won''t do it again." Nicholas resumed his serenity and quietness. Terence knew that it was the sign that grandpa was really mad at him. Nicholas used to look at him without saying a word for hours. But at that time Nicholas was still in the prime of his time and Terence, who was still a little boy, was really afraid of him. But now, grandpa''s face was wrinkly and his eyes were not as sharp as before. Nicholas An became an old man. Terence felt sad that he didn''t fear his grandfather anymore.

 Chapter 218 Visiting Nicholas (Part Two)

    The man who literally raised him up was old. The man who taught him everything he knew had grown old before he was aware of it. Terence''s eyes were moist with tears.


    "Oh cut it. Cut the tears! I am not dead! Save that for my funeral. For God''s sake. Terence, a man should never shed tears. I''ve told you that for at least a hundred times. How come you always forget what I taught you. You little bastard! Come here, come to grandpa!" suddenly Nicholas laughed. "And here you are! Little girl, come to grandpa as well! What''s your name again? Oh yes, how come I forget your name! Carla it is, am I right?"Nicholas waved to Carla because she was still standing at the corner, like a poor little frightened animal. Carla smiled back. The way Nicholas talked to Terence reminded her of her own grandfather though he passed away when she was little.


    "Grandpa. Yes, I am Carla. You have a great memory." Carla also smiled back and walked towards them. She didn''t feel nervous anymore because Nicholas was just Terence''s kindly grandfather this moment, not the fierce Nicholas An.


    Nicholas grabbed Carla''s hand and put it in Terence''s. "Look at the two of you. You remind me of when I first met your grandmother. Those were the good old days. What a great match. Now I am finally happy. Good girl. When is the wedding?"


    Nicholas added, "I am getting old. I could die anytime. But I am still waiting for my great grandson to be born. Do you understand? Carla, the An family is counting on you. I am counting on you. You are not going to let grandpa down, are you?" smiled Nicholas. Carla couldn''t help but blush again.


    Nicholas was expecting his great grandson. But they weren''t even married yet. That was a bit too hurry, was it not? But how could she say no to such a kindly old man.


    While Carla was still thinking, Terence answered proudly, "Of course we will get married in no time. We can even get married now. I want the wedding more than


    w could he say that in front of his grandson. Carla almost felt that Nicholas was a man of unexpected moods.


    Terence almost couldn''t restrain himself from roaring with laughter. Grandpa Nicholas was always like that. He was so good at messing with people to reveal their true colors. It almost became his instinct. But Carla had nothing to hide. Because she was always like that, simple and innocent. Terence believed that he had to save Carla from Nicholas now. Or Carla would blame everything on him.


    "Nathan, come in." Terence called out.


    Nathan answered the call and soon carried the painting in. He carefully rested the covered painting on the marble round table and revealed what was under the cloth.


    What a masterpiece! Nicholas gave a gasp of surprise. It was a portrait, a portrait of himself. "Who painted it? What an honor! I have to meet this artist. This artist is today''s Picasso, if I may say so." "Do you like it?" asked Terence with a trace of proud. Nicholas butted in, "Like it? Of course not! I love it! It''s a masterpiece!"Nicholas even became impatient in his demands to see the artist.


    It was a portrait of him at the age of approximately 40 years. The best years of a man. He looked dashing and spirited. The painting was officially his favorite painting now.

 Chapter 219 Visiting Nicholas (Part Three)

    "Grandpa, your eyesight is not what it used to, right?" Terence pointed at the corner of the painting, "There, read the name of the artist over there." Nicholas knocked on Terence''s forehead, "You little bastard. How dare you talk back! Race, go and get my eyeglasses.""Yes Mr. Nicholas." Race turned around and chuckled.


    Nicholas put on the glasses and began to examine the oil painting carefully. He didn''t go straight for the signature because he didn''t want Terence to sense his eagerness. But after he saw the sign of the name, Nicholas gasped again, "Carla? You painted this? It''s incredible! I can''t believe it!"


    Carla was shy. She smiled and nodded in response. Nicholas almost stood up and hugged her.


    "Terence, listen up. Our family is lucky to have Carla. You have to cherish her. She is too good for you. Carla is a rare treasure." Nicholas was serious in attitude this time. He had to admit that deep in his heart, he did look down a little upon a common girl like Carla before. He himself preferred fierce and powerful woman, the kind that was like himself. "Thank you, Grandpa Nicholas," said Carla gently. Her voice was soft. Nicholas waved his hand, "Child, I have to apologize to you. You deserve more respect. Grandpa was wrong with everything about you." Nicholas began to cough. It was obvious that he was still pretty weak. Race tried to give him some medication but he refused. Race stepped aside again.


    He was happy and satisfied. He wanted no medicine to spoil the good mood. Throughout the years, he was worried about his favorite grandson, Terence. Now that Terence finally found a good girl and was going to settle down with her, he have nothing to worry about anymore. He would have many great grandchildren in the household and he was looking forward to that day.


    Hot tears was rolling down Nicholas'' cheeks. His chest began to rise and fall.


    "Grandpa, easy!" Terence was panicked. "You just promised Carla that you would take good ca


    he arm, "Listen up. Something went wrong in NF. Terence, you have to listen to me this time. I know everything." Terence listened quietly. Nicholas continued, "You can''t go there yourself. I am demanding you. It is not safe anymore." Nicholas had a fierce look while saying those words. His eyes became sharp.


    Terence just smiled and didn''t say a word. He knew it was not safe anymore. But If not him, then who?


    Nicholas sighed again, "Terry, you..." "Grandpa!" Terence interrupted, "What did Carla say before? You should take good care of your health. Can you please stop worrying about all these things? I am a grown-up man now. I know what I am doing."


    Nicholas shook his head in disapproval, "I know you have grown up. And you are an outstanding business man. But this time you have to listen to me."


    The atmosphere soon became solemn. "I know you don''t want me to worry about these things. But you have to follow my orders this time. You CANNOT go."


    "Your eldest brother took great pains with business in NF. There is nothing he does not know. Do you understand what it means? It means that what happened there was not a careless mistake. It was planned for sure. He must know." Nicholas paused and took a deep breath. "And I suspect that your brother is behind all these." Nicholas dropped the bombshell.

 Chapter 220 I Want To Have Grandchildren Within A Year

    "I know we have invested $700 million on the project in NF, so you personally want to deal with the problem. But we all know that it''ll be very dangerous. Therefore, I''m not gonna let you take that risk,"


    Nicholas gave a sharp cough as he spoke.


    Terence immediately stood up and helped him stroke his back. Then, he stated, "Grandpa, my decision to go there this time is not just because of the money. I got news that Marcus wants to separate from the family. He secretly transferred 80% of our estate in NF to his name."


    He watched his grandfather''s reactions for a little while. When Terence saw that he was still stable, he continued, "What''s more, he even hired a group of mercenaries and he has already set up a state-of-the-art security system. If we continue to ignore it..."


    That was what triggered the old man. He interrupted Terence and spoke, "Terence, what are you saying? I can''t believe Marcus would do such a thing. How dare he?


    He has already violated the rules of our family if he actually did that. And he will be expelled from the family!"


    The reason why the An family could be as majestic and prominent the way they were today was because of their strict family rules.


    It was strictly forbidden to set up his or her own business. Because this kind of behavior would definitely weaken the strength of the family as a whole.


    If every child of the An family dispersed the family business, then the AJ Group would have already fallen apart.


    And if that happened, the An family wouldn''t have buildt their empire the way it was today.


    "However, since Marcus has made up his mind to do it like that, it will be extremely dangerous for you to meet him. Besides, you know that he won''t show you mercy," Nicholas warned as he continued to cough. He was really worried for Terence.


    Marcus''s intentions were crystal clear. He wanted to take Terence''s place.


    For Terence however, Marcus was his brother. He tolerated everything that he had done because he cared about him. That was why he almost got killed by Marcus''s men the last time he was in BH City.


    "But if I don''t go there, then who else can we send as a representative of AJ Group? Can we ask the workers who have been here since the day AJ Group was launched to face the dangerous Marcus? Or my father? Or even Rhys?" Terence asked softly.


    This time, he was sure that he had to handle it himself, even though he knew that if it really came down to it, he might fight against his elder brother. If he was meant to be in that bloody fight, then he would just face it bravely.


    ''If Marcus really wants to kill me, I won''t hesitate to do everything that I have to do to save my own life. Even if that includes killing him. That would have been what


    t giving her a chance."


    With a smile, Terence turned to him and spoke, "Take it easy. I promise that I will get married within a year. I''m heading downstairs now."


    Edmund slammed his hand down on the table and shouted at Terence''s back, "Terence, don''t try to twist my words."


    However, Terence didn''t pay any attention to him.


    ''Does he really think that I''m that easy to fool? Although I''m not that young anymore, just taking a closer look at Carla, I can already tell that she isn''t pregnant at all, '' Edmund thought to himself.


    Meanwhile, Carla was patiently waiting downstairs.


    Of course, she didn''t start eating before Terence and his father came to the dining hall. After all, Edmund was Terence''s father. She must respect him and wait for him.


    No matter how hungry she was at that time.


    Finally, she saw Terence come down the stairs, but she didn''t see his father.


    "Don''t wait anymore. My father has already eaten. Let''s start our meal now," Terence said to Carla as he took his seat.


    "Really?" Carla questioned, glancing at the stairs.


    Terence grabbed his chopsticks and placed some food in her bowl. He said, "Just eat lunch for now. I remembered that you mentioned how hungry you are on our way here, right?"


    "That''s right," Carla said as she smiled at him. Then, she took a deep breath. She could sense that


    Terence''s father didn''t like her before.


    And now it seemed like he still hadn''t changed his mind.


    In fact, it was Carla''s first official visit to Terence''s family to pay her respect. But she didn''t expect that Terence''s father wouldn''t even show his face.


    However, she could easily tell that Terence didn''t actually care about his father''s opinions.


    Because she knew that in his heart, Grandpa Nicholas'' approval was much more important than that of his father''s.

 Chapter 221 Be Your Only Man

    As soon as they were done having lunch, they immediately left the An''s Manor.


    Instead of holding it at the company building, a meeting was arranged at some other business hotel of the AJ Group. It seemed as though there was some pressing matter which Terence had to take care of.


    It was something of high priority. The driver didn''t really have the time to bring Carla back to the villa, so Carla had no choice but to tag along and to come to the hotel too.


    Terence headed straight upstairs to come to the meeting. Carla then had to be left to herself randomly wandering around in the lounge. Finding some interesting computer games, she stayed for a while in the fancy break-room and had fun playing a couple of video games.


    But still, she felt as if time had been passing by much slower as she waited. She just couldn''t help but shoot quick glances at the elevator and thinking, ''What''s taking them too long? isn''t it over yet?''


    Shrugging it off, she just went ahead and resumed what she had been doing, ''Well, he''s just doing his job. He''s such a busy man.''


    Carla shrugged again as she resigned herself to just be patient and keep on waiting.


    A feeling of uselessness crept down Carla all of a sudden. The things she had learned wouldn''t be of any help to Terence whatsoever.


    He had himself surrounded by a group of talented people. While Carla, on the other hand, had neither a higher education nor a substantial amount of practical work knowledge. If she didn''t really have anything to do with Terence, it was quite certain that she might not be able to step a foot into their building to receive an interview from his company.


    "Carla?"


    A familiar voice helped Carla come to her senses. She turned around reflexively and found Evan standing there, someone whom she hadn''t seen in quite a while.


    "Evan?" Carla called out to him, feeling so astonished.


    "I can''t believe it! It really is you! I thought I might have just been seeing things!" Evan blurted out before approaching her. Taking a good look at Carla, he said with a big smile on his face, "It''s been such a long time since the last time I saw you. I never would''ve imagined we would bump into each other at a place like this."


    "You could say the same for me! You haven''t changed at all!" Carla remarked.


    Stepping out of the treadmill, she instantly wiped away the sweat off of her forehead and smiled back at him.


    He seemed just as lively, not to mention just as handsome, as the last time Carla laid her eyes on him.


    Back then, his gentle smile had the power of lighting her up and bringing warmth into her heart. But in contrast, she didn''t feel a thing anymore right now.


    Sometimes, distance can cause a person to feel some things that shouldn''t have been there otherwise.


    Meaning to say, getting closer wouldn''t be a good move, because then it would cause those feelings to die down little by little


    re of. I guess we''ll see you around!"


    Terence had no intention of staying there for too long whatsoever. Grabbing Carla by the hand, they headed out of the hotel without delay.


    Terence saw no point of acting nice and wasting his precious time on Evan. The two of them could never be friends.


    The moment Carla stepped foot into the car, she pondered about it for a while and wrapped her head around the idea that Evan and Terence were actually related.


    A voice abruptly brought her back into reality, "Carla, I won''t allow you to go around thinking about anyone other than me! You''re only permitted to think about your own man!"


    Carla couldn''t find the strength to hold it in and burst out laughing. Staring at the man sitting next to her, she teased him, "My own man, you say? Are you sure about that? You sure you want to be my only man?"


    Raising his eyebrows a tad bit, Terence instantaneously fixated his gaze on her and responded in an earnest tone, "Of course, I am a hundred percent sure about this. I want to be your one and only man."


    Just as he was about to lean in and kiss her, she caught him off guard and beat him to it.


    With her arms wrapped around Terence''s neck, she pressed her lips on his so swiftly.


    Rainer forced out a cough.


    He wanted those two love birds to realize his existence and that they weren''t alone in there.


    Terence was so disappointed that his precious moment had gotten interrupted.


    He picked up the drink on the side of the car and furiously threw it at Rainer. He said, "If you''re not feeling well, go take some medicine. There''s no need for you to get in my way."


    Carla got a bit flushed red and hid her face right between her arms. Rainer accompanied Terence everywhere, so she got kind of used to it that she forgot his presence at times.


    Heading back over to the Seaview Villa, Terence couldn''t wait to bring Carla upstairs in his room and was so raring to go.

 Chapter 222 He Was Gone!

    As soon as they stepped into the elevator, Terence held Carla against the wall and kissed her deeply.


    The elevator soon arrived at the second floor.


    Terence took a deep breath and pulled Carla out of the elevator. However, they didn''t make it to the bedroom because Terence kept on kissing Carla on the corridor.


    "Terence, let''s go to the bedroom." Carla was nervous because she was afraid to run into someone while they were kissing. She was not used to kissing in public.


    Even though the second floor was Terence''s private space and no one could come up there except for the housemaids who would come to clean at a fixed time, Carla still felt uneasy.


    "No one will come up here. Relax. Sean is at school and it would take him at least 40 minutes to come home from school. What are you worrying about?" Terence said hoarsely while gazing at her flushed face.


    She looked so tempting at the moment just like some ripe fruit that was waiting to be eaten.


    "But..."


    Before she could finish protesting, Terence stopped her with a kiss. He pressed the button beside the elevator that would stop it from functioning. No one could use the elevator now so no one could come up and interrupt them.


    That was the first time that they had sex outside the bedroom.


    Carla had no choice but to give in to him. She went into the bathroom as soon as it was over.


    When she walked out of the bathroom, Terence already got changed and was waiting for her on the couch.


    "What''s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?" Terence asked with a smile.


    Carla sat down on the couch while drying her hair. She looked at him and replied, "Terence, I think that your performance is getting bad."


    Although their first time was in a car, they had no other choice back then.


    Upon hearing her words, Terence laughed and folded his arms behind his head. He leaned back and slightly narrowed his eyes at her while he explained, "I''m not getting bad. I am bad all the time. You just didn''t know that."


    Carla was busy wiping her hair with a towel but she threw it at him violently.


    "Terence, what do you mean? Were you just pretending to be good to me?"


    She sta


    r stubbornness, Terence didn''t insist and just said, "Then how about I leave you with two bodyguards that would protect you and Sean? Don''t be annoyed with them and leave them when you go out. Alright?" He tried to persuade her because he was really worried that she would run into some problems while he was away.


    He knew that she hated being protected by bodyguards so he made them protect her in a distance but now, he would prefer if they protect her closely since it would be much safer.


    "Fine. I promise you." Carla accepted his suggestion.


    When they finally finished preparing, Carla went to the airport with Terence.


    She was so sad to part with him and when he saw that, Terence lifted the corners of his lips and slightly rubbed her nose to comfort her, "Don''t cry. I''m not going to a war. I will be back as soon as possible.


    Take care of yourself. Don''t lose any weight before I come back. I like it when you are a little chubby."


    After finishing his words, he lowered his head and kissed her on the forehead then added, "Wait for me."


    Then he left without looking back.


    Rainer and Nathan followed him to the entrance of the airport with their luggage.


    Carla sighed silently and watched them leave for quite a while.


    When they were out of her sight, she slowly turned around and walked away.


    Nonetheless, at that exact moment, Johnny and several of his men were also heading to the entrance of the airport.

 Chapter 223 The Truth Was About To Emerge

    Johnny was also invited by Marcus to go to NF days before.


    Naturally, he wouldn''t risk to go unless he would benefit from it greatly.


    Carla went back to the Seaview Villa.


    When Terence was away, she could never get used to being alone.


    Even after a week, she still couldn''t get used to it.


    Although they talked on the phone everyday to make sure that he was okay, her heart was still worried and she still had nightmares every night.


    She knew that she was overthinking and that there was nothing to worry about because Terence was not an ordinary person and he had bodyguards that would follow him all the time. Rainer and Nathan were also with him twenty-four seven.


    Even with that, she still made sure to pay special attention to the news there every day. When news about crimes popped up, she couldn''t help but think about Terence.


    The more she cared, the more worried she got.


    Carla was now fully experiencing it.


    One day, Noah invited her to go out and to attend an opening ceremony of a new department store. He had a few free gift cards with him so he invited Carla to buy whatever she liked.


    Carla agreed to go. She didn''t really need to buy stuff but she wanted to keep her mind occupied with something else.


    However, she ended up just thinking about Terence and Sean who were the two most important people in her life. She didn''t want to lose any of them.


    "Carla..."


    Noah greeted her as soon as he saw her get out of the car.


    Carla said something to her bodyguard and walked over to Noah while smiling. "Noah! I thought you left already!"


    "I did went back yesterday but I just came back to JA City last night," Noah explained while looking at Carla. "What''s wrong? You don''t look so good."


    Carla just shook her head and said while lowering her eyes, "It''s nothing. I don''t know. I can''t sleep properly recently."


    "Really? Is it because Terence is away?" Noah asked while smiling gently.


    Carla cleared her throat and looked at him, a little surprised. "Noah, how did you know?"


    They kept on chatting with each other while walking inside.


    "I''m also a businessman; that''s why I know things. Besides, the Hua family has a good business relationship with the An family, so it''s only natural that I know," Noah explained while they were walking into a newly-opened boutique shop.


    While picking some clothes, Carla asked, "Noah, have you been there before?"


    Noah answered while helping her. "Yes, I''ve been there for a month and I got robbed twice. Try this one. This is nice."


    "What?"


    Carla shouted out loud. She was surprised to hear that from Noah. She thought that the comments online were onl


    ."


    Carla was stunned after hearing that. She glanced at the gem and looked back at Nicholas.


    "Grandpa, what did you say? The Hua family made a set of jewels with this?"


    Carla asked.


    She remembered that Andrea wore a necklace that was made out of the same gem when she met her in the hospital in HA City. Was it a coincidence?


    "Yes, I remember it clearly. I''ve known the Hua family for many years. I can''t be wrong," said Nicholas. He sensed that there was something bothering her because she looked a little uncomfortable. "Carla, what''s wrong?" he asked.


    Nicholas didn''t know her true identity because Terence never mentioned it to him. He didn''t know that talking about the Hua family would upset Carla.


    "Oh, nothing, grandpa. I thought I saw it somewhere before. Maybe I was mistaken because I don''t know anything about jewels. Ah, grandpa, it''s late. You should get some rest. I''ll leave now."


    Carla looked at time and realized that it was getting late. The doctor asked Nicholas to take some good rest, so she shouldn''t disturb him anymore.


    "Alright, Carla, come and visit me again soon. You''re always welcome here!" said Nicholas while smiling gently.


    When Carla got out of the North Yard, she was really upset.


    Noah once asked her the most peculiar question that had she ever wonder who she really was. Carla thought it was just a joke, until this very moment.


    The ring that her father kept seemed to be related to the Hua family. What was the connection?


    Maybe she was just overthinking.


    But she had to find it out. She would get the ring and ask Nicholas to find a way to compare it with the necklace that Andrea wore. If they came from the same gem, then...


    it would only mean that the ring must be related to the Hua family!

 Chapter 224 Losing Contact (Part One)

    As soon as Carla got back to Terence''s Seaview Villa, she immediately headed upstairs and shut herself inside her room to inspect the ring. Be that as it might, no matter how she put it, in the end, she was not a professional. So, as one might''ve expected, she wasted quite some time trying to figure something out, only to end up empty-handed. All she noticed was how its color seemed somewhat identical to that of Nicholas'' gem.


    From out of the blue, she suddenly remembered something. Carla brought out her phone, went ahead and dialed Terence''s number.


    Terence mentioned something about how a wealthy man was the one who had given the ring to her father. If that was really the case, then who could that rich man be?


    Terence probably knew something about the mysterious man.


    Even though she really couldn''t wait to ask him, Terence wasn''t picking up his phone.


    Carla tried to call him again, but she didn''t get any answer.


    It was quite possible that he was still busy with work, so Carla decided not to bother him. She had been looking into it for some time now, so it wouldn''t hurt to wait some more.


    But for some unexplainable reason, she just had an ominous feeling in her bones.


    She just began feeling so anxious as soon as she hung up the phone.


    One by one, a series of worrisome events cropped up without any sort of warning.


    Carla decided to wait up until much, much later in the evening. Due to the different time zones, it should be noontime in NF city right about now. Carla was under the assumption that Terence should be having lunch around that time, so she tried calling him once more. She just couldn''t simply go to sleep without first making sure that he was doing fine.


    That being said, Terence still wasn''t picking up his phone at all for some reason.


    She only got the automated response saying again and again, "Sorry, the number you have dialled is powered off."


    Without delay, Carla sat up from bed in


    on, there was no way he could just turn a blind eye if Terence had gotten in danger, right?


    With that in mind, Carla swung open the door again, entered the car, instructing the driver, "Could you bring me to the East Yard of An''s Manor please?"


    The second she got there, Carla sprung out of the vehicle and frantically ran toward the front door.


    The attendant had been so utterly astonished to see her there. However, he didn''t bother trying to stop her since he knew full well who she was. All he did was ask the other attendants to inform Edmund about her arrival straight away.


    "Uncle Edmund! Uncle Edmund!" Carla called out to him as she hurriedly ran over to where he was.


    "Would you please stop yelling and screaming?! You just never learn how to behave yourself, do you?" Edmund had his eyebrows deeply knit the second he saw Carla dashing into his house looking so tensed up.


    Carla didn''t have the time to be worrying about her actions. "Uncle, by any chance, have you... heard from Terence?" she was panting, making it quite obvious she was so out of breath.


    It was the only thing that mattered to her in that moment. The only things she had being dying to know.


    Since he had actually just woken up for only a couple of minutes, her weird inquiry made him feel so confused.

 Chapter 225 Losing Contact (Part Two)

    "What do you mean? What happened to Terence? Isn''t he supposed to be in NF taking care of business at this time?"


    Little did Carla know that Edmund and Terence actually rarely got in touch with each other¡ªthat was if they get in touch at all¡ªdue to the fact that the two of them weren''t really that close. So it didn''t come as a surprise that right now, he wasn''t aware of Terence''s situation.


    "Uncle, I haven''t been able to get a hold of Terence since yesterday in the afternoon. It''s just that I''m getting so worried about him! He hasn''t been answering any of my calls. I was afraid that something bad might''ve happened to him!"


    Upon seeing the anxiety written all over her face, he brought out his phone and tried calling Terence himself. Of course, as Carla had was expecting, there wasn''t anyone picking it up. So, Edmund proceeded to dial another number.


    This time, it didn''t take too long before someone finally answered.


    "Marcus, do you have Terence there with you? Is he busy? What is he doing right now? Why isn''t he answering his phone?" Apparently, Edmund was checking up on Terence through his eldest son Marcus.


    Carla then heaved a heavy sigh, getting so worked up.


    Knowing Edmund, Carla thought that he would simply trust his son''s words without question. But was he aware of Terence and Marcus'' stained relationship and that they had never really seen eye to eye?


    Would Marcus really tell him what was really happening? Could they take his word for it?


    "Father, there''s no need for you to be so worried. Terence, along with his men went on a field visit for some of our upcoming projects. He''s currently in a remote area right now, and that place is quite barren, so it might not have enough resources to provide electrical power. I have been through that area before myself, and it wasn''t really that unusual for us to not have any contact with anyone for about three to five


    enough explanation over the phone, so she just ultimately decided to head straight into his hotel to meet him face to face.


    "Noah, could I please ask you for a favor? Can you help me find a way to get in touch with Theo Huo?"


    Carla had been so upfront with him about her intentions.


    Noah was taken aback. Truth be told, this was probably the first time he had ever heard this name. However, he didn''t utter a single word, and still went ahead and browsed through his phonebook.


    Of course, he was aware he didn''t have Theo''s phone number. But, as luck would have it, he knew of someone who did have it.


    After about five minutes, he gave Carla a phone number she could call. Carla saved it and dialed at once.


    If it turned out she had only been overthinking things, then that would be so great. But on the off chance that anything bad really happened to Terence, she was hoping to be of some assistance to him in any way she possibly could. Time was of the utmost importance at that moment if he had really gotten into trouble. Theo was one of Terence''s trusted friends, and she thought he would be willing to lend him a hand.


    "Hello, May I speak with Theo please? This is Carla..." she couldn''t afford losing anymore time, so she called him up immediately.

 Chapter 226 Ask For Help

    Theo was sound asleep when he was woken up by Carla''s call. It was merely 8 in the morning. He asked, "Carla? Wait, why do you have my phone number?


    So¡ªare you feeling alone? But Terence has only been gone for a month! I''m telling you, even though I think you are a beautiful girl, I won''t betray my friend and¡ª"


    Carla interrupted his nonsense chatter. She said anxiously, "Theo, I couldn''t get in touch with Terence since yesterday! Can you help me contact him?"


    Theo fell silent.


    He was trying to digest what Carla just said.


    "What? You couldn''t get in touch with Terence? Did you had a fight? Then why did you call me?"


    Theo asked. He just assumed that they had a fight and Terence might be mad at her so that he refused to answer her calls.


    "No! Theo, Terence is in NF. How could we have a fight? He hasn''t answer my calls since yesterday, also Rainer''s calls. I haven''t called Nathan, but I''m afraid the answer might be the same!"


    Carla said in a panic voice, "I''m worried that¡ª"


    She stopped and took a look at Noah who stood patiently beside her. Then she went into the other room and whispered, "I''m worried that his brother might hurt him again¡ª"


    She didn''t want Noah to hear it not because she wary of him, but because it was a family shame in its nature. How could two brothers hate each other?


    It was until now that Theo realized how serious the situation might be. "Got it. Carla, relax. My father has some friends in NF. They might know something. I''ll ask them for help.


    I''ll contact you as soon as I have any update.


    But you have to take care of yourself first. Don''t worry about this too much. You know how tough Terence is. He had been sent to the military for five years, and he had been trained professionally. Even if he is in a dangerous situation, he is capable of solving it. You need to trust him!"


    Theo started to comfort Carla.


    He and Terence had been best friends since they were little. He cared about Terence''s safety for sure.


    "That''s great! Thank you, Theo!" Carla was relieved to say the least. Finally someone would be able to help locate Terence!


    Otherwise, she would be desperate


    ne has crashed already."


    "That''s all?"


    Noah asked unsatisfactorily, his eyebrows frowned with disappointment.


    Marcus smiled again. He replied pleasantly, "Of course not! All the safety equipment in the plane was replaced into useless things. Moreover, I hired a group of mercenary to search a few kilometers around the crash site. They didn''t find anyone alive. I can guarantee you that Terence didn''t stand a chance to survive this time!"


    He would never let Terence alive!


    As long as Terence was alive, it was impossible for him to have his victory.


    Noah and he happened to have the same view regarding their own situation.


    Both of them cared not a bit about brotherhood. If brotherhood really mattered, the executive power of the An family should be bestowed to him, the eldest son!


    But now, people only knew Terence, the heir of the An family. Who knew him? What about him?


    "Mr. Marcus, I hope what you said is true. Don''t let him return back home anymore. Bye." Noah ended the phone furiously and threw it on the window. He took a drag on his cigarette and stared outside at the dark, rainy sky.


    ''Terence, you could have lived a happy life with my sister. But you spoiled the chance and chose the girl I want.


    Then don''t blame me for this!


    Whoever messes up with me will have to pay the cost! No matter what!


    I will get whatever I want.


    Nobody can stop me from getting everything!'' Noah thought.

 Chapter 227 Carlas Determination

    Carla waited anxiously for another two days.


    During those days, she rarely ate or even slept. She kept on dialing Terence''s phone number almost every hour but still couldn''t get him on the phone.


    Carla had begged Theo to help her make some inquiries among his friends. But still, to no avail, there wasn''t any word from him. After all, he was far from NF. It would take time for him to receive information.


    Carla couldn''t stand it anymore. She couldn''t just sit there waiting for news without doing anything. She thought and thought for some time, and then decided to ask Terence''s grandfather for help. So, she asked the driver to take her to the An''s Manor.


    She didn''t want to disturb Nicholas, but at that moment she thought that she had no other choice.


    As the hours passed, she was becoming more and more afraid that Terence might be in great danger.


    Soon enough, she arrived at the North Yard.


    As soon as she got out of the car, Race came over. "Miss Carla, Mr. Nicholas is resting. Is it an emergency? If it''s not that urgent, may I suggest waiting for him in the living room for a while?"


    Shaking her head, Carla replied, "Sorry Race, but this is very important. I''m afraid the matter couldn''t wait any longer."


    It was true, she couldn''t wait a second longer or she might actually go crazy.


    Seeing how serious Carla was, Race didn''t ask any more questions. He gestured Carla to follow him and they headed directly for Nicholas''s bedroom.


    "Mr. Nicholas, Miss Carla''s here to see you," Race said softly as he bowed.


    Carla was just behind him, following solemnly. The moment she reached the door, tears pooled in her eyes and she was choked up for a moment.


    Immediately noticing Carla''s distress, Nicholas asked worriedly, "What''s wrong, Carla my dear? Come here and tell me what happened. Was anyone rude to you? Did anyone do you wrong?" When Carla still struggled to respond, he added, "Don''t worry. Since Terence isn''t here, I''ll protect you. I''ll never let anyone harm you!"


    Seeing Carla crying made him feel really bad and he began to worry about her.


    Carla shook her head. She slowly made her way to his bed and kneeled on the floor beside it. She then held his hand and stated, "Grandpa, I haven''t been able to reach Terence for three days. I''m really worried about him. I had no other choice but to come here and ask for your help."


    Nicholas was unable to speak for a while, trying to process what Carla had just said. "Carla, wh-what, what are you saying? What do you mean you couldn''t reach Terence for three days?"


    Nicholas thought for a moment before he shouted, "Race! Come in here right now!"


    Race immediately took the stairs to Nicholas''s room. The moment he heard the man yell, he knew what it was about. In his defense, he didn''t inform Nicholas of any bad news since the man was in poor health. He thought that it might not be good for him to stress over a lot of things.


    When Race came into the room, he first looked at Carla and then turned to Nicholas. Not wanting to anger the man any further, he quickly stated, "Mr. Nicholas, it''s true that Mr. Terence is missing."


    Another reason why he didn''t want to tell Mr. Nichol


    ds that you''re gone, he will blame us,"


    Sophie begged as she clung to Carla''s arm.


    ''These days, Miss Carla and Sean''s arrival had given the villa some life. Mr. Terence left several days ago. If Miss Carla also leaves, this villa will become dreary again.


    And for certain, Mr. Sean will feel lonely while both Miss Carla and Mr. Terence are away, '' Sophie thought to herself.


    "Sophie, I must do something for Terence. I can''t just stand by and watch while he''s in so much danger. I can''t just wait here anymore," Carla said with determination.


    For the past several days, Sophie could tell that there was something bothering Miss Carla. She had been a little out of her mind. Sophie had speculations that it had something to do with Mr. Terence and Carla just confirmed her intuitions. Mr. Terence must be in a really dangerous situation.


    "But Miss Carla, you''d be in great danger as well. What''s worse, you don''t have anyone to help you. How can you save Mr. Terence by yourself? Miss Carla, please just listen to me.


    Just stay here and wait for him to come back. Please don''t do anything that could put you in a dangerous situation,"


    Sophie tried her best to persuade Carla. She was afraid that Carla might get herself in danger. On the other hand, she was also afraid that when Mr. Terence came back and couldn''t find Miss Carla, he would be mad at them for letting her leave.


    Carla shook her head, looking extremely as determined as when she walked in. Her eyes were as beautiful as the pearls. At that moment, she had them fixed on Sophie and she firmly said, "Sophie, I have already decided.


    You don''t have to worry. I won''t go alone. Grandpa will arrange some bodyguards to protect me."


    Then, Carla removed her arm from Sophie''s hand and walked towards the door carrying her bag.


    Sophie was unable to move from where she stood. After a while, she started crying as she began to worry about Miss Carla and Mr. Terence''s safety.


    With her hands clasped in front of her, Sophie looked at the sky and begged the blessing of the gods.


    She prayed for Miss Carla and Mr. Terence''s safe return.

 Chapter 228 A Months Worth Of Hard Training

    If Carla decided to go there directly, it was clear that she would head to her doom. She was not that stupid so she decided not to go to the airport.


    Instead, she paid a visit to Nicholas.


    The moment that she stepped into the door, she knelt down.


    "Carla? What are you doing?" Nicholas was quite taken aback by her behavior.


    Race took her arm and tried to help her up but she just ignored him.


    "Grandpa, I have one request. If you don''t give me your consent, I''ll just keep kneeling here." She bowed her head after her declaration.


    "Come on. Don''t be like this. I will help you to the best of my ability. Come. Let''s sit down and talk about it." Nicholas gestured for her to stand up and sit beside him.


    Carla raised her head slowly and looked at him with determination. She took a deep breath and said, "Grandpa, please. Train me.


    I don''t want to do this just to show off or to lose some weight. I want to be trained so that I could protect myself in the future. I want to be strong enough to defend myself against the enemies. I was kidnapped for two times. I was thinking... If I know some self-defense skills, I won''t have to wait for other people to come to my rescue.


    Grandpa, I don''t mind working hard. I wish you could give me some lessons as soon as possible. I want to be stronger."


    Carla knew that he could help her. As a veteran, Nicholas had trained countless of soldiers before. She just wanted to learn some self-defense skills.


    She was willing to overcome any weakness, despair, and fear.


    She didn''t want to be protected. She didn''t want to be the one to drag the group down whenever they face emergencies.


    "Carla, tell me. Why do you want to learn? Are you planning on finding Terence by yourself?" asked Nicholas.


    He was experienced and had the ability to understand the motives of other people. He could read her mind.


    Carla had no intention of disguising her plan. She nodded immediately.


    "Grandpa, I''ve made up my mind. I''m willing to do a month''s training. Trust me. I can do it. The training could help me rescue Terence. It was possible that he would be returned after a month. But if he wouldn''t... I''ll go to NF and find him myself!"


    The usually innocent and mild-mannered girl glared firmly into his eyes. "I will find him and rescue him. I will spare nothing, even my own life!" swore Carla in a low but determined voice.


    At least, she wanted to try her best.


    "Good girl," murmured Nicholas. He was moved by her devotion. "I''ll help you," Nicholas promised her.


    ''How blessed you are, Terry, to be loved by a girl like this!'' thought Nicholas.


    Carla could


    me. I will find him no matter what you say."


    Terence promised that he would be with her forever. He would never go back on his word.


    Terence would not lose the game if his opponent was Marcus. Carla was confident that he would succeed.


    What she didn''t know was that Marcus had hooked up with two other forces because he was determined to end Terence''s life.


    She also didn''t know that Noah was one of them.


    "Carla, please. I beg of you. Don''t put yourself in danger!" Noah persuaded her earnestly.


    "Noah, I told you my plan because I regard you as my friend. You are like an elder brother to me. If it wasn''t for that, I wouldn''t have told you my plans." Carla took a deep breath. Her head was erect and her back was straight. She was ready to face the unknown.


    "Please don''t try to persuade me. I won''t change my mind."


    Carla hung up the phone decisively.


    Noah smashed his phone into pieces in anger.


    "What an ignorant stupid girl!" roared Noah. "Terence is dead! Dead as a door nail! Why is she sacrificing herself for him!" He was trembling with fury.


    He suddenly noticed that he was starting to care too much for Carla. He genuinely wanted her to be safe. He thought that he was just pretending at first but eventually, his affection for her became much more than what he had expected.


    Todd was standing behind Noah. He cleared his throat to announce his presence. "Mr. Noah, I think that this is for the best. She is seeking her own doom. We didn''t even need to do anything to her.


    If she is killed in NF, you will become the only heir to the family. Isn''t that what we want?"


    Noah clenched his fist and slammed it down on the table.


    He closed his eyes slowly. There was a look of confusion and pain on his face.

 Chapter 229 Carlas Efforts

    Carla was finally allowed to go to NF.


    The moment when she got on board the airplane, she felt thankful that Sean was her only family. She didn''t need to convince a lot of people to let her risk her life to save Terence.


    ''Sean, I''m sorry!


    I know it''s irresponsible as your sister, but when you grow up, you''ll understand.


    When you are old enough, you''ll meet someone that you would be willing to give your life to. When that day comes, you''ll finally understand what I feel!'' Carla thought.


    The plane flew up to the sky until it disappeared above the clouds.


    Noah was too late to stop her. When he got there, he saw that the plane was already rising to the sky.


    "Todd, tell our men in NF that they are not allowed to hurt her if they see her," he commanded.


    Todd glanced at Noah in surprise. However, he didn''t say anything but nodded instead. "Yes. I''ll send Miss Carla''s picture to them right now."


    At that exact moment, a group of people were hiding in the jungle beside OS River.


    "It seems that Mr. Marcus hasn''t given up yet. They are conducting another round of search!"


    Rainer said to a man who was sitting on the riverbank. Even though they were hiding for a month, they still looked energetic.


    The man Rainer was talking to was dressed in camouflage. He squinted his eyes to look at the blazing sun. When he placed a piece of fish in his mouth, a wooden-fish bracelet swayed with his movements.


    The bracelet was dirty and ragged, but he was still treasuring it.


    The man was Terence who had been missing for over a month.


    He was no longer the elegant and noble Mr. Terence An. His skin got a tan because of the harsh sunlight but it only made him more charming and masculine. What was unchanged was his majestic demeanor.


    "Of course he won''t be giving up soon. He will never rest until he finds my dead body."


    Terence threw the remaining fish into the ground. Rainer buried it under some dirt and dry leaves.


    They were extremely cautious not to leave a trace.


    "Mr. Terence, if we continue going north for the next two days, we''ll be able to meet Blue and the others," Rainer said when he was finished burying the fish.


    Marcus deployed more people recently, and they even searched more thoroughly than before. They needed to slow down to avoid the drones in the sky and the search team on the ground.


    "Yes. Your estimates are right. I found out his Achilles'' heel. Marcus will never relax unless he finds me. Fake a scene


    pstairs, then she opened a window and sneaked out of the room.


    She noticed that the room upstairs was not occupied. Thankfully, the window was not entirely closed so she was able to grasp it as an opportunity.


    She opened the door and walked out casually. She disguised herself so as not to alert the guards. She tied her hair up and changed into a different set of clothes. She ever wore a pair of sunglasses. Then she took the elevator down the building.


    Thanks to the sunglasses, the people didn''t notice her gaze. She had never been abroad before so she was quite unaccustomed to see foreigners.


    After leaving the hotel smoothly, Carla bought herself one of the ordinary dresses that the local women wore. After that, she went into a barber shop.


    The barber shop was usually open until 9 p.m. so Carla was still able to get herself a haircut.


    She asked the hairdresser to dye her hair into a soft gold with a perm at the end. Then she asked them for some dreadlocks. She looked entirely different from what she looked like when she first arrived. When she was finished, she wore her sunglasses again and left.


    Anyone who knew her would hardly recognize her if they saw her now. She looked like one of the locals.


    It wouldn''t be easy for people to find her, and it only made it easier for her to focus on her plan. She went to a garage and bought a second-hand scooter at a very low price.


    She needed to travel tens of kilometers away, and she couldn''t possibly go there just by walking.


    Carla tried the scooter, and it worked well for her. She followed the GPS instruction in her phone and headed straight to her destination.

 Chapter 230 Encountering Marcus (Part One)

    Carla went out with extreme caution, deciding that she shouldn''t be riding until way up late. With that in mind, she stepped out as soon as she came upon a good hotel along the road which she could spend the night over. It wouldn''t be wise for a girl to go out in the wee hours of the morning. First and foremost, she must ascertain her own well-being before moving forward, trying to find where Terence might be.


    At the break of dawn, Carla set out on her way once more.


    Generally speaking, it should be much safer roaming around in the morning than when it was dark out.


    A few dozen kilometers wouldn''t really be considered such a great distance. So, just within a couple of hours, she had already reached her destination, Marcus'' territory.


    However, as Nicholas had warned her, Marcus held the power in this whole place, so the security was significantly tighter, making it much harder to get into. On what would seem to be like a border of some sort was a checkpoint, and Marcus'' property laid behind it.


    If she had the intention to go further, there would be no other way to get past the area except through this check point.


    Carla didn''t want to risk forcing her way into it. What she planned to do instead was to wait until night fell.


    All of a sudden, she saw someone she wasn''t expecting to see there. A familiar face exited Marcus'' seemingly impenetrable fortress.


    It was Johnny!


    What on earth could he be doing here?


    Johnny''s car came back a bit later that night. She made out the figure of an alluring foreign girl sitting right beside him as their car entered the black iron gate.


    In case she unfortunately ended up getting caught, Carla decided to keep her backpack on a secret hiding place. But before that, she took out a couple of imperceptible items which she could use when the need arose.


    She then patiently waited for an opportunity to sneak in.


    She waited for quite some


    ooner.


    "Hey, you! Where do you think you''re going?"


    Just as Carla was about to get to the next turn, someone spotted her and unexpectedly called out to her.


    It wouldn''t work if she simply pretended not to hear him, so she promptly turned back.


    "Excuse me, could you please tell me where the toilet is?" Good thing Carla was quick on her feet and asked quickly, it was as though she had really been trying to find a restroom.


    The guard warily checked her out from head to toe. Then, he motioned over to the room where the girls had walked into and told her, "You can use the toilets inside that room. Might you be a new girl? Is this your first time coming here?"


    Carla bobbed her head trying to appear as calm as she could. And in the end, she couldn''t help but play along and head over to the room as well.


    Paying close attention to her, the guard didn''t leave her side and kept watching her until she had gotten inside the room and carefully closed the door.


    The second Carla walked into the room, she immediately heard a tumult of flirting and soft chuckling. This made her feel so awkward that she couldn''t help but furrow her eyebrows, but she knew she shouldn''t be doing it at any cost. So, she tried the best she could to make herself regain composure.

 Chapter 231 Encountering Marcus (Part Two)

    Even inside the room, there were still some guards who were carrying firearms.


    This made it impossible for her to escape the room now. As she was slowly walking over to where the crowd had gathered, she tried to assess her options, looking for a way to get herself out of this precarious situation.


    For as far as her eyes could see, it looked like they were actually inside a grand hall. There were two men wearing fatigues, both of them holding a girl in their arms. Johnny was also sitting not so far from the two. The blonde girl she had just seen with him was there as well, lounging beside him.


    At the center of the sofa, there was Marcus, casually sitting right in front of her. She was able to recognize his face even after just a single glance.


    He and Terence actually looked so much like each other. However, his eyes were showing no signs of kindness or compassion. There was only hostility and cruelty lying in them. He had his arms wrapped around two women, one in each arm. The instant he saw Carla walk in, his eyes suddenly lightened up.


    "You... Come over here!"


    Marcus ordered her to do so as he was sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed. After that, he set the girls free from his clutch and gestured for her to walk over closer to where he was.


    Carla had become so horrified. ''Was he able to recognize who I am?'' she couldn''t stop herself from worrying.


    No! That was quite impossible. She was completely certain that Marcus had never laid his eyes on her before. And assuming that he had checked her profile before, it would be close to impossible for him to so easily see through her disguise.


    With that in mind, she grinned, much like a Cheshire cat, acting so excited as she moved closer to Marcus.


    But then, before Carla could walk over to


    ou''d be coming here. As it turns out, you were actually conspiring together with Marcus!


    So, even you are a part of the scheme against Terence as well! Is that right?" she frankly questioned him.


    Johnny''s eyes instantly turned cold. He didn''t utter a single word. The fact of the matter was he and Marcus were indeed partners. As for Terence, they had always been adversaries since forever.


    But Carla had never truly been aware of that ever.


    "Don''t act so taken aback. I''ve always wanted Terence dead, something which is generally known to almost every single person who knows the two of us." Johnny didn''t bother keeping it a secret from Carla. Terence had been running around, stealing their thunder even when they were still little kids. He had despised him throughout all of these years.


    "You''re serious about that, right? Then, that would mean we are enemies from this moment forward," Carla stated with a chill in her voice, and her gaze cut through, much like a sharp knife would.


    "Johnny, would you mind telling me just what the hell the two of you lovebirds are doing there?"


    Suddenly things took a turn for the worse, and Marcus walked over to check up on them.

 Chapter 232 I Admit I Like You. (Part One)

    Catching Carla completely off guard, Johnny suddenly pinched her waist. This caused her to let out a soft groan due to the pain.


    Overhearing the sound of her voice, Marcus abruptly stopped in his tracks.


    "Johnny, if you''re planning on fooling around, go take her back to your room. Have some decency, will you? There are people here watching."


    "I understand," Johnny shrugged, acting so disappointed. Her voice actually got his engine running that he had a hard time trying to resist the temptation. He shot her a big smile and said, "Well, I guess I''ll be taking my leave now, Marcus."


    After saying that, Johnny sensually caressed her face. Then, he grabbed her by the arm and led her out of the room as she was dragging her feet.


    Carla was scampering close behind him, with her face red-flushed. It was apparent how flustered she was as she received the unsolicited glances of so many pairs of eyes.


    "Make sure not to look back." Johnny guided her, holding her delicate waist and whispered under his breath, "Marcus is quite skeptical and very perceptive. If he realizes something seems off, make no doubt about it, you''re going to get yourself in an awful lot of trouble."


    Carla had no other choice but to play along and went along with him downstairs. He shoved her into his car a bit hastily, got into the driver''s seat in an instant, and flung the door shut, putting the pedal to the metal. The car immediately accelerated down the highway, making Carla feel as though they had been moving at breakneck speed.


    "Johnny, pull over!"


    Johnny glared at Carla and snuffled, then he finally pulled over to the side of the road. Upon coming to a halt, he turned to look at Carla, taking his hands off of the steering wheel. "If I''m completely being honest, I truly admire your bravery," he smiled smugly. "How could you just sneak around and get into NF all by yourself like it was nobody''s business? Do you even realize some unthinkable things would have befallen you if I didn''t happen to be there?"


    "


    Carla scornfully sneered, stroking her throbbing wrist. What she intended to do was to pressure him into spilling the beans.


    Carefully, Johnny turned to look at her directly, letting out a heavy sigh. He couldn''t do a thing but raise the white flag. "Okay. I''ll admit it. You''re not quite like the other girls... You stand out among the rest. You hold a special space inside my heart," he replied, trying to dodge her question somehow.


    "And?" Carla urged him to continue. Resting her chin on her hands, she had eyes completely fixated on him, waiting for him to answer.


    Johnny took one big gulp. His palms were beginning to sweat a little and his heart started racing upon hearing her remarks.


    He had always been such a ladies'' man and had always been a master of flirting with the girls. Never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined that he''d end up feeling so nervous in front of a woman.


    "Well," he forced an awkward cough to clear his throat. "Yes, I...I truly do adore you with all my heart." Johnny, who was desperately trying to avoid getting in her line of sight, tightly gripped the stirring wheel.


    He liked her so much. Truth be told, he had always been crazy about her. That was the main reason why he concurred with Marcus'' plot to get rid of Terence. To put it plainly, he wanted to make her his no matter what.

 Chapter 233 I Admit I Like You. (Part Two)

    But of course, Carla would never find out about his real intention.


    "Thank you. I really appreciate that." A cunning smile slipped into her lips. "Now that you''ve confessed, what do you say we make a deal just between the two of us?" "If," she stopped in her tracks for a second before continuing, "Even after going through so much, I still end up empty-handed, unable to find Terence, and I were to come back safe and sound to JA City, then I''ll wholeheartedly agree to becoming your girlfriend.


    But before that, I would like for you to promise me that you''ll take me to the location where Terence could have gone missing."


    "Are you being serious right now? Are you sure about that?" Johnny''s eyes dilated while they were glued to Carla.


    "Yes. You can take my word for it." Carla bobbed her head along with so much certainty.


    The idea wasn''t really a spur of the moment type. Of his own volition, Johnny had just professed his love for her. The look he had on his face seemed so genuine, giving her a reason to think that they might just be able to work something out.


    Johnny paused for a while and had his eyes glued to her face. After coming to his senses, he shook his head. "No, there''s no way you can make me take you there. Do you think I can just go ahead and let you face those ferocious beasts, wretched ambushers and trappers, not to mention those gun-wielding hunters? I can''t risk you getting killed in that god-forsaken place." Carla''s proposal had truly been so enticing, but the risk was just much too great that he couldn''t bear to take it.


    Twirling her fingers right through her blonde hair, Carla suddenly beamed him a smile.


    Resting one hand over his shoulder, she desperately tried to convince him. "Johnny, let me tell you something. Once I''ve made up my mind on being someone''s girlfriend, I''ll never turn my back on him and I''ll remain


    hnny.


    "Yes, he truly has," she answered truthfully.


    The car''s hydraulics bounced around as they drove along the mountainside''s bumpy road. Johnny shot a warmhearted glance at the beautiful girl sitting beside him on the passenger seat.


    "I''ll treasure you dearly and take good care of you. I''ll be sure to treat you much better than he ever did."


    "No, you won''t be capable of doing that," she casually blurted out. "Nobody else ever will be."


    "Why do you think so?" Johnny pried, with his eyebrows heavily furrowed.


    "For what reason should I have to tell you that?" Carla replied, shaking her head. The two of them, Carla and Terence, shared some pretty little secrets, a few things which she wouldn''t want to share with anyone else.


    Johnny abruptly stepped on the brakes. "Tell me right now, or else I''ll turn the car around."


    "What did you just say?" Carla was taken aback out of surprise, but mostly annoyance. Where did he get the nerve to threaten her like that?


    ''Okay then, '' she braced herself, ''Time is of the essence. I can''t afford to lose any more time. I have to get there as soon as I possibly can.


    If he insists that he wants to know, then it would be best for me to tell it straight to his face right now.''

 Chapter 234 Went Into The Jungle Alone (Part One)

    "Okay then. But just remember that it''s you who wanted to hear this. You can''t blame me,"


    Carla stated, staring straight into his eyes. Then, with an endearing tone, she began to reminisce the past.


    "Terence sincerely treats me so kindly. No matter what I said or did to upset him, there wasn''t even a single moment where he truly got mad at me. Despite the fact that there were an awful lot of things weighing on his mind, he would always make it a point to put on a strong yet still much too gentle face in front of me. Whenever I looked into his eyes, I would only see softness."


    Taking a trip down memory lane, she felt the nostalgia from every precious moment she happily shared with Terence. From all of that, her heart had been brimming with so much warmth, flushing out the air of melancholy.


    Right then and there, she suddenly came to realize just how big of a part he had and how indispensable he had always been in her life.


    "And to top it all off, I''m proud of the fact that I''m the only woman he truly loves and cares about and makes love with. It''s the most faithful act which any man could ever do for a woman, isn''t it?"


    Making love to the one and only person they held dear in their entire life, only a handful of people could pull that off in this day and age, especially when it came to the men living in these times.


    Johnny was certainly not one of those trustworthy men. He was a well-known ladies'' man. And Carla knew that full well.


    "You honestly believe that''s true?"


    Johnny instantly jeered at her. "He''s just deceiving you, you foolish girl. I''m sure of it."


    "Of course, I believe him," Carla immediately retorted.


    She was not just some


    "


    he called out to her. Carla had actually swiftly grabbed the backpack from the car and headed straight into the jungle immediately.


    "What do you think you''re doing?" Johnny asked, looking so confused, as he approached her in order to stop her by quickly grabbing her wrist. "Have you lost your mind? Do you plan to go to the jungle all by yourself? !"


    On one hand, Carla gripped her backpack tightly, wiggling the other one to escape from his clutch and giving him a heavy kick on the waist.


    Johnny was caught off guard for he wasn''t expecting her to be so nimble. He sprawled onto his back and stared at her completely dumbfounded.


    "Johnny, I have told you before what my reason was for coming here, and that is to find Terence. You can''t expect me to be coming back with you!"


    Carla exclaimed, loosening up the black jacket she had wrapped around her waist and putting it on. After that, she grabbed a hat from her backpack and said, "Thank you for taking me all the way to this place, Johnny. This is goodbye."


    The second she was done speaking, Carla headed straight for the dense forest without delay.

 Chapter 235 Went Into The Jungle Alone (Part Two)

    Johnny had his thick eyebrows deeply knit as he sprung up and darted toward her to grab a hold of her arm. "Stop being so stupid! If you really insist on entering the jungle, I can send someone to accompany you first thing in the morning tomorrow. What do you say? Wouldn''t that be better?"


    Carla blew a fuse due to his repeated attempts to get on her way. This forced her to pull out the dagger she had on her side pocket and point its sharp edge right under his throat.


    "Johnny, don''t you dare try stop me!"


    Carla yelled furiously, intensely glaring at him.


    Upon seeing the dagger that was pointed on his neck, Johnny simply let out a faint chuckle. It appeared that she was so well-prepared and quite intent on doing this. "Okay then, you win. Go ahead and do whatever you want. If you die in that jungle, nobody''s going to come to pick up your body."


    That being said, he just fixed himself up and walked over to his car.


    When she was done watching as he drove further away, Carla heaved a heavy sigh. With a torchlight at hand, she finally entered the forest.


    After ten minutes, Johnny hurriedly drove his car around and went back. He stepped out frantically and dashed toward the place where he parted with Carla.


    But she had already gone without a trace.


    Johnny couldn''t do anything but stand still, clenching his fists tightly and staring blankly ahead into the forest.


    Carla, on the other hand, ran into the jungle as fast as her feet would allow her to. With a map in hand to guide her way, she managed to analyze her location quickly.


    There was a high chance that Terence could''ve been hiding deep beneath that jungle. As Johnn


    ''Carla, please hold on a little longer. I swear I will be home soon...''


    He never really had to say it out loud, because Rainer could tell that Terence had been missing her every single day that they had been in that jungle. After all, it had been such a long time since the last time he saw her.


    To ensure that they wouldn''t get caught, they decided to toss away their phones to cut off any means of communication with the outside world.


    Carla must be scared out of her wits anxiously waiting in JA City. Who wouldn''t be if they had been left without being told anything at all?


    "Mr. Terence, it''s time to move. I''ve surveyed the area. The coast is clear," Nathan informed him the second he returned.


    Wiping his mouth, he quickly stood up and handed the water bottle back over to Rainer.


    "We should go now. It would be best to get out of this place without further delay!"


    Terence wanted to move quickly for he just couldn''t bear the long wait anymore.


    But just as they were about to move forward, they got startled when a beam of light suddenly peered through the dense dark forest.

 Chapter 236 Brawling In The Forest (Part One)

    "Follow me, and stay down!"


    Terence commanded, keeping his voice as low as he could when he noticed the flash of light. Silence fell over them.


    For the past few days, they had been traveling under the cover of darkness without any source of light because they were afraid that it would expose them. Revealing their position was certainly suicidal.


    Nathan had just checked everything. He guaranteed that there was no one else except them. So where the hell was the light coming from? They searched and listened with anxious breaths.


    Terence made a gesture. Everyone began to scatter in all directions. Some of them hid in the huge trees while some hid in the thick-growing grass. After then, nothing could be heard except the sounds of the forest. Terence could hear his heart beating loudly in his ears.


    All of a sudden, a person''s silhouette was illuminated in the darkness by the light of a flashlight. Someone was approaching them!


    At the other end of the path, Carla was holding a walking stick on her right hand to help her clear the way. And on her left hand, she diligently shone the electric torch on the thick bushes while she was trying to get through in the depths of the forest. She knew enough that there were traps everywhere.


    Every now and then, she would check the detector that Grandpa Nicholas gave her before she left. The detector had a thermographic camera as well as a motion sensor which she had hoped would help her find the man she was looking for.


    However, things did not go according to plan. Something was wrong with this bloody detector. She was in a hurry to search for Terence, but the detector didn''t seem like it had the least bit of intention of working. The way it was malfunctioning almost drove Carla insane.


    A few meters away, Nathan had already drawn out his dagger. Using guns in there was not an option because the gunshot would inevitably expose them to enemies. And if that happened, everything that they had done so far would be for nothing.


    Nathan held the dagger tight. He was waiting for an opportunity to attack.


    Carla raised her flashlight again to illuminate the path ahead. Walking all night had soaked her shirt, her face, her elbows, her enti


    punched her on the chest. The blow was deadly and Carla was barely able to avoid it. Her whole body was suddenly in cold sweat. She didn''t mean to kill him, but it was clear then that the mysterious man was trying to kill her.


    Carla had no choice but to escape. She immediately bolted. Seconds later, she heard the man following her. She ran faster even if her face was scratched by the tangled twigs and her beret got caught on and tore. The moon shone brightly on Carla''s long curled hair as soft winds brushed the treetops.


    He was on the offensive while she was on the defensive. Though she had successfully avoided waves of his attacks, she was already deadbeat.


    She knew that she must get rid of him as quickly as possible because she was no match for someone who seemingly was a martial arts master.


    It was a life-and-death battle moments ago and right then, Carla was running for her life. Realizing that, Carla drew the hidden dagger out from her boot and swiftly stabbed him on the chest. Her eyes were ice and her heart was cold iron.


    But the attack was unsuccessful. He had seen it coming so he dodged it hands down.


    Since Carla slowed down her pace to stab him, he was able to catch up to her. He instantly took the chance and got the better of her. He grabbed her wrist and forced the dagger she was holding at her throat the next second. She was under his mercy then. But it seemed like he didn''t plan to just control her, but to actually kill her.

 Chapter 237 Brawling In The Forest (Part Two)

    ''Is that it? Is this the end of everything? It can''t be...'' Carla thought hopelessly. He was going to cut her throat, she knew it. The thought made Carla panic and then she cried out, "Nooooo! Please don''t!" "My God! Carla?!" the man exclaimed. To say that he seemed surprised was an understatement.


    Hearing her name come out of his mouth, Carla was frozen. Now that they were so close, Carla could finally see the man a little clearer. The moonlight was dim but she managed to see the wooden fish hanging on his bracelet. Hot tears started to roll down from her cheeks. She was shivering all over and she reached her trembling fingertip to his hand as if she couldn''t believe it.


    Terence was dumbfounded. He knew that voice. It was Carla, his dear Carla and he almost killed her!


    "Wooden fish, wooden fish..." Carla murmured hysterically. She thought that the situation got totally out of control. Carla sobbed and soon began to wail, grabbing the man with both of her hands. She was on the brink of collapse.


    "Terence?" she then asked tearfully. Deep in her heart, she knew that this man was Terence. She finally found him.


    Terence caressed her back to soothe her and to tell her to drop the dangerous dagger. "Carla? Is that you? Can I see your face?" he asked softly. His voice made her tremble again as she slowly raised her head.


    After long days of anxiety and long sleepless nights, they finally saw each other again.


    Her eyes were on him and his eyes were on her as wild joy and great sadness lay in their hearts.


    Terence had been wondering about in the thick forest of this foreign land for a whole month. The only thing that kept him going was the hope that he would be able to see her again.


    As for Carla, she had practiced martial arts round the clock for a whole month in the hopes that she could find him and rescue him.


    So after all that they had been through, the world just faded and time stopped when they finally saw each other again. Suddenly, there were no trees, no noise, and no pains. There were no yesterdays and no tomorrows. At that moment, there were only him and her, and their love.


    Terence''s clothes were all tattered and dirty with mud, torn leaves, and branches. The camouflage make-up that he had on his face was smudged. To top it off, it was pitch-dark all around them. But Carla still recognized him immediately.


    Terence stared at her eyes and took a deep breath. He was greatly astonish


    t to become a burden and implicate the whole team.


    Terence sighed, then in a second he raised his head as he let go of her arms. "Keep up!" That were the only words that he told her. He knew that no matter how much he commanded, she wouldn''t give up.


    Carla nodded at his words and they took off. Although Carla slightly lagged behind, the four of them kept on moving.


    In the forest, the paths ran in every direction. The rough bark of tall beeches scuffed at their skin. "Jump!" Rainer shouted. But Carla''s jump was too short so she landed in knee-deep mud.


    It was a patch of marsh.


    Carla tried to move her legs but she couldn''t. She got stuck in a swamp and was gradually sinking into the mud. The brown dirt was a really bad place to be in, especially at that moment.


    The three of them tried to pull her out but they failed. They only managed to take off a few inches of her feet from the mud.


    "Mr. Terence!" Rainer shouted. "I saw some lamp signals! Blue has come with more men!" he added.


    Everyone''s face lit up. They made it! Blue and his crew were coming!


    They endured all kinds of sufferings and now they finally lived through it all. Rainer looked at Terence whose eyes were bloodshot. Carla was still sinking, right then the mud was at her waist already. In a desperate situation like this, Blue was a true life-saver!


    Terence clasped Carla''s hand, he was ready to sink with her. He whispered into her ears, "We''re saved, Carla. We''re not going to die anymore. My angel, you found me. Blue found us. And now we''re going home." With that hope in mind, they tried again and finally pulled Carla out!

 Chapter 238 Baby, Dont Cry!

    Just as Rainer was beginning to relish his exultant joy, Carla, who had been following closely behind Terence after the incident, had finally stepped out of the woodlands.


    The sound of vehicles approaching suddenly came from in front of the forest.


    Carla frantically buried her face onto Terence''s back out of reflex, extremely anxious that those might be Marcus'' henchmen.


    Terence carefully inspected the tag of the cars. With Carla wrapped up in his clutch, he reassured her, "There''s no need for you to be worried. It''s actually my men riding those cars you just heard."


    Blue was one of the locals. Meaning to say, his dark skin complexion couldn''t really hide the light gleaming from his bright eyes. Without delay, he immediately ordered his men to move.


    Carla saw a group of men who were wiping something with mats, carrying and transferring it over to the forest.


    It should take them just a total of twenty minutes. Ten minutes spent for escaping the forest and five minutes to have the scene set up. At that moment, there were only five more minutes remaining for them to run away, so Terence immediately brought Carla over to one of the cars.


    As they hurriedly fled the scene, Carla noticed that there was something which seemed like a little robot, cleaning up the tracks which they would''ve left otherwise. It looked quite astonishing, such a sight to see.


    As anyone would''ve expected, they left the area as though they hadn''t even been there in the first place.


    Carla actually had no idea what was going on, but it was not like she even really had to ask about it anyway. Having so much faith in Terence, that was all that mattered.


    Just a few moments after they left, Marcus'' underlings had arrived. A helicopter could be seen hovering up in the sky scanning the area.


    For a brief second there, the expression on Carla''s face made it seem as if she had suddenly thought of something.


    Terence wasn''t in such a hurry to send her back home to safety. What he did was he brought her along to a secluded house which was set up high in the mountains and deep into the wilderness. This place was somewhat of a desolate area.


    Inside a modest but peaceful dwelling, Carla clenched her jaw, anxiously watching as Rainer was taking care of Terence''s wounds. Just from seeing the wounds he had all over his body, especially the fresh ones, Carla had a hard time wondering about all of the unthinkable hardships he could have been through during the past month.


    "Rainer, I can handle everything else here. But please go outside and check the area!" Carla insisted.


    Taking in a deep breath, a bitter smile crept onto her face as she walked over to Terence.


    Rainer bobbed his head in agreement, setting everything down instantly, and headed out.


    Her hands were visibly trembling while attempting to dab iodine onto the numerous cuts Terence had on his back.


    Terence promptly held her hand in a tight grip and assured her, "Carla, there''s no need for you to be so worried. This is nothing, really. Every one of us had a few small cuts."


    Terence sat up and straightened his back. His skin got considerably darker and all of those wounds only helped ruin his beautiful body. With so much tenderness, he looked straight into her eyes.


    At this point, Ca


    to warm not just his shoulder but also his heart. It pained him so much to see her like that.


    "Carla... Carla..."


    He called out her name over and over again, holding her tighter and tighter.


    The feelings he had for her had only gotten stronger, much, much stronger than it had ever been before!


    "Ah..." Terence suddenly groaned feeling a bit of pain. Carla deliberately poked his wound, giving him a warning, "You have to swear that you won''t put your life at risk ever again in the future and make me worry this much! You got that?"


    "Yes, of course, my dear wife. You have my word. I promise that I won''t be making the same mistake," Terence pulled her closer again and whispered straight into her ears.


    Carla''s crying eventually came to a halt. Wiping the tears on the corners of her eyes, she applied the solution onto his wounds. Rainer then came in and handed over the clean cloth for him to use.


    "Do you think it would be safe to stay here?"


    Carla nervously asked. In spite of the fact that she actually felt somewhat safe in his arms, she just couldn''t help herself from worrying about his safety. The two of them were lying on the couch and gazing at the moon.


    "We''re gonna be safe here. Everything should''ve gone as we planned it. Marcus should have found my body by now and couldn''t wait to throw a banquet," Terence scoffed. He proceeded to hold held tightly again and went on to say, "We should be much safer here than anywhere else for now."


    "When are we going to get out of here then?" Carla asked. This was such a miserable place that she would never want to see again for the remainder of her life.


    Terence moved a bit closer and gave her forehead a kiss, then he checked the surroundings. "The helicopter should arrive in about three to four hours to pick us up. That would be the best time to leave since the guards would already be much too tired from keeping watch the whole night at dawn."


    The only thing she could say was, "Hmm," before sitting straight up. Glancing over to Terence, she tried asking one more time, "Could they possibly have the means to find out that you actually just played along to their plans and staged your death?"

 Chapter 239 Terence Is Dead

    Terence leaned on the tatty wooden bed and replied, "As of now, no.


    When I go back, I''ll be sure to cover up my tracks. My number one goal right now is to recover. Second is to wait for Marcus'' next action."


    Carla blinked and tried to understand Terence''s words. "I see. If Marcus believed that you are dead, he would surely do something. He would definitely return to JA City to ask your father for the executive power over the An family. You plan to unmask him then, right?"


    Terence looked at her and smiled, "You guessed only half right.


    I can almost predict how he will react. Marcus will shed crocodile tears over my death in front of my father. If he wants to take the executive power smoothly, he must cover up the truth about my ''death.''


    Anyway, don''t do anything and just wait."


    Carla nodded and leaned on him.


    She didn''t care about anything else. She was just pleased that Terence was still alive and would be fine.


    She would give him her full support no matter what he wanted to do or how he wanted to get his revenge.


    At that exact moment, at Marcus'' base area.


    It was quite noisy and the place was bustling with activity even though it was already past midnight.


    Marcus pinched his nose while looking at the body under the white cloth. He couldn''t help but retreat. "No wonder I can''t find him despite all of my efforts. Ha! It was already rotten at a ditch! It seemed as if a lot of animals had taken it for food. Poor Terence!


    I say, why do you have to end up like that, Terence? You could have made peace with me. Why did you choose to become my enemy? You deserved this death!"


    Marcus covered the body with the white cloth. When they found it, it was wearing Terence''s clothes and inside a pocket was his cellphone.


    The body was estimated to have died a long time ago. The corpse was already decomposed to the point that it couldn''t be recognized.


    Johnny also rushed over as soon as he heard the news.


    "Marcus, are you sure it''s Terence?" Johnny asked in disbelief. He couldn''t believe that Terence was now dead.


    "Who else can it be? It has the same height as Terence. The clothes and cellphone all belonged to Terence. It can''t be anyone else!" Marcus said as he walked out of the room. He couldn''t stand the stink anymore.


    Johnny followed him out and said, "Marcus, I thi


    lly. "Sorry, Carla. I overreacted. Come here and let me massage it for you!"


    Carla smiled and kicked off her shoes. She rolled on top of him and said, "My hand is not hurt, but my heart is! Can you massage my heart for me?"


    She said while leaning down to embrace Terence. She stared at him naughtily.


    Terence glanced at her plump chest and grinned. "Carla, you are driving me crazy!"


    "The doctor said that you are not allowed to do any exercise. You should rest. You need to follow the doctor''s orders! Behave yourself for the next few months,"


    Carla teased.


    They could barely stay alive in the jungle for a month. They lived on anything they could find and took a rest whenever they stopped. They behaved extremely during the hard times.


    "Is that so? Carla, you are underestimating me. I can still do things even if I went missing for five months! A month is nothing!" Terence smiled wickedly while grabbing her waist to pull her closer.


    Carla poked him on the chest. "Don''t brag! I almost died when you went missing for a month. If you were missing for five months, I would''ve given up!"


    Terence held her chin and asked, "What do you mean? Are you saying that you''ll give up on me?"


    Carla looked away and sighed, "Because if you still didn''t return after several months, I might''ve assume that you were already dead! I might have also married someone else then to ease my sadness!"


    As soon as she finished talking, Terence gripped her waist tightly like he was going to snap it off.


    "Don''t you dare!"


    Terence warned.

 Chapter 240 Feelings Deepening (Part One)

    "Well, why shouldn''t I be allowed to do that?" Carla tilted her head a little and cheekily looked into his eyes, "We''re not married yet, and it''s not like we have any children as well. If I truly thought that you were dead, of course, I might go and find someone else. Do you mean to tell me that you would want me to preserve my chastity if something were to really have happened to you?"


    Carla shot Terence a playful sideway glance, trying to play the devil''s advocate. With an adorable pout, she took away her arm from his clutch.


    She thought it would be best to get back at him a little for making her worry so that he wouldn''t dare to leave her by herself ever again.


    "Oh, is that so? That''s how you feel?" A devilish grin suddenly crept onto Terence''s face as he continued, "If you so much as get the nerve to cast me aside to be with some other guy, you''ll be in so much trouble. Because I''ll tell you what. I''ll find you wherever you may go and take you back with me. I''m gonna have to keep you locked up until you finally give in and agree to be mine again."


    Terence was well aware she was only teasing him. The feelings she had for him couldn''t be any more true. Because otherwise, she never would''ve gone through such lengths and travelled thousands of miles from JA City to NF just to find him without so much as a clue where he might be. Her commitment to him and her steeled resolve to see him no matter what would be the best damn proof anyone could ever find of the everlasting bond the two of them shared.


    Carla was extremely delighted when she heard him utter those words. "Well, isn''t that amazing!" Carla remarked. "I never would''ve expected Mr. Terence to turn out as a man having no principles whatsoever."


    Terence gradually relaxed his grip, leaned in closer and kissed her ever so tenderly on her lips. "Carla, I would never let it come to that. Over my dead body. You are my woman. I want you to belong to me and me alone forever and ever. No one will ever be able tear us apart no matter how hard they may try," whispered Terence.


    ''But if push came to shove and


    just fine. Thank you very much, Race," Terence replied, nodding at him.


    "I have a message from Mr. Nicholas which he wanted to give to Mr. Terence," race went on and added.


    Right after hearing this, Carla instantly turned around and headed to the door in order to give them some privacy. But Terence abruptly grabbed her arm and stopped her in her tracks.


    "Carla, there''s really no need for you to leave. I don''t have any secrets to keep from you. Race, please take a seat. Go ahead, you can tell us right now. Carla has the right to know everything. She''s my girlfriend after all." Terence sat up straight on the bed with his legs crossed.


    Carla simply bobbed her head along, taking a step back. Then, she requested the servants to pour a cup of tea and handed it over to Race personally.


    "Oh, you didn''t really have to do that. But thank you so much, Miss Carla." Race promptly stood up and grabbed the cup. It was quite surprising for him for he didn''t quite expect for his boss''s girlfriend, Carla, to be so polite to him at all.


    "Mr. Terence, the thing that Mr. Nicholas ordered me to tell you was that... your supposed ''death'' has managed to cause your father a lot of grief. However, he still finds it hard to believe that Mr. Marcus could really commit such an atrocious act such as murdering his own brother. He has already demanded Mr. Marcus to come home within the week.

 Chapter 241 Feelings Deepening (Part Two)

    Mr. Nicholas was well aware just how much you had to go through, and for that reason, Mr. Marcus will have no choice but to pay for all the horrible things he had done. As of the moment, everyone is under the assumption that you''re really gone, making Mr. Marcus the victor of the battle for the family inheritance by default. As the saying goes, ''Losers are always in the wrong.'' I''m sure you know full well just how capable Mr. Marcus is of telling lies. He may very well come up with some sort of excuse and somehow get away with it unpunished."


    Terence quickly had his eyebrows deeply furrowed at the thought of that. In everyone else''s eyes, he was but a mere dead man, and of course, dead men tell no tales. So, people were going to be bound to believe whatever Marcus ended up telling them.


    "I know this is not quite fair. But, you have to patiently wait around for the time being. As for Mr. Marcus and his group of supporters, well, the bigger they come, the harder they fall. So, when the right time comes, we''ll expose the truth to the public and show every piece of evidence we have. And by then, Mr. Marcus will finally get what he deserves.


    As for the matters concerning the family, you can leave them to Mr. Nicholas. He said he will take care of everything else himself. Please make no doubt about, and you can rest assured that everything''s going to be okay. So, you don''t have to worry about a thing."


    Race assumed an encouraging tone. Turning his gaze over to Carla, wearing a big smile on his face, he continued, "Miss Carla, that was very fearless of you to go on your own and jump at the jaws of death all for the sake of Mr. Terence. I can''t express just how thankful we are for your faithfulness. Mr. Nicholas had been utterly moved by what you have done for his precious grandson.


    He stated that you are truly the one made for Mr. Terence. From this day forward, the only thing you have to do is to stay by Mr. Terence''s side and take good care of him. As for your future, there''s no need for you to worry about that as well."


    Lowering her gaze a little, Carla seemed so deep in thought. During his early days, Nicholas had been through innumerable hardships. It appeared that he was keen-eyed enough to be able to distinguish who was simply pulling his leg and who was the best option to become the family''s heir.


    He had even sent Race all the way to wherever that secluded house might be just to put Terence''s mind at ease, letting him know that there was nothing to worry about and that all he should focus on was his health.


    Carla had heard once before that Terence


    avy sigh.


    Giving it his best to hold back the tears, Sean quietly lowered his gaze. ''So they haven''t found Terence. Then there''s a good chance the rumors could be true.


    But I just can''t accept that, not in the slightest bit!


    Terence is much too strong and powerful. I don''t think there''s anybody out there who can defeat him so easily!'' Sean firmly believed.


    Carla really hated seeing her brother so down in the dumps. Wrapping him gently in her arms, she lovingly tousled his hair. Being his older sister, she was well aware of what Sean was thinking and if she was completely being honest, she actually felt the same way. But it would be for the best for her to keep it all in, at least for now.


    ''Sean, I really didn''t want you to go through this. But I still have faith that justice will come out on top at the end of all of this. There will be a glowing light at the end of the tunnel. And it won''t be long before we reach it.


    We have to steel our resolve and withstand all of the punches that they might throw at us. After we get through all of these hardships, then we can finally live a happy life. I''m sure it''s all going to be worth the pain, '' Carla pondered to herself.


    Carla stayed around to hang out with Sean up until dusk, but still, she had to say goodbye at the end of the day and leave the villa. Turning around, she gave the house a good hard look. The building stood there, huge and oh-so-imposing.


    But Terence wasn''t staying there anymore, and neither was Carla. The huge house looked so sad and lonely, and it felt much too empty.


    "Oh, my gosh! Carla? Is that really you? I can''t believe it! You''re still alive! Where have you been?!"


    Suddenly, a silhouette cropped up from out of the mist.

 Chapter 242 Promises Calling (Part One)

    For Johnny, a second felt like a lifetime when he fixed his eyes on the fine woman standing right in front of him: gracious, deliberate, calm. She felt like a creature out of this world. She felt like an explosive experience for his senses, yet very calming and settling.


    The desperation he felt when he sent the whole squad of people searching in detail for her was as vivid as before. ''A woman on her own wouldn''t go as far, '' assumed Johnny that night. But she was like a phantom and he was wrong. He was so wrong, but only if he knew it! Not even a foot had been found. He ordered his people to keep searching the whole day. He forbade them to stop and yet, they were retrieved without success.


    Johnny had lost his mind. He couldn''t get this woman out of his head, and she might have been gone forever.


    Even at this very moment, his team was still up and searching. He forced himself to continue the search although he was desperate. He had to see her, dead or alive.


    Carla didn''t seem to be impressed by his appearance so she went straight up to the car where the driver was waiting.


    "Stop right there!" the man shouted, his voice a strong mixture of anger and excitement.


    Johnny grabbed her hand strong and determined, preventing her from moving any step further. He pulled Carla right in front of him and confronted her, "Did you just walked pass me? You completely forgot what you have promised me, didn''t you?"


    Carla felt his hand. They were burning on her arm, clutching her into the trap of his eyes. She tried to twist her arm and escape him, but he wouldn''t let her go. Staring right back at this man, Carla''s eyes were nearly on fire.


    "Johnny, You are never going to get away with it because you know that you''re responsible for his death. Now, what do you want?! How dare you come to me when he''s still warm? What do you expect? Huh?!"


    Carla turned around in a last hope she could escape him, but Johnny stopped her again. He grabbed her hand fiercely and yelled with a pressed voice, "I couldn''t care le


    bout to walk away, he squeezed her arm once again and shouted out, "Okay! Fine! I get it now! Fine, Carla, I will always be here if you need me. I will give you all the time you need, no matter how long that is."


    Carla didn''t want to hear any word more coming out from his mouth. Though she didn''t look back, she pretend to be indifferent and said to him, "Mr. Johnny, if you don''t want people spreading gossips around telling the whole world that I am a flirtatious woman, who started seeing other people right after the death of her boyfriend, I do suggest you keep your hands to yourself."


    "Alright, as you wish." Johnny let her go and watched her slowly approaching the car.


    After taking a deep breath, Carla finally got in the car and relaxed her body completely on the backseat. The driver started the car.


    Looking carefully all the way, Carla signed with relief when she found Johnny wasn''t following them.


    Even if he did follow her, it wouldn''t be a big deal since the neighborhood she was in, was kept safe by the hidden guards placed by Terence.


    Everything was planned thoroughly by Terence and with Violet being in the same area, Carla had for herself a perfect castle.


    If someone found out where she was living, she could simply tell them that she came here to visit Violet. For a month or so wouldn''t raise too much questions.

 Chapter 243 Promises Calling (Part Two)

    It was also the perfect place for Terence since he was injured. It allowed him a period of time to get better and had his matters handled undisturbed.


    "Hey sweetheart, you''re back!"


    As soon as Carla walked inside, Terence immediately put his phone down and greeted her with a grin on his face. If it wasn''t the drip he had attached on, he would''ve jumped on her and hug her dearly.


    "Why the drip is still on? I thought it would probably end by now. Have you eaten yet?" Carla walked straight up to him after she changed into her indoor shoes.


    Staring at Carla with a seductive smile, Terence replied, "It was put on just not long before so it might take some time."


    Sniffing around her shoulder, the unused arm of his curled around Carla''s waist as he spoke. Suddenly, he stopped his hand and frowned a little bit.


    A moment of hesitation hit him in and he suddenly grabbed Carla''s arm with another hand.


    "Babe, did you go out to see another man? Without telling me?"


    Carla went puzzled. She tried to not show her frustration but no effect. ''Was it really so obvious?'' she thought.


    "Hmm, it looks like I''m being a burden now. Who would want a man that is sick and staying at home all day doing nothing? Even my only love is going to leave me..."


    Terence stressed on the "only love" part pretending to be hurt by the fact that Carla was seeing another man. Then he looked away from Carla and laid against the sofa, looking helpless and devastated.


    "Hey! What are you even talking about? How could you blame me for something without knowing the details? It''s not what it looks like,"


    Carla explained nervously, thinking that she was caught. Yet she didn''t know that Terence was just teasing her.


    When Terence had his suspicion confirmed, his face suddenly darkened. He replied with a deep voice, "Oh, so you did meet some guy before you come back!"


    The complicated look on Terence''s face confused Carla. She wasn''t sure if he was really mad at her or not, so she


    d continued, "But you know what? Johnny has a great taste for women, choosing you exactly. Pumpkin, I am so glad that I made my way back to you. I don''t know what would happen to you if I showed up a minute later. Those horny wolves might just eat you alive."


    Smiling and whispered tenderly, Terence planted a soft kiss on Carla''s silky smooth hair.


    He knew that Carla''s beauty might be attractive to those men out there. With Noah being the first and Johnny as the second, greedy and hostile, he would have lost himself if anything did happen to the one and only love of his.


    "You better carve that into your brain just in case you forget it someday. Also, if you don''t want other men''s hands get to me, you better behave yourself and live until you''re a thousand year''s old!" Carla faked a serious voice and gave him a fierce look. Not waiting for his next move, she got up from his chest and asked the maid to bring the food over to the table.


    When all the dishes were placed, Carla took a bowl of soup and walked back to Terence. Since there were still some time left for the drip to finish, she fed him patiently.


    Lying comfortably on the sofa, Terence looked at the woman who was feeding him with his eyes full of love.


    Joy consumed him and he could just die right now without any regret. Right in her arms.

 Chapter 244 Only You Can Represent Me

    Terence was enjoying how Carla was looking after him. At the same time, his hand fumbled around Carla''s waist. Carla looked at his satisfied face and gave him a kick on the leg to remind him to behave himself.


    She took the bowl of soup and scooped out a spoonful of it. Then, she blew on it gently and after making sure that it was cool enough, she placed the spoon in front of his mouth, prompting him to eat.


    "By the way, how was Sean doing when you saw him today?" Terence asked after he took the spoonful of soup. It occurred to him that Sean had been left alone for quite a long time. The last time he saw Sean was two months ago. He wanted to know whether he was doing all right.


    "He was very sad when he heard about your death. I couldn''t even bear to see him cry," Carla said as she sighed. She took a tissue and wiped the food from Terence''s mouth.


    Terence thought for a while before saying, "Carla, I think we''d better tell Sean the truth. He''s a big boy now. I think he can keep this secret for us.


    Or we can also let him move here and live with us."


    Carla shook her head and replied, "I don''t think so. Sean is only ten years old. He sometimes can''t control his emotions very well since he''s still growing up. He might say something out of impulse. So, we have to wait before everything is settled."


    She didn''t want to lie to Sean and hurt his feelings either. But she had to put Terence''s safety above everything else.


    "You are the boss. But I really do miss him. It has been two months. Maybe he already grew up a little bit," Terence hopefully stated. Terence finished eating and then he leaned on the sofa with one arm under his head.


    Carla had the servants clean up the table. She noticed that the infusion was almost finished, so she pulled out the needle for him.


    As soon as Terence''s hand was set free, he jumped up and grabbed Carla by the waist.


    "Terence, put me down, right now!" Carla screamed in shock. It had only been two days since he came back. He had wounds all over his body, and he was too weak to hold Carla.


    "No! I''m not a cripple! I can still take up my woman!" Terence ignored her and brought her upstairs until they stopped in front of the bedroom. He kicked the door open and rushed inside. He placed her down on the bed gently and started kissing her not a second after.


    "Terence! Stop it! The doctor said you have to rest well. He specifically told you not wear yourself out!" Carla exclaimed in a


    st Yard.


    I discussed with grandpa and we both agreed that someone from my side should attend the meeting. Since I''m ''dead'' already, you''re the most suitable person to represent me," Terence explained seriously.


    Carla grabbed the file and skimmed through it.


    It was written in a foreign language, so she didn''t understand what it said.


    "Carla, I will teach you what to say when you meet them. I will also teach you how to respond to my father and Marcus. You don''t need to worry about it." Terence smiled at her confidently.


    "Why does it have to be me?" Carla asked. She knew that this meeting must be very important.


    Even though she couldn''t read the foreign language in the file, she still recognized some characters, like diamond or minerals. Was it talking about his properties?


    "Because you''re the only person who can represent me," Terence answered. He smiled gently as he looked at her.


    Carla didn''t ask anything more. All she wanted to do was to give him her full support and help. Terence started to instruct her on what to do in the meeting.


    One hour later, Carla arrived at the East Yard on time.


    She got off the car and took one last look at herself before she entered the front door. She behaved as decent as she could be.


    Terence had already told Nicholas about Carla''s arrival beforehand. So Race was waiting for her when she got off the car.


    "Miss Carla, welcome!" Race greeted her with a smile.


    "Thanks, Race. Is Grandpa already here?" Carla asked as she followed him inside.


    "Yes, Mr. Nicolas is here already. The meeting just began," Race stated as he ushered her into the living room.

 Chapter 245 Adventure To The Ans Manor

    Carla felt the unusual silence as soon as she stepped into the East Yard.


    Nicholas was there; though old, he still looked respectful and dignified. He was sitting with his back straight and his hands on his crutches. He had a calm expression on his face. Edmund was sitting on the chair beside Nicholas looking very serious.


    Marcus was sitting on the other side of Nicholas.


    Marcus looked desperate. He clenched his fist and cried out, "Father, Grandpa! It''s all my fault! I know it! If I persuaded Terence not to go then this accident wouldn''t have happened.


    I am responsible for this project and the accident. I didn''t know that my subordinates were smuggling the funds. It''s all my fault! I will accept my punishment willingly! I''m his brother! I should''ve protected him! It''s all my fault!"


    Marcus banged his fist on the ground, angrily. His eyes were also full of sadness. Suddenly, he fell on his knees in front of Nicholas.


    "Grandpa, it''s all my fault! I failed you! I knew Terence was a little stubborn but I didn''t expect that he would get into an accident inside my territory. It''s all my fault. I''m willing to take the responsibility."


    It seemed as if Marcus was really blaming himself for not protecting his younger brother. He pretended that he was taking all the blame to himself and said sadly, "Grandpa, if you refuse to forgive me, just hit me! I deserve as much. I will not say anything even if you decide to hit me until I die!"


    Nicholas closed his eyes slowly because he was unwilling to look at Marcus who was kneeling on the ground in front of him. He had been deeply disappointed with this grandson.


    Edmund felt bad because his son was kneeling on the ground so he said, "Marcus, stand up."


    "It was not your fault. I also know Terence''s temper. No one could change his mind once he decided on doing something."


    When he heard Edmund''s words, Marcus stood up. He looked at Nicholas who was still unwilling to look at him and said, "Grandpa, do you still think it was my fault?"


    "Grandpa, I would not do anything to harm Terence! I made a fool of myself last time and committed such a terrible crime. I couldn''t possibly make the same mistake again!"


    "Terence and Rhys are my bothers. Father already taught me a lesson and I would never dare forget it. After the incident last time, I decided to help Terence to make our home prosperous instead! I would never do anything that stupid again!"


    Edmund waved his words away and said, "It''s alrigh


    "And... Marcus!"


    Carla''s tearful eyes suddenly turned to Marcus.


    Carla stood up and walked quickly in front of Marcus, "Why did Terence get into that accident? Wasn''t he in your territory? How could you let that happen to your own brother?"


    "I heard that the plane crashed but why did it happen for no reason at all?"


    "Why is there no life-saving equipment on the plane? I heard that all the life-saving equipment that was retrieved from the river cannot be used. Why could none of them be used?! Why? Please give me a proper explanation!"


    "Marcus, tell me, please. Tell me what happened to Terence!"


    "Why did this accident happen? Was Terence set up by other people? Was he targeted?" Tell me the truth, please, I beg of you! Please!"


    Carla shot all of her words at Marcus. Edmund was shocked at some of the questions that was asked by Carla, as he had never heard about them at all.


    Carla''s tears poured down when she was finished with her words. The pain of losing a beloved that was deeply rooted in her heart made her grieve so much.


    She was not acting at all because she had experienced that pain before she found Terence. She was just resurfacing the feelings that was stored in her heart when she first heard of Terrence''s "death".


    Marcus was stunned when he heard Carla''s words. He pushed her away from him in a hurry. There were panic in his eyes. "How could she possibly know that?" Marcus thought.


    Nicholas finally spoke when he saw the panic in Marcus'' eyes.


    Nicholas pretended to be shocked at that discovery and looked at Carla.


    "Carla, what did you just say? Are you saying that someone wanted Terence dead?"

 Chapter 246 Two Excellent Actors

    Carla was amused to discover Nicholas pretend not to understand what she just said.


    She hadn''t expected that he would still be so good at it, even at his age now.


    "Hey, Grandpa Nicholas, did you know this news came from NF? A lot of people are talking, giving their own opinions, and saying that Terence''s death was not that simple. I didn''t know what was true and I was getting nervous. So I decided to come here and ask Marcus what exactly happened,"


    Carla explained and deliberately showed that she believed Marcus was connected to Terence''s death.


    "Marcus, was it really an accident? Why are people saying it''s not as simple as an accident?" Nicholas turned to Marcus and asked him directly.


    Edmund had heard the same thing but he didn''t know what to say. He just turned to Marcus, a surprised look all over his face.


    Panic spread all over Marcus'' face for a second but his look changed to a calmer one immediately.


    "Grandpa. Father. It''s just a rumor. A lot of people die in plane crashes. What are the chances the lifesaving tools in planes are still whole? Besides, it all went by fast. And if the plane went down quickly, there''d be little time to remember to use those tools," Marcus explained.


    He cleared his throat while he sneaked Carla a glare from the corner of his eye. He continued, "I know the plane crashed under my territory but that was pure coincidence. Terence purposely went to that place for a project, so, of course, the accident happened there."


    Edmund was still puzzled, even though he thought Marcus'' explanation sounded reasonable. Without knowing what to say, he simply nodded.


    Nicholas stood up on his feet with his crutch holding him up. He snorted at Marcus, "If that''s the case, then why didn''t you tell us about Terence''s accident until a month later? Why didn''t you bother telling us that information before?"


    "Uh, it, uh, I, uh - I was afraid you would blame me and punish me. You and Father. I have been praying every day that my brother was still alive. I''ve sent almost all of my men to look for him, day and night. I never expected that he-"


    Marcus stopped when his voice broke. His face displayed a look of remorse for his family. He lifted his hands to slap the sides of his head.


    Carla didn''t believe a word Marcus just said. Her lips curled up into a sneer. She grabbed Marcus'' arm to stop him and asked, "Marcus, what were you going to say? Are you saying you found Terence?"


    Tears welled up in Carla''s eyes and her sobs threatened to choke her. But she kept her eyes on Marcus and waited to hear something g


    Carla just gave her. Curious to know what Terence wrote, Edmund joined his father to read the papers with him.


    "Grandpa Nicholas, does it say where Terence might be? Could he still be alive?" Carla turned to Nicholas, hope filled her innocent eyes.


    Nicholas read the papers and a melancholy look covered his face in the middle of reading it.


    He handed the papers to Edmund when he finished. "You are right, Edmund, my son. Terence and Marcus are both your sons and we shouldn''t favor one over the other. I''ll ask my men to get ready for NF tomorrow. They''ll join your men''s investigation," Nicholas gave his final say to Edmund.


    He held out his hand to Carla, who took it, and said, "Come, Carla, let''s go together."


    Carla felt relieved to have given the papers to Nicholas. She took his arm and led him out of the living room.


    "Goodbye, Uncle Edmund. I''ll come by again to see you another time,"


    Carla told Edmund. She may not be in the mood to talk to him but she felt she still needed to give respect as her elder.


    After bidding Edmund goodbye, Carla stole a glance at Marcus, who was staring at her gloomily with razor sharp eyes.


    If she hadn''t dropped by the An''s Manor today, Terence''s accident would probably still go uninvestigated and left for dead.


    Marcus, after all, called the shots now. And most of the others believed what he said.


    But since Carla arrived, things were going to be different. She had interfered with the investigation on Terence''s death. And the papers she gave Nicholas clearly included evidence of Marcus'' crime. It was impossible for Marcus to step away from the investigation now, and even more impossible to become, without question, the heir of the An Clan.

 Chapter 247 Thank You, Carla

    The sadness on Carla''s face was swept away immediately as soon as she got into the car.


    Carla took Nicholas'' arm with a big smile and said, "Wow, Grandpa. Your acting skill is excellent! Are you sure that you were a soldier and not an actor in the past?"


    "Of course. Don''t look down on me. I have experienced a lot during my years of doing business with other people as the man in charge of the AJ Group so acting is easy for me," Nicholas said while also smiling.


    The car quickly drove away from the East Yard.


    Terence arranged for Carla to not go back to their current residence. He wanted her to go to the Seaview Villa instead.


    Everything went as they expected. Shortly after she said her goodbyes to Nicholas, Carla''s car was blocked while she was on her way back to the Seaview Villa.


    Carla got out of the car as soon as it was stopped.


    As soon as she got out of the car, she was immediately surrounded by a dozen men.


    Suddenly, another car stopped in front of Carla. Marcus got out of the car and walked immediately towards her.


    "Is it true that you are my brother''s girlfriend?"


    Marcus gave Carla a thorough inspection. He did not dare say anything to her when they were at the An''s Manor because he was afraid to say too much in front of Edmund and Nicholas.


    "Marcus, what exactly do you mean by that? We just met at the manor a few minutes ago,"


    Carla answered calmly while looking at Marcus.


    Marcus circled around Carla. He suddenly stopped in front of her and grabbed her chin with one hand then said, "I didn''t expect that my brother''s type would be someone like this. Your are kind of pretty, though. However, with that bad temper and rude manner, I have to say Terence indeed has no taste for women.


    My brother is already dead. Why are you still clinging to a dead person? Don''t be foolish and just accept the fact that he will never return to you. Why don''t you just become my woman instead? I can guarantee that I could give you a comfortable lifestyle for the rest of your life,"


    Marcus said while boldly reaching out to pinch Carla''s buttocks. Carla immediately avoided him then said with a cold smile, "Marcus, why are you here? Why did you follow me? Are you feeling guilty?


    You should know that I am being protected by Grandpa Nicholas. Aren''t you afraid of making him angry by being such a jerk to me?"


    Marcus laughed. He raised his chin and said proudly, "I''m not afraid of the old man. Your boyfriend is already dead. I''m the only reasonable heir to the An''s fortune. I''m not afraid of anyone!"


    "Marcus, are you finally admitting that you have something to do with Terence


    ever let him go easily."


    Suddenly, Carla''s phone rang and displayed an unknown phone number.


    She hesitated for a while and contemplated whether she should answer it or not. Terence looked at her cell phone and asked, "It''s from JA City. Why not just answer it?"


    Carla decided to finally answer the phone. An unfamiliar voice came from the other side of the call.


    "Hello? Who is that?"


    It was a male voice.


    Naturally, one couldn''t immediately recognize another person''s voice on the phone unless they frequently call each other.


    Carla listened to the voice carefully and tried to figure out his identity.


    Terence reached out and changed her phone setting into speaker mode. He was afraid that this strange phone call was from Marcus.


    The voice on the other end of the phone continued.


    "Are you free this afternoon? Can you come out to meet me today?" Carla still couldn''t figure out whom the voice belonged to.


    When he heard the unknown man''s voice, Terence''s handsome face suddenly turned dark.


    Although Carla still didn''t know who the owner of the voice was, it was clear that Terence recognized it.


    It was impossible for him to reveal his situation yet but he still wanted to grab the phone and question Johnny as to why he was calling his woman!


    "Who are you?!"


    Carla still didn''t know who the man was but it was clear that whoever it was, Terence was not happy to hear his voice.


    "''This is Johnny. I''ll wait for you at Otter Bay this afternoon. Please come and meet me there, okay?" Johnny sounded a little impatient while he was telling Carla his name.


    When she heard Johnny''s "self-introduction", Carla finally understood why Terence''s face became dark. She looked at the man beside her with unwavering eyes.

 Chapter 248 Ask Her Out

    Terence had a sullen look on his face. How could he pretend otherwise? Johnny was putting the moves on his woman right in front of his face.


    "Afternoon? Sorry, I can''t. I''m not available,"


    Carla replied almost instantly. She wanted to make it very obvious that she didn''t want to go out with him.


    "Really? Well, where are you now? I can come by to see you," Johnny asked, determined not to give up.


    Johnny was different from Noah. Noah was always gentle. And he''d never rush her or be so blunt.


    But Johnny was the opposite and he could be too curt.


    Terence, who sat beside her, had closed his fists into a tight ball. The veins under his skin threatened to pop out. He might be silent but he was loud with rage.


    Carla wanted to take the call off the speakerphone but Terence would get even angrier. She had to keep it on.


    "Johnny, I''m not in the mood to go out," Carla reasoned and followed it with a forced cough.


    This man was shameless! First, he and Marcus conspired to set up Terence. And now, he wanted to pursue Carla. How despicable!


    "You can''t avoid me forever, Carla, I''ll wait for you at Otter Bay in the afternoon. If you don''t show up, you know what''s gonna happen."


    Johnny hung up the phone before she could reply.


    "What? Johnny! What do you mean, Johnny?" Carla shouted over the phone.


    "Carla! Forget about him," Terence reassured her. He took Carla into his arms and wrapped her in an embrace. He used his finger to lift her chin and said, "He''s using Sean to threaten you. I''m not going to let that happen."


    Sean was her only weakness, Terence knew that.


    Carla opened her mouth to speak but Terence held his finger against her lips.


    "You''re not going to see him, Carla. I''ve sent my best men to look for your brother. And once he''s under my men''s protection, nobody can touch him. Johnny will definitely try. And it''s going to end real ugly for him,"


    Terence snarled. Did these people really think he was dead? How dare Johnny! How could he say something like that to Carla?


    All he wanted to do right now was tear Johnny into pieces.


    "Okay, I''m not gonna go. Don''t be mad anymore." Carla stared into Terence''s angry eyes with eyes she filled with lots of calm. She caressed his chest with her free hand. Terence closed his eyes as she listened to his breath as it calmed down.


    She had no idea how Johnny got her number. But she didn''t want him to have th


    he right one for him.


    She was clever and smart, but she was also an ordinary girl, and sometimes very vulgar. How could she be a good match for him?


    He thought about sending her some money to repay her for all her help. With that money, she and her brother would be comfortable for the rest of their lives.


    And when Carla arrived that night and found him, he gave up the idea.


    He could still smell the rich scents of the hibiscus flower from that night. From then on, he had always seen her as the angel that brought him back from the dark.


    From then on, something changed in him. He felt different, a good different.


    And when Karen made that misunderstanding, it became a turning point in their relationship.


    She might have been trying to hide it from him but, at that moment, she realized what and how much she felt for him.


    And, at that moment, his heart melted.


    He didn''t want to miss her ever again.


    She was the only one who made his heart flip. She could be his one and only. And if he couldn''t have her then, he might miss his chance to know his only one and never have the opportunity again.


    "Carla? Carla?"


    Terence called. Carla had fallen asleep, dead tired. Terence moved to his side to get off of her. He lifted his arm so he could pull Carla into his arms and his embrace.


    Carla breathed heavily from the exhaustion. She looked like a baby with her flushed cheeks.


    "I know I''ve never said this to you, but I love you, Carla,"


    Terence whispered. He kissed her gently on the cheeks and embraced her even tighter and brought her closer to his warm and safe chest.

 Chapter 249 Was Forced To Go On A Date

    Carla was constantly proving to Terence that he chose the right person to love through her actions. His love for her grew stronger and deeper every time she showed her true feelings to him.


    "Terence, you can''t die, please don''t die on me¡­" Carla suddenly mumbled in her sleep. It was clear that she was having a nightmare. She rolled over to her other side and continued sleeping.


    Ever since the day that she found out about Terence''s disappearance, she had been suffering from nightmares almost every night. The situation still continued even after his return.


    There were a few times when the nightmares didn''t bother her because of exhaustion, but it would always come back to her.


    Terence held her tightly in his arms. He was deep in thought. The path that they needed to take was long and hard.


    However, he was determined to stick to his choice. He was prepared to go through it all with her by his side. He was confident that everything would be alright as long as they were together.


    He would never let go of her in the future no matter what.


    The next afternoon, Carla woke up from her long sleep. She glanced at the clock and immediately jumped off the bed. She rushed out of the door at once.


    She was planning on spending the whole day with Sean. She promised him that they would play all day together.


    When she arrived at the Seaview Villa, she saw that Sean was sitting in the yard with the servants. They were gathered around him with worried looks on their faces.


    As soon as she appeared, Sophie came up to her and said, "There you are, Carla. Sean has been waiting for you in the yard the whole morning. He refuses to leave his chair until you arrive."


    Carla walked up to Sean. She bent over and took his hand gently.


    "Sean, I''m sorry," she said.


    Sean shook her off. He crossed his arms and turned away from her while pouting angrily.


    "Sean, I apologize for being late. I have good news for you! It''s about Terence. Do you want to hear it?" Carla whispered to him while watching his face.


    As expected, Sean''s eyes lit up when he heard Terence''s name. He immediately turned his attention to her. "Is he back? Is he alright? Can I see him soon?" he asked in surprise.


    "No, sweetie. Not yet. However, somebody saw him recently. Grandpa Nicholas sent his men to find him. I''m sure that Terence would be back very soon," said Carla.


    She held his shoulders lightly.


    Her answer was obviously not convincing because the light in Sean''s eyes went out gradually.


    Carla sighed and said, "Come on, Sean. Please cheer up! If the news is correct, i


    ied. A joy of victory blossomed in his heart.


    The Otter Bay was part of JA City''s beautiful scenery and it boasted a unique charm.


    It was named the Otter Bay because of its sharp bends and turns. For many years, it served as a place for water amusement lovers who were seeking some thrill in their lives.


    Carla wanted to take a boat ride alone with Sean, but Johnny jumped in first and sat down beside her.


    Poor Sean had to share a boat ride with the staff.


    Carla was soon attracted by the surrounding view. She decided that since she was already there, there was no reason for her to not enjoy it.


    Feeling encouraged, Johnny asked her in a very pleased tone, "What would you like for dinner? Chinese, French, or Japanese cuisine?"


    Carla pretended to not hear his question and looked down.


    She couldn''t be too nice to him. If she backed off a bit and became even a little bit nice to him, he would respond by taking advantage of her. She wanted nothing else at the moment but to escape from him.


    "Okay, If you don''t want to go today, maybe we could go there some other time," he added while rowing the boat.


    Carla sighed. She was sick of being pestered by him every day. She couldn''t handle the situation that he kept on shoving at her, "Johnny, don''t waste your time on me anymore. To tell you the truth, I would never be your girlfriend. I''m sorry for saying those words to you in NF. I had no choice. I''m sorry that I used you."


    "I know that," Johnny replied lightly.


    Her confession didn''t surprise him. He didn''t care whether she was using him or not. "The only thing I want to know now is how you managed to come back from NF alone?"


    His question startled Carla. It took her by surprise.

 Chapter 250 The Restless Terence

    Johnny sent so many people to look for Carla but he still failed. He was wondering whether or not she could come back safely on her own.


    Carla paused and turned slightly to look at the emerald lake then answered, "Grandpa Nicholas sent his men to find me."


    She hid the fact that Terence was the one who found her to protect him.


    Terence was Nicholas''s favorite grandchild and Carla was Terence''s girlfriend. It was only natural for Nicholas to protect her after Terence''s death. The whole thing totally made sense to everyone.


    Carla glanced at the river bank and saw two boats sailing after them.


    Terence arranged some bodyguards and they were waiting on both the bank and the boats to protect her anytime if she needed them.


    Johnny bought what Carla said, that Nicholas was the one who sent people to save her. It was no wonder that she came back that quickly.


    However, he was a little unhappy that she was still close to the people in the An Family. He frowned and asked her, "Are you still constantly in touch with the An Family?"


    "Yes. Grandpa Nicholas was hoping that Terence would marry me. He told me that I am like one of his grandchildren already. He promised me that he would always protect me. Grandpa Nicholas also said that even though Terence already passed away, he would still take care of me like I am his own grandchild."


    She answered while she glanced at Johnny. Johnny then curled his lips and said, "I don''t think it''s the right thing to do. Terence isn''t here anymore. You have no right to keep on being involved with that family. Unless you don''t want to get married for the rest of your life just to show your loyalty to Terence.


    Carla, I love you. Please be with me. I''ll do everything to protect you for the rest of my life."


    Johnny confessed his love to Carla. He moved closer to her and suddenly took her hand.


    However, Carla immediately shook him off as if it was an insect that touched her hand. She refused him and said, "No way, Johnny. You think that after all the things that you''ve done to me that there would still be a chance that I would love you? You should just forget about it because it''s never going to happen!"


    Seeing that she hated him so much, Johnny got really upset. His lips trembled lightly while he defended himself, "I am not the one who killed Terence! I''m not the one that you should hate."


    However, he only met a snort of suspicion and disdain from Carla. Johnny was lucky that the boat they were on didn''t have oars. Otherwise, she would have smacked him with it using all her might to vent her anger.


    "Johnny, do you know how to swim?"


    Carla asked him suddenly.


    Johnny was puzzled at her question but he still answered her honestly, "Yes, I can. Why do you ask?"


    There was suddenly a sharp turn ahead and a wave caused the boat to veer to the side. The wave surged at them at about one meter high and dashed right at Carla. She reflexively raised her hands in front of her as a shield.


    At that moment, Johnny grabbed her into his chest


    ust to be safe." Then he kept walking away from them.


    "Mr. Terence," Nathan called him again.


    "Are you worried about Miss Carla? I''m sure that everything''s alright. You should relax. Mr. Nicholas got Miss Carla a coach to teach her some self-defense skills and she had been practicing for a month. I believe that she is more than capable of protecting herself now."


    "He is right, Mr. Terence. Even though Miss Carla is a tiny woman, she still decided to go into that jungle to save you on her own and that took courage and determination.


    It was more than enough to show you how much she loves you. There is no way that she would fall in love with someone else. You have nothing to worry about." Rainer tried to persuade him as well.


    When he heard what Rainer just said, Terence was touched again by Carla''s love and devotion for him. That was the very reason why he wanted to go find her now. After all the things that she did for him, he couldn''t possibly leave her alone like this. He loved her just as much as she loved him. He responded to them with an explanation, "I know. I know that Carla loves me very much. I am just afraid that Johnny would hurt her."


    Almost everyone in JA City believed that he was dead now and it gave Johnny the courage to pester Carla and blatantly run after her. However, Carla was his woman. He would never let anybody take her away from him.


    As long as he could, he would stop Johnny himself.


    He couldn''t just sit there and wait for her to return. It would drive him crazy.


    "Mr. Terence, please be patient. There are already bodyguards that would help Miss Carla in case she got into any trouble and she could also protect herself. Johnny would never dare hurt her. It would be better for you to just stay here,"


    Nathan said while still trying to stop him.


    Rainer got inspired at that moment and decided to cut in their conversation, "Mr. Terence, I have an idea and it could help you see Miss Carla without being recognized. Would you like to hear about it?"

 Chapter 251 Working As A Waiter

    At the most popular French restaurant in JA City


    Carla didn''t expect that Johnny would take her to such a stylish restaurant. However, those who knew her well would say that what she actually liked was Chinese food.


    Of course, she didn''t mind tasting Western food occasionally.


    The restaurant reminded her of the one where she and Terence had dinner last time. The setting of the two restaurants were similar except the second one was quieter and more elegant than the first one. The first restaurant was so grand.


    "Mr. Johnny, your seats are up here. This way. Please follow me..." The receptionist led Johnny and Carla to the second floor. Johnny booked two seats in a corner near the window. While sitting there, they could see the boisterous crowd downstairs and they could also chat freely without being disturbed.


    Carla followed the waiter and went up to the second floor.


    Johnny ordered the most delicious dishes that he could find regardless of their prices. It included Pan-Fried Goose Liver, Baked French Snails and a lot more. After choosing the dishes from the menu, he turned to Carla.


    "What else would you like to eat? Don''t you want to get your revenge? You can order whatever you like and I won''t complain even if I spend all my money," he said with a grin.


    Carla just glanced at him indifferently. Then she took the menu from him and especially chose the delicate dishes that had the most expensive prices.


    It would be served in small portions so she was sure that she could finish them all.


    When the dishes were served, Carla began to eat at once without even saying a single word to Johnny.


    Of course, she and Johnny didn''t have much to talk about. The other guests in the restaurant were all chatting while eating and they were also sipping red wine from time to time.


    She only took a swig of her red wine when she choked on one of her meal.


    Johnny was a little embarrassed while looking at her. She was gobbling the dishes in such an unladylike manner. All the women that were sitting next to her were all elegant and quiet with little smiles on their faces.


    Seeing her inelegant way of eating, the women that were sitting at the table next to her began to make fun of her and kept shooting sidelong glances at her.


    Carla took another swig of her red wine and wolfed down the two desserts that was just served by their waiter. It seemed that she wasn''t afraid of gaining weight at all.


    Johnny turned to her and said seriously, "Could you please eat a little more slowly? Don''t just gobble up everything in one go!"


    Carla placed her wine glass down and grinned. "Am I embarrassing you, Mr. Johnny? As you already know, I''m just a vulgar woman from the countryside. If you think I''ll embarrass you, please just don''t ask me out next time."


    Johnny was getting miffed and whispered, "Carla, are you doing it on purpose?


    I''ve seen you having dinner with Terence before. You didn''t eat so rudely like this. You''re being unladylike tonight on purpose because you''re having dinne


    e-up was very good. It was almost impossible for other people to recognize him.


    "Are you jealous? Let me see if I can smell something on your coat..." Carla said with a smile. She approached him and smelt smoke in his clothes. "Wait! I thought you just put on the uniform and walked around like you''re working. Did you really have to serve dishes as a waiter?" she asked.


    With puzzled eyes, she checked his uniform carefully. ''Did the clothes smell like that when he first put on them?'' she thought.


    She didn''t expect to find a large pile of name cards and notes in the pockets of his apron.


    There were also a lot of phone numbers with women''s name on them.


    "Ah, I see that you''ve got yourself a lot of fans. Why don''t you ask one of them out after work and spend the night with her in a luxury hotel?" Carla said to him jokingly.


    Terence snatched the notes from her hand and threw them into the garbage can. They were given to him by the guests that he served that night.


    He pretended to be a waiter in that restaurant so that he wouldn''t be recognized by other people. That meant he had to act like a waiter and served dishes.


    "I''ll give you half an hour. You have to come out after half an hour. I''ll wait for you in my car outside the restaurant," Terence said to her with a frown. He tipped her chin up with his finger and kissed her wildly for a while. Then he reluctantly let go of her.


    "By the way, Noah is also here. You have to be very careful," he said.


    Terence looked carefully around and when he was satisfied that no one could see them, he asked Carla to go out of the storage room first.


    When she came out, she took a deep breath of relief. Then she walked over back to her seat with aplomb.


    However, she had only taken a few steps before someone grabbed her by the arm again.


    ''Damn it! Who is it?'' She was very angry and she wanted to shout at the rude person behind her very much.


    ''It''s strange that I''ve been grabbed by the arm twice today!'' Carla thought to herself.

 Chapter 252 Three Men Watching Your Every Move

    As soon as Carla looked up, she saw someone that she hadn''t seen in a long time. Before she could say anything, her arm was grabbed and she was pulled towards a secluded place.


    Without saying anything, Carla found herself in a tight embrace.


    "Carla, I thought I''d never see you again!" Noah''s voice reverberated in her ears.


    It was rare for Noah to be so emotional. Since the moment he saw her eating with Johnny just then, he had been suppressing his impulse to talk with her.


    "Noah, I''m all right. Don''t worry about me," Carla whispered. Carla knew that Noah was worried about her safety. After all, everyone who knew that she went to NF all thought that she would never come back alive.


    Hearing Carla''s words, Noah let go of her and finally looked at her thoroughly. He was instantly devastated to found out that the woman in front of him looked thinner than the last time he saw her.


    "Since you''re already back for quite some time, why haven''t you contacted me? Do you know that I''ve been waiting for news from you?" Noah stated as he looked at her with a hint of blame.


    Carla scratched her head and sighed, "Noah, I can''t explain everything in just a few words."


    Noah considered what she just said. He was in deep thought for a little while before he spoke again, "Well, Terence... Did you find him?" Although he already knew about Terence''s "death" from Marcus, he still asked Carla.


    Noah hadn''t seen Carla show any sadness, so he began to wonder whether Terence was really dead.


    Hearing Terence''s name, Carla immediately looked down and wore a downcast expression on her face.


    Although she trusted Noah, she couldn''t tell him that Terence was still alive. After all, she didn''t even tell Sean about it.


    "Noah, I don''t believe Terence is already dead. I know that he''s just lost and that he will come back to me one day,"


    Carla said with tears sprouting from her eyes. She had already become well versed in acting due to her consistent practice these days. Whenever she would hear Terence''s name, her tears would instantly fall down.


    Although in reality...


    She had been kissed by the man named Terence just then.


    Noah quickly told her, "Carla, don''t be sad. You still have your younger brother, right? And also, I''m here for you. We''ll be with you." Then, he lightly patted her on the shoulder and asked, "Do you still remember what I told you last time? While you were gone, I asked my friend about it. She said she wanted to meet you."


    Noah couldn''t wait any longer. Since Carla was already back, this thing was bound to go ahead as planned.


    "Could you go to HA City with me whenever you''re free?" Noah asked when Carla didn''t say anything.


    Hearing Noah''s words, Carla remembered that he had told her that she was very similar to his friend''s daughter.


    "Okay," Carla said as she nodded. Since she had promised him before, she should keep her word.


    Hearing her promise, Noah finally let her go back to her dinner.


    As soon as Carla returned to her seat, she heard Johnny''s impatient voice.


    "Get out!" Johnny exclaimed without looking at her or even raising his head towards her direction.


    Carla thought she was just a little tired so she heard an imaginary voice. How


    e popcorn and drinks and then they waited in the lounge.


    Suddenly, Carla''s phone rang.


    "My brother is calling. I''ll just go out and answer it," Carla said. She placed the drink on the seat, got up and walked towards the front door.


    "Hello..." she greeted.


    "Where are you?" Terence''s cold voice came ringing into Carla''s ear.


    Carla couldn''t help but cough. She could clearly see Johnny''s movement from the glass doors which was a great way to monitor if he could hear their conversation.


    "I was forced to go to the top floor to see a movie. What about you? Are you already in the car?" She answered in a low voice.


    Terence gave her a sneer, "You''re really having fun, aren''t you? You went to the boat in the afternoon, had dinner in the evening and now you''re going to see a movie? Are you going home with him after the movie too?"


    Listening to his jealousy, Carla couldn''t help but laugh. She had only seen him become jealous a few times before. The one who got jealous was mostly her because there were always women around him compared to the men lingering around her.


    "Mr. Terence, it''s not a big deal. If you want, you could also come here and see the movie," Carla said as her sight inadvertently stopped at the window.


    Through the refraction of the glass window, she found that Terence was calling her as he watched her from behind a pillar.


    ''He really followed us?'' a bit surprised, Carla thought.


    She immediately glanced at Johnny to see whether he found out that Terence was there.


    Seeing that Johnny was playing with his phone and he didn''t notice what was happening, Carla felt a little relieved.


    She continued to ask Terence, "Why did you really come here?"


    She was just making fun of him but she didn''t expect that he would really come there. If he knew that the movie she was going to see with Johnny was an X-rated film, Carla could just imagine his reaction.


    "I just thought your advice earlier sounded good. I don''t want you to see a movie with another man alone. I''ve already bought the ticket. I''ll come in and watch it with you later,"


    Terence firmly stated as he watched Carla from afar.

 Chapter 253 Watching Movies Together

    Carla was extremely embarrassed, so she decided to keep silent.


    Then she chuckled and replied, "Ugh, Okay. Of course."


    After that, she decided to end the phone call.


    She was a little distracted when she turned to go back to Johnny.


    When he saw her coming back, Johnny rose from his seat while still holding on to their popcorn and drinks in his hands. Then he said to her, "Come on, let''s go in."


    Carla nodded and answered him vaguely. When she sneaked a glance at where Terence was standing, he was already gone.


    Carla and Johnny then entered the cinema.


    They took their seats at the front of the screen.


    There were only a handful of people inside the cinema. She couldn''t understand why a decent cinema like this one would have this kind of film on.


    This type of film should have been banned from the country.


    Now, she had no choice but to watch it and suffer.


    Judging from the trailer, the movie was not only rich in content, but it also had a fascinating plot. Objectively speaking, it would be ranked seven out of ten. The only problem was that she was watching it with the wrong person!


    "Why not put on the 3D glasses?" Johnny handed her the 3D glasses and saw that her cheeks were flushed. "What? You''ve already... The movie''s not on yet.


    YOU picked this, remember?" teased Johnny with a smirk.


    She shot him a cold stare then wore the glasses that was provided by the cinema. ''Why do I have to wear this?'' complained Carla in her mind.


    When the movie started playing, Carla kept on cursing in her mind. The movie began with a hot sex scene on the deck of a sailing sea ship.


    She glanced around the cinema but she didn''t see Terence. She looked behind her and hoped to see him at the back, but she still couldn''t find him. Where could he possibly be?


    All of a sudden, someone grabbed her hand.


    It was Johnny.


    "What do you think you''re doing?!" she snapped at him.


    "What am I doing? Stop playing dumb. Isn''t it obvious?"


    Johnny said mockingly while gripping her hand, "You know you want me. We''re both adults, so I understand what you''re feeling right now. I don''t mind your past with Terence..."


    Jo


    you thirsty? Would you like some water?"


    Terence handed her a bottle of water but it was not the one that Johnny bought.


    Carla unscrewed the cap and took a big gulp. She choked on it because she was drinking hastily and it made her spill some water on Terence''s clothes.


    She immediately took out a tissue to wipe the water off him, but she found out that the water was not only on his shirt but also on his pants.


    "Um... Should we go home so you could change?" Carla asked while standing up. However, Terence pulled her back down and made her sit on his lap.


    When her bottom touched his lap, she felt the wet patch on his pants.


    "Why are you in such a hurry? The movie is still on. Let''s finish it before we go!" Terence said while wrapping his arms around her waist tightly. His hot breath spread through her neck.


    Carla felt that he was trying to initiate sex, but this was not the right place to do it.


    They were inside a cinema. A public place like this was not an appropriate venue to have sex.


    "Terence, please calm down. We''re inside a cinema. Besides, there are cameras around..." she reminded him.


    Terence ignored her and gently licked her neck. Then he whispered in her ear, "I''ve already cut off the wires. Don''t worry because nobody will see us."


    Nobody?


    Carla waved to the unconscious Johnny who was beside them.


    ''Johnny is right beside us! He could regain his consciousness any minute now!''

 Chapter 254 A Daring Sex Encounter

    "He passed out. Let''s just ignore him. He wouldn''t know what we''re doing,"


    Terence said as he slowly licked Carla''s ear. He became more and more impatient and started to get annoyed with Carla''s clothes, so he began to pull them off one by one.


    The intimate caress made Carla breath nervously. Feeling a little ashamed, Carla closed her eyes, throwing the coat beside her to cover Johnny''s face.


    Seeing what she did, Terence couldn''t help but smile. After lifting the partition higher and then, he held Carla on his arms.


    Expressing their love for the other, they pulled each other as close as they could. When he entered her, he tore her apart in a fiery flame of desire, almost melting her completely with it.


    Who knew that the theater would bear witness to the intensity of their love?


    After what seemed like forever, they were finally exhausted. The worry of being discovered faded a thousand moans ago. Terence then helped Carla put on her clothes and tidy her hair.


    "I''ll wait for you downstairs. Wait for a few moments before you get on the driver''s car. I''ll meet you across the road,"


    Terence said as he got up and tried to rearrange the things around them. Before he left, he handed Carla a small bottle.


    Then, a person who looked like a doctor came in and carefully gave Johnny an injection of some unknown liquid. It took a few seconds before Johnny jerked a little.


    After that, the person left immediately.


    And the couples who had disappeared from the theater magically appeared in their original places.


    "...... What''s wrong with me?" Johnny asked as soon as he regained consciousness. He immediately sensed that something was wrong but he just couldn''t figure it out. Confused, he looked at Carla.


    "Johnny, I swear to the heavens if you dare to flirt with me again, I will use more powerful pepper spray on you next time,"


    Carla pressed on her words as she showed Johnny the small bottle on her hand.


    Realizing what she had on her hand, Johnny couldn''t help but laugh. He started to rub his dizzy head. No wonder he felt weird. It was just because Carla used the pepper spray on him. "It wasn''t flirting. I was worried about you. I was afraid that you weren''t feeling well," Johnny explained.


    With a grunt, Carla stated, "Anyway, I thought you wanted to take advantage of me again." She then placed the bottle of pepper spray inside her bag.


    When movie finished, Johnny and Carla left the theater in Carla''s urging. When they reached downstairs, Johnny offered to take Carla home but Carla pointed to the car beside and told him, "Thank you, but no thank you. Grandpa Nicholas sent someone to pick me up."


    Johnny didn''t insist on it and he left when he saw Carla get on the car.


    At first, Johnny doubted why he fell asleep at the theater.


    But when what Carla had done to reject him so far flashed across his mind, it was not surprising that she


    ough his actions, she would eventually see his heart.


    It would be more practical than the promises that couldn''t be realized.


    Surprised to hear these words, Carla raised her eyebrows and lay down into Terence''s arms again.


    The really warm and safe hug relieved her.


    The car continued to take the road while it was still raining outside.


    The car suddenly stopped just as it turned around a corner.


    At that time, there weren''t many cars on the road, why would it suddenly stop?


    Carla was suddenly attentive as she got up from Terence''s arms and looked ahead, trying to figure out what happened.


    But soon enough, she found out that their car was blocked by two cars in front of them.


    They were alone without their bodyguards following them because Terence didn''t want to attract unnecessary attention.


    The driver sensed that the situation could get worse and turned to ask Terence, "Mr. Terence, what should I do?"


    Terence looked at the two cars in front. And suddenly, two other cars drove near them from behind.


    He didn''t say anything but called someone immediately.


    Then he tried to comfort Carla and the driver, "Don''t get off. We just need to stall for a while. Our people will arrive in five minutes." Looking at the cars that got them surrounded, Terence couldn''t help but frown.


    ''What do these people want?'' he thought.


    Worried about Terence, Carla whispered, "Could it be possible that they knew..."


    She wondered, ''Did they already discover that Terence was alive and so, they wanted to kill him now?


    But they couldn''t have! After Terence came back, he was very cautious. He shouldn''t have been found out. How could he have been discovered already?''


    Carla looked at the front and saw a man wearing a headscarf which was a bit familiar.


    For an instant, an idea flashed across her mind.


    Almost certain about her idea she said, "I understand why they''re here. It''s me who they want."

 Chapter 255 Night Punch-Up

    Carla had seen the man that was wearing a headscarf at Marcus''s old nest in NF before. The man had seen her face.


    Carla guessed that Marcus found something wrong so he arranged some people to check on her.


    Carla had been to Marcus''s old nest before and she was sure that they were shocked to see her in JA City as the girlfriend of Terence.


    Carla knew that Marcus wouldn''t let her go easily.


    Terence took Carla''s hand and said with a deep frown, "Carla, don''t worry. Calm down."


    Carla grabbed his hand and looked at him with big bright eyes.


    She said, "No. I can''t let them see that you are also in the car. I can''t let them take you away from me ever again! Our people will arrive in five minutes, right? I should just get out of the car and stall them for five minutes. I think that''s the right thing to do in this situation."


    When she was finished with her words, she grabbed the door handle of the car and prepared herself to go out. However, Terence immediately stopped her and said, "Carla, I can''t let you take that kind of risk. I don''t even care if I get exposed."


    "Terence, I couldn''t possibly let you be exposed. I can''t let our efforts go to waste just because of me. I can protect myself. Please, believe in me," Carla comforted Terence. Then she saw that the man who was wearing a headscarf approach the car.


    She immediately pulled Terence''s hand away, opened the door and got out of the car.


    When she got out of the car, she slammed the door shut and glanced at the people around her.


    "Who are you? What do you want from me?" Carla shouted.


    When he saw Carla get out of the car, the man who was wearing a headscarf stopped and did not go any closer to her.


    "Wow, it''s really you! I never expected that you were Terence''s girlfriend."


    Carla raised her chin and laughed, "Yes, I''m Terence''s girlfriend. So what?"


    The headscarf man laughed coldly when he saw Carla''s aggressive face.


    "If you were Terence''s girlfriend, how did you get into our boss''s turf? Tell me the truth and be honest. If you lie to me, I can''t promise your safety tonight!"


    The man said while walking towards Carla. He looked at her from head to toe and asked, "Tell me, was it Johnny who took you to our old nest? Are you working with Johnny on something?


    Do you have any evidence yet?"


    The man patted her on the shoulder and said, "Our boss said that as long as you tell us the truth, he would gladly spare your life. However, if you refused to confess tonight, it would be your last night in this world,"


    the man said while intending to pass by her to see if there was anyone else inside the car.


    Before his hand even touched the door, Carla opened her mouth.


    "Okay, I will tell you everything that you want to know. I won''t act foolish and lie to you. There are so many of your people here and I believe that I have


    se people back to our hideout and lock them up. Make sure to shut them up! Remember to not expose what happened tonight! I''ll tell Grandpa what happened when I get back."


    As long as Nicholas help Terence to cover up the whole thing, Marcus would never dare ask more about it.


    "And Rainer, find all the cameras at this intersection and dispose all of them."


    Terence patted the dust from his body and then grabbed Carla''s hand again.


    His eyes glanced coldly at the man on the ground. The man was no longer moving and his headscarf was nowhere to be found.


    "Especially that guy. Make sure to treat him really ''well''."


    When he was finished, Terence returned to the car with Carla.


    "Terence, I am still worried about what happened. Are you sure that our secret won''t be discovered?"


    Carla asked him with a worried look.


    Before answering her, Terence addressed the driver first.


    "Start the car."


    Then he turned to Carla and explained, "We''ll hide them from Marcus for a while. I know that I can''t hide this forever so I''ll ask Nathan to send those people to the police station secretly tomorrow. We could use them as witnesses of Marcus'' illegal actions."


    "I will ask Grandpa to help me cover up what happened tonight. Marcus doesn''t have the courage to fight against Grandpa,"


    Terence said while he was adjusting his seat belt.


    Terence''s guess was that Marcus would kill anyone who would oppose him and get in his way.


    If his guess was right, he would have no need to hide them for too long.


    The more anxious Marcus got, the more impulsive he would act. That would only lead him to make more mistakes.


    At that exact moment, Marcus was waiting for some good news from the headscarf man.


    He had been waiting for a long time but no news came to him.


    He tried calling the headscarf man but no one answered the phone. He finally realized that something was wrong.

 Chapter 256 Didnt Cherish Him Until Too Late

    These men seemed to have disappeared overnight without a trace.


    Marcus investigated but he found nothing. What was worse was he couldn''t possibly look for them openly without attracting too much attention.


    He kept on wondering who would dare to do this to him in JA City.


    ''Is it... Is it Grandpa?


    Yes, it must be him! Grandpa is the only one who could do this to me!'' Marcus concluded.


    Last time, it was also Grandpa who sent his people to protect Carla. He must have done it again this time!


    ''Why does the old man always turn against me?


    If it''s just father, I would have already achieved my goals. It seems that as long as the old man is still alive, I could never do whatever needs to be done.


    I would rather give this a shot than feel inferior to others for the rest of my life!


    What if the old man suddenly die of a heart attack?


    If that should happen, I would become unopposed by anyone!''


    Marcus suddenly burst out laughing while thinking about the death of his grandfather.


    ''Ruthlessness is truly the mark of a great man!'' he told himself.


    It was already midnight when Carla and Terence got home.


    While helping Terence remove his makeup, Carla said, "Look at yourself. Why didn''t you just remain calm? I''m already an adult. Didn''t you really think that I could protect myself for just a few more minutes?


    Terence was sitting on the couch with one hand holding her waist. He stared at the woman who was cleaning his face and replied, "I trust you completely. However, I''m just afraid that other men will take advantage of you when I''m not around."


    "Are you kidding me? The only man who would take advantage of me is you!" Carla said while giving him a stern look. What had happened today was really a challenge for her because they actually had sex inside the cinema...


    She still couldn''t believe it until now. The man was really bold enough to make it happen inside a public place!


    While holding her wrist with one hand and her waist with the other hand, Terence smiled mischievously at her, "So my dearest Carla got embarrassed? It''s just the beginning, honey. This won''t be the last time that I would try to have sex with you whenever and wherever I can. You would get used to it eventually. What do you say about that?"


    "Shame on you!"


    Carla was speechless. Then she suddenly realized what a perverted man he was.


    "You tell me. It would be such a pity we don''t try anything new in our sex life during our whole lifetime, eh?" Terence flirted with Carla who was too shy to reply to him and kept on staring at her on purpose. Then he got up and walked towards the bathroom.


    While rubbing her flushed face, Carla couldn''t help but think about the possibility that Terence would just initiate sex everywhere and anytime.


    She shook her head to banish those thoughts. ''It turns out that evil thoughts could spread like wildfire. Keep your head on, Carla!'' she told hersel


    , Edmund would think that Marcus was outstanding too so he would unconsciously ignore Terence''s achievements.


    Terence was the heir of the AJ Group ever since he was born so Edmund thought that Terence was the least of his children that he should worry about.


    However, it was already too late for him to regret how bad he treated Terence. He didn''t realize how important Terence was to him until he lost him.


    Terence was very generous and always kind to his brothers, though they didn''t share the same feeling. As their father, Edmund would always choose to turn a blind eye on Marcus and because of that, Marcus became what he was today.


    "Father, did you know that I did what I did because of you and grandpa? You''re the one who made me do it! I''m the eldest son of our family so I should be the one to inherit AJ Group. Why did you make Terence the heir?


    You forced me to do those things! I had no choice. I needed to protect what should be mine."


    Marcus gnashed his teeth in anger while turning away from his father.


    He was unwilling to accept the truth. As the eldest brother, why should he follow Terence''s orders?


    The heir of the AJ Group was like the king in ancient times. If he could take the position, no one would threaten him or dare oppose him. It was because of that that Marcus decided to take action.


    "You jerk, can''t you understand anything? Are you blind or are you not right in the head?" Edmund suddenly slapped him..


    Marcus covered his slapped cheek and lowered his head. Then he said mockingly, "Slap me anytime you like, father. If you beat me to death, you still have another son who can manage AJ Group well..."


    "You!"


    Edmund was almost out of breath and he was also trembling with anger. He pointed to Marcus and said, "No wonder your grandpa ended up in the hospital because of you! You ungrateful bastard! Now tell me the truth, Did you... Did you kill Terence because he found out what you did?"

 Chapter 257 Exposing Marcus’s Evil Plot

    Marcus was surprised to hear his father ask something like that so directly. His eyes involuntarily blinked rapidly but still, he didn''t want to tell the truth. How could he?


    "What did you say, Father? How could I do such a cruel thing?"


    With a sullen look on his face, Marcus sat down on the sofa nearby. He then sighed and ranted, "This time, it was really an accident. How could I murder my own brother on purpose? I wouldn''t do such inhumane things just for my own benefit!"


    Although he tried his best to defend himself, he didn''t dare to look at Edmund''s eyes. It only made him more guilty in Edmund''s perspective. Edmund was very disappointed and didn''t want to press on the issue.


    Even if Edmund didn''t want to believe that Marcus had done cruel things to Terence, and even if Marcus refused to admit his crime, Edmund had to accept the fact.


    The fact was that Terence personally made an investigation and found out that Marcus had secretly transferred all the minerals owned by the AJ Group to his own accounts. Marcus used only a small amount to cover the company''s financial losses and kept the rest for himself.


    Moreover, when the AJ Group undertook the local building project several months ago, Marcus''s men pocketed a lot of money. It caused a sensation among the company''s leaders so once again, Terence had to investigate it personally.


    With Terence''s findings as evidence, Edmund knew exactly what Marcus had done.


    Edmund hoped that Marcus would be brave enough to confess his crimes, or at least tell him directly that he had been plotting against Terence. If Marcus could repent for what he had done, Edmund would be less furious.


    But the reality of Marcus''s impenitence just made Edmund more disappointed.


    At that moment, Carla was taking care of Nicholas inside the ward. Hearing the conversation between Edmund and Marcus, she realized that Terence''s goal of exposing Marcus''s evil plot was finally achieved.


    Terence''s efforts of painstakingly investigating the "accident" finally paid off.


    If someone told Edmund about Marcus''s plot, Edmund would very much unlikely to believe them. But since he saw the evidence that Terence had been framed by Marcus, he realized that he had been deceived by Marcus.


    As their father, Edmund didn''t want to see the two brothers scheming against each other.


    However, if it had already happened and had caused a huge taint to the reputation of the family, he had to deal with it head-on.


    Carla, who was just lost in thought inadvertently turned around and saw that Nicholas had opened his eyes and was staring at the ceiling. She was amazed that he had awakened from his coma so quickly.


    "Carla, come here..."


    Nichola


    ated.


    She found it embarrassing to answer Noah''s question because she clearly knew that Terence was alive and that he survived the air crash.


    Since that was the case, she didn''t need to find a new boyfriend. She would certainly become Terence''s wife.


    Noah didn''t press on the issue anymore. After the dishes were served, he put all of her favorite ones in front of her and ordered her favorite dessert.


    Carla had dispelled all of her suspicions with Noah since he got injured because of her in HA City. So from then on, she didn''t feel nervous or afraid whenever she was with him.


    He was always considerate like her brother, which made her feel very comfortable.


    "Carla, could you spare some time to go to HA City with me? I have a friend who wants to meet you," Noah said. This was his real purpose of asking her out today.


    After thinking for a while, Carla nodded. She responded, "Okay, no problem. I think we can go there next week. You can choose the details of the trip."


    Noah nodded in agreement while he said, "Our departure date is tentatively scheduled for next Wednesday. If you find it inconvenient to fly out that day, please inform me in advance."


    Allen''s health was deteriorating day by day. If that wasn''t the case, Noah wouldn''t be so eager in asking Carla to see him in HA City.


    Andrea had secretly sent her men to investigate Carla''s identity. Although she didn''t tell the truth to Noah, he knew that she would personally ask Carla to take a DNA test even if he didn''t invite her to his house this time.


    So, in order to earn Andrea''s trust, Noah thought it would be better to ask Carla to meet her first.


    Now, Carla''s true identity was about to be discovered.


    With this in mind, Noah decided to personally uncover the riddle and reveal it to his family.

 Chapter 258 Marcus Ambition

    After lunch, Carla left Noah and went back home.


    In the hospital, Edmund stayed beside his father until late that night.


    "Father, it''s already too late. You can go back home and take a bit of rest. I will stay here with grandfather, Okay?" Marcus saw that Edmund was not planning on leaving anytime soon so he suggested that he would stay with his grandfather to allow Edmund to rest at home.


    "It''s okay. I want to stay here with your grandfather." Edmund sighed deeply while looking at Nicholas who was still lying on the sickbed.


    Marcus pulled up a chair and sat beside his father. "Father, I am not used to seeing my grandfather looking so vulnerable. I should have done my best to become more like the filial grandson that he deserved. Besides, you are also not that young anymore. Staying up late like this will do harm to your health," said Marcus while still trying to persuade Edmund to go back home.


    Edmund felt a tinge of gratification at Marcus'' words.


    At least Marcus still had his conscience. He knew that he needed to give filial piety to his elders.


    "Well, in that case, I am going back home to rest. You must take good care of your grandfather, okay? You can call me at any time if something happens," Edmund said while standing up from his chair and rubbing his waist.


    Marcus quickly stood up and helped his father walk out of the room.


    "Father, you have been troubled with pains because you''ve been sitting here whole time. You need a good rest. I will be here with grandfather. You can ease your mind because everything will be alright," Marcus promised.


    Edmund walked to the door of the room and took one last look at his father. Then he said, "I will go back first. I will trust him in your care. There is not much time left for those at such an old age like your grandfather. Just do what you are supposed to do. Do not work yourself too much."


    Edmund was then supported by his butler who was waiting outside the room. Then they walked away when he was finished his words.


    While watching Edmund leave, Marcus'' face slowly turned from a concerned grandson to that of a dark and gruesome person bit by bit.


    Marcus thought that he must take advantage of this chance to get Nicholas out of his way. He already caused a lot of troubles for Marcus. Nicholas was the greatest threat to him. He was the one who was more likely to find some evidence about Terence''s death in NF.


    It was a lot easier to deal with his father and his men without his grandfather''s interruption.


    His father already knew about everything and was very much disappointed in him.


    He could not wait any longer. This was the best chance for him


    arrived at the hospital.


    His face turned pale with fear when he saw Nicholas'' condition.


    "Marcus, what the hell is going on here? Your grandfather was fine when I went home yesterday. What happened to him?" asked Edmund using a stern tone. The doctor told him that the patient was quickly taking a turn for the worse.


    "Father, I also have no idea of what is happening to Grandpa. The doctor checked on him last night and he told me that everything was fine. You can ask the doctor yourself if you do not trust me,"


    Marcus answered him while trying to put the blame squarely on the doctor. He wanted to make himself look totally innocent.


    The doctor examined Nicholas'' conditions then felt his pulse. He finally turned to Edmund and said, "Mr. Edmund, there is something wrong with your father. I did a careful examination on him last night and everything was fine. He was not supposed to get this weak so fast."


    "What do you mean, Dr. Zheng?"


    asked Edmund puzzled.


    Dr. Zheng examined Nicholas'' heart beat with the help of his stethoscope then checked on his support tubes.


    "Your father is suffering from a tachycardia. I am afraid that it was probably caused by an external factor," Dr. Zheng explained to Edmund.


    "Nurse, could you please fetch me the patient''s infusion bottle that you changed last night?"


    Dr. Zheng said to one of the special nurses.


    "Dr. Zheng, I am afraid that they were all thrown away just this morning..." said the nurse apologetically.


    "Then go and get them back! There is not much people who change their infusions at night. Go and find them," Dr. Zheng shouted at the nurse while taking off Nicholas'' infusion bottle.


    Marcus stood at the side. His heart was pounding wildly and he was totally rigid with fright.

 Chapter 259 Its Time To End Everything

    Marcus took deep breaths to calm himself. ''It''s okay. You talked to people who assured you no one would notice the poison in the bottle, '' Marcus reassured himself.


    His mind continued to race, ''Grandpa''s heart isn''t what it used to be anyway and he could die anytime. So Grandpa''s state is normal for his condition. But how did the doctor know there was something wrong with the infusion bottle?''


    It''s impossible!


    Impossible, '' Marcus debated with himself. He couldn''t figure out how the doctor knew there was a problem with the bottle.


    "Doctor, what''s wrong? What''s going on? Did something happen? Please tell me,"


    Edmund asked with his eyes on the doctor. His eyebrows were knotted in confusion while he was waiting for the doctor to give him answers.


    "Mr. Edmund, it seems like somebody added a foreign substance in one of the infusion bottles. I suspect that''s the reason why Mr. Nicholas'' heart weakened significantly overnight. I checked Mr. Nicholas'' condition last night and his was doing well. His heart may be weak but that''s still not a reason for it to reach this condition now," the doctor explained.


    Actually the doctor was baffled about what happened. He took his notepad to write and handed the paper to the nurse. "Get me these medicines immediately!" The nurse nodded and left the room in a run.


    When he saw the doctor write on his notepad and the nurse scramble out of the room, the hairs on the back of Edmund''s neck shot up. ''What is going on?''


    He craned his neck to glare at Marcus. If the doctor wasn''t in the room with them, he would have lashed out right then and there.


    Marcus avoided Edmund''s glare and kept his eyes on the floor. "Calm down, Father. It wasn''t me. I was in the hall during the night. I didn''t even enter Grandpa''s room," Marcus lied. "If someone wanted to poison Grandpa, it wasn''t me!" Marcus squealed at his father.


    He cursed to himself, ''This was supposed to be foolproof. No one was supposed to find out. Damn!''


    But a thought popped into his head and calmed him down.


    ''As long as the poison is in the old man''s body, he will never wake up.


    Then my plan still worked. And my goal also accomplished.


    And even if the doctor found that there was poison in the bottle, they can''t prove it was done by me. No one saw me add the poison anyway, ''


    Marcus reassured himself. He took a deep breath and put a smile on his face.


    This was a military hospital. And the people who worked here worked for Nichol


    ront of him. "I heard you wanted to eat some watermelon, Terence. So I brought some for you!"


    Terence''s face lit up when Carla entered the room. The sight of Carla always brightened any room.


    "Carla, darling, I missed you,"


    Terence said. He took Carla''s hand and led her to him. He took the watermelon from Carla and scooped a piece of it. He lifted it to Carla''s mouth.


    "A sweet fruit for a sweet lady, thank you, Carla," Terence continued.


    Terence fed Carla the fruit. Carla smiled but stopped Terence''s hand before he could feed her again. She asked, "How''s Grandpa? Marcus stayed with Grandpa by himself all night last night. Is Grandpa okay?"


    She knew Nicholas wasn''t unconscious. But she was still worried about him.


    They all knew how vicious Marcus was. When Terence told her Marcus was staying the night with Nicholas, she couldn''t help but worry.


    "Grandpa is fine. Don''t worry, Carla. I worry about him, too. I won''t let him get in any danger," Terence reassured her. He shook off Carla''s hand off his and fed her with the fruit again.


    He had asked Carla to go just now because he had a surprise planned for her.


    Carla continued to eat the watermelon and Terence continued to feed her. She turned to Terence with confusion in her eyes, "We can''t let Grandpa just pretend to be unconscious this whole time, right? Won''t he be uncomfortable?"


    Terence smiled faintly. He wiped the watermelon juice that seeped from the corner of her mouth with his finger.


    He said, "Don''t worry, my darling. It''ll be all over this afternoon."


    This nightmare had gone on long enough.


    It was time. It was time to end everything.

 Chapter 260 Terence Rose From The Dead

    At the hospital.


    Miraculously, Nicholas woke up that afternoon.


    Edmund let out a long sigh of relief. If Nicholas didn''t wake up, Marcus would have committed another crime for killing his grandfather.


    Marcus was scared to death of what happened. He was so confused. ''It''s impossible! What happened?''


    He injected Nicholas with the poison himself but why did he wake up?


    When Nicholas woke up, he turned to the white-faced Marcus who was standing at the back of the room and waved to him.


    "Come here, Marcus. I''m thirsty. Can you please get me a glass of water?"


    When he heard Nicholas call his name, Marcus took a deep breath to calm himself down. With shaking hands, he walked towards Nicholas.


    When he reached Nicholas, his whole body began trembling because Nicholas was staring at him intensely.


    "G...grandpa, here. I brought you your water."


    Marcus said while passing a glass of water to Nicholas.


    Nicholas reached out to him and pretended to not notice Marcus'' trembling. Then he said, "Please help me get up, Marcus..."


    Marcus immediately placed the glass of water on the side table when he heard Nicholas'' order. Then he stepped closer to help him sit on the bed.


    Nicholas leaned back against the headboard and reached out again to slowly take the glass of water from them. Then he began drinking his water while watching Marcus who suddenly turned pale because of his nervousness.


    "Marcus, what''s wrong with you? Why do you look so pale? Wow, you''re sweating a lot!" Nicholas asked deliberately with the glass still in his hands.


    Marcus took a step back to maintain some distance from Nicholas and said, "Grandpa, I''m worried about you. You''ve been unconscious for a long time and the doctor said that you would... I was so surprised that my face blanched with fear and I started sweating. Thank God you came around!"


    While nodding his head, Nicholas placed his glass down on the table when he heard what Marcus said.


    "Oh, is that so? Although I''ve been unconscious for a long time, I could still hear something in my sleep. I''m not sure whether it''s just my imagination or something but I think I heard you whisper in my ear that you were eagerly looking forward to..."


    "Well, it must be your imagination, grandpa. I didn''t say anything to you yesterday because when


    sight of it.


    That is why it''s impossible for Terence to still be alive!"


    Edmund turned sorrowful again when he heard Marcus. He could no longer distinguish the truth from the lie in Marcus'' words.


    However, Race began to speak again.


    "Mr. Nicholas, Mr. Edmund, I think that you should relax. The voice I heard on the phone was definitely Mr. Terence''s. I know him since he was just a little boy so I am sure that I was not mistaken.


    Let''s just wait for him. When he arrives in the evening, we will finally know the truth. What do you say?"


    Race said while looking at Edmund and Nicholas.


    Nicholas nodded his head and said, "Race is right. We will know everything when Terence is back."


    Edmund thought for a while and said, "Race, since Terence is arriving tonight, you should give me his flight number and I will go to pick him up in person."


    "Yes, Mr. Edmund. I''m going to confirm Terence''s arrival time and inform you once I get it," Race replied then headed out.


    He needed to report the situation to Terence so he could prepare.


    Marcus stood there like a fool. He kept on murmuring "Impossible".


    He couldn''t understand. The body that they got tested was Terence''s. Why was there another Terence? Where did he come from?


    ''No, it can''t be him!


    He must be a fake Terence!


    Yes, that''s the only thing that would make sense.'' Marcus consoled himself with the thought. He decided to confirm it himself.


    He couldn''t believe that Terence would return to life. He was already dead! It was simply impossible!

 Chapter 261 Acting! Acting! Acting!

    Meanwhile, Terence was making preparations for his "resurrection".


    Although the scars left in Terence''s face and body had recovered a lot, they could still be seen if one looked closely.


    So Carla just needed to make these scars more obvious to let others see that he had suffered a lot of pain.


    "Carla, are you holding some sort of grudge against me? I did get injured but is it really necessary to put a lot of scars on my face?" Terence complained.


    All he could do was watch the woman he loved using a brush to scribble on his face without any hesitation.


    "Don''t move!" Carla scolded him.


    She then grabbed his chin with her hand to steady his head.


    "I don''t usually see you put on makeup. Why are you making such a big deal about this now?" he asked. To be honest, Terence was not confident with Carla''s makeup skills so he asked her, feeling a little worried. When Carla was finally done, he stretched out his arm, took the mirror on the table and looked at his face.


    After then, he stopped with his complaints and remained silent.


    The make-up wasn''t as bad as he thought.


    "So? How about my make-up skills?" Carla asked, feeling confident as she watched Terence''s reactions. Then she added, "Are you satisfied with it?" Carla took the brush once again, raised his jaw and looked at his face closely for a while. She then decided that the makeup looked perfect, so she put down the brush and used the setting spray so the makeup would stay on his handsome face.


    Terence''s eyebrows furrowed once again. ''It''s too fragrant, '' he thought.


    "Don''t worry. When you change your clothes later, the scent won''t be so strong," Carla comforted Terence while she looked at his face carefully.


    She was making sure that others wouldn''t recognize that the scars were fake. When she was finally sure that her work was indeed done, she confidently exclaimed, "Well done! Rainer, bring the clothes in!"


    Hearing her order, Rainer immediately came in with a suit of clothes and placed it on the table. "Mr. Terence, you wore these clothes in NF City. When you came back, we kept them as souvenirs so they haven''t been washed. Now...you could wear them again..." Rainer said with a little hesitation because he had never seen Terence wear dirty clothes.


    Terence''s face darkened again. He turned to Carla and said, "Carla, I don''t think it''s necessary for me to do these things. Even if my father thought I was lost and had just come back, I could tidy-up before seeing him. So I don''t really think I need to wear these dirty clothes."


    "Mr. Terence, we can''t perceive this thing in that way. What you just said is indeed reasonable. But we should let your fath


    as to ensure that Terence could enter the airport before his father Edmund arrived there to pick him up.


    Rainer had prepared all the things that they would need in the car and the only thing missing was Terence.


    But he couldn''t dare to knock at the door and interrupt the couple inside.


    About ten minutes later, he finally saw the door open.


    Terence came out of the door in the stinky clothes that they had prepared. But it was obvious that he still wasn''t used to the smell.


    He frowned and said, "Let''s go."


    His attitude and tone were obviously more relaxed than earlier.


    After Terence left, Carla stayed in the room by herself.


    She also put on some makeup before heading out.


    She prepared eye drops in her bag for fear that she wouldn''t be able to act as intense and excited enough when seeing Terence at the airport. After all, she had been living with him in the last few days when he was supposed to be dead.


    And then, she took a deep breath and tried to organize her thoughts and mood.


    As Race informed her, Terence would "come back" today, so she also had to go to the airport and pick him up.


    Of course, she should cry upon seeing Terence at the airport to be more realistic.


    As soon as she was ready, Carla took a deep breath and finally head out.


    Race had informed her of Terence''s plane arrival time in advance. In reality, she should arrive at the airport early because she should act very eager to see him as his girlfriend.


    But the fact was that she was more likely to be late because she had wasted too much time in the room with that same man that she was supposed to be picking up!


    On the way to the airport, the traffic was clogged which almost made Carla a little mad.


    After a while, she finally arrived at the airport.

 Chapter 262 The Missing Prince Came Back

    Carla got out of the car in haste and immediately ran towards the airport''s arriving hall.


    She reached the hall breathing heavily and found out that Edmund and Marcus were already there, waiting for Terence''s arrival. They suddenly heard an announcement informing them that the plane that Terence was on got delayed for twenty minutes.


    Carla quietly let out a huge sigh of relief. She didn''t approach Edmund and Marcus and instead, hid behind a pillar and waited.


    Soon enough, the twenty minutes passed by. Besides, it already cost her some time on the way to get there.


    Finally, it was announced that the plane had landed.


    After a few moments, Terence stepped out of the doors, followed by Nathan and Rainer. They looked pretty worn out and had some injuries on their face.


    The moment she saw them, Carla tried her best to stop herself from laughing out loud.


    They were really acting like they just almost died. Although what Nathan and Rainer looked like right then was not that exaggerated, Carla still found it hard to maintain a straight face. After all, she had just seen them a few hours ago. They definitely didn''t look like that earlier. The contrast between then and now was very appalling to Carla!


    She watched as they slowly made their way towards the arriving hall.


    Terence was naturally born with good looks. Therefore, his impaired appearance at the moment didn''t stop him from looking charming and attractive.


    "Terence!" Edmund called out. As soon as he saw Terence, his furrowed eyebrows immediately loosened up.


    He walked towards Terence as fast as he could since it had been two months since they last saw each other.


    He had thought that Terence was already dead but there he was, breathing and alive. Edmund was extremely shocked but delighted at the same time.


    "Father," Terence called out with his hoarse voice.


    Edmund patted Terence on the shoulder and nodded his head. He looked so excited that he couldn''t even utter any words at that moment.


    Terence''s eyes fell on Marcus who was standing not far away from where they stood. The astonishment on his face could be seen from a mile away.


    Dumbfounded, Marcus couldn''t believe what he was seeing so he rubbed his eyes repeatedly, not wanting to accept the reality that Terence was still alive.


    For the past month, he was so sure that Terence was already dead. He repeatedly questioned in his head, ''Who is this man?''


    There was no denying that Terence did survive the air crash and the jungle because he was standing there, right in from of him!


    It was hard for Marcus to accept the reality in such a short period of time. He badly wanted to see Terence''s corpse, not his breathing, standing, talking, alive body.


    No words could express how surprised he was at that moment.


    But he had no time to think about what was wrong with the corpse that he had seen back then.


    W


    n after a deep sigh.


    She had already called Race earlier and found out that the An''s Manor was full of people right then.


    Therefore, there was a high possibility that Terence didn''t have time to spare for Sean.


    "No, Carla. I have to go! Even if I can only see him from a distance," Sean said full of stubbornness in his voice. It seemed that he had made up his mind and didn''t have any plans of giving up.


    Carla couldn''t understand why Sean urgently wanted to see Terence because she stayed with Terence for the past weeks.


    But for Sean, he had been away from Terence for over two months. He missed Terence so much and was desperate to see him with his own eyes as soon as he can.


    Sean had been waiting for this day for too long. So, the moment he heard that Terence was back and alive, he couldn''t hold back his desperation to see Terence any more. He really missed the man so much.


    In the end, Carla failed to persuade Sean.


    So she arranged a car and took him to the An''s Manor eventually.


    Just as she expected, the East Yard of An''s Manor was crowded by then. A lot of expensive cars were parked all the way from the gate to the East Yard that it looked like there was a car party.


    It was only understandable. The news of Terence''s demise had widely spread in JA City. Therefore, it was easy for Carla to imagine how many persons would pay a visit to Terence that day.


    A dozen bodyguards were standing in front of the entrance of the East Yard when they arrived. Everyone going inside needed to be identified first.


    Once again, Carla thought that it was only necessary for them to check each visitor''s identity or there would be too many people and they surely wouldn''t want that. Only relatives and close friends were allowed to pay a visit today.


    "Miss Carla! Sean! You''re here," Rainer exclaimed.


    He immediately recognized Carla from a distance and asked the bodyguards to let them in.

 Chapter 263 Sean Visits Terence

    "Rainer, where is Terence? What is he doing?"


    Carla asked when she noticed that there was a lot of people in every inch in the yard.


    Rainer sighed with a smile, "He is busy with receiving guests. The An Family have a lot of close family members as well as extended ones. These people that you''re seeing are just from JA City. The family members in other cities haven''t come yet.


    Mr. Terence is receiving some distinguished guests whom he has to entertain upstairs. As for the others, they are waiting in the yard and in the living room."


    Nodding her head, Carla patted Sean on his shoulder.


    She then stated, "Did you hear that, Sean? Terence is very busy right now. Let''s visit him some other time."


    But Sean didn''t like what he heard. Looking up at the stairs with eager eyes, he begged Carla, "Carla, please take me upstairs. I just want to take a look at Terence and then we could leave. Just one glance, I promise, please!"


    Hearing Sean''s wishes, Rainer spoke before Carla could do so.


    "Miss Carla, Mr. Terence is in the living room on the second floor. You can take Sean to have a look. There are so many guests in the East Yard so I think it''s fine if you go there."


    Upon hearing Rainer''s suggestion, Sean took Carla''s hand at once, squeezed it and exclaimed, "Carla, did you hear that? He said that it''s fine so please take me upstairs, please, please."


    Casting a quick look at the East Yard, Carla saw some kids who seemed like they came with their parents. The kids were playing by themselves without making any noise.


    Although Rainer said it was fine, Terence was meeting some important and powerful men, so she didn''t think it was proper to take Sean upstairs.


    However, when she looked at the little boy who was staring at her full of hope, Carla had to give up.


    "Fine, let''s go. But you have to promise me that you will behave. You won''t cheer and shout when we go upstairs. If Terence is busy, we won''t interrupt him. You can just take a look from far away. Can you do that?"


    When Sean obediently nodded, Carla took his hand as they made their way to the stairs.


    Upon passing by the living room, Carla saw a lot of people waiting there. Some of whom were familiar because she often saw them on the news. However, all of them had to wait in the living room.


    Holding Sean''s hand tightly, Carla led their way upstairs.


    But a girl who looked like she was younger by a few years than Carla stopped her. She then asked Carla, "Did the steward allow you to go upstairs? If not, I''m sorry you can''t go there.


    See, we''re all waiting here right now."


    The girl stood in front of


    can''t come home with you. So what do you say?" Terence said, sounding really apologetic.


    Once he returned to his guests, there were many things for him to deal with. Receiving visitors was just a part of his job. What was more important was that he needed to deal with the upheaval of the Ans. Moreover, he had to go over every detail of the AJ Group''s management which was in shambles during his absence.


    "Fine, we''re going to wait for you," Carla said with her hands around his waist. She then whispered, "You''ve been with me for a long time so I''ll be alright. Go deal with your business without worrying about us."


    "That''s easy for you to say that but how can I not worry about you?" Terence whispered in her ear as he kissed her forehead. He added, "Every chance that I get, even if it were for just a second, I can''t help but miss you. You know what, I''m poisoned by you and you''re the only antidote."


    Carla laughed a little louder than normal when she heard what Terence said. She looked up at him and stated, "What Mr. Terence said is so touching. Am I the legendary master of poison?"


    Pinching her waist, Terence sighed and thought, ''This woman always ruins the mood with her jokes when I''m being serious.''


    "Okay, I''m leaving," Terence said. But before he left, he turned to Sean and stated, "Sean, wait for me, okay?"


    Removing his hands that were covering his face, Sean nodded his head vigorously.


    When Terence left, Sean begged Carla to ask for another half a day''s leave from school.


    It seemed that the little boy made his decision to stay here for the whole day. He was satisfied to see Terence from far away but now that he spent a few minutes with the man, he wanted more.


    Soon enough, it was time for lunch.

 Chapter 264 Uncle Terence

    Carla begun to wonder how


    the Ans could serve lunch to so many people at the same time. ''How big must their kitchen be to be able to do this?'' she quietly thought to herself.


    She eventually got the answer when it was time to eat. She witnessed how all the people in the living room and in the yard moved towards the back of the East Yard. Carla was a little startled to find out that there was a big dining hall over there.


    People were chatting with each other as they made their way to the dining hall. For most of them, it seemed like it wasn''t their first time to be there at all.


    "Carla, I''m also hungry. Shall we go with them and eat?"


    Sean asked while he rubbed his growling stomach.


    Carla thought about it for a little while then she nodded at her little brother. "Okay, let''s go and get some food.


    They must have enough for two more," Carla told Sean.


    Then, they walked out of the room and was about to take the stairs when they saw Rainer coming over towards them. He looked a little surprised but delighted to see them. He stated with a smile, "Just in time! Miss Carla, Mr. Terence sent me to invite you for lunch." With a wider smile than before, Rainer led Carla and Sean downstairs to the lunch area.


    When they reached downstairs, Carla saw a massive round table in the East Yard''s dining hall. Upon a closer look, she saw Edmund sitting at the center of it all.


    Terence sat opposite his father with two vacant seats beside him.


    Also sitting at the table were a couple, an elder man and a beautiful girl who looked like she was of Carla''s age.


    "Carla, come here and sit with me,"


    Terence called out to Carla as soon as he saw them. He took Sean''s hand and helped him sit in the chair beside him.


    Immediately after Carla and Sean had taken their seats, the elder man asked, "Edmund, who are these two?"


    For the majority of the guests, there were suddenly two strangers who showed up on what was supposed to be a family feast. So it was very reasonable to ask who they were.


    "Uncle Adams, let me introduce them to you. This is my girlfriend, Carla. And her younger brother, Sean," Terence answered before Edmund could do so.


    "Really?"


    The elder man who Terence called as "uncle" was a little bit surprised. He took a closer look at Carla and turned his attention to the couple sitting in the same row as him. They seem to be exchanging messages with their eyes.


    The young beautiful girl sitting in the middle also took a closer look at Carla when she heard the word "girlfriend" from Terence.


    Suddenly the elder man laughed and then stated, "I understand. It''s completely normal for a young man like Terence to get himself a girlfriend. Edmund, don''t you think so?" The elder man turned to Edmund with a grin on his face.


    Edmund sm


    there would be a man that would impress her so much.


    Just one look and Terence''s smile, his voice and his facial expressions all rushed into her heart.


    Edmund smiled back in embarrassment. Inside, he was sighing in disappointment.


    It would be really nice if Terence agreed to marry Amanda for it would help strengthen the stability and harmony of the Ans. On the other hand, if Terence would like to marry someone from a good family, it would also be helpful for the expansion of the Ans'' business.


    But at the moment, Terence only had eyes for Carla. Edmund knew that no matter how perfect Carla she is, there was one thing she lacked. She would not be an asset to the Ans family or their business.


    Otherwise, he would have been really happy with their marriage.


    Meanwhile, Terence and Sean were playing games as well as chatting with each other upstairs.


    Sean would always talk to Terence about everything. If he were being honest, he preferred to talk with Terence than his sister. So Terence knew many things about Sean that Carla did not know.


    For example, Sean would tell Terence about his school work, his friends and his arguments with them, and so forth.


    And Terence would offer his advice all the time. As a result, Sean would always look for his company.


    Carla leaned on the tatami while she watched the two of them, only to find herself being excluded from the conversation. Giving up, she went on to just eat the fruit slices that she brought.


    After a while, she got off the tatami and approached the two who were busy with each other''s company.


    "Um... Terence, I''m going to HA City the day after tomorrow,"


    Carla plainly said. But it seemed like no one heard her.


    Suddenly, Terence turned his head in her direction when she was about to repeat what she just said.


    "What did you say? You''re going to HA City?"

 Chapter 265 Revelation of True Identity

    Carla took a bite of the apple that she had been holding and casually chewed it while she responded to Terence''s question, "Uhmm, I''m going there for an errand."


    "What errand?" Terence asked.


    "It''s my own business. It has nothing to do with you." Carla didn''t want to tell him the details of the trip. If she said that Noah asked her out, Terence would make a fuss about it. But she had promised Noah that she would go so she couldn''t just cancel.


    Without another word, Terence put down his game stick. He got up, approached her and sat by her side. He then said, "Your own business? That I do not know of?"


    Carla looked at him from her peripheral view and retorted, "Of course I have my own business. Everyone has their own thing."


    "Not you. You have to tell me honestly why you''re going to HA City. Otherwise, I won''t let you leave." Terence threatened her with a tone that Carla had not heard before.


    Carla didn''t like what she just heard so she responded, "I never say anything whenever you have to go somewhere. But why is it that when it''s my turn to go, you get to have a say in it at all? You''re being too dramatic!"


    "Carla, tell me the truth. Did Noah ask you out?" Terence asked all of a sudden.


    Carla was taken aback and she looked at him in surprise. How could he have guessed it right? She forced a cough and said, "Yes, I promised him that I would make time to visit HA City. Now that you''re back for real, I have some spare time to go. I have to keep my promise."


    "I''m just asking what exactly you are going to do there," Terence asked directly.


    Although he was busy at that moment, he still knew what was going on in HA City. He heard that Allen had been in the hospital and was in a really bad condition.


    ''Why did Noah ask Carla to go to HA City?'' Terence thought to himself.


    He didn''t believe that Noah would introduce Carla to the Hua family and tell them that she was actually their long-lost daughter.


    Carla bit her lip and stared at him. Why did he have to ask the details?


    "If you''re not going to tell me, I''m going to ask Noah."


    Terence reached out to grab his phone but Carla quickly stopped him.


    "Alright. I''ll tell you."


    Carla finally gave in and started to tell him the whole story.


    "Fine, here''s what happened. Weeks ago, Noah told me that I


    r you''ll get the answer." Terence heaved a deep sigh and gently embraced her.


    Everyone had their limits and one could only take things within his or her strength. So in Terence''s perspective, she had to take it slowly so she could brace herself when she finally knew the whole truth.


    "Terence, are you hiding something from me?" Carla asked, struggling out from his embrace to stare at him with wide eyes.


    Terence hesitated and then answered, "Yes, but I''m doing this for your own good, and also for Sean. You''ll understand it later."


    Then, he lowered his head and gently placed a kiss on her forehead.


    "You can go to HA City but remember Sean and I will be waiting for you to come home, right here," he concluded. Carla couldn''t help but notice the sincerity yet a little bit of sadness in his voice.


    Carla was now completely at a loss. She had no idea why he said that.


    She took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself down.


    Prior to that, Noah accidentally asked her whether she had ever wondered about her true identity.


    She didn''t pay it much attention at that time, but adding Terence''s words with that of Noah''s, she began to wonder what they could possibly mean.


    Perhaps...


    there was something hidden about her origins.


    But it couldn''t be. She had doubted everything, even Sean, but she had never doubted her origins.


    Now with all the clues pointing to one thing, her certainty about it was being shaken.


    Suddenly, she looked up at Terence and asked, "Terence, do you mean that I''m adopted?"

 Chapter 266 Noah’s Anger

    After a pause, Terence replied, "That''s... a possibility. But to be honest, it happened such a long time ago. It''s just one of the many things that could have happened. No one knows what actually transpired back then."


    Carla laughed with an incredulous look.


    "How could that be? It''s impossible. My blood type is the same as that of my parents. If someone says I''m not their biological daughter, they must be crazy!"


    Terence held her hand and stated in a soothing tone, "Carla, there are so many people with the same blood type in the world. For now, don''t think about it too much. It''s useless to stress yourself over it. You''ll know the truth when you go to HA City with Noah."


    Then he continued in a more serious tone, "Nevertheless, I''m still going to warn you that you must be careful of Noah. He doesn''t deserve your complete trust."


    Looking at his particularly serious look, Carla nodded and said, "...Hmmm. Oh, I see."


    Although she didn''t know why Terence always told her not to completely trust Noah, she decided to do just as he said. As usual, she trusted him and thought that he had a point.


    If she were being honest with herself, Carla knew that she didn''t really know Noah very well.


    Sometimes she felt that Noah was a dangerous person. However, whenever she was with him, she found him very gentle and considerate. In Carla''s eyes, he was like her brother. She would always unconsciously disregard any negative impressions on him.


    When late afternoon came, Carla took Sean back to the Seaview Villa.


    As soon as they got back, Carla called Noah. Since she had ultimately decided to go to HA City the day after tomorrow, she thought of informing him about it.


    The phone only rang twice before Noah picked it up. Carla then stated, "Noah, it''s me, Carla. I just want to tell you that I''m all set to go to HA City with you on Wednesday. I happen to be free on that day!"


    "Okay, it''s settled then. We''ll drive there since HA City is not that far from here. We can get there in just a few hours,"


    Noah said, excitement apparent in his voice.


    "By the way, I heard that... Terence had come back. Is it true?" he carefully asked.


    "Yes! Of course, it''s true! He did come back. I had been praying for his safety and now my wish finally came true!" Carla exclaimed. Her tone was a mix of happiness and relief.


    Now that the news about Terence''s return had already spread among so many people, there was no need for Carla to hide it from Noah.


    "...Ah, is that so? Well, congratulations," Noah said. As they were talking on the phone, Carla couldn''t comprehend his mood.


    "Thank you, Noah. We''re all settled for the trip, right? See you the day after tomorrow!" Carla said and then she hung up the phone.


    After confirming the news from Carla, Noah gnashed his teeth in anger. If anyone were to see his face right then, they would surely be scared of him. Without saying another word, he violently threw his mobile phone at the wall.


    "He really came back! How could he? He should have just died!"


    Noah shouted with ragged breathes. Then he turned around


    slightly husky voice.


    He spent the past two days in agony. He barely even slept or ate.


    "Oh, I see. But if you really have something to deal with, we can go there tomorrow instead..." Carla said hesitantly. Listening to his voice, she figured that there was something wrong.


    After coughing a little to clear his throat, Noah stated, "No, that won''t be necessary. I''m already on the road, I''ll be there in a minute."


    "That''s all right, then. I''ve already come out of the villa. I''m just at the roadside!" Carla said, trying to look far ahead.


    Ten minutes after she hung up, she finally saw Noah''s black Hummer in the distance.


    "Noah!" Carla greeted him while she waved from afar.


    Soon the car was parked by the side of the road.


    Carla got inside the car and took the passenger''s seat. Then, she turned to Noah who didn''t look very well. "Noah, what''s wrong? You don''t look well. Didn''t you sleep well last night?


    Why don''t we go to the station and take a bus to HA City instead?


    Driving when you''re tired is not good for you."


    With a gentle smile, Noah responded, "Don''t worry about me. It doesn''t matter. It only takes three or four hours to reach HA City. If I get tired on the road, I''ll rest for a while."


    "Oh, it''s a pity that I can''t drive. Otherwise, I''ll be able to help you," Carla said regretfully. She suddenly felt guilty that she couldn''t share his worries.


    She should have learned to drive earlier, but she never had a chance to do that because she was always busy working and taking care of Sean. Moreover, she thought that she couldn''t afford a car in her first few years on the job so she didn''t think about it at all.


    It was only that day that she realized how important it was to learn how to drive. So she decided to talk to Terence about it when she came back.


    "Don''t worry. It won''t take so long to get there," Noah comforted her as he started the car. He tried to smile at her while he said, "Fasten your seat belt, Carla."


    Carla did as she was told right away.


    Soon enough, the car was on its way.

 Chapter 267 To Kill Or Not To Kill

    Carla sat in the car, free of any suspicions on Noah.


    What she didn''t know was that Noah, who looked like he was driving peacefully had half a mind to kill her. The struggle in Noah''s head was completely obscure to her.


    She also didn''t know that this short journey which she thought to be safe, concealed a great danger she couldn''t have imagined.


    The danger was specially arranged for her by Noah.


    The airbag on the Hummer was specially handled, which was the reason why Noah came so late.


    Noah planned for an "accident" to transpire and the moment it does happened, the airbag on Noah''s side would pop up safely, but the one on Carla''s side would fail to do so.


    At that moment, Noah''s mind was occupied by the thought that Carla could not meet the Hua Family since Terence was not dead.


    Only when Carla was dead can he achieve his ultimate goal¡ªbe the legal heir of the Hua Family.


    So he came up with a meticulous plan for Carla''s death.


    And Carla was completely oblivious about it.


    She adjusted the stereo equipment in the car, chose her favorite songs and then enjoyed the music.


    In fact, Terence had warned her to be careful of Noah before she went out that day.


    But in her mind, Noah was the one who saved her life. She had since regarded him as an elder brother. So she didn''t think to be mindful with him.


    She hummed a familiar song and looked at Noah with a grin. She said, "Noah, I didn''t expect you to also like these love songs!"


    Carla''s words interrupted Noah from his thoughts. He quickly responded with a smile, "If you like these songs, you can enjoy them. I think my subordinates downloaded them. I don''t usually pay attention to the music."


    "That''s wonderful! Thank you," Carla answered. And then she saw her favorite yogurt, drinks and snacks in the back seat. She immediately took one and asked, "Can I drink this one?"


    "Of course, it''s for you," Noah answered without looking at her.


    Carla took a mouthful of the yogurt and smiled contentedly. "Thank you, Noah!" She reached out and pulled at Noah''s clothes lightly.


    "It''s really nice of you to prepare so many drinks and snacks for me!" she grinned.


    Noah forced a small smile. In reality, his heart couldn''t calm down at all.


    Seeing Carla be so carefree and trusting with him, Noah felt extremely guilty.


    If he thought deeper, he couldn''t actually figure out how he felt about her now.


    Back then, he originally had a clear purpose when he first approached her.


    But the more he spent time with her, the stronger he was attracted to her. He started to be calm yet at the same time, thrilled whenever he was with her. The gradual change made him think of her from time to time. And even just the thought of her


    n, her younger brother to take care of.


    As an elder sister, she must be strong to protect Sean.


    Soon enough, the car had already gone a long way.


    Noah began to look at his watch more and more frequently. He kept paying attention to the incoming cars. Because according to his plan, the truck that he had arranged would come in about 10 minutes from then.


    On the other side of the highway, there was a large slope. And under that was a low cliff which was not too high but would be lethal enough.


    Noah thought that to be in the "accident" itself was the best way to get away from a crime.


    Therefore, even if Andrea and Allen knew their daughter got into an accident in his car, they wouldn''t blame him. Because he was also in the car and would also get injured. They would simply consider it as an unfortunate accident and not a crime.


    Carla had been eating some snacks, completely oblivious of Noah''s plans. After a long drive, she felt a little sleepy so she took a nap.


    But she didn''t dare to sleep too long because she wanted to help Noah navigate through the roads. After all, he had been driving for so long, and she was a little worried that he would be tired.


    She didn''t notice that Noah''s forehead was beginning to sweat. At that moment, Noah saw a truck from far ahead. Its lights at the front blinked three times.


    It was the secret signal that they had talked about.


    Noah turned to look at Carla. She looked so innocent and angelic while she slept so soundly. In his eyes, she looked so cute like a baby squirrel.


    At that moment, Noah felt more conflicted than ever before.


    He couldn''t do such a thing to Carla.


    He was reluctant to hurt this woman who never did anything wrong, especially not to him. He didn''t want her to disappear in this world.


    But he had no other choice.

 Chapter 268 An Orchestrated Car Accident And Noahs Regrets

    Carla closed her eyes to rest once again. But in a blink of an eye, she heard tires screeching on the road. It instantly woke her senses. She immediately opened her eyes and saw a truck driving straight towards their car.


    She involuntarily grabbed Noah''s shirt, and screamed, "Noah, watch out!"


    Being distracted for a second, Noah saw the truck driving towards them as planned so he turned the steering wheel to the right.


    But the truck seemed to lose control. It was still going to hit the car.


    In a moment of desperation, Noah turned the wheel sharply so the car crashed into a guardrail.


    Because of the huge impact, the guardrail burst open and the car was suddenly out of control as it drove down the slope.


    Carla was overwhelmed.


    The airbag restraint system was supposed to open whenever the car was faced with a colossal collision. As to be expected, the safety airbag at Noah''s side opened, but the one at Carla''s side didn''t.


    Carla had no idea why her safety airbag didn''t open, nor did she have time to think about it.


    Seeing the car drop in the free fall, her first reaction was to turn round and hold Noah''s head while she shouted, "Noah! You saved me before, so it''s my turn to save you now!"


    The car rolled down the slope to the low cliff underneath.


    Every time the car turned over and crashed into the ground, Carla closed her eyes and protected Noah by holding his head tightly. Somehow, in the face of death, her thoughts were occupied with Sean.


    Although Terence would be devastated to lose her, a lot of girls were lining up to marry him. However, she was Sean''s only relative in the world!


    At her last moments of consciousness, she was overwhelmed with the thought that there were still a lot of things she wanted to do.


    All of a sudden, the car stopped rolling down.


    Carla was lucky because two trees in the mountain stopped the car from moving downhill any further.


    However, Noah was stunned.


    He never expected that in the moment of life and death, Carla would rather protect him, even at the cost of her life.


    "Carla? Carla! Wake up, Carla!"


    Noah tried to wake her up. She was still holding onto him even if she


    ospital in the city.


    In the ambulance, Noah watched Carla as she lay on the bed, unconscious and bleeding. A lot of thoughts and emotions were flooding him.


    He stroked her face which was really pale due to excessive loss of blood.


    "Sorry...


    I''m sorry, Carla...


    I''m sorry, sorry..."


    Noah struggled to say. He was almost in tears. How could he forgive himself? How could he forgive his own selfishness?


    Seeing what happened to Carla, he hated himself. He didn''t know what to do anymore. All he knew was that there was an extreme feeling of regret eating him from the inside.


    ''Why did you do such a vicious thing? Why are you so heartless?


    She''s innocent! She didn''t do anything wrong!'' Noah blamed himself.


    He had taken advantage of her for a long time and now she almost died at his hands.


    ''Noah, the Hua Family has raised you for so long. They gave you everything you needed, everything you wanted and more, but what did you do? Is this the way to repay them for their kindness?


    Even though Carla is their biological daughter, and even though Carla is the greatest threat to your future endeavors, why would it matter?


    You still have other ways to maintain your status and position. You didn''t have to kill her!'' Noah continued to condemn himself internally.


    His heart was filled with regret. He felt ashamed that he couldn''t even face himself.


    Soon, the ambulance arrived at HA City''s most prestigious hospital.

 Chapter 269 Impaired Memory

    Noah gave a phone call to the Director of the hospital as soon as he got off the ambulance. He asked the Director to gather the top doctors of the different departments to attend to Carla.


    All departments related to Carla''s injuries such as Brain Surgery Department immediately responded to the call.


    Of course, the first and most important thing was to make sure that she was alive!


    Carla had just been sent to the emergency ward when Terence arrived at the hospital by plane.


    When Terence saw Noah, he approached him immediately with heavy steps. Then, without a single word, he punched him in the face.


    "You listen to me! If anything happened to her, I will make you and the whole Hua Family pay severely for what you have done today," Terence growled at Noah with great wrath.


    Noah did not dodge his punch nor did he say anything. He knew he deserved it.


    "Do you really think that I don''t have any idea about your plan? You already knew that Carla is the only child of the Hua Family. She is the rightful heir of the Hua Family''s businesses. So you tried to get rid of her, you selfish bastard!"


    Terence shouted in anger. He looked at Noah as he laid bare his plot word by word.


    Because of everything that happened that day, there was no need to cover up anything. Almost everybody knew about Noah''s scheme except Carla who was still being treated in the emergency room.


    Noah''s silence infuriated Terence more so he grabbed Noah''s collar and pushed him against a wall.


    "Do not tell me that it was just an accident. I will be damned if I believe it for one second! If it was, then why is the person lying inside not you, but my girl? Tell me!"


    Terence was so furious. Look at Noah, he was perfectly all right except some minor superficial wound. But what about his Carla? She was still lying there, unconscious. They didn''t even know if she would survive or not.


    Terence was filled with fury and he could not calm down at all. Had he known that Noah would be so cruel-hearted, he would not have let Carla go with him no matter what.


    "Though you are unrelated by blood. She is your younger sister! How could you be so heartless to do that to your sister? You''re a piece of shit, Noah!"


    Terence cursed at him. After that, Terence loosened his hold on him and turned his head to the direction of the emergency room.


    A couple of hours passed by when


    the door of the emergency room was finally opened.


    Terence immediately strode towards the doctor and asked, "What is her condition? Is everything all right? Is she still alive? Please tell me!"


    "I''m sorry sir, but what is your relationship with the patient?" the doctor asked. The doctor was confused when she saw Noah and Terence waiting


    e tell me."


    Carla thought that his face was familiar but she could not remember his name.


    "T...Te..."


    She could only recall a couple of letters but the name just wouldn''t come up to her for a while.


    "Don''t worry, Mr. Terence. Most patients will exhibit symptoms of memory impairment after an operation and some of them will return to normal within a few days. Do not push her to recall something at this moment. She needs a good rest.


    Miss Carla still remembers a couple of letters from your name, which is enough to prove that you''re still in her memory. So you can rest assured for now.


    I''ve already checked up on her. There is little likelihood of amnesia. But she is likely to get her memory confused these days," the doctor informed Terence.


    After hearing what the doctor said, Terence loosened her hand and turned to the doctor, "Doctor, could you please arrange the transfer documents? I''m going to take her back to JA City for further treatment."


    "Terence, you can not take her away," Noah said as soon as Terence spoke his intentions.


    "Why? She''s my girlfriend and she''s injured right now. I need to take care of her. Besides, you don''t have the right to say anything about it!" Terence firmly told Noah with an ice-cold tone.


    "If I entrust you to take care of her, are you going to give me her lifeless body when I come here next time?"


    Terence spluttered. He lost control of his emotions once again. He thought that all of this would not end in a simple car accident. He could not let her stay in HA City alone. Who knew what was going to happen to her tomorrow?


    Would Noah let her go that easily?


    Their conversation bewildered Carla. She had no idea what they were talking about at all. Noah noticed that and told Terence, "Maybe we can continue talking about this outside."

 Chapter 270 Temporary Affection (Part One)

    Terence and Noah went to the rooftop of the hospital.


    They didn''t speak to each other on their way there. After a while, Terence broke the silence, "Noah, even if you planned this car crash accident perfectly and no one suspected you, you can''t fool me. You deliberately approached Carla with a clear purpose from the start. I guess since then, you''ve already made plans. If you think that she would be useful to you, you will keep her alive. If not, she is the biggest hindrance for you."


    When Noah didn''t utter a single word, Terence continued, "You care about fame and fortune the most. You wouldn''t let someone get in the way of that."


    Terence''s thin lips aroused into a slight sneer.


    Even if Noah didn''t respond, Terence was sure that his conclusions were right.


    And he could prove that this so-called "car accident" was orchestrated by Noah.


    After listening to everything that Terence had to say, Noah forced a smile. He originally thought he could deceive everyone and no one would suspect him. But a sensible person could easily guess what he wanted and how he planned to achieve it.


    "Terence, let me promise you this. From now on, I, Noah Hua, will not do anything to hurt Carla!"


    Noah looked at Terence and vowed to him.


    He paused for a while, and then continued, "Right now, my father is in the hospital. My mother also came after finding out that Carla got into an accident. I think this is the best time to tell them Carla''s real identity."


    Terence responded, "Carla will return to the Hua Family sooner or later. It''s just inevitable."


    Terence slowly turned and looked at him, "But, I hope you know that Carla is not alone right now, I''m with her. No matter what happens, I will support her. So I hope


    back right away."


    He thought, ''HA City is not far from JA City. I can be there in an hour by plane. I can come back to see her after I settled the problem with Marcus.''


    Meanwhile, Carla''s hand was being held by Andrea. She turned to look at the tall figure by the door who just left.


    The only thing she could remember then was Noah''s figure before the accident. She could hardly remember why the accident happened and everything after that.


    But the doctor said that as long as she had a good rest for the next few days, her brain would recover soon and then she would be able to naturally remember everything.


    So Carla told herself that she couldn''t be too eager and anxious right then.


    But when she looked at the man who just left and his sad eyes, her heart couldn''t help but feel an intense amount of grief.


    After a while, she decided not to think about that man anymore. She thought, ''When my injury is healed, I''ll remember who he is.''


    "Auntie, where is Noah? Where did he go?" Carla asked. Noah was the only person she could remember. And right then, she had the urge to surround herself with familiar people so she could feel safe.

 Chapter 271 Temporary Affection (Part Two)

    Just then, the door opened to reveal Noah.


    "I''m here," he stated with a smile.


    Finally being able to see him, Carla smiled and extended her hand to him.


    She asked, "Noah, are you all right? Did you get injured?"


    Noah looked at the woman who was still worried about him despite everything that he had done to her. He took her hand and smiled bitterly, "I''m all right. My injuries were just external and shallow."


    Andrea looked at Noah and Carla, smiling. She stood up and said, "Noah, stay here and take care of Carla. I''m going to buy some food."


    "Okay, we''ll be here," Noah said while he promptly nodded.


    After Andrea left, Carla lay down on the hospital bed and stared at her leg which was being held up by bandages from the ceiling. She asked, "Noah, would I be able to walk again in the future?"


    "What are you talking about? Of course, you would! It''s just a fracture. Besides, you''re still so young. As long as you take good care of yourself, your leg will recover soon," Noah answered with a smile. And then he took an apple from the table and helped her peel it.


    "Really? Okay, I believe you," she said as she smiled at him. She watched him peel the apple but after a while, she asked, "Noah, what relationship did we have before?" It was apparent that she was confused. She could not remember anything right then, so she could only ask him. She added, "Why is it that the only thing I could remember from the accident was that I held you in my arms for a long time? Besides that, I couldn''t remember anything. Why was I so afraid that you will get injured at that time?"


    Hearing her words, Noah thought of w


    rd but as soon as he stood up, Carla grabbed his hand.


    "Don''t leave just yet. Can''t you accompany me? Everything is still so confusing to me. I only remember you. So don''t leave me alone, okay?" Carla looked at him with pleading eyes.


    Seeing Carla became so dependent on him all of a sudden, Noah didn''t know whether he should feel happy or sad.


    But, of course, he couldn''t refuse her so he sat down once again.


    He said with a smile, "Okay, I''ll be with you. Don''t be afraid and just sleep."


    Hearing his promise, Carla nodded and gave him a sweet smile. She pulled his arm, leaned on it and closed her eyes.


    At that moment, how Noah wanted to let time stand still.


    He thought, ''If only she could be like this forever...''


    But the doctor said that her brain impairment would gradually return to normal with the recovery of her injury and that there was only a small possibility of permanent amnesia.


    In other words, her affection and tenderness towards him were just temporary.


    Once her injuries were healed, the only one she would give her love to was still Terence.

 Chapter 272 Callie Hua

    For the past two days, Carla had been lying still on the bed. Her leg was still in a cast, hanging from the ceiling. In all honesty, she felt dull and suffocated.


    The only good thing about the rest and treatment that she had been receiving was that she was feeling much better. The pain in her head had subsided and she had managed not to think about any bothersome matters.


    Though she was physically getting better, she felt somewhat helpless because she needed to stay on the bed all day. She was eager to get up and walk around but she wasn''t allowed to do so. Besides, it was not like she could.


    To distract her mind, Noah filled the cabinet in the ward with books that she could read and games that she could play on the television set. However, she couldn''t concentrate on one book for a long time


    because sitting for too long also gave her pain.


    That day, while she was sitting idly on the bed, she suddenly heard a gruff voice from outside of her ward.


    "I was wondering why my brother kept on going to this floor. Now I see that it''s all because of you," a young pretty woman sharply told her as soon as she opened the door to the ward.


    Bonnie was about to visit her father upstairs when she found out that Noah had been visiting this ward frequently. She was curious so she followed him to check it out.


    What she didn''t expect was to find Carla in there.


    "Your brother?" Carla asked, obviously unaware of what Bonnie was talking about.


    Carla observed the woman in front of her from head to toe, trying so hard to remember who she was. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn''t remember her at all. All Carla knew was that this woman was familiar.


    With her head held high and her high heels clacking the hospital floor, Bonnie approached Carla. When she saw Carla''s leg in a cast, she burst into a chain of derisive laughter. "Whoops! You really got hurt this time. Ah? How about your head? Did you hit it? Is it all right?" Bonnie mocked her while she laughed loudly.


    Then she continued, "How many is this? Can you even count with your brain right now?"


    She waved her fingers in front of Carla''s face.


    Although Carla couldn''t remember her, she decided then and there that this woman must be an enemy.


    So Carla adjusted her posture. She then raised the corner of her lips and retorted, "Don''t worry. I''m perfectly fine."


    Bonnie eyed Carla and she realized that she was fixed on the bed and couldn''t move. Then she smirked and stated, "Your quick tongue can''t help you now. Look at yourself. Do you think you can win over me this time?"


    With that, Bonnie took a cup of water and held it near Carla''s bed. Then, she shook it violently and the water spilled on Carla''s hospital gown.


    "What are you doing?"


    Carla cried, scowling at the crazy woman.


    "What am I doing? Can''t you see it?" Bonnie pressed on her words. Then, she poured the remaining water in the cup on Carla''s face. "I''m giving you what you deserve, bitch! How do you have the nerve to stay in HA City?" Bonnie screamed at her. Carla could see the rage in her eyes as if she was really mad at her. Then, Bonnie continued, "What


    ds that warranted the father and daughter kinship came into his eyes, tears streamed down his face.


    Gasping, he turned to Andrea and asked, "Where is she? Help me up. I want to see her right now!"


    Andrea wiped away the tears on her face while she said, "Do you remember the time when Noah was hospitalized a few months back? Remember the girl that was with Bonnie in the hospital?


    Back then, I felt that she looked like me when I was young. My intuition was telling me that she might be our daughter. Later on, I sent people to find out more about her. The more I know her story and where she came from, the more I was certain that she was the one we had been looking for.


    Noah told me that he had done some research and was convinced that Carla was our daughter Callie. That''s why they were on their way here. Noah wanted us to meet her. Unfortunately, they got into an accident.


    Thank goodness, it''s not fatal and it also gave me a chance to prompt a DNA test."


    Andrea had tears in her eyes while she narrated.


    She then added, "Thank the heavens that her adoptive father gave her the name Carla. It sounds like Callie. Don''t you think this is fate?"


    At that moment, happiness filled their hearts. They felt delighted and excited to think that Carla Ji and Callie Hua was just the same person.


    "Andrea, help me up. I want to see her right now. I want to see my daughter!" Allen urged again.


    He couldn''t allow himself to delay a minute. They lost her over twenty years ago. Now that she had shown up and was just lying in the room downstairs, he couldn''t wait another second.


    "Calm down, Allen. Callie hit her head in the accident and she couldn''t remember anything right now. The doctor said that she needs some rest. She shouldn''t have extreme emotions and stresses at the moment. So we have to wait for good,"


    Andrea suggested, holding him back to the bed.


    Hearing that, Allen nodded in disappointment. With a sharp exhale, he said, "You''re right. We have to take it easy. She needs some time to take in the whole story. After all, it was our fault back then..."

 Chapter 273 Terence Is Heartbroken

    Inside the ward


    Carla was playing games using her mobile phone when it suddenly rang.


    She hesitated to answer the phone because she could not recognize the phone number that was flashing on the screen. She didn''t have an idea of who was calling her. However, she finally decided to answer the phone after a few minutes.


    Carla was feeling really bored because she was staying at the hospital for a few days now without much people to talk to. She was so desperate for a conversation with another human being that she was even willing to talk to anyone even if they were only salesmen.


    "Hello, who is this?" she asked.


    There was no answer at first but after a while, Carla finally heard the angry voice of Johnny.


    "Carla, you''re so forgetful! Why do you always ask for my name every time I call you? Can you please just save my number?"


    Carla was stunned to hear that the one over the phone lost his temper.


    "Well then, please tell me your name so that I can save it right away!" Carla said. She pressed the hand-free button on her phone and then opened her address book to save his number. She waited for a while but Johnny didn''t reply to her.


    "Why are you not saying anything? I''m waiting for your reply so that I could finally save your number in my phone. What''s your name?" Carla''s fingers were already hovering above the keys to type his name but Johnny remained silent.


    Beep, beep...


    Johnny hung up the phone.


    Carla froze and thought, ''Was he really that angry?''.


    ''But it wasn''t my fault. I really couldn''t remember his name, '' she comforted herself.


    At that moment, Johnny was at a bar. He frowned and then picked up the bottle of beer that was in front of him to take a swig.


    ''Terence is back. He was not killed in the accident!


    Carla must be with him now.


    What should I do?'' he thought to himself.


    With a wry smile, he decided to just drink several bottles of beer one after the other. When he was finally satisfied, he wiped his mouth using the back of his hand and fell asleep on the table.


    It seemed that Johnny was really no match for Terence in every way. Even the girl that he liked became Terence''s girlfriend.


    If he had known that this would happen to him, he would never have gone to the horse ranch that day. To be honest, he would rather prefer that he never met Carla at all.


    If he had not met her, he would not have suffered so much all these time!


    When Johnny hung up on her, Carla placed her phone down with a heavy sigh.


    She was still depressed. ''Yes, I can''t remember anything from the past but what about my friends? Have they forgotten all about me?


    I''ve been in this hospital for three days already but none of my friends came to see me. Was I really so unpopular with people?


    Don''t they want to chat with me? Don''t they want to know how I was doing?'' she thought to herself.


    Carla was fidgeting with a lock of her hair that was dangling on her forehead when she saw the man whom she was very famil


    e. He just stood there for a few minutes, dumbfounded. While still looking at the door that was still shaking after Terence, he shouted, "Mr. An¡­" but no one answered him.


    "I meant that it was possible but it was not definite..." he added.


    Back in the ward


    Carla was killing time by eating snacks. When she saw Noah enter the ward, the sadness suddenly vanished from her face. She said happily to him, "Noah, you''ve come back!"


    Noah came over to her and gave her some more food. When he saw that she was eating potato chips, he said, "Don''t eat things like that! They''re not nutritious. After all, you''re recovering now. I asked my cook to make you some delicious soup. It''s good for your brain.


    Bonnie won''t be coming so you can finally relax."


    Noah placed her favorite dessert and the soup on the table near her.


    Carla nodded. ''I''m relieved that she''s not coming. I can''t even get out of bed right now, let alone deal with her. If Noah''s crazy sister frequently visits me just to bully me, I''m afraid that it would drive me mad!'' she thought.


    "I want you to feed me..."


    Carla said to Noah with a grin when she saw that he was coming to her with a bowl of soup in his hands.


    Noah hesitated for a few seconds while looking down at the Lotus Pork Soup that was still steaming. After stirring the soup with a spoon, he moved a chair close to her and sat down. Then he took a spoonful of soup and blew on it gently.


    Carla took a sip of the hot and delicious soup while staring at him intently.


    With a faint smile, Noah pretended that he did not see her soulful eyes.


    He couldn''t tell whether he was sad or happy.


    It seemed that God was always just to everyone.


    Noah personally plotted everything and now, he fell into his own trap.


    The more Carla depended on him, the more he loved her deeply.


    Noah found it difficult to control his feelings around her.


    He wondered if he would come back to his senses when she finally regained all of her memories.

 Chapter 274 Will Carla Regain Her Memory Or Not (Part One)

    Soon enough, Carla finished her bowl of soup. However, she still wanted more so she said to him, "I want another bowl of soup, please."


    Noah prepared another bowl of soup for her and fed her again.


    When Carla was finally full, she wiped her mouth with a paper towel then said, "Noah, I want to go out for a walk. Could you please find a wheelchair for me?"


    Noah was actually a little worried to take her out of her ward because her leg was still recovering but when he saw her restless look, he decided to finally accompany her, "Okay, I''ll find one for you."


    After a little while, Noah finally came back with a wheelchair. He carefully helped her put down her injured leg that was hanging from the bed and positioned her properly in the wheelchair.


    "The doctor said that your leg can''t be put down for too long so we need to come back soon, Okay?" Noah said to her.


    "Okay! I just want to go for a walk for just 10 minutes! Ten minutes outside this ward is enough for me!" Carla immediately answered. She really wanted to go out to get some fresh air because she had been lying on the bed for three days already and her body was getting stiff.


    After all, she was born as an active and outgoing person so it was really a torture for her to stay in the same place for three consecutive days.


    When they got out of the ward, they walked to the East Garden of the hospital and to the West Garden. Then they walked along the corridor of the hospital for some time. Carla was not willing to go back to her room until she was satisfied that they already circled the whole hospital.


    Noah kept on persuading her to return to her room and after some time, she finally relented and agreed to co


    oah, you''re really charming. I have seen a lot of the nurses stare at you with admiring eyes."


    "They''re just some immature women who admire me for my money. Let''s not talk about this anymore. Just drink your medicine first," Noah said softly while filling her cup with water.


    Carla took the medicine and drank two sips of water from it, "Do you like mature women?"


    Carla was trying to guess if the reason why Noah didn''t like her was because she was not his style.


    "No. Don''t think too much of it. Just take a rest, okay?" Noah said then he looked at the time, "I still have something to deal with so I''ll come back again later in the evening."


    When he finished talking, Noah poured a glass of water and placed it on table next to her bed so she could drink it if she got thirsty. When he finally stood up to leave, Carla grabbed his hand.


    Carla pulled him closer to her then asked, "Noah, why don''t you like me?"


    Noah''s back stiffened immediately. He had no courage to turn around and look at her.


    He slowly closed his eyes and thought to himself, ''It''s not that I don''t like you, it''s that you don''t like me.''

 Chapter 275 Will Carla Regain Her Memory Or Not (Part Two)

    He breathed a sigh and responded her, "Carla, you are just confused because you don''t remember anything from your past. I know that what you just said is not coming from your real heart. That is why I won''t take your words seriously until you regain your memories."


    Noah released her hand when he finished talking, then walked out of the ward.


    As soon as he left the ward, Noah placed his hand on his chest and let out a long breath.


    He was feeling a little strange. When facing Carla in the past, he would never react like this to her. He could control his love for her very well.


    However, ever since she woke up from the car accident, he found that it got more difficult for him to control his heart as time went by.


    Especially when she deliberately approached him. His heart would beat crazily whenever she did something incredibly sweet.


    He never experienced such feelings of losing control of anything before.


    After the accident, Carla became a different person. The warmth in her eyes could melt his heart. However, he knew that that warmth was only temporary.


    Noah couldn''t help but go to the office of Carla''s attending physician.


    "Mr. Noah, hello," the physician greeted Noah when he saw him. The doctor immediately noticed that Noah''s face was a little pale so he asked him, "Mr. Noah, Are you not feeling well?"


    "No. I am okay. I just want to ask you a question. Is there any way for us to delay Carla from recovering her memories?"


    Noah asked after taking a deep breath.


    The attending physician was stunned when he heard his question.


    He thought to himself, ''Just now, Mr. Terence came here to threaten me to cure Miss Carla immediately.


    However, when he met with the other woman that night, he realized that he was not interested in her at all.


    That was why he chose to go to the hospital to visit her instead.


    After Noah left, Carla didn''t fall asleep for a long time.


    After some tossing and turning, she finally fell asleep. She had a dream. In her dream, Noah and Terence were there. Many things happened in her dream. When she woke up, she still couldn''t tell whether it was a dream or a reality that happened before she lost her memory.


    "What''s wrong? Is it a nightmare?"


    When Carla opened her eyes, she saw that Noah was sitting beside her bed. When she looked at him, the memory of her dream immediately came rushing back to her.


    Suddenly, she jumped out of the bed and hugged him tightly!


    "Noah, have you ever been hurt by a beer bottle in order to save me?" She couldn''t help but think about the thrilling scene that she saw in her dream.


    When he heard her words, Noah immediately pushed her away and frowned. He was afraid that she would regain her memory! He looked at her and asked nervously, "Do you remember everything?"

 Chapter 276 Why Must It Be Miss Carla (Part One)

    "Yes, but just a little bit. Tell me then, is all of that true? Did you really put your life on the line just to save me?" Carla asked, staring intently straight into his eyes.


    Without saying a word, Noah simply nodded gently.


    Upon confirming it, Carla, with her arms wrapped around him, immediately hugged him much tighter and blurted out, "So you lied to me when you said you didn''t love me. But why would you risk your life for someone like me? I''m not even a part of your family. If it''s not love, then how would you explain it to me?"


    What other reason would a man have for jumping at the jaws of death just to save a woman who wasn''t even related to him other than being interested in her?


    "Is that the only thing you were able to remember today? Is there anything else?" Noah tried to make sure, feeling quite anxious about it. She was already beginning to regain her memories little by little. He never would''ve thought it could go that fast.


    Shaking her head, Carla just kept staring at him. Truth be told, she dreamt about a lot of things last night. However, the only thing she was able to recall upon seeing Noah was the part related to him. Everything else other than that was starting to get much hazier.


    "Noah, you still haven''t answered my question. You do have feelings for me deep in your heart, don''t you? Be honest with me."


    Rather than exerting herself and trying to think about the other details, Carla chose to ask Noah directly, giving him an expectant look.


    Carla got the idea that she shouldn''t just lose hope on pursuing the man who cared about her so much to the extent that he was more than willing to go out on a limb in order to save her.


    It was a question which was much too hard for Noah to answer. He couldn''t think of a way how to put it into words. That being said, the moment he caught a glimpse of Carla''s pining eyes, right there and then, he understood what it was which he truly desired.


    He was completely aware that the only reason Carla was feeling like that was because she was currently suffering from memory loss.


    lking outside the ward.


    "Send someone here to replace the door as soon as possible," Noah said over the phone, feeling quite annoyed, after dialing a number and calling one of his men. After hanging up, he gazed upon the empty corridor once more.


    ''Terence, as I have said before, I won''t let you get her that easily.


    At the end of the day, you''re still not married to each other yet. That means you can''t do anything to stop me from going after her, '' Noah pondered to himself.


    Following that, he went back to the room and reassured Carla, "Everything''s fine. It was just some random nutjob."


    "Well, okay then." Glancing at the doorway, Carla stretched out her arm, patting the bed gently, gesturing for Noah to take a seat beside her. "Noah, would you please take me out tonight? Take me somewhere else, any place is better.


    I''m getting sick and tired of eating hospital food. I really, really want to go out to have some decent food. Would you be kind enough to do me that favor?" Carla requested.


    Taking a single glance at her injured leg, Noah couldn''t do anything but shake his head as a bitter smile crept onto his face. "No, I''m really sorry, Carla. But I can''t do that. Your leg still hasn''t fully healed, so you shouldn''t be moving around and straining yourself. What would you like to have for dinner? Pick anything. I''ll just bring it to you," Noah replied.

 Chapter 277 Why Must It Be Miss Carla (Part Two)

    "Come on, Noah. I just need a change of pace or something. I''ll feel much better if I can go outside. My leg is already improving and strong enough to go for a walk. I would just really, really love to have dinner outside. Please, Noah? Can you do that for me?"


    With her arms hooked onto his arm, Carla looked at him, seeming as though she was pleading with her eyes, trying to urge him to take her somewhere else.


    She almost had Noah convinced, but he was able to resist it. Left with no other options, Carla had to bring out the ace up her sleeve. Forcing a cough to clear her throat, she told him with an alluring voice, "Noah... Noah? Pretty please... Just this once, please take me out."


    Staying in the ward for so long felt extremely suffocating for her. For that reason, she desperately wanted to get out of the hospital no matter what just to breathe some fresh air and have a change of scenery.


    Noah had been caught completely off guard. The sound of her voice was like music to his ears, and it was enough to ignite his passion.


    "So, Noah, would it be alright if I take your silence as a yes? It''s all settled then! And let me just remind you that you can''t go back on your word. Let''s make a pinky promise to set it in stone,"


    Carla remarked, smiling from ear to ear. Then, as he was still inside a trance, she grabbed his hand and made a pinky swear.


    If he was completely being honest, Noah used to think that after coming across a number of attractive women, he was already capable of holding back his urges when it came to pretty faces. Being a simple man, however, as he peered into the eyes of the girl holding his hand, it was quite apparent that he had lost this battle with love entirely.


    The second Carla called his name to him felt so endearing, making him feel like he would be willing to offer his heart to her.


    "Okay, okay. You win. I''


    live in! There are countless women who would be so eager to give Mr. Terence everything that they''ve got! The second we arrive in JA City, I''m going to find the finest women there for him to get his mind off things. Soon enough, Mr. Terence is going to realize that when it comes to women, he should keep her if she''s appropriate, but replace her in the event that she''s not. What reason would there be to be under so much pain just like what''s happening right now?" Nathan insisted.


    "Nathan, do you hear what you''re saying? How can you easily say hurtful things like that?"


    Rainer told Nathan, starting to fume with rage, as he got up from the floor and pointed a finger toward him.


    "Hmph! You may not like the way it sounds. But you should realize that I''m just telling the truth. What is the point of being so deep in love? Sure it may mean the world to someone if you care about it, but you disregard it, then it would mean nothing!" Nathan protested.


    "How can you say such terrible things?" Rainer asked, visibly quite irritated.


    Then, he approached Nathan upon saying that.


    The two of them began arguing due to the fact that they had utterly different opinions on what love should be as well as the things happening around them.

 Chapter 278 Gangnam Building

    Terence stood there while he took off his boxing gloves and threw them on the floor. He lifted the rails and exited the ring.


    He took the water bottle the waiter handed to him and took a big gulp. He emptied the rest on his head and splashed to his neck and chest to cool himself down.


    He wiped his face and glanced at the two brothers in the ring. Terence threw the empty bottle in the garbage, without removing his eyes on the two men, and shouted, "Well, are you leaving or not?"


    That night, Carla took off her hospital gown and changed into her regular clothes. She used a wide headband to cover the bandage on her head.


    Noah arrived just then with Carla''s coat in his hand. He wrapped the coat around Carla and carried her off the bed to the car.


    He sat with Carla in the backseat of the car.


    They were in a luxurious and very spacious car so Carla had the space to put her feet up on the empty seat in front of her. She adjusted herself to a comfortable position and took out her phone to play games.


    "Hey, watch out, your feet." Noah pointed to Carla''s feet. He leaned over to the driver and instructed him to drive carefully. Bad roads were coming up ahead.


    They were driving up the mountain and it was going to be a long ride.


    Carla had fallen asleep while playing with her phone and she enjoyed a good sleep even before they arrived.


    When she woke up, she found herself wrapped around Noah''s arms.


    "Have we arrived?" she asked.


    Noah lifted her off her seat and out of the car.


    When she got out of the car, Carla was greeted by a beautiful sight. The whole mountain was dotted with flickering illuminations. She could hear the rhythmic babbling of the brook nearby. And an antique cinereous structure stood tall on the mountain.


    It was already night time but they could still see the entire view in front of them as if it were day time.


    In front of the cinereous house, a plaque sat in the middle. It read "Gangnam Building."


    Everything they could see in front of them matched the name.


    Carla looked around the place and discovered lots of rare luxury cars in the parking spaces. This must be a very expensive place.


    Noah took her inside, with his arms wrapped around her shou


    g to let go.


    "Alright, fine. Order whatever you want." Phyllis unlocked her arms and Noah exhaled a sigh of relief. He turned to Carla, who had a frown on her face.


    "Thank you, darling. Call me, okay?" Phyllis teased. She poked his chest with her finger and winked before she left.


    Noah had to pause and think about what he was going to tell Carla. If it had been Julie next to him, he wouldn''t need to explain.


    But this was Carla. She was different.


    "Carla," Noah called out. She wasn''t happy.


    Carla had her eyes straight ahead, away from Noah''s. She hadn''t realized Phyllis had left until Noah called out her name. Without moving her head, she asked, "Do you have many girlfriends, Noah?"


    Noah didn''t know what to say.


    "No, I haven''t," he finally said.


    Many women surrounded Noah all the time. But they were never his girlfriends. They were only there for the sex. It was never a relationship. Noah and these women knew what they needed from each other.


    They meant nothing to him.


    "Carla, I''m a man, a catch. And I have to sometimes find something to amuse me when the need arises. And yes, I''ve dated a lot of women. But none of them are my girlfriends."


    Carla didn''t respond.


    She remembered a memory, a man, and how this man said something very similar to her.


    Was her memory coming back? But something was blocking it. Something prevented her from seeing the whole truth.


    "Carla?"


    Noah called out her name but she was deep in thought.

 Chapter 279 Terence Is One Of A Kind

    Noah didn''t expect that they would run into Phyllis there today. He should have checked the restaurant in advance to avoid the awkwardness.


    "What?" Carla replied. However, at that moment she somehow felt a bit disappointed. She was expecting a sweet and pleasant dinner with Noah.


    However, Noah was making her uncomfortable and it was kind of ruining the moment.


    She didn''t really know what was bothering her. She had some questions that needed answers.


    "Noah, do all men have sex just for pleasure and not for love?"


    When their dishes were served, Carla asked him before taking a mouthful of broccoli using her fork.


    However, right before Noah could even answer her, Carla added hastily, "Please don''t get me wrong, Noah. I didn''t mean to judge you. I just didn''t really understand what guys are usually thinking when they do things like that with women."


    Noah paused for a while. He knew that even though Carla looked calm, she was actually a little mad at him because of the things between Phyllis and him.


    He took a deep breath.


    Then he asked her directly, "Carla, are you disappointed in me? Are you mad at me?"


    Carla took a bite of her steak. It tasted good and it was better than any steak she ever had. Then she replied with a smile, "No, Noah. I''m not your girlfriend.


    If I were your girlfriend and you just had sex with another woman, I would have the right to be mad at you."


    After speaking, she took a deep breath as if she was making some important decision to announce then she said, "Noah, I''m so sorry for bothering you these days."


    Carla looked down and her eyes were full of guilt. All the days that she had been with him played before her eyes. She realized that she was too dependent on his kindness and she was bothering him all the time. All the things that he had done for her was way beyond a friend''s responsibility.


    When he heard what she said, Noah momentarily paused. He frowned slightly while looking at her guilty face.


    "I am really sorry but I am also very thankful. Noah, I know that I was kind of needy these days. Please just consider me as a patient that needed some care. I really do appreciate your kindness."


    "Carla, what do you mean exactly?" Noah asked her while he was placing his knife and fork down on the table.


    At that exact moment, Phyllis walked through a corridor and stopped at the end.


    Terence and Rainer were there and they were waiting for her.


    "Sir, I''ve already done my job. Ca


    say ''Thank you'', but Noah stopped her. "Oh, Carla. You don''t have to say ''Thank you'' every time. It''s always my pleasure to do this for you. After all, I was the reason why you have to go through this. It is my responsibility to take good care of you." Carla gave him a smile and kept silent.


    Several minutes passed.


    Carla felt the need to go to the washroom so she grabbed her crutch and stood up. Even though she got exclusive nurses in the hospital to take care of her, she was used to going to bathroom by herself only with the help of the crutch. She didn''t want to bother anyone.


    "Oh, Carla. Let me help you," Noah said and stood up. Carla declined his offer and said, "Oh, it''s okay. I can do it by myself. The washroom is not far from here so you don''t have to worry about me, Noah."


    Noah nodded at her. He saw that she could move around the inpatient ward by herself these days. That is why he didn''t insist on helping her again.


    Carla then went to the washroom with her crutch.


    However, Carla got a weird feeling that there was someone who was watching her from behind all the way.


    But when she looked back, she saw nobody.


    It took Carla a lot of effort to make it to the washroom. She stopped at one of the stalls and put aside her crutch so she could unbutton her pants.


    However, someone suddenly hugged her and lifted her up. She was startled and before she could even shout for help, her mouth was kissed by a man.


    Carla could do nothing but widen her eyes in shock. She stared at the man who was kissing her.


    He held her tightly in his arms. But his kiss... His kiss was so gentle that she almost melted.

 Chapter 280 Im Not Your Ex-boyfriend!

    The man who suddenly kissed Carla was none other than Terence!


    "Shh, don''t yell. There''s nobody in the restroom," Terence said.


    Then he lifted Carla to his chest and then walked into the restroom.


    There were usually a few people in that floor but he had arranged for Phyllis deliberately to tell the people that the restroom on that floor was under maintenance so that Terence could make sure that no one would bother him and Carla.


    Carla refused him, "Thank you. But I don''t need your help. Put me down, please. I can do this myself."


    Carla calmed down gradually then she attempted to push his hands away from her. However, her actions were ignored by the man.


    He opened one of the doors then he placed her back down. Then he held her waist with both his hands to help her stand stably.


    Then he asked her, "Do you want to take your pants off yourself or do you want me to help you?"


    His bold action made Carla a little embarrassed. In such a narrow space, she could only say, "Could you please go out first? I can take them off myself."


    When she was finished with her words, Terence began undoing the buttons on her pants. She immediately tried to stop him but failed. He pushed her hand that was stopping him away.


    "Carla, I''m not your ex-boyfriend! You are still my girlfriend before the accident," he said in a low voice. He didn''t stop from helping her unbutton her pants and continued, "Our relationship allows us to do something more intimate than just helping you unbutton your pants!"


    Terence said with a frown, "I originally wanted to wait for you until you remember me and our love yourself but I can''t wait any longer!"


    Then he kissed her pink lips and continued to say, "Listen to me. Noah is the culprit of your car accident. Don''t be deceived by him.


    Your younger brother Sean and I are waiting for you in JA City this whole time. I hope you will come back to us immediately after finding your family!"


    Carla was shocked when she heard his words. What he said was too much for her to process so she became stunned for a while. Even if this man was hugging her and even kissed her, she didn''t have the courage to refuse him. She just wanted to hear more about her identity before the accident.


    "Carla, you are my woman. As long as I''m still here, I won''t let any other man have you," Terence said in a hoarse voice. He gently touched her injured head. Then he remembered what her attending physician said. The doctor reassured Terence that she would recover soon.


    Three or four days had already passed since she got into an accident and he realized that he was beginning to be anxious and impatient.


    She just hurt her head an


    happiness did not last a long time. He couldn''t even enjoy it properly but its end was fast approaching.


    While looking back on his whole life, he thought that the days when her heart belonged to him might be the happiest in his entire life.


    That was why he wanted to cherish the rest time of being together with her before she completely regained her memory. He didn''t want to miss even a second of when her heart beat for him.


    Carla fell asleep in the middle of the night. A feeling of soreness and numbness in her leg was beginning to wake her up. However, she felt that someone suddenly started kneading it softly and it made the feeling of soreness disappear.


    She lightly opened her eyes and saw Noah. He was only wearing a shirt and kneading her leg in concentration.


    Although she was still half asleep, she could still feel his touch.


    Her leg was not very comfortable so her sleep was always being disturbed. When she woke up at dawn, she found that he was still kneading her feet.


    The past few days, her injured leg was getting a little swollen. The attending physician said that she should take more leg exercise.


    "Noah..." Carla called him. She pulled his hand away from her to let him rest. Then she leaned on his shoulder and said, "You should sleep too."


    "I''m not sleepy. You should sleep some more," Noah answered her. Then he hugged her shoulder and helped her adjust the blanket.


    "No, you should sleep," Carla said while staring at him with sleepy eyes.


    When he saw her sleepy and cute appearance, Noah smiled and kissed her forehead gently, "Okay, I''ll sleep. Let''s sleep together."


    When the next day came, Carla touched the other side of the bed and found that Noah was not here. She opened her eyes in shock.


    What...What happened?!

 Chapter 281 Her True Family

    ''What is going on?'' Carla thought to herself.


    Andrea was staring at her with red sorrowful eyes. Everybody was in the room except for Bonnie.


    Noah was standing by the window silently. He was looking into the distance with his arms crossed.


    Two young men were also standing by the door, wearing serious looks.


    "Auntie, what''s wrong?"


    Carla asked. She had no clue about what was happening at the moment. Why was everybody in her room?


    "Callie, my dear!"


    Andrea walked closer to her and suddenly grabbed her hand. Then she started to cry. "Your father, he''s in the ICU. The doctor said that we should prepare for the... I don''t know how to tell you this. The truth is..."


    "Auntie, what do you mean by ''my father''? I... My father was already..."


    Carla was totally confused. Her parents both died when she was young.


    What was happening?


    "Callie, I''m sorry. It''s hard to explain everything right now but you''re indeed my daughter. My biological daughter..."


    Andrea was in tears. She was planning on waiting for a couple of days before telling her the truth but Allen''s condition suddenly got worse. At dawn, he was rushed in the ICU.


    She was completely at a loss. If she didn''t take the chance to tell her now, there might be no chance to tell her about everything at all.


    She was afraid that Allen would die with regrets.


    "Carla, your original name is Camelia. You were called Callie. You''re our only biological daughter. Because of a debt twenty three years ago, you were forced to leave us. From then on, every moment seemed like torture to us. I''m sorry."


    Tears rushed down from Andrea''s eyes. She couldn''t bear to talk about what happened twenty years ago. Just being reminded of it would make her heart ache as if a knife was cutting through her with it.


    "I know that it''s not the good time to tell you all of these but I have no choice. Your father has only a few days left. His time is ticking. He''s in the ICU now and he may pass away at any moment. I... am begging you..."


    Then she suddenly knelt down on the floor in front of her and started crying.


    "I know it''s a lot for you to process but your father can''t wait anymore. Callie, would you please forgive us and visit your father? Can you please call him Father for the last time?"


    Confused, Carla glanced at Noah who was standing by the window. She wanted to turn to him for help. "Noah, what''s happening? Can you please explain it to me?"


    Noah turned and looked at her in the eye. He was wearing a look that was more serious than usual.


    "Carla, what my mother said is true. You are their only biological da


    s, heaved a deep breath and shifted her eyes away from him. "But... you want me to call the people whom I barely know as Mother and Father.


    I just can''t do it."


    Noah held her hand and said, "Carla, no parent would want to be separated from their children. If they had a choice back then, they would never have left you.


    Losing you already tortured them for over twenty years. That was already their punishment.


    Carla, you''re a considerate person. Please show some understanding and forgive them. And you should allow yourself to forgive them too...."


    Noah lowered his eyes and frowned after speaking.


    "The Hua Family accumulated a large sum of money. Being their only daughter, you would get all of those in the future. You can easily inherit all of those by just embracing your true family. Why not do that?"


    Anybody would love to be that lucky, if possible.


    Carla pieced everything together and suddenly realized. With squinting eyes, she said in an ironic tone, "Right, the Hua Family is rich, huh? It seems like it would be good for me to accept my new parents."


    Noah didn''t look at her. The Hua Family was popular in HA City and many people were after their wealth like starved wolves.


    Noah was just one of them. All of the things that he had done was just to get the Hua Family''s fortune.


    Carla saw through him. It was not because he was softhearted but it was because of his true feelings. He thought that he could control himself but apparently he couldn''t.


    Anyway, he was Noah and he was capable of anything.


    He wouldn''t allow himself to fail. He would always come up with a new plan.


    At that moment, he was determined to get the Hua Family''s fortune.


    He was also determined to get Carla''s heart.

 Chapter 282 Allen Has Taken A Crocodile As A Pet!

    Noah was clear about his ambition and he was determined not to lose both Carla and the Hua family fortune. He would try his best to get everything that he always wanted.


    All that he needed to do at the moment was to convince Carla to accept Allen - her biological father.


    He often complained about the unfairness of God but this time, God favored him.


    He had to possess the property of the Hua Family and win Carla''s heart while she still had a crush on him.


    In the ward.


    Carla considered for a long time and she provided herself with a solution that she thought was the best.


    Since her biological parents already found her, why not just accept them?


    They were the masters of the Hua Family who owned a lot of assets. She was their biological daughter so it was only natural that their wealth would go to her. Carla decided to just accept it all.


    If her foster parents were still alive, she would have hesitated. However, she was all alone now. It was best for her to have some relatives.


    She was now convinced. She let out a sigh of relief and finally decided.


    Carla also thought that things became easier because she wasn''t bothered by her former memories anymore. It would help her simplify a lot of matters and it would also make her feel more at ease.


    That afternoon.


    At Andrea''s repeated requests, Carla finally agreed to visit her biological father in the ICU.


    Because of her disability, Carla didn''t go inside the ICU but watched Allen through the glass instead. He was currently under oxygen therapy with tubes in his nose.


    Allen was feeling a bit better now. He was also watching Carla from the inside and he even waved at her.


    Although he didn''t raise her, just watching him with a gaunt face and graying hair made Carla shed tears.


    She thought it was only natural for her to feel that way over a dying man. What made it worse was she was also his daughter.


    Allen was satisfied to see that a healthy and happy Carla showed up in front of him. Although he couldn''t say anything to her, there was still a content smile on his face.


    When visiting time was over, Carla went out of the visiting area and back to her own ward.


    While returning t


    self calm anymore. He had gone through a lot of difficulties just to make the Hua Family succeed. He couldn''t bear it if anyone would change its ownership.


    Allen wheezed and watched Noah who was standing with his back from him. Allen was now regretting that he raised such an ungrateful person. He had taken a crocodile as a pet!


    For many years, Noah performed like a filial and obedient son. He thought that he was like the son that he never had.


    Allen thought that he was the most trustworthy son. However, it turned out that he left the most troublesome obstacle for Callie.


    "Father, don''t get worked up..." When he noticed that the instruments were suddenly ringing, Noah didn''t get anxious. Then he said leisurely, "You''ll find a solution, won''t you?


    What I want is your business. As long as you make some changes in your will, I would be satisfied. I will do nothing to betray you. What do you say?"


    Noah flashed him a sinister smile and said, "Don''t die now. You haven''t finished your task yet. If you die now, the Hua Family will be split in two and no one would protect your business..."


    Noah straightened up and walked out unhurriedly to call the doctor.


    In his bed, Allen started wheezing while clenching his fists tightly. He then stared at the blue ceiling, unsettled.


    When he didn''t calm down gradually, the doctor came in and injected a tranquilizer.


    When Noah came out of ICU, someone was waiting for him in the corridor.

 Chapter 283 Marrying Me Is The Best Choice

    "Noah, how is our father?"


    the man asked. From his voice alone, Noah knew that it was no other than his second brother, York.


    "He still couldn''t get out of bed," Noah said while he walked down the corridor, heading towards the elevator. He didn''t even look back at York.


    Staring at Noah''s back with a sullen look, York shouted, "Noah, why did you do that?"


    Noah stopped and turned around slowly.


    "Are you trying to hurt us? If Carla didn''t come back, we''ll all get what we want. Am I right? But you brought her back and told our father about her true identity!"


    York said with a puzzled look on his face. Then he approached Noah and continued, "We''re all adopted children of the Hua Family so we should be in the same boat. But¡­but it seems like you''re trying to sabotage us. Why?


    Without Carla, Allen would have equally divided the family estate of the Hua Family even if he was unwilling to do it. That way, neither of us would have suffered huge losses.


    But now, what could we do?


    All that we''re going to have now is just a small part of our family estate. How can we possibly make a fortune out of that?"


    With a bitter smile, Noah responded, "You''re right. Sometimes, we''re all in the same boat. But most of the time, we only care about our own interests, am I right?" He didn''t want to listen to York''s wretched statements. After all, they had lived under the same roof for so many years, so they knew each other well enough to know their thoughts and intentions.


    In the Hua Family, none of them were Allen''s biological children. In order to get their father''s praise, they were all scrambling for power and status. They kept on doing their best to improve their abilities.


    "But despite that, we should be united as one at this critical moment!" York raised his voice while he approached Noah with a grim look. "Noah, Carla''s existence is a huge threat to us. If she''s alive, we''ll all come to a bitter end!"


    As a matter of fact, York had tried to murder Carla before but he failed.


    Since then, Carla had been protected by Terence so it had been difficult for York to seize the right opportunity to get rid of her.


    Looking at York''s covetous eyes, Noah glared at him and said, "York, I''ll keep her safe and sound. I won''t let you hurt her.


    Now that she had already met our parents, it''s too late for you to deal with her. At this point, if something happens to her, do you think Mother and Father will forgive you? Who do you think they''ll be suspicious of when that happens? And if they prove that you''re behind it, you won''t have the chance to get a penny of our parents'' family estate.


    You''ve always been a wise man. Why would you want to do something stupid at this moment?"


    After which, Noah tapped York hard on the shoulder and turned away.


    Then, Noah hurried downstairs to Carla''s ward.


    He knocked on the door


    elt hungry as soon as she woke up. She was about to call the nurse in when she saw Andrea entering the ward.


    "Callie, you''re awake!" Andrea excitedly said.


    With an insulated lunch box in her hand, Andrea came over to Carla. Then, she greeted with a smile, "My daughter, I made porridge and bread rolls for you this morning. They''re very delicious. Come and have a taste!"


    Smelling the delicious porridge, Carla smiled happily. After wiping her hands with a piece of wet tissue, she couldn''t wait to pick up a bread roll with black sesame seeds and ate it with relish.


    "Oh, it''s so good. It''s very delicious..." she said with great content.


    Since she was hungry and the bread rolls were not big, she finished one very quickly.


    "Callie, you''d better eat them slowly. Just a moment and I''ll bring you a bowl of porridge!" Seeing that her daughter was so hungry, Andrea couldn''t help but feel sad while she served her porridge.


    For years, Andrea had been looking forward to cooking a delicious meal for her own daughter. Since her wish finally came true, she felt really happy and excited from the bottom of her heart.


    "Let me do it..." Carla said. Seeing Andrea''s hands tremble with excitement, she took the bowl from her hands and served the porridge by herself.


    A happy and satisfied look spread over her face while she ate the bread rolls with porridge.


    With a tearful smile, Andrea watched as Carla enjoyed her meal. After a few minutes, she said, "Callie, your father will be transferred from the intensive care unit to the ward later.


    According to the doctor''s advice, we must ask your father to tell us everything he wants to say while he''s still sane. Otherwise, I''m afraid he won''t have the chance to do so in the upcoming weeks.


    So, after you finish your breakfast, can you go and see your father again with me?"


    Andrea asked while she looked at Carla with expectant eyes.

 Chapter 284 What Should I Do

    Carla took a mouthful of porridge and nodded.


    "Okay," she said. She agreed to visit Allen without a second thought this time.


    When she heard that Carla agreed, Andrea nodded in relief. "Okay! That''s good. Callie, you should eat more..."


    Carla was soon finished with her breakfast.


    She sat in a wheelchair and went up to Allen''s room with Andrea.


    Before entering Allen''s ward, Carla saw two men in a suit standing outside. From their suits and appearance, she could tell that the two men were lawyers. At the same time, she also saw Bonnie who she hadn''t seen in the past two days.


    Bonnie was a little surprised to see Carla. It was still a little difficult for her to accept Carla''s real identity.


    Actually no one told her about Carla''s real identity. Not until this morning when she felt that something was wrong did she finally decide to ask the others.


    She was finally told that the biological daughter of the Hua Family was found.


    The biological daughter was none other than Carla!


    Bonnie was still in disbelief. She still couldn''t accept the fact that Carla was the one that Andrea and Allen were looking for.


    She was angry at Carla because she might replace her position in the family one of these days. What made her angrier was the fact that the person that would be replacing her was her mortal enemy Carla.


    When Carla entered Allen''s ward, she saw that the two people were listening to him while recording what he was saying.


    When they saw that Carla had entered the ward, the two people stood up and greeted Andrea and her. Then they both walked out of the ward.


    "Callie... Come here..."


    Allen, who was lying on the bed, gently waved to Carla to come closer to him.


    Andrea closed the door then she pushed Carla towards Allen while saying, "Carla, go on. Get closer to him and call him Father!"


    Carla looked at Allen who was lying on the bed pale faced with weary eyes. She wanted to call him Father but she felt as if there was something blocking her throat. It was like she was being hindered from calling him "Father".


    It took her a long time before she finally managed to say something.


    "... Father."


    When he finally heard his daughter call him Father, Allen nodded gratefully and held out his hand to her.


    Carla came in a wheelchair so Andrea pushed her closer beside Allen''s bed. Then Andrea excitedly said, "Allen, did you hear that? Callie is finally calling you Father..."


    Allen held Carla''s hand tightly. Because of his excitement, his breathing became a little faster.


    He cried out to Carla, "Callie... I...I''m sorry. I hope that you could forgive all of my shortcomings to you..."


    n''t let other people know of your real identity except our own family. Would you please promise us to get engaged to Noah first?" Andrea begged.


    Carla closed her eyes and pushed Andrea''s hands away. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.


    "Auntie, I can promise you other things. However, this is related to my happiness for the rest of my life! I can''t possibly promise you that I would marry someone I don''t even love!" Carla exclaimed.


    How could she possibly promise them that?


    If she agreed, how could she explain this to Terence?


    Terence and Sean were still waiting for her in JA City.


    She and Terence experienced a lot together. His father Edmund''s attitude towards her also eased a lot. She could finally see the beautiful future that she and Terence would have.


    Why did her parents suddenly appeared and asked her to marry someone else?


    She couldn''t accept that!


    She would never accept that!


    When she closed her eyes to avoid Allen and Andrea, she heard a loud bang.


    Carla opened her eyes and saw that Allen was climbing down from his bed. He was struggling to kneel at her feet.


    He cried, "Callie... Callie... I''m really sorry! I don''t deserve to be your father! It was all my fault... If it weren''t for me... You wouldn''t have left me and your mother..."


    Allen was breathing hard. He clasped his fist tightly and spoke as loudly as possible, "As long as you promise to marry Noah, even if I die, I''ll remember your kindness to the Hua Family..."


    Carla sat in the wheelchair while looking at Allen who was kneeling on the ground. She was crying from the shock.


    She bit her lip because she didn''t know how to answer them.


    She was so helpless and full of despair. ''What should I do?'' she finally asked herself.

 Chapter 285 Did She Remember Everything

    The moment Andrea saw her husband kneeling on the ground, she quickly approached him and helped him up. She then said, "Allen, please stand up. I''ll discuss this with Callie so please calm down."


    "Callie, I beg you, please, I beg you..."


    Allen desperately asked Carla while he knelt on the ground. He wasn''t going to stand up if he didn''t hear what he wanted.


    Andrea didn''t have the heart to watch anymore so she turned away.


    Earlier that day, Allen had requested to leave the ICU for a short moment. He told her that he would announce his will so she quickly came to the hospital. But when she arrived, Allen said that he would ask Carla to marry Noah. Initially, Andrea ultimately did not agree with what he wanted.


    Although Carla hadn''t regained her memory yet, Andrea found out about her relationship with Terence. And after a much deeper investigation, it was perfectly clear to her the nature of their love story.


    If Carla was willing to marry Noah, it couldn''t be better. However, Andrea was sure that Carla wouldn''t agree once she remembered everything.


    Carla and Terence had gone through a lot of hardships to be together. And now, Allen would like to separate them and even ask her to marry Noah. How could Andrea support such a decision?


    However, Allen was determined to get what he wanted.


    Otherwise, Allen would be more than disappointed. Noah was an aggressive man. He would do everything to get what he wanted. If he knew Allen gave Carla the majority of his family fortune, he would definitely do something that would disturb the Hua family.


    If that were to happen, the consequences would be unimaginable.


    But, if they left all of their properties to Noah as he wanted, Allen wasn''t convinced that the company''s future would be guaranteed in his hands.


    Therefore, there was only one way to make the best of both worlds.


    That was to ask Carla to marry Noah. It would cement the foundation of the Hua family and most importantly, keep Noah loyal to the family.


    Everyone knew that the Hua family wouldn''t be able to exist without Noah.


    When Andrea realized this situation, she finally agreed to help Allen persuade Carla.


    She pleaded, "Allen, please stop acting like this, will you? Stand up, please. We already owe a lot to Carla, and what you''re doing now will pressure our daughter. Don''t do this, come on, let me help you up..."


    Wiping her tears, Andrea used all of her strength to pull Allen up.


    Carla couldn''t help but tear up. She took a deep b


    ould be able to do is to trouble himself. So I have to hide this from him and see what will happen, '' Carla decisively told herself.


    "Mr. Noah, you''re here," a voice from outside her ward exclaimed.


    Carla realized what was about to happen


    so she tucked her phone under the pillow. Wiping her tears and taking another deep breath, she turned to the door with a smile.


    "Noah, you''re here," Carla greeted.


    Noah entered the room with a smile but it quickly faded. Although Carla smiled convincingly, Noah could see that she had been crying because of her swollen and reddish eyes.


    "Carla, did you cry? What happened?"


    Walking towards Carla with a bouquet of white roses in his hands, Noah asked while he put the roses in the vase, "Did you speak with Father?" Noah asked, thinking it was the most viable reason for her tears.


    Nodding her head, Carla said solemnly, "Yes, I''m so sad to see him that way. By the way, where have you been? I haven''t seen you this morning."


    Placing a chair beside her bed, Noah sat on it and gently said, "There are a lot of things to prepare because of Father''s current condition. Also, there are a lot of important things to be dealt with in the company so I''m a little busy."


    Noah took out an apple from the cabinet and began to peel it...


    "What''s the matter? Are you bored?" he asked.


    Carla tucked her hair behind her ears. She thought for a while before she responded, "Noah, I want to leave the hospital and see Sean..."


    When he heard what she had to say, Noah''s hand that was holding the knife trembled. In a second, there was blood coming from his hand.


    ''Did she remember everything?'' Noah thought.

 Chapter 286 Allens Critical Condition

    "Carla, Father is in a critical condition right now and every member of our family are all here to take care of him. So I think you have to wait a few days if you want to go back,"


    Noah said in a calm and collected tone. Then, he threw the bloodstained apple into the garbage can and pressed on his wound with a piece of tissue.


    He continued, "If you''re really bored, I''ll ask the doctor to examine your injury tomorrow. If the doctor says you can leave the hospital, you can go back to my residence first."


    He took another apple to peel when his wound stopped bleeding.


    "My home is close to the hospital. If anything unexpected happened to Father, you could come over here easily," Noah said while he carefully peeled the apple this time.


    As a matter of fact, Carla didn''t care much about the things that Noah had just said. She had been worrying about something else. She bit her lower lip a little, sat up straight, looked at him and said, "Noah, I want you to discuss something with Father and Mother, would that be okay?"


    "What''s wrong?" Noah asked while he continued to peel the apple.


    Carla hesitated for a while, then she looked down and said, "Father and Mother... They want me to marry you. But I know I''m not the kind of girl that you like. You like mature and considerate women such as Julie."


    It took a few moments before Carla could continue speaking. "Noah, can you go and tell Father and Mother that you don''t want to marry me?"


    Noah took a small plate beside him, slowly cut the apple into smaller pieces and gave her one of them.


    Then he said, "Father and Mother had already told me about this. I know that they don''t trust me. So they want me to marry you, then I can be Hua family''s son-in-law." He forced a smile then he sighed while he said, "After all, I''m not their biological son. Technically, I''m an outsider so they''re not that convinced to hand over such a large company to me."


    Upon hearing what he had to say, Carla also exhaled deeply before she ate the fruit.


    "I think Father and Mother has a tendency to overthink things. You''re a trustworthy person. If I were them, I would choose to believe you," Carla stated with determination.


    Noah looked at her with a warm smile and said, "But not everyone trusts me as much as you do."


    Carla returned the smile and they sat in silence for a while. After a few moments, Noah stated, "I thought of a solution just now. I think the only way to reassure Father is if we got engaged first. We could just act for a while to make him happy until everything about the inheritance had been settled. After a while, you can resume your relationship with Terence."


    Upon hearing Noah''s words, Carla became a little relieved. After all, the only thing she cared about was to be with Terence.


    She nodded as she responded, "Right, this is the only way that we can make Father and ourselves happy."


    When he noticed that Carla had finished a piece of apple, Noah gave her another one and said with a smile, "You should eat more. The doctor asked you to eat more fruits so you can have more nutrients in your body. That way, you can recover faster."


    Carla took t


    ming from the outside.


    She got up and was planning to ask what happened.


    But before she was able to do so, someone came into her ward.


    "Carla, follow me upstairs," a voice that she recognized as Noah''s said.


    Noah was wearing a solemn face when he came in. He helped her get into the wheelchair and then pushed her out of the ward.


    "Noah? What''s wrong?"


    Seeing his serious face, Carla asked nervously.


    "Father... he''s about to leave us Carla," Noah answered in a low voice. They quickly reached the elevator.


    Carla didn''t expect for such a moment to come so soon. She was surprised, upset, and grief-stricken all at the same time.


    She saw a lot of people standing outside of Allen''s ward but she didn''t know most of them. When Noah pushed her wheelchair past them, they all greeted him.


    As soon as they entered the ward, she saw Andrea crying hysterically beside Allen''s hospital bed.


    York and Tristan stood beside her. Bonnie was also there and she was also crying.


    "York, Tristan, Bonnie, please leave the room for now..." Noah told them while he pushed Carla''s wheelchair towards the bed.


    Once the three of them had left the room, Allen who was lying lifeless in the bed turned his eyes to Carla.


    At that moment, Allen couldn''t speak at all. He looked at Carla and then he turned to Noah. Lastly, he turned his gaze towards Andrea and the sides of his lips slowly curled into a smile for a few seconds.


    After all, Andrea and Allen had been living together for several decades. Even if he didn''t get a chance to do so, Andrea knew what Allen wanted to say.


    She tried really hard to stop crying and then she stood up. She took Carla''s and Noah''s hands and put their hands together.


    She breathed deeply before speaking, "...... Carla, Noah, your father hopes that you can make the engagement as soon as possible. This is his last wish." After which, Andrea lost her composure once again and she broke down and cried.


    She held their hands together tightly and then turned to look at Carla.


    "Carla, will you help your father fulfill his last wish, please?"

 Chapter 287 The Funeral (Part One)

    Carla had her eyes fixed on Allen who was lying on the bed. He was so weak that it seemed like he would pass away the next second. Upon realizing this, all kinds of feelings welled up in her heart.


    There was so much sorrow in the room which almost drove her crazy. If she could, she would escape from there and put aside all the responsibilities that she was supposed to bear as the only heir of the Hua family.


    She didn''t care if the family was having a crisis. It had nothing to do with her. She didn''t want to be involved in this chaos.


    She just wanted to go back and be with Terence, living a free and peaceful life with him. With Terence, there were no worries, no pressure, and no pain. She knew that Terence would always be her hero and save her from any troubles and miseries.


    However, fate brought her back to the Hua family, forcing her to face all of these problems by herself.


    It was true that it allowed her to meet her biological father after years of being separated. She should be happy. But how could she be when upon meeting him, he was on his deathbed? What was worse, he was even asking her to marry a man she didn''t love. There was no way that she would want to, but since it was his final will, she couldn''t find any reason good enough to refuse.


    After a few seconds of silence, Carla said, "Of course, Father. I will marry Noah."


    She promised against her will while she closed her eyes and quietly exhaled deeply.


    Upon hearing what she said, Allen finally closed his eyes in relief.


    A few seconds after, a string of beeps came out of the ECG monitor, indicating that Allen''s heart had stopped beating.


    It took everybody in the room several seconds


    till a little boy at that time. Since she herself was too young to perform the funeral affairs, some elder relatives came to help her. But she had to put herself together and try her best to offer some help even though she was extremely devastated on the inside.


    But she knew that her small foster family was not as powerful and rich as the Hua family.


    They could only give her parents a simple funeral.


    That night, Noah didn''t come back to his house, just like the previous nights before that.


    It was only until afternoon on the next day that he returned.


    When Noah stepped into the living room, he saw Carla while she was reading a book on the sofa and at the same time, keeping her injured leg raised.


    "Oh Noah, you''re back,"


    Carla stated while she closed her book. She saw Noah approaching her with a small smile. "How is everything going?" she then asked.


    "Don''t worry. The whole ceremony was almost over when you left. Everything is fine," Noah replied while he poured water into a glass. Then he asked with concern as he sat opposite her, "You must be tired yesterday. Are you feeling any better?"

 Chapter 288 The Funeral (Part Two)

    "Oh, I''m fine. They sent me back earlier so I had a good rest," she said while she returned his smile.


    After a sip of his water, Noah got up and sat by her side. He gently lifted her injured leg and put it on his thigh. He spoke again while he gave her a gentle massage, "I''m sorry, Carla. I still need several days to take care of some necessary things. I promise I will accompany you after I''m done."


    After she heard what he said, Carla hesitated for a moment but she still asked, "That''s okay, Noah. I can take care of myself. Although, now that everything is fine. Can I go back to JA City now?"


    Noah''s hand paused for a moment, then he asked, still with a smile, "Why, Carla? Are you missing Sean or Terence?"


    Carla somehow felt a little nervous. She raised her hand to fix her hair and hide the embarrassment which was evident on her face. Then she answered, "I have already been far away from them for too long. I think it''s time for me to go back. Sean is still so young. I couldn''t stop worrying about him. I just really feel bad for leaving him alone."


    Noah took a few moments to think about what she said before he replied with a sigh, "Carla, Mother was hoping that we could get engaged as soon as possible. She already told all our relatives and friends that we''ll have our engagement ceremony three days later. But don''t worry. Only some closed relatives and friends will attend the ceremony."


    Carla couldn''t produce any words after hearing what Noah had just said.


    She was completely taken aback by his words. Everybody had been busy with the funeral recently and nobody even mentioned the engagement. Even she herself almost f


    At that moment, one of the maids appeared by the door. She was afraid that she might interrupt their conversation so she hesitated for a while then told them carefully, "Mr. Noah, your room is ready. And just now, Mrs. Andrea called. She said since you haven''t slept for two days you might as well go to bed and take a good rest tonight."


    "Okay, just a minute. Thank you very much," Noah replied.


    Meanwhile, Carla leaned closer to look at his face. He did look sallow and tired, which was obviously caused by lack of sleep. Then she told him, "Oh, Noah. You should go to bed right now. You had been overworking yourself for the past few days. Take a good rest so you won''t get sick."


    "All right. You enjoy reading. Please wake me up before dinner. I want to eat with you," he said with a smile. After giving her hair several gentle strokes, he stood up and left.


    The smile on Carla''s face faded away while she watched Noah''s receding figure.


    ''God, I will be engaged to Noah in three days.


    No, no. I need to go back to JA City before that could happen!'' Carla exclaimed in her thoughts.

 Chapter 289 I’ll Hold My Girlfriend In My Arms

    Carla''s leg was badly hurt. How could she possibly go back now?


    She looked at her broken leg helplessly and sighed. It already restricted her freedom enough. What else could she do but depend on others?


    Of course, she couldn''t tell Noah what she thought. He was hoping that she would go back to JA City after their engagement. But she was so desperate to go back now.


    ''Terence...


    Yes, Terence!'' she suddenly thought.


    Carla picked up her mobile phone to call Terence. She dialed his number but suddenly decided to hang up just before he answered.


    ''No, I can''t be so impulsive.


    If I call Terence now, it''ll be impossible to hide it from Noah. I can''t even go downstairs without others'' help. How could I possibly ask Terence to come and pick me up now? How could I hide that from others?


    If Terence met Noah, things would not be good.


    Honestly speaking, things would become definitely bad if they ever meet, ''


    Carla thought. She was becoming even more confused now. She looked at her broken leg again, angrily. At that moment, she really wanted to see it off and replace it with an artificial one. At least with today''s technology, it would be possible for her to walk on an artificial leg.


    As she thought of this, she found her idea to be absurd. She tapped her head hard to remind herself to come back to reality.


    ''Carla, you must be dreaming!'' she thought to herself.


    Just then, her mobile phone suddenly rang.


    When she saw the name on the screen, she quickly took her crutch that was nearby and went back into her room to answer the phone.


    She dialed Terence''s number just a few minutes ago. However, she hung up on him even before he could answer her. She didn''t expect him to call her back.


    "Did you call me just now?"


    Terence asked her. Carla heard the familiar voice again on the phone. She hadn''t heard it for quite some time now.


    Carla leaned against the door with one hand supporting her crutch. Suddenly, tears welled up in her eyes and her voice got choked up in sobs.


    "Carla, what is happening to you?"


    Terence asked. He was beginning to worry about her. Judging by her breathing, he was guessing that she was a little upset. With his brows furrowed, he said to her, "Wait a moment. I''ll be right there."


    "... Terence,"


    Carla called his name. She just couldn''t control herself when she heard his voice. There was something about him that could make her undone.


    "Terence, I miss you... So much," she said while her tears were falling down her cheeks.


    These past few days, she thought that she could stop herself from missing Terence. However, at that moment when she heard his voice, she realized just how vulnerable she was to him.


    When she heard his voice, she just couldn''t help but want to rely on him with all her heart.


    When he heard Carla call his name, Terence became so excited that his hands


    t then she gathered herself and tried to smile at him naturally. Then she said to him, "Noah, Terence came to visit me. I was just on my way downstairs to see him."


    ''It''s useless to hide it from him. Terence was already at the door. It''s better if I tell him frankly, '' she thought.


    Hearing what she said, Noah looked unhappy for a moment. Then with a gentle smile, he said to Carla, "Really? Why didn''t you tell me earlier? Wait a minute. I''ll just change my clothes and take you downstairs myself."


    Noah was about to go back to his room to change clothes when Carla stopped him and said, "No, you don''t have to bother, Noah. I''ll go downstairs to see him myself."


    Noah turned around with a reluctant smile. Without looking at her directly, he said, "Well then, I''ll take you downstairs in my pajamas."


    Noah came closer to her and was about to pick her up in his arms. He thought it was only natural for him to do so because the wound in her leg wasn''t healed yet. She still could not walk on uneven ground so it would be inconvenient for her to go downstairs on her own.


    However, before he could even touch her, he heard a familiar voice behind him.


    "You don''t need to bother, Mr. Hua. I am perfectly capable of holding my girlfriend in my arms!"


    Noah was dumbfounded because Terence came upstairs without his permission. A servant was running after Terence while panting. He shouted desperately, "Sir, sir... You are not allowed to go upstairs! Mr. ¡­Mr. Hua. I am really sorry for the sudden interruption."


    When the servant saw Noah, he greeted him in a respectful manner.


    Noah gestured at the servant and said, "Don''t be so nervous. Terence is one of my friends. You can go about your business."


    Carla was standing beside Noah.


    When she saw Terence, she looked at him intently. Her beautiful eyes lit up with great joy upon seeing him. It was as if she could see no one


    but Terence.

 Chapter 290 Fight For Her Love (Part One)

    In that instant, it had completely slipped Carla''s mind that she couldn''t walk yet. She let go of her crutch and frantically darted toward Terence.


    In spite of that, before she could even take a single step forward, she got cradled by a pair of familiar arms.


    Then, as Terence kept her close to his chest, he gently whispered into her ear, "Carla, please be more careful. How could you forget that you still can''t walk yet?"


    With her arms wrapped tight around him, she held him as if she hadn''t seen him for a hundred years. Her eyes got deeply fixated on him from the moment she laid her eyes on him again after such a long time.


    Terence was able to sense the passion in her eyes. All of the problems he had these past few days had been quickly melted away by her in an instant. At that point, he couldn''t help himself from staring right back at her, as a smile crept onto his face.


    He secretly thought, ''I was right. This woman still belongs to me!''


    "Mr. Noah, we''ll be going back to our home now. So long!" Terence raised his voice and told him.


    Lifting Carla and carrying her downstairs, the two of them proceeded to leave Noah''s villa immediately.


    Even though Terence and Carla had already been gone for a while, Noah still stood there, staring blankly into the distance.


    Gradually clenching his fist, a menacing smile slipped into his face.


    ''Carla, you''ll be coming back to me soon enough, '' he pondered.


    After spending some time with her, he had fallen for her so deep that he was willing to fight just against anyone to get her love.


    With that in mind, the war had just begun.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Terence arrived there on his personal private plane. This made Carla feel more at ease, knowing that they would be able to avoid a couple of hours of turbulence on their way home.


    The minute they stepped foot inside the plane, he fervently pressed his lips against hers without giving her any time to catch her breath.


    "Carla, do you have any idea how much pain and suffering you''ve brought me these


    more, "Sister! I know that you''re just telling me that to make me feel better. Your leg won''t heal, so it won''t go back to the way it used to be before..."


    "Keep your mouth shut! You''re going to jinx it!" Carla blurted out.


    Before Sean could begin to tear up again, Carla flicked his forehead and stopped him from crying.


    Carla stayed up with Sean despite it being so late in the evening. Taking into consideration that Sean still had to attend his classes the following day, she had to go out of his room to let him get enough rest for tomorrow.


    After coming out of his room, she realized that there was something that seemed unfamiliar to her in the corridor.


    Due to the fact that she took the elevator when she headed upstairs, much too excited to see her brother after such a long while, she wasn''t really paying any attention to her surroundings until now.


    At that point in time, the lights illuminating the corridor were much brighter than it used to be. Taking a look around, she noticed that there was a row of solid handrails on both sides of the wall. And upon closer inspection, it had been clear to her that the whole corridor had been filled with these wooden handrails.


    As she brushed her hands against the handrail, which happened to be just the perfect height for her, this filled her heart with so much tenderness.

 Chapter 291 Fight For Her Love (Part Two)

    "Miss Carla, please practice extra caution when you pass through the corridors. At first, I had a hard time comprehending what Mr. Terence was thinking when he had these handrails installed. Now, I realize what he intended it for. He could be so thoughtful sometimes!" Sophie remarked, smiling at Carla.


    Holding a bowl of hot bone soup in her hands, Sophie approached Carla from the other side of the hallway.


    Sophie used to think that those handrails would practically be useless, apart from it taking up so much space.


    The second she saw Miss Carla trying to move around while holding onto the handrails, all of a sudden, everything became as clear as day.


    She was aware that Miss Carla had gotten her leg injured and had a hard time moving around, but, of course, she couldn''t really refrain from walking around the villa from time to time.


    Besides helping her stay upright and preventing her from falling on the floor, these handrails could also help her exercise and rehabilitate her leg.


    At the end of the day, it would indeed be too much of a hassle to move around the house using crutches, and Carla had never really been fond of bothering other people a lot.


    "Miss Carla, Mr. Terence had asked us to prepare some soup for you. Would you prefer to come to your room and eat it there, or...?" Sophie asked, giving her a soft smile.


    As soon as Carla went back home, the ambiance all around the house became much warmer, and Sophie also thought that it felt great having her there.


    "Thank you very much, Sophie. I really appreciate it. I''ll just have it in my room," Carla answered, politely smiling back at her. Then, she made her way to her room as Sophie walked right behind her.


    "Alright!"


    Sophie responded with a lighthearted grin.


    As warm as a fireplace, Carla felt the flame ignite, burning intensely within her heart. In spite of the autumn night being gloomy and chilly, she didn''t feel cold whatsoever.


    It was as though she had been wrapped in a blanket of Terence''s compassion, making it beyond


    her sip of the soup, she closed her eyes for a second, trying real hard to picture out the condition they were in when the accident occurred.


    "Actually, Noah, seemed to be a bit out of it before it happened. But he said he was so exhausted during that day. So, I was under the assumption that driving while being over fatigued was the main reason why the accident happened," Carla gathered her thoughts.


    Actually, she was completely aware that Noah barely had enough strength to be driving that day, so she just accepted the idea that it was all just an accident.


    "Is that so? Then, why hadn''t your airbag gone off immediately upon impact? Apart from being the general manager running the Hua Group of companies, Noah was also the eldest son of the Hua family. Do you honestly believe that the safety features of his car could be so subpar?" Terence asserted.


    Squinting his eyes, Terence sneered and had his gaze fixated on her. Going on, he added, "Carla, if only the airbag on your side of the front seat had activated during that time, at the very least, the brain damage you received could have probably been avoided."


    Carla intently stared at him that time, placing the bowl on the table in front of her.


    Looking at Terence in utter disbelief, she exclaimed, "Terence, do you mean to tell me that Noah... was really intending to hurt me?"

 Chapter 292 I Want To Take A Shower!

    Carla couldn''t believe that Noah would want to hurt her. She blinked her clear eyes, looked at Terence and tried to figure out the meaning behind his words.


    She thought, ''When the accident happened, the airbag on Noah''s side opened but mine didn''t. Terence meant that it was not just a normal accident, so there was only one possibility left.


    It could only be that Noah wanted to kill me.


    But, I don''t think...'' Carla stopped her thoughts instantly.


    She didn''t want to believe that Noah would want to hurt or even kill her.


    "If it wasn''t that, then what else?" Terence asked her.


    He pulled her close to him and gently caressed her injured leg with one hand. He said, "Carla, don''t be too kind. Think about this. Once, you return to the Hua family as their only legitimate heir, who will be threatened the most?"


    Terence paused for a while, trying to see Carla''s reactions. Then, he continued, "If you didn''t show up, who would be most likely to inherit everything that the Hua family has?"


    Carla rubbed her temples, turned her head to look at him, and then said, "I know what you mean. But I''m still reluctant to believe that Noah would hurt me. He had saved me in HA City before."


    Carla didn''t want to believe what Terence had just said. She continued, "If he wanted to hurt me, why would he risk his life to save me?"


    Carla was very confused so she tried to figure out all the information that she had. She thought, ''If Noah wanted to kill me, why wouldn''t he just let me die at that time? If he had already killed me earlier, he could have avoided a lot of things from happening.''


    "Everyone has a tendency to be indecisive especially with a lot of internal and external factors. But what will keep them consistent from the beginning to the end is a purpose. Noah is an ambitious man. Your return directly threatens his position and interests. He would stop at nothing to get you out of the way,"


    Terence explained with a sigh.


    He knew that Carla hadn''t met such cruel things like this before. She was also kind, so she would naturally doubt what he had just said.


    However, he wouldn''t allow his woman to be hurt by others anymore.


    So he would finally let her see Noah''s true nature, bit by bit.


    He would show Carla that Noah, who she regarded as a kind brother, was a vicious fox and not a gentle sheep.


    "Let''s stop talking about these unfortunate things. Hurry up and eat the soup!" Terence said.


    He picked up the bowl on the table, took the spoon and started to feed her. He held up a spoonful before her mouth.


    Carla agreed not to talk about Noah anymore. She opened her mouth to take the spoonful of soup. Then, she saw Terence pick out a delicious meat bone from the bowl and gave it to her.


    He said, "If you just eat the stew, you''ll be hungry really soon. The meat is also nutritious. Eat it!"


    He thought that she should have more nutrients in her body. He didn''t know if she had a good meal or sleep during the days when he was not with her.


    Of course, Carla wouldn''


    for her.


    She knew those handrails could be removed later, but they were very inconvenient for others even if it was just for a short period of time.


    "Do you want to know what you could do to properly thank me?" Terence asked. When Carla didn''t say anything, he continued, "Okay, I''ll give you a suggestion. Marry me as soon as possible. I like to be practical. If you just keep on thanking me, I would think that you''re not sincere. You should do something."


    Then he poked her face with a smile and the white bubbles on his hand immediately went to her face.


    "Grandpa has yet to find out that you''re the biological daughter of the Hua family. And he had urged me to marry you for so many times already these past few days. He said that the situation of our family is relatively stable now and he wants me to get married and have children as soon as possible," Terence narrated.


    Then, he added, "Grandpa also said that he would be happier if I had a shotgun wedding."


    He lifted his sleeve and helped her scrub her hands.


    "Are you telling me that you want to marry me just to make Grandpa happy?" Carla mockingly told him.


    She grabbed a handful of bubbles and blew at them hard. She laughed even more when the white bubbles immediately flew to his whole body.


    Terence waved his hand to fend off the soap bubbles. He stared at her with a smile and then said, "Nonsense. Who do you think will be the happiest when we hold our wedding?"


    When she didn''t answer him, he continued, "I just think it''s the right time for us to hold the wedding. When the issues in the Hua family subsides a little, I will go to your home and ask for your hand once again," Terence stated.


    While he spoke, his hand quietly reached into the bathtub.


    Meanwhile, Carla was a little distracted. She was worried because Terence didn''t know yet that she was going to be engaged to Noah, if he knew that...


    "Ah!" Carla shouted.


    Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted and then she stared at the man in front of her.

 Chapter 293 Who Touched Whom First (Part One)

    Terence got startled when Carla suddenly cried out, causing him to quickly pull his hand back in response.


    "What''s the matter? I''m just trying to help you take a bath. How else do you expect me to get it done without touching you?" With his eyebrows raised in surprise, Terence complained. Why was she being like that all of a sudden? She was the one who asked him to assist her in the first place.


    "But I don''t need your help. It''s my leg that got injured. My hands are perfectly fine. I can do that on my own," Carla complained?. Upon saying that, she immediately grabbed the sponge from his hand and proceeded to wipe herself with it.


    Considering the fact that she insisted to just do it by herself, Terence got a bit disappointed and carefully stood up. Rolling down his sleeves, he told her, "If that''s how you want it, then I suppose that''s my cue to leave."?


    Looking so down in the dumps, he began heading toward the bathroom door to leave her alone.


    "Wait a second! Please don''t go,"


    Carla beseeched him to stay, trying to stop him in his tracks before he could walk out of the bathroom. Given that her injured leg made it impossible for her to reach her back as she normally would, she still had to ask for his help.


    Holding back a chuckle, he turned around and said, "If you really want me to stay with you and help you out, I would like to help clean up every part of your body. All of it or I don''t help at all. Totally your choice."


    In a blink of an eye, Carla instantly became red-flushed. Biting her tongue, she was hesitant to give him an answer for a moment there. But eventually, she turned her back to him and stretched out her arm to hand the sponge over.


    "Okay, fine! Do whatever you like." She was left with no other choice but to give in.


    She knew full well what he was planning to go with this. Even from the start, it


    was because all of his teasing made her long for his touch. And for that reason, she felt so irritated and burst into anger.


    Carla tried to pull back and get away from him, but her injured leg made it hard for her to move. In the end, she bent her finger and enticed him to come at her.


    "Please be careful! Try not to move around too much. Your leg is still injured. It''s not the appropriate time to be doing that. No need to worry about me. I can handle it."? Seeing her acting like that, Terence couldn''t hold back his smile as he feasted his eyes on his precious woman.


    In spite of having an injured leg, she still got captivated by him and seemed to be craving for him just as much as he had been for her.


    Hearing his response, Carla abruptly started cracking up. While they were inside the bathroom, it looked like it was taking all of his strength just to stop himself from getting his hands all over her, but now, here he was playing so innocent.


    So, she decided to play around with him a little.


    "Let''s see who will be the last one standing," she confidently challenged him, with her eyes dead set on coming for him. ?


    Rolling his eyes in response to her challenge, Terence said, "Let''s turn off the lights first."?

 Chapter 294 Who Touched Whom First (Part Two)

    As soon as the darkness enveloped the room, the sound of a few things falling on the floor could be heard momentarily. And now, the bed was all cleared up, with nothing to get in their way.


    There was really no way to tell who touched whom first at this point, but all in all, things seemed to have went on without incident.


    Until...


    "Terence, please be gentle with me. You might end up hurting me," Carla felt a bit uneasy.


    "Relax. I''ll take it slow. Haven''t you noticed that I''ve had the mattress replaced?" he whispered under his breath.


    When she touched the bed to inspect it, she realized that the bed was much sturdier and comfortable than the old one. This way, it could lower the risk of worsening her condition while they were doing the deed.


    "¡­¡­"


    Carla didn''t say a word.


    But she was completely aware that he had planned it all along for tonight, expecting that this would happen.


    The following morning, Carla was so mad at Terence, cursing at him for about a hundred times from the moment she got up.


    "For heaven''s sake, Terence! How could you be so disrespectful to such a fragile woman? I think it only worsened my condition. My whole body feels so sore right now.


    And I only have you to blame for that," she asserted.


    A few seconds later, a man suddenly walked in.


    Who else could it be but Terence?


    He walked in on her wearing a childish grin on his face, carrying a tray of breakfast food in his hand. As it turned out, he actually overheard her complaining as he was walking through the corridor.


    He originally intended to have a go at it just one time, but he just couldn''t hold back his lust for her after they started.


    The pain he had to go through recently got him all fired up. Every single time the thought of her almost forgetting all about him and falling for another man came into his mind, it drove him insane, fervently wan


    the key in the ignition.


    Terence had been so concerned about Carla in these past few days.


    He felt so apprehensive whenever she wasn''t around him. And the only time he could truly be at ease was when she was with him. Otherwise, he would be on edge until he got to finally see her again.


    Apart from heaving a heavy sigh, Carla couldn''t say anything anymore.


    Inside the AJ building, Carla simply lounged on the couch, looking over Terence while he was busy dealing with some business matters.


    Rainer then stepped into the room and placed a huge pile of paperwork on top of Terence''s desk.


    "Mr. Terence, I just want to let you know that we''re done filling up the vacant seats and finding some suitable replacement staff. And this pile I just brought in contains the updated financial reports," he politely informed him.


    "Okay. Thank you. I''ll just go through those later," Terence responded without bothering to look up since he had a lot of things to deal with at the moment.


    With a slight nod to acknowledge him, Rainer turned around to exit the room and saw Carla quietly sitting on the couch. He decided to come up to her and greet her, "Miss Carla, I''m glad to finally see you again. Will you perhaps be staying for good this time?"

 Chapter 295 Mr. Rhys Is Coming (Part One)

    Rainer approached Carla in an attempt to tell her something. However, he could only mumble to himself.


    At that moment, Carla was watching a TV series on a tablet. She looked up at him and asked, "What''s the matter, Rainer? Do you have something to tell me?"


    Rainer secretly looked at Terence who was busy with his work in front of his desk. Then, he rolled up his sleeves to show her his arms. He said, "Miss Carla, look at this. Since you left, we had suffered a lot..."


    Carla was surprised to see the bruises on his arms.


    "Did Terence mistreat you?" she asked, confusion apparent in her eyes.


    Rainer turned to look at Terence once again. Then he replied, "Yes, of course. He openly abused us. During those days when you weren''t here, he would ask us to practice boxing with him. That happened every single day, Miss Carla. As a result, he beat Nathan and me until we were black and blue!


    But it was my brother that had it the worst. Every time, he would get the hardest hits just for giving Mr. Terence some advice..."


    In theory, injuries were unavoidable in a boxing ring. However, according to Rainer''s statements, they got so much more than that. He and his brother were particularly miserable.


    "Don''t you have anything to do right now, Rainer? Have you forgotten your own duty?"


    Suddenly, a cold voice from behind Rainer was heard. Frightened, he immediately turned around and quickly ran outside when he saw who it was.


    Essentially, he was Terence''s bodyguard first and foremost. He should be responsible for protecting him. Second, he was Terence''s personal assistant. So he would often follow Terence around and would inevitably do some errands for him.


    Terence looked at Rainer''s back with a sullen look on his face. After setting the documents that he was holding


    ing about. I heard that your eldest brother wanted to harm your grandpa. He did inject some drug into his transfusion bottle, but how did your grandpa survive?" she asked.


    Holding her gently in his arms, Terence said in a low voice, "Grandpa changed the drug."


    "Ah? Is that so?" she exclaimed. Carla was a bit amazed. She couldn''t believe that Grandpa Nicholas would do that. After all, he was patient and proper. Not even once had she seen him act inappropriately.


    "In fact, we already knew about Marcus''s plot at that time. So we prepared an identical syringe in advance. It was grandpa who changed the syringe when Marcus was not looking. Even if it was difficult for him to do that, the nurse who was responsible for taking care of him would try her best to help him," Terence continued to narrate.


    Carla was dumbfounded with what she had been finding out. ''It was such a close call! It was just lucky that Grandpa Nicholas was finally safe, '' she thought.


    "Won''t your father stop you from sending your eldest brother to prison?" Carla continued her questions. ''Since Edmund has been so partial to Marcus, how could he have the heart to send him to prison?'' she thought to herself.

 Chapter 296 Mr. Rhys Is Coming (Part Two)

    "He actually tried to stop us at first. However, after he watched the surveillance video and found out about Marcus''s plot to hurt grandpa, he immediately changed his mind. Father has repeatedly stressed the importance of being filial to our elders. So Marcus actually dug his own grave. He would spend at least twenty years in prison!"


    Terence said, the bitterness never leaving his face. ''When Marcus gets out of prison, he will be in his fifties. By then, even if he would be enraged with the senior family members'' decision, it will be useless for him to complain or do anything about it, '' he thought.


    If Marcus had not plotted to harm Nicholas, the senior family members would not have decided to send him to prison. At best, they would probably banish him to a remote and desolate area. They would also restrict his freedom and financial resources. It would have been better than spending the rest of his life in prison.


    If he hadn''t been cruel enough to hurt his own grandfather, he wouldn''t have ended up like this.


    "Marcus is now finally getting what he deserved! Terence, don''t show him any ounce of mercy this time! He had the nerve to try and murder his own brother and his grandpa! Such a wicked man doesn''t deserve to be forgiven!"


    Carla said with a furious look on her face that Terence had never seen before.


    When she remembered what had happened in NF City and how much Terence had been affected by it, all the rage that she had kept began to rise up again. When she remembered how he almost died and how she almost lost him, she found it hard to suppress her anger from the bottom of her heart. ''It''s a light punishment for him


    urned his attention back to Terence and said, "Terence, there''s a party tomorrow evening. I would like it if you could join us. We haven''t had a party in a long time!


    You must definitely make the time to attend the party, right?


    It''d be more awesome if Carla is free, then you can go together with her. If we all go to the party, we can all have a good time. I will also invite you to dinner. Only our family will attend the party and we can talk freely!"


    Rhys looked at Terence, his eyes glowing with enthusiasm. He was waiting expectantly for Terence''s answer.


    After a while, Terence replied with a smile, "Fine, since you, my brother, invited me to the party, I must promise you that I will come either way."


    "That''s great! It''s settled then. Okay, I won''t bother you anymore. I''m leaving now!"


    Rhys was very glad that Terence promised to come. After saying goodbye to Terence and Carla, he left in a joyful mood.


    Carla looked at Terence with bewilderment in her eyes. Then, she frankly said, "Terence, according to my observations, neither of your brothers is normal, am I right?"

 Chapter 297 You Are Really Generous! (Part One)

    Feeling a bit anxious, Carla asked Terence, "Is Rhys going to end up being the same as Marcus?"


    Carla was a little worried that Rhys would be willing to go through lengths just to get a hold of Terence''s position.


    Taking a seat on the sofa and crossing his legs, Terence went ahead and told her, "No, I don''t think so. He is a clever businessman. In fact, he is perceptive enough to have a solid grasp of the present situation."


    "Do you really think it would be okay to attend the dinner party tomorrow evening?" Carla asked him with a sullen look on her face.


    "Of course. Why wouldn''t it be?"


    Terence replied, smiling at her as he swayed his legs.


    Then, in an attempt to put her mind at rest, he said, "After all he is still my brother. There used to be three brothers in the Ans, but now there are just two left. The AJ Group of companies owns a number of different industries. With that in mind, Rhys can lend me a hand in running some of them. And even though he might not be as good as Marcus, he will, at least, be able to help around a little if I just find an appropriate position for him to fill."


    In spite of everything, Rhys was also a son of the Ans. And he might be far from being as good as Marcus when it came to managing a business, but he was still relatively better than the average person.


    As she listened to Terence''s response, Carla lightly bobbed her head along.


    When he was done talking, she wondered, ''Oh, that''s right. They are indeed related by blood.


    I hope Rhys will be much more reasonable so that he can help Terence better and not follow Marcus'' footsteps and resort to doing underhanded things.


    The AJ Group manufactures various goods all over the world. If Terence has to manage the business all by himself alone, he will end up being much too busy for anything else.


    atever she wanted without a care in the world.


    But the gods watching over her from above seemed to be so fond of tormenting her and seeing her in agonizing pain.


    Moments later, Terence and Carla arrived at the venue for the meeting¡ªthe An''s Mansion.


    While Terence was still attending the meeting, Carla decided to just wait for him at the hall downstairs.


    Considering that this was a family event, so every person present should, of course, be a member of the An family.


    That being said, she wasn''t the only person who was waiting for someone at the hall.


    She stumbled upon a girl whom she had already met once before in the Ans. If her memory served her right, the girl''s name was Amanda. At any rate, how could she ever forget the girl who was referring to Terence as her uncle but still wanted to marry him anyway?


    "Carla? Your leg..."


    Staring intently at the crutch which had been supporting Carla, Amanda asked inquisitively.


    "I unfortunately got involved in a car accident a couple of weeks ago and fractured my leg," Carla explained. Although it looked rather unseemly, she lifted her injured leg on the sofa''s armrest because it would feel a hell of a lot more comfortable that way.

 Chapter 298 You Are Really Generous! (Part Two)

    "Is that true? Please be more careful next time. Try not to let it end up being an untreatable injury. There was one classmate of mine who also got his leg injured once. And from that moment on, he had been walking with a limp. Not to alarm you or anything, but even up until now, he still can''t move around normally!"


    Amanda advised her, wearing a flustered expression on her face.


    Caught completely off guard by her reaction, Carla couldn''t help but let out a soft smiled, saying, "I appreciate your concern. Thanks."


    When she consulted the doctor, she had been told that the injury she sustained wasn''t anything serious, so, typically, there shouldn''t be any permanent damage to her leg.


    Wondering deep inside, she thought, ''Could she be overthinking things?


    Or, was it that she really wanted me to end up being lame for good?''


    After a while, the meeting wrapped up eventually.


    Due to the current state of her injury, Carla found it quite difficult to stand up and greet Terence when he showed up. So, she had been forced to watch Amanda holding back a chuckle as she approached Terence.


    "Uncle Terence!" Amanda called out to him.


    "Hello, Amanda. Your grandpa will be coming down in a few minutes," Terence politely greeted her. Then, just as he was about to go over to where Carla was, Amanda abruptly stopped him in his tracks and grabbed his arm.


    "Uncle Terence, I was actually waiting for you. I have two tickets for the concert. Would you like to come and see it with me later tonight?" Amanda excitedly invited him.


    Quietly sitting still on the sofa, Carla couldn''t do anything but act like she didn''t hear a word Amanda said. Focusing her attention on anything else, she looked away to the other side.


    She mused, ''Concert? This little girl can be so upfront. Hasn''t Terence already told her that I''m his


    Terence made it clear.


    As it turned out, the reason why Amanda just kept on referring to him as "Uncle" was because she just wanted to be polite.


    "Well? What are you trying to say? So, you mean you can get married normally since no one would have a problem about it? Then what is there to be worried about? Just go ahead and marry her!"


    Carla yelled out loud, sounding so resolute.


    Upon hearing her utter those words, Terence squinted his beautiful glistening eyes. Then he blurted out, "There are lots of other girls like Amanda in the Ans family. Do you think it would be a good idea to marry all of them?"


    "I think you''re quite capable of pulling it off. You can just follow your father''s footsteps. For as long as your wife doesn''t have any qualms about it, you can take in as many lovers as you want aside from her," Carla nonchalantly responded, as though she was really serious about it.


    Terence pretended to be so shocked and glanced at her. While chuckling, he commented, "Wow, I never would have imagined that you''d be so generous!"


    He was fully aware that she was only fooling around with him, but it was true that he got a bit caught off guard by the way she was able to say that so nonchalantly.

 Chapter 299 Youre The Only Woman I Love!

    Gnashing her teeth, Carla laughed bitterly and then said, "Of course, I''m generous. You can have as many mistresses as you want, as long as you can handle all of them at the same time. I''m totally fine with that!"


    "Are you sure?"


    Terence lifted his eyebrows and asked, pinching her chin lightly. ''What a treacherous woman! She didn''t even wink when she lied, '' Terence thought to himself.


    "Yes, I''m sure! I''m not going to marry you, so why would it matter to me?" Carla responded with conviction.


    Clearing his throat, Terence pinched her waist a little bit harder and said, "You''re the one who keeps on bringing this up. Have you ever heard me say that I want to?


    If I really wanted to have a mistress, I would already have one before meeting you. Do you think I can wait for so long?"


    Indeed, Terence was the kind of man who could get whatever he wanted to with a snap of his fingers.


    So if he really wanted a mistress, why would he wait for so long? When the reality was that he had been waiting for Carla all this time!


    Pushing his hand away, Carla stared at him before saying, "You don''t want a mistress? I thought it''s every man''s dream. Are you sure that it''s not yours as well?"


    "No, I don''t want any mistresses. Although there are a lot of women in the world, beautiful ones, graceful ones or what have you, you''re the only woman I love!" Terence answered without hesitation. Holding her chin, he began to kiss her without giving her a chance to respond.


    Carla was satisfied with his reply so she kissed him back and placed her arms around his neck.


    When evening came, the well-known MG International Music Group was in JA City for their tour.


    There were a lot of people who came to their performance. All of the seats on both the upper and lower floors were occupied.


    Carla never had a chance to attend such a grand ceremony before. So she decided to come in order to experience something new. She wasn''t really a fan. However, after about the first or second song, she found out that their performance was really exciting. Before coming, she thought that she would be bored and fall asleep but she was wrong.


    Terence sat between the two women. Carla was on his left side and Amanda was on the right.


    Carla had intended to sit next to Amanda, but the latter disagreed, so they changed seats.


    Carla noticed then that the people attending the concert were dressed formally, and Terence was no exception.


    He was wearing a dark suit and white shirt inside. He also sat with poise, showing elegance with each of his movements. His defined facial features, thick eyebrows, and bright eyes turned everyone''s head wherever he went.


    day? It almost seems like she''s fond of crying."


    "Terence, Amanda isn''t just any other person. She is your uncle''s granddaughter and you know how much he loves her,"


    Edmund stated while he sighed helplessly.


    Then, he continued, "Besides, if you just removed your hand after she touched it, it would have been fine. But why did you have to wash your hands after that? You made it very clear that you despised her with what you did. Don''t you think so?"


    Terence frowned and responded, "Fine. Even if it''s my fault, there are a lot of girls who got upset because of me throughout the years. So applying what you had just said, should I comfort every one of them? Father, you know it''s impossible!"


    Furthermore, Amanda knew that Carla was his girlfriend. But still, she held his hand shamelessly which was just plain disgusting.


    "Terence, relax and listen to me. You have to go there and say something nice to her, for your uncle, please? After that, it''s over. If they demand more from you, I will say no. What do you say?"


    Edmund continued to persuade him.


    ''God knows who Terence takes after. If this happened to another man like Rhys, he would have been very excited to be touched by a young girl. But Terence, alas...


    He did not just refuse her, he also washed his hands. Who would act like that?


    How could a young girl''s hand be so dirty that he had to wash his hand? What was his problem?'' Edmund thought deeply.


    "No, I won''t go. If you want to go yourself, then you can go. I still have a lot of things to do in the company," Terence stated firmly. He was about to hang up and put the matter to rest


    when Edmund began to speak before he could do so.


    "Hold on! You have to go today! I''ll come over in a short while and then we can go together!"

 Chapter 300 I Must Marry Him

    After hanging up the phone, Terence couldn''t help frowning with annoyance. He turned around to see the beautiful Carla leaning against the door looking at him.


    Carla asked, "Was that from your father? What did he say that made you so angry?"


    "Nothing serious. It''s just some trifles,"


    Terence replied. He put his arms around Carla''s waist and kissed her. "My father will come here and pick me up after some time. I''ll have to run some errands with him. Could you wait for me at home?"


    With her arms entwined around Terence''s neck, Carla smiled and replied as she moved her fingers gently around his earlobes, "All right. Even I was wondering when I would be able to get some rest. Now you have given me that chance. You go ahead."


    After a moment, Edmund''s car arrived at their house.


    Unable to avoid Edmund''s instruction, Terence got into the car, his eyebrows still stitched in a tight frown.


    "Terence, I know you love Carla, but you can''t devote all your time to her. A man shouldn''t invest all his energy into one woman."


    Edmund kept imposing his values affectionately on Terence on their way.


    "I wouldn''t oppose you to marry Carla, but I suggest you divert your attention from her for a while and focus on other things as well. You should live life the way you want. Look at your brother Rhys."


    Rhys was a playboy. Even though he had a fiancee, he still went out to have fun with other women.


    Though having too many affairs was morally wrong, a man, especially those with high positions as Rhys and Terrence, need not care too much about fidelity, otherwise, it would be considered as their weakness.


    "Like what you did to my mother, right?"


    Terence blurted and gave out a cold laugh. He looked away from Edmund as his eyes darkened with resentment.


    Terence''s reply suddenly brought forth a spell of silence that made the air a little heavy between the two of them. Edmund froze in his seat for a while and then he cleared his throat and looked out the window.


    Terence''s mother had been a taboo between the father and son.


    Marrying Edmund was Terence''s mother''s biggest regret in her entire life. If she had a choice, she would never marry this man, who had ruined her happiness.


    Terence had witnessed the perils his mother had to go through and therefore, Terence had sworn in his mind at an early age that he would not let his woman suffer like his mother.


    He would make his future wife the happiest woman not just in JA City but the whole world. He would treasure her forever.


    Edmund, of course, would not understand that. And Terence didn''t have any in


    rence?"


    Seeing Terence coming out, Amanda''s parents hurried inside.


    Amanda was not crying anymore but was staring blankly outside the window.


    She was surprised at Terence''s reaction, but on the other hand, she felt a little delightful as well.


    She was right about Terence. If it was any other man, he would have come forward to comfort her seeing her crying like that. But Terence was different.


    The more indifference he showed, the more certain she was that Terence was the man she was looking for.


    "Mom, Dad, I must marry uncle Terence. I''ll be his wife,"


    Amanda said with a determined tone, her eyes still red.


    "Amanda, be real! He won''t even let you touch his hand. Why do you have to be so stubborn?" Amanda''s mom persuaded.


    "Mom, you don''t understand. That he doesn''t touch me now means that he won''t touch other women if I become his wife in the future,"


    Amanda said, her face breaking into a broad smile. "This is the man I''m looking for! I want a man to be faithful to me. Now that I have finally met one, why should I give up?"


    "But Amanda, Terence is already with Carla. You don''t have a chance."


    Amanda''s mom kept persuading her into giving up the idea.


    "It doesn''t matter. As long as he''s not married, I still have my chance," Amanda said, heaving a sigh and regaining her confidence.


    Carla was not born from a wealthy family. Yet Terence''s sincerity and faithfulness towards her indicated that he was not that kind of man who cared about fame and money.


    Besides, Carla was not a stunningly beautiful woman either. It meant that Terence didn''t care too much about a woman''s appearance.


    Amanda was right about Terence. He was the exact man that she wanted to share her life with.

 Chapter 301 Will He Regain His Energy Soon

    Amanda''s eyes were burning with determination. She would rarely fail to get what she wanted ever since she was a child. This would never be the exception.


    She was obviously much younger and more beautiful than Carla.


    If only she would be given a chance.


    People said that Carla saved Terence''s life and even went to NF just to rescue him at the risk of her own life. That was probably why Carla had such an unshakable position in Terence''s heart.


    However, she believed that as long as she was waiting patiently, there would be a chance for her in the future.


    When Terence came out of the South Yard, he didn''t head to the office immediately. Instead, he asked Rainer to drive him straight to the Seaview Villa.


    "Is there any updates from our informant in the Hua Group?"


    As soon as Terence got into the car, he immediately asked Rainer and Nathan who were sitting at the front of the car.


    "Noah is still the one who is in charge of the company. There''s not much difference from the last time. However..."


    said Rainer hesitantly.


    "What is it?" urged Terence while checking the time.


    "When Allen died, something happened. However, our man doesn''t know what it was because he was not there when it all happened."


    Rainer hesitated for a moment before he continued, "It''s said that Miss Carla was also there. Maybe you can ask her what it was?"


    Terence rubbed his chin then looked outside, pondering.


    "Did our informant notice something? When Carla went out, what did she look like? And what about Noah? Is there any other news?" asked Terence.


    It was the Hua Family''s business so he couldn''t possibly just ask Carla about it.


    "He said that Miss Carla seemed really down when she went out that day. Noah was just like his normal self. Mr. Terence, do you also think that there is something strange going on?" replied Rainer.


    "I agree with you, Rainer. Noah seemed to be too calm under that circumstance. It just seemed weird. He should at least be sad about it all,"


    Nathan added while backing up Rainer.


    Terence who was sitting at the back furrowed his eyebrows. He was deeply lost in his own thoughts. Then he said, "Nathan, we are close to Albert, right? Send someone reliable to visit him to get some information."


    "Yes, Mr. Terence. We will do so immediately." Nathan nodded.


    "As soon as


    Rainer''s presence, Terence''s brow furrowed. Irritated at Rainer for interrupting, he took off one shoe and threw it at him hard.


    "Get out!"


    Carla was extremely embarrassed for getting caught. She quickly stopped and got off Terence.


    Rainer didn''t dare speak a single word. He turned around immediately back into the elevator. He pressed the down button with his back facing the door. He didn''t turn around until the door closed. He wiped the beads of sweat off his forehead.


    "Carla, let''s continue what we were doing.


    I am not yet satisfied." Terence leaned towards Carla for a kiss but she pushed him away.


    "Forget it. It''s broad daylight. Let''s just enjoy the sea." Carla cleared her throat and straightened up to tidy her skirt.


    It was really embarrassing to get caught while they were in the middle of their make-out session. If they were seen again, she would surely die of embarrassment.


    Terence lifted one eyebrow and whispered in her ear, "Nobody will come up again. I am already aroused. If you don''t believe me, you can check it to make sure that I''m telling the truth."


    Then, he grabbed her hand to make her feel his erection.


    Carla''s hand immediately stiffened when she touched him. It was as if she was burnt by a hot iron. Her face blushed. "We just had sex this morning before getting up. It was just a few hours ago. How could you possibly regain your energy so soon?"


    They also had a lot of sex last night. Their morning sex was just about three hours ago.


    How could he do that so easily without getting tired?

 Chapter 302 To Satisfy His Lust

    "Carla, why are you looking at me like that?"


    Terence looked at her face while raising an eyebrow. He stretched out his hand and pinched her cheek then said, "Aren''t you happy with that your lover has a good sexual appetite? I''m sure that I have also proved my ability in satisfying you inside the bedroom already. Do you want someone impotent as a lover?"


    Carla immediately answered, "Of course not. That''s not what I meant. It''s just that my leg hasn''t recovered yet. I hope you could control your strong desire for a while just until I''ve recovered fully..." Carla felt a little shy when she said that to Terence. Carla patted her injured leg lightly then said, "Would you like to accompany me to see the sea for a while?" She then placed her hand on Terence''s neck and then touched his hair to comfort him.


    Terence took a deep breath to control his desire. He then leaned lightly on her shoulder and agreed to accompany her to see the view.


    However, he really couldn''t help himself from touching her so he rubbed her back with his hand while looking at the view.


    After a while, Carla suddenly felt a little cold. She looked down only to find out that Terence had took off her clothes. She then turned her eyes to the man beside her and saw that his eyes were already burning like fire with desire.


    She knew that it was hard for him to control himself when his lust and desire took over him.


    Besides, there were only the two of them there at the moment.


    In the end, she decided to just satisfy his lust and desire...


    Terence and Carla didn''t go downstairs until it was lunch time.


    After lunch, Carla went back to their bedroom to sleep. Terence rested for a while then went to work that afternoon.


    At dusk, Carla woke up and went out of their bedroom.


    She walked around the small garden while admiring the flowers that had fallen that season. She was also enjoying herself while listening to the sound of the waves. She felt extremely happy and peaceful.


    After a while, Sean got home from school.


    Sean told Carla a lot of interesting stories that happened to him in school. He was proudly telling her that his grades were in the top three of their whole grade for the mid-term exam.


    What made Carla more surprised was that Sean had joined the swimming team in addition to the basketball team that he had joined before. As his sister, she was really happy to see that her brother was growing healthily and energetically.


    When she saw that Sean had grown into a tall and confident boy, she was glad that she made the right decision to take him to JA City.


    The education here was much better than that in BH City.


    More importantly, Sean was becoming more and more confident in his new school. It surprised Carla a lot.


    "Miss Carla, sorry for interrupting! But Mr. Terence is calling," Sophie said while interrupting Sean and Carla''s conversation.


    Sophie came over and handed the


    I was caught up in the moment," Sean immediately apologized. His hands, however, were now shaking her arm.


    When she saw that Sean deliberately grabbed her arm, Carla raised her hand and flicked his forehead. Then she shouted at him, "Sean, if you continue touching me, I''ll take the whole pot and pour oil all over you!"


    But her warning didn''t work on him. Soon there were several oily fingerprints on her white shirt.


    Sean stuck out his tongue to Carla and then walked away from the table with a chicken leg in one hand. Then he said with a smile, "Come on! Can you even catch me? I''m just standing here!"


    As soon as Carla stood up, she felt a sudden pain in her injured leg. She could only sit down and continue her dinner.


    Carla and Sean would argue frequently when their parents were still alive. In the past two years, the arguments between them had decreased a lot.


    But still, it was inevitable for them to argue now and then.


    Soon, Carla was finished with dinner.


    Carla went back to her bedroom to prepare for the party. Rainer came to pick her up after a few hours. He also brought her a set of clothes.


    The clothes were very beautiful. It had a fresh fragrance that could make people feel pleasant. However, she believed that she wouldn''t become beautiful no matter what clothes she was wearing. After all, her injured leg looked ugly already.


    But Rainer made an effort to bring her the clothes so she decided that she would definitely wear them.


    She thought that she should also do her makeup to match the beautiful clothes.


    When she was finished with her preparations, she finally left the room. Rainer was already waiting for her outside.


    She greeted him, "Rainer, have you been waiting for a long time?"


    Rainer was originally waiting by the corridor. When he heard Carla greet him, he turned his head to answer her. However, as soon as his eyes landed on Carla, he became speechless all of a sudden.

 Chapter 303 Crazy For You

    "Rainer?" Carla spoke up. "Did you wait for too long?" "N-No. I only waited for a few minutes, Miss Carla. A-Are you ready?"


    Rainer stammered, staring at her startled.


    Carla wore a dark red off-shoulder evening dress. This emphasized her beautiful porcelain skin. The front and the back of the dress were decorated with embroidered roses.


    Her dress reached until her ankles. In that way, her broken leg could be concealed perfectly. No one would find out that something was wrong with her leg if she ever stood still.


    Her hair was adorned into a bun with a few wispy strands on her neck. She completely looked like a beautiful nymph in legends.


    "Of course! Let''s bring it on! It took me time to get dressed. So I would like to apologize to keep you waiting,"


    Carla said with a guilty smile on her face. She took her crutch and went to the elevator.


    Rainer still couldn''t help but admire her. As he saw her going to the elevator, he immediately followed her and pushed the buttons for her.


    "Miss Carla, you look beautiful today,"


    Rainer complimented, lowering his head bashfully.


    Carla grinned, "Why are you blushing? Are you really that busy that you don''t have time to go out with any girl? Hm. I''ll convince Terence to give you a vacation. What do you think?"


    Rainer shook his head and answered, "Thank you, Miss Carla, but there is no need. As Mr. Terence''s personal assistant, I oftentimes meet a lot of people. I also meet a lot of girls. But every time I hear them chatter, it just makes me feel annoyed.


    Please don''t take it wrong, Miss Carla. I am not referring to you. It''s just I''m so used to being alone and I just don''t want to have a relationship right now."


    Carla blinked and her eyes went wide. "Wait! Terence meets other girls often?"


    "Well, when he''s at the company, he seldom meets girls. But in other situations such as parties, they would ogle around him. You know how most girls are into attractive rich men, right?"


    Rainer stated.


    Carla knitted her eyebrows together and thought, ''Well, it kind of makes sense.


    If so, then there will be a lot of girls who will try to get his attention tonight.


    Well, it''s inevitable.''


    Finally, they stepped out of the villa.


    Rainer helped Carla open the back door of the Rolls-Royce car.


    Around half an hour later, they arrived at JA Sea. It was called such


    n surprise. "Why is Johnny also here?"


    Terence hesitated and sighed, "Rhys told me that Johnny kept insisting on coming even though he wasn''t invited. He had no choice but to grant his stupid request. What a cheeky guy! Carla, what do you think he is here for?"


    Looking at his serious eyes, Carla stammered, "I-is it f-for me?"


    Even if she had a temporary amnesia, her memory was almost recovered. Johnny had chased her crazily during the time he thought Terence didn''t survive the accident.


    Ever since Terence came back, he had never showed up.


    "Who else would he come for if not you? He''s been coveting you for quite a while now. What do you say about throwing him out from the deck to the sea?" Terence wrapped an arm around her shoulders and lifted her chin up with another hand.


    When Terence was in NF City, there were three people behind the plot of murdering him. Amongst them was Marcus who had been punished.


    The other two who were also involved were Johnny and...


    "There''s no need to show mercy on him. I get an injured leg but my other leg is ready to kick him anytime!" Carla spoke as she pushed him away and stretched out her uninjured leg.


    Seeing Carla expressing her hatred for Johnny in such a manner, Terence felt a bit glum. He wondered, ''If she knew Noah also took part in the conspiracy, would she team up with me against him?''


    As they talked about Johnny, a bold woman walked over and looked at Terence with expectant eyes.


    She spoke up with a smile, "It''s an honor to meet you, Mr. Terence. May I have a drink alone with you?"

 Chapter 304 I Want Your Life

    Carla cast a glance at Terence. Then, she raised her chin and turned to the woman who was trying to seduce Terence with her eyes. After looking at the women for quite some time, she turned to Terence and asked him deliberately, "She''s inviting you for a drink. Why aren''t you going to respond to her?"


    But Terence didn''t even look at that woman. He said with a frown, "I don''t have time for that."


    They both didn''t notice that the woman had strode over to them. "Mr. Terence, I''m Julissa Zou, Chairman Zou''s daughter. We have met before. Do you still remember me?" the woman then candidly introduced herself. She knew that Terence didn''t even take a glance at her. She felt a little upset but she refused to give up.


    Carla pulled at Terence clothes lightly, prompting him to greet her at least in order to show courtesy.


    Upon noticing Carla''s gesture, Terence finally looked at the woman. He raised his lips to show a small smile and then stated, "Miss Julissa! Yes, I remember you. But my girlfriend is not feeling well right now, so I need to accompany her."


    "Well... In that case, I''ll just wait for you then," Julissa Zou said. The disappointment was apparent in her voice. She didn''t wait for them to respond and just left. But before she could do so, she made sure to look at Carla from head to toe, jealousy pouring out from her eyes.


    "Wow, did you notice how upset she was?" Carla said sarcastically when she saw that Julissa Zou left being very disappointed.


    Terence held her waist with one hand, leaned closer to her and stated, "Don''t be jealous. Sometimes, we just need to exchange courtesies with people who we don''t like for etiquette."


    With Terence''s identity and position, it was inevitable for him to interact with some women in public.


    What happened just now was a perfect example of basic etiquette for him.


    After a short while, Rainer came towards them and immediately bent down. He reported, "Mr. Terence, Mr. Rhys is inviting you over."


    "Okay, I see," Terence responded. Then he whispered to Carla, "Wait for me here. I''ll come back soon." He turned to Rainer and said, "Rainer, stay here. Take good care of her."


    After Terence left, Carla remained in her seat for a while, feeling a little bored.


    When she finally had it, she stood up and took the crutch beside her. Then, she walked towards the door in front of her and said, "Rainer, let''s go outside to watch the stars!"


    Rainer immediately came to help her and they went outside together.


    "Miss Carla, slow down. Stay here and wait for me, please. I''m going to get a chair for you," Rainer said. He thought that it would be inconvenient for her to stand there. Since it was windy on the deck


    you want as long as you give her to me."


    Johnny looked at Terence impassively and then turned to the woman who forced Terence in there.


    Ironically enough, Terence seemed calm when he was finally in front of them.


    However, that changed in a second when he suddenly grabbed Johnny''s shirt collar.


    He stated firmly, "I want your life as payment. Can you afford that?"


    Johnny leaned back a little but he wasn''t mad because of Terence''s statement. He responded, "Really? Okay, sure! I''ll give you a chance to have my life. If I win, she will belong to me. Deal?"


    Carla stared at them while she was becoming more and more enraged with their conversation. She took off the coat and threw it to Johnny.


    She shouted, "Stop!"


    Then, she glared at Johnny and said, "Johnny, I think I''ve made it clear to you. I don''t need your concern! I didn''t need it before! I don''t need it today! And I certainly won''t need it in the future! As for whom I belong to, both of you don''t have the right to make that decision for me!"


    Who she chose to be with should be by her own will. It should be her choice and her choice only.


    "Right, we both can''t make that decision for you. But can you give me a chance to compete with him and show you that it''s me who actually deserves you?"


    Johnny stated while he adjusted his collar, looking straight into Carla.


    "Terence, how about making a bet with me? Let''s both jump down from here. If I can swim to the other side faster than you, I win!" Johnny said as he turned to Terence.


    He then continued, "If I win, you need to give me a chance to compete fairly with you. After all, you haven''t gotten married yet. I can still pursue her. Are you brave enough to make a bet with me?"


    Johnny looked at Terence with defiant eyes, waiting for his answer.

 Chapter 305 Guessing Game

    The cruise ship was already driven far enough making the brilliantly illuminated JA City look dimmer and dimmer. It would not be a laughing matter to swim such a long distance just to reach the shore.


    Not to mention that the water was getting colder because the season had just turned into autumn.


    "Johnny, could you please stop being mad?" Carla shouted at Johnny without waiting for Terence''s reply. "Who would want to bet with you? Why should we agree? Would this bet even mean anything?


    I will never date you even if you win this bet. What would you do then?" Carla kept on asking a bunch of questions in an attempt to stop Johnny.


    ''This is childish!


    He is simply acting childish!


    Damn it! Just dive into the water if you really want to. Nobody cares! Why the hell should Terence agree to a bet with you?'' Carla thought in her head angrily.


    Terence gently smiled at Carla and placed the cloak that he got from Rainer around her shoulders. "Carla, I do not mind taking him on if he would insist on gambling with me."


    "No way! The water is so cold and you just recovered from everything. No, no, no, you cannot do this," Carla strongly insisted. Just standing there, she could already feel the chill from the cold wind. The icy waters would be undoubtedly more unbearable than the chill from the wind.


    Terence was only wearing a thin shirt at the moment. Rainer, who was standing not far from them, was holding Terence''s overcoat in his hand. He was also trying to talk Terence out of the bet.


    "Miss Carla is right, Mr. Terence. You should take care of your body. You don''t have to agree to this bet. If Mr. Nicholas heard that you agreed to swim in the icy water in such a cold day, both Nathan and I would be surely scolded," said Rainer to him pleadingly.


    "When did our Mr. Terence become so delicate? Can''t you decide on your own whether or not to accept my challenge, Mr. Terence?" Johnny sneered at Terence when he heard what Carla and Rainer said.


    "Shut your mouth, Johnny!" Carla glared and shouted at Johnny as soon as she heard his words.


    She kept on stopping them because Terence just recovered. The cold water was surely more than he could stand.


    Besides, it was really unnecessary for them to do such a childish bet because both of them were no longer teenagers anymore.


    "You only want to challenge us, don''t you? Can we just change the bet? The water is too cold. What if I become your rival instead?" Carla asked him suddenly.


    Someone tapped Carla''s shoulder as soon as she was finished with her words. She turned a


    n leg.


    As the one who suggested the game, Julissa obviously became one of the participants. She also suggested that every one of them use the same perfume just in case the men use Carla''s scent as a clue to find her easily.


    Aside from that, they were also asked to take off all of their jewelry


    because Carla did not have any on her.


    The difficulty of the game had been tripled.


    While her head was resting on her hands, Carla turned to the direction of Terence and Johnny. The two competitors were currently still preparing for the game. They were so engrossed in their own preparation that they did not even look at each other.


    There was only one rule. The one who could find Carla faster would win the game.


    It was decided that Johnny would go first.


    Carla glanced at Julissa who was sitting a seat away from her.


    She noticed that Julissa''s eyes were looking at Terence from time to time. She was also acting a bit restless. ''She was the one who proposed the game. Why is she so nervous?'' Carla thought to herself.


    Carla moved her eyes to the top of Julissa''s head. She suddenly realized that Julissa fixed her hair in a way that it was almost identical to Carla''s.


    At that moment, Johnny began guessing. The men were allowed to touch the women''s hands and head in the first round.


    Johnny eliminated several of the girls by only touching their wrists. He had a special method of his own.


    If he thought that the woman could be Carla, he would put a card on the table in front of her as his marker then he would come back to touch her again after a while.


    When Johnny was approaching Carla, she looked at her wrist and rolled her eyes.


    An idea suddenly came into her mind.

 Chapter 306 Who Will Jump Into The Sea

    Carla noticed that some of the women were taking the opportunity to touch and attract Johnny.


    When they touched him excessively, Johnny would immediately eliminate them from the competition.


    After some time, it was Carla''s turn.


    He stopped in front of her and stretched out his hand to grab her wrist.


    However, as soon as Johnny touched her wrist, Carla immediately stretched out one foot to touch his leg to confuse him.


    Affected by her touch, Johnny immediately loosened his grab on her wrist and walked to the next one.


    Carla looked at her wrist. And then she looked at the other eleven women. She realized that there were about five or six women whose wrist was almost the same as hers in size.


    She thought that Johnny wouldn''t possibly guess correctly who she was among the other women by just simply touching her wrist. However, before she could even sigh in relief, Johnny came back to her.


    He placed a card on the table in front of her.


    At the end of that round, only five girls met Johnny''s requirements and got his cards.


    Johnny was actually smart enough to eliminate seven women just by touching their wrist. So in his first round, he kept five women, and of course, that included Carla.


    Carla glanced at Terence who was waiting for his turn on the other side. Although he couldn''t see what was happening, Rainer was reporting everything to him.


    Soon, Johnny finally started with the last round of screening.


    For the last round, he decided to touch the five women''s hair and some parts of their face.


    When he touched Julissa''s hair, he stopped for a while. Julissa deliberately changed her hair into the same style as Carla''s. However, Johnny still eliminated her after a few minutes.


    It was all because Julissa''s facial features were different from Carla''s.


    Carla was originally planning on deliberately making Johnny eliminate her in the first round. However, she didn''t expect that he would still keep her to the second round.


    After a while, Johnny approached her again.


    When Johnny was about to touch her face, she dodged him instinctively. She immediately realized that her dodging him would attract his attention so she controlled herself to not avoid his touch again.


    When Johnny felt that the woman slightly dodged him, he was sure that only Carla would do something like that to him. He immediately took off his blindfold.


    When he saw that Carla was staring at him right in the face, he was momentarily speechless.


    He smiled at her broadly. When he remembered that she tried to confuse him by touching his leg in the first round, his smile became broader.


    "Congratulations! Mr. Johnny! It took you just eight minutes!"


    Rhys who was judging the competition looked at his watch and stated.


    Then it was Terence''s turn next.


    The twelve women''s seating arrangement was slightly changed.


    It was immediately apparent that the twelve women became more nervous th


    gh to just let him swim all night.


    Compared with what Terence had suffered in the jungle, this was just a drop in the ocean.


    That was the reason why the cruise ship left Johnny without any hesitation.


    When Terence accompanied Carla to watch the night view for a while, Rhys came and approached them.


    "Carla, although Terence and I are brothers, it''s really rare for us to go out together. Do you mind if I have a drink with him for a little while?"


    Rhys asked Carla with a smile.


    Rhys'' real purpose was to repair his brotherly relationship with Terence. He would never forget that for that day.


    Carla was now recognized by their grandpa and father. Terence also loved her dearly. Rhys couldn''t possibly ignore her opinion now.


    Carla looked at Terence and agreed, "Of course. It''s no problem."


    Terence looked at Carla and said, "Well, I arranged for someone to send you back to the Seaview Villa. You can sleep on this ship but I think that you would be more comfortable to sleep at home."


    Terence was thinking about her injured leg so he decided that it would be more convenient if she went home. Besides, even if she slept in the ship that night, she would still need to go home early the next morning.


    It was already getting late so it was better to send her back immediately. She also wouldn''t need to get up early tomorrow morning this way.


    Carla nodded. She actually wanted to go home at that moment.


    She had already enjoyed the scene so she could do nothing more in the ship. She thought that sleeping at their home would be more comfortable than staying in the ship a little longer.


    Therefore, she decided to go back to Seaview Villa first.


    Later that night, Carla arrived home.


    She took off her dress and changed into her more casual clothes. Then she waited for Terence in their bedroom.


    Terence didn''t come back until three o''clock in the morning.


    He was so drunk that he was unable to walk properly.

 Chapter 307 Drunken But Cute Terence

    Nathan and Rainer supported Terence and took him up to his room.


    While glancing at the drunken and unconscious man on the bed, Carla inadvertently saw a trace of lipstick when she got closer to him. She then looked at the two men who were standing beside her.


    "I remembered Rhys coming to him and asking him if they could get some drinks. Do I remember correctly? Tell me what this is then?"


    ''What happened to him while I was away? It was for only a few hours!'' Carla thought to herself.


    Nathan and Rainer were looking really suspicious at the moment. They were looking at each other and were avoiding her eye contact.


    Nathan responded with a slightly disdainful expression, "Miss Carla, you should know that it is inevitable for men to socialize with other people. Of course, they drank together. However, they also played a little. There is no need for you to pay attention to this kind of details."


    "What? Are you really talking to me like this, Nathan?"


    Carla said coldly. ''What he''s really trying to say is that I''m meddlesome, isn''t he?'' she wondered.


    Nathan decided to just keep silent and keep his head down.


    "I should tell you this, Nathan. If you don''t respect me, you don''t ever appear in front of me again in the future. Rainer, tell me what happened?" Carla turned to Rainer after talking to Nathan.


    "Don''t be angry, Miss Carla. Mr. Rhys went to Mr. Terence just to drink and to reminisce about their past and the good times that they used to have. However, Mr. Rhys got so drunk that he suddenly called some women to accompany them while drinking. It, it was inevitable..."


    Rainer explained while looking at Terence who was lying on the bed. Terence was so drunk and he was still unconscious.


    ''Everyone knows that Mr. Rhys always has women accompany him every time he goes out to attend social parties.


    There were so many women on the ship last night. How could Mr. Rhys not take the chance to play with them?'' Rainer wondered.


    When she heard what Rainer said, Carla immediately walked over to Terence and pulled his shirt wide open in front of the two men.


    While looking at his upper body, Carla suddenly frowned and asked, "Rainer, are you sure that the women did not touch him?


    What are these red marks then? Are you saying that these red marks aren''t those left behind after having too much sex?"


    Carla was trembling with rage. ''I am sure that this would never happen if Terence was awake. But now he is drunk! Did he unconsciously have sex with other women?'' she thought.


    The thought of those women who wanted to have sex with Terence so badly, including Julissa, made Carla feel sick all over. She wanted to vomit.


    "This, this... Miss Carla, we were outside the whole time. We did not go in the room with them. We don''t know what exactly happened there,"


    Rainer answered while lowering his head. There was a slight flicker in his


    t she had done it because of amnesia. She is not to blame for what she''s done. She shouldn''t be subjected to such harsh words. She already went through so much, '' Rainer pondered.


    After finishing his work, Rainer asked Carla, "Miss Carla, can you take care of Mr. Terence alone tonight? Or should I stay here to look after him? You can sleep in the room next door tonight if you like."


    "It''s okay. I can do this by myself. You should go and rest," Carla confirmed.


    She kept her eyes on Terence who was still on the bed while she was talking to Rainer.


    "Well then, I''ll head downstairs now. Please call me if you need anything,"


    Rainer was slowly stepping back out of the room while speaking.


    Carla lay beside Terence while looking at his peacefully sleeping face. Then she gently touched his cheek with one hand.


    Suddenly, her hand touched the hickey on his skin. She wiped them with her hand. To her surprise, the red marks suddenly faded.


    Carla couldn''t help but snort and laugh a little. ''It''s Nathan who did this. He did this because he wanted to know my reaction to the hickeys, '' she thought.


    Although she felt a bit unhappy when she noticed the hickeys, she was relieved after realizing what was really happening.


    Carla wrapped her hands around Terence''s waist.


    As soon as Carla touched his waist, though, Terence frowned. He pulled her hands away from him, and then turned over to continue sleeping.


    Terence was definitely not acting like his usual self. He was thoroughly drunk. He couldn''t accurately distinguish who was around him like he did when he was sober.


    That was the reason why he instinctively protected himself from anyone and just fell into a deep sleep.


    Seeing Terence''s reaction, Carla was now convinced that what Rainer said was true. No woman could possibly go near him like this.


    ''So I can''t even touch you now?


    Hmm, I will never allow this, '' Carla wondered.

 Chapter 308 An Agonizing Night

    Carla stared at Terence who was drunk at that moment. She was then taken back to the memories of his very well poised performance on the cruise ship last night. Such a huge contrast made her burst into laughter.


    Lying on the bed with her head resting on her propped arm, she smiled at him. She wanted to tease him so bad so she deliberately put her hand on his waist. But Terence immediately shoved her hand away as soon as she touched him.


    She laughed. She didn''t expect that he would become so cute when he was drunk.


    He was actually much cuter now than the first time she saw him get drunk.


    "Terence, honey, let me hug you, okay? Just for one minute!"


    Carla said while she purposely increased her tone. She quietly touched his chest with one hand and brushed her chin tenderly against his arm. And then she wanted to bury her head into his arms.


    But before she could do so, he pushed her head away.


    "Don''t touch me!" he refused in a hoarse tone.


    Keeping his eyes closed, he frowned.


    After being refused twice already, Carla could only stare at his back. She rolled her eyes at him and pouted.


    She thought, ''I can''t believe it! How come he''s not attracted to me! Is he really drunk?


    How could he still perceive so clearly that I''m touching him?''


    Soon enough, it dawned on Carla that she had underestimated his vigilance while he was drunk.


    With that, she suddenly realized something that made her so excited.


    She thought, ''If he''s still sensible, does that mean I don''t need to worry that he''ll sleep with other women when he''s drunk?''


    Then, Carla wanted to test how strong his self-control could be, so she thought about how to go about it.


    Although it was 3 o''clock in the morning, Carla was very exhilarated.


    She was limping back and forth in the room as if in contemplation, deciding whether to proceed with her plan or not. After a while, she finally changed into a very revealing nightgown which she didn''t wear that often. The piece was a luxurious garment made of silk which had see-through lace in the chest and back area.


    She then proceeded to open Terence''s quilt and went inside quietly.


    "Mr. Terence... Mr. Terence, wake up," she whispered.


    She shook his arms but she couldn''t help giggling when she did so. Earlier, Rainer had helped Terence change into his nightgown which was¡ªfortunately for Carla¡ªvery easy to take off.


    Without exerting much effort, she pulled the tie of his robe, revealing his body. As soon as she was about to touch his chest, her wrist was gripped very firmly.


    Terence''s grasp was a bit stronger than before. He warned with a hoarse voice, "If you touch me again, I''ll throw you out of here."


    Although he opened his eyes this time, he couldn''t recognize Carla because she had turned off the lights. The room was pitch black and he couldn''t see anything. All he knew then was that someone was trying to touch him.


    "Why do you refuse me? Mr. Terence, you''re a man. Sleeping with me wouldn''t do any harm to you..." Carla said softly, trying so hard not to laugh. She


    ing over Carla.


    Carla nodded and went out of the room to call Sophie.


    When she came back, she saw Terence sitting cross-legged on the bed while wearing a sapphire nightgown made of silk. It was probably because he felt so hot that his neckline was torn open, revealing his toned pale chest.


    Meanwhile, his one nostril was still stuffed with a white paper towel. It made him look funny and cute.


    He was totally different from whom he used to be. Even Carla rarely saw him in such a funny disposition.


    So she cherished that moment very dearly.


    "Oh! I forgot! I''ll change my clothes right now!" Carla exclaimed. She was distracted by his funny appearance that it took her a while to figure out that it was because of her sexy nightgown. She quickly went out of the room and changed into an ordinary white nightgown that covered her body.


    When his nose stopped bleeding, Terence threw the paper towel into the garbage can. He usually slept with Carla in his arms. But today he chose to sleep by himself, with his head somewhat heavy and his eyes closed tight.


    Before long, Sophie took the sobering soup up to their room.


    Carla went to open the door and let Sophie in.


    "Terence, Terence?" Carla called him, trying to make him have the soup while it was still hot.


    Terence gradually opened his eyes and saw Carla waking him up with the soup in her hands. He sat up straight, took the bowl and gulped it down quickly.


    "Is there anything else? If there''s none, I''ll turn off the lights and go to bed," Carla asked when she saw that he had finished the soup.


    It was already four o''clock in the morning. She thought that if they still didn''t fall asleep soon, daybreak would come by.


    "Okay. Turn off the lights,"


    Terence answered, breathing a sigh of relief.


    Carla turned off the main light and the bedside lamp. And then, she got ready to lie down in his arms like usual.


    But today, as soon as she touched him, he swiftly moved away from her.


    "...... Carla, sleep by yourself tonight," Terence said.

 Chapter 309 A Beast And His Beauty

    "But I''m used to sleeping in your arms," Carla stated, declining Terence''s idea of sleeping away from each other. With her arm reached out to hold Terence''s arm in place, she inched closer towards him. In spite of the strong smell of alcohol, his arms were warm as usual.


    When her fingers touched his chest, however, she got startled. "Oh my god, your body is burning. Do you have a fever or something?" she asked.?


    Terence furrowed his eyebrows but he remained silent. He closed his eyes and felt her fingers gently go over from his chest to his forehead. She was trying to see if he had a fever.


    He slowly shoved her hand away and firmly said, "I''m fine. Just go to sleep."


    "How could you be fine? You''re burning up," Carla exclaimed. Anxiously, she rose up and immediately covered him with the quilt. Then an idea clicked in her mind. She said, "I''ll get a cool towel for you."?


    But when she was about to get off the bed, he got hold of her wrist.


    "No need to be so worked up. I''m fine. Just go back to sleep. I''ll be better when I wake up," he said. After that, he pulled her back to the bed. Even though Terence was drunk, he thought about how Carla''s leg was still in bad condition. So he didn''t want to trouble her.


    Carla was stunned for a few moments, then she said, "Well, fine. If you say so."? Since he refused any help, Carla decided to let it go. She bit her lip and unwillingly lay back on the bed beside him.


    After exhaling deeply, Terence turned around with his back facing her. He wanted to avoid looking at her seductive face.


    Carla didn''t say anything more. She just moved closer to him, leaned her face against his back and slowly closed her eyes.


    After a while, she heard a strong gasp in the dark.


    She unconsciously reached out her arm and it landed around his waist. Trying to see if he was alright, she continued to move her hand downwards. When she happened to skim over a certain part, she was startled. Her eyes threw open in surprise.


    "Oh my! Terence!" she cried out, waking up and surprising Terence.?


    "What''s wrong?"


    Terence asked, his voice cracking.


    "What happened to you?" she stammered, feeling embarrassed with the situation. "You have to go to the bathroom and check yourself right now. Are you okay? Do you need me to call Rainer?"? Carla threw question after question at him in shock.


    "I already told you I''m fine," he reassured her.


    "What do you mean by ''fine''? I can tell that you''re not fine. Tell me the truth. How long have you been like that? I''m worried about you," she pressed on the situation.?


    She thought that he had too much alcohol earlier. On top of that,


    set the ointment on the bedside table and reached out his arms to hold her shoulders gently.  He lowered his head to give her a soft kiss in apology and hoped that it would help ease her pain.


    Afterward, there was silence. Terence didn''t know what to say anymore to express his regrets. Carla spoke first, "I am wondering if you could ask your brother about the wine or whatever you had yesterday. I keep on thinking that he might have added some drugs in the wine." She probed, trying to figure out what made him act like that. He was completely not his usual self.


    She felt as if multiple of her bones were broken. What she was feeling exceeded the ones that she had experienced before a hundred times over.


    Indeed, it was unbearable and she wanted to cry in pain.


    She thought that Rhys must have played some tricks on Terence.


    "I don''t think he would do that. Besides, I don''t need those things. You''re like a drug to me Carla. Just one kiss from you and every bit of my sanity would be thrown out the window.? It works much better than anything else," he smiled ruefully. His voice sounded ashamed as if he was confessing something disgraceful. At any rate, he was glad to see that he didn''t hurt her leg to make the situation even worse.


    If he had, he wouldn''t forgive himself.


    She glowered at him, pouting. But soon enough, she decided to drop the topic and said, "Terence, I''m hungry."


    Terence smiled and responded, "Just lie here and take some rest. I''ll cook for you today." He carefully adjusted her on the bed and then headed towards the door.


    Not long after he left, her phone rang on the desk.


    She rolled over to reach the phone. The moment she saw the caller''s ID, she trembled a little.


    "Hello," she answered in hesitation.

 Chapter 310 Its Time To Come Back

    Noah''s voice poured out from the phone, "Carla, it''s time for you to come back, right?"


    His tone was warm but somehow, Carla felt burdensome when hearing his question. When she remained silent, he continued, "I have prepared everything here. Our engagement banquet will be held at 10 o''clock tomorrow morning."


    No matter how gentle Noah''s words were, Carla felt like they were a death warrant, making her break out in a cold sweat. His voice that used to bring her comfort was now giving her anxiety.


    For the past days, she felt so happy being with Terence that she almost forgot that she was going to be engaged to Noah.


    "Noah, I haven''t been feeling well recently. Can I...can we...postpone the engagement for a few more days?"


    Carla uneasily asked while biting her lips.


    It was Noah''s turn to be silent for a while.


    And then he said, "Carla, you know that our family is well-known. Once the news is released, it cannot be changed overnight, otherwise, it will cause unnecessary gossips."


    Noah paused for a while, waiting for her reaction. When she didn''t, he continued in a gentle tone, "I know you don''t want to be separated from Terence, but our engagement is only a ceremony. We''re only going to do it for formalities'' sake."


    Finally, he said, "Once our engagement is finished, you just need to stay here to accompany our mother for a few days. Then, no one would be on your way in going back to Terence."


    Carla slowly closed her eyes. After a long time, she could only say, "I know."


    Noah took it as Carla''s acceptance of the whole situation so he became relieved for a bit. Then he said, "Okay, I''ll arrange for someone to pick you up."


    "No, I don''t need it, Noah. I''ll be back by myself early tomorrow morning," Carla immediately said. Contrary to what she had just said, she couldn''t even get up from the bed at that moment because of what happened last night. How could she even go back to HA City?


    She could only lie on the bed and wait for the pain to recover a little until the next day. Then, she would have a chance to be able to go back to HA City.


    "Okay, the engagement will be held at 10 o''clock. Don''t be late," Noah said, emphasizing the time once more. Then, he hung up the phone.


    Carla''s heart uncontrollably beat quickly. Her mobile phone slipped out from her palm. Ignoring it, she leaned on the bed while she began to massage her aching temples.


    At that moment, every fiber of her being was in a real turmoil. She had no idea what she could do.


    How could she tell Terence that she was going to get engaged to Noah? She didn''t want to hurt Terence. She didn''t have any courage to face his disappointment.


    But she thought, ''If I don''t tell Terence today, the news will reach him one way or another after our engagement party tomorrow.


    It would be too late by then to explain my side, especially if it came from a stranger or anyone else but me.


    I should tell him today...''


    Meanwhile, Terence was busy in the kitchen.


    He was cooking with his white sleeves rolled up. Numerous cooking pots and pans were in front of him while he continued to slice up the ingredients. He looked at that


    d which was displayed in the room when Noah came in. She cast a glance at Noah and was curious about why he came here without telling her in advance.


    It hadn''t been long since Allen passed away. Andrea had yet to be used to the life that she now led on without her husband. So every day, she would look at Allen''s picture for a long time.


    After all, she had lived with Allen for several decades. And then suddenly, he went into another world and left her all alone. It was really hard for her to adapt to such a lonely life.


    "Mother, I came here to invite you to go to JA City," Noah stated his purpose right away.


    He and Carla were going to hold the engagement banquet tomorrow, but Carla hadn''t come back yet. So he was worried that she would change her decision.


    Although Carla had promised that she would come back tomorrow morning and he agreed with that, he still thought that it would be a little late and risky if she came back tomorrow.


    Andrea shifted her focus from the picture. She looked at Noah and said, "Are you afraid that Callie won''t come back?"


    "Yes," Noah answered.


    He then expressed the worries in his heart, "To be honest, Callie isn''t very familiar and intimate with the Hua family yet. Although she promised to get engaged before Father died, it''s still her decision whether she would come back or not. If she finally decides not to come back, how will this engagement banquet be carried out?"


    Noah''s worries were not without reason. Walls have ears. Even though he had tried everything in his power to keep this engagement a secret, he was worried that Terence would still know about it.


    He thought, ''If Terence found out that I''ll be engaged to Carla, he would definitely stop her from coming back.''


    So Noah thought that he should figure out a way to make Carla come back before the engagement banquet.


    And the only thing he could think of was to make Andrea personally pick up Carla.


    After all, Andrea was her biological mother.


    If Andrea went to pick up Carla in person, Noah thought Terence would have no way to stop Carla from coming back.

 Chapter 311 Dont Go And Just Stay With Me (Part One)

    While she continued to stare at Noah, Andrea slowly sat down on the rosewood chair. Then, she took a sip of tea before saying, "Well, Noah, I have been wanting to talk to you."


    Upon hearing those words, Noah''s brown eyes suddenly flashed dark. But he immediately covered it by smiling gently as he sat down on the chair beside Andrea.


    "Mother, whatever you need to say, just say it. You can be direct with me," Noah told her sincerely.


    Andrea asked the servant to pour him a cup of tea too. Her graceful and gentle temperament always made her look dignified and beautiful. After a while, she explained comprehensively, "Noah, I know you''re not satisfied with your father''s will.


    But your father is not here right now and I have the right to redistribute shares. I promise to be fair and just. I won''t be biased towards anyone. I want you and Callie to share our assets equally. The two of you will have 30 percent of shares each. This way, the whole Hua family will belong to both you and Callie."


    Noah lowered his gaze a little while a soft smile made its way on his face.


    "Mother, do you have any hesitation about our marriage? Are you worried about your daughter?"


    Andrea shook her head and sighed softly. Then, she said, "Noah, among the Hua family''s descendants, you are the most capable and I''m very proud to call you my son."


    She paused for a while before placing her hands on top of his. She held his hand gently then stated, "Although you are my adopted child, you know that I have treated you like my own over the years.


    If Callie loves you, I would be the happiest person in the world to see the two of you get married. But we both know the truth. There is no denying that she loves someone else and this marriage is against her will."


    While she spoke, Andrea slowly lowered her head. After all, Callie was her biological daughter. She had nursed Callie and took care of h


    a cruel and ruthless one. He even intends to have the Hua Group all to himself, '' Andrea thought to herself.


    "I see. I will go to JA City immediately and come back with Callie. I will have our servants arrange a car that could take me there,"


    after a while, Andrea said while she sighed.


    "There''s no need to do that, mother. The car has been waiting outside for a while now. I hope you can return as soon as you can. Callie needs to try on wedding dresses when she comes back tonight," Noah firmly stated.


    Then, he stood up, nodded at her and continued, "Mother, you can rest assured that I will be nice to Callie."


    Andrea smiled bitterly and said nothing.


    She just got up from the sofa quietly, went to her room to change her clothes and set off for JA City.


    Meanwhile, in JA City, Carla was completely unaware of the confrontation that just happened between her mother and Noah.


    As if a reflection of what was happening in their lives, the waves outside of the Seaview Villa were in a turmoil. One after another, the waves surged after each other. The vast sea seemed restless.


    But no matter how turbulent the waters were, they never seemed to reach the villa. They could only reach so close, but not close enough to drown the people inside.

 Chapter 312 Dont Go And Just Stay With Me (Part Two)

    Carla had just finished eating. She put down her chopsticks, then wiped the corner of her mouth with a tissue. She turned to Terence who was sitting beside her and hesitated before saying, "Terence, there''s something I''d like to talk to you about..."


    After calling Sophie to come in and clear away the dishes, Terence sat down and looked at Carla. He could tell that she was nervous so he patiently waited for her to speak. But Carla hesitated for a long time. She didn''t know how to tell Terence or where to start.


    "Have you decided what to do?"


    Carla was stunned when she heard Terence''s question. She slowly looked up and turned to him.


    "Y-you knew?" she asked.


    Terence frowned and let out a sneer. To contain his emotions, he clenched his fists firmly. Ignoring her question, he asked instead, "Carla, do you know what it means to be engaged to Noah?"


    Carla bit her lip and took a breath before saying, "Terence, please let me explain. My engagement with Noah is temporary. You know that you''re the only one that I love.


    Allen had just passed away so the Hua family is in chaos. And since I''m now part of the family, I should share at least some of the burden as any sensible family member would do."


    She paused for a while, trying to perceive Terence''s reaction. Then, she continued, "Noah has promised me that he will cancel the engagement as soon as everything in the family''s state of affairs is in control."


    The moment Carla''s voice had faded away, Terence earnestly glared at her and stated in a low, husky voice, "Carla, do you think it''s that simple?


    Do you think Noah will let you go so easily once you get engaged to him? If you really believe that, then you are being too naive."


    If one looked closer, it was clear in her bright eyes that she felt a little confused. Carla shook her head before responding, "I didn''


    rla returns to the Hua family or not. After all, she has lived a happy life with her little brother for so many years.


    Besides, I have never cared about her status or her family background in the first place. I only love her and want to stay with her forever, '' Terence thought to himself.


    Listening to Terence, Carla got more and more distressed. Tears continued to stream down from her eyes. At that moment, there were two voices telling her two different things. One told her that she should just listen to Terence, while the other said that she should keep her promise. Then the two voices began to raise their voice at each other, which only created a turmoil in Carla''s head. For that reason, she couldn''t calm down and think about the matter clearly.


    She thought about a lot of things while a lot of memories flashed through her mind. She thought about the moment when Andrea and Allen pleaded her to do what they wanted.


    She thought about what Noah said to her...


    Carla knew herself very well. She loved Terence and didn''t want to lose him. She couldn''t even imagine not being with him.


    Because without Terence, she didn''t know who she was or what she was going to do with her life. She would be completely lost.

 Chapter 313 Andreas Visit

    Carla stayed in a state of ignorance the whole afternoon. She had no idea of what else she could do.


    Terence had to leave the house temporarily because there was something urgent that he needed to deal with. Before he left, he arranged for Rainer to stay at home with Carla.


    Soon, it was evening.


    Unexpectedly, Sophie suddenly told Carla that Andrea just arrived at the Seaview Villa. Carla was shocked because she didn''t expect that Andrea would come to pick her up personally.


    She panicked because she didn''t know how to react to the situation.


    When she got downstairs, she saw that Andrea was already sitting in the living room.


    "Callie?"


    When Andrea saw Carla, who she hadn''t seen for several days, she excitedly walked toward her and asked, "Are you feeling well these days? How is your leg? Is it recovering well?


    I was extremely worried about you." "Auntie, why are you here?"


    Carla asked in a surprised tone. She looked down at her hands which were being held by Andrea.


    "The engagement banquet will be held tomorrow. Your dress is already prepared as well. However, I''m not sure if it will suit your taste. You need to get up early tomorrow morning to prepare for the engagement. I''m just worried that you will arrive late for your own engagement banquet," Andrea explained with a smile.


    The Hua family was a well-known family in HA City. It hadn''t been that long since Carla found out about her real identity. It was only natural that she wouldn''t know some important relatives and shareholders. Andrea thought that Carla should at least memorize the persons'' names and faces before the engagement banquet.


    Andrea gently touched Carla''s face with one hand. She actually felt a little disappointed when she heard her daughter call her "Auntie". She decided to just let it go at the moment because as of now, it didn''t matter that much. They had more issues that they needed to prioritize. She was willing to wait for the day when Carla would voluntarily call her "Mother".


    "Are you saying that you want me to go back to HA City with you tonight?" Carla asked while staring at Andrea in disbelief.


    She thought, ''Terence isn''t here. I can''t leave home right now. I need to wait for him!''


    "Yes. I think it is best if we go immediately. I know that it''s already dark but if we set out right now, we can arrive in HA City tonight and prepare for tomorrow''s engagement banquet before going to bed," Andrea said. When Andrea saw that Carla was hesitating, she patted Carla''s hand gently and said, "Callie, I missed you so much. Because of your father''s death, I didn''t have much free time to chat with you in the past few days."


    Andrea continued, "And now those unhappy things finally ended. I would like it very much if you can spend some time with me and accompany me home tonight..."


    In the courtyard, Rainer was calling Terence hurriedly.


    He knew that Terence was busy with work at that moment but now that Andrea came to pick up Carla in person all of a sudden, he thought that Terence would certainly want to be updated about it immediately. If Carla went back to HA City with her mother, he wouldn''t know how to


    you?


    If something unexpected suddenly happened and Mr. Terence was forced to marry another woman, you would never have the opportunity to spend your life together in this lifetime!"


    Rainer''s words made Carla''s heart quiver. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes slowly.


    "Miss Carla, I know that you don''t want to continue with your engagement to Mr. Noah. You should really think about this very carefully. If you go back with your mother now, there is a big possibility that you would lose Mr. Terence forever..."


    "Callie!" said Andrea in a loud voice.


    Carla and Rainer were talking for a long time and Andrea was afraid that Carla would change her decision after their conversation. She got out of the car and walked towards them with purpose. Then she said to Rainer, "Sir, please don''t force her to stay here longer. We already came to an agreement. She is coming with me, okay?"


    Andrea looked at Rainer coldly and claimed, "If Mr. Terence really loves and cares about her, he will understand her situation. Anyway, we need to go now because it''s getting late. It is up to Carla. Carla made up her mind already and she decided to do the right thing and help her family through this trying times. Please respect her decision."


    Andrea then took Carla''s hand and said gently, "Callie, let''s get in the car now, okay?"


    Andrea was still holding Carla''s hand while they walked towards the car. Carla looked back at Rainer and the Seaview Villa that she was very familiar with for one more time.


    The tears quietly poured down from her eyes to her lips. The bitterness around her mouth already flowed into her heart. It caused her so much pain to leave the Seaview Villa in such a hurry.


    The car gradually drove away then disappeared into the distance.


    As soon as Carla''s car disappeared from the driveway, a champagne-colored Cayenne arrived. Terence got out from the car and saw that Rainer was wiping his tears at the front door of the Seaview Villa.


    Terence realized that he was already too late...


    He said to himself, ''Carla, she... she''s gone... I arrived too late.''

 Chapter 314 A Nightmare In A Luxurious Room

    Rainer inhaled deeply when he saw that Terence entered the room. Gathering his courage, he wiped his tears and walked over to him.


    "I''m sorry, Mr. Terence. It''s all my fault. I couldn''t persuade Miss Carla to stay. Anything that you think I deserve as punishment, I will gladly accept!"


    Rainer stated while he slapped himself on the face.


    But Terence only ignored him and instead, stared into the distance where the car disappeared. His eyes were downcast in a second, looking dull and colorless.


    He sighed deeply and said, "Forget it! If she insisted, I couldn''t have stopped her either way."


    After all, Andrea was her biological mother. How could Carla turn her down, especially when Andrea came to ask Carla in person?


    There was nothing Terence could do to stop it.


    "But, Mr. Terence, how could you possibly endure even the idea that Miss Carla is going to get engaged to another man?" Rainer stated and then blew his nose with a tissue and took another to wipe his tears.


    He felt sorry for Terence. He had been with them through their ups and downs. He was a witness of how they fell in love with each other.


    And just when Terence and Carla were about to have a happy ending, Noah came out of nowhere and ruined everything.


    "Stop crying! Act like a man!"


    Terence exclaimed with determination while he turned to Rainer.


    "Go and get all the information that you can about the Hua family. If Noah dares to take my wife, I''ll let him know what he has to lose," he then ordered Rainer.


    Giving up?


    It didn''t exist in Terence''s vocabulary.


    Just as Carla said, it was just an engagement. But even if she did marry Noah, Terence was certain that he could win her back.


    Carla was bound to be Terence''s woman. He wouldn''t allow anybody to take her away from him. That was his end goal. It was what he envisioned and decided for his future and no one could change that.


    And now that Noah had stood in their way, Terence would go at any lengths to take him out.


    At his master''s command, Rainer immediately stopped weeping and nodded at him before exiting the room in a hurry.


    ''Right, it''s just an engagement, not a wedding. Miss Carla even accepted it reluctantly in the first place.


    Besides, Mr. Terence always gets what he wants. There was no exception.


    What a pity it would be if he gave up right now!'' Rainer thought to himself.


    Meanwhile, when Carla and Andrea arrived at HA City, it was already ten o''clock in the evening.


    But no matter how late it was, Noah was waiting at the door.


    As soon as the car pulled over, Noah stepped forward and opened the car door to greet Andrea.


    "Mother, welcome home," he said with a smile.


    "You must have been waiting for a long time," Andrea greeted back.


    Noah smiled even wider then responded, "Not really. I just came out." He then turned to Carla who wa


    ed towards Carla and stated, "Callie, look at you. You are as thin as a match. Now that you''re home, it would be mother''s personal mission to have you gain some weight, 20 pounds at least."


    Carla exhaled and forced a smile. Then, she exclaimed, "Twenty pounds!? Please don''t. I''m going to look like a round ball."


    "But you look better with some extra weight!" Andrea said, smiling happily. She sat down and ordered the servant to place the dishes. "Come, have some food while it''s still hot. You can''t sleep well with an empty stomach. Tomorrow, you''ll meet a lot of people. You need to have all the energy that you could."


    Looking at the delicious dishes on the table, Carla unwillingly took up the chopsticks. She didn''t really have an appetite.


    Meanwhile, Andrea couldn''t help but stare at Carla who looked exactly like her younger self. Her smile looked like it could reach her ears. No one would be able to comprehend her happiness because after all these years, she could finally see her daughter.


    She had been waiting for this day for twenty years. Now that her dream came true, she felt like the happiest woman in the world.


    However, if it was like a sweet dream to Andrea, it was more like a nightmare for Carla.


    "What''s wrong? You don''t like the dishes?"


    Andrea asked when she noticed that Carla had stopped eating.


    Carla shook her head and replied, "No, it''s delicious. It''s just... I''m not really that hungry."


    In fact, Carla could have taken more bites but with Andrea staring at her, she felt really uncomfortable.


    Andrea exclaimed immediately, "How could it be possible that you''re not hungry? You must eat something or you''ll get hungry at night. I insist that you should eat.


    If you feel uncomfortable while I''m here, I could leave."


    Carla meekly nodded.


    Andrea laughed and stood up. She took one last look at Carla and finally walked towards the door.

 Chapter 315 The Engagement Banquet

    After Andrea left, Carla picked up her chopsticks and forced herself to eat some more.


    Before, she would definitely have enjoyed the meal.


    But now that she was in a strange place with unfamiliar people, she had lost her appetite despite the fact that her hosts were treating her well.


    She, however, did finish the meal like it was a duty she had to perform. She then tried the dress on and found that it was the perfect size for her.


    Carla knew that she couldn''t whine about her situation since it was her own decision to come back here.


    She had made her own choice and this meant that she couldn''t complain about it even if everyone else did. There was no way out of it and she had to go through it no matter how tough it threatened to be.


    It was deep into the night, but Carla couldn''t sleep. She kept thinking about what Terence had told her and what Rainer had said.


    Terence had wanted her to give up her inheritance from the Hua family.


    Carla had understood Terence''s intentions and she knew that he didn''t care a cent about the Hua family.


    At first, she hadn''t cared about it either.


    But as time passed, she changed her mind. Why would she give up her inheritance?


    She hadn''t asked for it; the Hua family had forced her to take it. But now that she had it, why would she even think of throwing it away?


    She could definitely take advantage of that and take charge of Hua Group shares. And when the right time came, she could come up with some excuse and cancel the engagement with Noah.


    She could then marry Terence as the daughter of the Hua family.


    Although Terence didn''t care if she was rich, Carla still thought that being rich wouldn''t do her any harm.


    There was nothing bad with being the daughter of the Hua family.


    The An family was at the top of the list of rich families in JA City. If she could be the daughter of the Hua family, she would be a good match for Terence. That would save her and Terence from a lot of trouble, mostly of persuading people around them that they made a perfect couple.


    If everything would only end up as she wished, then all the difficulties she had lived through would automatically disappear into the past.


    Carla felt better as she thought this. A bright future might not be as easily accessible as she wished, but as long as she firmly held on to the idea, she believed that she would realize it someday.


    After all, she was Carla and whining was not her style.


    She was brave enough to earn what she deserved. And that was exactly what she was going to do.


    It was as if sleep was eluding her only to help her figure all of this out. Once she had, it wasn''t long before she became drowsy.


    It was two o''clock in the morning by the time she finally fell asleep.


    But de


    loved him to no end and had dreamed of their engagement for so long. But things weren''t always as one expected.


    After the announcement, the guests headed to the hotel for lunch.


    "Thank you all for coming to take part in Carla and Noah''s engagement. Although Allen is gone, we still have Carla and Noah, and every one of you. I believe the Hua Group will keep developing and getting better and better!"


    Andrea greeted everyone as she stood at the front of the hall, holding a glass of wine and staring fondly at her beloved daughter and son.


    The guests were all closely related to the Hua family. So they all knew that Carla was actually Allen and Andrea''s only biological daughter, who had gotten lost when she was a kid.


    Noah, the CEO of the Hua Group, was one of their adopted sons.


    His capabilities and ambition were obvious and the talk of the town. It was a given that the Hua Group would become even steadier once he married the only biological daughter of the Hua Group.


    "Andrea, why don''t you marry Carla off to Noah right away since they are so in love? Then we could be drinking to their wedding right now,"


    Albert said, raising his glass.


    "We did think about this. But they didn''t want to get married right after Allen passed. So I''m afraid that you''ll have to wait until next year to drink to their marriage,"


    Andrea explained, clinking her glass to Albert''s as she turned to the guests with a smile.


    There weren''t any rules that they needed to obey, but Andrea felt it would be fitting to show respect to Allen and give dignity to his death by postponing the wedding.


    "Noah, where''s Callie? It''s almost time to propose a toast," Andrea asked as she walked up to Noah.


    Noah checked his watch, looked around, and said, "I think she''s upstairs changing. Let me check. She must be done now anyway."

 Chapter 316 You Cant Fall In Love With Him!

    After Carla returned to the hotel room upstairs, she allowed the makeup artist who was keeping her company for so long to go down first.


    Carla felt a little tired. She sat down on the chair to rest for a while and grab some me-time as well.


    She stared out of the window blankly. Carla had to put on a happy face in front of the relatives and shareholders even though she did not feel the same way in her heart.


    However, when she was alone, all by herself, she didn''t need to pretend anymore. Carla heaved a heavy sigh still maintaining the same dazed glance at the window.


    Carla sat there in absolute solitude, oblivious to the world around her as if the whole world was coming to a standstill.


    "I always thought you were reluctant. But when I saw you smiling so happily beside Noah, I finally felt that he was also quite suitable for you..."


    Suddenly a familiar voice brought Carla out of her reverie.


    Carla got startled and sprang upright from her seat. Then she looked up to the mirror and saw Terence walking out of the restroom behind her.


    Terence continued while walking toward her, "Carla, I really don''t want to think that he is suitable for you. Do you understand me?"


    Terence walked toward her, bent over and gently hugged her from behind. He leaned his head on her shoulder.


    Carla hurriedly turned to look at him. But as soon as she turned, her lips met his thin lips without any expectation.


    She seemed to be stunned and didn''t move. Terence took advantage of the opportunity to hold the back of her head with one hand. And then the strong domineering kiss opened Carla''s lips. Soon a familiar smell crazily occupied her mouth.


    Terence kissed Carla wildly as if to vent his dissatisfaction. After a long time, he finally released her lips.


    "Carla, I can''t believe that you were in my arms yesterday, but today you are getting engaged with other man. So I want to see it with my own eyes!" he said with his head resting over her forehead.


    His brows wrinkled, which looked like a tight knot that couldn''t be dissolved even in a thousand years.


    "Terence, don''t be sad... Now that I''ve made my choice, I have to stick to my commitment. Trust me! I won''t get married to anyone except you! Absolutely not!" Carla said with tears rolling down her bright eyes.


    She caressed his handsome face softly. Her loving touch made the creases between Terrence''s eyebrows ease out a little.


    She knew that when she made such a choice, Terrence was the one who received the most unfair treatment.


    "Of course, I believe you. But I am jealous! I am jealous that he can rightfully


    ryone, do you agree with me?"


    Albert also began to make fun of them.


    "Excellent. I totally agree with Albert''s proposal! Noah, you are marrying such a beautiful girl. You should let us see some intimate moments. We also want to feel your happiness!"


    Then, someone else also urged them to kiss.


    Noah picked two glasses of wine from the waiter and handed one to Carla. Then he added in a polite tone, "There is no problem to drink a cross-cupped wine. But there are so many people. I''m afraid that Callie will feel shy to..."


    "Don''t be shy! Just try! We can close our eyes!" Estelle Cheng cheered while laughing.


    "Noah, you''ve been engaged. We only want you to kiss her. Don''t be so coy!" Albert said, urging him to kiss her quickly.


    Noah felt he had no way to refuse the request of his relatives, so he could only look down at Carla and called her gently, "Callie?"


    Carla frowned lightly and forced a smile. She raised her wine glass without saying any words.


    Noah looked at her and also smiled helplessly. His hand gently crossed her hand, and then they drank a cross-cupped wine.


    After that, Noah put down his wine glass, bowed and looked at her.


    He slowly bent down and his lips lightly covered hers.


    Carla felt that his kiss had a unique pine fragrance which accompanied a kind of flavor that made people want to relax and rely on.


    But soon her heart was gripped with an untold fear. She just opened her eyes and looked at the window.


    A man with a tall and slender figure was standing outside the window, looking at her kissing with Noah.


    The man hit the glass with one hand as if he wanted to poke a hole in the glass window. His dark eyes mixed with anger, jealousy and pain were fixed at Carla.

 Chapter 317 Didnt I Paint Well

    Carla hurried to push Noah aside and timidly looked down. This whole situation was making her flustered so she coughed slightly to cover that. She then placed the goblet she was holding on a tray held by a waiter, who was standing beside them.


    Although she pretended to be calm, her heart was flipping inside her chest with every second passing by.


    "Well, let''s stop here. Callie is still young after all so we better stop kidding her. That''s enough," said Ivy, Albert''s wife, figuring out that it was time to stop everyone from teasing and embarrassing the two.


    "Noah, I''m a little tired. Could you please push me back to my room?" Carla looked up at the man and asked in a low voice.


    Wordlessly, Noah just nodded his head. He put his goblet down and pushed her towards the elevator.


    Little did everyone know that there were two people watching everything going on from outside the hotel''s glass window.


    "It''s time to leave, Mr. Terence. Shall we go?"


    asked Rainer cautiously.


    He was afraid that people might notice them if they stayed there any longer.


    Terence''s decision to come there was outright confusing for Rainer. Why did his boss decide to be there when he knew all along that what he''d see would hurt him?


    Nonetheless, Terrence didn''t even speak a bit and just remained watching Carla and Noah enter the elevator. He waited until the elevator completely closed and the two were out of his sight. He then walked wordlessly towards his car before turning back at Rainer.


    "Watch over Noah, Rainer," he ordered in a serious tone. His face was dark as if all the lights were drawn out of it. Then he added, "Report all his actions to me."


    "Yes, I will,"


    answered Rainer immediately as he raised his head to look back at Terrence. Having been aware of how much his boss loved Carla, he could just imagine how hard it was for Terence to watch her with another man.


    He could bet his bottom dollar that his boss was feeling murderous now.


    Thus, he asked, "I can''t understand why you came here, Mr. Terence. Do you really want to make yourself suffer?"


    Expressionlessly, Terence just looked at Rainer. He pulled the door open in one swift move and got in the car. "You wouldn''t understand, Rainer," he said.


    Then he turned his head to the man on the driver''s seat and ordered, "Let''s get out of here, Nathan."


    To be honest, Terrence wasn''t ready for all the emotions attacking him now. He thought that it was better for him to personally see what Carla was doing in HA City. He thought it was easy to just watch what was happening between her and Noah.


    He was wrong. It crashed him. However, he believed that all this pain he was feeling would eventually turn into his strength over time.


    On the other hand, Carla and Noah were finally back to the hotel room.


    Awkward silence was engulfing them as they walked in.


    Noah ordered a new room for Carla, hoping that it would give her a short yet satisfying rest. The hotel lobby was flooded with all kinds of people and he was worried that it would make her uncomfortable.


    Noah and Carla were the most important people at that banquet. Thus, they were not supposed to leave the hotel this early.


    B


    him some seconds before opening his mouth again. "Here you are. I have also prepared these."


    A big smile appeared on Carla''s face upon seeing a new set of paper in Noah''s hand. She immediately took it and placed it next to the books. She said happily, "Well, then I am not going to refuse your kindness."


    She thought for a while as she gave her room a once-over. Then she added, "Noah, you have brought me so many things. I will feel guilty if I let you leave empty-handed. So, why don''t you choose a painting here as a thank-you gift? Come on. If you like, I can even give you all these paintings!"


    Noah looked from side to side. He then shifted his gaze from those paintings to Carla. Smiling helplessly, he answered, "I don''t think you need to send me any of these paintings. They will still end up inside my home in the future after all. I can stare at them by then as much as I want once that happens."


    "Are you saying that you don''t like any of them? Come on. Just choose one at least and hang it on your wall." Carla smiled and picked one of the paintings. She showed it to Noah and asked, "How about this one? It is called Grey Desert. Look at it! Don''t you think it''s poetic?"


    Noah didn''t know what to say at that moment.


    He just looked at the picture silently. He couldn''t see more than just messy grey doodles on that paper.


    It took him a while choosing the right words to say before he shrugged his shoulders. "Carla, there is an exhibition tomorrow. It is held by one of my best friends. Do you want to come with me there?"


    On hearing that there was an exhibition to see, Carla immediately nodded and said excitedly, "Okay, that''s great. It will be a good chance for me to see whether the paintings there are better than mine."


    "Well, then I will sleep here tonight. And I will take you to the exhibition tomorrow morning," said Noah.


    "Okay, that''s great. Noah, I am thinking whether I should also hold an exhibition to let myself be known by people. Do you think it is possible?" asked Carla.


    She seemed not to know her painting ability. Feeling self-contented, she looked at Noah and grinned.

 Chapter 318 Climb To Window To See You

    Noah kept silent for a while, and then looked away awkwardly. He said, "Carla, I''ll take you to visit the art exhibition tomorrow so we can see their process. And when your painting skills improve a little, I''ll help you hold an art exhibit."


    "Really? I''ll remember that! You have to keep your word, okay?"


    Carla said while she blinked her eyes.


    "Also, it''s getting late. I''ll help you get back to your room. You should go to bed early,"


    Noah stated, already standing up.


    "Okay, I''m actually tired," Carla said while she nodded.


    Noah helped her leave the painting room. Then, he came back and put the books he brought her onto the bookshelf.


    Only then did he leave her room.


    After Noah left, Carla realized that her drowsiness wore off from their walk towards her bedroom. So she idly leaned on the cane chair by the window, enjoying the moonlight outside.


    She hadn''t seen Terence after the engagement banquet. In fact, she hadn''t seen anyone other than Noah, Andrea, and their servants. She just stayed at the mansion and didn''t go out for the past half a month.


    Therefore, there wouldn''t be a chance for her to meet Terence.


    No words could express how much she missed him and Sean. Sometimes, she would also miss Nicholas.


    Carla could guess that the news of her engagement with Noah had already spread all over the city and the business industry. The AJ Group was updated on all the news within the industry, so the Ans would have certainly heard about the news by now.


    Carla took the mobile phone on the small round table and looked through the pictures she had taken with Terence one by one. While scrolling through the pictures, every happy memory that she had with Terence replayed in her mind. Soon, tears began to flow from her eyes.


    She couldn''t take it anymore and placed the phone on the table.


    Terence hadn''t made any call to her after the engagement banquet. It had already happened twice when she couldn''t help but dial his number. But she would immediately hang up before the call could get through. The reality was that she didn''t have the courage to talk to him.


    Terence didn''t call her back as well. So she hadn''t heard his voice and seen his face for almost twenty days.


    Carla was now finding out that Terence was right. Things were not that simple.


    Before their engagement, Noah told her that he wouldn''t stop her if she wanted to go back to JA City as long as she took part in the engagement banquet.


    But the reality was far from what she had expected.


    Now that she was Noah''s fiancee, how could she go back to JA City?


    And even if she were to go


    and it would be a while before I could get out of this engagement. On top of that, my leg hasn''t even recovered yet so I can''t walk! I can''t run! I can''t run back to JA City and see Terence!''


    Carla was becoming hysterical. She kept repeating in her head, ''What should I do?!''


    While she was about to go crazy and her hair was in a mess, she heard a voice outside the window.


    At first, she didn''t pay much attention to it. But after a while, she heard someone knocking on the window.


    Carla held her breath and listened carefully to the sound outside. When she was sure that there was really someone knocking on the window, she removed the quilt from her body and limped toward the window.


    When she opened the curtain, she saw a shadow outside.


    Then a familiar face appeared in front of her.


    Her heartbeats suddenly accelerated.


    She unlocked the window with trembling fingers and immediately opened it.


    The man outside stepped into her room.


    "Umm, wait for a moment. I''ll just wash my face..." she lowly stated.


    Carla avoided the man''s eyes. She couldn''t dare to look at the man who suddenly arrived, because she knew that her face was pale and her hair was in a mess!


    So she turned and walked towards the bathroom.


    The sudden appearance of the man whom she had been missing for almost twenty days caught her off guard.


    If she had known that he would come here, she would have changed into nice clothes, washed her face and wore makeup while waiting for him.


    In reality, her hair was in a mess. She was wearing a plain nightgown and slippers with Peppa Pig''s face all over it.


    However, as soon as she walked towards the bathroom, her arm was grabbed by the man.


    Then the man pulled her into his arms...

 Chapter 319 I Dont Mind Your Appearance At All (Part One)

    "Don''t go. You don''t need to do that Carla. My feelings for you have not changed. I don''t mind your appearance at all," Terence said dotingly.


    Then, he held her tightly but let go of her after a while for fear that she couldn''t stand for a long time because of her injured leg.


    He stared at her and reached out to fix her messy hair. He noticed how excited she looked yet she was tearing up. He smiled helplessly and gently pinched her cheeks.


    He asked in a rather softer voice, "Why are you crying? I''m here with you already."


    However, when she heard his voice, she couldn''t help but cry harder. Tear after tear kept flowing from her eyes. Then, she placed her arms around Terence''s neck tightly for fear that he would disappear the next second.


    She exclaimed with sadness in her voice, "I thought you didn''t want me anymore.


    I thought that you might be tired of me and would never talk to me anymore. I thought that you would dump me.


    You haven''t contacted me for so many days. Haven''t you considered calling me or sending me a message? Do you have any idea how much I miss you? Terence, you are such a cruel man."


    As a response, Terence held Carla''s waist tightly and stroked her back affectionately to calm her down and stop her from crying so much.


    In an attempt to comfort her, he said, "If I''m really cruel then I won''t climb the wall in the middle of the night just to have a chance to look at you."


    He didn''t contact her at all because he knew that once he heard her voice, he wouldn''t be able to resist the urge to see her.


    Carla was just everything to him. He couldn''t stand living without her by his side. As long as she needed him, he woul


    y breath smells and it might make you sick," Terence stated sincerely. He frowned while he drew her face up to his and saw her red eyes full of tears.


    Today, it was already late when Terence came home. He went directly to accompany Sean and that was when he saw Carla''s text message. So it didn''t give him time to go back to his own room and take a bath or change clothes.


    When Carla finally understood his explanation, she smiled through the tears. For the third time, she went closer to Terence and smelled him. She quipped, "I don''t mind that at all. Don''t you remember how I didn''t care what you looked like or how you smelled when you had stayed in the forest for one month? Compared with that, this is nothing at all."


    While she said that, she pondered in her head, ''Do couples have to brush their teeth first before they kiss?


    When you''re struck with the feeling to kiss your partner, don''t you just do it? Otherwise, that''s too strange.''


    Terence frowned at first and then he laughed. He lightly pushed up her chin, looked into her eyes, and kissed her lightly on the lips in order to comfort her.

 Chapter 320 I Dont Mind Your Appearance At All (Part Two)

    Then he asked, "Where is the bathroom? I want to brush my teeth and take a shower first."


    Carla pointed to the bathroom door and Terence followed her hand.


    Before walking towards the bathroom, Terence carried her first and laid her on the bed.


    "Umm, you can use my toothbrush,"


    Carla shouted at his back while he made his way towards the bathroom.


    She sat on the bed and waited for Terence to get out. With nothing to do, she felt a little bored but she was too restless to get up and do anything.


    A couple of minutes later, Terence finished his shower and walked out of the bathroom. When Carla saw him, she immediately held her nose for fear that she would have a nosebleed because of too much excitement.


    What she saw made every fiber of her being jumped in excitement.


    Terence didn''t have any clothes on except for a boxer briefs that outlined his physique perfectly.


    His figure was so well-sculpted that he looked like a model for a men''s underwear brand. However, with his handsome face, he wouldn''t just be a normal model. He''d become a supermodel.


    He was quite tall with broad shoulders and narrow hips. By wearing nothing to cover his upper body, he unconsciously showed off his muscular chest and arms. His eight abdominal muscles were in full display and were accentuated under the bright lights of the room. His hair even stayed perfectly in place. To put it simply, he looked so sexy in Carla''s eyes.


    During the time that Carla was in deep amazement with Terence''s figure, Terence didn''t know what was in her mind so he walked straight to her bed.


    "Why are you covering your nose?" Terence asked.


    H


    thing''s fine now. I''m about to go to sleep," Carla explained or more like told a series of lies.


    "Are you really alright? Did you get hurt?"


    Noah heard the sound from the room and frowned a little.


    Carla turned to the man beside her who was draping himself all over her helplessly and she shouted to the door, "I didn''t get hurt. Just relax Noah. I''m okay. It''s already late. You should go back to sleep too."


    "Okay, then. If you have any problem, just call my name. And if I don''t reply, then call me through the phone," Noah said patiently.


    And then he walked away.


    When Carla heard the sound of Noah''s footsteps fading away, she was relieved. She looked at Terence and said in a low voice, "Can''t you be quiet?"


    "Why should I be quiet? I''m already brave enough to come here. How could I still be afraid that they''re going to find me here?" Terence argued.


    He snorted indifferently and pinched her chin to give her a big kiss.


    Then, he stopped the kiss for a while and said, "Besides, I don''t really mind if he comes inside and sees what I''m doing with his fiancee."

 Chapter 321 Its Not Enough To Cure My Lovesickness

    ''Noah, since you dared to get engaged to my woman, you should bear the consequences.


    I''m going to sleep with Carla in your own home tonight. And I will come here many more times in the future. I don''t think you''ll be able to bear that!


    I''ll not only win you in business but also seize Carla''s heart tightly! You''ll definitely voluntarily give up this engagement one day!'' Terence thought to himself.


    "But Auntie Andrea is also living in this house. If she finds out that I''m in bed with you, how can I face her in the future?" Carla whispered.


    She knew how bold Terence was. As long as he dared to do something, he wouldn''t be afraid of gossip.


    "What are you afraid of? I''m glad to let my future mother-in-law see how intimate we are. I believe she will also be pleased with this," Terence said. He turned off the light and pulled Carla into his arms.


    Then, remembering Noah''s words just now, he asked Carla in a sour tone, "What did Noah call you just now? Callie? Since when have you had this name? Why didn''t you tell me about it?"


    Terence gazed at her, feeling a little jealous.


    "My name in the Hua family is Camelia Hua. That''s my original name. So, all my relatives call me Callie," Carla explained immediately, but her voice was much softer now.


    She was afraid that Noah would rush into her room again if she made any noise.


    Although Terence wasn''t afraid of being caught by Noah, Carla still thought it was better not to be caught.


    "Callie..." Terence pondered over this new name for a while, and then he raised his eyebrows and said, "This name sounds too soft. I still think Carla sounds better.


    Anyway, whether your name is Carla Ji or Camelia Hua, you will be my Carla forever!"


    The truth was, Carla felt the same way. The name Camelia Hua belonged to the Hua family, and it wasn''t the real her. She leaned on Terence and said, "That''s right. In my heart, I''ll be Carla Ji forever."


    She would always be clear about who she was.


    She was a brave and strong-willed woman called Carla Ji, not a pampered rich girl called Camelia Hua. "Oh! Terence, has Uncle Edmund been pestering you to get married?" Carla asked gently.


    The room was pitch black at that moment. After Noah''s interruption, Carla had decided to play on the safe side and keep her sound low.


    "Yes. He started pestering me a long time ago," Terence answered. He planted a kiss on the back of Carla''s neck. It had been twenty days since the last time he saw her and he had really missed her.


    "Really? Didn''t he get angry after finding out about my engagement wi


    aged, so you can find an excuse to cancel the engagement with her. What do you think, Noah?


    And anyway, I''ve known you for so many years. I understand you. She doesn''t deserve you at all! You and she are like a golden mountain and a weed! What will happen if a weed is planted on a golden mountain? She will lower your status and make you look bad!"


    Trina Zhuo commented directly.


    That was the kind of person she was. If there was someone she didn''t like even a little bit, she would spare no effort to criticize them and refuse to see any of their good qualities.


    Not far behind the two people, Carla was looking at the paintings while walking on her cane.


    When she heard Trina Zhuo''s words, she immediately coughed fiercely at the rural painting hanging on the wall with a price of 1.2 million.


    She couldn''t endure Trina Zhuo''s words anymore.


    The truth was, Carla didn''t like Noah and didn''t want to get engaged to him, so she didn''t care that Trina Zhuo was trying to persuade Noah to cancel his engagement to her. However, her self-esteem didn''t allow herself to be compared to a weed.


    "Hey, be careful! Each of my paintings here is unique!" Trina Zhuo shouted when she saw Carla coughing in front of her painting.


    She immediately frowned and walked toward Carla.


    She pulled Carla away from her painting and then asked the staff to bring special cleaning tools.


    As she cleaned the painting with the tools, she scolded, "You have really bad manners! How can I sell such a precious painting when it''s spoiled by your saliva?"


    When Carla was dragged aside by Trina Zhuo, Noah immediately stepped forward and held her.


    Bowing his head, he said apologetically, "Carla, are you okay?"

 Chapter 322 Burn All Of The Paintings

    "I''m sorry. Trina''s just like that. I hope you won''t hold grudges on her," said Noah.


    "Don''t be, Noah. She''s right. I am indeed a nobody and I don''t deserve you.


    I am very different from Trina who''s a famous award-winning painter," Carla replied as she pushed Noah''s hand away.


    She then silently walked to the showcase where Trina''s certificates and trophies were displayed.


    Seeing Carla walking to her showcase, Trina immediately handed the cleaning kit to the staff and walked towards the showcase too. She was worried about trophies.


    Those trophies were fragile and extremely valuable. It would definitely break her heart if any of them got broken.


    Trina was in the middle of her thought when she saw that Carla was about to reach one of her trophies. Worse, it was the one that valued the most, the Orchid Prize trophy!


    Having this award was a big deal within the artists'' circle. It was a great honor.


    Carla could easily reach the trophy since it wasn''t kept in a glass box. She couldn''t help being fascinated with it since she had also heard about its high value. It was a luck to finally see the prestigious Orchid Prize in person.


    "Noah, please tell your fiancee to take her hand away from my things. She can''t touch that trophy!" shouted Trina.


    The Orchid Prize was kept on the higher rack of the shelf for the longest time and nobody had dared to touch it before. Thus, Trina never thought about putting it inside a protective case.


    Most people who visited her gallery were rich and well-mannered.


    However, Carla was an anomaly and never had Trina expected for a vulgar like Carla to lay a finger on her precious Orchid Prize.


    Holding the heavy trophy in her hand, Carla scrutinized every detail of it. She had to admit that the Orchid Prize was indeed a very nice trophy. But then, why did a petty and arrogant person like Trina receive it?


    "Carla, hand me the trophy."


    Noah walked over and reached out his hand. "This trophy is important to Trina. Let''s put it back."


    Disappointment flooded Carla''s face as she turned to Noah. "So you think I''m not qualified to even touch the trophy too?"


    "No, that''s not what I mean. You can do whatever you like to it if it is mine. However, it belongs to someone else. You can''t..."


    "That''s right. You''re not qualified to touch it," Tina interrupted even before Noah finished his words.


    She shot Carla with a disdainful stare then walked towards the two. She then reached for the trophy while hissing, "The Orchid Prize is for th


    hey finally walked out of the gallery, Noah turned to check on her. Beads of sweat were rolling down from Carla''s forehead.


    He was so angry back then that he forgot about her injured leg and just pulled her out.


    "Carla, what''s wrong?"


    At this time, Carla was hurting so much that she couldn''t even speak. She bit her lips hard and just silently bore the pain.


    She was waiting for Noah to find out himself.


    "Noah, Take me to the hospital. My leg hurts,"


    She finally muttered after a couple of seconds. She couldn''t take it anymore as the stinging in her leg got unbearable.


    Seeing her pale face alarmed him, Noah instantly forgot about the incident inside the gallery and took Carla to the car.


    Just when they left, a Bentley pulled over before the gallery.


    "Mr. Terence, Miss Carla didn''t seem well,"


    informed Rainer as he watched Noah''s car leaving. Terence, who was sitting at the back, furrowed his eyebrows and put his crossed legs down.


    He started to watch the video sent to his laptop.


    Soon, his eyes darkened. He stroked his chin and pulled off one earphone. He ordered, "Buy all the paintings in the gallery, Rainer. And burn them all in public."


    The videotape was sent by one of his informants whom he asked to follow Carla.


    "By the way, there''s a showcase in the south of the gallery. Break all the trophies inside. Make sure to break every single one."


    Surprised, Rainer was speechless for a while. "But, they don''t sell the trophies. How can I..."


    "Use your brains! Let Nathan teach you!"


    said Terence, with a deep voice.


    Nathan didn''t say anything but opened the door of the car. He got off and headed into the gallery.

 Chapter 323 Are You Satisfied

    Noah took Carla to the hospital.


    Carla continuously gnashed her teeth in great pain. It took a while before the doctor could give her an X-ray examination and help restore her injured leg.


    After a series of tests, the doctor told Noah and Carla patiently, "Fortunately, the injury is not that serious and you came here just in time. However, you must be careful not to use this injured leg that much. Otherwise, complications are most likely to occur and the problem will become much more complicated than it already is."


    Carla looked down and responded, "Certainly, I will remember that, doctor. I''ll be careful so that there won''t be another accident in the future."


    When the doctor left, Noah focused his attention on Carla with immense guilt.


    He sincerely said, "I''m so sorry, Carla. It''s all my fault. I shouldn''t have pulled you."


    Because Carla had just undergone a series of treatment, she was still in great pain. She laid against the wall and forced a tight smile before saying, "Noah, don''t blame yourself. It was because of my disobedience.


    If I had been much more tolerant when Trina said those cruel words, then nothing would have happened. I shouldn''t have been so agitated and lost my temper at that time."


    While listening to Carla, Noah frowned. He didn''t say anything but his face darkened.


    "Noah, to tell you the truth, I should be the one apologizing to you. The next time when I go out with you, I promise you that I will control my temper and I will never lose control like that. And if anyone says anything harsh to me, I''ll just ignore it. I promise that I would never bring trouble to you," Carla stated calmly.


    A bitter smile showed up on her face. She sat up and reached out to pick up her cane.


    To hide his emotions, Noah sealed his lips tightly. But still, he leaned down to scoop up Carla and take her out of the surgery room.


    Just then, Noah realized something.


    He thought to himself, ''I should have smashed all of Trina''s trophies. If I did, then Carla wouldn''t feel so upset anymore.


    I should have stood firmly with Carla and protected her. Instead, I was so stupid and just kept on defending Trina. I didn''t consider that it might have hurt Carla very deeply.


    Since Trina has been my friend for so many years I didn''t mean to ruin my relationship with her but then, what I didn''t consider was how it would affect my relationship with Carla. There wasn''t anything I could do to make both of them happy at the same time. However, I should have immediately noticed Carla''s emotions when Trina started criticizing her.


    And I should have walked away at the beginning and removed Carla from that situation without looking back.


    Carla has her own dignity and moral integrity which are to protect herself from being mistreated by others. And with what happened today, I could only guess how much it affected her.


    What a big mistake that I''ve made.''


    On their way back home, they happened to pass by the exhibition. Both of them saw a big fire in the clearing outside the exhibition.


    It was only five minutes after they left the hos


    stared at the car driving away from him.


    Carla saw that Terence took out his phone again.


    Just at the same time, her phone rang.


    Without a doubt, it was Terence.


    He said, "Carla, stay at home this afternoon. I''m going to pick you up."


    There was no clear emotion in his voice. Terence hung up and looked at the Land Rover that was driving away.


    Inside the Land Rover, there was a dead silence since the phone call with Terence ended.


    She glanced at Noah who seemed to be focused on driving. Carla found that unlike the gentleness and elegance that she used to see on Noah''s face, there was no expression at that time.


    She didn''t know what to say so she just kept silent. It was so quiet that even the sound of their breaths could be heard inside the car.


    Noah didn''t drive Carla to the Hua family''s mansion. He stopped at the house he was living in.


    When they arrived, Noah got out of the car and carried her to her room upstairs. When she had settled for a while, he said in a soft voice, "Have a rest here. It''s almost time for lunch. I''m going to tell them to prepare something."


    "Noah,"


    Carla mumbled to stop him from leaving. She let out a sigh and lowered her head slowly.


    She seemed to be quite guilty and said, "I''m so sorry. Trina is your friend and I shouldn''t have fought with her."


    Noah stopped at the door of her room. However, he didn''t turn towards Carla''s direction so she couldn''t see his expression.


    "Carla, what happened today was entirely my fault. I shouldn''t have taken you to the exhibition," Noah said.


    "No, no. Don''t say that. Noah, I know that you took me there so I could relax. I am well aware of your kindness. It''s all my fault. I shouldn''t have offended your friend. I will try to control my temper from now on. As long as they are your friends, I will never make them unhappy. I promise," Carla sincerely said.


    She didn''t know what Noah was thinking at that time.


    And she didn''t guess that just as she finished her words, Noah would suddenly turn to her direction and walk towards her.

 Chapter 324 First Fight For Her Love

    Carla''s heartbeat doubled upon seeing Noah walked towards her. Subconsciously, she stepped back a little.


    "Carla, are you telling me that my fiancee is far less important than my friend?" Noah asked.


    Seeing Noah''s dimmed face made Carla step back again. She then shook her head and stuttered, "No, I didn''t mean that. I mean... What I''m trying to say is that I will try to avoid having conflicts with your friends from now on.


    Noah, please don''t..."


    This was the first time she feared Noah. She had always thought that men who were not easily angered had tendencies to be scarier than ordinary once they did.


    Thus, she couldn''t tell if Noah would lose his control and resort to hurting her at the moment. As if it had a mind of its own, one of her arms moved by itself covering her face to protect herself.


    However, Noah just shrugged upon seeing her reaction and grabbed her arm. "Carla, do know how much I''m blaming myself for hurting you today?


    I hate myself for not protecting you! You are my fiancee but I let you get hurt!


    I was so used to being alone and I honestly don''t have any clue in taking care of a woman," Noah shouted while gritting his teeth.


    Over the past years, all he did was to net people who would do him favors.


    Putting his interest first whenever he faced something had been one of his habits.


    Trina, as for a good example, was an influential artist who had helped him with his business in more ways than one.


    It was that bad habit that took the best of him earlier. Thus, he lost his control. There was that faint voice inside his head earlier that was telling him not to make conflicts with Trina because he needed her, for business.


    "I''ll do my best to change myself little by little. Forgive me this time, Carla, please."


    Noah''s voice became gentle as he tried to pull Carla closer to him.


    What happened a while ago made him realize a lot of things.


    He was fighting for Carla''s love against Terence and it was more than obvious that he had lost this round.


    Nonetheless, he promised himself to win next time.


    Carla felt her heart quivered. She bowed her head, blinked her eyes, and then took a deep breath. She reminded herself to stay acting naturally and said, "There''s no need to change yourself for me, Noah.


    Really! It is clear to us that our engagement is just our father''s wish before he died. It''s just a ceremony. You don''t need to take it seriously. It''s okay to be yourself, Noah. It''s not your responsibility to change for me."


    Noah''s gra


    f she wouldn''t say a thing.


    Moreover, he never wanted to hide anything. He was her man in the first place. He got all the rights in the world to date her woman anytime and anywhere.


    Terence''s judgment about this was right. Noah indeed knew that Carla was with him the whole afternoon.


    HA City was Noah''s territory. He knew everything going on in his place like it was the back of his hand.


    Noah was having dinner with his clients that evening when he received some pictures from his subordinates.


    They were photos of Carla and Terence, leaning on each other romantically. He was instantly at rage upon seeing the pictures that he almost broke his phone.


    How could Terence be so bold to date his fiancee within his territory?


    Noah could only guess how embarrassing it would be for him if these pictures were publicized!


    The anger and pain made him drink a lot that night. He didn''t drive home after that and decided to go to the Hua family instead.


    Meanwhile, Carla was in a good mood at that time.


    She was so worried that Terence might be angry at her before. However, he came today and stayed with her to reassure that things were okay. She was more than relief.


    She was lying on her bed while reading a book.


    She was comfortable and beginning to enjoy the romantic novel in her hands when she heard someone knocking on the door.


    She heard the door opened shortly.


    Since it wasn''t late-night yet, Carla hadn''t really thought of locking her bedroom.


    Lazily, she turned to the door and was taken aback by what she saw.


    It was Noah, who was looking a bit out of himself while staring at her. Thus, she asked, "Noah, are you... are you drunk?"

 Chapter 325 Alcohol Can Show True Colors

    The scent of booze suddenly filled the air around Carla. When she saw Noah who looked like a drunken mess, she put down the book she was reading.


    Noah appeared to her groggily. He fixed his collar as he walked towards her with wobbly steps.


    "Noah!" came Carla''s surprised voice. "Why do you smell like..."


    "I know I drank a bit," Noah interrupted her. "I saw that the light in your room is still on so I decided to pay you a visit." Noah took a seat beside her and held her delicate hand. "Are you feeling better? Does your leg still hurt?"


    Carla stared down at the hand held by him. Deep inside, she wanted to pull away.


    "I''m feeling better now. It doesn''t hurt," Carla said.


    But Noah didn''t feel her pulling away at all and his grip around her hand tightened. His other hand held her shoulder.


    "Carla, will it be alright to hug you for a little while?" He asked hoarsely.


    He wrapped his arms around her, dipping his chin onto her head. "Please don''t push me away. I know you like Terence but can you give me a chance? Can you accept me?


    Father hoped that we can be together and married. And I, as well, hope that you can be my wife!"


    Carla tried to push him away but his grip only had gotten stronger.


    "Noah, you''re drunk and you''re spouting nonsense. It''s best if we talk about this tomorrow morning."


    Noah shook his head. He grabbed her by the chin, forcing her to gaze back at him. "I''m sorry, Callie, but no. It''s better like this. I won''t have any courage to talk about it when I''m sober."


    He sighed, "Callie, Terence isn''t the only man in this world. I know I am not good enough and I don''t deserve you. But I will try my best to make you like me."


    He looked at her with fire in his eyes. "I am trying to improve myself even if you don''t care about it at all.


    I have never slept with any other woman since the dinner in the Gangnam Building last time. I just want to show you that I can do what that guy can do for you!"


    He was aware that Terence did the same. Terence never touched any other woman except Carla.


    Carla was shocked by his words. She thought, ''So it has been two months since the last time he slept with someone.''


    It made her wonder and she thought it was completely unnecessary to restrain himself for her sake.


    at happened earlier made her realize that he was more complex than she thought.


    His gentleness was just a trap. She fell for it and it was hard for her to get out of.


    She finally understood why Terence kept telling her to be cautious of him.


    Now that she had already been engaged to Noah, it was too late for her to regret it.


    Did she even had any other choice?


    Even if she did, it might cause ruin to the Hua family''s reputation and she would be disgraced.


    On the other side, Terence finally came back to JA City.


    It was late at night when he returned to the Seaview Villa but he didn''t expect that someone was waiting for him inside.


    "Father, it''s late. What''s the matter? Why did you come here?" Terence greeted Edmund.


    He looked at Edmund who sat in the armchair in the living room. He better prepare himself for the nonsense his father would be telling him.


    "Where have you been?" Edmund asked.


    He had waited for his son for so long that he had drunk more than ten cups of tea.


    "I was on a business trip," Terence replied casually, raising his shoulders a bit. He sat on the sofa and rubbed his nape, which was hurting from sitting for a long time inside the plane.


    "Stop lying. Did you just go to HA City again?" Edmund felt angry when he knew his son was lying in front of his face with no signs of remorse.


    "Very well then. I apologize for lying, father. Now that you knew where I went, why did you still ask me?" Terence said faintly while taking the tea cup from the table.

 Chapter 326 I Dont Mind Having A Step-Mother

    "Did you just..."


    Edmund felt a lump inside his throat as he pointed a shaking finger at Terence.


    He proceeded to take deep breath before speaking, "Terence, do you know what dignity is? Now that Carla is already engaged to someone else. Why do you keep flying back to HA City?


    What would other people think? My son can''t find a wife for himself? There are so many beautiful women waiting for you and you can keep your options open. You can easily find yourself one considering your status."


    Terence only sat there with his legs crossed. His father''s words would enter one ear and then go out the next. After all, he didn''t have any regard to his words. He only stared at his reflection in the teacup, hoping the sermon would end quickly.


    "I understand that you and Carla went through so many things and you like her very much. However, life is unpredictable. It''s just that you two are not meant to be. This time around, you cannot blame me not to let you be together."


    Edmund looked up at his son. Terence nonchalantly sipped his tea, not minding his words. Edmund''s body began to shake in anger.


    Nonetheless, he continued, "I don''t care what the reason was for Carla got engaged with Noah. But look at the aftermath! She is not yours anymore. Stop being so hung up on that woman. Stop being an idiot!" Edmund''s voice trembled in annoyance since he was helpless on what to do with his son.


    A smile crept on Terence lips as he placed the cup on the table. "Then you can blame yourself. It seems like your genes are strong in my blood."


    "Terence..."


    Edmund sighed.


    "You have to listen to me. What happened has happened. You need to move forward. I have heard that if it hadn''t been because of Allen''s death, Carla would have already married Noah now. Although they''re only engaged now, nothing will change. They''ll definitely get married. What do you even expect?"


    After a few minutes of silence, Edmund''s chest felt lighter.


    He continued, "It''s best to give up on Carla now before she gets married to Noah and bears his children."


    Terence only frowned and answered, "It would be impossible. Even if Carla will get pregnant, it''s going to be my child."


    Hearing others connect Carla with Noah made Terence feel uncomfortable.


    Edmund sneered, laughing, "That''s rea


    h to get married but you can also find a woman to get married to. After all, you''re not tied down to anyone. I don''t mind having a stepmother who''s a few years younger than me.


    Besides, in rich and influential families, there are many May-December marriages. Even a man like you who is already in his 50s can find a beautiful young woman to settle down with!"


    Terence stood up and gave a slight smirk. "No need to worry about me. I won''t call your new wife as ''mom'', alright? However, I''ll call her as step-mom."


    Terence put his hands in his pockets and walked away cockily. He smiled to himself as he walked to the lift at the other side of the room.


    Edmund trembled in anger. He thought, ''I am his father! How dare he say such words?''


    "Mr. Edmund, are you alright?"


    Rainer asked out of concern when he saw that the latter was shaking.


    It made him ponder, ''Why is Mr. Edmund acting like this? Did he get excited about marrying a young girl?


    Well, that''s reasonable. Amanda is around thirty years younger than him and this kind of wedding arrangement will be kind of exciting.''


    Edmund sat down for few minutes and took deep breaths to calm himself down.


    "Rainer, tell your boss that this matter has already been decided. He has to marry Amanda before the year ends and there won''t be any take-backs! If he doesn''t obey me, then I will try everything in my power to make this marriage a success!" Edmund blurted out and Rainer could only nod.


    Then Edmund finally stood up and left without any hesitation.

 Chapter 327 Im The Unwanted One!

    Upon going upstairs, Terence found that the handrails he installed had been removed. That made him a bit mad. Thus, he frowned and looked at Rainer who was following him.


    "Who removed the handrails?" he asked.


    "It''s Mr. Edmund who asked for the handrails to be removed, Mr. Terence," Rainer answered as he immediately bowed his head.


    He then continued, "I''ve heard that Mr. Edmund came here early this afternoon.


    Sophie said that he called someone to remove the handrails after checking the whole house."


    Clenching his fist, Terence walked towards his bedroom without saying any word.


    "Mr. Terence, Mr. Edmund also asked me to tell you that...


    You must marry Miss Amanda even if it''s against your will."


    Making Terence mad was way out of Rainer''s plan. Thus, he shut his eyes tightly when he said those words. He might as well be ready just in case Terence turned violent and punch him.


    Although Rainer knew well those words would definitely infuriate Terence, he thought that it was better for Terence to know about that so he could mentally prepare himself.


    Unfortunately, Terence already shut the door even before hearing what Rainer said.


    When Rainer opened his eyes, all he could see was nothing but an empty corridor.


    ''Mr. Terence is really pathetic. His romance with Miss Carla could even pass for a drama show, '' he thought.


    With that in mind, Rainer sighed and prepared to leave. It was then that he heard someone called him.


    "Rainer?"


    Turning to the source of that call, he saw Sean''s door opened slightly. Then slowly, the little guy''s head peeked from the slim space between the door and the frame as if he was a spy.


    Realizing what was going on stunned Rainer for a while. ''Goodness! I said those words for Mr. Terence, not Sean! Why did this little man have to hear that?''


    "Umm, Sean, why haven''t you gone to bed?" he tried to act casually. He could clearly sense his need to avoid the child.


    Unfortunately, Sean pushed his bedroom door open and ran towards him instead.


    "I heard what you said just now, Rainer. What did you mean?"


    "Oh yeah! That was a joke!" he lied with a fake smile. He then added, "Sean, it''s late. You should sleep early." After saying those, he immediately turned away in hopes to leave.


    But then Sean grabbed his sleeves just as quickly too and made him turn back.


    "Can''t you just tell me what''s going on? I''m a big boy now. I''ll understand. Did my sister and Terence argue again? Is that the reason why Terence''s father wanted him to marry another woman?"


    Those were just guesses of Sean. Sean had been staying in the Seaview Villa for a long time. Thus, he knew that Edmund was Terence''s father.


    "Umm..."


    Rainer


    red. It was then that tears began falling from her eyes as she looked at Andrea. "If I am really the apple of your eyes then you won''t give me just five percent of the company''s stock. But look at what you''ve done! You gave that woman fifty percent!


    You cannot deny it, mother! You care more about Carla Ji!" She then angrily wiped her tears with the back of her hand and continued, "You want to hand her everything the Hua family has. You don''t need me!


    I even doubt whether you would adopt me if you knew that your biological daughter would come back!


    You said you care about me, love me. You were lying! There was no place here for me anymore since she came back..."


    A loud sound echoed in the room when Andrea slapped Bonnie right after she talked.


    "I have always educated you to be grateful and kind, Bonnie Hua. You have disappointed me.


    Can you still remember what I said?!" Amid her stinging hand, Andrea''s tears fell. "Didn''t you see how much I love you all these years? I have treated you well! I have loved you for two long decades!


    I''ve treated you like you are my own daughter. I have never scolded you even if you made mistakes. It was because of your conflict with Carla and impulsiveness that I sent you abroad. What I did was all for your good!"


    Bonnie covered her swollen cheek. She smiled sarcastically and answered, "For my good? Was that for my good? Liar! Don''t lie to me anymore! You only care about your biological daughter now! You don''t love me anymore. You can''t even remember that I am your daughter too!"


    Her sarcastically sad smile went broader as she shouted, "Noah only cared about her since she came. York and Tristan aren''t coming home anymore! This is not our home anymore! Our home is gone!"


    That was it. Bonnie had finally lost all of her control.

 Chapter 328 A Deep Conversation Between A Mother And A Daughter

    Bonnie shrieked hysterically.


    Hearing that, Andrea closed her eyes with a bitter taste in her mouth. Nobody could understand her pain.


    "Bonnie, you are adopted, but you know how well I''ve always treated you.


    Carla is my biological daughter. If she wasn''t..."


    Andrea paused, overwhelmed by emotion.


    Then, she continued, "If we hadn''t lost Carla back then, you wouldn''t have enjoyed everything you own today. You should cherish the life you have and be grateful. How could you say something like that?


    Carla... She has suffered so much in the past 23 years. Look at you, what have you suffered?"


    If Allen and Andrea hadn''t lost Carla, they wouldn''t have adopted these children. Without them, none of these children would be living the wealthy life they had now.


    What the Hua family had given them was probably something that their biological families never would have been able to offer, no matter how hard they tried.


    But those little bastards weren''t grateful at all.


    Instead, they wanted more.


    How dare Bonnie say something like that outright?


    It came as a heavy blow to Andrea.


    Thinking of all those years she''d spent raising them, Andrea couldn''t help but shed tears.


    All the years she''d spent had come to this.


    Noah had made great contributions to their family business, so he was in charge of the Hua family. He''d even forced Allen to promise his biological daughter''s hand in marriage to him on the hospital bed before Allen died.


    York had always disliked Noah being in charge and was planning to overthrow him.


    The youngest one, Tristan, was a playboy who didn''t care about anything but having fun.


    The only daughter, Bonnie, was the sweetest of the four, but even she had said something offensive and outrageous to Andrea today.


    Andrea felt like a part of her had died.


    ''Allen, how can you leave the world so early and leave me to deal with this huge mess by myself?


    Since we didn''t have any children back then, we adopted a few.


    I thought we''d brought them up well to continue the bloodline of the family but they''ve all turned out to be ungrateful bastards, '' Andrea cried in her heart.


    "Bonnie, I suggest you calm down. The past is past. You and Carla are sisters now. I hope you can get along well with her,"


    said Andrea before she closed her eyes, exhaled a deep sigh, and walked outside.


    Bonnie stood still, bit her lip, and let out a cold laugh. ''Get along with her?


    She took everything. How can I get along with her?'' Bonnie thought to herself.


    A while later, Carla knocked on the door of Andrea''s ro


    .


    Since my foster parents died when I was young, Sean has been living with me. He is my only family from that side. I can''t leave him alone! And I definitely don''t want him to know that I''m not related to him."


    Andrea had been scared at first that Carla was leaving her, but after hearing Carla''s explanation, she calmed down. After all, Carla''s words were reasonable.


    "Okay, I get it. I respect your decision."


    Andrea knew that Carla was an adult and could live her life as she pleased. She had no right to trap Carla because of her selfishness.


    Since Andrea understood and approved of her decision, Carla nodded with delight. "Mother, I know that we have a villa in the south of the suburban area in HA City. It''s close to the mountain and the river and has a great scenery. Besides, there''s a famous private school next to it. Can I move there?"


    She had already been thinking about moving out of this house for several days, so she''d investigated about the property the Hua family had in HA City.


    The villa that had come up was one of the properties.


    "You''ve been thinking about this for a while, right?


    Sure, no problem!


    That villa will be perfect for you. We originally bought that land because a master said that it was a good location to invest in. But after the villa was built, we never have the chance to live there. Leaving the villa to you will be the best decision ever." Andrea gently patted Carla''s hand and smiled.


    Then, her face turned serious.


    With some hesitation, she continued. "There''s one thing that I''ve always wanted to talk to you about. I''m not sure whether you''ll accept it or not. Oh, don''t worry! It has nothing to do with the villa. The villa is already yours."

 Chapter 329 Arrangements for Carla

    Andrea had a serious look on her face as if she was pondering something. Carla could only look at her mother.


    She felt a bit confused and then asked, "Mother, are you still expecting me to marry Noah?"


    Nervousness filled Carla''s inside but she tried her best not to show how tense she was getting.


    A gentle smile graced on Andrea''s features. "Oh goodness, no! Callie, you are the most precious girl to me. Forcing you to marry someone you don''t love is something that never crosses my mind. Don''t worry about it."


    "Well, what''s the matter?"


    Carla felt secretly relieved.


    She thought to herself, ''As long as she doesn''t force me to get married to Noah, I can probably trust anything she would say.''


    Andrea studied her daughter''s features longingly then she stood up and went to the safe. She took out a thick document which was carefully wrapped in kraft paper.


    "Callie, you should take a look at these documents. It indicates all the industries that our Hua Group is in. Every shop and every patent are here. Not to mention, there are also some things here that Noah doesn''t know."


    Andrea lowered her gaze, held the document gingerly and kept talking to Carla, "Your grandfather and your father had put so much of their energy and efforts into these industries. There were so many things bounded in this document. Some pages are getting loose and scattered everywhere."


    "I see," Carla muttered in awe. Andrea looked up at Carla, continuing, "Callie, your leg is almost all right. I know it may be difficult at the beginning. But I hope...


    I hope you can work in the Hua Group. I know that everything needs to start somewhere and we can''t simply rely on York and Noah for everything!


    I believe in you, my child. And I am proud of you. I pray that you will have influence and power within the company, so that when things get difficult, you won''t be at loss."


    Looking at Carla, she gave a tearful smile. "The Hua Group may fall apart and that''s the worst thing that can happen. I love you and I want to help you get what you truly deserve."


    Andrea and Allen had worked for the Hua Group for a long time. Thus, they had a lot of experiences within the group.


    ''The Hua family may be at the top today but the future is uncertain. Who knows? What if it becomes desolate?


    Instead of letting the Hua Group fall into the hands of others, it''s best to let Callie take it over.


    In the end, Callie will have to depend on herself, '' Andrea thought to herself.


    "Mother, I agree with you. But as I have mentioned earlier, I lack the skills and the experience in managing a company. Aside from that, my current identity isn''t allowed to be disclosed to public for now. How will I be able to enter the company?"


    Actually, the


    at the villa wasn''t as magnificent as Terrence''s. However, it was small and cozy and it was very much to her liking.


    ''There''s no need to occupy too much land.


    Besides, it''s enough for a big family to live here.


    To make it exciting, only Sean and I will live here!'' Carla thought.


    She also found out that there were neighbors who lived with their own families. After all, the area was located near HA City''s exclusive school. Some of the city''s wealthy families lived there as well.


    She found it good. Having more people living around made it less desolate.


    Then she wondered, ''The Seaview Villa was a bit lonely but then, he prefers quiet places.''


    Carla was overjoyed that she finally had a house of her own. She recalled the times she and Sean lived in a small apartment and she was struggling to pay the rent.


    The two-story house was built and decorated in an idyllic style.There was a garden full of plants and flowers outside. There was also an underground garage.


    It was close to the mountains. And the terrain wasn''t very high. One could be at peace once they saw the broad view of the mountains, spreading out like a green blanket.


    If one went further, there was a stream with clear water. It wasn''t deep and it stretched miles longs.


    Carla couldn''t help but admire the scenery before her.


    Due to her difficulty in walking, as promised, Andrea arranged two servants to take care of Carla as soon as she moved there.


    Noah didn''t say anything when he heard that Carla was moving out of the Hua family. He came over in person and brought her common household items in order to help her start.


    At Carla''s first day in the villa, she spent it with Andrea.


    The next day, Carla smiled as she dialed Terence''s number. She couldn''t wait to discuss with him about Sean''s school transfer to HA City.

 Chapter 330 The Plan Failed

    Although Carla had tried to convince him strenuously on the phone, Terence posed only one word as his reply.


    "No."


    Terence denied Carla''s plan at the very outset.


    "Why? I had specially chosen a new house near the school for Sean''s convenience. And the education quality of this private school is excellent too. I just want Sean to be able to live with me!"


    Carla said with a frown. She didn''t expect Terence to refuse her proposal. She was crestfallen.


    She knew that her plan would fail miserably if Sean wouldn''t live with her.


    "Carla, are you going to live in HA City for your entire lifetime? Is that your ingenious plan?" Terence asked, mockingly.


    He knew she had planned cautiously, but he firmly believed that it wasn''t the right thing for her to do at the moment.


    "... No, I won''t live here forever. But I will live here for at least another two years with regard to the current situation," Carla answered after thinking for a while, with much hesitation.


    As she had planned earlier, she would go to work in Hua Group as soon as her leg recovered fully. And once she began to work in Hua Group, she would logically have to stay in HA City for a significant period of time.


    "Okay, that''s what I wanted to hear. Now that you''ve agreed that you won''t be staying in HA City for a long time, I think it''s unnecessary to force Sean to change his school once again," Terence stated plainly.


    He swayed his office chair around and continued on the phone, "You just need to stay there for perhaps another two years. I think it will be better for all of us and Sean if you won''t let him change his school again. He has changed his school twice as a primary student. Do you think it''s appropriate for him to switch schools yet again? He will further take a lot of time to adapt to the new surroundings. It might adversely affect his education in the long run."


    After hearing his words, Carla was out of words. She kept biting her lips reflexively.


    There were two reasons for her desire to move away from the Hua family without any hesitation. Firstly, she wanted more freedom. Secondly, she was eager to make Sean move into HA City and live with her.


    However, after talking with Terence, she came to the conclusion that his words were perfectly reasonable.


    She did usually talk to Sean on the phone after having moved to HA City. She always heard Sean talk about his friends in the school happily. If she was to make Sean move to HA City suddenly, she was worried that Sean would have to adapt to the new environment again.


    "Okay, let''s change the topic of discussion. Where is your new house? Send your address to me. When I finish my work, I can come to sleep...oh no... I mean, accompany you," Terence said with a snicker.


    Carla couldn''t help but burst into laughter when she heard him make a slip of tongue. She said, "Thank you. But I don''t care whether


    a young girl. I''m a man of about thirty years old. Do you think they can change my decision?"


    Amanda didn''t answer Terence, so he continued, "Amanda, I can tell you clearly. In my eyes, you are always a child. I can only treat you as my loving niece. Our elders cannot decide my partner. If I marry you, I''ll feel like I''m committing incest. Do you understand me?"


    Amanda thought Terence had taken this thing too seriously, so she subconsciously shook her head. "Uncle Terence, don''t say that. I am not related to you by blood. You can''t describe our plausible marriage in that manner..."


    "But I just feel like that. And that will definitely make me uncomfortable for an entire lifetime. Just like you always call me Uncle Terence reflexively without giving much thought to it, I too have always held in my mind that you are just my niece. Our relationship can''t be changed! We are just uncle and niece!" Terence claimed firmly. He wasn''t willing for any negotiation on this regard.


    Then, he stood up and shut the pile of documents that were kept open on the table.


    "Amanda, the elders'' wishes and demands can''t control me. I''ll only become increasingly hateful of you. You know I like you as my sweet niece. And you also know I''m not a man who will give up my decisions easily.


    As your uncle, I hope you can bless me. Bless me that I can marry your Aunt Carla as soon as possible. When I get married to your Aunt Carla, I definitely won''t hate you anymore."


    After finishing his words, Terence took his coat and walked out of his office. He didn''t want to waste his time with a little girl any longer and continue creating any more confusion.


    It was better to go home and prepare the things he needed to take to Carla than waste his time here with his niece.


    Dusk hadn''t yet arrived. He was glad he could go to accompany Carla earlier today! The thought of it instantly brought a beaming smile to his face.

 Chapter 331 Hi, Cousin!

    "Uncle Terence? Uncle Terence..."


    Amanda looked at Terence who was leaving from the office and tried to follow him, but Rainer stopped her at the door.


    "Miss Amanda, please stop," Rainer said politely. Slightly bowing his head with a smile, he explained, "Mr. Terence is going to an important meeting, so I think you''d better go home first, Miss Amanda."


    Rainer had gotten accustomed to making up all kinds of excuses to persuade Amanda to go home these days.


    But he''d realized that Amanda was really patient. She came to Terence''s office every single day even though he didn''t treat her well. If Terence wasn''t here, she would stay and wait for him.


    "Rainer, can you tell me why Uncle Terence doesn''t like me? Is Carla really better than me?"


    Amanda asked as she looked at the empty corridor in front of her in disappointment.


    "Miss Amanda, there is no competition in love. And once Mr. Terence has decided on something, he will stick to it. He''s not one to change his decisions."


    After finishing his words, Rainer said goodbye to Amanda and walked to the elevator.


    Amanda sighed and bowed her head.


    In front of the AJ Building, Terence and Nathan were waiting in the car for Rainer. When Terence saw Rainer running out of the building in a hurry, he looked at his watch again and calculated the time it would take from here to HA City.


    As soon as Rainer got into the car, Terence asked Nathan to start the car.


    However, things didn''t go as smoothly as Terence had expected.


    When Nathan called the staff in charge of Terence''s private plane to prepare to fly to HA City, he received some bad news. "Mr. Terence, Mr. Edmund has stopped your personal plane.


    He said that you can go anywhere but HA City," Nathan said, turning to Terence.


    Terence raised his eyebrows. "Ask them who their boss is! If they''re willing to listen to my father''s words over mine, they can go and work for him. It''s not like there''s a lack of people who can fly a plane."


    Nathan nodded. "Okay, Mr. Terence."


    "Drive to Seaview Villa first. Rainer, give me the Hua Group''s recent progress report." Terence temporarily put his own company''s transaction documents aside.


    Then, he began to look through the Hua Group''s progress report.


    "Mr. Terence, it seems that the Hua Group has undertaken a big project. It is rumored that Noah is going to buy a joint venture electronics company with a large sum of money. But his motive for doing that is confidential, so we don''t have that information," Rainer reported.


    Since it was a secret that only the topmost members of the Hua Group knew about, Raine


    lso came over to the window to see who was coming.


    The two maids were both curious about who the owner of the luxurious car was.


    Carla wasn''t sure about who the one was either. ''Terence said he would come here after finishing his work, so he should be arriving here in the evening. But who else would come to this villa?'' she wondered.


    When she saw Rainer get out of the car and open the backseat door, she was sure that Terence was here.


    ''Why has he come here so early?'' she thought to herself.


    "These people seem like trouble. Miss Carla, shall I inform Mrs. Andrea?" Nola asked.


    "I think it''s better to inform Mr. Noah!" Vicky also showed concern.


    Nola and Vicky both didn''t know Terence, so they were afraid that he would harm Carla.


    In their eyes, this car had entered the villa in an aggressive way. Normally, guests would stop at the door and ask the owner for permission before coming in.


    Moreover, Nathan, who had gotten out of the car, had a dark and cold face. This immediately made Nola and Vicky worry that the men in the car were from an illegal organization.


    "Don''t be nervous. It''s my...my cousin! He knows that I''ve moved here, so he must have come to visit me!"


    Carla explained immediately, stopping Vicky from calling Noah.


    ''Both of these maids come from the Hua family and know that I''m Noah''s fiancee, so I can''t...


    Oh, no!'' she thought to herself.


    Carla saw Terence step out of the car and stare at her through the window. She could almost feel the uncontrollable flame shining in his starry eyes.


    Terence began walking toward the villa in a grand mood as if he had just come back to his own house.


    But right before he reached the door, he heard a strange greeting. "Hi, cousin!"

 Chapter 332 What Do You Want

    Terence was taken aback by what Carla just said and he stumbled on the doorsteps.


    ''Since when have I become a cousin to Carla?'' he thought to himself.


    Not just Terence was caught by a surprise, Nathan and Rainer who were following behind Terence also felt amused when they heard her. They turned away their heads to hold back a chuckle. Their faces turned red as they used all their efforts to control their laughter.


    But Carla shouted toward the door again, "Cousin, why don''t you come inside?"


    Of course, Carla had a reason behind what she had done. She was in company with members of the Hua family.


    She was fully aware that Nola and Vicky had been loyal to Noah and would invariably take his side. The consequences of the two of them coming to know about her real relationship with Terence were clear in Carla''s mind.


    Hence, Carla applied her presence of mind and decided to cover up the truth for the time being.


    "Oh! So, he''s your cousin. That explains,"


    Nola heaved a sigh of relief. She was initially on the alert. She always felt a little uncomfortable and skeptical about Carla''s relationship with Terence, but the way Carla addressed Terence finally let her guard down.


    Vicky shared a glance with Nola that revealed that even she had the same opinion about Carla and Terrence. Even she showed her relief as she then warmly nodded toward Terence, who was stepping in. "Please take a seat. I''ll get you some tea," Vicky greeted Terence, reaching out her hand to show him the way. Then Nola and Vicky walked into the kitchen.


    Carla was seated on the sofa munching on a cake. She casually wiped her hand across her mouth before standing up to greet Terence with a big grin.


    Terence smiled back. In fact, he meant to smile but it came out as a twitch on his lips.


    He looked around the room and noticed the friendly rustic look as he stepped toward the sofa placed in front of the French window. He found that the room was quite Carla''s style.


    When Terence approached Carla, Carla quietly pointed to the sofa on the other side; he noticed and spun around accordingly.


    Nola and Vicky were still in the kitchen, just on the other side of the wall. They could come out at any minute. Carla had to be cautious not to give things away.


    Settling down on the sofa, Terence faced Carla and said under his breath, "How come I become your cousin? Why not ex-boyfriend?"


    Carla took a bite of cake before she explained to him with a secret smile, "It would sound complicated if I say ex-boyfriend. I''d rather prefer to call you cousin. It gives a familial feel."


    Then, Vicky came up to them with a cup of tea in her hand and set it on the top of the table in front of Te


    ng her craving for more.


    Standing on her tiptoe, Carla instinctively responded to him and her hand moved slowly over his coat.


    They enjoyed the moment and gave themselves over to the passionate smooch and almost forgot where they were.


    Terence gasped. He stopped to press his forehead against hers and looked down at her. "Carla, tell me once more. Did you miss me during these days?" he murmured in an intense voice.


    "Yes, I missed you so much,"


    Carla replied plainly, looking back into his eyes.


    There was no doubt that she missed him every day, every minute, especially every night.


    "I missed you, missed your kiss, your eyes, and the feelings when you embrace me..."


    Her voice trembled and she went red on her face while she confessed it. It was difficult for her to say these words aloud. But when he asked in such an intense manner, she suddenly gained her strength to speak it out.


    Terence listened carefully and couldn''t suppress his passion for her. He stroked her delicate face with his hand and his dark eyes tightly held her gaze.


    "I thought I would never fall in love with anyone. But when I met you, I felt that my life would have regrets if I couldn''t experience the feeling of true love," he stated.


    "Even though we might suffer in love, the moments we spend with each other are by far the happiest moments of our lives."


    Like everything else, even love comes with its share of happiness and suffering. One has to take it in his stride¡ªmuch like when a man takes a sip of drugs and then gets addicted to it.


    They stood motionless, looking into each other''s eyes. Then suddenly, a commotion downstairs brought them back from the reverie, and they heard Rainer''s voice.


    "Mr. Noah, please wait. Mr. Terence and Miss Carla are having a talk upstairs."

 Chapter 333 A Tit-for-tat Row

    Noah dashed to the upstairs as soon as Rainer finished talking. Not expecting that reaction from Noah, Rainer ended up running after the man to catch up.


    Upon reaching the second floor, Noah saw Carla and Terence embracing each other tightly on the corridor.


    Carla subconsciously wanted to push Terence away but lost her chance to escape when Terence''s arms tightened a bit more around her.


    It had been ages since Noah made it clear that he didn''t want her to be intimate with Terence while they were engaged. However, what was going on wasn''t something Carla had any control of too.


    "Carla, why are you so nervous? Noah has always known that you are mine even before he came. There isn''t any need for you to curb at all," whispered Terence in her ears.


    He loosened his embrace after he said his words but then remained to hold Carla''s hand. The two looked very intimate.


    "Well, Mr. Noah, I happen to have something to talk with you. I heard that you had borrowed Carla to be your fiancee for a few days. Although you didn''t ask for my permission, I don''t want to argue with you for this since you are almost Carla''s brother. Nonetheless..."


    Terence intentionally stopped and then shot Noah a sharp gaze. There were a lot of untold emotions in his deep-set eyes.


    He coldly cocked his head to the side before continuing, "Nonetheless, it has been too long. Isn''t it time for you to return my girlfriend to me?"


    Noah''s hand instantly clenched into a fist and then loosed it. He seemed to be trying his best to control himself from doing something. He then turned to Carla and calmly said, "Callie, I have something to talk with Mr. Terence. Can you go to your room first?"


    Confused, Carla looked at him and then shifted her gaze to Terence, who was still beside her.


    Seeing no trace of emotions on Terence''s handsome face, she silently bowed her head and walked towards her bedroom.


    She didn''t lock her bedroom door as soon as she came in. Rather, she held her breath as she stood behind it, wanting to hear what the two would be talking about outside.


    The atmosphere was heavy on the corridor. The air was almost cracking between the two men.


    With a cold face, Noah looked at Terence who was then casually standing against the wall.


    He then said, "Don''t you think you have gone too far, Terence?"


    Terence took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, picked up one and then lit it. He then turned to Noah and smiled sarcastically. He sneered, "I have gone too far? Let''s be clear with this. Is it me who has gone too far?"


    ''How ridiculous! Noah has stolen my girlfriend. Where is he getting the guts to say that I have gone too far?'' he angrily thought.


    Noah took a step towards Terence. His brown eyes were blazing with anger too. He spat, "I don''t care about your relationship with Carla before. But she is my fiancee


    he might hurt Carla.


    Noah''s hand slipped from Carla because of the painful attack. He was not even given the chance to react at all. Terence''s fists kept on hitting on him heavily.


    Frightened to her hilt, Carla screamed.


    She covered her eyes to avoid seeing the fierce fight before her. She didn''t want to see how the two tried to murder each other because of her.


    Noah was losing against Terence. The corner of his eyes was now bleeding. However, he showed no plan of giving up at all.


    Terence had no plan of ending his attacks too. Just the thought of what Noah did to Carla was more than enough to make his blood sizzled. He was throwing punch after punch endlessly.


    "Terence! Stop!"


    Finally getting a grip of herself, Carla rushed to the two men and tried to stop them. Terence heard her scream and got a little distracted. However, he was able to regain himself shortly and prepared to give Noah another punch. Thus, Carla cried, "Stop fighting or it will cost your lives!"


    That finally stopped Terence. He stared at Carla and frowned.


    "Are you worried about him?" he asked.


    Shaking her head, Carla looked at Noah and then nodded. However, she shook her head again. "No, Terence. You must stop fighting now. You should calm yourself."


    She cared about Noah to some extent. It was just that she knew that the fight would only worsen if she admitted it. She couldn''t let this fight last any longer.


    Noah was sitting on the floor as he wiped the blood around his eyes. He finally realized why Marcus couldn''t kill him in NF.


    "Tsk! Of course, she cares about me.


    I am her fiance. You must know that we live and sleep together every day and night. How couldn''t she care about me?" he said disdainfully.


    He slightly touched the bleeding part near his eye and used his other hand to support him to sit on the floor. Lastly, he gazed at Terence with a defiant evil smile.

 Chapter 334 The Rupture

    When Terence heard Noah''s words, his anger burst into flames, yet again. He clenched his fist and prepared himself to punch Noah. But Carla came to the rescue and avoided a physical confrontation between the two of them.


    "Terence, calm down. You really can''t hit him anymore!" Carla shouted, afraid that Terence just might hit Noah to death.


    Terence, who was still burning with rage, struggled to control himself. "Carla, what do you mean? Didn''t you hear what he said just? Why are you still stopping me despite that?!" he roared with his cold eyes flashing slightly.


    "¡­¡­ Don''t tell me what he said was indeed true," Terence stated, his face screaming astonishment and fear concomitantly.


    Before Carla could utter another word, Noah, who was sitting on the ground, opened his mouth again.


    "Of course, it''s true."


    Noah wiped the blood around his mouth, and then continued to manufacture his long list of blatant lies. "Carla slept with me every night when you were not with her! Oh, if you don''t believe my words, I can prove it. There is a small mole on her back, which can only be seen when she unfastens her underwear belt. I wonder if you''ve ever noticed it? Have you?"


    Noah looked at Carla affectionately after finishing his words. He knew the slightest mistrust he could sow in between them was his victory.


    Hearing Noah''s words, Terence''s eyebrows trembled. He was familiar with every inch of Carla''s skin. So he knew that there was indeed a small mole on her back, which was definitely an information privy to very few people. And Noah definitely shouldn''t be one of them.


    Terence couldn''t help but wonder, ''Noah Hua, how do you know that...''


    Terence looked at Carla whose eyes still could not conceal her concern for Noah. But after hearing Noah''s latest accusation, she shook her head desperately.


    "Terence, no! He is lying! Let me explain. Please believe me..." Carla cried.


    She had panicked. She wasn''t prepared for a level of personal attack to this extent out of nowhere. She was prepared to explain because she was very sure that she had never done anything that may be considered as inappropriate with Noah, but she really could not remember when Noah had seen her mole. She realized that her side of the argument couldn''t be effectively defended unless she can explain that.


    Terence looked at the woman before him who was trembling in fear and panic but didn''t know how to explain. Suddenly, Terence burst into a cold sneer. His deep dark eyes seemed to be filled with disappointment and despair.


    "Terence!"


    "Terence An!"


    Carla looked at Terence who turned around and left. She ran to him, grabbed his clothes and attempted to utter something.


    But Terence threw her hand away with total disregard.


    Terence did not say a word and walked out of the room.


    "Carla... Don''t cry. I''m still here. I''ll always be with you!" Noah said loudly, quite intentionally.


    He stood up from the ground and walked towards her.


    Carla pushed Noah away and rushed out of the door in spite of the endless stream of tears descending down her cheeks and her injured leg which hadn''t fully recovered. She limped down t


    ver since she met Terence, he had been the light in her heart.


    With him, she never really felt darkness. It was the first time that she felt frozen from the deepest layers of her heart and shivered from head to foot.


    As far as her memory was concerned, Terence had never gotten angry with her or treated her so indifferently.


    Even though they had occasionally argued about various issues due to disagreements, she had never seen something that could be described as legitimate anger from his eyes. But this time...


    She dared not think what she was going to do in the future without Terence.


    She regretted her initial decision of having allowed Terence to come in here today. If he hadn''t come here today, all these terrible things wouldn''t have happened.


    Why?! She still laughed with him and called him "Cousin" until the very last moment. He also kissed her affectionately.


    But before those memories could fade, her world had been shattered like never before...


    Suddenly, Carla seemed to understand why everything turned out to happen like it happened. She looked up and sneered. Tears rolled down her cheeks. Her lips tasted salty.


    Carla guessed all of this was designed by Noah! She had naively fallen into his ingenious trap!


    Other than that, she couldn''t reckon another explanation as to how Noah had arrived at her villa as soon as Terence decided to stop by.


    So she realized that no matter when Terence came here, as long as she met him, she would inevitably have fallen into Noah''s trap!


    Noah had been waiting for an opportunity to establish a level of suspicion between them in order to separate her from Terence.


    She had been so foolish that she still hold glimmer of hope that Noah would keep his word and bless her and Terence!


    Throughout the rest of the day, she stayed in the room in a daze until the grandfather clock in the hallway chimed midnight.


    Her thoughts kept wandering aimlessly in a universe filled with misery and sadness until she heard someone knocking on her door, allowing her to escape from her endless string of thoughts into reality.

 Chapter 335 Noahs True Face

    "I prepare some food for you, Miss Carla. You haven''t eaten anything this evening."


    Nola came into Carla''s room and brought some supper to her.


    Carla was leaning on the bed with both hands on her knees. She had been sitting like this the whole afternoon. Interrupted by Nola, she finally raised her head and looked up, just to realize that it was already dark.


    "I don''t want to eat anything. Leave me alone and take it with you, please," she said as she looked at the night sky visible from the window.


    "Miss Carla, although I don''t know what happened, I hope you can be more positive and open-minded. Mr. Terence is very good, but Mr. Noah is also a good man..." Nola''s voice faded. She was an observant person. Truth be told, she didn''t see what happened with her own eyes.


    However, she could vaguely guess the situation everybody was in.


    She was betting that Terence and Carla were not really cousins.


    Moreover, she thought it was reasonable for Carla to fall in love with Terence as he was an outstanding and handsome man.


    "Nola, kindly stop calling me Miss Carla. Just call me by my first name," she posed. Still sitting with her hands on her knees, Carla thought that it was ironic to be called "Miss" as it reminded her that she was Noah''s fiancee.


    "Umh...Well, okay. Nonetheless, I really think that you should eat something. Your health is still the most important thing to consider regardless of whatever is going on."


    Nola walked towards Carla and tried to hand her the bowl of porridge.


    But then, Carla shook her head as she didn''t have any appetite at all.


    "Just take it down, Nola. I''m not hungry. Could you just leave me alone for a moment?" she requested.


    A deep sigh escaped Nola''s chest. She was left with no other choice but to take the porridge out.


    As soon as Nola went out of Carla''s room, she found Vicky standing next to the door while waiting for her.


    "Did Miss Carla eat the food?"


    Nola shook her head and replied, "Take this downstairs. Be alert tonight. We should cook other food once she wakes up hungry later."


    Vicky immediately helped Nola close the door. She then followed the aged woman downstairs.


    They were already in the middle of the staircase when Vicky suddenly asked, "Nola, do you know anything about Mr. Terence? What''s his relationship with our Miss Carla? Why did Mr. Noah become so angry?"


    Nola continued walking downstairs. She whispered without turning her head, "Vicky, Miss Carla is our master. As maids, we''d better not discuss our master''s things."


    "I know that. I just feel curious about it. Could it be that Miss Carla cheated on Mr. Noa


    Noah said in a comforting tone. The woman''s reaction didn''t even surprise him a bit. He had already imagined this before. However, seeing her sadness and madness over him made him hate himself too.


    He instantly regretted all he did to her.


    Carla pushed him away and moved backwards a little. She then hugged her own protectively and shouted, "Don''t touch me!


    Don''t touch me, Noah Hua! You wanted to hurt me and succeeded! Do you think I will believe you still?"


    Carla''s eyes were full of hatred. She exclaimed, "Trusting a person should only happen once. Trusting the same person who had betrayed me before is an outright stupidity!"


    Hearing her words, Noah''s hand which had stretched out couldn''t help but tremble.


    He looked down and closed his eyes slowly.


    "It doesn''t matter whether you believe me or not. I believe in myself anyway," he finally stated.


    ''There is no way for me to calm her down now. I can''t force her to believe me. She must need time to calm down by herself. It''s the only way to make her understand how much I love her, '' he thought.


    Thinking of that, Noah ended the topic and said to Carla, "Eat something. If you don''t want me to feed you. Eat it by yourself." He handed her the bowl and chopsticks but Carla didn''t give him any reaction. Thus, he claimed, "Carla, you do know that I am not a good man. If you don''t know how to cherish yourself, then there''s also no need for me to cherish you.


    If you don''t eat it, I''ll stay here in your room tonight and sleep with you. And I won''t just lie beside you, I''ll do what a fiance should do!"


    Seeing Carla still didn''t move at all, Noah then continued in a threatening tone, "Try me, Carla. You can choose not to eat it and I can also choose what to do after."

 Chapter 336 Back To JA City Temporarily (Part One)

    Upon hearing Noah''s threatening statement, Carla felt a bit unsettled as she awkwardly grabbed the bowl and chopsticks he was handing over to her.


    She didn''t want Noah to take her purity away. When all was said and done, that was the only thing she had left at that very moment.


    If that were to happen, the only glimmer of hope she was holding on to would be lost completely.


    The only reason Carla decided to stay with the Hua family was that she could take back the things which she thought were rightfully hers. Deep in her mind, she was thinking that only by having those things would she finally be worthy of marrying Terence.


    Be that as it may, if it weren''t for Terence, she wouldn''t have had any reason to persevere.


    After making sure that Carla would be willing to eat it, Noah left.


    During her stay there, Carla mostly spent her days just lounging at home. Given that there was nothing else she could do, it was as though she was a zombie mindlessly roaming around the house. But in any case, she wasn''t the type of person who could just stay in one place for too long. Just until a few weeks ago, she rarely ever got out due to having an injured leg. But this time, despite being fully capable of going for a stroll, she didn''t want to go anywhere because she wasn''t in the mood to do so.


    And it wasn''t really like Noah was completely without conscience. Other than the fact that he was checking up on her every morning and evening to know if Carla was eating on time and not starving herself, he had never really forced her into doing something she didn''t really want to.


    She had just been staying in for about two weeks. In the span of half a month, she couldn''t really bring herself to call Terence and talk to him so easily. So, mustering up the courage to do it was not an simple task.


    The truth was that she was just so eager to genuinely have a chat with him.


    But in spite of that, she couldn''t get through to Terence. She wasn''t able to reach him. No matter how many times she tried, she just failed to do so every single time.


    Then, it suddenly dawned to her that Terence could''ve probabl


    m afraid that you will just end up hurting yourself."


    As soon as she was done giving her a piece of her mind, she went back inside the villa, shaking her head, feeling so helpless.


    Because Carla couldn''t really understand what she meant by that, she still went ahead and hailed a taxi to go to the AJ Building.


    Before everything that happened, Carla could just go back and forth into the AJ Building with ease. That being said, when she finally got there, the guards wouldn''t let her into the building no matter what she tried to say to them.


    So, she thought of calling Rainer and Nathan to ask for their help, but somehow, the calls weren''t going through. She wasn''t expecting anything like that whatsoever, leading her to think that it must have been Terence who ordered them to place her in the blacklist of their phones.


    Given that there wasn''t really any other way for her to get inside the building, she had no other choice but to wait in front of the gate of the AJ Building.


    Despite persistently waiting outside the gate for quite a long time, she never even saw Terence exit the building. Because of that, she came to the realization that he might not have shown up in the company that day.


    "Hello, is this Theo? Do you know where Terence could be right now?"


    After contemplating about it for a while, Theo suddenly came to her mind. And luckily for her, she was able to get through to him.

 Chapter 337 Back To JA City Temporarily (Part Two)

    "Carla, is that you?" Theo had been left dumbfounded, as he never would''ve thought that Carla would actually contact him.


    "Yes. Do you have any clue where Terence might be at this moment? I really need to find him as soon as possible," Carla anxiously told him. Looking around the area, it was already quite dark outside. She was afraid to think that if she didn''t manage to locate Terence now, then she would end up having to wait until the next morning.


    "Well, Carla. I hate to tell you this, but I would just like to remind you that you can''t possibly be with Terence anymore. Once things are gone, they''re gone forever, and that goes for relationships as well. Why are you being so stubborn?" Considering the fact that Theo was one of Terence''s trusted friends, he was also aware of the fact that Carla had actually been engaged with Noah for about three or four months now.


    "Theo, I beg of you. Please tell me where Terence is. I desperately need to see him. There''s some urgent matters that I have to talk to him about," Carla pleaded.


    From the way her voice sounded, it was apparent that she was about to break down.


    She had been left with no choice at this point but to find Terence as soon as she possibly could, thinking that it would be best for her to clear things up and let him know that nothing had ever happened between her and Noah.


    She just couldn''t bear the ceaseless psychological tortures any longer. It was a weight that was much too heavy for her to endure.


    "Carla, do you even realize you''re putting me in a rather difficult position right now? Look, I get it. Losing the love of your life is much too painful. But just like you, I''ve been through that as well, so I can understand the pain that you are experiencing right now. Even so, you also have to get your head around the fact that Terence could be feeling quite differently right now compared to how he used to be back then. To tell you the truth, he has actually been getting better and better these days. I can''t risk letting you show up in front of him right now," Theo said, trying his best to explain the situation to Car


    e would always be a number of girls flocking Terence. If he were to count them all, the total number would probably be off the charts. And now that there was someone by his side to make sure he wasn''t feeling down, it wasn''t necessarily a bad thing for him.


    Upon hearing Carla''s response, Theo simply nodded and turned his back to enter the VIP room.


    Carla decided to just patiently wait outside the room. But for some reason, despite waiting for so long, no one was walking out of the room.


    After a couple more minutes of standing by the door, Theo finally appeared.


    "Carla, I''m really sorry. I think you''d better come back home for now. He is much too drunk to talk with you. Why don''t you just talk to him tomorrow morning when he sobers up?"


    Carla could tell that Theo wasn''t just making all of it up. There was nothing he could do about it. Taking a glance inside the room, he held back a deep sigh.


    Closing her eyes, Carla heaved a heavy sigh after finding out through Theo that Terence wasn''t in any condition to talk to her.


    Theo was completely clueless of how she would react to that.


    Carla wasn''t someone who would just easily let a closed door stop her from seeing him face to face.


    All of a sudden, Carla opened her eyes, looking quite resolute. She gently pushed Theo aside, who was standing in front of the door.


    Without having any second thoughts, she swung the door open.

 Chapter 338 Tired

    But when


    the moment she opened the door, Carla felt a bit dizzy.


    In a room full of loud music and flickering lights, she found it difficult to focus in such a ruckus.


    When her eyes had finally adjusted to her surroundings, she saw a couple, sitting down on the red couch inside.


    The man, whom she thought she knew well, now was holding a girl, not very beautiful but seemed very smart. Looking at him, Carla felt like she didn''t recognize him anymore.


    Terence smiled as he gripped the girl''s hand in his while she placed her other hand on his right thigh.


    The Terence she knew would never let any other woman touch him. From the looks of it, it seemed he was enjoying it now. The girl whispered something into his ear and he gave her a grin.


    It felt all familiar to Carla.


    He used to look and smile at her in that way but now he was doing it to someone else. She could hear her heart crack into tiny little pieces.


    Her gaze went dark. As if she was possessed by some entity, Carla walked sharply towards them before she could even realize it.


    The next thing she knew, she grabbed the girl by the shoulder and yanked her out of Terence''s embrace with all the strength she could muster.


    Inside the noisy room and the flashing lights, Carla felt her heartbeat ringing up to her ears.


    Terence could only stare at Carla and their eyes met. His eyes glittered and immediately shifted away.


    He quickly stood up and held the girl, dusting off the dust from her dress. He asked in concern, "Rena, are you alright?"


    The girl named Rena nodded and glared at Carla. She replied to Terence, not ripping her eyes off Carla, "Yeah, I''m fine."


    Carla could only stare in pain as she watched how Terence cared for the other woman.


    She felt she had lost control of herself.


    She needed to do something! She couldn''t think straight anymore.


    Carla''s heart pounded along with the pounding sounds of the room. When she noticed the black plug on the wall, she pulled it off without any hesitation.


    The lights stopped flashing and the music faded away. Silence filled up the room.


    Everyone stopped laughing and dancing. All eyes were laid towards Carla''s direction.


    "Terence, we need to talk!" Carla spoke out, trying her best to suppress her disappointment and anger. She tried hard to sound natural as if nothing happened.


    "Well, if you insi


    is eyebrows together. "It doesn''t matter. I heard what you just said earlier. There must be some misunderstanding but..."


    He paused for a moment and sighed, "But the truth is, I''m tired already, Carla. I don''t think I can wait for you anymore. My patience has just run dry.


    Even if I can wait for you, my grandfather can''t. I have to think about my family. Carla, please forgive me."


    Carla''s eyes widened, feeling a thousand daggers stab her heart. She cried out, "T-Terence? Is this really you?


    I thought you knew me well."


    Terence knew well everything behind her engagement with Noah. If he didn''t trust her, why did he try so hard to find her again and again?


    Terence watched Carla, whose tears were flowing all over her face.


    "Do you really think I''ll take you back no matter what once Noah gives up on you? Is that what you really think?


    If it happened earlier, I would do everything to protect and wait for you. But now, things have changed. I don''t have the time and energy anymore."


    Terence looked away from her. "Carla, for our sake, please go away."


    Carla began sobbing, breaking down.


    She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his neck lightly. "When I was with the Hua family, the only thing that kept me going was you. But then, since you don''t want me anymore, I guess all my enduring and efforts were in vain. Please take those words back. Please take me back!"


    All of a sudden, Rena pulled her out of Terence''s embrace. Carla was thrown to the table next to them with a bang.


    "Don''t touch my Terence! You don''t deserve him!"

 Chapter 339 Dont Pretend Anymore!

    Carla could not help grunting in pain. The bottles on the table behind her got broken into pieces. When she raised her hand, she saw that her hand was pierced by small glass fragments and blood was spilling out.


    She looked up at Terence, but noticed that he was trying to avoid her gaze.


    Desperate, she only shook her head.


    Tears began to well up.


    She used to be showered by Terence''s love and care but now she wasn''t even worth a second glance from him.


    Clenching her fists, Carla panted and struggled to stand up. Then she smiled at Terence.


    "Mr. Terence An, I want to thank you. Thank you for taking care of me and Sean back in the days. Thank you for loving and tolerating me. You are the first man who made me feel that I am more important than anything else. I always dreamed of growing old with you until the last day we breathe. From the day I decided to be yours, I''ve been trying my best to love you and protect you. I want to be a woman deserving your love. I won''t be ashamed of doing crazy things for our love. Maybe we are just not meant to be."


    Carla took a deep breath and wiped away her tears with her uninjured hand. "Thank you for loving me so much, Terence. I hope in our next lives, we will be together. The moment I get out of here, we won''t have any relations with each other anymore. Please apologize to Grandpa Nicholas for me since I have let him down."


    Carla spouted out whatever coming into her mind at this moment before she bowed slightly to him.


    With tears threatening to spill from her eyes, she smiled and walked towards the door.


    When she was about to turn the doorknob, she heard Rena''s voice shout, "Terence!"


    Her eyes widened when she felt Terence''s hand gripping her injured wrist. Then he opened the door, bringing her along with him.


    "Terence?" Rena called him again.


    She also followed them out immediately.


    Despite the pain Carla felt as Terence held her, she could not help curving her lips upwards, forming a slight smile.


    She thought, ''See, Terence? You can''t pretend not to love me.''


    Terrence dragged her towards his car. She sat in the front seat while Rena helped herself at the back. Then he immediately started the engine and headed for the hospital.


    As she was examined by the doctor, Carla tightly closed her eyes and gritted her teeth to endure the pain. The doctor carefully removed the fragments in her hand and then treated the wounds with medicines. "And we''re done," the doctor spoke after he had finished wrapping her hand in a bandage.


    "It''s alright now. Keep the wounds dry. Clean them and change the bandages regularly while you recover," the doctor advised.


    The doctor had finally packed up. "If you will excuse me, I do have a patient at Room 245. Have a good evening." Then the doctor gave a slight bow and walked away.


    "Terence, she can manage hersel


    t day, Carla woke up early. It had been a while ever since she slept comfortably. She immediately prepared herself some coffee to give her a boost.


    The past two weeks was hell for her. She couldn''t even sleep properly. It was two weeks of lonely nights and seeing Terence last night made her feel a bit better.


    After she had finished fixing herself, she decided to take her time. She went shopping and went to the salon. She had all the time she would need before she dropped by at the AJ Building.


    She didn''t bring much clothes since she had made a quick decision to come to JA City.


    Carla wasn''t the type to wear clothes that showed off her figure but for some strange reason, she had bought a set. She wore a tank top inside and a black see-through top, showing off her curves while keeping a hint of mystery.


    Then she put on a loose skirt which reached above her knees.


    After she had decided for her outfit, she put on some earrings and some makeup and then made her way to the AJ Building.


    Probably Terence had prepared for her visit in advance since there wasn''t any difficulty in entering his office.


    Finally she arrived in front of the door of his office.


    It was Rainer who greeted her and he gave her a smile and nod. "Good day, Miss Carla. Please wait for a moment. I''ll inform Mr. Terence of your arrival."


    Rainer entered and then came back out after a few moments.


    "Miss Carla, Mr. Terence is only free for twenty minutes as he will be having a meeting afterward. Please make it short."


    Carla raised her eyebrows in surprise and thought to herself, ''Twenty minutes? That isn''t enough.''


    Then she spoke up to Rainer, "Very well. Thank you, Rainer. Please stay outside and don''t let anybody in. Even if twenty minutes have passed, don''t let anyone in if I don''t go out yet."


    Before Rainer was given a chance to respond, Carla pushed the door and made her way in.

 Chapter 340 What Was Happening Inside

    Carla walked straight towards Terence''s office desk after she stepped in.


    Terence immediately stood up from his office chair the moment he heard the familiar footsteps. He gestured towards the sofa and poured two cups of tea for them.


    "So, just go straight to the point and make it quick," Terence spoke as he sat down on the sofa. "I have a meeting later."


    Carla sat down beside him and accepted the cup of tea offered by him. Slowly, she took a sip.


    Then she spoke up, "As you wish, I will cut to the chase. I''ll be working with the Hua Group. Unfortunately, I am not that knowledgeable in doing business. I hope you could teach me and give me some advices."


    Terence glanced at her as he sipped his tea before he replied coldly, "You are not going to work here. How could I give you advices when you''re going to be based in HA City?"


    A smile spread on Carla''s face. "Well, I''m pretty sure that there''re going to be projects that will allow us to cooperate in the coming days. If you teach me well then I can do better and those projects will go more smoothly. Don''t you think so?"


    Knowing the AJ Group''s reputation, countless businessmen would like to cooperate with them in order to have profits. If she could gain Terence''s support, she would easily get promoted even if she was a new employee.


    With Terrence being an important figure in the AJ Group, why wouldn''t she seek help from him? He was her man, after all.


    When she finished her cup, she set it down on her table. She looked at Terence and held his arm, awaiting his confirmation.


    "Let me ask you a question. Am I supporting you or Noah? You know, since both of you are from the Hua Group, supporting you is actually helping him, right?"


    Terence mindlessly tore Carla''s hand away from his arm. He tried his best not to look at the clothes she was wearing today, keeping his composure.


    "If this is your only purpose coming here today, there is no bother for you to do so. Remember, I am a businessman so I will choose anything that will give me profit. Why would I bother with things that give me no good?"


    Carla frowned and chewed her lip. She immediately tackled Terence on the sofa, straddling him, her hands pressing down beside his shoulders. She gave him a fiery look.


    She retorted, "Are you telling me that I will do you no good? If I marry you, the half of the Hua Group will belong to you. Now, do you still believe that I will bring you no good?"


    She didn''t rip her sight from his eyes and kept on glaring.


    Mixed emotions were present in Terence''s eyes. He loo


    xpect that all those theories Nathan just stated were his own reasoning.


    Even so, he agreed to what Nathan said. Only Mr. Terence knew what was running inside his mind. And the silence had filled between the two brothers again as they stayed outside.


    Inside the room, Terence and Carla lay panting on the sofa. Both of them were sweaty and Carla lay down on top of Terence.


    It took quite a long time for them to finish this round of love-making activity.


    Terence took a deep breath and pulled Carla away from him. He stood up and quickly zipped up his pants.


    "Put on your clothes. You have to leave now," he ordered.


    Carla put on her clothes and sat lazily against the sofa. She looked up cozily at Terence. "Let me take a rest for a while, at the least. I am really exhausted. And I feel sore all over."


    When he finally buckled up his belt, he took out a new shirt to put on. Then he turned to her and said coldly, "Find somewhere else to sleep. This is my office and you already made such a mess."


    "Yeah, yeah, I know. Sorry."


    Carla glared and huffed at him.


    She grabbed her shoes and put them on. All she felt was sore and pain all over her body as she managed to sit straight on the sofa. Then she took out her mirror from her purse and fixed her make-up and her hair.


    Secretly, she cursed in her heart, ''Men must be tired very much in this love-making activity. I am so glad I wasn''t born one.''


    After she finished fixing herself, she stood up and walked towards Terence.


    She took the cup from his table and gulped down all the water in it. Then she raised her head to look at Terence.


    She tucked her hair behind her ear before she whispered, "Well, I am leaving now."

 Chapter 341 Nicholas In Hospital

    "Please, leave,"


    Terence responded faintly, looking at the unfinished document on the table without raising his head.


    "Okay, I''m leaving. I mean it. I''m really leaving now,"


    Carla said, frowning as she noticed that he wasn''t about to raise his head and look at her.


    "Okay," Terence said.


    "Well, goodbye then!" Carla said angrily.


    Terence didn''t say anything.


    Carla looked at him as she bit her lower lip. She felt a despondency that she couldn''t put in words. It brought home the thought that perhaps all her efforts had been in vain.


    She had tired herself out trying to satisfy him as he sat and enjoyed her efforts. But now he was acting like nothing had happened and barely looked at her as she began to leave.


    She wasn''t up to take any nonsense from him and really walked towards the door, determined to leave. But the moment she reached the door, something important sprang to her mind.


    So she turned around.


    "Umm... Do you have any cash on you?"


    Carla asked. And then she saw his wallet on the table. She bent to take it but Terence''s hand shot out to stop her.


    He opened his wallet, took out all the cash in it, and put the cash on the table.


    "I''ll transfer the money to you when I get back," Carla said. She took the cash and shoved it into her pocket without saying thanks.


    She didn''t take much cash though. And she also didn''t want to power her mobile phone back on because she knew that Noah and Andrea would call her over and over again. She really didn''t want to talk to them right now.


    Therefore, she thought it was convenient to have some cash on her.


    She still needed to eat and then take a taxi, so she needed money a little desperately.


    And this time, Carla really did exit Terence''s office.


    Once she left, Terence took a deep breath and rubbed his temples as he leaned back on his chair. He stared for a long time at the door through which Carla had left.


    His gaze shifted to the wallet lying beside him. He opened it and sifted through, and exhaled as he saw Carla''s picture was still well stuffed into it.


    He took the picture out of his wallet, opened the drawer and put the picture in there.


    "Mr. Terence, I''ve postponed the meeting for an hour. But do you still want to have the meeting today? I can cancel it if you like," Rainer asked.


    Rainer finally dared to come in a while after Carla left.


    "Oh, yes. I''ll attend the meeting, of course. And arrange a car for me after the meeting. I''m going to visit Grandpa,"


    be very accurate.


    I will be twenty-four soon. Maybe next year, you will really be able to see your great-grandson. So you must take care of your health, okay?"


    Nicholas laughed. He never believed in superstition but he didn''t refute her at this moment.


    He chose to humor her instead. "Okay, I''ll wait for the birth of my great-grandson. Now, stop crying. Every time I''m in hospital, there will always be someone crying in front of me. But I''m always discharged safely, am I not?


    Carla, the doctor has said that as long as I keep myself warm, I''ll be around for three to five years. So don''t worry about me. Just follow your own plans!"


    Carla smiled and nodded. "Then tell me, Grandpa Nicholas, do you like boys or girls?"


    Nicholas blurted out, "Of course girls! There are three sons in the Ans and they''ve been mischievous all their lives. I''m tired of that!


    Every time I see anybody else''s beautiful little granddaughters holding on to their grandpa''s neck, I become really jealous!"


    Nicholas said, a smile full of longing taking its place on his face.


    "Okay! I promise I''ll give you a great-granddaughter no matter what," Carla said earnestly.


    "Okay. But Carla, I''ll like my great-grandchild irrespective of whether it''s a boy or a girl, as long as it''s created by you and Terence," Nicholas said with a laugh.


    On the other side, Terence had finished the meeting and was on the way to the hospital.


    Not long after, he arrived at the destination.


    "Mr. Terence, everything is ready. Shall we go in?" Rainer asked politely as he took everything they needed.


    Terence nodded grimly.


    They then headed for the inpatient department.

 Chapter 342 Heart Transplant Surgery

    It was almost time to leave. Carla stood up and bade goodbye to Nicholas. Walking out of the ward, she decided that she should return to HA City.


    She must go back and take up the post as soon as possible. The situation was critical and every day mattered.


    Terence was right. Although he could afford to wait, Nicholas might be unable to.


    She wouldn''t forgive herself if Nicholas died with regrets regardless of how Terence planned to soothe her if that really happened.


    Just as Carla stepped into the elevator, Terence came out from the other one and headed toward Nicholas''s ward.


    As a result, they missed each other in the blink of an eye.


    Carla went downstairs and hurried to take a taxi. She headed straight to Sean''s school.


    In the ward, Nicholas sensed some movements outside the door.


    He thought Carla had forgotten something and thus returned.


    "Carla, is that you? Have you forgotten anything?


    If you don''t mind, stay with me for a little longer," he babbled as every old man would. That was when the door completely opened and Terence came in.


    "Oh, it''s you. I thought Carla hadn''t gone yet," Nicholas said with mild disappointment.


    Terence noticed the flowers and supplements on the table as he approached the old man. Those made him instantly understand why his grandfather mentioned Carla.


    "Has she been here?" he asked casually.


    "Yes, who else do you think would make your grandpa so happy except her?" Nicholas nodded. He was obviously flooded with joy. He was still smiling like a child when he added, "She just left. Didn''t you see her?"


    Terence pulled a chair and sat by the bedside. Grabbing the kettle on the table and pouring some water into a cup, he just simply replied, "No." He then handed the water to Nicholas.


    "Oh, thanks! Aren''t you guys seeing each other lately?" Nicholas asked in surprise as he took the cup.


    Terence didn''t say anything about it. Rather, he turned the conversation away from the topic and asked back, "Have you made any decisions yet about your heart surgery, Grandpa?"


    A deep sigh escaped Nicholas''s chest upon hearing about his health. He gave a feeble wave with his hand before saying, "As I''ve said many times before, I''m too old to have such a big surgery.


    This heart has been serving me all my life. It''s a part of me. I don''t think I can afford to replace it."


    "So you are sayin


    I was thinking, you don''t like Terence anymore. Thus, you''ve kicked him away!" Sean blinked his eyes while looking at her disdainfully.


    Carla snorted. Then without further ado, she reached out to hit the child''s forehead.


    "That''s nonsense! Am I that kind of person?"


    "Well, I''m glad to hear that. Otherwise, I''ll disown you!"


    Sean blurted before putting his attention back to his food.


    However, Carla had already lost her appetite. Her mind was reeling nonstop. ''Where on earth did Sean get that idea? Who told him those things?''


    After dinner, Carla sent Sean back to school.


    Later, she hurried to grab a taxi and headed back to HA City.


    It was almost midnight when she arrived home.


    "Oh my! You''re finally home, Miss Carla." Nola came over to her as soon as Carla opened the door. Then the maid added, "Mrs. Andrea and Mr. Noah are worried about you."


    Carla immediately changed her shoes while on the doorway.


    She walked inside while saying, "I''m sorry, Nola. I just went out to visit my brother. I was rushing back after seeing him."


    Carla was already heading upstairs when she asked again, "Is my mother here?"


    "No, she isn''t. But she would be here tomorrow. You should relax before you two meet. Mr. Noah has been looking for you these past few days. He is upstairs right now and in a really bad mood."


    Nola looked a bit anxious as she looked at her.


    "Thank you, Nola. It''s already late. You can go and sleep."


    Continuing her steps, Carla shook her head slightly as she thought, ''Cheers, Carla. You can''t hide from what''s been doomed, huh?''

 Chapter 343 Noahs Revenge

    Uncomfortable silence was echoing through the corridor as Carla walked upstairs.


    The atmosphere was eerie and only her mild footsteps could be heard through the house. She turned to the direction of her room as soon as she reached the second floor. However, she never expected to see Noah standing before her door while looking at her coldly.


    "So you still remember the way of coming back home, huh? I thought you''ve already forgotten where we live," he mocked.


    Carla paused for a while and looked back at him. She then passed by him and opened the door. She walked in her room as if she hadn''t heard him at all.


    However, Noah quickly grabbed her arm angrily as soon as she stepped into her room. He immediately frowned when his sight landed on her injured hand. He asked, "What happened to your hand? Were you looking for Terence in JA City?"


    Carla pulled his hand away and deliberately deadpanned him again.


    She tried to walk away from the man but Noah grabbed her arm again. He forcefully turned her by her shoulders this time and made her look back at him. "I''m asking you, Carla! Didn''t you hear what I said? Where have you been? Why weren''t you answering your phone? Why did you turn it off?" Noah madly shouted.


    Cocking her head to the side, Carla just stared at him instead. "You''ve promised not to interfere with my freedom, haven''t you?" she asked.


    She tried to pull her hand away from him but Noah wouldn''t let her go. His grip on her arm tightened even worse.


    Thus, she could only sneer, "If my memory serves me right, you also said that you would never interfere with my plans even if I wanted to go back and live in JA City. I just went back there to pay a visit to my brother today. Why are you overreacting?"


    "Went back to pay a visit to your brother?


    Don''t mess with me, Carla. Did you go there for Terence? Your leg just recovered. Why are you so eager to go back because of him?"


    The defiance on Carla''s face was making Noah''s anger burn more. It seemed that the woman was ready to pay any price for whatever she did.


    "Right! I wanted to see Terence! So what?"


    Caving in was not exactly in Carla''s mind that time. Thus, she raised her head and proudly provoked him even more.


    Hearing what she said, Noah angrily grabbed her arm and hurled her to the bed. Carla fell with a bounce but Noah was instantly above her. He roared, "What, Callie? Are you so eager for men''s body? It has only been a few days since you met him last time! Why are you acting like a wanton cougar now? Why are you so thirsty?


    Don''t you dare tell me that you just asked him to reconcile with you! What now? Did he agree to take you back?"


    Those statements were bitch slaps on Carla''s face. She looked at him, fearless, and insultingly smiled. "Are you jealous, Noah?"


    Noah closed his eyes impatiently upon seeing her laughing in his face.


    "Callie, if you really want someone to make


    w! Goodbye!"


    "Okay! Goodbye!" replied Albert while laughing. He waved his hand at her and then shook his head. She was still sitting in a wheelchair the last time they met. But now here she was, alive and kicking.


    Albert''s pass card was the perfect tool. She got to the top floor without any issue at all. The top floor was where all the executive offices were located, including Noah''s.


    "Hello, Miss Carla. This way, please. Mr. Noah is currently in a meeting. It will be over soon. You can wait in his office for the moment."


    Noah''s secretary came over and led her to Noah''s office.


    Observing how the secretary reacted to her, Carla could tell that the secretary was aware that she was coming. She followed her into Noah''s office silently while wondering why she didn''t inform the receptionist about her arrival at all.


    Well, no need to say, it was more than obvious that Noah was power-tripping against her. With that in her mind, Carla ruthlessly turned Noah''s executive chair to her and stepped one of her feet on it. She then leisurely tied her shoelace without care if she was damaging the luxurious chair.


    She turned to his desk after that and deliberately messed all the documents which had been neatly filed there before her arrival.


    A beautiful pen standing in a container took her attention. It looked grand. Thus, she took the innocent pen and scribbled on his desk using it. She was about to return the pen on its container but then she changed her mind.


    The pen looked expensive and very useful, so she put it in her jean''s pocket instead.


    She really intended to wear a shirt and jeans today as she knew that novices in companies would inevitably do some trivial and tiring things. It would be inappropriate for her to walk on high-heels while doing all those stuff.


    "Mr. Noah, your schedule for today has been put on the table..."


    Before long, Carla heard the secretary talking to Noah at the door.

 Chapter 344 Carla Came To The Hua Group

    Carla immediately straightened up and stood aside upon hearing the voice outside the door.


    Although she already knew Noah and didn''t like him that much, she came into the company as an employee. Thus, Noah was still her boss. It was just rightful of her to respect him here to some degree.


    It was then that the secretary opened the door and Noah came in.


    His eyes instantly landed on his desk and saw how it was obviously messed up by someone. He then turned to Carla who was standing next to the desk while looking back at him innocently. It was as if she didn''t do anything.


    Without any response, Noah went straight to his desk. He was about to sit when he noticed a gray footprint on his black leather chair. It wasn''t that big and the shoe size already gave away who the culprit was.


    Thinking, he shot Carla another look. On the other hand, Carla was too busy either looking at the ceiling or checking the sole of her shoe. Thus, she didn''t see the wry smile that cracked Noah''s lips.


    ''Same, good old Carla. It seems that she didn''t change at all. She''s still the type of person who dares to love and hate at the same time. More so, the kind who won''t allow anyone to humiliate or bully her, '' he thought.


    "I asked you to come here to give you some pointers. I''m your superior in this company. I hope you can keep your personal and professional life separate. Don''t bring unnecessary emotions to work. All you need to do here is to work properly."


    While talking, Noah walked up to Carla and looked at her under his nose. She was a lot shorter than him.


    He continued, "There are only very few people here who knows about our relationship. I hope you don''t feel bad about it. Keeping your identity a secret is for the sake of the Hua Group and the Hua family."


    Allen just died. It wouldn''t be good for everyone to know who his biological daughter was at this time since that would leak the fact that his previous children were all adopted. That was one of the most valuable secrets of the Hua family. The Hua family was a rich and noble one and anything that could affect its image would eventually harm the Hua Group.


    It was the reason why Allen and Andrea chose not to disclose this matter publicly.


    While gazing at Carla, Noah casually noticed a pen cap in her jean pocket. The pen looked familiar. It was like he had seen it somewhere before.


    "Carla, no matter how much you hate me and don''t want to see me anymore, I hope you can calm down when facing me.


    I have devoted too much energy and time to the Hua family for so long. You might think that I''m not ready to give up my power and position. You might also say that I lust for wealth. I''m not going to deny that. I have worked hard to get all this. I don''t have plans of losing them.


    It''s just human nature. I don''t think my idea is wrong," said Noah firmly.


    After a couple of blinks, Carla just glanced at Noah and looked away. He continued, "You are not me, Carla. You won''t understand my struggles. I can only hope for you to understand me. I''ll be satisfied even if you just give me a little understanding. Moreover, I''m still hoping for you


    llible?


    It could have been better if Noah is indifferent to me. Why does he have to be so kind? I''d rather be ruthless in dealing with him!'' wondered Carla.


    Shaking her head, Carla told herself to calm down and stop thinking too much.


    She looked ahead and found that she had arrived at the Distribution Department.


    Meanwhile, with his chin propped in one of his palms, Noah stood by the glass wall inside his office while the cleaner behind him was fixing his desk.


    ''I once said that I was willing to fight against anyone to get Carla''s love.


    I must win her heart if I want to be in a win-win situation.


    However, the trust between Carla and Terence is far stronger than I expected.


    Carla may be kind but that doesn''t mean she isn''t smart.


    She sometimes looks heartless but actually, she is very rational.


    Even I don''t have the power to push her to just do what I want.


    It seems like this situation has already been concluded.


    I can''t be too anxious about making Carla obey me. Otherwise, she would just get more and more disgusted with me.


    Nonetheless, if I''m not really in a hurry to get anything, Carla would see Terence over and over for sure. Everything I have done will go to waste if the two get together, '' he thought.


    "Everything has been tidied up, Mr. Noah," said a voice from his behind.


    The secretary was responsible for sorting out the documents on the table and the cleaner had already gone out.


    That call made Noah come back to his senses. He turned around and walked to his desk. He was just about to sit down when he saw the clean leather chair. He couldn''t help laughing.


    Then he sat down and took the documents he was going to read and sign today.


    "Mr. Noah, there is a charity dinner in the evening. We are invited.


    The dinner is going to be held at the Angel Charity Hall in JA City. Do you want me to invite Miss Megan to come with you? Or are you going to the dinner party with your fiancee? Let me know once you already have a decision. I''ll have it ready in advance,"


    the secretary stood aside and said dutifully.

 Chapter 345 Carla Wanted To Go To The Charity Banquet

    Noah was trying to pick up a pen from the brush pot when he heard his secretary ask him a question. After giving her a quick glance, he replied, "Call Miss Megan, please."


    As the boss of the AJ Group, Terence must also have been invited to the charity event. Since Carla had just returned from JA City, Noah didn''t want her to meet Terence again so soon. He believed that would affect her adversely.


    "Yes, sir," the secretary replied as she turned to head out of the room.


    "Wait a minute."


    Noah stopped her abruptly.


    "Please check and inform me who would be accompanying Terence tonight, the CEO of the AJ Group,"


    __


    At the Distribution Department.


    Carla could tell what the Distribution Department was responsible for when she simply saw its name. It wasn''t so different from delivering food which she did while she worked at a restaurant.


    Back when she was a delivery girl, she had to deliver food into the many blocks in the city all by herself. Now the Distribution Department here was divided into both internal distribution and external distribution.


    As Carla worked in the internal one, her office was right next to the Purchasing Department which was responsible for purchasing while people in the Internal Distribution Department were supposed to deliver things to other divisions within the company. The building where the Hua Group was situated was indeed so big that, there were so many organizations and departments in it. Innumerable files needed to be transferred amongst them.


    Whenever a need arose, Carla and her colleagues would receive a call. They then had to send things to a specific place as per their requirements.


    Sometimes, it was tiresome for Carla to run between many floors. But this job enabled her to be familiar with other departments in just a matter of a few days. It was the best way to know about the internal structure of the company.


    Carla realized that not all the companies had the same functional organizational structure. A company might build some special departments to meet its own unique needs.


    After heading back from the Finance Department, Carla right now was in a washroom and took the chance to take a badly needed short break.


    There were several people in the Distribution Department. Carla was new, so instead of staying in the office, she always was the one who''d rush out to do all the delivering job herself. She kept walking and running for a whole day, which eventually made her exhausted. Her muscles were sore.


    At this time, Carla overheard two girls out of the stall gossiping, "We''ve just dealt with a huge fiscal expenditure. It was used for some charitable purpose. And Mr. Noah is going to go to that charity auction tonight."


    "We do that every year. As the competition in the business world is getting fiercer, it''s a necessity for companies to build a good image by doing things like


    g as you can get yourself all dressed up to suit such an occasion in twenty minutes, I will take you to the charity event with me."


    "Oh, Noah. I don''t think it will be appropriate. Miss Megan will still be your date. I''ll appear alongside you two like your... secretary. So, I don''t need to dress up."


    Carla refused to obey him.


    She assumed that it would be easier for her to get into the hall if she was with Noah. She didn''t intend to stand in the spotlight with Noah. She just wanted to see Terence.


    Noah then watched her. "Carla, everybody knows that you are my fiancee. If you want to step into a public place like that, you have to stand alongside me. You seriously think it would be an act of decency for you to walk after me and another woman while we get in?


    Go get dressed up. That''s my one and only condition if you really want to come with me."


    He shot a firm glance at the clock and urged her, "Two minutes have passed. You sure about intending to keep standing here?"


    Carla then came to her senses and rushed out of the office.


    Megan was startled by Carla''s unexpected appearance. Carla fixed her eyes on Megan''s dress for several seconds. She was thinking if there was any chance to borrow her dress. But she got that thought out of her mind in a matter of seconds.


    She already felt guilty for hogging her date. It would be too cruel to rob her dress as well now.


    What was more important, they probably didn''t share the same size. So, what could she do now?


    Out of the blue, an image of a wedding dress store on the first floor in the same building appeared in her mind. She had seen it during several occasions while she was on the way to work. And some of the dresses could be good choices for a charity event.


    She hurriedly headed to the elevator. She badly wanted to be punctual today.


    About twenty minutes later, Noah stopped his car at the door of the wedding dress store.

 Chapter 346 Meeting Terence

    Noah was never the type of person who drifted off from his dates. However, for Carla, he made an exception.


    He checked the time and found himself behind the schedule. It was either he left now or he would be late.


    Thus, he planned to push the car door open to see if Carla was good with the dress. However, he wasn''t ready for the pleasant surprise to welcome him. The wedding dress store''s glass door opened right at the moment he looked up.


    Then, just like in the movies, everything around him seemed to slow down, leaving just a stunning beauty running out of the door towards him.


    With one of her hands pulling the dress and the other holding her pair of high heels, Carla looked exactly like a ragged Cinderella; beautiful, astounding and most of all, very special.


    Noah had seen hundreds of delicate girls in fancy dresses. But none of them equaled to the woman sprinting airily right now with her sports shoes on. She was just perfect.


    A writer once said, "there are too many good faces in the world yet too few interesting souls."


    Carla''s beauty was more than skin deep. She wasn''t displaying her beauty on purpose. Nonetheless, it was still undeniable.


    Lost in his thoughts, Noah just couldn''t help but stare at her.


    It was only after Carla knocked at his window that he finally came back to his senses. Realizing that the door was still locked, he immediately pressed the lock button.


    Carla immediately opened the door and got into the backseat. She then put her high heels away and said, "Noah, please drive!"


    Looking at her through the rearview mirror, Noah started the engine and asked, "Did you spend the whole twenty minutes just changing your dress?"


    "No. I was bargaining with them. This dress is so expensive and they don''t rent it." Carla sighed heavily then leaned back in the backseat.


    Noah was speechless.


    He never really cared about the prices whenever he was shopping. Curiously, he looked at the high heels. "How about these shoes? Did you buy them at the wedding dress store?"


    "No, I didn''t buy them. When I was trying on the dress, the shoes fitted me perfectly, so I spent some time begging them to give the shoes to me."


    While speaking, Carla fumbled inside her bag to get some makeup tools. She didn''t have the time to have a makeup artist do her makeup, so she had to do it by herself on the way.


    Noah was once again speechless.


    Considering how wealthy Carla was now, it was amusing that she still kept her frugal habits.


    "I''ll transfer some money to your


    op his pride from bragging, knowing that he was with this beautiful woman.


    Although her dress was bought at a bargained price, Carla still looked like a princess tonight. The light pink dress wasn''t glamorous at all but then she made it look perfect.


    She wasn''t wearing any jewelry. However, it was her pureness and cleanliness that made her stand out.


    "Wait, look at how others make their entrance." Noah called her as Carla was just heading towards on her own.


    "Oh! I''m sorry."


    Hearing him, Carla stopped walking and observed the couple ahead. The woman was holding the man''s arms and together they walked slowly and gracefully.


    As if on cue, she nodded at Noah and waited for him to stand by her. She then grabbed his arms and imitated the woman ahead of them. They began to walk.


    As soon as they reached the gate and handed the staff their invitation, an announcement boomed inside the hall.


    "Ladies and gentlemen. Let us all welcome the arrival of Mr. Noah from the Hua Group and his date!"


    The moment it was announced, a man who was standing in the middle of the crowded hall immediately turned at the entrance.


    At the same time, Carla was glancing around the hall the second she came in. She soon found Terence who was stunningly handsome and elegant while being surrounded by the crowd.


    Seeing Terence, Carla couldn''t help bursting into a smile. She didn''t come in vain.


    Terence, on the other hand, was staring at Carla too. Their eyes were instantly welded. For a moment, Carla felt like everyone in there just melted in the background, leaving her and Terence alone.


    Her smile went broader.


    She let go of Noah''s arm and walked towards him.

 Chapter 347 Do It Every Time We Meet

    Carla was about to step up when Noah hurriedly pulled her back.


    "Are you serious? Can''t you just behave a bit, Carla?"


    whispered Noah while gripping her hand. "You''re my date tonight, moreover, my fiancee. Are you even aware that we''re in public? I don''t care about what you think but I do care about what others think. Show me some respect, alright?"


    Turning back to Noah, Carla replied, "Relax, okay? I still have my senses. I won''t blow it up."


    Although she was mesmerized by Terence, she still kept her guards up. She promised not to do anything inconsiderately.


    Also, she didn''t think that Noah would take her to similar gatherings again if she screwed this night up.


    Her credits mattered.


    "Good to know. The auction will start in ten minutes. Don''t wander too far," Noah whispered again upon noticing some business acquaintances approaching them.


    "Okay," acknowledged Carla.


    Then politely, she nodded at the two men walking towards them.


    They exchanged greetings with them for a while before Carla found an excuse to leave.


    She couldn''t take her mind off Terence, who was still surrounded by elites. She took up a plate of snacks and stood in a corner. She was eating while watching all the glamorous people passing by. All of them were corporate giants and celebrities. For some reason, that charity event appeared more like a power battle than a party.


    Carla had been eyeing Rena, who was Terence''s date, from the beginning.


    Her arms were tightly wrapped around Terence''s. Rena was deliberately clinging to him like a delicate bird, making sure that everyone understood who owned the man beside her.


    Carla, on the other hand, took a sip of red wine. She was just glancing around casually as if everything wasn''t interesting at all. However, she was keenly watching Terence discreetly through her peripheral vision. There was not even a second that her attention left the man. She was counting the number of women who tried hitting on him and had been blocked by Rena.


    What a surprise! Rena was indeed the best guard there.


    At that same moment, Noah, who was also radiating with charisma, was already being surrounded by a league of beautiful women.


    They flocked to him like fireflies upon seeing him alone.


    A woman in a blue dress was even leaning close to him intimately, talking and laughing with him all the time.


    It was then that Carla noticed Terence w


    She never expected to hear those from him at all.


    Exhaling deeply, Terence looked at her. "I didn''t mean to tell you. But since we''ve met, I''d better let you know. I''ll marry Rena in two months if everything goes smoothly.


    However, if you still haven''t given up on me, I wouldn''t mind you throwing yourself on me as I said."


    Carla was beyond stunned. It took her a while to process his words. She shook her head after a while and said, "What are you talking about? Terence! Don''t be joking!"


    No, she couldn''t believe it.


    This couldn''t be true.


    She couldn''t even figure out how he managed to say those! This was outright impossible!


    "Joking? Do you think I will joke on my grandfather? Although I couldn''t give him a grandson yet, at least I could make him watch me get married. That''s the only thing I could do to fulfill my filial piety."


    He then forcefully pulled his hand off Carla''s grip and gave out an ironic chuckle. "You know what? I had always thought that I couldn''t live without you. However, my father was right. We''re not meant to be."


    After he finished, Terence disappeared into the side door.


    Carla was left alone, shivering.


    She shook her head. No way!


    There was no way she could make it in two months!


    He would already be someone else''s husband even before she settled the Hua family''s business.


    She could feel her heart screaming in pain just by the thought of Terence sleeping and caring for another woman day and night.


    She didn''t want to be with Noah but all these situations were leaving her with no choice.


    What Terence did was killing her.

 Chapter 348 I Want The Painting

    Carla returned to the auction house a few moments later.


    Her sight immediately caught Terence who was sitting before her as soon as she sat. One of his arms was around Rena''s shoulder as they talked sweetly.


    "Where have you been? Why are your hands cold?" Noah asked.


    Following the direction of Carla''s gaze, Noah found who the woman was looking at. "What''s wrong? I thought you two were together earlier. Why are you back so upset while he seems very happy sitting with that beauty?"


    Carla withdrew her gaze and felt her eyes heating up. They began to brim with tears. Thus, she bowed her head and searched for a napkin. However, there wasn''t any close to her. She turned to Noah and without further ado, pulled the edge of his sleeve and dried her tears.


    Flattered by her sudden reaction, Noah placed his arm around the woman''s shoulder and gently stroked her back. "Don''t feel upset, okay? Moving on so fast only means that he doesn''t deserve your love," he said. He then took a list and showed it to Carla.


    "Stop crying and cheer up. Look at these items. Choose whatever you like."


    Carla managed to distract her mind from Terence who was just sitting across her. There was no way around it anyway. She saw him bid for expensive items one after another and gave them all to Rena. It annoyed her so much that Terence didn''t even turn to look at her as if she wasn''t there at all.


    It was easy to tell how pleased Rena was that time. She was smiling ear to ear.


    The last item to be auctioned was a painting called Starry Night. Carla''s eyes instantly lit up the moment she saw it. She cried, "Noah, I want the painting!"


    It was the only one in the list that she thought was worth trying. She skipped the others as she didn''t want to waste money on them. However, this one was outstanding and gorgeous in all sense.


    "No problem!" responded Noah. He immediately held up the paddle in his hand.


    Meanwhile, Carla was busy scrutinizing the painting that fascinated her so much. It was then that she heard Rena''s voice coming from the front. "Terence, this painting is extremely beautiful. Could you bid it for me?"


    "Sure. You can have anything you want. Just raise your paddle." Terence''s voice was mild. Rena then excitedly raised the paddle in her hand.


    Only a few dared to bid on items whenever Terence was involved.


    However, Noah was determined to go against him so it was different this time around.


    The price started at one million. However, the bid hit fifty million in just a few minutes and was still going up.


    "Noah, stop! I don''t want it anymore. It''s getti


    what she heard. "Why? And then? Was anybody injured? He didn''t mean to do that, right?" she pressed, waiting for the rest of the story.


    Noah evaded her stare and looked ahead. He stopped the car and gazed at the traffic light. It was red.


    "I thought there was something wrong with the car at first. So I told him to relax and I''ll take responsibility for everything,"


    he continued, laughing emptily as he recalled the scene.


    "I was more than disappointed when he told the police that it was me who instructed him to run over those people. He even said that I did it because I spotted my competitor on the sidewalk."


    Silence occupied the car after Noah paused. "It was good that no one was killed or injured by the incident. After the investigation, the police announced me as innocent and I wasn''t to be blamed for it."


    A sigh of relief came from Carla as he finished. "You were lucky that the police were wise and didn''t mistake you for it."


    Although she had no clue about what exactly happened, Carla was aware of how it was like to be betrayed.


    The lights turned green. Thus, Noah started driving again.


    "That''s the reason why I prefer to drive myself. I will be driving as long as my health permits. I wouldn''t get a chauffeur again."


    Nodding, Carla understood Noah''s worries. As people would say, once bitten, twice shy. It might be like a mental obstacle that Noah needed to overcome.


    "I see. So you only believe in yourself now and rarely trust others because of that?" she asked.


    Looking at her, Noah mildly grinned, "Not really. I still trust people around me. It''s just that I don''t trust everyone the same way."


    Carla looked back and asked slowly, "Oh. Then how much do you trust me now?"

 Chapter 349 I Don’t Believe You

    Noah laughed hard and looked away. He focused his eyes on the road ahead and then said in a low voice, "I don''t trust you, Carla."


    Caught unguarded, Carla bit her bottom lip for a second and cleared her throat. She badly needed to rebut. Thus, she answered, "The feeling is mutual."


    She quickly turned away from Noah and didn''t dare to look at him anymore.


    Noah''s laughter went louder with what she said. He gave her a glimpse and added, "I don''t trust you. Just like now. I don''t believe that you are not here for him. It''s just that I can''t turn you down.


    And do you know what''s worse?


    Although I know that I can''t trust you, I can''t control my heart from believing you. Uncertain trust is dangerous."


    Carla was speechless for a second. Blinking her eyes, she smiled and asked, "So you''re saying that you''re still believing me, right?"


    Her eyes were clear and gorgeous. Thus, Noah couldn''t help but look at her one more time. He withdrew one of his hands from the steering wheel and then held her hand. He replied in a tender voice, "I don''t care about what happened in the past. I love you now. That''s the only thing I''m certain about."


    It was the basic reason why he could tolerate all her behaviors.


    Lifting the corners of her lips, Carla didn''t say anything. She discreetly pulled her hand from Noah''s hold instead and then looked out of the car''s window. Lost in her thoughts, she unconsciously held her chin.


    She was smiling with her eyes glimmering. However, only she knew that she wasn''t happy at all.


    She might have Noah''s love but she didn''t love Noah the same way.


    Love was always a selfish thing anyway. She could just sense that she and Noah were heading for a tragedy.


    The scenery outside the car was passing by like a panorama. It was about an hour later that they reached HA City.


    Meanwhile, in JA City, Terence just sent Rena home.


    However, Rena wouldn''t let go of Terence.


    She had him locked inside her arms as if someone would steal him any time.


    "Shall we visit your house, Terence?"


    Hearing the woman, Terence patted her shoulder to comfort her. He then replied, "It''s too late. You need to get inside now or your parents would get worried."


    Displeased with his answer, Rena lowered her sight, landing on Terence''s lips. She requested in a timid voice, "Fine. Kiss me and I''ll leave."


    Terence furrowed his eyebrows slightly. It was good that no one noticed how his expression changed for a while. Then, as if obliged, he lowered his head and kissed Rena on her forehead. "Done. Go home now."


    "No! Not on the forehead. Here!"


    Rena protested and pointed to her lips. She was clearly dissatisfied with what Terence did. It was obvious that she wouldn''t get out of the car unless he did what she wanted.


    "Ahem." Rainer broke the embarrassing moment by faking a cough. He checked the time and then reminded, "You promised Mr. Nicholas that you would visit him this evening, Mr. Terence."


    Left with no c


    Noah didn''t wake her up and just let her sleep beside him.


    "Are you awake? Let''s go. We''re already late for ten minutes,"


    said Noah upon feeling her move.


    "What? Oh, God! Why didn''t you wake me up? It''s my second day for work but I''m late. This doesn''t look right!" Carla rubbed her hair in a hurry upon hearing Noah. She grabbed her bag in a hurry and then got out of the car.


    She hadn''t revealed her real identity yet as the legal heir of the Hua Group. Thus, her colleagues only knew her as a regular employee. She was scolded by her leader that day for being late.


    She went to the restroom and washed her face with cold water right after coming out of her leader''s office.


    Then she raised her head and looked at herself in the mirror.


    "You are very gutsy. It''s your second day here and you dare to be late. The rest of us have even considered coming to work an hour earlier. How dare you be late?


    What? Are you looking down upon your job? If you are so outstanding, then why don''t you go to better departments?


    Don''t forget that you are just from BH City, a small place. You are lucky enough to get into the Hua Group. Face it."


    The person talking was Wendy, one of her colleagues. She was obviously displeased with Carla being late for work.


    Carla didn''t say anything about Wendy''s words. She got no plans of bringing more trouble to herself. Thus, she took a piece of tissue and silently wiped the water off her face. She then walked out of the restroom silently.


    Since she was late today, she worked harder to make up for the time. She almost did all the work of her department this morning.


    She even ended up sending water to other departments.


    It was only after she sent the water that she sat on her spot.


    However, Wendy came in and pointed to another pail of water even before Carla could rest. "Since I can see that you are utterly tired right now, I brought you another cushy job.


    Mr. Noah''s office is out of water. Go send it."

 Chapter 350 Someone Was Bullied And Someone Felt Sorry

    Seeing Carla not moving made Wendy even more irritated. Thus, she added, "You should know that being a newcomer here is already an honor. So, be grateful."


    Listening to Wendy, Carla gasped deeply and then drank from her glass. She had been working all day and couldn''t be more thankful that the water eased her thirst.


    "Oh my God! Hurry up! The secretary already called again just a moment ago," Wendy pressed harder upon seeing Carla was procrastinating.


    Thus, Carla unwillingly rose from her chair. She then walked towards the bucket while muttering, "Why didn''t you send it up yourself earlier? You''re the one who knows that it''s urgent anyway."


    Feebly, she carried the bucket of water and headed for the elevator.


    She was terribly insulted by how Wendy bullied her.


    She swore that she could have slammed on Wendy given a different situation. However, it wouldn''t be wise for her to cause any trouble right now.


    She was there for a reason and that was everything that mattered.


    Carla never had a good start in life. Her parents died long ago, leaving her and Sean to live alone. She was still a little girl back then, but she was forced to man up at a tender age. She shouldered a lot of heavy work and responsibilities. Nonetheless, it was those things that toughened her up in the long run.


    A few seconds later, the elevator reached the top floor. She was carrying the heavy bucket along the corridor when she came across a stranger. The surprise that registered on the man''s face made Carla think that he knew her.


    Thus, she nodded at him briefly and then continued to walk.


    It was after she left that the man quietly took his phone out and shot a picture of her back.


    Soon, Carla reached Noah''s office. She paused a little before knocking on the door. She pushed the door open with her free shoulder after hearing someone let her in.


    In the office, Noah was talking with his secretary when he saw Carla come in. Seeing the heavy bucket she was carrying, Noah was instantly stunned and confused.


    Carla put the bucket down silently and removed the empty bucket from the top of the water dispenser.


    She was about to lift the heavy bucket when a strong hand grasped her wrist and stopped her. Looking up, she saw Noah furrowing his eyebrows at her.


    "Who asked you to do this?"


    he demanded before effortlessly lifting the bucket and placing it on the water dispenser.


    Carla refused to answer and wiped her sweaty forehead. She then bent down to get herself some water and gulped it down.


    She had been so busy that she even forgot to drink enough.


    After bottoming the cup up, she looked at Noah and asked, "I''m a newcomer who''s working in the Distribution Department. Who else would do


    o review the papers in her hand when she turned to Noah. Instantly, she smiled at him and replied, "That sounds great. You pick the place since you''re the one who knows the best places here."


    "Fine! So it''s decided. Go to my office after your schedule and wait for me there."


    Noah was ecstatic when he stroked her pink cheek. His eyes were staring at her tenderly.


    Embarrassed by the sudden gentleness, Carla nodded, then dropped her head. She tried to concentrate on the papers she was holding but then frowned. "I hope I can pass today''s test. It should be easy."


    One of the company rules was to have newcomers recite their corporate culture and products. Everyone who had spent their first week in their post knew about this. They were required to take an exam which would cover corporate background, concepts, various rules and regulations, as well as the company''s ace products and best sellers.


    The Hua Group had a long history and profound corporate culture. Thus, they were very strict when it came to the rules.


    Shaking his head affectionately, Noah smiled and then started the engine.


    In reality, Carla didn''t even need to work hard since she was from the Hua family.


    No one would have the guts to blame her if she didn''t work at all.


    But Carla didn''t want that. She was strong and motivated. She wanted to find her purpose for just about anything.


    She was still reciting when their car entered the company''s parking lot. She was silently murmuring about product performance and innovative designs while they were in the elevator.


    She was ready. However, her heart immediately skipped a beat the moment she stepped into the department''s office.


    A familiar figure, which she hadn''t seen for a couple of days, was standing beside the department manager who was in charge of her test.

 Chapter 351 Running Twenty Laps

    The familiar woman who was standing next to the manager was no other than Bonnie.


    She stood with a work card which stated "Assistant to the President" hanging on her neck.


    While walking into the department, Carla thought, ''Since when did she become an assistant to the president?


    And even if she is the assistant to the president, what is she doing here in the Sales Department in such an hour?''


    The Sales Department was divided into several groups, with an average of about ten people in each group. The company conducted spot checks on everyone''s performance every month, especially for new salesmen. They could only stay in the Sales Department if they passed the check.


    "The sales performance of your group has declined recently. Thus, Mr. Noah sends his assistant to supervise our department. I hope for you to do your best this month. The management team needs to see improvements,"


    said the sales manager as he began the spot checks. That explained why Bonnie was here, though it might be an excuse.


    Carla stood at the end because she was the last to enter this department. While waiting, she took the opportunity to scan through the product introduction in her hand and try to memorize more.


    However, it surprised her that someone was already standing in front of her even before she got a glimpse of the folder.


    Bonnie immediately took the recitation materials from Carla''s hand and deliberately raised her work card. She said, "Carla Ji, let me check and ask you!"


    Raising her eyebrow slightly, Carla walked out of the crowd and stood before Bonnie.


    She had already guessed that Bonnie intended to humiliate her the moment she saw Bonnie earlier. This thing going on now was just a confirmation of her thoughts.


    This was just a small check so everyone only had several questions to answer. However, Bonnie asked her all the key contents listed on the materials.


    It was good that Carla put a lot of effort into memorizing these things in the past several days. Thus, she didn''t find answering Bonnie''s questions was difficult at all.


    Bonnie felt anxious upon seeing Carla swiftly going through the questions. So she deliberately chose some questions which were less important and employees would naturally pay less attention to. However, Carla was able to get the points of these questions too. Then, Bonnie picked questions that even the experienced salesman could not recite completely.


    Carla was just a human being after all and not a machine. To make things worse, Bonnie even added complicated questions that were not even listed on Carla''s recitation materials.


    Naturally, Carla failed to answer her latest questions. Seeing Carla being dumbfounded made Bonnie secretly grin.


    She then threw the very thick recitation materials to Carla and shouted, "Do you still want to work here, given your very low IQ? You''re making me curious about how you even get into the Hua Group!"


    Stunned, Car


    He was looking at the building model on his computer when he gazed at his watch and thought of something. He immediately called his secretary in.


    "Call the Sales Department and ask if Carla''s passed the test," he ordered.


    "Yes, Mr. Noah," answered the secretary. She then went out and followed his instructions.


    It only took a minute before the secretary walked into his office again.


    "Miss Carla didn''t pass the test, Mr. Noah," the secretary reported.


    "Oh? Why? She reviewed really hard for that. Didn''t I order you to tell the sales manager to be lenient on her? Didn''t you do that?" Irritation filled Noah''s voice as he frowned at his secretary.


    "Yes, I did. However... Miss Bonnie went there as your assistant and deliberately put Miss Carla on a hot seat. That''s why Miss Carla failed to pass the test. What''s worse, she is now..."


    The secretary intentionally stopped talking before she finished her sentence and pointed to the track through the window, indicating Noah to look outside.


    Noah automatically stood up and looked at where his secretary was pointing. But the track was too far from his office, so he couldn''t see Carla at all. He stretched out his hand to gesture the secretary to take the telescope to him.


    Frowning, he looked through the telescope and found Carla running and exhausted.


    "This is nonsense!


    Why didn''t you tell me about this earlier?" Noah was utterly mad when he turned back to his secretary.


    He knew that Carla''s leg just recovered. Thus, she wasn''t allowed to exercise that much.


    "Since Miss Bonnie is your sister, the manager thought that you sent her on your behalf. It was the reason why he didn''t let her pass as insisted by Miss Bonnie, nor did he report what Miss Bonnie did to Miss Carla," explained the secretary.


    That was it. Noah strode to the door and didn''t even bother to wear his coat. He shouted at the secretary, "Call Bonnie here! Tell her to wait for me in the office!"

 Chapter 352 Carlas Trick (Part One)

    At that moment, Carla was actually just sitting motionlessly on a swing hidden under the shade.


    And right next to her were four bottles of water.


    If you were to think that she would actually run all those twenty laps all by herself, then you would be completely mistaken.


    You should never ever look down on a girl like Carla!


    She was well aware that her leg would most probably give in after running even just ten laps, let alone twenty laps.


    For that reason, she figured out a way to avoid going through all that suffering. As the old proverb went, "Money makes the mare go."


    She was able to find a girl whose frame was just like hers, with the intention of having that girl wear her coat and run a handful of those laps in her stead.


    She was under the assumption that the people who wanted to torment her, Bonnie, most especially, wouldn''t have such keen eyesight to see her face clearly. Bonnie''s office was a bit of a ways from the track, so Carla was quite certain that she couldn''t possibly notice that she wasn''t really the one running.


    When that girl finished running fifteen laps around the track, Carla thought that it was enough.


    Getting up from the swing, Carla waved at the girl and called, "Come over here, Miss! Thank you very much for doing this for me! You should drink some water first!"


    Then, she promptly took out all of the cash she had on her pocket and told the girl, "Here''s the money I promised you. This is all the cash I have on me right now. And I left my cellphone at home. Just leave me your contact info, and I''ll transfer the rest of the payment to your account later when I get home!"


    The deal they had, which was one hundred for every single lap, would, of course, be quite an enticing offer for a lot of people.


    But in regards to her well-being, all that money was just a trifling matter.


    She was now down to the last five laps thanks to the help of the girl she found. So, she thought that she''d better start running and finish the last five laps herself. Else, she was worried that she wo


    successfully pull it off.''


    Meanwhile, as all of those random thoughts were running through Carla''s head, the atmosphere inside the president''s office wasn''t as light as that of the staff lounge.


    Bonnie silently stood in front of Noah, bowing her head as he furiously lashed out at her.


    "Bonnie, why can''t you understand the position that you''re in?


    The two of us, we both have been adopted by the Hua family. So, why are you still hell-bent on persecuting Mother''s biological daughter? You''re getting way ahead of yourself! With what you''re acting right now, you''re only looking for trouble! Don''t you see what you''re doing?"


    Noah said in a low and surly voice, trying hard to control his anger.


    Then he went on and added, "If you know where you stand, stop being so hard-headed and getting jealous of other people all the time. That way, Mother won''t stop loving you and I, myself, will be kind to you as well! But right now, to be honest with you, you''re just making me and Mother resent you even more. Do you understand that?"


    Unable to take it anymore and feeling so repulsed, Bonnie raised her head and retorted, "Noah, aren''t you aware of the reason why I''m always pushing her around?


    Yes, I know that full well. Both of us are just adoptive children, so don''t you think we should be on the same page regarding this? Am I wrong to think that?

 Chapter 353 Carlas Trick (Part Two)

    The two of us, even York, should all work side by side. We should do what we can to get rid of Carla and drag her out of our family instead of lending her a hand in securing a position in the Hua Group!"


    Bonnie said all of that while walking closer to him, grabbing his arm and shaking it in frustration.


    "Noah... Just recently, I overheard Mother and Carla have a conversation! Do you have any idea what they were talking about? Mother and Carla were on the same side. They were plotting against you and trying to find a way to stop you from being the president of the company!


    Noah, now that you know the two of them are determined to keep you from being the head of this company, you are free to do as you please and eliminate Carla without giving her any chance to take your place. You can do that without even breaking a sweat given your influence in the Hua Group at the moment. But why are you still trying to defend her?"


    Turning his back on her, Noah gently closed his eyes and said, "Bonnie, I''m well aware of what I''m doing right now. Things are not as simple as you make them out to be."


    "Noah, please don''t tell me that you''re doing all of this because you want to marry that woman," Bonnie anxiously asked.


    Then, she gave him a scornful look, furrowing her eyebrows. "No, please don''t say that you''ve really fallen in love with her!


    Noah, you shouldn''t have feelings for that girl! Because no matter what you say or do, she''s still so in love with Terence even now! Even if you were to end up getting married, there''s no way for you to make sure that she would be faithful to you in the future!"


    Bonnie exclaimed, wanting to wake him up from the illusion that he seemed to be in.


    After all, she had dealt with Terrence before, so she had some idea of what kind of man Terence was. She believed that as long as Terence still had feelings for Carla, he would gladly go to grea


    thing bad to you, there was no way you could get to be mad at her.


    Upon hearing Carla''s thoughts about the matter, Noah actually felt quite at ease. He walked over toward her and checked her leg. "How does your leg feel? Does it still hurt? Do you want me to come to the hospital with you so we could have it examined?"


    Shaking her head, Carla gently smiled at him and said, "It doesn''t hurt, really. I''m just a little hungry. That''s all."


    "Well, it''s already noon. How''s about I take you to lunch?" Noah invited her after checking what time it was. As he was helping her get up, Carla began to talk again.


    "Noah, did you forget that you''ve promised me a sumptuous meal tonight? Is this lunch going to affect our slap-up meal?"


    Carla asked him directly, wearing a playful smile on her face and blinking her eyes.


    "Of course not,"


    Noah happily answered as a smile crept onto his face. When he looked at how Carla was not upset in any way and instead, saw how positive she was being even after what she had just been though, he felt guilty and conflicted at the same time.


    He felt guilty that he didn''t do anything to protect her.


    And the reason why he was feeling so conflicted was that he found himself utterly unable to control his own heart...

 Chapter 354 You Have To Be Mine

    It was drizzling that night in JA City and the sky was enveloped by thin mist.


    Although it was midnight, the lights inside the CEO office of the AJ Building were still on.


    As usual, Rainer and Nathan stood by the door as they guarded.


    They had already spent quite a lot of nights like this with Terence.


    Edmund had set a date for Terence tonight. However, Terence answered that he had urgent works to do at the time he set. Thus, he refused him. That was nothing new. He had been doing that a lot lately.


    Terrance had made it clear that he didn''t want to marry Amanda.


    Since Edmund couldn''t do anything about it, he resorted to introducing a lot of girls to his son. He was even helping them to get chances to approach Terence.


    Nevertheless, all those attempts hit a dead end. Terence refused them all.


    Recently, Edmund noticed that Terence was quite close to Rena.


    He felt a huge relief about that and finally took a break from arranging dates for Terence.


    On the other hand, Terence had kept himself inside his office for a whole day since he found out about what happened to Carla in the morning.


    It was until that time that his office door suddenly flung open and he finally stepped out.


    "Nathan, please get the plane ready. We''ll leave for HA City in a minute."


    "Yes, Mr. Terence!"


    Nathan replied. Seeing their boss finally decide to take an action about the issue gave both Rainer and Nathan reliefs. They had been worried about him since he had been stuck in his office the whole day.


    It would be better for him to find a vent for his pent-up emotions or just directly go to see Carla like this.


    In HA City.


    Carla didn''t feel bad about the hard time Bonnie gave her today at all. Instead, she even felt happy that she would get something back from what happened.


    Since Noah warned Bonnie, Bonnie dared not to bully Carla any more. Thus, she could now see her peaceful days ahead in the Sales Department.


    However, this didn''t mean that she could just slack in work. It was the opposite. She had to work even harder now and made progress as soon as possible.


    At night, Carla went to have dinner with Noah.


    It was cold and cloudy outside. Chilling winds were sweeping over HA City.


    But the good thing was it didn''t rain.


    Carla wrapped her coat tighter around her and fixed her scarf. Then she entered the restaurant gracefully, making the scene look artistic from one''s standpoint.


    It was a basement restaurant.


    She saw many cars from other cities park outside before she walked in. It seemed that various people from everywhere came here regularly because of its good reputation.


    Needless to say, the restaurant was very special and popular indeed.


    Carla felt eerie as soon as her feet touched the carpeted floor. The place was mysteriously too silent for comfort.


    There was no publicly open dining hall here but a lot of cave


    spend the night here."


    "How about you, Nathan? What do you think?" Terence asked turning to Nathan who was standing next to the window.


    However, Nathan shook his head. He was reading this situation the other way.


    "I don''t think so. Noah has been too close to Miss Carla for a while. I''m pretty sure that he would do something tonight. This place he chose was obviously not designed for just dinner. He must be planning something."


    Having an idea about guys like Noah, Nathan knew that they tended to lose their mind once their patience ran out. He knew about how a man felt when he wanted a woman so bad. It was torturous. He did something evil once he hit sexual frustrations.


    Nathan''s train of thoughts halted when a loud banging sound suddenly echoed in the room.


    It was Terence almost smashing his glass on the table. He looked stern with his jaw clenching in anger. He then coldly confirmed, "So you''re saying that Noah is seriously considering Carla as his fiancee and plans to do something with her tonight."


    Inside room No. 18.


    Noah returned with a bottle of red wine then casually grabbed the bottle opener from the table nearby. After opening the bottle, he glanced at Carla quickly to make sure that she wouldn''t notice what he was doing.


    However, upon hearing the popping sound from the bottle, Carla immediately warned without turning to him, "You can''t drink wine right now, Noah. Don''t forget that you''re the driver."


    "That''s fine. We can just hire a driving service," Noah replied. He then took a vial from his pocket and poured some liquid from it to the bottle of red wine. He carefully shook the wine after, making sure that the liquid was well mixed with the drink.


    ''I''m sorry Carla but you have left me with no other choice.


    You have to be mine.


    Only after this can I own you, love you, and trust you.


    I''m sorry, love, but I need to make sure you won''t leave," Noah thought.

 Chapter 355 Swap In The Dark

    Noah poured the wine into a U-shaped decanter and held it up. He then walked towards Carla casually as if he didn''t do anything wrong.


    He fetched two goblets from the dining table and filled both of them, one for Carla and the other one for himself.


    As vigilant as Carla was, she wouldn''t drink anything alone. Noah knew about that, so he decided to drink along with her.


    After seeing Noah take a sip, Carla was convinced that the wine was okay and took a sip too without thinking further. "The food is delicious. You should try it too, Noah."


    "Okay." Noah smiled back. They started to eat and chat while drinking red wine. Carla couldn''t help but eat a lot since the food was delicious.


    She was more than pleased with how the dessert tasted. She also ended up drinking a few glasses of wine without even realizing it.


    It was only when she started feeling dizzy that she put her wine glass down. She couldn''t continue drinking any further.


    "Noah, I feel dizzy."


    Carla rubbed her temple and felt her body heating up. How could the alcohol work so fast?


    "Take a rest inside, Carla. I''m going out to call us a driver."


    Standing up, Noah walked to her and carefully led her to the couch inside.


    Since they had the wine together, the drug was also kicking in him. However, he decided to suppress his urge temporarily.


    "Carla? Carla?"


    Noah whispered to her ear but Carla was already unconscious. Her arms moved up and wrapped around his neck sweetly, murmuring, "Hold me tight, Terence."


    Stunned, Noah looked at her face in anger. He suddenly wanted to shake her up. "Carla, take a careful look at me. I''m Noah, not Terence."


    His self-esteem was murdered when Carla mistook him for another man.


    "Terence? Don''t be angry. I''m sorry. I''ll let you kiss me, okay?" On the other hand, Carla''s mind was filled with no one else but Terence. Driven by the alcohol, she couldn''t even distinguish who the man before her was. Taking him as Terence, she pouted her lips and leaned forward.


    Noah''s face darkened while he was staring at Carla. As she was leaning closer to him, he decided to take the chance. He quickly took his jacket off and unbuttoned his shirt.


    He was about to grab Carla to press his body on her when the light suddenly turned off.


    A few seconds later, a loud noise echoed from the outside. Thus, Noah was forced to put his jacket back on and walked out. "What happened?"


    "We are so sorry, sir! The electric brake suddenly went off. We''ll have someone come to fix it soon. Please wait for a moment. Again, we''re terribly sorry for the inconvenience."


    Noah headed back after hearing that explanation. He didn''t care if


    nder she felt strange about the wine.


    "I got it." Carla paused and continued, "Terence, you said that you were going to marry Rena. Is that true?"


    Carla had been thinking about it for several days. It was like a sting in her heart.


    "Yes, it''s true."


    "What?"


    "Carla, there are only two months left. I can only wait for you for two months. Do you understand?" Terence looked at her with his darkening eyes.


    As if out of choice, Carla nodded at him. Terence''s eyes looked as if he was drifted in sorrow. "I understand. That means that you''re still mine. You''ve never loved another woman, right?"


    Terence didn''t reply and just took a glance over her naked body. He then looked away and said, "Hurry up. We don''t have enough time."


    Five minutes before the power got back, someone knocked on the door of room 18 where Noah was in.


    "Sir, the power will be back soon. We''re terribly sorry for this. To make it up to you, we''ll provide two exquisite dishes for free. It will be delivered to you after the power is on. Thanks for your understanding."


    Noah cleared his throat. "Okay, thank you."


    After the waiter went away, Noah turned around and walked towards the room.


    On the bed, Carla rubbed her hair, acting like she just woke up. She then sat up and turned her phone''s light on. She pretended as though looking for something and called, "Noah? Where are you, Noah?"


    "What the... Where''re my clothes?"


    "Noah, please don''t come in!"


    She then turned the light off and zipped her dress.


    In fact, she saw a woman hiding behind the couch.


    Hearing Carla, Noah laughed and thought that she was just being shy. Standing at the door, he teased her by saying, "Don''t you remember what happened? How can you easily forget something that hot, Carla?"

 Chapter 356 The Substitute Woman

    Carla felt a bit complicated. She pretended to put on her clothes under the quilt while glancing at Noah who was standing at the door.


    "What''s wrong? I don''t remember what happened just now, Noah. And please don''t give nonsense talks. Otherwise, I''ll be mad!" she deliberately said, acting to be shy.


    She was secretly wondering who substituted her to make love with Noah.


    Carla could see her substitute hiding behind the bed right now as if the woman didn''t want Carla to see her face.


    She hadn''t slept with Noah before and Terence strategically broke the electric brake. With all lights turned off, she was pretty sure that Noah wouldn''t figure out the difference between her and any other woman as long as the substitute''s figure was similar to hers.


    Thinking about it, Carla couldn''t help but smirk. Terence could obviously read and anticipate Noah''s plan. Although the solution he had was too risky, Carla still thought that he was amazing.


    Little did she know that Terence had always been on her back since her engagement to Noah. He was silently observing and controlling each of their actions as his care for her never stopped.


    "Is it really that easy to ignore me, Carla? Aren''t you the one who lured me just a while back..."


    "Stop!"


    Carla interrupted him, pushed the quilt away from her, and walked towards Noah. She then continued acting. "Stop talking about it, please. I''ve managed to forget Terence. I wouldn''t have done it if I wasn''t drunk..."


    That was when something came to her mind. Thus, she raised her chin and asked, "What kind of wine did you make me drink, Noah? I''m not supposed to get drunk that fast."


    Hearing her suspicion over the wine, Noah coughed softly and immediately changed the topic. "You''re probably just not good at drinking. Let''s go! The driver has been waiting outside."


    "Okay," she replied. She decided not to unmask Noah even though she knew that he was lying. She had no plans of blowing out the fact that she wasn''t the one he made love with just yet. Carla and Noah went out of the room together.


    After the two left, the substitute woman hiding behind the bed slowly sat up from the ground. She was still naked. She had a wry smile on her face albeit the willingness and sweetness in her eyes.


    The substitute woman was no other than Julie.


    Terence''s love for Carla was indeed undeniable.


    However, Julie''s love for Noah was just as deep.


    That was the reason why it didn''t even take her a second to agree on Terence''s plan.


    This wasn''t the first time she made love to Noah. It was just that he hadn''t gone to find her for a long time. She terribly missed him and feeling his touches and kisses just now made her satisfied. If only he wasn''t chanting "Carla" or "Callie" while kissing her, she could have felt even happier.


    On the other hand, Carla and Noah just got into the car.


    They were sitting clo


    rything will be in vain," said Carla with a smile.


    She got two reasons to work in Hua Group. The first was to get familiar with the company, while the next was to make a name for herself.


    It was just like playing a game.


    There should always be a goal for every round.


    She didn''t have a chance to show her ability in the Distribution Department. However, the Sales Department provided her a lot of chances. Thus, she needed to hit the iron while it was still hot. As the company''s heir, it was a must for her to prove her capacity to the Hua Group''s shareholders.


    Noah understood these things. Moreover, he also knew that Carla didn''t want to let Andrea down.


    She was the Hua family''s only biological daughter after all and not just an ordinary employee.


    "I won''t prevent you from getting achievements, Callie. I will even help you since I''m more experienced than you," said Noah affectionately. He then stood up and added, "Let''s talk about your work over a meal. How about that?"


    Carla also stood up after a long stretch. She smiled at him and said, "Okay, let''s go!"


    Carla thought that Noah would only take her to lunch. However, she got surprised when he stopped the car as soon as they passed a jewelry store.


    Carla muttered unconsciously to herself, ''What''s he going to do now?''


    "Let''s stop over here. I want to buy a necklace for Mother and you," said Noah with a smile upon seeing her stunned face.


    Relief flooded Carla upon hearing him. She then got out of the car and walked to the jewelry store with him.


    As he said, Noah bought a necklace for Andrea and her. She was under the impression that they were already done when Noah took her to another showcase where beautiful diamond rings were displayed.


    He told the staff, "Kindly help her choose a wedding ring..."


    Carla froze upon hearing those words.


    She thought, ''Oh my God! Terrible! The most terrible thing is coming!"

 Chapter 357 Buy Wedding Ring

    "Why are you so nervous? We will have to buy wedding rings sooner or later since we are getting married soon after the New Year." Noah noticed that Carla looked uncomfortable and nervous, so he held her hand tightly. He even gave her a big smile, wanting to calm her.


    "Well, sir and madam, have a look here. These are our most popular recent models. Moreover, they are all unique. We are also offering specialized designers to customize them for you." The saleslady introduced the pieces of jewelry to them. She was hoping for the couple to buy her products.


    Walking closer to the dazzling jewels, Carla gave each of them a glance. She didn''t look happy at all when she turned to Noah and forced a bitter smile. Pretending to scrutinize the displays in the showcase, she casually said, "They are all beautiful. But I don''t think there''s any here that I personally like, Noah."


    As she spoke she suddenly thought of the huge diamond rings inside her drawer that Terence had brought her.


    Going back to reality, she thought that the rings in the shop were not even a match to what she already had. They all looked worthless.


    Noah also lowered his head to scan the rings. He nodded after some seconds and agreed, "You''re right. There''s nothing special here. Well, that''s fine. I don''t think that these ordinary rings can match you at all. We don''t have enough time now, so I''ll just find a good designer to customize one for you later."


    Carla nodded greatly and thought that it was better not to buy a wedding ring now. She was still holding her hopes high that things would change soon.


    The two walked out of the jewelry store and went back to the car.


    "Aren''t we going back to the company, Noah?"


    asked Carla upon noticing that they were not driving towards the office building of the Hua Group.


    "Yes. It is Sunday and you only have half a day to rest before going back to work tomorrow. So, of course! I should take you out to have some fun! That''s a lot better than sending you back to the office and let you work overtime."


    Noah glanced at Carla patiently. He shifted his gaze to look at the road ahead.


    Then he added, "Don''t worry about the company. I have already arranged everything well."


    Truth was, he didn''t want to hear her explanation.


    Carla read his mind and just silently agreed.


    When they arrived and finally parked the car, Carla was amazed to find that he took her to a racecourse!


    "I heard that you love riding horses, so I decided to take you here. How do you feel now? You aren''t just bragging about it, are you?" Noah smiled teasingly while looking at her. Then he led her inside the racecourse.


    "How can you say that I''m bragging? I''m done


    three or even four months ago. It is not sudden. It''s just that I thought it was fake news,"


    murmured Johnny with his eyes still focused on the girl. He was obviously in deep thoughts.


    "Whoa! That''s shocking! I never expected that the outstanding and charming Terence would lose to Noah. Incredible!"


    Kelvin shook his head slowly to show how amazed he was.


    There were countless of wealthy and powerful families in JA City. Nevertheless, the An Family could be considered the leader among others. How was it possible to lose to a business family? Moreover, the family that beat the An family was just from a second-tier city. That was just utterly ridiculous!


    "Stop jumping to conclusions. There must be something more to it that we don''t know,"


    said Johnny contemplatively.


    He had known Terence for far more than just one day. Thus, he felt that he knew him more or less.


    With how he remembered Terence personality, Terence wasn''t really the type of person to give up on something he had chosen. The only time Terence would let it go was when he didn''t care about it anymore.


    Therefore, Johnny knew that fighting with him would be futile. It would be very unwise to fight against Terence for something Terence valued.


    At the racecourse, Carla felt very tired after riding for a long while. Thus, she got off the horse and took a rest.


    Noah carefully helped her jump off the horse and then affectionately wiped the sweat on her forehead. He then said, "Are you tired? Let''s rest there."


    Nodding, Carla followed him into the resting area.


    Johnny was standing next to the resting area''s window at that time and saw the two walking towards him. Suddenly, he came up with a good idea, so he waved at Kelvin.


    "Kelvin, give me a hand. I want you to do me a favor."

 Chapter 358 Can You Flirt With Me

    Carla sat on the sofa in the resting area. Seeing that there were only a few people around her, she took off her shoes and put her legs on the seat. She then began to massage her sore and painful legs.


    She didn''t even notice how she was abusing her legs earlier as she only paid attention to riding her horse quickly and happily. Now she felt exhausted and aching. But it was okay, and it was just a little pain anyway.


    "I told you to ride slowly. However, you rode the horse like a gust of wind just now," Noah reprimanded in a tender voice.


    He came over with two cups of juice and put them on the table.


    Sitting next to her, he put her legs on his legs and kneaded her calves gently.


    Laughing at him, Carla reached for the juice and drank. "I haven''t been so crazy for a long time. I felt so excited so I forgot the pain on my legs for a while..."


    "I''ll get you a basin of hot water and some wormwood once we get back. It will make your legs recover faster," said Noah. It was then that his phone rang.


    Thus, Noah looked at his phone, let go of Carla''s legs for a while, and stood up. He then turned to Carla. "Take a rest first. I''ll just go out to answer the call."


    "Okay!" Carla responded.


    She put her legs down and sat cross-legged on the sofa with the juice still in her hand.


    Suddenly, her phone rang too.


    She saw a stranger''s message when she looked at its screen.


    The message said, "Turn left from the back door and go straight to a small arbor. I''ll wait for you there."


    Carla stared at the message and thought for a while. Then it finally hit her, ''Would it be Terence?"


    Remembering that she hadn''t seen him for almost a month, she got so excited that she immediately put her shoes on and went out.


    The last time she met Terence was in the underground restaurant. She tried calling him this month but he wouldn''t answer her phone.


    With Terence in her mind, she ran out of the resting area, completely disregarding her aching legs. She turned to the left in haste upon going out.


    She saw a man with his back to her as soon as she reached the arbor.


    Unable to control herself, she walked faster and cried out, "Terence!"


    Carla ran and hugged him from behind.


    However, the man spoke, "Terence? You''ve been engaged to Noah.


    Why are you even thinking about another man?"


    Carla immediately pushed him away disgust


    dy.


    On the other hand, Johnny was frowning in pain as he accidentally bumped his head on the ground. However, upon noticing that Carla landed on him and was now staring at him with a stunned look, he quickly took the opportunity to grab her head and kiss her lips.


    Johnny felt pleasant when kissing her. Actually, he thought it was really worth that he could kiss her once more in his lifetime.


    What happened rendered Carla shocked for a while.


    It was only after she recovered that things sunk into her. Johnny just kissed her!


    She quickly gave Johnny a slap, which made the man shout in slight pain.


    Then she stood up, wanting to leave. But then, as soon as she turned around, she saw Noah standing just under the arbor.


    "What are you doing?" Noah looked at Carla and Johnny disbelievingly.


    His shock was written all over his face.


    "Noah... It was just an accident. I almost fell and he tried to pull me and then..."


    Carla explained. But she found such explanation was of no use.


    How could she even explain why she was here now with Johnny?


    Thinking of that, Carla looked back at Johnny angrily.


    Johnny stood up from the ground and patted the dust on his clothes.


    "Yes, Carla''s telling the truth! I''m one of her friends, Mr. Noah. We just met by chance and talked for a while. It was just an accident. If you don''t believe it, there''s a CCTV there. You can go to see it!"


    Johnny said, pointing to the camera in the corner.


    Of course, Johnny knew that the recording would not show that he was the one who initiated the kiss from its angle.

 Chapter 359 Sorry, I Shouldnt Have Slapped You (Part One)

    Noah didn''t pay attention to what Johnny had said. Instead, he turned to Carla and stated, "Carla, let''s go."


    Carla nodded in agreement. Then, she immediately walked away. Subconsciously, she wiped her lips with the back of her hand.


    She didn''t say nor do anything but on the inside, there was a turmoil in her mind. She wanted to cry or scream at Johnny or both.


    When Noah kissed her at their engagement party, she was very uncomfortable. More importantly, she felt a pang of huge guilt in her heart because she felt that she was betraying Terence. But right then, Johnny also kissed her! No one could imagine what she was going through at that moment.


    She thought, ''Would it be possible to change my lips?


    Those that I have feel so dirty. I want to change them for clean ones. I only want to be kissed by Terence for the rest of my life. I absolutely don''t want other men to touch my lips!''


    However, no matter how much Carla tried to be discreet, Johnny noticed when she wiped her lips. Johnny smiled widely and immediately, he was in a good mood.


    There were a lot of pretty women around him who would be willing to throw themselves at him. Sometimes, there were even some young married women who would try their best to attract him. But there was something about Carla that piqued his interest so much. It took him a long while to put his finger on it. Until he arrived at the conclusion that Carla disgusted him so much, Johnny thought that maybe that was the reason why he was so obsessed with this woman.


    Inside the car, Noah was particularly silent while they were on their way home.


    He didn''t say anything at all. He just stared at the window with an expression that Carla couldn''t read.


    All she could be certain of was that he was angry.


    However, she didn''t know how to explain the situation to him.


    After a while, Carla and Noah finally arrived at the villa.


    But still, Noah didn''t say anything to Carla. He just quietly got out of the car and made his way to his room.


    Carla wanted to call out to him so that they could properly talk. Howeve


    or a favor of a grown-up. If it had been any other day, Noah would have found her adorable. But with the situation that they had right now, he was immobile.


    "Carla, is this how you coax Terence whenever he was angry with you before? Nothing more?" Noah sneered while he looked at the woman holding his arm. It was clear to him that she didn''t have any plans to regain his affections through physical intimacy like hugging or kissing.


    When she realized what he meant, Carla stopped talking and immediately turned her head to the ground.


    She answered him in her own heart, ''Of course there''s something more, but you are not Terence.''


    When she didn''t respond, Noah continued, "Carla, to tell you the truth, I''m very disappointed with you. I want to do my best to care for you, but I finally realized that you had been completely ignoring my feelings for you.


    Maybe you still hate me or resent me. Maybe you still believe that one day, our engagement will be canceled and then you''d be free to marry Terence!


    But do you know what I have been thinking about all this time? All I''ve been thinking about is how I can make it easier for you, how I can take off any load that you''ve been carrying, how I can make you happier, and how I can show my affections for you. On top of that, I still think about where I could take you out so you could eat the most delicious food after work.

 Chapter 360 Sorry, I Shouldnt Have Slapped You (Part Two)

    All that I''ve been thinking about is how to be a good fiance for you while all you could think about is how to leave me and be with other men!"


    Noah looked at Carla directly while he said every word. However, Carla''s eyes remained rooted to the floor. She didn''t dare to interrupt Noah while he spoke.


    He then asked, "But today, do you know how I felt when I saw you being kissed by another man?"


    When she heard this, Carla suddenly raised her head. She looked at him and said, "Noah, it was Johnny who intentionally kissed me! I don''t even like him! It''s impossible for me to like him! Please believe me!"


    "If you didn''t like him, why did you go out with him then?" Noah asked in return.


    "I..." Carla started but immediately stopped herself. She knew that if she told him she misunderstood that it was Terence who asked her out, he would become more furious.


    Noah raised her chin with one hand and looked at her with his piercing blue eyes.


    Then he said, "Have I misunderstood you all this time? I thought that the reason why you''re still with Terence after our engagement was that you two loved each other very deeply.


    If that was true, why did you still go on a date with another man?! Are you actually a woman of poor virtue?"


    Since Noah was pinching her chin a little too deeply, she wrinkled her eyebrows in pain. Her forehead began to sweat as well.


    "Noah, you''re right. I''m a woman of poor virtue! There, I said it! Are you happy now?!"


    Carla raised her voice a little. She was already upset when Johnny kissed her and now, she was being misunderstood by Noah.


    She tried to be understanding and apologetic but when Noah said such cruel words to her, she was enraged in an instant.


    Suddenly, a slap landed on Carla''s face!


    She couldn''t believe what just happened so she opened her eyes widely and blinked a few times. If she didn''t feel the burning pain


    thing wrong! It''s my fault! I''m a woman of poor virtue! I shouldn''t allow another man to kiss me! It was only necessary for you to teach me a lesson!"


    Carla said in a rather sarcastic tone. She had decided that from then on, she would act like this. She would absolutely let the one who hurt her pay the price.


    "Carla, it seems that you''re still very angry with me," Noah concluded. He perfectly knew that it was not easy to earn her forgiveness. In fact, he had figured out a lot of things when he finally calmed down last night.


    When they were having breakfast just then, he also understood the meaning behind her words.


    He knew that when she said there would be many impulsive moments for a person in his lifetime, she just meant that since he liked to hit someone once he became impulsive, last night would not be the last time that he would slap her.


    Carla didn''t want to talk with him anymore, so she just said, "No, I''m not angry. I have to go now. Could you please let me go?"


    However, while she was speaking, Noah suddenly took her hand and hit himself in the face unexpectedly.


    Carla tried to stop what Noah had wanted to do but when she realized what was happening, it was too late. Her hand had vigorously landed on Noah''s face...

 Chapter 361 Terence Was Also In BH City

    "Carla, I swear to God I''ll never hit you again. That would never happen again. Please forgive me,"


    Noah said as he tightly held her in his chest. Then he continued guiltily, "I didn''t sleep yesterday. I spent the whole night regretting what I did to you. Carla, you don''t know how I hate myself. I was being unreasonable and impulsive.


    Carla, it''s all my fault. I know I''m mistaken. It was Johnny being a jerk. You''re not the one that should be blamed. I''m so sorry, Carla."


    Johnny was technically Carla''s friend. It was natural that she ran into a friend and had a small talk once in a while. It wasn''t that she had cheated on him. She did nothing wrong.


    Johnny was the one with an evil purpose. And that fact had nothing to do with her.


    Carla pushed Noah away. She then took a deep breath and said, "Noah, I got to go. I don''t want to be late."


    "Don''t worry. I''ll drive you to the airport," replied Noah as he went to his bedroom to get changed.


    After they arrived at the airport, Noah said as he took out her suitcase, "You can go back to your home in BH City and stay as long as you want once you''re there. Here are some gifts I bought yesterday. You can give them to your friends and relatives."


    Noah helped Carla to consign her luggage and didn''t leave until she entered the departure gate.


    A few hours later, Carla got to BH City safely.


    Carla was supposed to come here for a business purpose. However, she actually wanted to spend more time in her old apartment too. She missed it so much and that was why she tried so hard to get the business trip chance here.


    It was almost noon when she got off the plane.


    Instead of heading to a hotel, Carla went to her apartment here directly.


    Terence bought this place for her after her old one was ruined by fire. She wasn''t given enough time to tidy it after that disaster.


    The apartment had been empty for a long time and Carla could see a thick layer of dust everywhere.


    After all the misunderstandings and chaos that happened between her and Noah these days, Carla thought that it was a good thing for her to stay away from Noah for a few days. Plus, it wasn''t easy to get a chance to visit this place again, so she decided to stay in BH City for several days.


    After taking a short break on the sofa, Carla stood up, took her coat off, wore an apron, and rolled up her sleeves. She was all set to clean up the whole place.


    About an hour passed and she finally stepped in one of the bedrooms. She stood still for a while before cleaning. She opened the closet and saw a lot of men''s shirts and pants hanging. Beneath them were some belts and underwear. All this was for Terence.


    Carla watched them for a while then she smiled bitterly.


    She seemed to have lost her strength all of a sudden and couldn''t continue cleaning. She put aside the duster cloth and huddled on the bed, fixing her eyes on the closet.


    After a while, she looked up to


    d to make me jealous before. But since you are in a serious relationship with her now and you two have been together for so long, I don''t think you should break her heart."


    She moved the duster cloth heavily. She was restless and distracted.


    She didn''t understand. She thought that he still loved her when they met in the basement restaurant. He told her his heart was still hers and no one could take him away from her.


    However, she was confused now. Why was he doing this?


    Or was it that he was suffering from the fact that she had been with Noah? Although he knew she still loved him, the whole engagement thing with Noah made their connection look immoral. Was it possible that he was making it even by being with Rena?


    Mixed feelings flooded Carla when she thought about it. Thanks to all the things happening between her and Noah, plus the responsibility she bore in the Hua family, she felt she didn''t have the right to blame Terence. She wasn''t in the position to ask him to leave a woman for her.


    Nevertheless, the fact that he was with another woman broke her heart. She could hardly bear that.


    "Carla, you need to have a rest. I''ve hired a cleaner for you. She will be here soon,"


    Terence said as he watched her from behind.


    "Are you free in the afternoon? I want to take you to a place," he continued.


    Hearing what he said, Carla threw the duster cloth heavily onto the table. Then she raised herself with anger and glared at him.


    "You seriously want me to see you being with another woman? Forget it!"


    Terence suddenly stepped forward. He asked, "How do you feel about this? Are you miserable? Oh, Carla, just suffer it. That''s how I spent those days when you were with Noah."


    Carla was speechless. Then he added, "I''ll text you the address later. You can go or not. It''s your choice. But remember, if you choose not to come, there would be only me and Rena."


    Terence stressed each syllable as he warned her.

 Chapter 362 Is He Happy With Another Girl

    Carla knew that she and Terence were meant to torture each other since she got engaged to Noah.


    On top of it, she was also aware that the ending of their relationship depended on her decision.


    After stating his words, Terence walked towards the door and left without any hesitation.


    Carla was left alone as she worriedly scratched her head. She didn''t know what to do now. She thought, ''Why is Terence so fond of forcing me to do what I don''t want to do?


    He shouldn''t be warning me over and over even if there''s only a month left before his deadline.


    I''m not even sure if I should get there as he said.


    I know that my decisions are meaningless now. I should go since he has ordered me to go.


    But then, should I wait to see him dating Rena for real and watch them happy together? No.


    How am I supposed to live if Terence falls in love with another woman?


    Moreover, how could he treat me this way when he knows all along that I love him so much?''


    A few minutes later, Carla was surprised to see a cleaner come in to help. She remembered Terence talking about it earlier but she didn''t take what he said seriously. ''I''ll just let the cleaner help me clean this place. I may not be living here for a long time, but this is my home for now after all.''


    Soon enough, Carla received the address Terence sent.


    Thus, she told the cleaner about some important orders and then went to her room to change. She didn''t want to fall behind Rena when it came to looks.


    Although she hurried, Terence was no longer at the gate of that ski resort when she arrived. Thus, she let out a long sigh, went straight to the ticket window, and ended up buying her own ticket.


    BH City was a famous landmark for skiing. It could be observed especially in this season. There were countless people in that place now.


    While waiting in line, Carla heard someone call her and saw Rainer running to her.


    "Mr. Terence already bought a ticket for you, Miss Carla," said Rainer as he handed her a ticket.


    Realizing what happened, Carla smiled. It was obvious that Terence still cared for her.


    "Where is he?" she asked.


    "Umh... Miss Rena said that she wanted to see the snow inside the resort, so Mr. Terence accompanied her. Please follow me, Miss Carla. I will take you to them."


    Rainer looked shy when he gestured Carla to follow him to the entry.


    Walking behind Rainer, Carla noticed that the place did have its right to boast. It indeed had high-quality skiing devices inside. To top it all, it also had this charming ice sculptures and snow waiting for the visitors to appreciate.


    "Can I ask you something, Rainer? Is Rena intimate with your boss?"


    Carla pretended to casually ask the man walking before her as she seemed to focus more on her steps.


    "Well, it can be considered like that,"


    answered Rainer while thinking of how other girls couldn''t even come close to Terence. Compared with them, he could


    alking behind, were silent with their heads bowed down. They were secretly laughing silently.


    Although Terence wasn''t acknowledging Carla directly, the whole month that he didn''t see her made him terribly miss her. Little did she know how much he was dying to see her today.


    He heard that Carla was on a business trip. Thus, he planned to come here too, pretending that he needed to deal with some small matters.


    His only purpose of being here was to somehow ease himself from missing her like crazy.


    They walked for quite a long time.


    "Ah! Look at that, Terence! It''s so interesting. Let''s go have a look at it!"


    Rena pointed to the ski boat ahead and clapped her hands happily.


    The ski boat was designed for two people with the woman''s seat at the front and the man''s seat at the rear. It was made so the riders could slide down the snowy slope together.


    Carla also looked up to what Rena was pointing to and found that there were a lot of couples enjoying the ride. The men were holding their women tightly with their legs as they both slid down. She immediately frowned upon noticing how intimate each couple was. Wanting to stop Rena, she turned to them and tried to say something.


    "You know what, I think that slope is ..." "I see. Alright then. Let''s go."


    Terence cut Carla off and didn''t refuse Rena''s request. Worse, he even smiled at the woman as he spoke.


    Rena immediately anticipated being held by Terence tightly, so she excitedly grabbed Terence''s arm and dragged him to one of the ski boats.


    Naturally, Nathan and Rainer followed Terence to the ski boat, leaving Carla with no choice but to walk after them even if she didn''t want to.


    They were already at the top of the slope when Carla noticed that the riders were all couples. Although she was exhausted from the steep climb, an idea kicked in Carla''s mind. Thus, she turned to the man beside her and asked, "Rainer, do you want to try this ride with me?"

 Chapter 363 Who Is Your Ex-boyfriend

    However, Rainer''s reaction was out of Carla''s expectation.


    He immediately shook his head upon hearing her and blurted, "No, no, no. Miss Carla, I think you''d better play with Mr. Terence!"


    To be honest Rainer, wouldn''t dare ride together with Carla in front of Terence.


    That made Carla glance at Terence. She frowned upon seeing him and Rena preparing next to a ski boat nearby. She then said, "Mr. Terence is too busy. I shouldn''t bother him. Never mind, I can see that there are many staff here. I can just ask one of them to ride with me."


    Then, she went towards one of the staff.


    It was a steep slope. The ski boat was not easy to overturn if two people were sitting on it together. What was more, she would feel a bit terrified to slide down the slope alone.


    As soon as Carla was about to ask the staff, she heard Terence''s voice.


    "Nathan, come here! Get to the ski boat with Miss Rena!"


    Hearing Terence, Rena immediately grabbed his arm. "Huh? I don''t want him, Terence,"


    she said while shaking her head.


    "Be obedient," he replied without looking at her. He then walked towards Carla.


    "Terence!"


    Rena shouted but Terence didn''t care.


    Thus, she bit her lower lip and thought, ''You came here with me, Terence. Why are you riding the boat with that woman now? Do you even care about what I think?''


    She was still lost in her thoughts when Nathan came over.


    "Miss Rena, please sit down first," he said expressionlessly.


    He was regarding what he was about to do as his job since it was Terence''s order. It was already out of his concern if Rena wanted to ride the ski boat with him or not.


    "I don''t want you to ride the boat with me! Go away!"


    Rena shouted angrily at Nathan.


    "Miss Rena, I don''t want to ride the ski boat with you too. However, it''s Mr. Terence''s order. Thus, I have to oblige," answered Nathan dryly. He then turned to the staff who was responsible for pushing the players and said, "We''re ready."


    Hearing what Nathan said, the staff pushed their ski boat immediately. Rena got extremely frightened when the boat slipped down. Thus, she screamed out, losing her chance to get angry at that time.


    On the other side, Terence walked in front of Carla.


    He raised his eyebrows and said, "Can you be a little more reserved? You can''t just let any man sit behind you so close for fun. Do you know that?"


    Laughing, Carla answered, "So, I''m not reserved? There are a lot of single women playing here. They all need the staff to play with them. Are you saying that all these women are not reserved?"


    Then, she muttered in a low voice, "It''s the twenty-first century now! I just want to ride the ski boat. W


    went to the underground restaurant, he was also there. And this time, when I came to BH City for work, he also came here.


    I thought all of them were just coincidences. I''m so naive.''


    Carla was a little distracted while walking.


    She told herself that she would soon face another difficult choice.


    "Miss Carla! Watch your step..."


    Rainer suddenly shouted.


    Startled by Rainer''s voice, Carla went back to her senses. She bowed her head, only to see that she went to a prohibited thin ice area. She immediately tried to walk back but she found the ice extremely slippery and she couldn''t take any steps.


    "Don''t move!"


    Terence immediately turned back and walked without any hesitation towards Carla. However, he could only stand at the edge of the slippery ice area because he knew that the ice would crack if he moved any closer to her. His weight would add pressure to the thin ice and it wouldn''t be good.


    "Give me your hand."


    He held out his hand to her.


    Rainer stood nervously behind Terence, afraid that the ice would crack any moment.


    Nathan had gone out quickly for help.


    "That''s all right. Don''t be so nervous. The ice looks thick. It won''t crack easily, okay?" Carla said with a smile while walking towards Terence carefully.


    As the ice was slippery, she couldn''t walk fast. But she thought she was lucky enough that Rainer had stopped her even before she reached farther.


    To be honest, she really didn''t know how she got there.


    She breathed in relief when she managed to walk closer to Terence. Thus, she extended her hand to him.


    Terence was still waiting for her to reach his hand.


    However, right before his big hand and her small hand touched, Carla suddenly screamed. The ice under her feet cracked in an instant!


    "Carla!"

 Chapter 364 A Baby

    Carla was stunned!


    It came all of a sudden. The ice under her feet broke and caused her to fall uncontrollably.


    On the other hand, Rena looked gloating as she watched Carla and almost clapped her hands.


    She had been hoping that the ice would crack but she hadn''t expected it to happen in reality.


    At the moment, Terence rushed to grab Carla''s hand before she completely fell into the ice hole.


    Although half of Carla''s body was dipped in the water, Terence summoned all his strength to tug her from sinking.


    Nathan hurriedly went to fetch a rope. After getting one, he tied one end to a tree and threw the other to Terence. "Mr. Terence, catch it!"


    Terence caught the rope with his free hand and tied it to his body. Then he started to pull Carla out with his two hands.


    "Carla! Carla! Are you alright?"


    Terence kept shouting at her upon pulling her out. He took off his jacket and carefully wrapped Carla with it. She was chilling really hard.


    Immediately, Terrence carried her down the hill. At the same time, Nathan saw a sightseeing bus coming, so he quickly rushed to stop it and asked the driver to give them a lift.


    Without wasting any time, Terence took Carla onto the bus.


    He kept calling her name, but she didn''t have any strength to reply. The chill seemed to have frozen Carla.


    Terence was worried as hell!


    Because of the low-quality clinics here, they went to a hospital instead. It had been a ten-minute drive.


    Knowing that Carla''s leg just recovered recently, Terence was anxious that what happened might damage her leg again.


    "Terence, I''m fine. There''s no need to take me to the hospital..." Carla started to recover but replied in a trembling voice.


    She wasn''t a fragile woman. Thus, she thought that there was no need to go to the hospital at all. Falling into the cold water wasn''t a big deal for her.


    "Stop talking." Terence shut her up and then stroked her cold forehead. It hurt him a lot to see Carla''s lips turning purple. He held her tighter against him. After they rushed into the emergency room, Terence turned the air conditioner to the warmest it could get as if it were his home.


    "Doctor, she accidentally fell into the ice just now. Please take a look at her!"


    The female doctor was shocked at how Terence behaved. However, it was her duty to treat every patient that came in.


    "Usually, there shouldn''t be any pro


    nt seat.


    They couldn''t understand why Terence changed his attitude so fast.


    He was so indifferent to Carla just hours ago. How came he was treating her like a precious baby now?


    It was not until the car started moving that they heard Rena shouting from behind.


    They forgot her!


    "Nathan, let Rainer drive. You get off to deal with Rena. Buy her an air ticket and send her back to JA City,"


    Terence ordered, realizing that Rena was still there.


    "Yes, Mr. Terence. But, you know Miss Rena. She is a very tough girl to deal with... "


    Nathan expressed his concern.


    "Tough? I don''t owe her anything. You are good at dealing with those kinds of stuff. Go ahead," said Terence, lifting his eyebrows.


    Rena was just a cover for him from the very beginning. Besides, she obviously had a lot of fun while acting as Terence''s girlfriend for the past few days. She should be grateful for having that opportunity.


    "Mr. Terence, do you mean that you don''t want to be with Miss Rena anymore?" Nathan asked surprisingly.


    The reason why he asked was that he thought that Terence still needed to use Rena.


    However, Terence ignored him again when he turned to Carla and commanded, "Carla, what are you doing? Lie down. Don''t hurt the baby."


    He then held her back onto his laps.


    Rainer''s and Nathan''s eyes almost popped out of their sockets with what they heard.


    What? What happened?


    The baby?


    As far as Rainer remembered, they rushed to the hospital because Carla fell into the iced water. Did that involve a baby? Nathan and Rainer couldn''t believe what they heard.

 Chapter 365 The Grandson Of The An Family Is Coming (Part One)

    ''Is Miss Carla carrying a child?'' This thought left both Nathan and Rainer completely stunned.


    If it was true that she really was expecting, then what would that entail?


    ''If it''s indeed true, then the beloved grandson which the An family has long been waiting for is already sleeping inside Miss Carla''s belly right now. Truly amazing! This means that Mr. Nicholas''s wish to become a great grandfather can finally be brought to fruition in the days to come, '' Nathan and Rainer secretly pondered.


    It should, of course, go without saying that it couldn''t possibly compare to what Terence was feeling. But still, the two of them had been utterly taken by surprise, and at the same time, they just couldn''t help but feel exhilarated upon hearing the news. It was like they were even happier in that moment than they were when they found out that they were going to have babies themselves.


    "I understand, Mr. Terence. As you wish, I will do it right away," Nathan exclaimed, stepping out of the car without any further delay.


    Rainer became the designated driver after he left. With overflowing excitement, he got on the driver''s seat and drove at just around twenty miles per hour. He was driving so cautiously, fearing that the An family''s grandson lying in Carla''s belly might accidentally end up getting hurt.


    Eventually, they managed to get to Carla''s home.


    Lifting Carla, Terence carried her over to her bed and asked her to take some much-needed rest. Then, he proceeded to pull the quilt and covered her with it. He seemed so thoughtful as he was doing all of that for her.


    All of a sudden, Carla grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly and told him, "Terence, we can''t keep this child no matter what. I need to come to the hospital tomorrow first thing in the morning to have it aborted. Could you please take me there?"


    She knew better than anybody else what the situation was in the Hua family. If she were to decide to keep this child, the consequences she would then have to face would become much, much worse than it already was. Because of that, she had already made up her mind and given up on the idea of going throu


    should be quite easy. Just make sure he doesn''t know that you are expecting right now. I''ll have you know that I''ve already planned everything carefully. After about a month or so, I will have your status in the Hua Group established. By that time, even if Noah doesn''t want to acknowledge your position, he would have no choice but to deal with it."


    As he told her those things, Terence was tightly holding onto Carla''s hand. Affectionately looking at her, he said, "Carla, for now, what I want you to do is relax and just make sure you''re in good physical condition. As for the other trivial matters, I will personally take care of them myself."


    "Even so..."


    "Carla, I am a man. And I''m going to be your husband as well as the father of our child when the time comes. You need to learn to trust me and to depend on me. It was because of your identity that you''ve been forced to get engaged with Noah. But the situation has changed completely now. I need to get everything ready for our home. Do you understand what I''m trying to say?"


    Terence interrupted Carla before she could say anything else and calmly broke everything down to her. Sitting beside her on the bed, he wrapped his arms around her and comforted her, "Well, you''ve already been outside for the whole day, so you must be feeling so tired. Just take this time to rest. Is there anything that you''d like to have for dinner? I''ll get you anything you want."

 Chapter 366 The Grandson Of The An Family Is Coming (Part Two)

    Burying her head into his chest, Carla moved one arm to lightly massage her belly. Then, she suddenly had this weird feeling, thinking to herself, ''Just how could the baby have possibly appeared in my belly like that? It really came out of nowhere.''


    Looking back on everything that happened, she realized that from the moment she got engaged with Noah, the two of them¡ªshe and Terence, that was¡ªcouldn''t contain the urge to make love with each other. And every single time they did that, they didn''t have any contraceptives along with them.


    From that, she thought that her pregnancy did not just come purely by accident, rather, it was something that was bound to happen sooner or later.


    Be that as it might, she just really wasn''t anticipating anything like that whatsoever. Being completely unprepared, she was suddenly hit by the realization that she was about to bring a new life into the world. Everything was happening so fast.


    Also, she never could''ve thought that Terence would possess such a strong heart to readily take responsibility and accept the fact that he was about to become a father. Midnight had already struck, and Carla still kept on tossing and turning on the bed. At that point, she realized that without Terence next to her, she probably would''ve stayed up all night.


    "Terence, I''m having trouble trying to get some sleep."


    As they were enveloped by the darkness, she moved over and leaned against Terence''s chest, yet she still wasn''t feeling sleepy at all.


    "What''s the matter? Is there something wrong? Do you feel uncomfortable?" Terence worriedly asked her in a gentle voice, stretching out his arm to turn on the bedside lamp to check how she was doing.


    Carla firmly shook her head and proceeded to wrap her arms around his waist and embrace him.


    She told him, "No. It''s not like I''m sensitive or anything. Prior to the doctor telling me that I''m actually a few weeks pregnant, I couldn''t even tell that there was something inside me at all."


    Terence shifted his gaze to look into her eyes. A smile instantly crept onto his face. He reassured her by saying it wasn''t her fault in any way. "That''s just normal. We are going to be parents for the


    t up and walked straight toward the bathroom.


    "I''ve already eaten a little bit for breakfast. Now I really have to go."


    While saying that, she flung the door open and headed for the elevator.


    Just after pressing the button and as she was waiting for the elevator, she suddenly saw her front door open. Breezing through, he darted toward her and blocked her way to the elevator. Then, he lifted her up and walked back into her house.


    "Terence, what do you think you''re doing? I''m already late."


    Carla couldn''t understand what just happened so she gave him a look of confusion.


    "Oh, you know full well what I''m doing," Terence casually replied.


    He leaned over and put her down on the sofa.


    In that instant, he had obviously looked like he had been still half-asleep with his hair unruly and all. Having said that, he splashed his face with cold water in the bathroom and was now fully awake.


    He suddenly remembered that Carla was pregnant.


    And he had a hard time trying to comprehend what she meant when she said that she had only eaten a little bit for breakfast. In any case, Carla didn''t have her own a car. That would mean she had no other option but to go to work by hailing a taxi.


    Terence felt so sad, thinking that Carla had to put up with so much hardships. Then, he pondered, ''How could I just let my wife and our child live such a difficult life?


    No, I can''t let that happen. I definitely can''t just watch them suffer.''

 Chapter 367 You Are My Wife As Youre Pregnant With My Baby

    "Stay here. It''s still early. I''ll make breakfast for you," Terence said gently to Carla. He then grabbed Carla''s bag from her and hung it on a shelf beside him.


    Without any more words, he took an apron and started for the kitchen.


    "No! I''ve had breakfast," Carla shouted at him when she saw the man had gone away.


    Terence went out of the kitchen at that same time, kicking the garbage can at the door. "What''s this? Just a box of yogurt? Is this box of yogurt enough to my wife and child?"


    Silently, Carla lowered her head and muttered, "I''m not your wife yet."


    "What did you say, Carla?"


    Terence was originally on his way back to the kitchen. However, his steps immediately halted when he heard what Carla said. He came to her while rolling his sleeves. "You are carrying my baby. If you''re not my wife, then who should be my wife?


    We will work on getting our marriage certificate as soon as we get back to JA City. After Grandpa''s operation, we will start planning for our wedding."


    Carla wanted to refuse him but was stopped when she saw the determination in his eyes. Helplessly, she bowed her head silently again.


    She actually thought of reminding him that her engagement with Noah hadn''t been canceled yet.


    However, she also thought that setting an issue like that would be just like a piece of cake with Terence.


    After all, engagements, even in the ordinary family, would face many variables, let alone in Hua family.


    Terence fried two eggs and made a delicious dish for her. It was too late to cook the porridge, so he asked Rainer to buy some for her.


    Upon Carla finishing her breakfast, Terence ordered Rainer to send her to her workplace.


    She honestly found it more convenient when Rainer worked as her driver. She was able to visit several stores around BH City and saw their actual sales reports. Thus, she was able to finish her investigation report. She then went to the Hua Group branch in BH City.


    After all her business was done, Carla felt that it was still early, so she went to visit Karen.


    Later, she also asked if she could visit her former small home and checked on her old neighbors but Rainer rejected her request.


    To be exact, it was Terence''s order.


    Terence thought that Carla would feel tired after her work. Thus, he didn''t allow her to roam so much anymore.


    In the end, Carla''s only choice was to return to Terence''s house in BH City.


    On the other hand, Terence was scheduled to return to JA City long ago, but he changed and readjusted his plans upon knowing about Carla''s pregnancy.


    After living i


    , "And I want to go back to see Mother in the evening."


    "Okay," answered Noah instantly while smiling back. He then held her hand and took her to the table beside them. He pulled out a design sketch from the drawer and showed it to her.


    "Look at this! Do you like it?"


    Carla''s face froze when she saw what was on the design sketch. For a moment, her smile stiffened.


    "Did you design this personally?"


    she asked, thinking that the clear pencil marks on the drawing were not like printing.


    "Yes. When I was studying abroad, I dabbled in jewelry design. And I think my own design will be much more meaningful than others'' works,"


    Noah said. He stared at the design sketch of the wedding ring and said, "Try to check it. If there is anything that you don''t like, I can modify it until you are satisfied..."


    Carla didn''t say any words.


    Her thoughts were suddenly reeling at the moment. She took the paper and ran her trembling fingertips on the drawing. She could feel the deep affection oozing from every line of that design.


    And it made her guilt weigh her down more.


    She thought it was hard to ignore how much Noah loved her regardless of how cruel he was.


    "What''s wrong? Don''t you like it? It doesn''t matter. You just have to tell me what to change."


    Worry instantly showed on Noah''s face the moment he noticed her dissatisfaction.


    "No, no," Carla denied right away. She secretly took a deep breath and evaded his stare. She had to cover how panic she was. "Very good! Noah, the drawing is pretty good.


    I just don''t think I deserve all these things that you are doing for me."


    Shocked by her words, Noah grabbed her shoulder and asked, "What happened? Why are you saying that?"

 Chapter 368 The Last Negotiation (Part One)

    Carla''s eyes had lost all of its shine. She lowered her head and told him, "Noah, can we please try to remain calm and sit down and have a talk?"


    Noah recognized the somber look on her face, so he put the rough sketch of the wedding ring down on the table. Taking her sentiment into consideration, he walked over to the sofa in front of them.


    In a gentle tone, he asked, "Alright. What is it that you want to talk about?"


    Carla had no intention of making the situation worse than it already was. Ideally, she wanted to resolve everything in a peaceful manner. However, it had been such a long time since the two of them had gotten engaged. Because of that, she had no idea what Noah could be thinking right now. Would he still be so headstrong and inflexible, believing that they should still get married?


    "Noah, the guilt I feel inside is eating me alive. I just can''t run away from the past any longer. I''m really sorry. There''s no way for me to easily forget everything that happened in the past. For that reason, Noah, the nicer you are to me, the more I''m being backed into a corner.


    And that''s because I sincerely believe that you deserve someone better. You deserve a devout woman who loves you with all her heart and soul. But I know that I can never be that woman for you. I don''t think I deserve you at all.


    You should be well aware that Julie adores you completely. So much so that she''s more than willing to do anything for you. A woman like that is who you should be with."


    Carla said all of those things while sitting on the sofa with her head facing the floor. When she was done talking, she failed to muster up the courage to look at Noah, who was sitting on the sofa right across her. Due to the nerve-wracking feeling of waiting for his response, she tightly bit her lower lip.


    In this society, money could be fought for without much care about anything else, and so did power. But love didn''t work like that. Unlike other tr


    ment.


    Shifting her gaze away from Noah over to somewhere else, she bit her lip in an attempt to hide from him. How anxious she really was. She didn''t give him an answer and simply sat there in silence.


    "Well, I know the truth. Carla, how about this? I''m gonna give you a chance, a chance to leave me. If you''re willing to publicly announce in front of all the shareholders, including our mother, that you''re going to give up the inheritance of the company, then certainly, I will allow you to leave me."


    Upon stating his conditions, he got up right away.


    Pondering to himself, he thought, ''If I can''t make Carla stay with me, I have to make sure I gain something out of this.


    That way, I wouldn''t have to lose both.''


    "Noah, if I could do that so easily, then I would''ve already done that a long time ago. Why would I have to wait until now?"


    There was an aggrieved smile on her face as she said that to him. It was clear as day that the last negotiation between the two of them failed once again.


    If everything was as easy to deal with as Noah said, there would be no arguments in the world anymore.


    Carla knew deep inside that she was the rightful person to inherit the Hua Group. With that in mind, how could she just let everything slip away without even giving it much thought?

 Chapter 369 The Last Negotiation (Part Two)

    After trying to regain her composure, she calmly told him, "Noah, now that you have admitted it yourself that you only agreed to the engagement just for the benefit of getting the Hua Group, there''s no need for you to continue treating me so well. At the end of the day, it is nothing but a business move. So, why should you take it too seriously then? I really can''t stand how you''re being kind to me."


    Carla sprang up from the sofa after giving him a piece of her mind. They had already failed to reach an agreement anyway, and all she wanted to do was let Noah understand the status of their relationship. To put it simply, they were merely partners in a deal.


    She asked him to stop treating her so well due to the fear of her conscience not being able to take it.


    Only then would she finally be able to put her heart at ease and not be concerned with the way he was acting.


    As she stepped out of Noah''s office, Carla checked what time it was and found out that it was just about time to get off from work.


    She intended to go back to the Hua family and rest there for tonight so she could spend some time with Andrea.


    Noah didn''t go back to the Hua family with her tonight.


    Carla stayed up late chatting with Andrea and then headed back to her room to get some sleep.


    Given that midnight had already struck, it was unusual for her to receive a text from Terence at this time. Every time the thought of him popping up in her head, she couldn''t help herself from feeling delighted. Brimming with excitement, she read the text he sent.


    It read, "Carla, are you about to go to sleep?"


    Deep in thought for a moment, she opted to purposefully not send him a reply. She wanted to give him a taste of his own medicine and know what it felt to be ignored.


    With her mind made up, she pulled the quilt to cover herself and prepared t


    bring her one glass of wine as well. Like before, she moved just as gently and graciously. And she also sounded so kind and compassionate.


    Noah already had a lot to drink before she arrived, and it was indeed true that his heart was in so much pain, so he wasn''t really hostile toward her. With a straight face, he responded, "It''s nothing in particular. You know, a person is bound to hit a few bumps in the road. So, I''m simply drowning my sorrows in alcohol."


    Carefully stirring the cocktail she had ordered, Julie took a sip before mentioning, "Noah, roughly a month ago, I happened to see that you shared a meal with Miss Carla. Are the two of you a couple?"


    The house Noah had bought her happened to be located in HA City. For that reason, she had been staying here most of the time. So, it shouldn''t come as a surprise if they chanced upon each other from time to time.


    When Carla''s name was brought up in the conversation, Noah''s face became even more gloomy, but his eyes looked like they were just staring into nothingness. Without humoring her with an answer, he reached for the wine bottle and was about to fill his glass.


    However, Julie stopped him in his tracks, pouring wine in the glass for him instead.

 Chapter 370 Marry Me

    "Okay. If you don''t want to talk about it, let''s change the topic," said Julie. She could easily guess by Noah''s depressed look that he and Carla weren''t getting along.


    Honestly, she already had the hunch since Terence came to find her that day.


    Terence finding her to substitute Carla on making love with Noah was more than enough proof that Carla and Terence''s relationship were still solid.


    She was successful in substituting Carla that night, which meant that Noah couldn''t tell the difference between her and Carla.


    And at the same time, it also meant that Noah and Carla never did anything intimate amid their engagement.


    "How are you, Julie? We haven''t seen each other for half a year,"


    Noah asked after sipping wine from his glass.


    Hearing his question, Julie forced a wry smile and answered, "Noah, do you think the fish will live a happy life without water?"


    Noah looked at Julie. He hadn''t seen this woman beside him for a long time. She still looked the same in general but her eyes looked exhausted now.


    Realizing that Noah didn''t answer, Julie immediately apologized, "Sorry, Noah, I shouldn''t have said that. Don''t you want to drink? If you don''t mind, can I accompany you?"


    Then she raised her glass as if proposing a toast and drank a large sip of wine. "I really hope that you live a happy life, Noah. Even if we are not a couple anymore, I really hope for you to be better without me...


    Being loved is much happier than loving someone. But of course, you never know that!"


    Julie felt a bit bolder after drinking. She would never dare to tell things like this to Noah before.


    Nonetheless, a lot of things had already changed between them. She wasn''t Noah''s girlfriend anymore, so she wasn''t afraid of being abandoned again.


    Little did she know that Noah understood what she said clearly.


    He even agreed to her thoughts. It was true, being loved was so much better than loving someone.


    In all honesty, he didn''t even try loving anyone before meeting Carla. He just learned how to love someone sincerely after he and Carla got engaged.


    "I''m sorry, Julie." Noah took a sip of wine then looked at the woman next to him.


    This woman had been around him for nearly four years. However, he had let her down until he lost her.


    Hearing his apology for the first time, Julie wasn''t able to stop her tears. He had never said sorry to her even after they broke up. She had nev


    Noah woke up and found himself sleeping in a strange but very familiar place.


    He pulled the quilt to check himself under it. Soon, he frowned.


    "Noah, are you awake? Get up and have breakfast. It''s ready."


    Julie''s voice was gentle when she opened the door.


    However, what she saw next was Noah rushing to put his clothes back on. He then took his coat and passed her by as if he didn''t see her.


    "Noah... Noah?"


    Julie tried to call him twice but he never looked back at her anymore. He left her... again.


    On the other hand, Carla had just come out of the Hua family''s house.


    Andrea arranged for a driver to take her to the company. She just got into the car when she saw Noah''s car coming.


    Then, Noah''s car stopped right in front of her.


    "Come down. I''ll take you to the company," Noah said expressionlessly.


    Carla got out of the car and transferred to Noah''s car.


    They were both dead silent as they drove to the company.


    Suddenly, Noah posed, "Carla, marry me!"


    Carla was shocked and thought, ''I have said clearly to him yesterday. Why does he suddenly want me to marry him? So strange!''


    "I know you can''t forget Terence, but that doesn''t matter. In this world, not every couple marries because they love each other. Time will make you slowly forget many things!


    Let''s not talk about the past anymore. You don''t even need to be guilty because you don''t love me. It''s my choice to be kind to you and I''m not asking you to be grateful for it.


    Let''s just get married and start a new life, Carla!"


    Noah said in a very serious tone before he parked the car by the roadside.

 Chapter 371 Her Potential (Part One)

    "Wait! Wait! What on earth are you talking about, Noah?


    I fail to understand why you have taken such a rash decision. But this is all too sudden. I am not yet ready for it."


    Carla shook her head ferociously and looked quite shocked with her mouth gaping. Ever since they got engaged, she had been strenuously trying to get on well with him and be on good terms with him. From where was she supposed to muster the courage to marry him and walk into perpetual darkness alongside him?


    If she loved him, then she might have been happy.


    However, the truth was that she didn''t love him at all and would never even have a crush on him.


    "Are you still assuming that you have other options?"


    One of Noah''s hands was firmly gripping on to the steering wheel, while the other was holding Carla''s hand tightly. He looked ahead and didn''t even give her a glance. Yet the force he used to hold her hand was getting greater.


    He continued in a gentle tone, "At the outset, I admit that I did approach you because you were the daughter of the Hua family. But now, I am irrevocably in love with a girl named Carla. I don''t care about who she was in the past or who she has turned out to become. I don''t care about her identity, her wealth or her family. The only thing I know is that I love her unconditionally and I don''t wish to let her go. If I give you up now, then I will live lamenting about it for the rest of my life. So please don''t leave me, Carla. Please."


    Carla shifted her gaze onto her hand now being held by Noah tightly. She tried her best to withdraw her hand from his clutches but she failed rather miserably.


    Being crestfallen, she said, "Noah, you should first calm down. This is what you are thinking about. The critical problem is that I don''t love you at all. And I am fairly sure that I will not fall in love with you either. Do you still think that


    a smile.


    For the past two days, she had been busy modifying the sales plan for areas which were through some rough patch. And she had already made some splendid progress. If she could finish this program perfectly, then it would be a big contribution to the company and her position within the Hua Group would be established firmly.


    Carla had been fully indulged in searching for good ideas to modify the plan wherever she was during the past two days.


    In fact, she had gone through many rather successful cases made by others before hoping to gain some inspiration. Finally her hard work paid off and she succeeded in working out an intact sales plan.


    She handed over the plan to the manager of the Sales Department as soon as she got to work.


    The manager directly forwarded it to Noah after having read it.


    He did it because Noah had ordered him to do so a long time ago. So the manager didn''t dare to judge this plan all by himself and thought it would be appropriate if he left that job to Noah.


    "She came up with this all by herself?"


    Noah read the new sales plan about the areas in excess of demand in his hand again and again. He seemed quite surprised and shocked by it while asking the manager of the Sales Department.

 Chapter 372 Her Potential (Part Two)

    "Yes, this was done by her, Mr. Terence. I must say, I am quite surprised too. I had thought that she had an average education and lacked experience. However, I didn''t expect her potential to be this amazing. On many occasions, she is even more outstanding than other experienced employees who have been working in our company for so many years."


    The manager looked satisfied and praised Carla without any hesitation.


    Although she hadn''t been working for long in the Sales Department, she was the most hard-working among all the other employees in the department, including the newcomers who came to the company in the same period alongside her. Besides, every week she herself used to ask to go on business field trips and volunteered to go to the shops to investigate matters herself.


    The manager admitted the truth that he had offered her the exact data and information as Noah had ordered.


    But all this was unimportant. No one could deny her excellent talent in the sales department and how much of a valuable asset she had grown up to become of the company in a short period of time.


    "Well, then promote the plan she has made without any changes. Try your best to follow up her plan and see whether the sales in these areas get improved or not,"


    Noah finished reading the plan and told the manager in a serious tone.


    "Yes, Mr. Noah. If there is any progress, I will report it to you as soon as possible."


    The manager of the Sales Department took back the plan and nodded at Noah before he turned around to leave.


    Noah lumped back into his chair and was indulged deeply in his thoughts. He thought that it was quite amazing to see that she had worked so sincerely, but he hadn''t expected her results to be this mesmerizing.


    The manager of the Sales Department was not boasting or praising her irrationally. He was aware of that. Every idea and thought in that sales plan was more than practical and extraordinary. It couldn''t have been worked ou


    they suddenly brought her oranges and that most of the meals she was served these days tasted either sour and sweet.


    Upon hearing Carla''s question, Nola smiled and replied, "I have also experienced all this, Miss Carla. I noticed it when you went through morning sickness these days."


    "Nola, you..." Carla didn''t know how to respond to that and suddenly realized that the food these days was far more delicate as well. Someone had really given much thought to her condition. She could only feel all the more grateful to her.


    "Take it easy, Miss Carla. I will not tell anybody about it."


    Nola knew what Carla was worrying about, so she comforted her and reassured her with a beaming smile.


    Of course, Nola would tell nobody because she and Vicky were specially asked by someone to take care of Carla.


    More importantly, this person couldn''t be an ordinary person at all. Nola and Vicky with their lower social status wouldn''t dare to dissatisfy or disobey this person. Hence, they looked after Carla with more patience and cautiousness.


    Carla looked over at Nola while eating the oranges. She was deeply indulged in her own thoughts.


    Still, she felt that there was something rather strange about all this. But she couldn''t describe that feeling. Life had surely been perplexing for her lately.

 Chapter 373 Is The Baby Mine

    Nola seemed to have behaved too calmly.


    She knew that Carla was pregnant but she wasn''t surprised at all.


    ***


    After supper, Carla was leisurely sitting on the couch, watching some soap operas while eating nuts.


    She really needed to use her break to relax since she had been very busy recently. There were even times when she almost couldn''t breathe while at work.


    Moreover, the baby in her womb caught her off guard.


    But she didn''t have any other choice anymore since it was already there.


    She couldn''t believe how the fortune teller was right about her. Carla had thought that he was just talking nonsense.


    When she went to visit Nicholas in the hospital earlier, she told him that in the hope of cheering him up. But then she had never expected it to happen in reality.


    The due date would be in June or July next year, just as the fortune teller expected.


    "Welcome home, Mr. Noah," someone greeted.


    Carla''s back immediately straightened upon hearing the noise outside. She didn''t expect Noah to come back this soon since he was supposed to be out for several days.


    She hadn''t seen him at all since their quarrel. Thus, she was at peace for several days.


    A few seconds later, Noah came in while holding bags of packaged dishes. Seeing Carla watching TV, he asked, "Are you hungry? I bought this on my way home for you."


    Then, Noah walked over to her and placed the food on the table. He knew that Carla was a foodie. Thus, he remembered to buy something for her to eat.


    The delicious smell of food instantly came into Carla''s nose the moment Noah opened the food box. There were crab seed meatballs, shrimps, and so on.


    Then unexpectedly, Carla felt her stomach turning upside-down. She covered her mouth and rushed to the bathroom.


    She vomited everything she had eaten as soon as she reached the washbasin.


    "What''s up?"


    That was when Noah came over and patted her back. "Are you having stomach aches? You must have skipped meals these days because of work."


    Carla rinsed her mouth after throwing up everything she ate for dinner. She then wiped the water stains left on her lips and waved at Noah. She was silent when she left the bathroom.


    However, Noah came to her and met her halfway towards the living room and held out a glass of wa


    on. I will do anything for you as long as you stay with me. Anything!"


    Noah''s handsome dark eyes affectionately gazed at Carla. However, Carla could only force a smile.


    "Noah, I..."


    She wanted to tell him the truth but swallowed it at the tip of her tongue.


    "I know that I disappointed you many times, but I won''t anymore. Never ever. Please trust me!" Noah said while rubbing her cheeks. "Callie, this baby proves that we''re meant to be together. Don''t you think so?"


    Biting her lower lip, Carla kept silent and just looked at him. She was getting really upset and felt as if her heart was getting eaten by thousands of ants.


    "Noah, the baby was an accident. It''s hard for me to take it. Can I..."


    she finally said it out and felt relaxed.


    Upon hearing her, Noah thought about it and understood her difficulty. She had been loving Terence all the time, but now she was pregnant with someone else''s baby. It was hard for anyone to accept it.


    "I understand. But don''t worry too much and take care of the baby, okay?" said Noah as he pulled her closer to him, embracing her tighter. He then patted her shoulder to comfort her.


    He believed that her affection for Terence would gradually fade away because of the baby.


    "Okay. Let me take you to your room. It''s very late," he reminded before standing up and holding her arm.


    Carla rolled her eyes helplessly and sighed. Then she went upstairs with him.


    She was wondering...


    how Terence would feel if he knew that Noah thought the baby was his.

 Chapter 374 What A Coincidence (Part One)

    Terence was staying at his Seaview Villa in JA City.


    He was just leisurely reading a book in the study when he sneezed all of a sudden. Looking up at the clock to check the time, he realized that it was already eleven o''clock in the evening.


    He unlocked his phone, only to find out that Carla still hadn''t replied to any of his texts at all. Right then and there, a smile slowly crept onto his face as he helplessly shook his head thinking that she was, without a doubt, still holding a grudge against him.


    Actually, he had sent her a couple of messages already, and yet she was still being so stubborn, not bothering to give him so much as a single response.


    It took the best of him just to resist the urge to call her. He was afraid that if Noah were to hear the call, he might get the wrong impression and Carla would end up getting in trouble. All things considered, she wasn''t by herself, so her safety should be his top priority.


    "Mr. Terence, some news coming from HA City arrives."


    Rainer could tell that he hadn''t fallen asleep yet, given that there was still a light on in the study. So, he decided to come in and give some updates to his boss.


    "What''s it about?" After seemingly being lost in thought, Terence immediately came to his senses and turned to look at Rainer who was approaching him.


    "Miss Carla has achieved great success in the Hua Group, Mr. Terence. And things went on much more smoothly than we have anticipated. As soon as Miss Carla''s proposal was implemented, they''ve seen a significant improvement in their sales."


    A wide grin appeared on Rainer''s face as he was informing his boss about the good news.


    Terence didn''t seem to be much too astounded by it. With a Cheshire cat smile on his face, he proudly remarked, "It''s hardly surprising at all. This is my girl we''re talking about after all. She has this sort of ability and potential. I knew it all along."


    As his boss was wallowing in his knack for finding the potential of other people, Rainer quietly lowered his gaze.


    He pondered to himself, ''Just who was it that has kept on saying that Mi


    ugh a lot before they could finally be able to enjoy a bright and happy future together.


    When all of their hardships had come to pass, Terence knew that he was the only person who could take care of his future wife and child. But for that to happen, he had to sit patiently and bide his time.


    "Of course, Mr. Terence. I will call Nola straight away and relay your message to her just as you said." After telling him that, he walked out of the study and went to do as he was told.


    When Rainer was nowhere in sight, Terence tilted his head and peered at all of the names he had written on a piece of paper. He couldn''t stop himself from laughing quite audibly upon realizing that he had come up with all of those possible names for his child.


    On that piece of paper, there were more names for girls compared with boys. It had always mostly been boys given birth in the An family while girls were too few and far between. With that in mind, if the child Carla was expecting happened to be a girl, then both he and his grandfather would certainly be pleased.


    After looking at the names written on the paper for a decent amount of time, he put it away and carefully placed it inside the drawer.


    He was having a hard time trying to decide which name to call his child, so he thought that he should just ask Carla to go through the names he had thought of and pick whichever she liked the best.

 Chapter 375 What A Coincidence (Part Two)

    As he thought of that, he began smiling from ear to ear once more.


    Meanwhile, it was such a lovely night in HA City.


    Carla didn''t think that Noah would readily inform Andrea regarding the news about her pregnancy. So, she was in deep slumber tonight, wearing a smile on her face, as though she were having such a pleasant dream.


    However, in the morning, as soon as she got up from bed, Andrea got to her home to visit her. There was a look of excitement and happiness written all over her face after she heard the news that she was about to be a grandmother. Because she was only able to give birth to a single offspring, she had a bit of hope that Carla would be the one to make her dream of having several children become fulfilled.


    "Callie, please move back home and live together with me, okay? I feel so anxious about you living all by yourself here now that I know you''re carrying a child in your womb."


    Andrea didn''t get too fired up due to so much exhilaration, and she still had the presence of mind to convince Carla to move in with her. She thought that it was the only way she would be able to take good care of Carla and in turn, the baby inside her as well.


    "Mother, I''m doing just fine right here. Nola and Vicky are both here to look after me. That would be more than enough, and I feel safe in this place because of the peaceful surroundings, and besides, I''ve already gotten used to living in this house,"


    Carla expressed her thoughts. In spite of knowing that Bonnie had not been staying at the Hua residence for the past couple of days, she was so determined not to move back into that place. If it were something like simply coming over to the Hua family from time to time, she would have been more than happy to do so.


    "But I won''t be able to settle down as long as I keep remembering that you''re living on your own here while Noah is still too preoccupied with running the company. Because of that, he probably wouldn''t have the time to stay and be with you at all times. But wait a second! Speaking of work, there''s something I remembered that I had to tell you. There''s no need for you to be in a hurry to become the marketing manager right away. The thing that we should prioritize right now is for you to get enough rest at home to keep both you and your child healthy. But, of course, the baby inside your belly should be given the utmost importance,"


    Andrea calmly explained to Carla as she rested the palm of her hand on the back of hers.


    After listening to Andrea voice out her concerns, Carla quickly shook her head to decline her offer, saying, "Mother, I''m not as delicate as you think. In any case, how could I ever get tired from working in our own company? I just moved


    . Now that you have inside you the child of the An family, there''s no doubt that you will have a far happier and brighter future after you have brought this baby to the world.


    That''s exactly why you should be taking extreme caution with this child and make sure to keep yourself healthy. Don''t ever forget what I''ve told you." As she was saying those words, she gently caressing Carla''s belly in the doting way.


    Nothing was really fair in the world we live in. The child of the An family was predestined to be born with a silver spoon and to reach for greatness. And on top of that, Terence was the inheritor of the An Group, meaning to say that his child would most certainly be cherished and taken good care of.


    Silently pondering deep within her heart, Andrea thought, ''It is quite fortunate that God is still watching over Carla. Despite having to go through so much pain and suffering in the past years, she is about to welcome such a bright future ahead of her. Thank the heavens!''


    Nodding her head in agreement, Carla said, "I''m aware of that, Mother."


    "Well, then we shall proceed as we originally planned. You must not let Noah find out about the truth under any circumstance. And of course, I will also act like I don''t know anything. We have to patiently wait for everything to pass. Is that clear?"


    Andrea stretched out her arm to help Carla fix up her hair after reminding her of a few crucial details.


    Having been Noah''s mother ever since he was still a young boy, she was well aware of what his temper was like as well as his disposition.


    If only he could be reasoned with, then that would be the best scenario. But all things considered, now that Carla was already carrying Terence''s child, there was no going back, and they had no other option but to go on with the original plan.

 Chapter 376 New Marketing Manager

    Carla went back to work at the Hua Group a week later.


    Today was her first day in the Marketing Department.


    To be honest, Andrea and Noah didn''t like Carla''s idea of her getting back to work so soon, but she insisted. Thus, they weren''t able to stop her so they just agreed in what she wanted.


    Noah also wanted to expose her real identity to everyone to avoid people in the company from troubling her.


    However, Carla rejected that. She thought that her identity would only put more pressure on her even if it meant having an easy day.


    Moreover, Carla also had her own plans.


    She was aware of how much Noah wanted to publicize their engagement but then, she naturally didn''t want people to know about that.


    Since this was her first day in this department, more so, as the marketing manager, Carla wasn''t familiar with the environment inside the place. It was given that she wouldn''t stay in this position for a long time. However, she still wanted to familiarize herself with the responsibilities of it as soon as possible.


    Two days had passed. Carla had already learned the basics of her scope of responsibility. In fact, it wasn''t really that different from what she had done before. It was just that many of those responsibilities had been upgraded to a managerial level.


    Thus, she only needed to assign the work to her subordinates. The whole department was under her control now and she should be responsible to keep it running. In addition, she also needed to lead the whole department into developing and improving itself, which was something that would need a lot of time.


    Regular meetings were also common to her now as the marketing manager.


    Although she had been attending a lot of meetings before, the meetings she was attending now were bigger.


    Compared with how it had been in the past, she had to go directly to the top floor now whenever there were important meetings about the company''s development targets.


    Just like now, Carla received a phone call from the secretary, telling her to attend a meeting.


    Stretching herself, Carla leaned lazily on her chair and didn''t move. She honestly didn''t want to attend the meeting, more so, go to the top floor, and then see Noah''s caring eyes.


    "Miss Carla, The meeting is about to start. We should go up now,"


    Helen He, Carla''s new assistant, reminded her after coming in.


    There were at least one hundred people in the Marketing Department here in the Hua Group''s headquarters. Therefore, it was reasonable for Carla, a manager, to have an assistant.


    "Helen, can you attend the meeting on my behalf?" asked Carla as she propped one of her elbows on the armrest while supporting her chin. She looked very lazy while sitting.


    I


    en raised his wrist. He checked on the time and then said, "Let''s go? It''s almost noon."


    "Okay," Carla responded and stood up with her water cup.


    Noah walked to her and casually held her waist. He then walked out of his office guiding her.


    Carla handed the cup of water to Helen He, who was waiting outside. "Kindly take my cup back to my office. I''m going out for lunch with Mr. Noah."


    Nodding, Helen He took the cup. She watched Carla and Noah walk to the elevator.


    It was only after the two left that Helen He rushed to dial a number on her phone.


    "Mr. Terence, Miss Carla has already attended the meeting this morning and learned about the merger and acquisition project. And now, she is going out with Mr. Noah for lunch."


    Helen He had been reporting about Carla''s daily routine to Terence since she became her assistant.


    Hearing that Noah took Carla out again, Terence frowned immediately at the other side of the phone and asked, "Why did they go out again?"


    "Umm, Mr. Terence... Miss Carla is Mr. Noah''s fiancee and she is still pregnant with..." Pausing for a while, Helen He coughed for several times before continuing, "So she can''t refuse Mr. Noah all the time. I think you should understand Miss Carla. She is also in a difficult state."


    Helen He had been around Carla for the past few days. Thus, she knew what Carla was going through. She was also aware of how much Carla was refusing most of Noah''s invitations.


    Carla''s refusal this time might stir some suspicion in Noah and Helen He knew that well.


    "Okay, I know that. I will go to HA City tomorrow. Find a chance and take her out to meet me,"


    Terence said in a serious tone. He thought, ''You''ll come back to me soon, Carla.


    In less than half a month, I will no longer have to suffer from this kind of torture!''

 Chapter 377 I Will Stay Here Tonight (Part One)

    In a luxury restaurant, Carla was casually enjoying a meal along with Noah.


    All of a sudden, she felt an itch on her nose, so she put down the fork she was holding on the table to rub it.


    "What''s the matter? Did you catch a cold or something?"


    noticing how she had been repeatedly rubbing her nose, Noah became a bit concerned and asked her.


    "No, it''s not because of that. I think I''m just a little allergic to the flowers they have here." Glancing over at the pink roses in the exquisite vase displayed on the table, Carla wondered if those flowers were the reason why she had been getting the urge to sneeze nonstop. She had been feeling fine even just this morning, so she was quite sure that she didn''t catch a cold or anything.


    Upon hearing her response, Noah immediately gestured for the waiter to come over and take the flowers away.


    "Are you feeling any better?" he asked in a concerned voice.


    Promptly nodding her head, Carla answered, "Yes, that''s much better. Now, let''s get back on track. Noah, from your perspective, what do you think is the most important issue that our company has to deal with in the merger we are forming with the L Company?"


    She inquired about this question in particular simply because she had just heard about it in a meeting, and as a result, she became somewhat interested in the L Company. Supposing that Noah might be able to give her a bit of information about it, she brought back the topic regarding the merger.


    "If I had to say, it would most probably be the fact that they still haven''t made up their mind about working together with us. The L Company has shown great interest in the merger when we discussed it in a meeting before. But as of this moment, I really don''t have any idea what''s causing them to hesitate about it. And even up until now, they still haven''t given us a definite response regarding the merger."


    Savoring the food in his mouth, Noah casually answered Carla''s question.


    As Carla was bobbing her head, he went on and added, "I actually have plans to go to the L Company personally in order to talk about these matters with them thoroughly in the days


    Upon hearing that statement, Carla curled her lips. But from out of the blue, a random thought seemed to have suddenly crossed her mind, so she asked, "How''s grandfather doing? Is he doing well?" Carla tightly bit her lip after remembering that Grandpa Nicholas had been scheduled for surgery in just a couple of days.


    "He''s actually doing just fine. Especially after finding out that he is about to have a great grandchild, whenever I would drop by to check up on him, he''d always be in high spirits, asking about the child in your belly. On top of that, he has been bugging me on how he has to come up with a fitting name to call his great grandchild."


    After telling her about his grandfather, Terence couldn''t help but smile at the thought of his grandfather''s condition improving little by little.


    When he came over to visit his grandfather before, he would always catch him looking so down in the dumps and dejected. But from the moment he got to know that Carla was expecting and carrying his first great grandchild, there had been a significant change in him. He began to smile more and more and was now even so willing to cooperate with the doctor regarding his treatment.


    "I''m glad to hear that. So, we''ll just let grandfather decide what to name our child then." As she was having a good time taking with Terence over the phone, she suddenly noticed Helen, who was standing by the door, gesturing toward her.

 Chapter 378 I Will Stay Here Tonight (Part Two)

    She instantly understood what she meant and hastily exclaimed, "There''s someone coming in, so I have to hang up now."


    "Alright, I guess I''ll just see you tomorrow then."


    After hanging up on him, Carla realized that Helen had already swung the door to her office open and walked in. She felt a sense of relief after finding out that it was just her subordinate, who came in to deliver some documents to her.


    Later in the afternoon, it was time to get off work.


    Carla returned to her villa located in the suburb in the south.


    These past few days, Noah had a handful of banquets to attend. So, by the time he got back home, Carla would already be fast asleep. For that reason, they weren''t able to have much time to talk to each other. Carla felt so relieved that she wouldn''t have to talk to Noah.


    Given that she wouldn''t have to face Noah at home, she was able to feel more at ease not having to worry about anyone.


    It was a rather peaceful night for Carla.


    It was still a bit early at around nine o''clock in the evening, but she had already taken a shower and changed into a comfortable pair of pajamas. Leisurely lounging on the sofa, she could finally take some time to relax after a long day at work.


    She had in front of her a bunch of sweet and sour oranges which she ate while tuning into the soap opera running on the television. It had an interesting plot and it was rather moving, so she got captivated by it.


    As she was so absorbed in the show''s storyline, she heard someone knocking at her door. Thinking that it might just be either Nola or Vicky, she blurted out without even bothering to check, "Please come in. The door isn''t locked."


    The door promptly swung open.


    As it turned out, it was actually Noah who was at the door. He saw that Carla was lying on the sofa when he walked in, totally engrossed in watching a TV drama. With a smile on his face, he moved closer toward the back of the sofa and wrapped his arms around her before whispering in a gentle voice, "What are you watching there, Callie?"


    Upon recognizing the familiar voice, Carla was caught completely off-guard that she began to cough violently. It was such a dreadful look she had, showing extreme anxiety. Be that as it may, after a while, she regained her composure and managed to put on a smile on her face to hide how nervous she was and told him, "I''m watching a soap opera. Why did you get here so early, Noah?"


    "W


    eping yet."


    Noah stared at her so endearingly. All of a sudden, he leaned closer to place a kiss on her forehead and resolutely stated, "Alright. We have a deal now. You wait right here me. I''m heading back to my room so I could wash up. I''ll be right back to spend some time with you."


    Carla didn''t bother humoring him with a response, so he immediately got up and got ready to leave the moment he was done talking.


    As she watched him walk toward his room to take a shower, Carla''s face turned into a frown, having a hard time wrapping her head around the fact that he was going to spend the night with her.


    When he was finally out of sight, she heaved a lengthy sigh and lost interest in watching the TV drama. Springing up from the sofa, she paced around the room feeling so apprehensive.


    With her heart about to burst in any second, she was now panicking deep inside and thinking, ''What the heck am I supposed to do in this situation?


    What should I do? Why did he suddenly get the urge to sleep with me? Oh, my God!''


    She had experienced being with Terence before, so she was well aware that men''s words could never be accepted and trusted at face value. Once they got onto the bed, the thing that would be running through their little minds would never be about sleeping and instead, their hands would begin creeping all over the women''s body.


    She may have already been pregnant at the moment, but she could never be too sure that Noah wouldn''t do anything to her. And most of all, she couldn''t risk moving around too much to try and stop him due to the fear of getting the child in her belly hurt.

 Chapter 379 Carla, I Love You!

    Carla was pacing to and fro inside her room. She gnawed on her fingernails as she pondered an excuse to refuse Noah. Then her thoughts were interrupted when she heard footsteps coming from the door.


    She quickly sat back onto the sofa, pretending to watch the TV. She flashed a smile at Noah who had just come in. "Wow! That was quick. Have you taken a shower yet?"


    She actually meant to tell Noah to go back and take another bath, but unfortunately, Noah took her words the wrong way.


    "Ah, my dear Carla, what do you want from me?" Noah walked over to her, giving her a flirtatious smile. "Well, of course I have taken a shower. But I am a man, so I don''t need to spend hours inside the bathroom for a shower."


    Carla was momentarily stunned by his words. She was a bit distracted and she didn''t notice that Noah''s hair was still wet.


    Suddenly, a light bulb flashed inside her head.


    She fluttered her eyelids like a butterfly''s wings as she grinned. "Noah, I feel too tired to walk. Could you carry me over to the bed?"


    "Of course, milady, anything for you," Noah obliged immediately. His brown eyes lit up with willingness. He walked towards Carla, slowly bending over to pick her up, as if she were a princess, and carried her to the bed.


    When they came over to the bed, Carla suddenly nuzzled up against his arm as if it was her pillow. She noticed that the more active she was, the more passive Noah became when she did all the things he wanted to do with her.


    "Carla?"


    Noah was puzzled by how different she was acting today.


    "Yes, Noah? What''s the matter?" Carla looked up at him with her doll-like eyes.


    "Ah... It''s nothing," Noah answered simply, disregarding the swirling confusion inside his heart. Then he wrapped her in a comforting embrace.


    "I see. All right then, I''m going to sleep. Good night!" Carla pulled the quilt open with a single hand and spread it over her. She checked the time on her cellphone and then stashed it away in her bedside drawer before turning off the lamp.


    She adjusted her long, lustrous hair and finally chose a comfortable position to lie down in.


    Nothing of what Carla did was out of the ordinary so nothing seemed fishy at the moment.


    After struggling to sleep for a few minutes, which strangely felt like hours, Carla opened her drawer and checked the time on her cellphone again. When she turned around and looked up, she was startled by Noah, who was staring at her quietly. "Hey, why are you still awake?" she said to him.


    "Well, I just can''t fall asleep. I feel so happy to have you in my arms," Noah spoke softly.


    His answer truly came from his heart. He lay on his side, squeezed her in his arms and gave her a sweet kiss on her forehead.


    "Noah, are you joking? I mean, there are countless women throwing themselves at you all the time. Bes


    with Julie again, Noah felt puzzled as to why it felt like he was making love to Carla the whole time he was with Julie.


    He chided himself, embarrassed by his outrageous notions.


    Then suddenly, it all came flooding back to him.


    Earlier with Carla in his arms, it seemed as though the feeling was different from what had he felt when he held her in the underground restaurant that night. Doubts began to overwhelm his thoughts.


    Noah had discovered that there was a power failure in the restaurant that night.


    Something about the timing seemed very strange to him.


    Why did the power failure happen just when they started having sex and then again just before they finished?


    It was safe to say that he didn''t see whether the woman he made love to was Carla or somebody else.


    If somehow his hunch was correct, then that would mean...


    There was only one logical conclusion.


    Carla wasn''t the one he had made love to that night. Julie must have been the one who took her place. Therefore, the child Carla was carrying wasn''t his! If that were the case, the father of the child she was carrying would be Terence.


    Noah grunted in frustration. He had experienced many things in business for many years. He knew every underhanded move there was, even though most people didn''t know that he knew them.


    More so, if the child wasn''t his then he would have to do something quickly because he couldn''t allow that child to be born into the world.


    Carla shared a strong bond with Terence. If this child were allowed to be born into the world, it would be harder to break their relationship.


    He scrolled through the contacts in his phone and found Julie''s number.


    Noah realized that if he wanted to know who the real father of this child was, Julie would surely give him the honest answer.


    The moment Julie answered the call, Noah said, "Hey, it''s me. Where are you?"

 Chapter 380 Did You Betray Me

    Julie never expected that Noah would suddenly ask her out. It was too early in the morning and she was still at home. She didn''t even have any idea of what Noah was about to say.


    Although she was nervous, Julie also noticed how Noah seemed a bit different that day.


    Noah had never contacted her since he left her home that day. So what was all the fuss about now? Why did he suddenly decide to call her?


    Having known Noah for a long time, Julie was sure that this was something that Noah wouldn''t do normally, unless he had something to gain from it.


    Suddenly, she thought of something and made a call in a hurry.


    At the same time, somewhere else, Rainer''s cellphone rang.


    "Mr. Terence, it''s Julie!"


    Rainer was the one in charge of communicating with Julie. He immediately walked to Terence, who had just walked out of the bathroom and handed him the phone.


    "Hello," said Terence.


    "Mr. Terence, I''m Julie. Noah just called me out of the blue and said that he wants to talk to me about something very important. I wonder if he knows something."


    Julie''s voice trembled anxiously, since she knew that Noah hated betrayal the most. She was afraid that Noah would never forgive her if he found out that she had helped Terence with his scheme.


    Hearing Julie''s worried voice, Terence narrowed his eyes and said, "Don''t be nervous. He has no evidence. Without proof, it''s all just his speculation. As long as you admit to nothing and insist that you don''t know anything about that night, he won''t do anything to you."


    "But... But Mr. Terence, Noah is a very cautious man and there is nothing in this world that can be kept hidden from him. What should I do if he forces me to tell the truth?"


    Panic slowly appeared all over Julie''s face as she spoke. She had been Noah''s girlfriend for years. She knew how cruel Noah could get once he was extremely angry.


    Suffice it to say, she was really shaken up!


    "There is no point regretting something you have already done, Julie. Now your last resort is to insist that you don''t know anything.


    Just remember that your love for Noah is your biggest bargaining chip. After all, that''s what he lacks the most. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have stayed at your home and had sex with you that night. Do you get me?"


    Terence said softly and slowly.


    As a matter of fact, Terence was actually the one who told Julie about Noah''s whereabouts that night. Otherwise, how on earth would Julie know that Noah was in a bar? There wa


    er against the wall with both hands. "So, you have betrayed me too.


    Why are you helping another man to deceive me, Julie?" Noah shouted in disbelief.


    Julie shook her head.


    "No, I did not betray you! My only fault is that I love you too much! Believe me, Noah. Even if I wasn''t the one there with you, it would have been another woman! I couldn''t let you sleep with another woman!


    I just couldn''t do that! I can''t! So I agreed to help Terence!"


    Julie stared at him through tear-soaked eyes as her face turned deathly still.


    She wept and said, "Noah, I know you''ve already sentenced my love to death but even though I''m condemned, I still can''t stop loving you! I can''t stop wishing for the day when you''ll look at me again, even just a glance.


    It''s fine if you don''t love me. You are free to love Carla as much as you want to!


    But you cannot stop my heart from beating for the one I love. Do you know how painful it was for me to be a substitute woman just to be close to you again?


    I can''t even close my eyes to sleep peacefully. I have to take a cold bath each night to calm myself and numb the pain!"


    Noah looked at her with pity as she cried desperately. The hatred that was there in his heart a while ago had faded.


    "Noah, if you really find it difficult to forgive me because I betrayed you, then so be it. You don''t need to bother punishing me. I''m going to do it for you. I''m going to drown myself in the river now. Will that make you feel better?"


    Julie said suddenly and she pushed his hand away.


    In complete disregard of her tears, she climbed up from the ground, opened the door, rushed out without turning back!

 Chapter 381 The Operating Room (Part One)

    "Are you out of your mind?" shouted Noah angrily.


    He then forcefully dragged Julie back inside the house and pushed her down the sofa.


    "Yes. I''m crazy! I''ve been slowly losing my sanity since the day I promised Terence that I would become a substitute for Carla!" Julie staggered up from the sofa and then walked towards Noah. She stopped in front of him and looked right at him with teary eyes. "You will never know just how much I have suffered just to be by your side, Noah! I''ve even changed myself for you. I''ve pushed myself to learn new things just so you would want to be with me. But, you didn''t even look at me. Why are you so cruel and cold-blooded?


    You''ve never noticed me. All you have ever cherished is money!


    Look, where that got you! You deserve all the misfortunate coming to you. Now you will understand how it feels to be ignored and hurt by the person you want to be with. I''m going to watch you suffer as I have."


    Julie didn''t even look angry as she spoke. In fact, she was even smiling. However, her expression changed when she saw the terrible expression on Noah''s face. Gnashing her teeth in anger, she continued, "You have fallen in love with Carla, haven''t you? Why else would you be this angry?


    What a pity! The only man Carla loves is Terence and it has always been him.


    I admire her for her strong will and persistence. All this time, she has been with you but she still hasn''t changed her mind. She didn''t even think of giving Terence up. I''m so touched by how much they love each other. It''s truly inspirational! I don''t know if I could do the same if I were her."


    Every woman in this world, including Julie, would


    ck up on him.


    "I''m sorry to keep you waiting. Something urgent came up so I had to deal with it quickly. Get in the car now!" Noah opened the car door for her, gesturing at her with his hand to get in.


    Carla fastened her seat belt as soon as she sat on the car and then looked at him. Having noticed the unease in his disposition, she said, "What''s wrong? Did something happen?"


    "It''s nothing. Don''t worry. It''s just that thing about the merger." Noah looked away from her and focused his sights on the road. Only God knew how angry he was as he spoke in a casual tone.


    "Don''t worry about that too much, okay? There are some things that need to be done slowly and patiently. We''ll find a good solution for it later." Carla nodded as she persuaded him.


    However, Noah didn''t reply and he kept pretending to shift his gaze to her still flat belly. An indescribable emotion flashed in his eyes but then he concealed it by speaking in a gentle tone. "Do you need to visit the doctor for your check-up today, Carla?


    I remember mother saying that you are scheduled for a check-up this week, right?"

 Chapter 382 The Operating Room (Part Two)

    Carla gently caressed her belly and answered with a smile, "That''s right, it is on Wednesday."


    "Well, you know that I will be busy with some business tomorrow. I don''t know when I will be back and I am afraid that I might not be able to catch up with the time. So why don''t we move the check-up appointment to today instead? I will be able to accompany you to the hospital."


    "Don''t bother yourself with that. Mother said that she will accompany me to the hospital on that day." Without a conscious thought, Carla refused his request immediately and said, "Moreover, I''ve already made an appointment with the doctor."


    "I understand what you''re saying, but it''s not the same. You are expecting my child and of course, I should be with you during these check-ups." Noah countered before continuing, "That''s it. I don''t want to hear anything else. I will call the doctor to change our appointment."


    Carla was still about to say something when Noah suddenly held her hand tightly. He then patted the back of her hand gently and said in a patient tone, "You have no clue of what I''m feeling, do you? This is the first time for me to be a father. Thus, I''m more than eager to hear my child''s heartbeat myself.


    Can''t you even let this small dream of mine come true?"


    Having noticed the sincerity on his face, Carla could only smile helplessly and nod. She then said, "All right then.


    Luckily, I don''t have anything important to do this morning. We can just go to the hospital now." As soon as they agreed, Noah drove straight to the hospital, but he didn''t utter another word on their way there.


    Puzzled by how Noah was acting, Carla glanced at him with furrowed eyebrows. However, she


    om.


    "What? You''re in a hospital now?" Terence sounded shocked to hear her answer. Suddenly, his hands started trembling as he tried to calm himself down. He seemed to have lost his breath as he said, "Is Noah there with you, Carla? You need to leave the hospital right now. Noah already found out that the baby in your belly is mine."


    Carla stopped right at the door of the operating room after hearing what Terence had just said.


    The blow from the news hit her like an atomic bomb and she still couldn''t accept the fact that Noah knew the truth the whole time he was with her today.


    "Miss Carla, please turn off your phone. Phones are actually forbidden in the examining room." The director saw that Carla stopped at the door of the operating room so she gave her a friendly reminder.


    Right at that moment, Carla finally noticed the three indistinct characters on one of the room''s door, stating that she was about to step into the operating room.


    Having considered Terence''s words, Carla became very frightened and she stepped back immediately. She had already guessed what would happen to her inside that room.

 Chapter 383 Help Me! (Part One)

    "Please don''t be nervous, Miss Carla. We have state-of-the-art facilities and equipment in our hospital. I''m just taking you to have a small check-up. It''s all very routine. Please, follow me this way."


    The doctor noticed that Carla was fidgeting, seemingly somewhat nervous and ill-at-ease. So, she glanced behind Carla, as if looking for more instruction.


    When Carla saw the doctor''s gaze fall behind her, she immediately followed her sight and turned her body around to look where or who she was looking at.


    Lo and behold, the person the doctor was looking at was Noah, standing behind a large glass window.


    Noah raised his hand inadvertently, as if he were gesturing to someone. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, two men, dressed in black rushed from the operating room. One man grabbed Carla''s left arm, while the other grabbed her right arm as they dragged her into the operating room.


    "What are you doing? No! No! I don''t want to go in! Stop! Noah, do something! Help me!"


    Unfortunately, Carla''s cry for help fell on deaf ears. After Carla was dragged into the operating room by the two men, she frantically whipped her head to look around. Her desperate eyes caught sight of Noah, who was standing still at the end of the corridor.


    She squeezed the words out of her mouth. "Noah! Why aren''t you doing anything? Help me! Help me, Noah!" Carla was borderline hysterical, while Noah didn''t move or respond to her cries for help. Carla hopelessly watched in slow-motion as the door finally shut close. Tears immediately burst out from her eyes. The desperation in her voice was evident of her fears.


    However, Noah stood calmly at the other end of the corridor. He continued staring at Carla quietly and motionlessly without displaying any expression on his face.


    "Noah, you''re a liar! Do you remember how you said you would never hurt me again? What are you doing now? Noah! Answer me! Did you forget what you said? Are you going back on your word now?


    Ah! Noah Hua! You bastard! You bastard!"


    Carla was cursing and screaming. She was still s


    even before you opened your eyes to this world!


    I am so sorry, my baby!"


    Carla lay motionless on the operating table. When she forced her eyes open, she saw a doctor holding a needle in his hand. He was preparing to inject her with anesthetics so they could begin with the procedure. She knew that this was it. There was nothing she could do anymore. She grimaced a painful, bitter smile.


    She cried silently and bitterly in her heart. ''God, how can you be so cruel to me? What did I do wrong?


    I thought that being a daughter of the Hua family would bring me nothing but prosperity and happiness. But this doesn''t feel like the life of a happy person! Is this what happiness is?


    What the hell is this infinite suffering for?''


    She helplessly stared at the cold silver needle as it was about to dig into her body.


    Carla was mentally preparing herself for the anesthetics. However, just as the needle touched her skin, instead of puncturing her skin, she saw it move away. What was going on? Carla looked up and suddenly she saw a man clutching at the doctor''s neck! The doctor gasped for air as he got dragged away from the operating table.


    Could it be? With trepidation, she squinted her eyes to get a better look. She shook her head in utter disbelief when she saw a familiar figure. It was just like a dream. She whispered to him, "Terence, you''re here..."

 Chapter 384 Help Me! (Part Two)

    Carla didn''t notice when they had come in, but Rainer and Nathan were also there with Terence.


    The man who grabbed the doctor''s neck and stopped him from injecting Carla with anesthetics was none other than Nathan, the man famous for his agility.


    Carla broke down in tears, but these were tears of joy. It was too good to be true! At last, they had arrived just in time. She tried to sit up, but she was still strapped in. She felt exhausted from all the struggling she had done.


    "Carla! Carla!"


    Terence quickly strode over to Carla. He hurriedly unstrapped her restraints and helped her carefully into a sitting position. He then gently took her off the operating table. "Are you okay? Sorry, I''m late. Carla, are you okay? I''m so sorry!"


    Although Terence came here as soon as he received the news, he was only late because he didn''t know which hospital she was in. Even after he figured out which hospital it was, it took him a while to find her exact location.


    Carla was unable to speak any words at this moment. She could only bury her head in Terence''s arms. She was shivering uncontrollably. Truth be told, Carla didn''t want to say anything and also didn''t want to see anyone else at that moment. Was it over? Was it finally over? Was she and her baby finally safe?


    As Terence was helping her out of the operating room, they encountered a group of people standing in the doorway.


    "Stop!"


    Noah couldn''t believe his eyes. He didn''t think Terence could get here in time from JA City. He glanced at Terence and then looked at the woman in his arms. "Mr. Terence, where do you want to take my fiancee?


    I didn''t think the Ans could be so domineering! Are you using your position to bully me and the Hua family? If word gets out of what happened today, I think you will damage your family''s image and reputation."


    Wrapping Carla protectively in his arms, Terence snorted in disbelief, "Noah Hua, are you forgetting who you ar


    om.


    Talk? What was there to talk about? Carla responded to Noah immediately by shaking her head in refusal. "Terence, I don''t want to see him. I don''t want to see his face again!"


    "As you wish. We''re leaving now! You don''t have to put up with this hypocrite anymore. The more you trust him, the more he will hurt you. Haven''t you learned your lesson yet? From now on, you don''t need to see him anymore!" Terence comforted Carla softly.


    He cast a cold glare at Noah as he stepped forward with Carla in his arms.


    As Terence stepped forwards, Rainer and Nathan quickly walked ahead and cleared the path for the couple.


    Noah''s subordinates stepped in menacingly to prevent them from leaving, but Noah raised his hand and allowed Terence and his friends to leave.


    He knew that once Terence was here, he couldn''t do anything. He was powerless against him.


    He stood there, helplessly watching the four people move farther and farther away from him, towards the door. Noah''s eyes landed on the woman who was hidden in Terence''s arms. She had not lifted her head to look at him once, even as they were walking away.


    ''Carla, I know that even if we meet in the future, we won''t be able to face each other peacefully again. I wish things had turned out differently for us. Goodbye, Carla.''

 Chapter 385 All Things Finished (Part One)

    Noah saw them walk away and finally disappear from his sight.


    Feeling rather sad, he knitted his eyebrows deeply and closed his eyes, not wanting anybody to see all the emotions he was keeping.


    Everything was washing over him as he remained silent, standing there. He remembered how he had been with Carla after he met her for the first time and all those days they had shared.


    He could still recall how cautious she was the very first time they met. It took some time for her to change her attitude towards him and become nicer. That only happened after he had shown her great kindness. When did everything go from good to as bad as it was now? They never stopped arguing since they got engaged. It was like they were in a constant cycle of arguing and making up. However, they still ended up breaking up completely and he was sure that there wouldn''t be any way for him to patch things up with her again.


    Their journey might have been short but it was still the happiest days of his life.


    He had never been so positive with everything in the world until Carla appeared in his life. She had changed him, and he always wanted to spend more time with her because of that.


    It was only Carla who had made him feel every emotion there was; happy, angry, or even sad. She made him feel truly alive.


    Just as Noah was deeply immersed in his own recollection, life kept going on in another place he couldn''t see.


    Terence took Carla to his car.


    She had been trembling in his arms ever since he picked her up from the hospital. It was breaking his heart, little by little, to see her like this. He loved her very much.


    Terence regretted the fact that he was late. He should have been there earlier, so Carla wouldn''t have been so terrified.


    "Hush. Look at me, Carla. Don''t be afraid now. It''s over, okay? Nobody will dare to hurt you now. I''m here." Rub


    e reason for her bleeding.


    Earlier, she was nervous and concerned for the safety of her baby. Thus, it was only after she heard the doctor that she felt fine.


    "Send Doctor Lily home and bring back some medicine, Rainer,"


    Terence ordered. He walked to the bed and sat next to Carla. He held her hand and then whispered tenderly to her, "You heard what the doctor said, right? Our baby is fine. All you need is to have a good rest here. Our child will be stable in three months. Everything will be fine after that. Don''t worry about it too much. I''m always here for you and our baby."


    Carla nodded upon hearing him. She was obviously calmer now since their baby was okay.


    Only a few minutes later, Nathan walked in.


    He glanced at Carla, who was lying on the bed, and then walked to Terence''s side. He leaned in and whispered, "Could you please come out for a while, Mr. Terence?"


    Looking at Carla first, Terence stood up and readied himself to walk outside.


    "Wait a second. If this has something to do with what happened in HA City, just talk here, in front of me. I also want to hear about it, Nathan." Carla reached out for Terence''s hand while talking. She then continued, "I''m not as delicate as you think I am, Terence.

 Chapter 386 All Things Finished (Part Two)

    I would like to know about it if the topic is about me. Can''t you just talk freely in front of me?"


    Terence stared at her, checking if she had really calmed down. After thinking for a while, he sat back next to her and turned to Nathan before saying, "Go ahead, Nathan."


    "Yes, Mr. Terence.


    I have just received some news from HA City. Noah has already made a rigorous plan for himself. On the surface, he seems not to do anything to protect his profits in the Hua Group. But in reality, he has already begun to secretly divert the assets of the Hua Group into his own pocket. With how I''m seeing it..." Nathan paused for a while and then looked at Carla and Terence. Finding them both calm, he continued, "I think he is going to start up his own company in the days to come and leave the Hua Group practically worthless."


    Nathan''s face grew serious while he was talking about the Hua Group''s future problem.


    However, the news didn''t surprise Carla at all as she remained still, back resting against the headboard. She let out a long bitter sigh and said, "I''ve been expecting this to happen. Noah is a sharp and competent man. He had grown accustomed to controlling the Hua Group, so I knew that he wouldn''t be okay bowing down to others. I can understand how he feels but his actions are crazy."


    It was obvious to Noah that Carla would marry Terence if she didn''t marry him. If that were the case, Carla would gain support from both the An family and the Hua family. And if Noah still stayed at the Hua family, his control in the family would definitely be weakened. Moreover, the biggest shareholder of the Hua Group would also be Carla then. That was to say, all his efforts and h


    responsibility was just amazingly high.


    Carla realized that she was praising Terence again, so she smiled wide at the woman. She then pretended to cough and strategically brought the topic back to their lunch. "Just tell the people in the kitchen to prepare a simple lunch, Sophie. I don''t know what to eat now."


    Talking about Terence always gave Sophie a sense of pride. It was as if he were her own son.


    Sophie said to Carla, "That''s fine. I will just ask them to prepare whatever you would like to eat. If you come up with something you want to eat, let me know and I will prepare it for you."


    Right after she finished her words, Sophie turned around and walked to the elevator.


    Carla found comfort in watching the scenery from the third floor. Thus, she stood up from the sofa while sipping her cup of tea.


    She then walked to her drawing board.


    She was about to sit down before her drawing board when the elevator inside her room opened again.


    Carla had no doubt that it was Terence. After all, he had been coming home several times a day now. Thus, it was not difficult for Carla to guess who it was.

 Chapter 387 How Much Money Did You Have (Part One)

    From the moment Carla returned, Terence had always been by her side, making it a point to get back home early and have lunch with her every single day.


    Perhaps if you experienced losing someone once, you would be able to fully realize the euphoria you can enjoy from each other''s presence.


    "Why did you suddenly start drawing again? Didn''t the doctor advise you to stay in bed and get some rest?"


    Stepping out of the elevator, Terence walked up to Carla who was currently sitting in front of a drawing board.


    "Give me a break! I just picked up the paint brush and then you appeared out of nowhere. I haven''t even begun painting yet!" Pulling a face, Carla immediately put down the paintbrush she was holding. Since he''s now here, Carla could no longer focus on her painting.


    "Why do you keep telling me to take a rest? Considering the fact that our home has an elevator, I barely even walk on the floor now. Are you seriously trying to tell me that you''re scared I might end up exhausting myself because I picked up a paintbrush?" she complained.


    Putting on a false display of anger, Terence moved closer to her. Raising his hand, he intended to pinch her tiny lips. However, he didn''t have it in him to do something like that, so he simply planted a kiss on her lips instead. Giving her an affectionate gaze, a tinge of a smile crept up onto his face.


    "I love hearing you say the word ''our''. It makes me believe that our home, our children, and most of all, our future will be filled with so much happiness!" Terence softly said.


    His words seemed to have given her a sense of warmth. Feeling embarrassed, she pushed him away as her face flushed red. Carla just said those words without giving it much thought, not knowing that he''d end up using them against her to tease her.


    "Oh, by the way, you mentioned something about wanting to come to HA City to visit me that day. What did you want to see me fo


    heeks in great disbelief, Carla yelled, "Have you lost your mind? We were planning to purchase the L Company for just around 1.8 billion. At most, you should''ve just added a few hundred million on top of that. How could you throw away your money just like that?"


    Despite knowing the Terence was filthy rich, Carla still thought that it was wrong of him to mindlessly spend money. When the time would come for the two of them getting married, everything that belongs to him would belong to her as well. So, how could he pour their money down the drain so easily?


    Suddenly, Terence burst into a fit of laughter. Holding her hands tight, he told her, "If I want to seal the deal in the shortest possible time, it''s a given that I should offer them a considerably higher amount. On top of that, as far as the AJ Group is concerned, if a certain company is worth less than five billion, then it could be considered one of those run-of-the-mill businesses. So, it''s not really that big of a deal whatsoever."


    Pausing for a moment, he added, "And you can rest assured that my team has done a bit of background check on them. As long as the company is running well, it''s certain to reach the break-even point after about three years of operation. So, it is still a reasonable deal."

 Chapter 388 How Much Money Did You Have (Part Two)

    After listening to Terence''s explanation, she carefully patted her chest and put her heart at ease. Compared to someone like him, she looked like an unfortunate and innocent child. How on earth could she have known that they were capable of burning through several billion dollars without so much as batting an eyelid?


    So, it was perfectly understandable for her to react in the way that she did.


    All of a sudden, she came to a realization of just how wealthy and over-the-top the AJ Group really was.


    "Terence, I don''t mean to offend you, but how much property does your family own at the moment?"


    Carla wanted to know, again, out of curiosity, as she broke into a smile and her eyes glistened.


    However, much to her surprise, after he stopped for a while to think about it, he finally opened his mouth and said, "I don''t have any idea. But if you''re really interested to find out, I can go ahead and ask the accountant."


    "Ah? You don''t even have the slightest clue as to how much money you have?"


    Carla couldn''t believe her ears. ''How could someone be so oblivious to how much money he had?


    Am I too poor to comprehend these kind of wealthy people? Is his pocket so deep that its depth is something I could never hope to imagine?'' she thought to herself.


    "The AJ Group receives around a hundred billion dollars'' worth of revenue from the real estate industry each year. As for the other main industries, those generate somewhere around two hundred billion dollars revenue in total. And all of those are just the branches under the AJ Group. I established my own startup company when I was seventeen years old. The company''s goal was to research and develop something that I was interested in at the time. Probably about five or six years ago, the company''s net profit was a bit


    to our child? Since I possess great genes, I have absolute faith that my children will grow up to be as good as I am."


    "Huh? Are you implying that you''re the only one who possesses great genes?" Carla protested, as her lips curled upward. After saying that, she stretched out her arm to grab his phone, wanting to check what time it currently was.


    She was starting to feel a bit hungry.


    "Certainly not. My precious Carla is kind and smart. If our daughter can get your face, I couldn''t possibly be any happier," Terence answered, wearing a joyful expression on his face. His glistening eyes were filled with so much fondness as he stared at her.


    After hearing him say something like that, Carla couldn''t help chuckling a little. ''That''s fair enough, '' she said to herself. Then, she proceeded to unlock his phone to check the time.


    Just as she was about to turn off the screen, she heard his phone ring all of a sudden.


    It seemed as though someone had sent him a message.


    Apart from that, Carla also noticed that the sender''s profile picture was the picture of a woman.


    ''What''s that?'' Carla wondered. Failing to hold back her curiosity, she ultimately clicked on the message.

 Chapter 389 Renas Suicide

    When Carla saw the picture sent by that woman, she was so frightened that she threw the cellphone far away with a scream.


    "What''s wrong? Carla?"


    Shocked by Carla''s reaction, Terence picked up the mobile phone from the ground. When he looked at the picture, his face suddenly grew gloomy.


    The picture was sent by Rena. It showed a bathtub full of bloody water that had spilled over to the ground.


    Along with that, Rena had sent a message, that read: "Goodbye, Terence".


    "Carla, I have to go out for a while,"


    Terence said after standing up.


    Carla quietly nodded her head. She took a deep breath and slightly patted her chest to calm herself down.


    ''Has Rena gone mad? Why does she want to commit suicide?


    I hope to God that nothing has happened to Rena!'' Carla thought to herself.


    Although Rena had been Terence''s girlfriend once, Carla had never hated her, because she knew that Terence was just using Rena to provoke her from the beginning.


    When Terence arrived at Rena''s house, her parents were going about their day as usual without knowing what was happening.


    When they saw that Terence had come to their house in person, they felt extremely surprised and immediately offered him a cup of tea.


    But Terence had no time to show his courtesy. He immediately asked, "Where''s Rena''s room? Take me there!"


    Sensing the urgency in Terence''s words, Rena''s parents suddenly realized that something was wrong. They immediately took him to Rena''s room.


    "Why did Rena lock the door?" Rena''s mother was puzzled and she tried knocking on the door instead.


    After they received no response from the inside, Terence kicked the door open.


    After entering the room, he opened the door of the bathroom, revealing a dying Rena in the bathtub. When Rena''s parents saw the bloody scene in front of them, they screamed in utter fright.


    As if it weren''t bad enough, Rena''s mother was so frightened that she fainted at once.


    Terence walked toward Rena, ignoring the blood spilled all over the floor. He took the towel next to her and quickly pressed it to her bleeding wrist. Then, he lifted her up from the bathtub and rushed her to the hospital.


    After arriving at the hospital, Terence rushed to the emergency room with Rena in his arms.


    It took about two hours before the doctor finally came out of the emergency room.


    "Luckily, you brought her to the hospital in time, so she''s not in a criti


    facing the world but I cannot accept not having you in my life! You''re the one who approached me! I won''t let you go! I will never give you up!" Rena cried.


    She held his hand tightly and gave him a stubborn smile. "I won''t let that woman steal you from me unless I''m dead!"


    "Rena! Do you know what you''re saying?" Terence''s face grew gloomy.


    "I know what I''m saying! If you really don''t care about me, then it shouldn''t matter to you whether I''m alive or dead. This time, you came back to save me, which is enough to prove that you still care about me. I don''t care why you came to save me. Maybe it''s just because you felt guilty. But as long as you still care about me, that''s enough for me," said Rena stubbornly.


    She stared at Terence intently and continued, "Terence, I know that woman you''re with can do a lot of things for you, but I can do those things too and I can do them better than her!


    Just give me a chance, will you?"


    Terence''s excellence was obvious to all.


    Therefore, the moment Rena met him, she knew that if she ever gave up such an outstanding man, she would lose him forever.


    Rena was sure that she would never meet anyone better than Terence.


    That''s just how people were. Once they''d experienced the best, they could never go back to anything else.


    Therefore, Rena was willing to gamble her life away for Terence.


    She was willing to bet that Terence wouldn''t let her die before his eyes even if he didn''t love her!


    "Terence, just give me a chance, okay?"


    Rena spoke in a coquettish tone. Then, she gently leaned on his arm with a contented smile on her face.

 Chapter 390 Forgive Me, My Darling (Part One)

    Terence pushed Rena''s arms away from him. He then abruptly shoved her away. His thin lips tightened as he frowned, but he didn''t say anything.


    He turned around and quickly walked out of the ward. "Terence!" Rena called after him. But he didn''t look back or stop.


    Terence was sullen. As it turned out, Theo also heard the news and came to visit Rena today. Suffice it to say, he was somewhat surprised to see Terence coming out of the ward. ''Isn''t he supposed to be with Carla?''


    "Hey, Terence, what are you doing here? Are you here to see Rena?"


    Theo was puzzled. Rena was one of the girls he had been acquainted with for a long time ago. As a matter of fact, he was the one who introduced Rena to Terence when they were out at dinner one day.


    Although they weren''t very close, they were still acquaintances. So it was only right that Theo should visit Rena at least once since he heard that something bad had happened to her.


    However, to Theo''s surprise, Terence grabbed him by the throat and pushed him against the wall. "Theo, what did you say to me before, huh? You told me that Rena was outgoing and cheerful. She was sophisticated enough to date casually so she would never do anything stupid. Then what the hell is she doing now?"


    Initially, Terence was casually looking for a random woman to date and use as an excuse. He needed someone to accompany him to public occasions and business events. He also wanted someone to irritate Carla and make her jealous. Although, ultimately, he just wanted someone around so he could refuse his father''s orders and avoid getting in trouble with him.


    Who would have known that she would cause so much problems?


    "What? Uh, uh¡­ But I don''t even know what you''re talking about! You know that Rena and I don''t know each other very well. When I introduced you to her, she seemed to have a good character at the time. You also said that you were looking for so


    ear.


    Terence gently rubbed his ear. He wrapped one arm around Carla''s waist and hugged her back closer. He then bowed to kiss her on her soft lips. "Carla, enough already. This was my fault. I admit my mistake. To deal with my father''s order, I was casually seeking a companion. I wrongly took Rena as a shield, but who knew she was so stubborn and infatuated with me? I''m sorry this situation with her startled you and made you worried."


    Carla responded with a gentle nod. It seemed like Terence really did learn his lesson. She wrapped her arms around his waist.


    "Well, now that this has happened, you should take some responsibility. You should visit her as often as possible. Make time in your busy schedule. But don''t give her any false hopes. Hopefully, she will be better in no time. After all, I''m pregnant now. Let''s accumulate blessings for the baby."


    Carla smiled after she said the last sentence. She was looking at her still-flat abdomen and rubbing it.


    "Okay, I will do as you say. I will try to visit her more often. Let''s hope that Rena will come around. But you haven''t had dinner, have you? Come on. Let''s have dinner together. It won''t do you or the baby any good if you don''t eat," Terence said. He gently hugged and tugged her into the villa.

 Chapter 391 Forgive Me, My Darling (Part Two)

    They had a pleasant dinner of various fragrant dishes that were suitable for pregnant women to consume. They spoke desultorily about many topics while they ate. After dinner, Carla received a call from Andrea.


    Andrea knew that Noah had tricked Carla into going to the hospital to have an abortion. Andrea was worried and furious. How could Noah have the gall to do that to Carla? Andrea knew that Carla needed to get away from Noah. As a result, she no longer objected to Carla coming back to JA City.


    After all, Carla was pregnant with the flesh and blood of the An family. This baby was very important. Sooner or later, Carla would have to return to the Ans.


    Andrea had unilaterally announced the cancellation of the engagement in public. But because she wanted to sweep the incident under the rug and not bring Carla any more pain, she did not give a reason why the engagement was cancelled. Therefore, even members of the Hua family did not know the truth. They all assumed, however, that Carla changed her mind and abandoned Noah.


    "Callie, how are you doing? Are you okay? Are you feeling better?"


    "I''m doing much better now, mom. I started to eat a lot after I came back. I have seen the doctor and he said that everything is okay. Although my stomach isn''t showing yet, the baby is growing well."


    Carla returned to her room while chatting happily with her concerned mother. At the moment, Terence was dealing with some work in the study.


    "That''s good. Then I won''t be so worried about you. In any case, a woman''s first baby is very important. You should try to eat better and do some light exercises. It is very important to be healthy throughout your pregnancy. You don''t need to worry about us or the family. Since Mr. Terence has a good grip on the overall business, it won''t be easy for Noah to manipulate the Hua Group to take his side."


    Andrea eventually sighed while lamenting


    Ans were powerful and rich, they didn''t know that a lot of hard work went into keeping a big family and a big corporation running smoothly. It was not easy to be Terence''s wife and the daughter-in-law of the Ans. There were lots of responsibilities waiting for Carla. Although some words were not pleasant to hear, Terence didn''t want to hide anything from her.


    "Well, do I have any other choice? Does this mean that I can still back out and not marry you?"


    Carla shrugged her shoulders and taunted him. Her eyes were twinkling brightly.


    "You want to back out? No chance! You have to marry me and only me!"


    Terence asserted at once.


    "If I have no choice, then why do you still ask me? A marriage requires two partners to understand and communicate with each other. One person alone can''t enjoy happiness and do nothing, while the other struggles. I''ll try my best to be a considerate wife. And I know you will try your best to be a considerate husband. We will make it work, no matter how difficult it may be."


    Carla looked at him with a beautiful smile.


    "Great. So it''s decided then. You can''t back out now! Let''s get our marriage certificate tomorrow!" Terence spoke excitedly. He entwined her fingers with his and they smiled at each other happily.

 Chapter 392 Let’s Register Our Marriage Certificate!

    The next morning, Terence returned home.


    He asked for the household register from his father, Edmund. In truth, he had been waiting for this moment for a long time.


    Carla''s condition was delicate due to her pregnancy. He deliberately didn''t mention anything about their wedding or the marriage certificate so that she wouldn''t feel stressed out.


    However, when she took the initiative to bring it up in conversation last night, Terence immediately took action. He undeniably felt delighted with the idea. In fact, only when Carla''s name was finally printed on his household register, that he felt entirely secure.


    Edmund was initially dissatisfied with Carla, but he no longer opposed their union when Terence showed him her B-mode ultrasound. Therefore, with no objection from his family, Terence finally got the household register.


    Although Carla was still in the early stages of the pregnancy, Edmund had to admit that the baby was his grandchild. And with his own blood residing and growing in Carla''s belly, he had lost his strength to oppose the marriage.


    On their way to the Civil Affairs Bureau, Terence and Carla decided to get some photos taken for their marriage certificate.


    The both of them looked pleased by the photographs. They were just like any other couple about to tie the knot and live under the same roof.


    "Look, how handsome I am!"


    Terence lovingly put up his picture against a red backdrop.


    Carla, on the other hand, smiled coyly. Unhappy with the outcome of her photo, she teased her narcissistic husband-to-be and said, "Of course, you''re handsome! Why else would I agree to marry you?"


    Terence knew that she was only teasing him. When he looked at the silly girl smiling in the photo, he could not help but flash a cheeky smirk too.


    He took one of the photos, folded it and stuffed it in his wallet, which was a display of affection.


    "Terence, I hear cross-dressing is quite popular now. Why don''t we try that when we get married?" asked Carla with a grin.


    Then, she safely stashed away the photos into a file.


    "Cross-dress? What''s that?" Terence asked, seemingly puzzled. His confusion was proof that the term did not ring a bell.


    "It means that the groom is going to wear a wedding dress while the bride will wear a suit. How about that? Let''s try it at our wedding, okay? I want to see you in a woman''s clothes."


    Just as Carla finished her sentence, Rainer, who was driving, couldn''t help but burst into laughter.


    ''Cross-dressing?


    I really look forward to seeing what Mr. Terence will look like in a wedding dress! It would be hilarious!'' he thought to himself.


    "No, a marriage between a man and a woman is a sacred matter. Moreover, I''m looking forward to seeing you walk down the aisle in your wedding dress!" Terence refused indirect


    a, this is the last time. If you ever pull something like this again, even if you really jump off the building next time, I won''t come to see you again!!"


    Terence''s face grew gloomy when he looked at Rena, who was still laughing like everything was a big joke to her. He felt even angrier thinking about how he had to stop on his way to get the marriage certificate with Carla.


    "But you''re still here, aren''t you?"


    Rena held Terence''s arm, not minding the rage that was slowly boiling in his head. She then said, "Now that you''re here, can you keep me company for a while. I get so bored in this hospital!"


    Meanwhile, Rena''s parents were standing in one corner, both helpless as they witnessed how messed up their daughter was.


    Theo was also speechless. He could not understand how Rena had turned into such a crazy woman!


    Fuming with rage, Terence did not accompany Rena back to the ward as he didn''t want to waste his time anymore.


    He got on a different elevator, but much to his chagrin, Rena''s elevator reached the ground floor at the same time his did.


    "Terence! Where are you going? Can''t you just stay here with me for a while? Why are you leaving so soon?"


    Rena''s parents tried to stop her from running towards Terence, despite her struggling. She ran after Terence, but as soon as she saw Carla waiting on the first floor, she suddenly stopped on her tracks.


    Carla, who was sitting on a chair, saw Terence coming down. As soon as she was about to stand up, Rena, who was also running after Terence, appeared at her sight.


    Terence gazed at Carla from afar, with starry eyes filled with an apologetic light.


    When he noticed Carla''s eyes piercing right through him, he turned around to see what she was looking at.


    And gradually, his face turned stern and stiff at the sight of the one person he hated more than anything in the world.

 Chapter 393 The Maniac

    Terence looked at Rena


    and asked with a cold voice, "Aren''t you getting tired of this, Rena?


    I don''t owe you anything. We pretended to be a couple once and I treated you very well. We both know that''s the truth! While we were together, I gave you and your family a generous sum of money. You couldn''t earn that amount of money even you worked for it your whole life!


    I don''t like to put it that way, but you''ve forced me to do it. We were together for only two months, but you got a lot of money from me! You''re such a greedy woman. Believe me when I say this, I am going to take back everything that I gave you, and you only have yourself to blame for it!"


    Rena''s parents heard Terence. They were just standing behind her as they observed the situation. They panicked at his words and immediately rushed towards her. Her father held her hands and said, "Please don''t make a scene, Rena. You should come home with us right now!"


    "Your father is right. Your relationship with Mr. Terence lasted for just two months, and he was kind enough to help us financially. Let''s not ask for anything else. We should be heading home!"


    Rena''s mother pleaded desperately as she pulled her towards the exit.


    Rena lived an average life since she came from a mediocre family. But when she was with Terence, she received a lot of gifts worth millions of dollars. Aside from that, there were other material things that were given to her during their short-lived relationship.


    Some of those antiques were believed to increase in value over time and would eventually be worth a lot more than it initially was.


    That amount of support she had received was immense. They would easily be able to live a good life.


    And they clearly knew that they would never get such an opportunity from someone else. No one would spend a fortune just to have a relationship with an average girl.


    Most importantly, Terence never laid a finger on their daughter. Not even once.


    "Dad, mom! What are you talking about? Did you think that I was just after his money and wealth? I love Terence. I don''t care about his money. Even without all the material things, I would still choose to be with him!"


    Rena yelled at them.


    When he heard Rena, Theo who was standing behind her gave an embarrassed cough.


    "Would you please get over yourself, Rena? Carla and Terence has been together through thick and thin. Their relationship is strong enough to survive anything. How dare you compare your relationship to what they have? We all know that Carla is having his child. They are going to get married. If you want to keep on being such a drama queen, do so at your own expense. I will not help you anymore!"


    Theo made his stance clear.


    Hearing what he just said, Rena quickly laid her eyes on Carla''s tummy. Her eyes darkened and her face was filled with hatred. Furious, she rushed towards Carla


    ed up towards Carla at full speed.


    Rena''s mind kept repeating one thought. ''Terence never even touched me when we were together. But that woman already has his child!


    What is that supposed to mean?


    It''s because Terence slept with that women when we were together!''


    Rena couldn''t accept that. She just could not.


    Everything happened so fast. Terence did not anticipate the speed at which Rena rushed at Carla. In a moment of pure desperation, he cried out, "Carla!"


    He tried to catch Carla''s hands, but he was already too late. Rena''s rammed into Carla''s waist from the back with her forehead.


    Although Terence eventually managed to pull Carla into his arms, lowering the impact, Rena had still managed to inflict great damage to her body.


    Carla fell to her knees as she felt a sharp pain in her stomach.


    Terence was absolutely furious when he saw what happened. He kicked Rena away and held Carla up in his arms.


    "Carla! Speak to me. Carla, are you okay?" Terrence babbled in despair.


    His face darkened as he saw tiny beads of sweat trickling down her face. He immediately placed her into his arms and shouted for help. "What floor is the gynecological department on? Tell me!"


    Theo immediately ran towards them and said, "The third floor! The third floor! Someone is on duty on the third floor. You should go this way!"


    When she witnessed the anxious faces of the three people who had just left, Rena burst into a demonic laugh as she lay on the floor.


    She recalled when Carla had fallen into the icy water, she wanted to laugh but she couldn''t do that at the time.


    But now, nothing was going to stop her from laughing at Carla''s misery like a psychopath.


    "Whoever dares to steal the man I love, will suffer in pain forever!" she cursed in a loud voice.


    Rena roared with laughter, cackling like a witch, eyes wild and bloodshot. Suddenly, she felt a tight slap on her face.

 Chapter 394 Signed Your Name (Part One)

    Then, another open-handed slap landed heavily on Rena''s face.


    Rena''s father felt how hard he struck her judging by how much his palm hurt. He showed no mercy to Rena, making sure that every slap could be heard!


    Disregarding the sharp pain in his hands and his palpitating heart, Rena''s father pointed his finger at her and roared, "You are so shameless! How did I end up having a worthless daughter like you? Are you even aware that you didn''t just humiliate yourself? You''ve humiliated me, your mother and everyone else around you! You''ve made a joke out of the whole family!"


    Pausing for a second, her father closed his eyes and continued, "You are such an idiot!


    Why can''t you be satisfied with what we have? Why do you have to make such a fuss about everything? Can''t you see where greed is leading you? If something happens to that girl''s child, our family will become the An Family''s enemy! We will have nowhere to hide in this city and they will make us suffer!"


    Meanwhile on the third floor of that same building, in the gynecological department.


    The doctor who was checking Carla''s vital signs, stared at her with concern.


    Carla was in a lot of pain and she was crying on the hospital bed.


    "We are running out of time. We should hurry up and perform an operation!"


    Tiny beads of sweat appeared on Carla''s forehead as her face went deathly pale. She gasped for air and said, "What do you mean, doctor? How is my baby doing? Is everything all right?"


    "You are bleeding. You will suffer from severe hemorrhage if we do not perform the operation now. I''m sorry to say this but there''s a high chance that you are going to lose the baby,"


    said the doctor with a sad expression.


    "No! No! Terence, I don''t want to lose our child! No..." While she groaned in pain and shook he


    se injected the anesthetic drugs for her operation.


    His heart broke over and over again with every struggle she made during the process.


    It was only after she had lost consciousness that they were able to take her to the operating room.


    Carla was taken to the hospital''s VIP ward after the operation.


    She was still in a comatose state since the anesthetics hadn''t worn off.


    The doctor who was responsible for the operation turned to Terence, who was quietly waiting outside her hospital room, and said, "Mr. Terence, since the baby was the patience''s first child and she had to get an abortion because of the accident..." She paused, gave Terence a sad stare and continued, "There''s a big chance that she might not be able to conceive a baby anymore.


    However, that would be the worst-case scenario. We are still not sure about that. If I am going to base my diagnosis on her specific condition, things might still turn out differently.


    If you still want a child in the future, you two should have a complete physical examination. Neither of you should be hiding any physical ailments from the doctors so that if there is any problem you can get medical treatment for it immediately."

 Chapter 395 Signed Your Name (Part Two)

    The doctor bowed her head to show courtesy after telling Terence what he needed to know. She didn''t want to scare him about the worst things that could happen but it was part of her job as a doctor. She wanted to give them hope but Carla''s condition was not as positive as it should have been.


    Carla had suffered heavy bleeding before and on top of that, the abortion today would only make things worse for her. These incidents would create a bad impact on her health and weaken her body over time.


    "Terence, it''s all my fault. I shouldn''t have mentioned anything about Carla''s pregnancy,"


    said Theo, who was standing beside Terence the whole time. He also heard the doctor and felt a pang of guilt because of what he did. He struck his face hard in front of Terence as punishment for his stupidity.


    He realized that if he hadn''t said that Carla was pregnant, Rena would not have attacked her!


    ''Rena was out of her mind. She went as far as attempting to commit suicide, let alone take revenge on Carla. It was stupid of me. How could I not think it through?


    It was all my fault. I shouldn''t have told her about that in the first place!'' Theo thought.


    Meanwhile, Terence just looked blankly at the man. He didn''t even give Theo a response. Instead, he pushed him away and then walked towards Carla''s ward.


    When Terence stepped in, he saw that Carla was already awake.


    However, she was just staring motionlessly at the ceiling.


    It was in every women''s nature to love a child as soon as they came into their lives. Their babies are said to become inseparable from their bodies, more so, from their hearts. It was normal for any mother to be heartbroken in this situation. After all,


    I have asked the staff from the Civil Affairs Bureau to come to the hospital. We will register our marriage today. Right here."


    Carla didn''t object to his proposal. She nodded her head in agreement and said, "Okay. Let''s do it."


    Although their baby was gone, they still had to move on.


    "But Terence, since your grandfather is going to have an operation, I think it would be better not to tell him about the baby. We can tell him everything after his operation."


    Terence held her hands after hearing what she said. He was moved by how considerate she was. He couldn''t believe that Carla was still putting his grandfather first even though she was suffering from loss.


    With his resolve strengthened, Terence walked out of the ward.


    His strides were fast and long. Soon, he turned to the corner at the corridor''s end.


    Rainer and Nathan stood guard outside Carla''s ward when Terence passed them by. Nathan immediately followed Terence, feeling concerned.


    He saw Terence slamming his fist against the wall in anger, as if to release all his pain. Anxiously, Nathan rushed to Terence and pulled him away from the wall.

 Chapter 396 Carla Left

    "Mr. Terence, you can''t do this to yourself! Although the baby is gone, you can still try again in the future. Why do you have to hurt yourself like that?"


    "Why? Because it is all my fault! I''m the reason Carla lost the baby! It''s me who got involved with Rena and led to this disaster!"


    Terence roared in anger as he clenched his teeth.


    He hated himself for not being able to protect Carla. He shouldn''t have come to the hospital in the first place. Rena did not deserve the attention he had given her.


    He should have only cared about Carla and their baby. They were innocent! They did not deserve to suffer like that because of him.


    "Mr. Terence, it is not your fault! You were forced to do that. You didn''t have a choice since Mr. Edmund forced you to marry soon. Please calm down, Mr. Terrence! We all make mistakes. Don''t be so hard on yourself. Who knew that Rena would be so desperate?"


    Nathan paused for a few seconds and said, "I know you would never allow such a mistake to happen if you had known that''s how Rena would react. Don''t worry, Rainer and I will be on guard for you!"


    Nathan held Terrence''s fist in his hand and continued, "Mr. Terence, sometimes, fate plays cruel tricks on us, and we can''t do anything about it. If not this time, then it might have happened another time. We can''t escape such situations as they''re bound to happen. Mr. Terence, try to think positively and don''t be so hard on yourself!"


    You and Miss Carla are still young. There is still a bright future ahead of you two to explore. When the time is right, you can have as many children as you want with her. You can''t give up now. She needs you, now more than ever."


    Terence slowly closed his eyes and unclenched his bloody fist.


    ''Carla, I''m so sorry.


    I keep telling myself that I will protect you with my life, but you still end up getting hurt because of me.


    You''re the only woman for me in my life. The only one I''ll ever love, '' Terrence vowed silently.


    Meanwhile, in Carla''s ward.


    After learning that she was awake, the doctor, who was in charge of Carla''s operation, came to check up on her.


    "Miss Carla, you don''t have to worry too much. It''s not uncommon for women to experience a miscarriage. It is not that big of a deal, to be honest. If you take good care of your body, you can still have another baby,"


    the doctor said in a relaxed tone as she adjusted the infusion tube.


    "Thank you so much, doctor. Based on my current physical condition, how long should we wait before we try to have another baby again?" Carla asked.


    She didn''t want to rush it, but Grandpa Nicholas couldn''t wait longer.


    "Well, it really depends on your resilience. Generally speaking, if you can make a full recovery from the operation, you can probably bear another child in half a year," the doctor replied with a faint smile as she flipped through Carla''s medical records.


    She then walked up to Carla''s bed and lightly massaged her tummy before saying, "When you have time, you should massage your tummy like this. It will help your uterus..."


    "Doctor? The patient in the next room suddenly fainted. You should go and check up on her!" The nurse interrupted the doctor before she could finish talking.


    Her voice dripped with urgency as she stood by the ward''s door.


    "Okay. I''ll be right over!" the docto


    ded her head and put her arms around Andrea. Tears coursed down her cheeks when she felt the warmth of her mother''s affection. "Mom, what will I do if I can''t bear a baby again? Would anyone still want to marry me? Am I going die sad and lonely?" Carla sobbed.


    Even an ordinary family placed great importance on their child, let alone a prestige clan like the An family.


    If she couldn''t have a child with Terence, there was no way she could marry him.


    "Don''t be silly. What are you talking about? Don''t even think like that?" Andrea replied with a trembling voice.


    Andrea started to worry about what her daughter had just said. But she tried to keep calm and strong in front of Carla.


    Andrea recalled how she suffered heavy bleeding when she delivered Carla. After Carla was born, when she tried to have another baby, she suffered several complications and eventually failed to keep the child. As a result, she had no choice but to adopt another child.


    ''How could this happen to my daughter?


    Something isn''t right!'' she thought quietly, wondering if her condition was genetically transferred to Carla.


    "But I saw it with my own eyes! It was all in the doctor''s medical records. Mom, what should I do? I''m so afraid!"


    Carla screamed hysterically as she cried her heart out. All she needed at that moment was a sympathetic ear and a warm consolation. The overwhelming pressure and burden was driving her crazy.


    "Don''t cry, Callie. Most of the doctors tend to exaggerate things, so maybe the situation is not as bad as you think. What''s more, you just went through an operation and haven''t fully recovered from your injuries. It is still too early to jump to conclusions at this point."


    Andrea patted Carla''s shoulder and continued, "Even if you can''t have a baby by yourself, there are other ways of becoming a parent. The current field of medical technology is far advanced than it was before. What do you say?"


    Andrea wanted to say something more, but the servant, who was waiting outside, suddenly interrupted their conversation. "Madam, there''s a man on the telephone for you. He wants to speak to you urgently. He said his name is Mr. An," the servant said, surprising both Andrea and Carla.

 Chapter 397 Who is More Important The Child or Terence (Part One)

    There was no doubt that the person was Terence.


    Andrea looked at Carla, who seemed rather anxious. She let out a long sigh. How did things get to this point? Andrea said in a helpless tone, "Callie, I''ll go and talk to Terence. I''m going to tell him that you will stay here at the moment and will go back with him days later. That will leave you some breathing room. Also, you can both calm down. Is that okay?"


    Carla nodded absentmindedly. Her mind, at that time, wasn''t on the words her mom said. For lack of a better solution, she agreed to her mom''s suggestion.


    She didn''t think she would ever want to see Terence again. And she definitely did not want to see him right at that moment.


    If she went back with him now, then he would certainly take her and get the marriage certificate. He would pretend like nothing was wrong and he would force her to marry him. She would have been happy with that before. However, she wasn''t in the mood to even think about marriage with Terence. Her mind was a mess. So many different thoughts were going through her head and she was happy about Andrea''s temporary solution.


    Andrea left to speak to Terence. After a while, she came back.


    It was clear that the conversation she had with Terence wasn''t pleasant. She walked over to Carla and said in a gentle voice, "Callie, I talked to him. But he insisted on seeing you. It took quite a while for me to persuade him to leave you here. I told him that he could come and see you after you have recovered and are feeling much better."


    Hearing her mother''s words, Carla heaved a sigh of relief.


    As long as she didn''t have to see him, everything was alright. At the moment she had no idea how to face him. She didn''t know what she would say or do. Maybe after a few days, she would feel better and muster up the courage to face him.


    "Callie darling, I could tell that he was really concerned about you. His voice betrayed his anxiousness. He obviously cares about you very much. And he sounded quite guilty. He admitted that it was all his fault. You have every right to blame him. As your mother, you know I will always be on your


    they didn''t regard the Hua family as their home anymore. What a pity!


    "Since your father passed away, there has been no strong leader in the family. In the past, he used to rule with an iron fist. They were all afraid of your father and dared not disobey him. However, as you can see, there''s no one now to strictly discipline them. They have all become runaway horses. They do what they want to do and don''t even care about me or the family anymore."


    Carla could feel her mom''s pain in her words. What kind of mother would be happy seeing her children like a pile of loose sand? They held no familial affection and left the burdens of the Hua family all to Andrea. Carla could share her mom''s feelings so she held Andrea even more tightly in her arms. She guiltily asked, "Mother, is it my fault? Are they not here because of the fact that I''m back?


    So they think that they are not needed by the family anymore?"


    Andrea shook her head and rebuked, "My darling girl, what are you talking about? Even if you have come back, so what? The fact that they have been brought up by me and your father can''t be changed. If they have any filial piety, they would have shown it long ago. As such, there is no conflict between you and them not returning. Time reveals a person''s true heart. When your father was alive, they put on a good show of being filial and loving. But as time passes, their true nature is revealed.

 Chapter 398 Who is More Important The Child or Terence (Part Two)

    I originally thought that Noah might be the one whom I can rely on when I''m old. I thought he would be a good candidate to hand the family business over to. However, now..." Andrea sighed and didn''t complete her words.


    Carla bit her lower lip slightly and couldn''t feel at ease after hearing this. She knew Andrea was thinking about what he did to her. She pondered quietly in her heart, ''The Hua family used to be quite harmonious before. Now it is being torn apart. Mother has spent so much time and energy bringing them up. Are they really going to completely forget Mother''s kindness and love for them? How did this happen?


    Is it true that they only cared about money?


    If so, then I can understand the reason why they act like this now.


    Even brothers can sacrifice each other, fighting for the family fortune, let alone them. They don''t even share a blood relationship, after all. I guess money really can change a person. Or were they always like this and mom and I just didn''t see it?


    So, even if I hadn''t come back, they wouldn''t have returned anyway. At this rate, it''s highly probable that they all would end up being enemies sooner or later.''


    Time flew quickly by.


    Carla had been staying with the Hua family for nearly half a month now.


    She was feeling much better. She could take walks outside from time to time. However, she didn''t stay outside for long, because every time, Andrea would lecture her over and over again. According to Andrea, Carla shouldn''t have gone out until she was absolutely sure that she had fully recovered. Carla needed to pay more attention to her health and not roam around.


    Carla thought that she had already recovered. But with Andrea there to take care of her, she didn''t dare to do anything disobedient. She had no choice but to enjoy the easy and simple life. She didn''t do much. She just indulged herself in eating and sleeping. Eventually, she was worried that she would gain extra weight.


    Terence had called her almost every day during the past two weeks. However, she just let Andrea answer the calls. She didn''t pick up the phone even once.


    Besides phone calls, she had also received many texts from him.


    Grandpa Nicholas had his surgery a few days ago and it was rather successful. Terence had also texted to tell her that grandfather had gradually recovered and kept asking to see her. He wanted to know when Carla would have time to visit Grandpa Nicholas together.


    Carla knew that Grandpa Nicholas was eager to meet her. She had also been looking forward to meeting him with Terence before the miscarriage.


    He


    t are you worried about? I''m going to ask you something. Who is more important? The child or Terence?" Andrea held onto Carla''s hands and asked straightforwardly.


    Without any hesitation, Carla immediately blurted out, "Of course, Terence is much more important."


    "Well, you see? That''s it then. You have to heed my advice, Callie. Do you still want to get pregnant before getting married? Take my words into serious consideration, darling."


    Andrea had made up her mind that Carla and Terence had to get married first.


    As long as they were married, even if they had trouble in the future conceiving a baby, this problem would be solved by them, together. And Terence would be legally responsible for Carla.


    Andrea thought that as soon as the matters in the Hua family were ironed out, Carla''s marriage would be the utmost priority. It was time that Carla and Terence tied the knot!


    They had already announced that Carla''s engagement with Noah was cancelled and Carla had already recovered from her miscarriage. It was finally time to talk with the An family about the marriage between her and Terence.


    "Yes, I see, mother. Didn''t you say that we will have a meeting in the Hua Group today? Let''s get going, alright? Or we will be late." Carla changed the subject after calming herself from her concerns. Her mother was right. She had been so sad over losing her child that she forgot that Terence was more important.


    If something was meant to be, it would definitely happen. Maybe it wasn''t destined for Carla to have that baby. Carla had no other choice but to accept it.


    It had already been over a month since she last saw Noah.


    There would certainly be conflicts between them when they meet this time.

 Chapter 399 Ill Be Your Guardian Forever

    Carla knew everything that was going on in Hua Group although she was staying at home, recovering from her miscarriage.


    According to Allen''s will, the only way for Noah to take over the entire family business legally was to marry Carla. Too bad for Noah, this dream obviously could no longer come true.


    He was now trapped in a tight corner and the only option left for him was to leave.


    "Mom, can I talk to Noah first before the meeting?"


    Carla stopped at the meeting room door and looked at Andrea.


    As a reaction, Andrea glanced at her and said, "Alright. But don''t take long, honey. I''ll wait for you inside."


    She waited for Andrea to leave before going to Noah''s office.


    Upon seeing her, Noah''s secretary nodded and stood up. She then walked to her boss'' office door and opened it for her.


    Noah was bent over on his desk at that time while organizing some important files. He was getting his materials ready for the meeting. Thinking that the person who came in was his secretary, he didn''t look up and just continued with what he was doing.


    Carla on the other hand, was a bit surprised when she saw Noah. It had only been a month but a lot had changed about him. He looked very haggard, stern even. He also looked extremely exhausted and pale.


    Still thinking that it was his secretary by the door, Noah lifted his head after a while and suddenly froze upon seeing her.


    Carla looked around the room before gazing at him. She had not stepped inside for a month.


    "Carla, you''re back."


    Noah stared into her beautiful brown eyes. There was a kind of strange emotion on his face as he gazed at her. It had only been a month since he separated from Carla but it felt like a century to him.


    He knew that she had started living with the Hua family last month. However, he didn''t expect Carla to miscarry her baby.


    He was supposed to be happy with the fact that Carla lost his rival''s baby, but apparently, he was not.


    Actually, he felt guilty, seeing her suffer.


    Carla walked to the sofa and sat there as she casually placed her hands on her lap. She then spoke without turning to Noah, "I need to talk to you, Brother."


    Noah instantly stood from his chair the moment he heard what Carla called him. It sounded weird and it was painful to his ear. He never wanted to be called her ''brother''.


    He missed how she used to call him Noah. It made him feel that he was a man to her.


    However, it was different now. He was nothing to her now but a brother.


    "I''m sorry for being impulsive and unreasonable before. I didn''t mean to hurt you, Carla." Noah walked to her as he apologized sincerely.


    Carla closed her eyes for a while as she didn''t want to remember anything from what happened anymore. She then replied, "It''s okay, Brother. But there is no use crying over spilled milk. I don''t want to hear about those miserable things again."


    Carla could still remember the thrill and hap


    you,"


    muttered Carla with her eyes brimming in tears.


    "Can you really trust me again? What if I hurt you again? Are you not afraid of that?"


    Noah''s voice was urgent when he let her go.


    As an answer, Carla shook her head, sniffed, and then wiped her tears away. She replied, "Of course, I trust you. You and the rest of the Hua family are the only ones I''m depending on to support and protect me once I marry Terence and join the An family. Aren''t you going to protect me if I get hurt there?"


    Relief flooded Noah when Carla smiled at him and stopped crying. Slowly he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "I was wondering why the merger and acquisition case of L Group wasn''t pushing through. I thought Terence was manipulating the situation."


    He paused, looked at Carla, then continued, "As your older brother and in behalf of the Hua family, I''ll give you the greatest gift you can receive on your wedding day. Aren''t you excited about that?"


    Excitement showed on Carla''s face instantly upon hearing what he said. She even jumped with joy! "You are the best, Brother! Thank you!" She was so happy that Noah could only smile back.


    "I''m sorry, Carla. I am being a mercenary. You''re right. The Hua Group is my home. This is where I grew up. I can''t leave it like this."


    Noah put his arms around her waist and replied with a gentle smile. He then thought, ''Thank you for your kindness, precious one.


    I love you so much and I always will. I know that you would never love me back but that''s okay. I''m happy and content to be your brother. I can just stand behind you and be your loyal guardian.


    If Terence ever hurt you or cause you unhappiness of any kind, it will be my mission to make him pay for it. I will always comfort and protect you as your big brother.


    I will live for that reason, precious one.


    And sadly, these secrets would be kept inside from now on and you would never hear how much I really love you.''

 Chapter 400 New Haircut, New Style (Part One)

    The meeting was finally over. Some executives stayed behind and chatted. But most of the people started leaving, including Carla and Andrea.


    Walking out of the Hua Group''s building, Carla couldn''t stop smiling. She felt so refreshed and happy.


    She not only transferred her burdens to someone else but now she could also sit back and just wait for money to come to her. How great was that? She had none of the worries and didn''t have to do any work. But money would still roll in. She was beyond thrilled even just thinking about it.


    "Callie, you are in a good mood. What happened back there? What did you tell Noah? What made him suddenly change his mind? He was so adamant before," Andrea asked out of curiosity. She looked relieved, yet worried. Carla didn''t promise him anything, did she?


    During the general meeting of stockholders, Noah was planning to announce that he was going to cash his shares and withdraw them from the company. That would have been disastrous. But suddenly he changed his mind after Carla talked to him.


    Andrea was dying to know what happened. Noah had been stubborn his whole life. Once he made up his mind, it couldn''t be changed, no matter what. Yet, somehow, Carla managed to convince him otherwise. How did she do it?


    "Mom, that''s a secret between him and me. The only thing you should know is that you have a reliable son right now. You don''t have to worry about other things," Carla replied with a mysterious smile on her face.


    "All right then. Go ahead and keep your mom in suspense. Look at you, you are so happy. I guess I don''t have to worry about anything then. But it will be so much better if Noah figured everything out before this meeting. You know how close he cut it back there. But still, it isn''t too late. If Noah can fully concentrate on the Hua Group from no


    he tall, white building of the Hua Group retreating behind her, she breathed a sigh of relief. She had never felt so relaxed and happy in her entire life.


    Before Carla left the company today, she found Helen and asked her if she wanted to leave. If Helen wasn''t willing to stay in this company anymore, she would choose some other companies for her.


    But Helen turned down her offer, point-blank. She said that it didn''t matter where her workplace was. And she knew that the Hua Group was almost Carla''s. What''s more, Carla would marry Terence one day. So there was no point if she switched to another company since she would still work for them.


    Hearing her explanation, Carla didn''t insist anymore. She knew Helen was loyal and wanted to work for her and Terence.


    Carla''s phone suddenly rang. Without looking at the caller ID, she picked up the phone and said, "Hello."


    "Ah. You finally answered my call! Don''t hang up! Mom said you didn''t want to see me. I wanted to talk to you but I''m afraid that it would have upset you. I try to resist the impulse to see you, but it''s so hard for me. You have no idea that I have planned to fly an airplane by myself and come to find you at least a dozen times!"

 Chapter 401 New Haircut, New Style (Part Two)

    Terence urgently and quickly said. He finally heard her voice after so long. A relieved smile spread over his face. He really, really missed her. After he heard about the news of the Hua Group, he couldn''t resist anymore. He immediately gave her a call, hoping she would finally pick up this time.


    He heard that Noah changed his mind about leaving the company. Although he didn''t know why he suddenly changed his mind, Terence still wanted to speak to Carla. It had been so long.


    Terence had made plans for Noah. He was preparing to take revenge on him because Terence still had some grudges against him from last time. He couldn''t forget that Noah had stolen his beloved from him.


    But he decided to scrap the plan since everything had changed.


    Since Noah seemed to be playing by the rules and no harm was going to come to Carla, he didn''t need to personally deal with that man. He respected Carla''s decisions to handle things herself, no matter how much he wanted to step in.


    "But you''re not here though, right? I indeed said that I didn''t want to see you. But don''t you know that women are strange creatures and always say things that they don''t really mean?" Carla calmly replied. She suppressed a smile on her face. It had been so long since she heard Terence''s voice.


    As she played with her long hair, her eyes landed on a nice barber shop on the street.


    "¡­¡­" Terence went silent.


    Her comments left him speechless.


    He must have wanted to see her at least a million times. But Andrea told him that Carla didn''t want to see him. She needed time to calm down. Later on, Andrea said that Carla hadn''t been in a good mood recently. She hadn''t fully recovered after the miscarriage. So An


    ndrea had asked the servants to prepare a feast and she even personally made two dishes. She didn''t know what Terence liked so she settled on one plate of vegetables and one plate of meat.


    Carla was in her bedroom. She was busily looking for a set of nice clothes that would match her new haircut. But after a long time, she still couldn''t find anything she liked.


    She kept on trying clothes. But the more she tried on, the more she couldn''t make up her mind. She could only wander around the bedroom in her underwear, holding clothes up to her body.


    She looked like a headless chicken as she struggled to find the perfect outfit.


    While she was lost in thought with her body barely-clothed, she heard someone knock on the door.


    "Coming!"


    Carla randomly picked up a piece of clothing from the floor. She was about to put it on her body, but suddenly, the door was opened from outside.


    She forgot to lock the door since there were no strangers in the house. There were only Andrea and two female servants.


    She suppressed a startled scream. Her mouth was wide open as she stared at the man who barged into her bedroom.

 Chapter 402 Who Told You To Cut Your Hair

    Carla was worried about which clothes she should wear before facing Terence. Now that he suddenly appeared by her bedroom door, just as she was naked, perhaps she could save all the trouble.


    Terence stood still with his hand on the doorknob. His starry eyes pierced through Carla, who had one of her feet lifted as she was attempting to get dressed.


    The pink underwear that she had on accented her smooth body and the short haircut added a touch of charm on her delicate face. She met his starry eyes with a shocked look.


    Carla subconsciously grabbed a piece of cloth and wrapped it around her body. She stepped back, sat on the bed, and covered herself with the quilt.


    "What''s wrong with you? I was going to open the door. Why did you barge in like that?" Carla grumbled with her lips, pouted.


    Hearing her softly complain, Terence couldn''t help but burst into laughter. He didn''t expect to witness such a treat when he entered the room.


    He kept his silence and lightly bolted the door before walking towards her.


    "Can''t the husband be with his dear wife even though she''s changing her clothes?" Terence uttered with his husky voice as he walked closer to her.


    When he laid his eyes on the clothes scattered all over the bed, he had a rough idea of what took Carla so long to get downstairs.


    He picked up a piece of clothing and handed it to her before asking, "You don''t know what to wear, do you? How about this one? It kind of matches your new haircut."


    "Hmmm, okay. You can put it there and wait for me outside. I will be downstairs in a minute," Carla said.


    She didn''t move a muscle and sat on the bed with the quilt tightly wrapped around her body.


    Since they hadn''t seen each other for a month, it was a little awkward to be stark naked in front of him. What''s more, she was the only one unclothed while they were having this conversation. It made things much more strange than it was.


    Terence couldn''t let go of her so quickly. He almost closed the gap between them and sat on the bed. He raised his hand, and tenderly touched her smooth hair.


    The short haircut made her small face more beautiful and enchanting. It even complimented her sparkling eyes, which brightened up his heart whenever he stared at them.


    "Carla..." His soft whispers sent a million volts of electrifying excitement to her.


    "Hmm?" Carla struggled to mutter something.


    "I''ve missed you."


    "I know."


    "And who told you to cut your hair?"


    "It''s my hair. Get out of my way."


    "You know you look like a minor


    hout you, my life would be incomplete. I would be incomplete. Whenever I''m with you, I can be my best self. Only you know me deep down to my soul. I can''t wait to experience this life with you," Terence lovingly replied.


    He was drowning in the extreme fires of his burning love for Carla.


    "I feel the same way too. If I hadn''t met you, I would have spent my whole life in this small BH City."


    She put her arms around his neck and continued, "Terence, it''s all in the past now. You don''t have to feel guilty about it anymore. We can''t have everything under our control. Let''s start fresh and look forward to a brand new future together."


    That was also the reason why she chose to forgive Noah. She wanted to focus on the silver lining of life and move on.


    "Carla." Terence softly called with his furrowed brows before kissing her again on the lips.


    A relieved smile registered on his face as he tenderly stared at her. This was the woman he loved. No matter how difficult it was, she could always adjust herself in such a short amount of time.


    She was still that girl he met in BH City. Nothing had changed about her. She still had a positive outlook on life and a passion for everything.


    It seemed that no matter how hard and miserable life was, she never gave up. She was a strong warrior.


    She had wholly conquered his heart.


    While they both lovingly stared at each other, a sudden loud knock was heard.


    "Terence? Callie? Let''s eat, or dinner will get cold!"


    Andrea, who was outside the door, called when she noticed they had been in the bedroom for a while.


    "Coming, mom!"


    Carla immediately replied and once again flashed a cheeky smile at Terence.

 Chapter 403 Talking About The Marriage With His Future Mother-In-Law (Part One)

    After finishing her words, Carla immediately pushed away Terence, who was pressing on her. She quickly put on her clothes and walked towards the door.


    She was already several steps away when she turned back to Terence and found him still standing in the same place.


    She rushed to him and pulled him by his hand to the door.


    "Why are you stopping me?"


    asked Carla when Terence stopped her all of a sudden. They were already walking out of the room and were about to go downstairs.


    Terence didn''t intend to lie to her and answered honestly, "I was planning to let you go out first."


    Only then did Carla realize what he was trying to say. However, it was too late for her to take any action.


    Andrea was sitting before the table when she noticed them standing on the stairs. Thus, she coughed to let the two know of her presence. She then gazed at them.


    Carla reached up to tie her messy hair and then smoothed her crumpled clothes with her palm as quick as she could. A bit flustered, she glared at Terence and thought, ''Why didn''t he tell me this earlier? Now it''s very embarrassing!''


    "Well, come and sit with me, guys. It''s time to eat," said Andrea while pointing to the chairs next to her.


    Carla and Terence walked to the table and took their seats.


    One of Carla''s habits was to drink something before she ate. However, she almost sprayed the water in her mouth the moment she glanced at the pile of gifts above the table.


    She told Terence not to come empty-handed, but she didn''t tell him to buy the mall!


    The gifts almost occupied the whole table.


    Noticing Carla''s reaction, Andrea smiled at Terence and said in a pleased tone, "You''re so kind to bring these many gifts. Next time, just come here directly, okay? You don''t need to bother yourself bringing so many things."


    In truth, Andrea just said that out of politeness. She was actually very satisfied and pleased with Terence, her future son-in-law.


    The more gifts he brought, the more it displayed how much he loved and cherished Carla.


    "N


    man didn''t even have any intention of doing such.


    "Oh, no. Don''t ask Terence for help. When facing the seniors and hearing them talk, especially when they are teaching the younger ones some lessons, don''t chime in." Andrea continued to blab upon noticing Carla asking Terence for help.


    Carla bit her lower lip and looked at Terence with a gloomy face. She then glared at him when he suddenly smiled silently.


    Immediately, she felt disappointed and said, "Mother, I think that I''d better not marry into the An family. A normal family will be just enough for me."


    Her tone was tinged with sadness.


    Terence''s smile instantly melted upon hearing her. Finally, he uttered, "It is not a big deal, mother. I will teach her all the rules in the future. For now, we''d better just enjoy this meal."


    He thought that it was okay to keep silent at first. However, he realized that it was a bad idea since her expression looked threatening to him now. What would he do if she changed her mind and decided not to marry him?


    "Callie, don''t say this casually. Marriage is not a game played by small children. Well, have your meal now," lectured Andrea in a very serious tone.


    She knew that Carla was brought up by her foster parents. Unfortunately, she had no idea about the kind of environment Carla had grown up in and how her foster parents taught her.

 Chapter 404 Talking About The Marriage With His Future Mother-In-Law (Part Two)

    Everything was of a different range now since Carla was destined to be a part of An family. More so, she was about to become the future female master of the family as well. Regardless of what Carla learned before, Andrea still felt responsible to educate her about the basic rules of such a household.


    After dinner, Andrea and Terence went to the living room and talked about a lot of things related to the wedding.


    Carla on the other hand, was enjoying her after-dinner fruit while sitting next to them. Both the Hua family and the An family were distinguished and well-known, so there were a lot of rules and protocols to consider when holding a wedding. Carla didn''t know anything about this, so she decided not to participate.


    In her mind, a wedding was nothing but a small party held within the family. Although there were still rules to follow, they were just not that important to her. Her main idea about the ceremony was a honeymoon after the banquet and that was all.


    It was rather complicated to hold a wedding ceremony in JA City. Besides, the An family had its own special rules. The difficulties multiplied after the two kinds of rules combined. Thus, it was quite understandable to see the puzzled expression on Carla''s face as she was listening to them.


    Also, there was an unwritten rule in the An family that once the two got married, they couldn''t get divorced easily unless something serious happened.


    Such a rule must be strictly observed in the An family, while their collateral relatives had the freedom to choose whether to observe it or not.


    Carla finally understood why Terence''s father hadn''t had the willingness to get married when he was young. Only after Terence''s mother bore two children for him and he got bored with the high life of drinking and sleeping around that he finally married her.


    Suddenly, an idea popped into Carla''s mind after listening to them for so long. She thought, ''Why am I in a hurry to marry Terence? Why


    a long sigh and then leaned in his arms. She replied in an exhausted tone, "Even if you will be with me, you can''t chime in when I''m rebuked by the elders. It is me who will have to face all this."


    "Carla, you have to remember that it was my future mother-in-law who lectured you today. I didn''t interrupt her in order to show my respect for her and make her satisfied. I''ve done this all for you. Can''t you understand? When we are at the An family house, things will definitely be different. It''s my duty to protect you there. Moreover, do you think that I can take seeing you suffer in the An household?"


    Terence knew that she was concerned about such matters so he patted on her back and tried to comfort her. He was now smiling while talking to her.


    "Most importantly, I''m the heir of the AJ Group and also the future master of the An family. So only my father and grandfather dare to scold me. You are my wife and also the female master there. You will only find others flattering you. Who would dare to find faults with you?"


    Hearing what Terence said, she suddenly felt relieved and smiled happily. He was right.


    "Really? Don''t lie to me," exclaimed Carla.


    "Of course. I never lie,"


    Seeing her innocent expression, Terence answered her firmly and seriously.


    He knew that she trusted him.

 Chapter 405 Lets Get The Marriage Certificates

    Carla was more than sure that there would not be any problem with Terence''s grandfather.


    Thus, choosing between his father and grandfather, she assumed that it would be his father.


    Since she had already met Edmund for a few times, she had already gotten familiar with him and wasn''t feeling the pressure as much as she did before.


    "Carla, I want to marry you because I want you to be happy. We will have plenty of time to do the things we want. I want you to look forward to our married life instead of fearing the worst. Do you agree with me?"


    Terence asked while looking at her dotingly.


    Agreeing, Carla nodded her head and stopped obsessing about the issue.


    "I know. Do what you have to do and I will follow your lead," she replied.


    A relieved smile spread over Terence''s face upon hearing Carla. If only this woman knew how other girls were dying to be his wife. Sometimes, he couldn''t even believe all these troubles he had to go through to convince her.


    However, he only had himself to blame since he was the one who fell in love with Carla.


    He couldn''t care less if he had to deceive her or chain her around his waist. He would definitely do everything in this world to make her his wife!


    There was no chance for her to escape. Sorry, but he just loved her so much.


    With those thoughts, Terence embraced her and pulled her to him a bit more. They fell asleep together.


    He had consulted her doctor a few days ago and was informed that he shouldn''t touch her for the next seven weeks.


    Thus, he was left with no choice but to just sleep.


    The next morning.


    Terence and Carla flew back to JA City after bidding goodbye to Andrea.


    It was already about ten in the morning when the plane landed.


    The very first thing that Terence did was to take Carla to the Civil Affairs Bureau as he badly wanted to get the marriage certificate with her.


    "What''s the rush?


    We just landed and haven''t even gotten home yet. Why are we here?" asked Carla while signing the agreement. She then handed it to one of the clerks.


    "We cannot make the same mistake three times. We already failed to get our marriage certificates twice. I can''t bear a third. I won''t be able to sleep tonight if we can''t get this done today,"


    Terence explained as he printed his name at the bottom of the paper he was holding. He then also handed it to the clerk.


    Carla pouted her lips upon hearing him. She wondered if he was still angry with her because of how she secretly ran away from the hospital.


    It was just that she didn''t have any option at that time.


    How on earth could she pretend that everything was okay after reading the doctor''s record and finding out that there was a probability of her being infertile.


    After stamping the two copies of marriage certificates, the clerk handed the papers back to Carla and Terence.


    Carla looked at their pictures on their marriage certifi


    rla and then said, "Rest assured, Dad. Carla may not have fully recovered from the operation yet but we will definitely try to have another baby as soon as possible."


    Edmund took that cup of tea from Carla, nodding. He then said, "All right. Since you are now my daughter-in-law, Carla, we should leave all the miserable things that happened behind us and move on. I will ask someone to discuss the details of the wedding with your mother. Don''t hesitate to approach me if you have any questions."


    Edmund would make sure that Carla was well treated in all aspects since she was now his daughter-in-law.


    "Thanks, Dad. I will," replied Carla with a smile. She withdrew her hands and breathed a sigh of relief.


    Walking out of the East Yard, Terence took Carla to the North Yard.


    Terence''s grandfather had been staying in the North Yard since he was discharged from the hospital. His grandfather still had a private doctor keeping him company to take care of his health.


    Nicholas was in cloud nine after hearing that they would be getting married. He immediately gave a big emerald stone to Carla as a present.


    Carla had seen the emerald stone before and Nicholas said that it should belong to her.


    When they got home, Carla went straight upstairs. She was worn out after rushing around the city today.


    They got on the plane early this morning. As soon as the plane landed, they immediately went to the Civil Affairs Bureau. After they got the marriage certificates, they rushed to the An''s Manor. Everything happened so fast and she didn''t even have a chance to rest.


    There was an urgency in how Terence was doing things.


    It seemed like Terence couldn''t even wait for the wedding ceremony anymore!


    Carla was already lying on the bed and taking a rest when someone knocked on the door.


    She languidly turned around and saw Terence walking towards her.


    She noticed that there was a pile of things in his hand.

 Chapter 406 The Wedding Plan

    "What''s that?"


    Carla, holding a pillow in her hand, lazily asked after seeing Terence come in with a document in his hand.


    Terence sat beside her, and answered with a smile, "This is the monthly plan before our wedding ceremony. I made it when you were away."


    Carla was surprised, then she took the plan and began to read it. After she scanned through it page by page, the corners of her mouth convulsed involuntarily.


    She knew that those wedding preparations were very tedious and required an extensive amount of effort from both the bride and the groom. After all, there was only going to be one wedding ceremony in one''s life, so it was reasonable that every couple would want to make theirs perfect.


    However, when Carla looked through the plan, she felt the schedule was too tight and full. They even had something scheduled on Sundays!


    Noticing that Carla was a little worried about the schedule, Terence took it from her hand and pulled her closer to him. Then, he patiently explained every plan to her in detail.


    "Carla, the wedding dress needs to be customized precisely to your size. The tailors have to start working on it so we must go and have you measured. Tomorrow, I will accompany you to see the wedding dress, as well as the other dresses which you need to wear on the wedding day.


    And then the day after tomorrow, we are to go and check the wedding ring. I''ve asked a master craftsman to make one for us. The pattern has already been fixed, and we just need to determine our sizes. Besides, we also need to choose other jewelry and accessories.


    These things will all require our personal presence, and others can''t do them for us. And then, after that¡­"


    Carla blinked her bright eyes while listening carefully to Terence. She looked at the schedule listed on the plan again, and she could only guess that he had shortened it as much as he could. However, there were still a lot more things to do aside from those.


    For example, the Seaview Villa would be their wedding room, so the decorations are to be slighted adjusted.


    Although it wouldn''t be massively redecorated, the sofa, curtains, as well as the wallpaper and some other furniture, would need some small adjustments. Carla noticed that Terence had personally drawn the design for it.


    All that was left to do was for her to choose which pattern she liked. And then, Terence would modify them to suit whatever design she preferred.


    He used to live alone, so he decorated the Seaview Villa according to his


    no! I''m already a grown-up!" Sean refuted while covering his face. He thought, ''I''m not a child anymore! I can''t let Carla kiss me casually like before.''


    At the same time, Terence came over, held Sean with one arm, and said, "Sean, you are right. You''re now a big boy, so you shouldn''t let your big sister kiss you like that." Then, he winked at Carla and posed, "If you want to kiss someone, I can provide you with the perfect service."


    Carla just rolled her eyes at Terence as she watched him take Sean into the villa.


    She could see the two getting along really well.


    "Sean, could you show your test papers for this semester to me?"


    Carla requested as soon as she sat down, which made the boy raise his eyebrows.


    Actually, he didn''t feel shocked at his sister''s request, because she used to ask for his exam papers back in BH City.


    So without complaining, he opened his school bag and handed all of them to her.


    "Alright. There you go."


    Carla took the papers, sat down, and began to look at them one by one. She had supervised his studies before. But after moving to JA City, she had paid less attention to his studies.


    Carla nodded with satisfaction upon seeing the scores in each examination paper. Although his scores were not perfect, he got more than ninety points in each test. Carla still thought that his grades would flop without her tutoring him.


    Instead, he had unexpectedly made significant progress. As his sister, she felt proud of seeing how he correctly solved all the difficult problems.


    Just as Carla flipped to see the others, something dropped from the thick stack of papers.


    It was a folded blue heart-shaped note.

 Chapter 407 All Because Of Some Love Letters

    A piece of blue paper shaped like a heart suddenly fell on Carla''s leg.


    When she laid her eyes on the small heart drawn at the back of the paper, it piqued her curiosity. Sean was talking gleefully with Terence and all of a sudden, a loud scream escaped from his lips.


    "S-Sister! What are you holding in your hand?"


    He rubbed his nape as he gave a better look at the paper in Carla''s hand. "I remember that I have thrown it out. Why is that letter still here?" he murmured at first and began to plead, "S-Sister! Please, give it to me!"


    He hurriedly walked towards her and tried to pry out the letter from her hands.


    A devious smile crept up on Carla''s lips. She instantly stood up and held the letter above her head. She let out a laugh as she ran to the sofa and smugly waved the letter.


    "Aww! Come on, Sean! Let me see it! Your big sister is curious about what a student''s love letter will look like, especially if it''s for my baby Sean! I am so dying to read it!" Carla was still laughing devilishly.


    Sean went speechless. He could only clench his fists and glare at Carla. "Sister! Please stop!" He whined helplessly.


    Then he turned to Terence who was giggling on the sofa and begged, "Brother-in-law! Look! She''s bullying me!"


    Upon seeing the ruckus between the siblings, Terence couldn''t contain his laughter. When he finally composed himself, he stood up from the sofa and walked up to Carla. "Carla, you should know that Sean is old enough to take care of himself. Give him some privacy. Since he isn''t comfortable with it, it''s best not to open that letter. Be a good girl and give it to me," he said.


    He lifted a hand and was about to pull the letter from her hands.


    But Carla quickly withdrew her hand and hid the letter behind her back. She turned to Sean and pouted, "But I really want to see it, Sean! Besides, you have seen my love letters before. Why am I not allowed to see yours this time?


    That''s so unfair! I thought we were close!"


    When the words left her lips, she felt a slight chill down her spine. She turned to Terence who was staring at her with narrowed eyes.


    "Hm. Carla? What did you just say?"


    "M-Me? I didn''t say anything. Did I say something?" She answered nervously.


    While Carla was distracted, Sean seized the opportunity to grab the letter from her hands. He tore it into pieces and immediately threw it into the trash bin.


    When Carla had finally come to her senses, she clenched her teet


    ong with her.


    Terence glanced at her and placed his arms around her shoulders. Then he turned her head to face him and said, "Carla, since it''s all in the past now, I won''t make any fuss about it anymore. I just want to remind you that from now on, I am your husband. The one and only man for you. And you are not allowed to think about other men anymore." He spoke in a protective way.


    Terence was afraid that Carla was still thinking about that boy


    since she didn''t manage to win his heart back then.


    Carla smiled brightly and nodded, "Of course I won''t, Terence! You know me very well. You know I''m not that kind of woman."


    After all, if Carla was a shallow woman, why was she willing to go through all the trouble just to be with Terence?


    "I believe you are not. Alright, honey. Let''s go and have dinner," Terence smiled and tenderly pinched her cheek. Then the couple finally went downstairs.


    It was already deep in the night.


    Everything was silent and peaceful inside the bedroom.


    Terence was sleeping soundly. However, the moment he laid his hand on the other side of the bed, he found that it was empty. Carla wasn''t there. He immediately turned on the lights and walked out of the bedroom.


    He saw that there was a woman at the desk in the living room. The woman was fumbling with something.


    As he walked up to her and noticed the things in her hands, his heart slightly sped up, "Carla, what are you doing here?"


    Upon hearing Terence''s voice, Carla quickly spun around and covered the things on the table in such a hurry.


    She replied with a nervous smile, "Nothing, Terence. Why are you doing up?"

 Chapter 408 Why Are You Still Up So Late

    ''Should I teach Sean a lesson? Will he get even naughtier if I don''t?''


    Carla had pondered the whole night. She wanted to get back at her brother for being such a brat.


    That way, he wouldn''t dare to expose her secrets anymore.


    Then an idea flashed in Carla''s mind.


    She stayed up the whole night in order to piece together the love letter that was torn up by her brother.


    Childish? Yes. But she saw that it was a great way to teach him a lesson.


    Terence smiled in amusement as he watched his woman taking on a teenage boy seriously.


    "So are you finished yet?"


    Terence asked, trying to stop a chuckle from coming out of his mouth.


    Was this their kind of fun?


    Carla was Sean''s only family ever since their parents died, making them close with each other. One of their unique ways of getting along was exposing each other''s secrets.


    Terence approached her and watched her trying to piece the letter together. It must have been difficult for her since Sean had completely ripped it to tiny shreds.


    "Whew! I am almost done! Uhm...you won''t laugh at me, will you, Terence?" Carla looked at him with puppy eyes and chewed her lips. Since she was already an adult, she was getting nervous for doing something childish.


    "Well, I am just thinking if you''ll do the same thing if we have a son someday and a girl sends him a love letter,"


    Terence smiled in amusement and sat down. Then he picked up the book that covered the love letter to see her progress.


    It seemed clear to him that she wouldn''t be sleeping a wink until she had pieced them all together.


    "Terence, I won''t treat my son the same way as I do my brother. Besides, when we have a teenage son, I won''t be as young anymore. Do you think that I will do such childish things by that time?"


    Carla rolled her eyes and handed him some of the pieces. She ordered him, "You. You''d better help me."


    Terence only shook his head and helped her put the pieces together. A smile was present on his lips as he worked on them.


    What the hell was he even doing right now? He never imagined himself piecing together a love letter addressed to his brother-in-law. Not to mention, a love letter given by a teenage girl! ''Ah, young love, '' Terence thought to himself.


    Once he was finished, he sat on the sofa and leaned his head on his hands. He smiled while he watched Carla who was reading the love letter with glee.


    "Dear Mr. Sean Ji, I am Emmy Tong from the classroom beside yours."


    Terence didn''t expect that the girl called Sean in such an implicit way.


    "Do you remember that I cheered all the way for you at the last athletic meet? Every time you play basketball at the gym, I would be there and watch you play.


    I want to tell you my real feelings. I like you very much. I decided to write this letter to you


    "Oh my!"


    Carla exploded into laughter again, covering her face with her arms on the table. She rarely saw this shy side of Sean. This was getting interesting!


    "Carla, I know you well. I know you are keeping it somewhere! Please give it back to me!" Sean stretched his hand again to ask for the letter. He knew very well that Carla would keep it to threaten him.


    "Sean, receiving love letters is a normal thing. Don''t sweat it! People have various ways of understanding love in different stages of life. Think of it like levels in a video game. You start from the first level and then you level up. So, liking someone is completely normal, not embarrassing."


    After making fun of him, Carla was still responsible for educating Sean about love.


    "Carla, please. I don''t feel the same way. Please give it back to me," Sean pleaded.


    Carla ignored his plea. She finished her breakfast quickly and stood up. "Oh my God! Look at the time. I have to go out now to try on my wedding dress. I''ll deal with this after I come back this evening."


    Sean just sat down in silence. He opened his mouth to say something but stopped and watched her walk away.


    Morning sunlight spread throughout the yard and warmed up everyone.


    Rainer was washing the car since he had free time. Next to him, Nathan was reporting about the latest progress of the company to Terence under the shade.


    Since Terence''s wedding day was fast approaching, Terence didn''t have enough time to stay in the company all day. Nathan decided to bring the crucial business affairs for Terence to deal with it.


    Terence signed the document after reading it. Then he spoke with Nathan about work.


    After finishing his workload, he looked up and saw Carla working happily.


    Carla had rolled up her sleeves, preparing to help Rainer wash the car. The warm sunlight shone on her elegant face.

 Chapter 409 Terences Anecdote

    Carla was wiping the car. Her beautiful short hair was bouncing naughtily accompanied by her brilliant smile.


    Terence stared at the energetic woman before him and instantly felt his world brighten up. She was radiating so beautifully, making the air around them cozy and serene.


    His lips gradually cracked into a slight smile as his heart flooded with so much warmth.


    He just couldn''t help but imagine his future with her, pleasant and sweet. He just loved her so much.


    He was certainly willing to do everything to live a happy life with her.


    "Miss Carla, you don''t need to do this! You are our mistress now. Cleaning the car is not even my job, and it definitely isn''t yours!" Rainer tried to stop Carla from cleaning the car any further.


    But Carla just scrunched her nose and said, "Rainer, do you really think I''m such a pampered person?" She then continued to wipe the dusty part of the car with a piece of cloth. After making sure that the spot was clean, she turned around only to see Terence staring contentedly at her.


    She trudged towards him and Rainer rushed to grab the cloth from Carla''s hand.


    It was then that Terence voiced out, "Maybe you were not pampered before but things are different around here. You will not just be pampered, you are also the most precious woman in JA City now." Dotingly, he took her hand and held it in his. He added, "So, don''t do the dirty and tiring jobs anymore. They will roughen your hands."


    Stepping closer, Carla hugged his waist and looked at him. She frowned and complained, "Why are you scolding me?"


    "All right, Carla. I''ll stop. But don''t forget that you''re going to try your wedding dress on today. Let''s get out of here, okay?" reminded Terence in an amused tone while combing her short hair.


    Rainer, who had finished cleaning the car when Carla and Terence were talking, immediately opened the door and let them in the car.


    Shortly after, they arrived at the wedding dress shop.


    This was the top wedding dress shop in JA City, which was famous for its premier service.


    It was famous for its custom-made designs and was the most sought after when it came to wedding dresses. Each wedding dress was a masterpiece. Moreover, the place was also famous for catering to just one couple per day.


    Terence had arranged for someone to design Carla''s wedding dress a few days before, so all they needed to do now was to measure her size. Carla wasn''t even worried about the design of her gown. Knowing Terence, he had already picked the best for her.


    There were already some news going around the city that their wedding would last for three days. That didn''t even include the previous subsidiary banquet.


    She was also aware that the An family would be inviting different people, probably from all over the world, during these three days.


    From what she heard, the first day would be for the top clients who had been working with the AJ Group for a long time. For close relatives who had regular interaction with the An family, the second day was solely reserved for them. The third day, which was also the last day would be for distant relatives and acquaintances.


    In additi


    lance, knowing that she couldn''t get any answer from him. Then she leaned forward, getting closer to Rainer. "Hey, since it is you who made me so curious, you are responsible for telling me the whole story! If you don''t tell me now, I''ll keep asking you about this thing every time I see you!"


    Carla threatened.


    ''Ah... no. Sorry but I''m more afraid of Mr. Terence''s punishment," refused Rainer while shaking his head.


    "He wouldn''t dare get back at you whenever I am with him. If he threatens you, come to me and I''ll protect you," Carla vouched.


    Rainer glanced at Terence who didn''t speak, and then he posed, "Well, Miss Carla! Since it''s you who are forcing me to say it, you should promise me that you won''t mind hearing the whole story. This story was already ten years old anyway, so it''s quite old."


    "Well, stop beating around the bush. Tell it to me now!" Carla urged.


    Rainer couldn''t help but laugh upon remembering what happened.


    Then, he began to tell the whole thing to Carla. "That year, Mr. Terence was only seventeen years old. Many people came to celebrate his birthday.


    And Mr. Theo said that he had prepared a special gift for Terence, so he took Terence to a dark room with the lights off.


    Unexpectedly, when Mr. Terence entered that room, Mr. Theo immediately locked the door from outside."


    Rainer paused for a moment and then checked on Carla through the rearview mirror.


    He chuckled upon seeing Carla''s impatient stare. More so, she shrugged her shoulders and shouted, "What! Go on! Please! What was in the room? Was it scary? What was in it!"


    "Okay! Okay! I''ll continue!


    When Mr. Terence entered that room, the lights turned on. Mr. Theo particularly selected six supermodels and these models were dancing in bikinis when Mr. Terence came in¡­"


    Rainer burst into laughter again.


    He glanced at Terence who was still frowning. Truth be told, that story had been the funniest thing for him and he couldn''t stop bursting into laughter every time.


    Carla felt a bit impatient with what she just heard. Her eyes had widened when she asked, "And then?"

 Chapter 410 Mask Restaurant (Part One)

    Rainer held back his laughter and said, "Take a guess at what happened then."


    Carla glanced at Terence, who was now looking annoyed. She sniffed before saying, "I guess that there must have been something wrong with Theo''s brain. That was surely too much for anyone, especially Terence. One or two would have been enough for him."


    "You''re right! After a while, the door was kicked open and Mr. Terence staggered out to give Theo a nice, big punch,"


    Rainer then continued enthusiastically.


    He couldn''t help laughing as he recalled the scene when Mr. Terence came out in swim trunks, with his body covered with lipstick marks.


    Suddenly, Rainer stopped laughing, catching a glimpse of Mr. Terence''s furious eyes through the rear-view mirror.


    Rainer did not intend to give Terence''s secret away. But upon Carla''s constant prodding, he somehow let it slip out.


    Carla leaned backwards and moved closer to Terence. "Tell me, why didn''t you stay in the room with all those beauties?" she teased.


    As a man in his tender, hormonal youth, it must have been hard for Terence to resist such a temptation.


    Rather than feel jealous about his teenage experiences, Carla felt intrigued.


    Terence stopped glaring at Rainer. He turned to look at Carla and said, "You want to know?"


    Of course she did! It was rare to get an insight into Terence''s past, and such an embarrassing incident at that. Carla quickly nodded.


    "You''ll find out tonight. Now it''s time to eat." Terence blatantly changed the subject as the car pulled over in front of a gate. Ignoring Carla''s reluctant face, he got out of the car.


    "Okay, fine," Carla replied unwillingly and jumped out of the car.


    But she couldn''t help but think about the question that was lingering in her m


    that people on the second floor also had masks on.


    There were also some people without masks, but no one that she could recognize.


    Terence and Carla finally reached a private room at the end of the corridor. As they walked in, Carla noticed a table with various masks on it. It seemed guests were allowed to use these masks and return them before leaving.


    Carla''s eyes lit up. She was always up for amusing tricks and games.


    Since the opportunity presented itself, naturally, she decided not to let this pass.


    Therefore, Carla sneakily and quietly grabbed two masks from the table as they walked past. She held them in one hand behind her back. Terence didn''t notice anything.


    They were soon seated in the private room. It was quiet there.


    Carla excused herself to go to the bathroom while Terence ordered their food. She moved away swiftly. Seeing this, Terence shook his head affectionately. He poured some tea for himself and slowly sipped the warm drink. He already knew all her tricks.


    He knew Carla wouldn''t be able to resist the fun. She had been seized by her joyful curiosity and couldn''t wait to join the party.


    As expected, in a few moments,

 Chapter 411 Mask Restaurant (Part Two)

    a woman with a Mayura mask on her face walked in. She came over to him and secretly grinned at him. "Guess who I am?" she said while purposely deepening her voice.


    "Sit down. The dishes will be ready in a minute. Don''t play around," Terence ordered without bothering to check her face. Her voice was so familiar to him that he would by no means mistake it, no matter how hard she tried to disguise herself.


    Carla stared at him from behind the mask, pouting.


    She then secretly took out the other mask and went around him to put it on his face.


    With the cool black and gold mask on, Terence was even more charming than before. Now he looked very much like a cool night emperor.


    "Nice. Very charming. Now you''re full of mystery to me."


    Carla joyfully examined the mask that she had picked for him, mentally patting herself on the back.


    She then took out a little mirror from her bag and held it in front of his face so he could see himself.


    Terence glanced at the mirror and then looked at Carla, who looked like she was enjoying herself very much. He said affectionately, "All right then. Now that you''ve got the masks on both of us, can you please sit down and eat?"


    Blissful that he was going along with the fun, Carla obeyed and sat down beside him. With a soft lining, the half mask didn''t make it difficult while they were eating.


    Carla chuckled at Terence as she scarfed her food. She couldn''t believe he would sit there eating with a mask on.


    When they were about to finish their meal, they heard a voice coming from outside the room.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, the ball is about to begin. Please come down and join us on t


    ly pick her out from the crowd by simply touching her hands or seeing her figure. That was how he recognized her when she entered the room.


    Grabbing her hand, Johnny pulled her over to a quiet corner.


    "I heard that you called off your engagement with Noah, is that true? So you''re going back to Terence then?"


    he asked with disappointment, as he lifted her mask.


    Carla''s beautiful face was revealed underneath the mask. Her new hairstyle only made her look more lovely in Johnny''s eyes.


    "I don''t see how that is any of your business. I''m sorry to let you down, Mr. Johnny I''m afraid I''m not lucky enough to step onto your boat. But,"


    Carla smirked at him while she lifted her high-heeled stiletto to stomp on the instep of his foot.


    "I can still do you the favor of stepping on your foot. You''re welcome!"


    With that, Carla slipped away from his side as he was growling in pain.


    Carla hurried away but didn''t watch where she was going. She then stumbled against something.


    She looked up and saw Terence''s familiar black and gold mask in front of her face. Was this Terence?

 Chapter 412 It Was All My Fault

    Carla rubbed her forehead after bumping into Terrence¨C¨Cyes, she knew it was him. His familiar scent and built were already engraved in her senses.


    Because Johnny slightly took off her mask, making it hang on her forehead, its sharp edges poked on her temples when she collided with Terrence.


    "Why did you have to run so fast?" Terence muttered under his breath.


    He helped her take off the mask as he gently massaged her forehead.


    Carla looked up at him and put her arms around his waist. "I''m sorry. It was my fault," she said.


    Behind them was Johnny, who cast a glance at them and was about to leave.


    "Johnny, I warned you to stay away from my woman!"


    Terrence snarled as he saw how Johnny tried to get away from him.


    Johnny stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Terence.


    "Terence, you know very well that I love stealing things you value. So prepare yourself for it and don''t let me get the chance to snatch away your woman.


    Otherwise, I''ll make her mine!"


    Johnny mocked with a grin before leaving and strode towards the door.


    After a while, Terrence and Carla got in the car and headed home.


    Carla glanced at Terence when she noticed how he was unusually quiet. She figured he was probably upset with what Johnny had just said. "Terence, you don''t believe Johnny''s load of crap, do you? That is absolutely not going to happen!" she reassured him.


    She knew that Johnny was just trying to stir things up. All he said was nothing but a bluff, and she didn''t have the slightest inclination toward him.


    Terence came to his senses and turned to her. "Hmm. I will never let him get his way. I will never let any man in this world take you away from me!"


    He knew that Johnny and Noah both had their desires for Carla. And he was fully aware that there would be more and more men who would go after her.


    Terrence could not control their attraction towards his wife. After all, Carla was really like a goddess that walked the earth.


    Only by fully loving her could he keep his place in her heart.


    Carla then leaned her head on his chest and heaved a light sigh. "Terence, it seems that I''ve been attracting a lot of men since the day I met you.


    Karen went through a lot of trouble in finding a date for me before. But all those guys fled and avoided me like I was some kind of plague!" she murmured.


    Terence tilted her chin and stared at her with a wide grin. "You mean, it is my fault that you are sought after by many men I know?" he asked.


    "Yes. You know my world was turned upside down when I met you." Carla gave out a snort.


    "Okay, it''s alright. Since you think of it that way, I will


    en opened the door and found that Sean was pacing back and forth.


    "Terence? Haven''t you gone to sleep?" Sean curiously asked.


    "You aren''t asleep either. What''s up? Do you want to talk to me?" Terrence asked in return.


    It seemed that Sean was worried about something.


    The young boy shyly scratched his head, fixing his eyes at his toes. "Terence, could you do me a favor and ask my sister to give the letter back to me?" he asked as a faint red flushed on his cheeks.


    Hearing what he said, Terence leaned against the door with a grin on his face. "Sean, you seem to care a lot about this girl. Are you...?" he trailed, trying to fish out a reaction out of the boy.


    Sean violently shook his head.


    "Terence, that''s not what it is. I know I''m still young and need to focus on my studies. I just don''t want my sister to use the letter to blackmail me in the future!" Sean explained in a hurry.


    He shook his head intensely, afraid that Terence would think he was in love with someone.


    "So you''re telling me that you''re not in love with someone?"


    Terrence asked with deeply furrowed brows. He looked at his brother-in-law from head to toe and couldn''t help but burst into laughter.


    Sean nodded his head again.


    "Okay, then. If taking the letter away from your sister can help your studies and also keep you from being distracted, I will do it for your sake," Terence replied.


    He then turned around and went back to the study room.


    Terrence initially thought it would be better if he would not interfere with this sibling spat.


    But when he saw Sean fidgeting late in the night, he was worried that it might affect his studies.


    What''s more, since Sean was asking him a favor, as his brother-in-law, he could hardly say no to him.

 Chapter 413 I Would Rather Hold It Off

    Terence went over to the book shelf where Carla had hidden the letter.


    He picked up an English book, flipped the pages over and attempted to find the letter, but his efforts were in vain. He put the book back to the shelf and continued his search in another English book that looked pretty similar.


    But he still couldn''t locate the letter he was searching for.


    He kept on looking in the rest of the books as well. But he couldn''t even find a clue as where the letter was.


    Terence was totally confused and couldn''t figure out why the letter was now gone.


    He could remember it clearly. He was sure that Carla had put the letter in one of the English books on this shelf. How could the letter suddenly disappear? The only possibility that he could think of was that Carla herself may have put the letter in a different place.


    One thing that Terence didn''t know about Carla was that she not only loved to fumble around with things but she also was good at hiding them! Very few people were able to find those that she hid.


    He wasn''t prepared to give up just yet. He intended to keep looking for the letter until he got a lead.


    But he was overwhelmed when he looked up at the tens of thousands of books that were neatly stacked one by one on the huge book shelf that almost took up the entire wall. He turned around and found that Sean was standing obediently behind him. Reading the innocent expectation in his eyes, he slightly shook his head and let out a sigh.


    "Well, Sean, you can go back to sleep. I will ask your sister about the letter tomorrow. But don''t worry, I''m sure that you will get the letter back!"


    Terence said with a smile.


    Sean nodded his small head, turned around and walked quietly towards his bedroom.


    Terence closed the door and breathed a sigh of relief. He turned around, shot a quick exhausted glance at the enormous book shelf and walked into the bedroom.


    On the king sized bed, his beloved Carla was cuddling the pillow.


    He had the intention of asking her about the letter but didn''t expect to find her asleep already.


    Terence walked up to her and tried to pull the pillow away from her arms.


    After he lay on the bed, she immediately snuggled close to him and tightly put her arms around his body.


    Terence looked at her with a beaming smile on his face and turned off the lights.


    Holding the woman he loved in his arms, he quietly dozed off. The silence, the darkness and the love between them rendered him a peaceful sleep.


    The next morning, as the bright golden rays of the sun began filling their bedroom, Carla woke up in a refreshed mode after a good night''s sleep. She checked the time and realized that she had woken up a little earlier than usual.


    It was only six o''clock in the morning.


    Sh


    arla, I think I''m going to die."


    Many tense moments passed before she could hear Violet''s faint voice coming from the other end of the line.


    Carla''s face darkened abruptly. She sprang up and sat bolt upright from the sofa. "What''s wrong? Why are you saying things like that? It doesn''t sound like you. What happened?" she asked anxiously.


    Violet couldn''t contain her feelings anymore and began sobbing uncontrollably. "Carla, are you free today? Can you please come over and visit me? I badly need your support and guidance. I''ve missed you so much..." she murmured, as her words trailed.


    "Yes. I''m coming to your place right now!"


    After Carla hung up the phone, she hurriedly went upstairs and changed her clothes.


    "Where you are going?"


    Terence asked as he grabbed Carla''s hands who was about to rush out.


    "I''m going to Violet''s home to check on her. She sounded quite anxious and worried over the phone," Carla replied as her heart thumped rapidly. When she was about to walk out of the door, Terence stopped her in her tracks and said, "Wait a second. Let Rainer drive you there. It''s better that way." Terence was afraid that it might turn out to be too dangerous for her to drive the car as she was extremely worried for Violet. So he forbade her from driving and gave Rainer a call.


    After Terence finished the call, he hesitated in an awkward manner. He had something in mind and wanted to reveal it to her, but he simply couldn''t muster enough courage to do it. He inhaled deeply and said, "Carla, I have some news for you.


    William will be getting married next week. His fianc¨¦e hails from a rich and powerful family. They have known each other since childhood."


    This news hit Carla like a storm. Carla stood as still as a rock and stared blankly into space. She had nothing to say to break the hostile silence.

 Chapter 414 He Was A Douchebag

    "What are you talking about?


    So he ditched Violet?"


    Carla was enraged the moment she heard about it.


    No wonder Violet suddenly disappeared without a trace. She must have felt so hurt.


    "Calm down, Carla. I told you about it because I wanted you to be prepared. JA City is not that big, and rumors fly quickly around here. It''s not a secret anymore. You didn''t hear about it because you didn''t pay attention to those things,"


    Terence said as he let out a deep sigh.


    In JA City, except for the An family which was the most influential, there were still many other families residing here.


    Although it seemed like they did not have a good relationship with one another, and there was minimal contact among them, they could still cooperate for mutual benefits when necessary.


    That was the reason why Terrence also invited William''s family to his wedding.


    "No matter what you say, you can''t change the fact that he abandoned Violet! Why did Violet fall in love with such douchebag?"


    Carla could not contain her anger. She was obviously furious that her friend was being treated like that.


    "Carla, I know Violet is your friend. But as outsiders in their relationship, we can''t really understand whatever was going on between them. We shouldn''t interfere with their affairs." He walked up to her and whispered, "Since there is nothing you can change about it, maybe you could go there and cheer her up, convince her not to be sad about the wedding."


    "We are going to choose our wedding rings today. Once you''re done, you should come home as soon as possible," he added.


    "Okay," she simply answered. When she saw that Rainer was pulling the car over where they stood, she immediately got in as her eyes blazed with fury.


    When Carla got to Violet''s house, she caught sight of her coiled up on the couch, staring at nothing.


    It hurt Carla to see her friend in such a condition.


    Violet obviously hadn''t been sleeping well lately. Her angular face accented her prominent cheekbones, which seemed to be thinner than usual.


    When Violet noticed that Carla was there, she immediately threw her arms around the latter''s shoulder.


    Tears streamed down Violet''s charming face as she had finally found comfort in a friend.


    "There, there. Violet, don''t cry. That douchebag is not worth your tears!" Carla comforted Violet as she caressed her hair.


    "Carla, don''t put it that way. He is not a douchebag. It is not his fault. That woman forced him to get married!" she said as she fought back the tears.


    "How could he be forced to do something like that? How could he do that to you?!" Carla shouted in total anger.


    She could not believe that Violet would still take William''s side. It infuriated her more to know that her friend still trusted that man.


    "Carla, you don''t know anything about it. That woman is a cunning bitch! She asked William''s parents to bring him home and made him take some medicine. She manipulated him s


    rla in the hall, he realized that the meeting was a trick. He turned around and was about to walk out, but Carla''s voice stopped him in his tracks.


    "Mr. William. Where are you going?"


    William stood by the door with his back to Carla and said, "Are you trying to set me up with someone? Are you aware that such behavior will dishonor the An family?"


    William had come across her in the ice house, so he knew about her relationship with Violet.


    Since Carla was here, he figured that Violet would definitely be here too.


    "So, you know what I''m doing here?" Carla asked, narrowing her eyes on him. She cast a glance at Violet, who was eavesdropping behind the door and continued, "Since you already know about my plan, let''s stop beating around the bush.


    Mr. William, I''m pretty sure that you know Violet is my friend. If anyone dared to hurt her, I''m not going to sit around and watch my friend suffer!"


    William stood still and replied with a sneer, "Ms. Carla, I didn''t think that you are capable of meddling in other people''s affairs. You should just mind your own business."


    "Mr. William, is there something wrong with your ears? I told you Violet is my friend. I''m not talking about someone else. If it is about my friend, I don''t think that I''m just messing around here!"


    Carla refuted him without any reservation.


    William''s back suddenly stiffened. It never occurred to him that Carla was such an eloquent woman and way better than Violet was.


    Compared with Carla, although Violet could be reckless sometimes, deep inside, she was still a timid girl. Probably because she had been in JA City alone for a few years and had been through some struggles on her own. It took the edge off her and made her learn about how to bend over and suck it up.


    "All right, fine! I don''t want to waste more time on you! Violet, come out here!"


    Carla called out to her friend.


    The door suddenly creaked open, and Violet came out, staring at the floor.

 Chapter 415 Closure

    "I will wait for you outside, Violet. Call me if you have any problem, okay?" said Carla gently.


    She then turned around and closed the door behind her.


    When she left, there was nothing but silence in the room.


    Violet trembled with fear as soon as she was alone with William. She was standing behind him and she could feel his coldness on her skin.


    The atmosphere inside the room was so tense that she could barely breathe.


    Violet thought that she was brave enough to face all kinds of adversities. But falling in love with William suddenly made her realize that she had changed into a weak and timid girl.


    Thinking of what Carla told her on the way here, she raised her head and stared at William who was still not looking at her.


    "William, I''m the one who asked Carla to do this. If you are upset about it, you can vent your anger on me," she said through her teeth.


    Carla told her that she should be stronger once she faced such and awkward and difficult situation.


    William would only take her for granted if she begged before him. Worse, doing that would actually hurt her own self-respect.


    "I came here because I wanted to ask you one thing! You told me that woman made you take the medicine so she could have your child. Is that true?"


    she asked with her eyes blurring with tears.


    That was when William slowly turned to her.


    Shock immediately flooded him upon laying his eyes on Violet. She was so much thinner than he could remember.


    "Why are you always fixating on this thing? It will not change anything anymore. The point is, she is having my child and we are getting married. That is something you and I should always be aware of!"


    William finally managed to say after pausing for a second.


    A bitter smile spread across Violet''s face as she shook her head. "No. It''s different, William. If she forced you to take the medicine, I could probably convince myself not to hate you for doing this to me! That you didn''t betray our relationship after all."


    Violet wanted nothing more than to know whether the rumor was true or not.


    She was yearning for an answer.


    "I never lied to you. I told you everything."


    Pausing for another second, William explained how his parents got involved in the matter and how he didn''t have the courage to say anything.


    "Okay then." Violet smiled bitterly. She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and then looked up at him. She asked, "Can I ask you one last question, William?"


    William nodded his


    d she could feel how much it was fighting to live. Their baby remained firmly growing inside her.


    "Violet, what are you talking about?''


    William was beyond shock while staring at her. He immediately walked to her and took the paper from her hand. He was completely dumbfounded by what he saw on her ultrasound scan. He suddenly couldn''t move a muscle.


    "Is our baby almost three months now? Why didn''t you tell me before!"


    William asked in rage.


    It didn''t matter. Violet was already dead inside. She couldn''t even manage to smile while looking at his reaction.


    "Why should I? You''ve already had another child with someone else. I didn''t think that you would even care about this baby in me. More so, your family.


    I''m just telling you about this so I can leave you without any regrets. You should feel bad for abandoning your baby like that, even for one second. Even if other people wouldn''t know that our baby exists, as a parent, a father, you should know that it is here. Well, at least you get to know about our baby before it is gone."


    Closing her eyes slowly, she said, "I will go to the hospital tomorrow and have an abortion. You have nothing to worry about."


    She sobbed and continued, "I''ve heard that you''re getting married next week.


    Congratulations. I wish you all the best, a happy marriage and an adorable child with her. Oh! I forgot. You already have one..."


    Violet''s eyes remained cold and dead. She was not any better than just a flake of snow, melting silently as she stood there. Ready to leave, she dragged her feet towards the door.


    That was when William suddenly grabbed her arm and stopped her in her tracks.

 Chapter 416 I Was So Lucky To Have You Around (Part One)

    "Violet, I know this may be hard for you. But can you think about keeping the baby?


    The baby is already three months old. Don''t you feel any attachment to him or her yet? How can you just give up on the baby?" William asked in disbelief.


    A deep furrow appeared between his brows as he held the colored ultrasound paper in his hand.


    No matter what happened between him and Violet, this was still a life they were talking about. After all, it was his own flesh and blood. How could he just let her have an abortion so casually like that?


    "Haha. That''s hilarious, Mr. William. Did you completely forget what you have said to me earlier? What? All of a sudden you see an ultrasound of the baby and it suddenly becomes real to you? So you can suddenly change your mind about not keeping the baby then? To this point, all you care about is the baby. Our relationship still means nothing to you, right?" Violet sneered.


    She couldn''t eat or sleep well for the past two months. Since she didn''t take good care of herself, she was thinner than before. Other people couldn''t tell that she was about three months pregnant.


    She even hid it from Carla. Even Carla couldn''t tell either that Violet was pregnant.


    "Violet." William muttered. He wasn''t sure what to say.


    "Mr. William, listen to me carefully. Whether you did it out of your own free will or not, you are having a child with another woman. You chose to be with her instead of me. You can have a happy family with her and your child right now.


    I won''t bother you anymore, so don''t bother me either. Don''t meddle in my affairs. You''ve already made it very clear how you feel about me and the baby. It''s none of your business whether I keep the baby or not!"


    Violet violently opened the door and stormed out of the room.


    Carla who was waiting and sitting on a bench outside, suddenly stood up. She hurriedly walked up to her.


    "Carla, let''s go."


    Violet g


    wedding. I want to leave this place. I want to settle down somewhere quiet, where no one knows who I am and start over.


    But don''t worry about me. After my child is born, we will take time to visit you!"


    "What? Moving? Violet, calm down and think clearly. Where are you going with the baby?" Carla worriedly asked. She grabbed Violet''s hands tightly, looking anxious.


    "I haven''t thought about it yet. There are so many suitable places out there. But no matter where I end up, I promise you that I will take good care of myself, okay?"


    Violet slightly shook her head and tightly squeezed Carla''s hands. "Carla, do you know? Sometimes I feel so jealous of you. You have a loving mother and a loving man in your life, whereas I don''t have either. But we all have our own destiny. I''ve already accepted it and I don''t blame anyone for it.


    Congratulations in advance on your marriage. I hope that you live a wonderful, loving life that will make me and all the other women in the world jealous to death!


    I know I currently don''t have a lovely man like Terrence who can take good care of me for the rest of my life, but you do, sweetheart. So I wish you a brand new future with your loved one!" Her words were caring and loving, but her tone was tinged with pain and sadness.

 Chapter 417 I Was So Lucky To Have You Around (Part Two)

    "Oh, Violet..."


    Carla was deeply moved by her words. But she knew how difficult it was for Violet to speak so many well-wishes quickly.


    "Enough, Carla. We were not only best friends in high school. We are still best friends and our friendship will last forever! You know I won''t forget you. When I settle myself down, I will then visit you with my baby. Maybe he will call you ''godmother'' then. And you might even have your own child by that time!"


    Violet faintly smiled at that last sentence. She reached out and embraced Carla tightly.


    They hugged for a long time before they finally loosened their embrace. This might be the last time they could see each other for a while.


    After taking Violet back to her own house, Carla planned to stay for a while and keep her company. But Violet saw through her and sent her home. She knew Carla was needed there.


    Violet told Carla that since she was going to get married, there must be tons of things for her to deal with. Wedding planning was arduous work. So Violet told her not to worry and go home as soon as possible.


    In the Seaview Villa.


    Carla sat on a swing in the garden, absentmindedly swinging.


    She was gazing at the sea blankly with a heavy heart.


    She knew that not every relationship would end up happily ever after.


    Even if you gave up everything you had for the one you love, sometimes all your efforts would be in vain. Loving someone didn''t guarantee that someone would love you back.


    She wondered whether what William said in the room was true or not. Did he voluntarily leave Violet because he really didn''t love her?


    Carla was busily thinking messy thoughts in her head. She wasn''t aware that someone was coming towards her.


    "What are you thinking about so intently?"


    Terence suddenly stood in front of her.


    He saw that she seeme


    held her waist with one of his hands. "Carla, when we met and fell in love, we didn''t have a child and there was no connection between our families. How can you not believe that I love you only because of you and not because of all the other external factors?


    If our relationship is not deep enough, it would have easily fallen apart due to all kinds of things. Because if we don''t love each other or can be easily replaced by anyone, there is no way we can be together!"


    Terrence paused for a few seconds and continued, "Carla, I know what you are thinking about. William chose to leave Violet and move on, because he didn''t love Violet. He didn''t love her in the same way that I love you or you love me. That''s why he gave up on her so easily and quickly."


    Terence voiced out what Carla had been thinking the whole day.


    When Carla recalled what had happened in the ice house, she found that there was a clear line between the mental and emotional needs of a man. Men can be passionate when they are in a relationship. But when the relationship falls apart, they walk away like cold strangers.


    "Tell me, Terence. If you were him, what would you have done?"


    Carla asked out of fascination and curiosity.

 Chapter 418 It Was Better To Be Late Than Never (Part One)

    After hearing her question, Terence couldn''t help but burst into laughter. Then, he let out a sigh, placed his arms around her waist and ushered her to walk towards the rails in front of them.


    "What do you mean? Carla, I''m not interested in knowing their personal affairs. Besides, I don''t have any idea about what happened between them. So I can''t answer your question," Terrence replied.


    Although he could gather information from his resources, he was already caught up in work every day. So he didn''t have time to know what was going on with William and Violet. And if he were being honest, he wasn''t interested at all.


    It suddenly occurred to Carla that Terrence didn''t have any idea about the whole story of William and Violet, so she simply told him about it.


    After which, she asked, "I mean if you were William who was forced to take those medications and had a child with another woman, what would you have done?" Carla stared at him earnestly, waiting for a specific response.


    What Terence really wanted to tell her was that he had also been forced to take some medicine before. At that time, however, he didn''t lay a finger on the woman. With all his strength, he bit his teeth and tried everything he could to hold back the overwhelming desire that he was feeling. He even asked a doctor to give him a dose of tranquilizer.


    However, Carla didn''t know that such an incident happened.


    "Well, if I were him..." Terence said as his eyebrows furrowed in concentration.


    "Dear, can we not do this?" Terence gave up and sighed.


    But Carla just looked at him more deeply and replied, "Come on, just answer my question."


    Instead, Terence looked at the time on his watch, placed his arms around her shoulder once again and pulled her along with him out of the garden. It was time for them to pick up the wedding rings.


    "If the same th


    it to be perfect.


    In the following days, Terence hired someone to redecorate the interior of the Seaview Villa. Fortunately, the designer and contractor worked really efficiently so it didn''t take a long time for them to get the work done. Terence even brought some custom-made furniture for the house beforehand.


    There were strict processes done with those pieces of furniture. All the furniture had to be tested by professionals. After they made sure that there were no problems with the pieces, such as excessive formaldehyde, only then could they be shipped to the Seaview Villa.


    Time goes by really fast when one gets caught up in a lot of things.


    Everyone was really busy and in a rush in the following days.


    Sophie and the other servants were in a hurry tidying up the Villa since it would be Carla and Terence''s house soon. Each nook and cranny had to be wiped, swept, polished, fragrant, etc. They were very detailed so that the Villa would be spotless.


    As for Nathan and Rainer, one of them was responsible for protecting Terence, the other one had to do the things that Terence asked.


    Although they had a professional team that was in charge of the wedding festivities, there were still a lot of things to do.

 Chapter 419 It Was Better To Be Late Than Never (Part Two)

    But Carla found out that it was kind of fun making wedding preparations. She might get bored if she just sat back and didn''t have anything to do.


    She was proud not just to make a contribution to the wedding but to be very involved with the process. Everyone respected her opinions and was very understanding with the knowledge that she lacked. All of the people were easy to work with and were very accommodating. Carla couldn''t ask for a better staff to help them.


    Before they knew it, only half a month was left before the wedding.


    The decoration of the house was almost done. The style was designed by Terence and it looked really nice. Carla was satisfied with the way he did it.


    Yesterday, Carla got a call from Andrea, asking her when she was coming back home.


    Carla suddenly came to realize that a bride-to-be should stay at her own house before the wedding day. But she had been spending a lot of time in the groom''s house and busied herself with all kinds of things before the upcoming wedding.


    After all, Terence had to pick her up at the Hua family''s mansion instead of here, so she should go home and start preparing for the wedding there.


    "Ms. Carla, Mr. Terence said that there will be a party tonight. He asked me to pick you up!"


    Rainer excitedly said as he walked over to Carla. She was currently in the villa''s living room, admiring the work that they had done for the past few weeks.


    "Oh, okay. Just give me a second. I need to get changed," she responded with a small smile. She thought that it was time to tell Terrence that she should go home for a while.


    The Hua family also needed to prepare a lot of things before her wedding so she couldn''t just stay at Terrence''s house. She realized that Andrea probably needed some help as well.


    Although Carla''s big brother was at


    re T and C.


    "Rainer, do you want one?" she asked.


    Carla suddenly thought of Rainer and wanted to give him one, but when she turned around, she couldn''t find him anywhere and the car was gone as well.


    Suddenly, countless colorful balloons danced in the wind. It was so beautiful that it looked like it was straight from a romantic movie.


    As the balloons kept falling from the sky, Carla raised her hand to touch the ones that fell beside her. She smiled widely as the sweet taste of chocolate still filled her mouth.


    Although she didn''t know who was the lucky bride, she sincerely thought her best wishes to the couple.


    She could tell that the groom had put a lot of thought into the proposal. A part of her couldn''t help but feel jealous of them and wished that she could have a beautiful proposal event like that.


    When she turned around to look for Rainer one more time, she saw a man who was wearing a white suit walking through the colorful balloons. She wanted to see who it was, but the balloons obscured her view.


    All that she could see was that he lifted his hand and caught a pink balloon that was falling from the sky.


    And why did it seem like he was walking in her direction...

 Chapter 420 A Sensation Caused In the City

    Carla saw the handsome man walking among the balloons. Standing still as a rock, her heart began to pound so fast.


    The man looked somewhat familiar to her. She was in awe the moment she laid her eyes on him.


    He looked like the Prince Charming from a fairy tale!


    Carla was fascinated by his smile.


    "How was the chocolate?" Terence asked.


    He looked deep into her eyes with a gentle smile.


    Carla nodded, gave the other candy to him and replied, "You should taste it. It is really good!"


    Terence moved towards her and gave the pink balloon to her. "I know. Because I had asked them to make it extra special for you," he replied with a grin.


    Carla''s jaw widened as she took the balloon from his hand. "Really?" she asked in surprise.


    ''Wait a moment! What did he say?


    I need to chill out for a second!


    No wonder those fireworks were going off all the way as I came here.


    So...


    Terence arranged all those things for me?


    So it means that the rich guy was Terence?'' she mused.


    When Carla came to her senses, she saw a group of people approaching them with balloons in their hands. They all expressed their happiness with vibrant smiles on their faces.


    ''So was it Terence who arranged this party for me? The party that caused a sensation in the entire city!'' she thought to herself. Seeing the surprised look on her face, Terence grinned widely.


    "Carla, I''m sorry. I promised you that I would give you a big proposal when we got back here. I should have done it earlier. But, whenever I had the thought of arranging a proposal party for you, I planned to make it perfect," Terence said. Heaving a sigh, he looked at Carla.


    Theo had designed the proposal party for a long time. But Terence wasn''t satisfied with it, so he had to keep holding it off.


    Because he desired to give her the most extravagant and romantic proposal.


    When Carla noticed that a lot of people were standing around her with big smiles on their faces, she blushed, casting her eyes down.


    The scene was being broadcast live to a huge crowd gathered there.


    "Carla, thank you for coming into my life. I''m grateful that I met you for the first time in BH City that evening. You not only saved my life but also gave me some of the best memories in the world!" Terence said.


    Pausing for a secon


    for the rest of my life!"


    Moved by the gesture of Terence, Carla''s eyes filled with tears.


    Terence put his arms around her shoulder and softly whispered, "Babe, please don''t cry. If you have any doubts, you can ask me anytime you want, even after our marriage."


    "Hubby..."


    "Huh?"


    "Hubby."


    "Yes?"


    "Hubby!"


    "My dear wife!"


    Carla could not control the tears rolling down her cheeks. "Thank you so much for bearing with me. And I know that you always take good care of Sean. I''m grateful for everything you have done for me."


    Meantime, Theo burst into tears as he watched the scene through the drone. "Oh god, that''s so touching and sweet! Can you both hug and kiss each other?


    I really can''t resist this!"


    Theo fanned his hand on his eyes, trying to control his tears. At that same moment, he longed to get married too!


    Inside the square.


    Listening to what Carla said, Terence burst into laughter with his eyes sparkling. He released her arms, bent over and planted a loving kiss on her lips. "My dear, it''s okay. You don''t need to thank me."


    He did all those things for her because he loved her.


    He was madly in love with Carla that he couldn''t wait any longer to marry her.


    "All right, babe. Are you feeling hungry? Let''s have dinner."


    Terence put his arms around her and walked towards the Rolls-Royce parked along the road.


    When it was all over, Theo raised and shouted to the crowd behind him, "Mission accomplished! Mr. Terence booked a restaurant to treat us to dinner. Let''s go!"

 Chapter 421 Be Ready And Wait For Me On The Bed (Part One)

    That night, the only thing that every person in JA City could talk about was Terence''s grand marriage proposal to Carla.


    Johnny, who was standing in his yard, glared at the chocolate on his hand. If looks could kill, the chocolate would have melted in an instant. He snarled while he crumpled the chocolate, ruining the wrapper with the letters T and C on it. But it seemed like it wasn''t enough for he threw the ruined chocolate in the trash can with a thud.


    Contrary to his actions, he thought to himself quietly, ''Naive, such a naive woman and what a stupid way to propose!


    How could any woman agree to marry a man who simply showers her with all the grand gestures but lacks the most important thing¡ªsincerity? Such a foolish woman!''


    Still wearing the same annoyed look on his face, he entered the house and turned on the television. To his luck, the news happened to be broadcasting the proposal live. The whole screen was filled with balloons and flowers. It disgusted him to see Terence''s indifferent and passive face. He thought, ''How can this guy not appreciate the treasure that''s in front of him?'' However, when he saw how happy and overjoyed Carla looked, he suddenly did not know how to feel.


    It was clear to Johnny that Terence had really captured her heart. For some reason, he felt afraid that his speculation was right.


    Although he did not want to admit it, he felt a huge disappointment in his heart. He flipped through the channels to try and distract himself but his disappointment just deepened when he realized that every single channel was broadcasting the proposal or parts of it.


    Johnny sighed deeply in order to calm himself down but it did not work. He''s finally had enough. The rage finally got to his head and he threw the remote control at the television. The screen broke into pieces as Johnny breathed heavily.


    Meanwhile, in another part of town, a completely different mood was in the air.


    On the second floor of a high-end restaurant, there was a sense of celebration and overwhelming joy.


    Carla was enjoying the beautiful music as she looked down from the French window. Below were so many guests who were obviously having a good time. From her view, she could clearly see Theo, Nathan, and Rainer


    e of himself and everything that he had for her.


    For Terence, every single part of Carla, from her hair to her toe, was just perfect. He loved her deeply and sincerely like a devout believer and Carla was his God and savior.


    "Carla, there was one thing I''d wanted to tell you. The wedding rings will be done in a week. So we have to wait for the wedding ceremony to exchange rings."


    Terence explained for he thought that rings were integral to a proposal. But he had no other choice but to wait for them to be finished. Wedding rings were sacred and important so he didn''t dare to buy substitutes.


    While she chuckled a little, Carla responded, "Hey, why are you being so serious today? We already have the marriage certificate. And I didn''t even expect that you would propose to me, much more so with that kind of a grand proposal. I''m already so moved with what you''ve done today. It''s more than enough."


    Then, she smiled at him and continued, "Besides, you can''t control everything. Even if something didn''t go as planned today or if you have regrets, then we can just make our wedding perfect, right?"


    "Well, you are absolutely right. With that, do you remember that I once asked you to make a list of your relatives from the Ji family whom you want to invite to the wedding ceremony? Have you already finished doing that? I just thought that it would be really nice if they could come to the ceremony." Terence asked while he waved at the server to pour more wine into Carla''s glass.

 Chapter 422 Be Ready And Wait For Me On The Bed (Part Two)

    Upon hearing Terence mention her relatives, Carla frowned and scowled subconsciously before she responded, "Not yet. I will finish it as soon as possible."


    She lowered her head and became upset when she remembered that there was a time when her so-called relatives even refused to meet her and Sean for fear that they would be their burden.


    And now that she had the opportunity to invite them to her wedding, she found it hard to think of anyone that she wanted to see at her wedding. There really wasn''t anyone that she could think of.


    They talked about more details of the wedding before heading to dinner together.


    After that, Terence had intended to stay in the hotel for one night but Carla refused and asked him if they could go back home instead.


    They had already enjoyed themselves in the proposal party and had dinner together. Now that the festivities of the grand proposal had died down a little, there was no better place to be than their home to relax and have a good rest.


    While they were in the car back home, Carla could feel Terence''s impatience and enthusiasm for her. He had already endured two months without physical intimacy. Now that she had fully recovered, his desire for her didn''t stop for even a second during the day. Waiting for pleasure and pleasure only was easy for Terence but it had been hard to patiently wait for the connection that his heart longed for.


    Yesterday, he took her to the hospital for a checkup considering that she only had the miscarriage about fifty days ago. He was worried that she might have not fully recovered yet.


    However, the doctor said that her recovery had been going consistently well and she could engage in normal sexual activities already.


    The moment he heard this, Terence acted just like a beast who had regained his freedom. He stayed close to Carla as much as possible and wouldn''t stop initiating small physical intimacy whenever he could. Every time he looked at her, Carla felt like he was looking at his prey. It seemed like he could rush at her any second and swallow her whole. If Edmund


    rectly went to her room.


    She took a shower and applied a facial mask before walking out of the bathroom.


    Upon entering the bedroom, she found that Terence was already there.


    A little surprised, Terence scrutinized the mask on her face and asked helplessly, "Honey, how long does it take to apply and remove that mask?"


    "About twenty minutes. Why do you ask?" Waiting for the mask to dry, she sat on the sofa, took out some paper and a pen. She finally thought of finishing the list tonight.


    "How could it take so long?" Terence whined a little.


    Frowning, he sat next to her and gently touched her ankle. Trying not to make it too obvious, he stared at her silk nightgown from the corner of his eyes.


    Then, he saw a small hand reaching out to pull down her nightgown, covering her knees and thighs.


    Holding the pen in her hand, she couldn''t help but laugh when she noticed the strong desire in his eyes and the rest of his face. Just by looking at him, she knew that he was being tortured and was having a very hard time at that moment.


    Terence gazed on the white as snow hand that was making the nightgown stay in place. Then, he let out a long breath. He stood up and said, "I''m going to take a shower now. I will be back shortly. Be ready and wait for me on the bed!"


    After finishing his statement, he started undressing while he walked towards the bathroom.

 Chapter 423 A Family Reunion

    Upon seeing that he had left the room, Carla smiled faintly. She picked up a pen and started listing relatives who should be invited to the wedding.


    After her parents passed away, she had barely visited those relatives. But since this marriage ceremony was just once in her lifetime, she thought that it was proper to invite them to the party to celebrate with her.


    She even planned to invite all the relatives whose names she could remember.


    Uncles, aunts, cousins, and even grandparents.


    But she wanted to make sure that her relatives must not sit at the same table with the Hua family. They never knew her real identity. More importantly, she didn''t want Sean to know.


    So she must be cautious about it.


    After Terence came out, he saw that Carla was writing her list while she still wore the face mask.


    He walked to her and tore that sheet of paper away from her hands. He lifted her up in his arms and carried her towards the bathroom.


    Carla ripped off the mask away from face and glared at him with full of hostility.


    "What the hell are you doing? I''m almost finished!" She shouted at him.


    Terence only snorted and replied, "I''m giving you one minute to wash your face. If you are late, don''t expect me to show any mercy in bed tonight. And I''m afraid that you won''t be able to get out of bed tomorrow morning."


    "What the hell, Terence? Ugh. Alright already! Just give me a second!" Carla kept herself busy with the list and it slipped out of her mind that she was supposed to spend some time with Terence. After she had washed and dried her face, she finally walked out of the bathroom.


    The moment she stepped into the bedroom, she felt as if a strong hurricane had enveloped her.


    Terence filled her with kisses as he drowned into the intense fires of his burning passion and love for her.


    Carla smiled bitterly and thought that she should satisfy this wild man more often. Otherwise, she would end up being sore in bed.


    As their bodies swayed together during the kisses, they found themselves lying in bed. Both of them gasped for air.


    Even if Terence tried to be tender and soft to her, her body was still sore.


    Then she turned to look at Terence who was lying on top of her and softly whispered, "Terence?"


    "Yes?" Terence replied. Then he threw his arms around her and gave her a peck on her lips. "I''m sorry, Carla, I should have gone easy on you. But I just couldn''t help it. You''re so beautiful."


    "I''m fine, Terence. There''s something I wanted to tell you though." Carla stroked his soft hair and continued, "My mom wants me to go home to the Hua family.


    And I think it''s best for me to go home and prepare for our wedding too. What do you think?"


    Upon hearing what she had said, Terence''s eyebrows furrowed deeply. "You''re going to go back home? To the Hua family?"


    "Of course. Otherwise, how can you pick me up from my home on our wedding day?" Carla replied, nodding her head.


    Terence only went silent and tightened his grip around her shoulder.


    Then he opened his mouth after a short pause, "I know that but I don''t want to be apart from you even for a single second."


    Ca


    ll pass off as a doll.


    It was no wonder on how he kept attracting girls'' attention. Andrea once complained to Carla that Tristan would always be hanging out with girls and barely went home.


    "Of course. His name is Sean and he''s eleven years old. I''ll introduce him to you guys when the time is right!" Carla replied as she smiled.


    "Why the long wait? You''re going to get married next week, aren''t you? I think it''s the perfect time for us to meet him. What do you think, mom?" Tristan asked, turning to Andrea.


    Andrea nodded in agreement. "Callie, I''ve been meaning to tell you about it. Ever since your parents passed away, no one could take care of Sean. Why not bring him here? I''ll look after him. We''re a big family and your mother is really good with children!


    Callie, rest assured that I will treat him like my own son and make him feel at home."


    Carla slightly shook her head as her eyes went downcast, "Mom, I really appreciate the thought. When the time is right, I''ll tell him about it. But for now, I don''t want him to know about it yet. He''s still too young to have this kind of pressure."


    Sean had always thought that Carla was his biological sister. Even though he had grown older, she was still afraid that it would be a hard pill for him to swallow.


    If he found out that she had another family with her biological parents, with a lot of brothers and sisters, he would get heartbroken and feel lonely.


    She couldn''t bear to put to him in that position and make him suffer.


    "Callie, you''re right. He''s still too young." Then Andrea turned to Tristan, "And you, Tristan, should behave yourself and watch your mouth during the wedding." She was totally understanding of Callie''s worries.


    After all, he was only eleven years old. Family meant a lot to him as a little child. He might be crushed if he found out about it.


    As they were enjoying their little chit-chat, the sound of footsteps coming from outside suddenly caught their attention.


    When Tristan laid his eyes on the man in the doorway, he waved and shouted, "Big brother, you''re finally back!"

 Chapter 424 I Was A Married Man

    Noah walked inside the house just as Carla looked at the door.


    "I''m sorry that I''m late. There was an emergency that I had to deal with, at the company," he said.


    "It is nothing, Noah. Come here and sit beside me!" Andrea gestured to the seat next to her. She then glanced at Tristan who was already sitting beside her and said, "Tristan, you need to keep your mind occupied with something else. How about you go to the company and help your brother with work?


    You see, Noah is running this big business all by himself. It is time for you to start acting like a responsible adult."


    Hearing his mother, Tristan scratched his head casually and replied, "I know, Mom. I''m still young though. I will help the company in two years. I''m still enjoying my time with my friends."


    "Is that what you want to do for the rest of your life? Fool around and have fun? Your big brother started in the company when he was nineteen years old. Have you even made any contribution to the company yet?" Andrea scolded him.


    It was then that Noah glanced at Tristan too and said, "It''s okay, Mom. I can handle things by myself."


    He then turned to Carla, who was sitting opposite him and asked, "Callie, here''s your wedding present. Why don''t you open it and see if you like it?"


    It was not until he mentioned the present that Carla noticed the small bag in his hand.


    Opening it, Carla found two jade bracelets inside the bag. She could easily tell that the bracelets were extremely expensive based on how the stones looked.


    "Thank you so much for the present, brother. They are pretty nice."


    Carla put them on and smiled upon seeing how the color complimented her skin tone.


    "I''m glad that you like it," Noah replied and then looked away.


    It was a few minutes after, that their servants served their dinner.


    Their house was filled with a relaxing atmosphere. It was after dinner that Carla discovered how Noah encountered a lot of difficulty convincing York and Tristan to attend her wedding while she was in JA City.


    Tristan was happy to come, but York remained unwilling no matter how hard Noah tried.


    However, York showed up eventually that night after he thought that the event would do good for his business.


    He believed that Carla could live a wealthy life right after they got married. He must have a good relationship with her from now on since his company could benefit from her marriage to Terrence.


    Moreover, he also thought that he should come home as much as possible to take care of Andrea.


    He was now willing to sort out his relationship with Carla after figuring out all these things.


    A week passed.


    The wedding day arrived in the blink of an eye.


    The An family had delivered the wedding dress and betrothal presents to the Hua family the other day.


    fferent places.


    Carla was exhausted after having to run around. Her legs were so numb that she could hardly walk straight.


    Her family left after lunch and Terence arranged a plane to take them home.


    Each of them got a present before leaving.


    Carla heard from Helen that Terence gave each of them a golden bracelet as a gift.


    Carla was totally surprised and thought that it was very generous of Terence to do such.


    However, she began to fear that some of her relatives might take advantage of Terence''s generosity in the future. She was sure that the Hua Family wouldn''t do that since they were wealthy enough. It wasn''t like she was favoring the Hua Family more. It was just that she knew for a fact that some of their relatives could be greedy when it came to money.


    Noah delivered his promise and gave several million dollars for her dowry to the An family.


    Although the An family was wealthy enough and was used to seeing such a large amount of money, Noah still tried his best to make her look good.


    There was barely anyone who could offer such a huge amount of money as the Hua family did. Noah believed that this large sum of money would eventually stop those people from gossiping about Carla''s family background behind her back.


    It was already around four in the afternoon when Carla finally relaxed.


    She went back to the bedroom and took a rest. It was such a relief that today''s ceremony was over and all that was left was the party tonight.


    Although there were still some people coming to the party tomorrow and the day after, they would not be as busy as today.


    "Rainer? Could you come here for a moment, please?"


    Carla called him to their room and said, "Keep your eyes on Terence and don''t let him drink so much alcohol. Do you understand?"


    Because every time Terence was drunk, she was the one who suffered a lot.

 Chapter 425 Wedding Party (Part One)

    "Mrs. Carla, today is the wedding day and there are plenty of VIPs in the ceremony. I have reminded Mr. Terence over and over again to slow down on the alcohol, but it seemed like I was talking to a plant," Rainer replied as he scratched his head out of frustration.


    It was a good thing that Rainer had picked out such an impeccable suit. The red flower on his chest really brought out the color of his eyes. As smart as he might have looked, his eyebrows were furrowed together as he could not comprehend why Mr. Terence had become hard-headed when it came to his drinking. Standing in front of Carla, he grabbed the bow around his neck and fixed it to take his mind off the pressing issue.


    "Classic Terrence. He might have not listened to you, but I assure you... I know him well. I know how to turn his knobs. He will listen to me. It''s easy. Just tell him it''s my idea," Carla said as a smirk formed on the corners of her lips.


    She didn''t want to ban him from all alcoholic drinks during the wedding. After all, who would not take a sip at all the bottles of aged wine that were served in the ceremony? All she wanted was for him not to get drunk. The wedding would last for three days. If kept his drinking pace, he would end up being drunk for the whole duration of the wedding.


    "Most certainly, Madam!"


    Rainer nodded his head.


    The plan might have seemed simple and such a no-brainer. But he had second thoughts as soon as he turned around and left his conversation with Carla. He wasn''t really sure if Mr. Terence would even listen to anything Carla might or would say.


    Because Terence was known to have such an attitude. When he was still a bachelor, everyone knew that no one could tell Terence what to do. He was the boss, and he made the rules. But of course, that was before, and Rainer clearly has not yet gotten used to any of this.


    He thought tha


    take a quick rest for her feet.


    Carla was surprised at the warm greeting that she had received. She had no recollection whatsoever, who this person was. But Carla could tell from the woman''s look that she was the wife of a high-ranking official.


    "Oh, Thank you so much," Carla said as she raised her glass to toast.


    "Mrs. Carla, do you mind telling us how you and Mr. Terence met each other? It must have been quite a lovely experience. Was there any spark the first time you saw him?" a younger woman asked intently as she walked near them and sat beside Carla.


    Carla was caught off guard. She felt embarrassed to say that she was just a simple delivery girl when she and Terence met the first time, and she knew that she had to keep her story in the best version possible.


    "When I was living in BH City, Mr. Terence went there once. We started to get to know each other after I bumped into him," she replied as she skipped over the important points of the real story.


    "Oh, is that so? That''s funny, because a little bird told me that you had such a hard time when you lived in BH City. There was even a story about you raising your little brother who was in primary school at that time. Is any of it true? Come on, you can tell us."

 Chapter 426 Wedding Party (Part Two)

    She went straight to the point, no holds barred. It seemed that the lady wanted to know who Carla really was when stripped of all the glamour.


    Carla took a deep breath, paused for a minute before she could gather all her strength to answer the question. "Yes, it is true. I won''t deny it. The truth is that my foster parents passed away when we were young, so I have been raising my brother on my own," she frankly replied.


    "Really? Oh my, you really have been through a lot. We admire your courage and strength to push through with life''s twists and turns. But everything turned out well in the end. The Hua family finally found you and now you are Mr. Terence''s wife,"


    the young woman said as she raised her glass for another toast. "Mrs. Carla, congratulations," she added.


    Carla, on the other hand, felt a bit odd about the whole questioning. She went silent and took a sip of the wine.


    After a while, Carla finally came to her senses and realized that these women were not really there to congratulate her. They were there just to gossip about her and Terence''s relationship.


    But none of these ladies dared to ask her directly about why she married Terence. They just beat around the bush, because they knew that they were no match for Carla''s current social status.


    They had an obvious strategy. They would first ask Carla tons of seemingly irrelevant questions and then leave, so that she wouldn''t notice that they were trying to piece the stories together.


    Carla realized that these women were trying to pry into her personal life.


    She started to doubt if most of the greetings and the congratulations were even sincere. She then felt tired of having to assess each and every question if it had any hidden agenda.


    And this led her to exhausting ment


    y to do this kind of stuff?'' she thought to herself.


    "Carla, where do you think you''re going? We''ve been waiting for you for ages, come on!" Theo shouted at her, grinning cheekily as if hiding something very shady.


    Hearing what he said, Carla suddenly stiffened. She slowly turned around as beads of sweat formed on her face. "Mr. Theo, I think we can do this a little bit later. After all, my husband is not here yet."


    As soon as she finished talking, Terence had come upstairs and walked towards them.


    "Okay, He''s here! We''re ready. Let''s get this party started! Bros, you know what to do!"


    Theo said as he snapped his fingers and commanded his fellow men.


    A deep furrow appeared between Terence''s brows upon realizing what they were going to do.


    Terence didn''t want any other party in the first place, but Theo pestered him about it all the time. In the end he had to give in to the annoying persuasion.


    Theo told Terence that they should have their fun at his wedding party. It would be mean of Terence not to let them do it. After all, it wouldn''t hurt to let loose for just a little while.


    "Bride and groom, it''s time! Come on, let''s go inside!" Theo said.

 Chapter 427 To Explore With The Mouth

    Theo was smiling from ear to ear as he led the newlyweds into the room.


    Terence stepped inside with his hand clasping Carla''s.


    "Theo, guess what. I''m going to get you on your wedding day,"


    Terence whispered into Theo''s ear as he passed him.


    He was determined to return the tricks back to Theo if he dared to put him in an embarrassing situation.


    His words definitely sent chills down Theo''s spine.


    "I''m a little scared, Terence," Carla mumbled.


    Just like a frightened kitten, she squeezed herself tightly into Terence''s firm body.


    She had witnessed how newlyweds in BH City were teased, and to be honest, it could get pretty frenzied and embarrassing.


    Carla prayed silently in her heart that the people would be kind and not push her too hard.


    Terence pressed her palm tightly as he replied in a calm voice, "No need to worry. Nathan is out there with the bodyguard. People will be driven out of the room if they dare to go too far."


    "But it''s our big day. We''d better not be involved in violence," Carla reminded.


    No one wanted anything unpleasant to happen on their wedding day.


    That was why Terence had allowed himself to be made fun of by these people.


    "If you don''t want to see violence, then work with me." A grin formed on Terence''s face.


    Terence was prepared to entertain his guests and make them happy. He would not mind being the laughing stock, as long as they didn''t ask for too much.


    Upon hearing that, Carla gave him a gentle tweak in his arm.


    Theo then clapped his hands to get the attention of the lovebirds. "Well, well, no more whispers there. You''ll have time to show your intimacy in public," he chuckled out loud as he took out a list from his pocket.


    "Terence, I''ve been preparing for this day for a whole month. That''s what friends would do, right?" Theo teased some more.


    "Come on, pull the bed over here. Right over here, okay?"


    As the props were already in place, Theo walked up to Terence with a self-satisfied smirk on his face.


    "The first game is called To Explore With the Mouth. Just lie down, Terence," Theo ordered.


    As a crooked smile crept on his lips, Terence slowly and deliberately took off his coat, handing it over to Rainer before laying on the bed.


    Seeing Terence obeying his commands, a triumphant look flashed on Theo''s face. He had been waiting too long for the day when he would give the orders, while the others submissively followed.


    "Give me the stuff." Theo took a bag from the man


    How could it be over when they were just starting?


    "Oh, come on, man! For the sake of all the efforts I''ve put into it, let''s play one more game, please! I promise you won''t miss anything outside the room," Theo begged.


    "Today is your big day. We''re all looking forward to sharing your special moments. You''re not going to let us down, are you?"


    Theo said with a groan, attempting to evoke a response from the group.


    And seconds later, he immediately saw the results when one of them said, "Theo''s right, Mr. Terence. One game is not enough. We''re waiting for something more exciting. One more, please!"


    "One more. We haven''t had fun yet!"


    The other people joined in, much to Theo''s delight.


    Carla breathed a deep sigh. She could sense that the situation was becoming complicated, but was glad that she wasn''t married into an ordinary family or to an ordinary man. Otherwise, the situation would probably get out of control.


    Terence was from the An family¨C¨Ca proper and decent clan, who would never allow the situation to get out of hand. Although he was tolerant of Theo, nobody dared to cause any mischief on his wedding day.


    Terence then checked the time and said with his brow raised, "Fine. Just one more game."


    Theo joyfully snapped his finger as he cried, "Bingo!"


    He swiftly glanced over the list in his hand and decided to bring out the most ruthless one.


    Although he was a bit frustrated to skip the others, which he thoroughly planned and prepared for, Theo was still satisfied to make Terence play the last game on his list.


    Having done the easiest one, he now wanted the cruelest and naughtiest one for the finale.

 Chapter 428 Beautiful Miss Terence

    Theo coughed several times to pretend to be serious.


    Then, he turned his eyes to Terence and Carla.


    "Terence, I have an idea. Could you two exchange clothes and run a lap around the villa wearing them?"


    he asked, laughing maliciously.


    He knew that Terence was an extremely macho man and although this request wouldn''t be too difficult for other people, it would be a serious challenge for Terence.


    Indeed, things were just as Theo had expected.


    The corner of Terence''s mouth quivered involuntarily as soon as he heard Theo''s request. He looked at Carla''s traditional red bridal dress and asked Theo, "Do you think her size will fit me? This idea won''t work. Change it!"


    "No, no, no! I like this idea! You can''t change it! Even if her size doesn''t fit you, you must figure out another way to wear it! Anyway, you must adhere to my request!" Theo immediately refuted.


    Carla, who was standing next to Terence, couldn''t help but bow her head and snicker.


    Truth be told, Carla couldn''t agree more with this idea! She eagerly wanted to see how Terence would look if he wore women''s clothes. And of course, she didn''t mind wearing men''s clothes. The only problem for her was that Terence''s trousers might be too long, but she could just lift the seams up or fold them.


    "Theo, are you sure?" Terence asked while gritting his teeth, looking as if he wanted to hit Theo right now.


    Suddenly, Carla opened her mouth after seeing the situation.


    "Umm... Theo, I have a suggestion! My dress is tailor-made. I think it might be too small for Terence. I''m afraid that he''ll tear it if he wears it.


    I remember that there is a Chinese bridal dress in my room which is a little looser. It will definitely fit him. And you''ll still have your request fulfilled. How about letting Terence change into that dress instead?"


    Terence looked at Carla in surprise when he heard her suggestion, but Carla just gave an innocent shrug in response.


    ''I admit that I''ve asked him to wear women''s clothes before, but this time, it was Theo who posed this idea! So don''t blame me!'' she thought to herself.


    "Okay! That''s a good idea! Hurry up, Terence, Carla. You only have ten minutes!" Theo replied and hurried them into the room.


    When they entered the room, Carla closed the door, went to the cabinet, and took out the traditional Chinese bridal dress which she was ready to wear the next day. Of course, this dress was a modern version, so it was not as complicated to wear as the actual traditional clothes.


    After taking out the beautiful and delicately embroidered bridal dress, she looked back and saw Terence looking at her with an unhappy expression on his handsome face.


    "Terence, don''t be mad. They just want to celebrate our wedding this way. You just need to put this on and walk around the villa. Although you don''t have to take their request seriously, you should have a try at least!" Carla said, trying to persuade him.


    Then, she walked over and help


    miring how he looked in the dress.


    It seemed that as long as he slightly raised the corner of his lips, Carla would be willing to do everything to get his smile.


    "What are you doing? Why are you stunned?"


    Terence felt puzzled after seeing Carla in a stupefied state. He waved his hand in front of her eyes, trying to pull her back to reality. Truth be told, although Terence was unhappy about wearing women''s clothes, he thought that it wasn''t as embarrassing as it could have been. At least this dress fit him.


    The only drawback of this dress was that it was a little uncomfortable for him to walk.


    Carla finally came back to reality and touched the corner of her mouth subconsciously. She had to admit that she was fascinated by him!


    It was true that as long as a man had a handsome face, he wouldn''t look ugly even if he was wearing women''s clothes. And Terence was just a perfect example of this. He looked extremely beautiful in that moment!


    Suddenly, Carla felt that she was a little ordinary compared to him.


    Truth be told, she felt a little remorseful now. Terence''s good looks would completely win the public''s attention even though it originally belonged to her, the bride.


    She thought, ''Why did I eagerly want to see him wear women''s clothes before? What a mistake!''


    "Why aren''t you changing your clothes?" Terence asked when he saw that Carla hadn''t even begun to change her clothes.


    "Oh! Okay! I''ll change right away!" Humming casually, Carla began to put on Terence''s clothes.


    She thought, ''What am I worried about? Terence is my husband! Why am I comparing myself with my own husband? However pretty he looks, he is my man!


    Yes, he''s mine! Nobody can take him away from me!''


    With that in mind, Carla changed into Terence''s clothes and tried her best to tighten the waistband of the trousers as his clothes were too big for her.


    Soon, the door of the room opened.


    Carla and Terence came out from the room, one behind the other.

 Chapter 429 Convenient to Crack

    Carla came out wearing a red and black Han Chinese robe for men. It made her look really masculine. Nonetheless, she knew that no one would even notice her once Terence came out.


    Terence stepped out of the room too.


    And as soon as he did, the hall was suddenly engulfed in total silence.


    He was wearing a red and gold robe with wide sleeves. His narrow waist was accentuated perfectly by his wavy over-skirt. He then walked gracefully.


    Carla could clearly see how everyone in that place was surprised, especially Theo, whose eyes were very wide for a while.


    "Ah! Who''s this girl? Although she''s a little too tall, she is still so beautiful!" Walking over and looking at Terence eagerly, Theo couldn''t help but touch his face.


    "Do you need a punch?"


    Terence squinted at him.


    "No, I am just appreciating you. Why do you have to be so angry?" Theo pulled his hand back and stared at Terence. It was just then that he recognized Terence behind his unusual look. He thought that Terence would make himself look funny.


    However, his transformation ended up amazing!


    Seeing that someone molested his ''wife'', Carla stepped forward and drove Theo away "What are you doing? This beautiful lady is mine. Can''t you see it?"


    Terence looked at the woman before him. His eyes were smiling and it made him more attractive. He was indeed a stunning woman while wearing that costume.


    "Theo, we don''t need to go down to the first floor, right? So, I suppose going around the second floor should be enough."


    Theo nodded in a daze as he watched Terence and Carla walk with their hands joined.


    However, everyone on the first floor could still see them if they would just look up.


    "Oh, look! Are they celebrating their wedding in their bridal chamber? Is the one in women''s clothing Mr. Terence?"


    "Where? Let me see!"


    The ladies who had just looked at the couple, all laughed out loud.


    "Mr. Terence looks so pretty and fierce in those robes!"


    "Yeah! She looks even more attractive than we do! Good thing he''s a man!"


    Edmund, who was sitting and chatting with some of his friends, looked upstai


    those. You are my husband now and I will heavily rely on you in the future. I need to make sure that you''ll always be okay too!"


    Carla said with a smile. She then stood up and put another handful of nuts into his hand.


    "Thank you, sweetheart. Umh... Has this stone been useful to you?" Terence took the nuts while still looking at the floor. The number of shells there made him realize how much effort Carla exerted in cracking the nuts. Thus, he sure needed to eat some of the nuts. Otherwise, her efforts would be wasted.


    "It''s okay. It was easy to use, but a bit heavy." While saying that, Carla cracked another walnut.


    Terence smiled and looked at her. He didn''t even say anything when Carla pounded on the nut using the expensive jadeite. If she liked using it, then so be it.


    "Are you planning to eat all of these before sleeping?"


    he asked while looking at their bed, which was still full of seeds.


    Carla ate what she peeled and then stood up with her hands clasped together. Looking at the mess on the floor, she went to fetch some cleaning tools but Terence pulled her arm.


    "You don''t have to do that. Someone will be coming to clean those tomorrow."


    Even before she could react, Terence gently pulled on her silky-strap pajama next. He then tenderly leaned his head on her shoulder and whispered, "Since you are officially my bride now, How about... we start our own business?"

 Chapter 430 The Wedding Night

    "So what should the bride and groom do on their wedding night?" Terence asked with a hoarse voice, snickering.


    As a reply, Carla blinked her eyes slightly, smiled back, and replied, "Of course, something exciting should be done on the wedding night!"


    However, her smile melted gradually when she looked at Terence and said, "But you''re not new to this anymore. We''ve been doing this for so long.


    You know what, Terrence? I suddenly regret giving myself to you so easily before marriage. I should have been more reserved of myself until tonight..."


    Actually, Carla was a bit remorseful and thought that they should have not made love too early. She felt like they missed one of the most beautiful parts of their wedding night, which was digging into each other''s mystery.


    It was her reaction that triggered the awkward silence between them.


    Terence broke the ice and took Carla into his arms. He kissed her passionately until they were running out of breath. They were gasping when the kiss ended but Terence muttered, "Although we''ve been a couple for nearly a year, we were separated most times, Carla. We were seldom together. You have no clue about how much I''ve been looking forward day and night for you to marry me and be with me every day. I''ve never stopped wishing for this day when you cannot leave me anymore.


    In short, we''re just beginning our lives together Carla. Our story has just begun, understand?"


    He kept staring at Carla dotingly the whole time. In his eyes, their relationship had just begun, which meant that they were just about to enter another phase of their lives.


    "You know, I didn''t mean that..."


    Carla tried to explain with her hands propped on his chest but Terence cut her off.


    "I know! However, I never regret anything. I felt from the beginning that I am the one for you. From the very first time I made love to you, I already planned to make love to you for a lifetime."


    He muttered against her ear while smiling sweetly.


    Carla looked up at him and then suddenly gave a sweet bite on his thin lips. He wasn''t prepared when this fragile woman surprisingly flipped them over and pressed him under her body.


    "Just to remind you, dear. It was I who made love to you when we first did it and not the other way around!"


    refuted Carla in a naughty tone.


    The whole wedding night was filled with exciting and happy lovemaking for the two. They never stopped until neither of them could move a muscle.


    The following morning, the housekeeper came to knock on their door at an early hour.


    "Mr. Terence, is Mrs. Carla awake? Almost all the relatives are already here.


    It''s time to go downstairs!"


    Since it was the day after their wedding, the couple should bow their heads and serve tea to the elders according to the An family tradition. Then after that, they also needed to visit the An family''s ancestral temple to pay respect to t


    le.


    The living room was large but then almost three-fourths of it was occupied by the An family''s relatives.


    "Mr. Terence, Mrs. Carla, it''s time to serve tea,"


    said one of the maids while bringing them two cups of tea.


    Carla was nervous when she took a cup with her trembling hand. She could even feel her stomach twisting! Taking a deep breath, she walked towards Nicholas together with Terence and served the old man his tea.


    "Good! Terence, Carla. I hope for you both to live a happy life together and hold each other''s hand until you grow old. Of course, I also hope for you two to have a baby as soon as possible, for our family!" Nicholas laughed heartily after giving his blessing. He then took two boxes from the side of the table and handed them to Terence and Carla.


    "Thank you, Grandpa,"


    the two replied in unison.


    They then moved to serve tea for Edmund. This time, Edmund gave them a red envelope.


    Curiously, Carla inspected the envelope and realized that there was a card inside it.


    Since Edmund was the chairman of the AJ Group, Carla found it reasonable for him to give her a bank card instead. He must give her daughter-in-law a large amount of money based on his status. Thus, a red envelope wouldn''t be big enough to hold such an amount of cash.


    After a few hours, Terence and Carla were almost done serving tea to everybody. That was when Terence took Carla to a chestnut-haired woman wearing glasses. The woman looked like she was in her forties with a very unique temperament which was hard to ignore.


    At first glance, Carla thought she was very gentle. However, after observing the woman some more, Carla found traces of coldness behind her soft-looking eyes. It was making people want to approach her but then dared not to try.


    "Carla, this is my..."


    "Terence, let me introduce myself!"


    Just as Terence was going to introduce her, the chestnut-haired woman spoke first.

 Chapter 431 As If The Bride Wasnt There!

    In some cases, one has too many rivals in love.


    "Hello, I''m Dany. Terence''s aunt. Terence''s mother passed away when he was a child and he had spent a lot of time staying with me ever since!"


    Dany wore a pair of chic thin-framed glasses which made her look intellectual and charming. She smiled warmly and gave Carla a welcoming hug.


    Dany added, "We should have met earlier! Actually, Terence called and asked me to come early but I got caught up with something."


    Carla smiled back and nodded her head, "Thank you so much for coming. I am so glad to finally meet you!"


    Carla was a fan of food shows and used to watch food shows back in BH City. Although she couldn''t cook, she loved watching other people cook.


    Meanwhile, Dany had participated in many cooking competitions and was always ranked high.


    Hence, Carla had already known Dany because of those food shows. She was so delighted to finally see her in person and was actually surprised that she was Terence''s aunt."


    "Oh, dear me! How sweet of you. Here''s a little present for you," Dany spoke as she handed a box to Carla.


    Carla took it pleasantly. She initially thought that Dany would be as difficult as Edmund but she was wrong. Dany was a sweet woman who was full of delight.


    It took time for Carla and Terence to meet all the elders of the An family.


    Then they headed to the ancestral temple where the ancestor worship ceremony would be held.


    And then they had lunch at An''s Manor. The feast tables were already in place and there was an abundance of food and drinks.


    It was Dany who designed the food for the feast. As far as Carla was concerned, she thought that it was way better than any meal made by some chef at a five-star hotel.


    Carla then walked alone towards a table where the guests seemed to be of the same age as her. However, she felt something was off as soon as she had taken her seat.


    She had been placed at that table because they wanted her to feel at ease with her peers.


    Unfortunately, the arrangement turned out to be wrong.


    She glanced over the table and saw Megan sitting across the table. Megan and Terence grew up together and the relationship between their families was tight. Hence, Megan and her parents were invited to the party.


    When her eyes met Megan''s glaring ones, she immediately looked away in embarrassment, only to catch Amanda''s gaze.


    Amanda also gazed at Carla with no sense of friendliness.


    Carla let out a deep sigh.


    Holy cow


    r!"


    Upon hearing that, Carla took a deep breath, dropped her chopsticks slowly, and stared straight into Megan''s face. "Miss Megan, whatever my family is and whatever my background is, I am Terence''s wife now. And it''s because of me that you have an opportunity to sit here with us. If you aren''t pleased with it, feel free to leave anytime!"


    Carla stood her ground and demanded firmly.


    Her words thoroughly irritated Megan more. "What did you just say? You dare to drive me away?


    Did you all hear that, everyone? This evil woman wanted to drive me away!" she cried, attempting to make a scene.


    "How could you be so rude to me? Is this what marriage brings you? Making you more unreasonable? How dare you!"


    Megan kept raising her voice to draw attention.


    Megan''s parents heard her shouts and her mother came to her.


    "Megan, what''s the matter?" she asked with a concerned look.


    Megan glared at Carla and replied in a miserable tone, "Mother! She''s driving me away just because I said something she doesn''t like!


    I want to leave now! I can''t stand to spend another second here!"


    Megan dramatically groaned. She let out tears as if she was the victim. She could always make it appear as if she was the victim.


    Megan''s mother listened to her daughter and believed that it was Carla who had started to stir up trouble. Then she yelled at her husband, "Hey, bastard! Don''t you have a heart! Your beloved daughter is being bullied! How could you sit there and eat?"


    Terence also heard the shouts of Megan''s mother, for he sat at the same table as Megan''s father. Then everybody turned around quickly to see what was happening.

 Chapter 432 Im Not Marrying You To Return Your Favors

    Hearing all the noise, Edmund decided to find out what was happening. Thus, he stood up and walked to where it was coming from.


    "What''s wrong with you, Megan? Why are you crying? Who made you cry?" he immediately comforted Megan as soon as he came out and saw her crying.


    Megan noticed him approaching, so she hugged his arm tightly and sobbed louder, "That daughter-in-law of yours is too arrogant, Uncle. She ordered me to leave during our meal. I don''t even know why and thought that it might be because I said something wrong.


    I don''t think I''ll be coming back here in the future. I''m so scared that she might kick me out again."


    Edmund patted Megan''s back gently while consoling, "What are you talking about, my poor girl? Your father is my good friend and you are welcome in this house anytime you want. Who would dare to kick you out?"


    Strategically, Megan gave Carla a fierce glare.


    "Well, I see. Carla, apologize to Megan. It is quite normal for youngsters to have arguments. Today is a big day, so don''t mess it up."


    Edmund said to Carla in a serious tone.


    Silently, Carla''s fist clenched under the table. She looked down, thinking, ''Today is my wedding day. Why should I apologize to her? That''s ridiculous!''


    "What''s going on here, Father?"


    Terence walked towards them and asked worriedly. He glanced at Carla, who was sitting silently, and then shifted his gaze to Megan, who was now sporting her red teary eyes.


    "Terence, your wife bullied me." Seeing that Terence came over, Megan took advantage and blurted out even before Carla could speak.


    "What happened, Carla?" Terence stretched his hand towards his wife, completely ignoring Megan.


    Taking his hand before standing up, Carla replied, "Nothing. I was just eating when someone cursed me in a roundabout way. I felt uncomfortable. Today is my wedding day and I just want to do everything at my will. Thus, I said something casually. That''s the whole story."


    As a reaction, Terence held Carla''s hand tighter with his eyes not leaving her face. He then nodded understandingly before reaching out to her hair and raking his fingers through it. He then said to the others, "Hear me out, Father and Uncle Aaron.


    Today is Carla''s and my big day. She is the bride and most importantly, my wife. I don''t want to hear anyone bad-mouthing her and more so, I won''t tolerate anyone saying anything malicious against her."


    Edmund coughed to break the embarrassment. He then smiled helplessly and said, "Well, it''s more than normal for two young girls to have different opinions. Don''t stand. Let''s sit down and enjoy the food."


    On the other hand, Aaron pulled his wife, Rafaela, to him. He knew his daughter like the back of his hand. Now that Terence offered them the opportunity to avoid the embarrassment, it was advisable for them to seize it.


    Arguing and going against such a powerful person would only lead them to trouble.


    "You''re right, Edmund. It''s just a small matter. Today is Terence''s big day. Megan, behave yourself. You are not in your own home."


    Aaron turned to Megan while reprimanding her. He was about to walk back to his seat when Carla grabbed Terence''s hand tightly, looked at him, and uttered, "Can you clarify something here, Terence?"


    "What''s the matter?"


    Terence could see the seriousne


    ng but a delivery girl who kept Terence living in her home for several days. During those days, they lived and did everything together in that small house. How could a man keep himself from falling in love with a girl who is with him every second? Every girl would seize the opportunity and try every method to seduce such an excellent man under the same circumstances. Am I right?"


    The girl, sitting next to Megan was her good friend. Hearing Megan''s explanation, she nodded and said, "That might be right. Apart from love at first sight, people always develop crushes on those who keep them company all the time."


    "If it was me sharing the same place with Terence and meeting him every second back then, then today would have just been our wedding day. You see?"


    Megan rolled her eyes while explaining. She then gnashed her teeth and added, "That''s why I have always been considering her as a humble woman even after she inexplicably became the daughter of the Hua family. She doesn''t deserve Terence."


    "Hush! Talk quietly! We are still inside the An Manor. We will be in big trouble if someone hears us!"


    The girl reminded Megan again.


    Carla was just standing behind the tree, listening to them quietly.


    She suddenly couldn''t stop herself from thinking about what Megan said. Those words were lingering in her mind and troubling her. She didn''t care about how she cursed her. She didn''t even have issues with that and let that pass easily.


    However, there was something unusual going on.


    With her eyes wide open, she thought, ''What was she discussing just now?


    The fire before?


    Fire...


    Were they talking about the house our parents left me and Sean? Am I hearing it right that it wasn''t an accident? So, it was Megan who ordered to burn our house!'' Different emotions were suddenly flooding her after getting to that conclusion.


    Shock, amazement, and everything else flooded her eyes for a short while.


    Coming back to herself, the number of emotions downed to only one, anger.


    She suddenly thought of how Megan mentioned Terence. Afraid that she might end up screaming, she covered her mouth firmly as her mind asked, ''Does Terence really know something about the fire?''

 Chapter 433 The Truth Regarding The Fire

    Terence was convinced that it was Megan who had asked someone to set the fire.


    But he had been keeping the truth away from her.


    That fire...


    had burnt and ruthlessly obliterated so many precious things that belonged to her. All those memories in the house, including the furniture, were the only things that her parents had left for Sean and her.


    It occurred out of the blue. She was so depressed at that time that it took her quite a long time to let it out of her mind and regain focus at work.


    Now that Carla was exposed to the absolute truth, she couldn''t restrain her anger anymore.


    She kept going forward, passing a row of trees. Then, she entered the pavilion.


    Megan freaked out when she saw Carla suddenly show up. She looked at Carla in a perplexed manner.


    "Megan, what did you just say? You got my house burned down in BH City?"


    Carla''s eyes were so cold and furious. She fixed her eyes on Megan as she moved closer to her.


    "I... I don''t know what you''re talking about..." Megan avoided maintaining eye contact and turned to the girl next to her, "I''ve got to go, my dad must be looking for me."


    Carla got hold of her arms strongly and asked, "What''s the rush? I asked you a serious question, and you haven''t answered it yet.


    Did you send someone to burn down my house or not?"


    Carla gritted her teeth. She was visibly agitated.


    "Oh, what on earth do you think you are doing? Let go of me!" Megan was anxious. She pushed her hand away and yelled, "It has been a long time. It''s meaningless to bring this up right now."


    "Meaningless? Megan, that was my beloved home! The only thing that my parents left behind for me and my little brother. And you decided to burn it down during the heat of the moment?"


    "Did it ever occur to you that if that fire grew bigger, it could have spread to other floors and maybe even caused the death of other people?"


    Carla grabbed Megan''s clothes and pushed her to a pillar inside the pavilion.


    Megan struggled fiercely in a futile attempt to escape, but Carla had no intention of letting her go.


    Obviously, Megan found it impossible to counter Carla who had been extensively trained for a month. Even though she had been out of practice for a while, she still remembered most of the training moves.


    "I don''t get this. How did an attempted mass murderer like you get away with it?"


    Carla would''ve loved to slap her in the face. But she suddenly reminded herself that today was her wedding day, so she struggled strenuously to not commit any blunder.


    "So what? It was jus


    s not make a scene here. Could you just do me a favor and let it go, please?" Edmund persuaded her in his soft voice. He knew he had to employ every leverage at his disposal right now before the issue blew up beyond proportion.


    If it weren''t Megan, he wouldn''t have given a damn.


    But Megan''s father was an old friend whom he had known for decades. He couldn''t watch his daughter go to jail, could he? He felt that it was an obligation to his dear old friend to look after his beloved daughter.


    Megan had unequivocally committed a serious crime of arson if she had indeed deliberately started the fire as Carla claimed.


    "Father, will you kindly get into my shoes for one moment and think about it? Look at her attitude, look at what she has done. Is there any sign of repentance from her despite the seriousness of the crime she has haughtily committed?"


    "She was incredibly lucky that the fire was extinguished on time that day. If any of the victims had been burnt to death, would you still have helped her cover it up and let her get away with it without a care in the world? !"


    Carla closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. "I''m not willing to let this go easily. She has to take responsibility for what she has done and for being a horrible criminal that she is."


    If they could just consider Megan as any other sane woman, they would easily deduce that she showed no signs whatsoever of remorse or regret for what she did.


    So Carla felt obliged to teach her a lesson and make her pay for her filthy actions.


    Carla turned round to walk toward the doorway.


    At the moment she was just about to walk out of the door, she noticed Terence walking in towards her. His face was hard to read.

 Chapter 434 Call The Police (Part One)

    Terence could only stand by the door. He remained immobile as his eyes followed Carla who was leaving at that time.


    "Terence, for goodness sake, there you are. Hurry up and come here! Help me talk to Carla," Edmund called out.


    He was flooded with relief once he noticed Terence.


    "Get out of my way,"


    Carla stated indifferently. There was not even a hint of remorse in her eyes as she looked up at Terence who was on her way out.


    But who could actually blame her? As soon as she found out that Terence was involved in the matter, she couldn''t help but blame him for it. What was worse, he tried to hide it from her. She felt betrayed and hurt that someone she loved so dearly could do that to her.


    "Carla, please, let''s talk about this first,"


    Terence finally said. He caught Carla''s hand gently and urged her out of the room.


    They eventually stopped behind the bamboo garden in the yard. It was pretty quiet there so they could have complete privacy.


    Only by then did Terence let go of Carla''s hand. He immediately stated in a comforting voice, "Carla, calm down please. I admit... what I did was so wrong. I did find out that it was Megan who had done it and I didn''t tell you the truth."


    In a regretful tone, he continued, "To be completely honest with you, I was being selfish.


    Megan grew up with me. Our families knew each other very well. If we call the police, she would have to face at least three years in jail. So that''s why I chose to hide the truth from you. I''m really sorry, Carla. Please find it in your heart to forgive me."


    Meanwhile, Carla was listening to him quietly. Although Terence was being completely honest with her, she still couldn''t help but be hurt with what she was hearing. She sneered and then asked, "So you all chose to cover for her even though she did something comp


    back then has already happened. We can''t change it anymore. Right now is what''s more important. Right now, you''re my wife. Could you please try to endure it for me?"


    Terence pleaded with his eyebrows furrowed. If he were being honest, it pained him to say those words as well.


    After all, he had promised her that as long as she was his wife, he would not allow her to be hurt. But then, this thing happened...


    Carla shook her head and pushed him away.


    "What if I insist in calling the police?"


    Tears finally started to fall from Carla''s eyes as she asked in a bitter tone.


    She was so upset with Terence since he had known about the truth all this time and hid it from her. They were now husband and wife. They promised each other that they would love and protect each other. She couldn''t understand how Terence could do that to her.


    From her perspective, doing all of that just because the An family and the Luo family were close was utterly unacceptable. She felt hurt and betrayed by the person that she loved the most.


    "Alright. Fine. I won''t stop you, I''ll even arrange a car for you," Terence conceded. He watched her briefly but when she didn''t respond, he called Rainer to come pick her up.

 Chapter 435 Call The Police (Part Two)

    Meanwhile, Carla was glaring at him with disputable anger glimmering in her teary eyes.


    Soon enough, Rainer arrived.


    "Rainer, drive Carla to the police station. Do whatever she asks of you, do you understand?" Terence ordered without breaking his eye contact with Carla.


    Carla was the one to look away first and she immediately got into the car.


    The car was out of the property in a minute. Meanwhile, Edmund had been watching them but as soon as he noticed that Carla left in the car, he immediately walked over to Terence.


    "Terence, did you let her go just like that?"


    Looking in the direction that the car went, Edmund snorted as he scolded, "Is that the wife you chose? The wife that you fought for?


    What exactly did you see in her? Do you think that she deserves the An family?


    People like us need to consider our actions more carefully since things in our world are not that simple. How could she forget about the An family and leave us behind just to comfort her own feelings? Look at her. How could she be your perfect wife if she can''t bear such a tiny little frustration?"


    Edmund closed his eyes slowly as he took in a deep breath. He was so annoyed and enraged that he needed to calm down. After which, he added, "She already brought so much trouble even though she just joined our family. What a trouble maker!"


    But Edmund completely missed the point. More so than Carla''s fault, it was Megan who should be blamed for what happened.


    This was the reality of their world, however. Things were not always black and white. Things were not always what they seem. And even though they lived in a comfortable life of luxury, decisions were always hard for them.


    "Father, she didn''t do anything wrong. She just doesn''t think like us. It''s not her fault that she doesn''t understand


    cluding Terence, her husband! Even he had tried to persuade her to accept it.


    The reality was slowly setting in and she couldn''t believe how cruel it was.


    "Mrs. Carla, we have arrived at the police station," Rainer called out to her as soon as they reached the station.


    Carla looked up and indeed, she saw the sign of JA City''s police station.


    She opened the car door and got out of the car immediately. But not before she turned to Rainer and stated, "Rainer, wait outside for me."


    Carla closed the door and walked to the entrance.


    "Mrs. Carla, how about I come with you?"


    Rainer suggested, already trailing behind her.


    "There''s no need. Terence told you to listen to me just now, didn''t he? Wait outside for me," Carla ordered.


    After making sure that Rainer wasn''t following her anymore, Carla stepped into the police station.


    Carla didn''t want Rainer to come with her since she would just be reminded of Terence when she saw Rainer. She didn''t want herself to hesitate over this.


    The police station was bustling at that moment so Carla took a seat and waited with patience.


    Soon, a police officer in uniform walked over to her.


    "Excuse me, lady? How can I help you?"

 Chapter 436 Babe, Lets Go Home!

    Outside the police station.


    Checking the time, Rainer thought that everything would have been done by now, but Carla still didn''t come out.


    It was late afternoon when they had come out and an hour had passed since then, so it was almost dark outside now.


    Peeping in through the door from time to time, Rainer waited for a while, but he still couldn''t see Carla.


    After some time, he didn''t have the patience to wait anymore, so he went inside to check.


    However, there was no sight of Carla inside the police station.


    At that moment, his phone rang.


    "Rainer, is everything done? Why aren''t you back yet?" Terence asked over the phone.


    He had seen that it was getting dark and had started to wonder where Carla and Rainer were.


    "Mr...Mr. Terence. I saw Ms. Carla go into the police station an hour ago. After that, I waited outside because she told me to. But when I went inside just now, the police told me that she has already left..." Rainer reported nervously.


    Wiping the beads of sweat on his forehead, Rainer walked around and looked for Carla nearby.


    However, he couldn''t find any clues as to where she could have gone since it had been a long time since Carla had disappeared.


    Upon hearing this, Terence hung up and came to the police station from the An Manor in no time.


    When he arrived, he learned that Carla hadn''t reported the case but had instead left via the back door.


    Actually, when the police had asked her about the situation, she had stood up to tell the truth.


    But at the last moment, she had chosen to keep silent.


    Meanwhile, on a bus in JA City, Carla sat listlessly in one of the middle seats, looking at the neon lights outside.


    In the end, she hadn''t said anything.


    She''d thought of what Terence had said and realized that she was a member of the An Family.


    She wasn''t the former Carla who had nothing and cared about nothing.


    Now, everything she did wasn''t just her own business anymore; it would affect the reputation of the An Family.


    If she had submitted an official report at the police station, Megan would have been arrested.


    However, Edmund would blame her for this, and Terence would be scolded because of her behavior.


    Carla herself would be labeled as selfish and ignorant.


    Hence, Carla chose not to turn Megan in.


    This way, Edmund would feel that the An Family owed Carla a lot. On top of that, the Luo Family would not dare to trouble her because she had dirt on Megan. But the most factor was...


    Terence.


    S


    nce, earmark half of the AJ Group''s shares in BH City to Carla and her brother. It''s a kind of compensation."


    Edmund said to Terence and Carla after some thought.


    Would Carla stand on ceremony?


    Would she refuse with a strong sense of righteousness?


    Of course not!


    She would never do that!


    Although BH City wasn''t a large city, half of the shares would still be worth a lot of money, not to mention the ownership of prosperous shops.


    If she ever returned to BH City, she would be a feudal lord, and then no one would dare to bully her and Sean.


    After accepting the compensation, Carla went to her bedroom.


    She relaxed a little now that she had gotten some compensation for her troubles.


    When she was about to go to bed, Rainer and Nathan brought a bunch of stuff into her room.


    Taking a close look, Carla found that they were cash gifts sent by the guests, among which there were two boxes of envelopes of cash and one box of gold jewelry.


    Now, she figured out that Terence had planned to make it up to her with money.


    But did she look like a money grabber?


    She didn''t think so.


    Carla thought about it while she counted the money on the bed.


    It was strange that counting money could make her forget everything unpleasant, though in the end, she was confused by the amount of money she had received.


    Randomly picking up some of the envelopes, she put them in the suitcase she carried every time she went back to Seaview Villa.


    ''It''s more convenient to use cash sometimes. By the way, I need to put some in my purse, '' Carla thought.


    So, when Terence walked into the room, he saw Carla busy putting some money into her purse.

 Chapter 437 In Charge of Our Finances

    Carla glanced at Terence as he walked in and kept stuffing money into her wallet. She had never imagined in her whole life that she would experience having such a stuffed wallet. That was why she was struggling to keep the banknotes inside.


    "What are you doing? Are you really going to fill your wallet with all that money? Don''t you have any bank card like a debit card? You can also pay via mobile phone thru apps," Terence pointed out.


    Terence looked at their cash-covered bed and smiled helplessly. He could barely even sit at the edge of the bed with the wads of cash around him.


    "They are not the same! Spending cold hard cash gives me this special warm feeling," Carla replied. Upon seeing that her wallet was already filled up, Carla had finally stopped putting money in and placed her wallet into her handbag.


    Terence tapped his temple for moment and then took out his cellphone. "Well, some people directly transferred some cash gifts through my phone. How about I transfer them to you now?" He asked.


    When she placed her handbag on her bedside drawer, Carla''s ears perked up. She immediately turned around with sparkling eyes. When she saw the amount of money on his mobile phone, Carla couldn''t believe her eyes. ''That''s got to be a lot of zeroes!'' She thought to herself.


    But she decided to act proper and pretended to be polite, "Ahem, dear husband. You don''t need to transfer all of them to me. Maybe just a little bit will be enough for me."


    Terence smiled, took his wife into his arms, and then started tapping his mobile phone. Carla stared at him wide-eyed. He just transferred all of that money to her! He said, "Carla, all of these are for you. Feel free to use them at will and there''s no need to save for anything. And in the future, you should drop that frugal habit of yours. Otherwise, to whom should I give all the large amounts of cash I earn?"


    "Hmph! You are so cheeky, Terence! It seems like my husband is complaining because I don''t know how to spend money!" Carla rolled her eyes, snorting. But even so, she took out her cellphone and accepted the money Terence transferred to her.


    "Hey Carla," Terence spoke as a playful smirk appeared on his lips. "Want to make a bet? Once we have returned from our honeymoon, I''ll give you a bank card. If you manage to spend all the money in that card, then you win. What do you say?"


    Terence knew that Carla had always been frugal. She would check price tags first before buying. If she knew she couldn''t afford something, she would never buy it.


    Carla''s confidence began to ooze. She mirrored his smirk, "So what if I win?"


    She placed her mobile phone on the table and crossed her arms, as if she was challenging him.


    "Feisty, eh? Then if you win, you''ll be in charge of the finances in our family,"


    Terence replied without any hesitation.


    "You serious?" Carla gasped in disbelief.


    "Of course, dear. But to make it clear, you''re in charge of my personal assets. It does not include the money of the An family and our companies." Besides, Terence had invested some of his money in stocks and real estate then the rest was kept in the bank. Some were even in time deposits!


    "That''s fine with me!" Carla enthusiast


    the type to say such moving words. Instead he would always fight in jest with her and pull stupid pranks.


    Carla had noticed how her little brother was trying to hold back his tears.


    "Oh, Carla, please don''t cry. You know, I found the love letter that you have hidden away. I have to admit that I secretly gave it back to Sean..." Terence looked at the woman in tears in his arms and immediately changed the topic of their conversation.


    Upon hearing his words, Carla suddenly stopped crying and looked dumbfounded. She suddenly got up and sat down on Terence''s lap.


    "Wait! What the hell did you just say? How did you even find it?" Carla asked in irritation as she grabbed Terence''s collar with both hands.


    "Babe, please don''t be so angry at me. I didn''t mean to see you put it in two different places." Terence held Carla''s wrist and touched her small face gently with a smile, "I gave it back to Sean because I don''t want him to get distracted. It might affect his studies, you know."


    Carla glared at Terence and finally released his collar, "It was supposed to be future blackmail material! How could you give it back to Sean? All that precious time spent putting that letter back were all in vain!"


    "Carla, I''m sorry. It''s my fault. Feel free to punish me,"


    Terence looked down at Carla, affectionately awaiting for her punishment.


    "Me? Punish you? Well, this is your house! Why would I dare punish you?" Carla looked at him. Then thought for moment. She tapped her chin as she looked up. Later, Carla turned around him with a playful smile, "Be honest with me. Do you swear that you''ll do whatever I say?"


    "Of course, Carla. You''re my wife! Only you are the one who has the right to do this," Terence replied, trying to repress his smile. He started to guess what Carla was thinking at that moment.


    Carla coughed then let go of him and sat down. Then she smirked, peeked at Terence, and whispered softly, "Alright, my dear husband, I want you to kneel down."


    Terence was suddenly stunned for a few seconds and wondered if he heard it right. "What did you say?" Carla kept that smirk, "You heard me. Kneel down."

 Chapter 438 Reasons For Kneeling

    "Oh! I know that you are the ''royal prince'' of JA City and the respected Mr. Terence of the An family! It''s impossible for you to do as I say!" Carla complained.


    She pursed her mouth into a childlike way and continued, "I think my position in this family is still dispensable even after you married me. I..."


    Her words instantly halted when Terence got down on his knee gracefully like a prince.


    He then looked up at Carla and said, "I didn''t hear you clearly just now. Did you ask me to kneel before you?"


    Carla was stunned. She just wanted to test if Terence was telling the truth when he said that he would do anything for her.


    What he did immediately reminded her of the time when he proposed.


    Seeing him kneel before her made her feel like she was the queen of the world.


    Because at that moment, he gave her his whole world, not to mention his dignity.


    The satisfaction she felt that time was surreal. Thus, she asked him to do it again without much thought. She didn''t expect Terence to do it without any hesitation, though.


    "Terence, stand up! I was just kidding. You shouldn''t have taken it seriously!" Carla was so flattered that she jumped from the sofa and helped him up. However, the man grasped her hand quickly instead.


    "What are you afraid of, my dear wife?" Terence asked with a smile.


    "I...I"m not afraid. You have already done this when you proposed to me. I just thought that you would be embarrassed to do it again," explained Carla, looking at him while sitting on the sofa.


    "Feel embarrassed before you? That''s not going to happen," Terence laughed, thinking that she was funny. She even looked more nervous than him.


    "Okay! Okay! Anyway, stand up quickly. I just wanted to feel the same way when you proposed to me. That''s why, I said that. Hurry up! You are a big man. You shouldn''t be kneeling like that!" Carla went to pull him up but Terence tugged on her arms and embraced her.


    He looked at his wife and then without much ado, kissed her lips deeply. "Do you have any idea why a man kneels?"


    "Why?" she asked back while putting her arms around his neck and blinking her eyes at him.


    "A man will inevitably kneel before his parents and elders. They raised him and brought him up, so it''s reasonable to kneel before them. But a real man will doubtlessly kneel before a woman if he truly loves her. It may be the parents who raise a man during the first half of his life but it will be his wife who will accompany him for the rest of it. Regardless if his parents and wife don''t regret loving him, a man would always love them back unquestionably.


    That''s the reason why a man would never feel embarrassed to kneel before his parents and his wife,"


    explained Terence while lovingly rubbing his nose on her cheek.


    Relieved by his words, Carla joked, "You are so correct, Terence! Then why don''t you kneel a little longer?"


    Terence burst into laughter. He then kissed her lips and snickered in her ear, "Okay, let''s go to bed. You can choose a comfortable position and then have me kneel as long as you


    g me that you want her back? Are you sure that you won''t leave her again if you encounter the same situation?"


    William shook his head and said firmly, "Once is enough. I won''t be so foolish to make the same mistake twice."


    He then stepped closer to Carla and asked anxiously, "Carla, I''m begging you to tell me where she is. You do know where she is, right?"


    Carla shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. "I don''t know!"


    "What? You don''t know? Isn''t she here?" William frowned and immediately looked around as if searching for someone.


    Helplessly, Carla smiled and pointed to the villa behind her. "Would you like to go in and search for her yourself?


    That''s the truth. I really don''t know where Violet is. She told that she would contact me as soon as she got settled. However, I still haven''t received any call from her in the past two months..."


    she honestly said.


    "Are you sure you don''t know anything?"


    William asked again. He was so disappointed that he could feel his knees getting weak.


    Truth be told, he didn''t want to come here to disturb Carla.


    However, he was left with no choice. He had been looking for Violet everywhere since his wedding got canceled.


    At that time, Carla was having her wedding ceremony. He thought Violet would be there, so he tried to find her at the wedding. However, he didn''t find her there and left with his heart empty.


    Carla had gone on her honeymoon a few days after, leaving him no chance to ask her about Violet.


    He had been waiting for Carla to come back since then.


    "I really don''t know! Violet said that she would contact me once she finds a suitable place to give birth to her child. So I guess she will contact me later after she finishes these things," Carla muttered while recalling what her friend told her before saying goodbye.


    William turned away wordlessly with his jaws clenched. He was ready to leave but then froze as he opened his car. His eyes suddenly widened upon realizing something.


    ''What did she just say?'' he asked himself amazingly.

 Chapter 439 Lets Go

    "What did you say?"


    William asked. Then, he suddenly turned around and stared at Carla. With those few words, Carla was stunned for a few seconds. She thought to herself, ''Did I say something just now?'' Carla was suddenly confused. She really did not know what she had said to induce such a reaction from William.


    As if he heard her thoughts, William answered her question. "Did you just say that Violet will contact you after she gives birth to the baby? Could this mean...she didn''t have the abortion?" William slowly asked Carla. A lot of emotions flowing through his words.


    He had long known and accepted the fact that it would be sooner rather than later when he would no longer be as young and as robust as he was. That was why he knew in his heart that he would do anything and sacrifice everything once he was certain that there was a possibility of him being a father.


    And now, he had the tiniest bit of proof that what he had been wishing for so long could become a reality.


    But on the other hand, he had already made a choice long ago that he couldn''t just change his decision so casually.


    "Hmm¡­D-did I say that?" Carla stuttered as she subconsciously pinched herself. On the inside, she was panicking. ''What did I do? How could I betray my friend?


    But, I didn''t tell him on purpose. Hopefully, Violet will understand.''


    "I clearly heard what you just said. Carla, thank you so much. If Violet contacted you, please inform me as soon as possible!" William exclaimed with excitement and anticipation.


    A lot of thoughts were already going through his head. But first, he knew that he had to find Violet before anything else. He didn''t expect that he would hear such surprising news.


    ''So all this time, Violet was reluctant to give up our child, right? She must be, if she really didn''t go through with the abortion, '' William thought happily.


    "I¡­" Carla tried to fix the situation


    but before she could finish her words, William already got in the car and had started it.


    Carla could only sigh while she shrugged her shoulders. ''Violet, if he feels regretful after hearing the possibility of the news, maybe your story will have a happy ending.''


    When she realized that it could work in Violet''s favor, Carla stretched her arms. Then, she walked towards the beach with a hopeful smile on her face.


    Before long, night fell.


    It was rare for Terence to come back early but that night he did. Coincidentally, Carla had been busy in the kitchen, personally cooking two dishes for them. Although they weren''t as tasty as what Sophie would normally cook, she was hoping that it could show her love and devotion for Terence.


    Finally, when they were about to have dinner, Sean looked at the dishes on the table and scowled. He held up his chopsticks in the air for a while. If he were being honest, he wasn''t willing to take any of the food from those particular two plates. "Carla, did something bad happened to you? Did you hit your head on the wall or something? Why did you cook today?" Sean asked.


    "What are you talking about? You haven''t even tasted them yet.


    had a lot of money, Sean immediately asked Carla to buy something for him.


    "Okay! Is there anything else that you want me to buy you? Tell me and I will definitely buy them later," Carla said with faux confidence. She turned to look at Terence and said, "Is it okay with you if I buy something for my brother?"


    Terence nodded and said with a smile, "Of course. But I want you to understand what I actually meant earlier."


    ''My Carla is a smart girl. She can easily understand the true meaning behind situations and words with just a little hint.


    She must have understood my intentions, '' Terence thought.


    Carla turned to look at him, picked up the chopsticks and just continued to eat instead. She wondered if she should have etiquette classes that were set up for noble ladies.


    But after pondering about it for a while, she told herself to just focus on dinner, without being too worried about it.


    Carla noticed that the two dishes that she had cooked were almost gone and only Terence had been eating the two dishes.


    As for the other dishes on the table, he only had a few bites.


    After dinner, Terence went to the third floor with Nathan and Rainer.


    Sean followed them with so much excitement.


    On the right-wing of the third floor was a big gym.


    When Carla was still in HA City, Terence fell in love with boxing. He often asked Nathan and Rainer to practice with him. So he asked someone to build a boxing ring at home.


    These days, Terence would occasionally practice boxing when he had spare time.


    Before, he did the sport to vent out his misery. Nowadays, he just continued doing it to maintain a healthy lifestyle. And he felt that it would motivate people when they were fighting with each other.


    "Terence is so great! Let''s go! Let''s go!"


    Sean cheered for Terence while he was learning to carry out a punching posture in the boxing ring.


    After Carla had finished eating, she accompanied Sophie for a while before going to the third floor.


    As soon as she approached the third floor, Carla heard screams and cheers.

 Chapter 440 He’s Enchanted

    It was the first time that Carla saw the guys boxing after coming back from the honeymoon. Her heart was beating like a thousand drums in sync with the sounds of them punching each other.


    When she walked into the room, she saw Sean cheering as he learned their moves while standing beside the ring.


    Inside the ring stood Terence wearing a thin T-shirt. The back of his T-shirt was drenched with sweat, but he was fully alert and showed no sign of fatigue.


    His opponent, Nathan, was also sweating heavily.


    Nathan punched fiercely and struck quickly, which meant that his opponent always had to be on full alert.


    Terence, however, seemed to enjoy Nathan''s energy. His deep eyes gleamed with excitement.


    He would change his approach from defensive to offensive whenever he fought with Nathan, because Nathan would change his direction and his moves every time he struck.


    That''s why Terence enjoyed fighting with him.


    Suddenly, Nathan unexpectedly landed a severe blow.


    Terence hadn''t dodged this time. Without missing a beat, he punched back fiercely, causing both of them to stagger back and pant heavily.


    "Well, well! Have a break, you guys! It''s about time."


    Rainer looked at the time and went up to the ring to stop them.


    It was difficult to pull the two of them apart when they were so engrossed in a fight.


    Carla frowned as she watched the intense battle in the ring. She pulled Sean over and said, "Don''t ever fight with anybody. Do you hear me?"


    "Why? My brother-in-law just told me that boys don''t have to fight, but they need to learn how to fight at least. Otherwise, I''ll only get beaten up by others!"


    Sean raised his head, making a fair point.


    Carla couldn''t help but sigh when she heard that. Her brother always chose to listen to Terence over her, so she just let him be. She turned to look at the gorgeous man in the ring, feeling rather satisfied.


    Nathan looked attractive too, with his dark skin and muscular body. There were many girls who would fall for him.


    But


    onder this man was being so forward.


    Since nobody was there, Carla was relieved. She grinned and pulled him by his T-shirt, bringing him closer to her.


    "What do you want, Carla?"


    Terence squinted and leaned close to her.


    The next second, Carla threw her arms around his neck, kissing him on the lips.


    "Tell me, what do I want?" she murmured in his ear.


    She bit her pink lips lightly, revealing an attractive smile. Then, she gently lifted his drenched T-shirt.


    Terence grabbed her hand immediately and kissed it.


    Then, he strongly pulled her into his arms and gave her a passionate French kiss.


    He loved Carla as well as her bold nature.


    As long as they were in the right place, she would never be shy if she wanted him. On the contrary, she would take the initiative to seduce him.


    At this moment, she was like a seductress, making him go crazy for her.


    After a while, they finally walked out of the gym together.


    Rainer blushed and lowered his head. "Mr. Terence, your phone."


    As soon as Terence took his phone, Rainer rushed downstairs and disappeared from sight.


    Realizing that Rainer must have been outside the room the whole time, Carla nudged Terence in embarrassment.


    Terence put his phone in his pocket and then grinned as he placed his hand over her shoulder.


    "Now you''re feeling shy, babe?"

 Chapter 441 Am I Really Very Incompetent

    "Do you know how enthusiastic you were just now? I didn''t even have the time to take off my clothes when you flung yourself at me," teased Terence in a feigned helpless tone.


    "Shut up, Terence!"


    Carla shouted at him with her teeth gnashed, stopping in her tracks. She was feeling both shy and angry.


    Terence could see from her face that she was infuriated, so he stopped and turned to look at her with a big smile on his face. He said brightly, "But you know what? I like seeing you behave that way. I like it when you''re enthusiastic and passionate about me. Every time you act like that, you take my breath away.


    And all I can think of, is that you deserve everything that I do for you and more."


    Although his words were sincere, Carla continued to glare at him, saying nothing.


    "Are you still angry?" Terence asked in a gentle voice, lightly pinching her nose. Then, seeing the expression on her face, he laughed out loud and took her hand as he walked together with her toward the elevator.


    "Well, that''s alright. I was just kidding before." Then, throwing a glance at his bodyguards, he continued, "And they are responsible for nothing but my safety. It''s quite normal for them to be in such a situation. Just take it easy. They will forget about this in a few minutes."


    Carla gave him a quick glance and entered the elevator before him. She said awkwardly, "Whatever, I will never act like that again. It''s so embarrassing. I''ve completely lost face."


    "You''re my wife. Who would dare to laugh at you for such a small matter?"


    Terence stepped onto the elevator right after her and affectionately wrapped his arm around her waist. Thinking of the words she''d said, he said with a bitter smile on his face, "Honey, I don''t want you to stop acting like that. Next time, I will make sure that there''s nobody to interrupt us. So that you can just do whatever you like to me, all right?"


    Actually, this wasn''t a big deal at all. It was Nathan and Rainer''s job to stand outside to protect him.


    They would never make a big deal out of it. Even though Rainer was quite shy and hadn''t had as much experience as Nathan, he could understand Carla''s behavior.


    Terence thought quietly in his heart, ''How could such fun and passion be missing in life?


    I won''t let Carla stick to her words.''


    The elevator slowly closed after they both got on.


    Terence was busy coaxing a smile from Carla, who was still rather angry and regretful.


    At the same time, he quietly made a big decision.


    He would try to get Rainer to fall in love with someone. Otherwise, Rainer would keep getting shy easily and blushing every time.


    Soon, Terence and Carla reached their room.


    Terence immediately went to take a shower.


    Carla felt quite tired, so she directly went to bed. It didn''t take long for her to fall asleep.


    Time flew and two days passed in the blink of an eye.


    Soon, Carla found out that spending money lavishly was a skill.


    Back when she didn''t have a lot of money, she would keep dreaming about how she would spend all her money if she became a millionaire one day.


    It was common for ordinary people to harbor such thoughts.


    However, now that she actually had a large sum of money, she wasn''t able to spend recklessly at all.


    Ca


    be hardworking and thrifty. That''s the way I''ve been living for the past 20 years. Although my situation and my identity have changed now, I can''t change my personality and get accustomed to such an extravagant life."


    Pulling a long face, Carla pressed the card into his hand. She was not in the mood to play around.


    She knew that he might look down on her, and she was worried about that.


    However, she had been brought up in a hardworking and thrifty household. Those qualities were indelibly imprinted onto her mind and into her blood, so it was quite difficult for her to persuade herself into buying luxury goods which weren''t even necessary.


    "I''m so sorry, Carla. I was just eager to push you to get accustomed to such a life," said Terence with great guilt. He hugged Carla and patted her gently on her shoulder to comfort her. He had always known that she liked money, but now he realized that it didn''t mean that she was fond of spending lavishly.


    "All right, you can just keep the card and take it easy. Everything will be fine." While patiently consoling her, he suddenly caught sight of her red eyes. He wanted to check whether she was okay, but Carla quickly buried her face into his shoulder and didn''t raise her head.


    She held his waist tightly and couldn''t resist the impulse to sniff back a tear.


    Seized by sadness, she sobbed, "Am I really very incompetent?"


    Terence patted her back tenderly and smiled before saying, "What are you talking about? This is not your fault. You and I had different living conditions since our childhood, so it''s quite understandable for us to have different views on money.


    Just take it easy. Views can be developed slowly and gradually. You''ve only been married to me for a month, so it''s impossible for you to change your character thoroughly in such a short time."


    Carla bit her lower lip. She felt better after hearing his consoling words.


    Now that they were married, his money was also hers, so it broke her heart to spend it so lavishly.


    "Well, now that you''re here, just have lunch with me, all right?"


    As Terence spoke, he looked up at the time and found that it was already almost 11 o''clock.

 Chapter 442 Uncle Hasen Comes Again

    "The meeting is almost over. Just give me a few minutes," Terence said, looking at her.


    Speaking of spending money, he would find a way to make her feel better.


    This was who she was. If she could change overnight, then she wouldn''t be Carla anymore.


    Carla gave a nod and stayed in the office room.


    After making sure that she was all right, Terence left the room.


    After a while, someone knocked on the door. An assistant came in with some files. "Miss Carla, this is the financial report that Mr. Terence needs. I''ll leave it on the table."


    They were confidential documents, but since Carla was the boss''s wife, he could just leave them here.


    The assistant left the room after placing the documents on the table.


    Carla walked over, sat down on Terence''s chair, and took a look at the financial report.


    It was a detailed report. It explicitly stated information about the capital flow, the latest turnover in each industry, expenses, bank deposits, and private funds.


    She couldn''t help biting her finger as she scanned through it.


    The monthly net profit was over a billion. That was why Terence had asked her to learn how to spend money.


    She would feel the same way if she was in his position.


    At lunchtime...


    Carla and Terence had lunch at a restaurant near the AJ Building.


    "Terence, would you like to come back to BH City with me sometime?"


    Carla asked as she ate the delicious Chinese food.


    "Sure, how about this Sunday? I may be free then," Terence replied. He had so much work to be done. Otherwise, he would spend a lot more time with her every day.


    "It''s okay. There''s no rush. We can wait until you''re really free." Carla then turned to look at the family of three dining next to them. A young couple was playing with their little baby who was about five or six months old.


    The little baby was very lovely. He was smiling and trying to catch his father''s finger, which was being waved in front of him.


    The young woman was looking at the father and son with a happy smile on her face.


    Terence also watched them for a while, then placed his hand on Carla


    ke the girls in this city.


    "Carla, we''ve specially brought these local products from our hometown for you. We hope you like it!" Carla''s aunt zealously held her hand.


    "Of course, they look great. Thank you." Carla smiled as she gracefully received them.


    She took a seat beside Lynn.


    Her aunt and uncle were seated opposite them.


    "It''s our pleasure!" said her aunt, grinning.


    Things were different now. Previously, when Carla had just been dating Terence An, her aunt and her uncle had thought that it wasn''t a big deal. But now that she had become his wife, they had to keep in touch with her.


    "Carla, it''s been a long time since I last saw you. I''m so sorry. I got tied up at school, so I didn''t get to hang out with you," Lynn said affectionately, holding her hand.


    "Don''t worry about that. Your parents must be so happy that you''re studying hard," Carla replied with a smile.


    Hasen looked at them and exclaimed, "How time flies! Lynn is already 21. She''s not a little kid anymore.


    Carla, last time, when we attended your wedding, I saw a lot of young and eligible men. Maybe you can introduce one of them to Lynn."


    Carla froze for a moment and then nodded. "Yeah, sure. I''ll do that if I meet anyone."


    Terence was right. This uncle would never have come here for nothing.


    Last time, he''d come here for his daughter''s future. This time, he''d come here for her marriage.

 Chapter 443 Mammonist

    Hasen was indeed right. Every single person who had a connection with the An family in some way was either wealthy or of noble birth. ''How shrewd my aunt and uncle are!'' Carla pondered to herself.


    "Oh, what an honest girl you are, Carla. We were under the assumption that you''d loathe us given that you got married to Mr. Terence. But as it turns out, we were completely wrong,"


    Hasen exclaimed, feeling delighted to hear Carla say yes.


    "What sort of nonsense you are spouting! Carla is our sister''s daughter, so it shouldn''t come as a surprise that she''s such a kind-hearted girl, just like our sister," Hasen''s wife exclaimed, looking him straight in the eye.


    The couple simply echoed one another.


    "Yes, I guess you''re right. It was such a shame that both of them, our sister and brother-in-law, passed on at such a young age and weren''t fortunate enough to be living in ease and comfort. If it weren''t for that, then..."


    Heaving a heavy and pitiful sigh, Hasen let out a cough and added, "Carla, when are you going to come and pay your parents a visit?"


    "I''m planning to go this coming weekend," Carla answered after taking a sip of her drink.


    "That''s good to hear! Your parents would be able to feel at ease knowing that you found yourself a wealthy man, and they''re going to be so proud of you!" Hasen commented, nodding his head along.


    It was a given that he was feeling downhearted. If only he had known beforehand that Carla would be marrying Terence, then he would have been more than willing to give up the lost shot left in the locker to lend a hand in helping to cure his sister.


    Under those circumstances, Carla would have treated him quite differently at present.


    As Carla was on her way to the bathroom to wash her hands, Lynn went after her.


    After getting her hands cleaned, Carla walked out of the bathroom first. The moment she stepped out, she stumbled upon a man who had a smug look on his face.


    It was Johnny.


    Interestingly enough, the smile on Johnny''s face tended to be so alluring for other women, but in Carla''s eyes, it simply looked like such a conceited grin.


    "Are those your relatives back from your hometown?"


    Johnny asked, shifting his gaze over toward the two persons sitting.


    "Mr. Johnny seems to have a finger in every pie. Are you deliberately following me around?"


    Carla asked, feeling quite suspicious of him. If he wasn''t tailing her in some way, then why did it feel so weird to be bumping into him almost every single time? Carla was thinking that it couldn''t be purely by chance.


    With a quick shrug of his shoulders, Johnny tried to explain himself, "You''re taking it the wrong way. I just happened to be passing by when I saw you guys having a cup of coffee, so I decided to stop by."


    "Oh? Is that so?" Carla scoffed at him. It seemed rather apparent that he came here on purpose no matter what kind of excuse he came up with.


    Gazing at her with lustful eyes, Johnny found it hard to look away. He felt like the married Carla looked even more beautiful than before.


    "Carla, who mi


    sen''s wife swiftly grabbed the phone from his hand and carefully examined it.


    "Wow, this man isn''t actually half bad. Good looks, well-to-do, and coming from a good background as well," Hasen''s wife agreed with her husband as she went through all of the available details regarding Johnny. She actually appeared as though she was assessing her own son-in-law.


    Carla quietly rested the palm of her hand over her face.


    Truth be told, she could hardly bear the family sitting in front of her any longer. It wasn''t like anything had actually happened already and they hadn''t even met Johnny themselves, but yet there they were, already judging his character.


    "Carla, lend your cousin a helping hand in getting to know Mr. Johnny. You can''t let any other guy take advantage of our Lynn," Hasen''s wife requested, beaming Carla a smile to convince her to do the favor for her daughter, right after handing the phone over back to Lynn.


    Placing her hands down at the table, Carla admitted, "Aunt, I''ve already told Lynn that Johnny is a playboy, and I''m afraid that she''s only gonna get herself in a world of disappointment."


    "Carla, your aunt knows that there''s no such thing as a perfect guy, and even the wealthy shouldn''t be an exception. Just take you and Terence for example, the two of you have made it through a lot of hardships before you finally got married. So, you shouldn''t worry too much about those trivial things. Just help Lynn get along with him for the time being. And if ever they don''t end up being a good match, then Lynn can simply see other men," Hasen''s wife retorted, sounding rather displeased.


    Hopelessly raising her eyebrows, Carla was left at such a loss for words.


    There wasn''t really any similarity between Terence and Johnny. The two of them were like oil and water.


    They knew fully well what their daughter was getting herself into, and yet they still chose to indulge her in her whims. For that reason, Carla began to think that there was no way she could find such materialistic parents as these two.

 Chapter 444 Carlas Warning

    What Carla didn''t know was that ever since she married Terence, her aunt and uncle had made every effort to find a rich husband for their own daughter, Lynn.


    After all, Lynn and Carla came from similar backgrounds. In their eyes, it made no sense that Carla could marry such a wealthy man while Lynn couldn''t.


    And exactly at that time, they had met Johnny, so they''d immediately thought, ''Why can''t Lynn have a try? What if she succeeds?''


    After saying goodbye to her aunt and uncle, Carla returned to the Seaview Villa.


    By evening, when she had almost forgotten what had happened during the day, Lynn called her to ask for Johnny''s contact information.


    Carla sighed to herself. She had no choice but to browse her contact list and try to find his contact number.


    That was when she realized that she had removed Johnny from her contact list earlier. How could she find his number now?


    Finally, Carla noticed a message that seemed to have been sent by Johnny a long time ago and therefore found his contact information.


    But when she tried to share his contact information with Lynn, she failed. It turned out that she could only share someone''s contact information if they were on her contact list. So, she had no choice but to add Johnny back to her list before sending his contact information to Lynn.


    Moments later, Carla''s phone chimed with a message from Johnny.


    "Wow, wonders never cease! You finally remember me, don''t you?"


    His message was followed by an emoticon of surprise.


    Carla didn''t bother to respond to him. Instead, she directly sent his contact information to Lynn.


    ''Let''s just leave things to fate, '' Carla thought to herself. She had already warned her cousin about Johnny anyway.


    Putting down her phone, she sat comfortably on the bed and started reading a book.


    Moments later, her phone chimed again with a message from Johnny.


    This time, he had sent a screenshot of his conversation with Lynn.


    What followed was an emoticon showing contempt.


    "What? I thought you finally remembered me, but it turns out that you''re playing matchmaker.


    Your little cousin has met me only once but she already has a crush on me?


    See? These women all have good eyes. Why are you always ignoring such an excellent man like me?"


    Carla rolled her eyes at her phone and didn''t respond.


    Seeing that there was no reply, Johnny started to get a little restless and sent another message.


    "Carla, do you want me to tell Lynn that I only love her cousin?"


    Carla closed her eyes and did her best to sup


    hill up her spine.


    After getting ready, Carla went downstairs to have breakfast.


    Just then, her phone rang again. This time, the call was from Terence.


    Carla briefly told him about what had happened yesterday when she''d met her uncle, her aunt, and Lynn.


    To her surprise, Terence chuckled in response.


    "What a perfect match! A gold-digger and a playboy. They''re made for each other."


    It seemed that Terence had no intention of stopping Lynn.


    Carla didn''t know what to say for a long time. Finally, she said, "No matter what, she''s still my cousin. How can I just stand by and watch her go out with that bad man?"


    "Even if Lynn wasn''t going out with Johnny, she''d be going out with someone else. Another playboy like him, you know? Many things are fated and you can''t change them." Terence wanted her to leave them alone.


    "Besides, Carla, do you really want to treat her like your cousin? I mean, these people don''t care about you at all. They want to become close with you just because you''re rich. Otherwise, they would have run away from you as fast as they could.


    So why do you care about them? They don''t deserve it."


    Carla felt a lot better after hearing Terence''s words.


    Everything he was saying was true. Even if she cared for her relatives, they wouldn''t appreciate it. In fact, they might even accuse her of getting in the way.


    So, there was no need to worry about them.


    Anyway, she had already done her part by warning Lynn. It was none of her business how things turned out in the end.


    "When are you coming back?"


    Carla asked, changing the subject. She finally felt relaxed now. As she spoke, she walked out of the elevator toward the dining room.

 Chapter 445 Horse Race (Part One)

    "I''ll be back this afternoon. Will you miss me, wife?"


    Terence sounded so gentle and charming while he said those words.


    Carla, on the other hand, just slumped herself on one of the seats in the dining table. She sighed before she responded, "Terence, you need to calm down. It had only been one night since we were apart from each other."


    "I know but I miss my wife already... "


    Terence muttered deeply. The sadness and longing were both so apparent in his voice, Carla couldn''t help but feel sorry for him.


    She suddenly paused, her left arm hung in the air, midway into grabbing a spoon. She smiled a little then comforted him, "Well then, come back home earlier. You''ve promised that you''ll accompany me to BH City tomorrow."


    "You''re right! That''s a great idea! Maybe we can spend some quality time together there," Terence stated, now with a smile on his face.


    They talked for a little while longer before hanging up. Carla then proceeded to eat her breakfast quietly. After which, she took a look at the time and found out that


    it was already eight o''clock. As if cold water had been poured on her, she rushed upstairs to change her clothes as quickly as she could.


    Carla realized that Terence had a point when he told her that she didn''t pay much attention to news updates regarding JA City. From then on, she resolved to spend some time watching the news every night.


    Last night, she noticed an advertisement which said that there would be a horse race at the Royal Club that morning. The place was one of the most famous clubs in JA City. Carla only knew about it from spending a lot of time with the rich and powerful.


    She didn''t have many hobbies except for riding and painting. She was so thrilled because finally, there was an event that she was interested in. Without a second thought, she decided to give it a try.


    The club was membership-based


    e experienced, dedicated and talented which meant that there''s a possibility that they could be at par with the professionals.


    This race was meant to be an exciting game so a lot of people were looking forward to it.


    "Hey, how are you? May I please know who you are? Do you have a certification from our team?" a man called out to Carla.


    She had just changed into her riding uniform and was about to lead her horse into the field when she heard the voice of a man behind her. She stopped as the man caught up to her. Right then, she could finally see that the man was also wearing a riding suit.


    "Certification? I''ve read the requirements for participation and according to that, anyone can join the race as long as they are a member of the Royal Club. Did I misunderstand what it said?"


    Carla asked a little confidently. Although, she was starting to have doubts if she could actually join.


    "No, you didn''t misunderstand what it said. Any member of the Royal Club can join indeed. But this isn''t just a normal race so you need a professional certificate to be able to join," the man stated.


    Although he didn''t do it quite deliberately, the man carefully evaluated Carla from head to toe. He was so sure that he had never seen her before.

 Chapter 446 Horse Race (Part Two)

    Besides, there were only men in the team. If she actually joined, there''s a possibility that she would be a liability to them.


    "I need a certificate for that? Well, how about a horse trainer''s license? Would that work instead? Although, I don''t have it with me...right...now..."


    Carla slowly stated with a shrug.


    When she was working at the racecourse in the past, the owner got her one for inspection, but unfortunately, she didn''t bring it with her. She had no idea that additional requirements for the race would be needed.


    "Hey, you! Hurry up. It''s time to get ready. What are you doing there just standing and chatting?"


    The captain in the distance suddenly shouted at the man who was interrogating Carla.


    "Well, hello to you Miss Carla or should I say Mr. Terence''s wife? What''s the matter? Do you want to race?" Suddenly, another man came up to them. It was Johnny.


    He just strode out of the dressing room and immediately came over when he saw Carla. "What''s going on here? How on earth could you stop this lady?" Johnny asked.


    The man was speechless when he found out who Carla was. Then he shook his head and silently but quickly went back to their team''s shed.


    Carla turned to look at Johnny, adjusted her hat and walked towards the field without saying any word to him.


    "Miss Carla, why don''t you stay at home and do something relaxing instead? Aren''t you afraid that your husband will be jealous when he found out that you came here to race with a group composed of men?"


    Johnny called out to her. He didn''t want to end the conversation that easily.


    "My husband doesn''t care about puny things like that. Besides, you should mind your own business."


    Carla replied coldly as she drew the curtain and finally walkout.


    When she reached the racecourse, she found out that the racers of th


    igible for the third round.


    If all the riders of a team got through to the second round, their team would immediately be considered the winner.


    But if they made it to the third round, the rules would be upgraded. There would be a steeplechase where only the fastest rider would be considered as the winner.


    Truth be told, this race was much more professional than the races that Carla had joined before.


    The game was finally in full swing. There were a lot of cheers and commotion from the bleachers as the racers drove their horses through the field.


    Meanwhile, Terence, who was on a business trip in C City, was busy dealing with mountains of files.


    "Mr. Terence, there''s a horse race that is currently being held in JA City. Would you like to have a look?" Rainer approached Terence with an iPad which was playing the live-stream video of the race.


    "Nope."


    Terence didn''t even raise his head. His mind was full of thoughts about the business. He was thinking that once the negotiation of the contract was over, he needed to hurry back to JA City.


    "But Mr. Terence, I saw a female rider who looks so familiar on the team. Are you sure you don''t want to take a look?" Rainer playfully stated.

 Chapter 447 Dear Wife, Good Job!

    That day, Carla''s driver had reported to Rainer her whereabouts. But even if the driver didn''t do so, all the competitions around JA City would be broadcast live by special TV stations.


    So it would just be a piece of cake for Rainer to know that Carla had taken part in the horse race.


    Upon finding out about it, Terence turned to look at Rainer, stretched out his arms and urged him, "Hurry up! Give me the iPad!"


    As a response, Rainer immediately handed the iPad to him. At that time, the race was already being broadcast live.


    With a smile, Rainer stated, "Mr. Terence, there are a lot of people watching this live coverage. I think Mrs. Carla will become famous as soon as she is shown on the screen!"


    Not really paying attention to what Rainer was saying, Terence was watching the live broadcast intently. On the screen, Carla was breathing a deep sigh of relief because she had just successfully passed the first round of the competition.


    Somehow, the camera seemed to be following every move that she made. Being the only lady in the competition, it could be understood why.


    Truth be told, Carla had never intended to get too much attention. All she wanted was to have fun riding the horse.


    But the reality was that Carla had already gotten so much attention since Terence''s proposal to her. That proposal had spread far and wide through JA City. It was the talk of the town for days. Therefore, almost every single person living in JA City already knew about her.


    But in Carla''s perspective, she really had no idea how many people in JA City were watching her at that moment besides the live audience at the arena.


    After the first round, three members from Carla''s team had been eliminated, while only two from the opposing team had been eliminated.


    Of course, Johnny was still in the competition. Most of the live audience members were expecting him to be the final winner of today''s competition.


    But no one knew that Carla had already beaten Johnny before. Therefore, the audience had no idea about the extent of what Carla could do. Half of them underestimated her while the other half expected that she would be eliminated right away.


    "Carla, can you do me a favor?"


    Johnny asked while she was taking a short break.


    Carla silently laughed and muttered, "No way..."


    Even without asking, Carla already knew what Johnny was going to ask. It was as clear as crystal. Johnny didn''t want her to enter the third round and compete with him, so he wanted Carla to pretend to lose in the second round. Although this was a team competition, the final winner would garner all the glory that this competition entailed. And Johnny wanted to get every bit of that kind of attention.


    Soon enough, the second round started.


    Johnny turned to look at Carla before he tightened his hold on the reins. He told himself, ''Even though I already lost one race and even my heart to her, I won''t lose this time!''


    Meanwhile, Terence was watc


    und, but she couldn''t perform that well in the third round.


    However, Carla didn''t feel regretful. After all, she had tried her best.


    She looked ahead and saw that Johnny and one of their opponents were both about to go past the finish line. She really hoped that Johnny would win. After all, he was at least her teammate.


    Everyone held their breaths, including Carla. But after a few seconds, the cheers instantly burst around the whole arena!


    How deafening the shouts were!


    "Johnny! Johnny! Johnny!" His name could be heard in every corner of the huge arena.


    Although Carla couldn''t clearly see who had crossed the finish line first, she could guess the results just from the cheers.


    After reaching the finish line, Carla came down from her horse, handed over the reins to an attendant who was nearby, took off her helmet, and breathed a sigh of relief.


    She thought, ''Finally, it''s over! I originally just wanted to have fun. I didn''t expect that it would become so competitive and intense. It was really tiring!''


    Johnny was surrounded by a lot of young girls who were completely admiring him at that moment. However, he could only cast his sight on Carla from the moment he reached the finish line. He wanted to find Carla after the race, but he realized that he was unable to move even a step.


    At the same time, a young man who was in his work uniform approached Carla with a bunch of flowers in his hand.


    "Hello, Mrs. Carla. A gentleman ordered me to give you this bunch of flowers."


    Carla looked at the big bunch of champagne roses. To say that she was surprised was an understatement. The roses were surrounded by some small white flowers and baby''s breath. They looked elegantly refined but warmly beautiful.


    She took the flowers and sniffed their fragrance. Then, she opened the card and read what it said.


    "My dear wife, you did a good job!"


    When she saw the name on the card, she could not help but smile with a delightful heart.

 Chapter 448 Did I Just Hear You Talking About Fate With My Wife

    Carla looked around the stadium but she didn''t see Terence. ''How did he know that I came to the game?'' thought Carla.


    Johnny saw Carla as she was being surrounded by a lot of people. She was smiling happily with a bunch of roses in her hand.


    Johnny thought it must be Terence who had sent her the roses.


    Carla left, still holding the bouquet of roses in her hand.


    Johnny then removed his gaze as Carla''s figure grew smaller and smaller.


    "Congratulations, Mr. Ouyang!" Lynn said.


    She walked over to Johnny, holding a bunch of red roses she had just bought.


    "Thank you," Johnny said softly. He didn''t accept the flowers but instead walked towards the locker room.


    After changing clothes, Carla walked out of the women''s locker room, still holding the roses. As soon as she walked out of the locker room, she saw Johnny who had already changed his clothes and was waiting outside.


    "Do you want to have lunch together? Let''s celebrate our victory," Johnny invited.


    If he invited Carla to lunch on a regular day, it would be inappropriate since Carla was married. But since there was an occasion to celebrate, it was fine.


    It was perfectly acceptable to celebrate over lunch after a victory.


    Lynn would also be going with them so they wouldn''t be alone together.


    "Congratulations, Mr. Ouyang. You have so many fans! I still have something to do. You can have lunch with Lynn. I''m sorry I have to get going."


    With that, Carla waved goodbye to Johnny as she walked towards the exit.


    ''Terence sent me the roses just in time. Was he trying to keep other men away?


    Well, I get where he''s coming from, '' Carla thought to herself.


    After Carla walked out of the club, Lynn had caught up with her.


    "Carla, why are you leaving all of a sudden? Since we''re already here, do you want to have lunch?"


    Lynn said, as she gasped for air.


    While she wanted to have lunch with Johnny alone, she realized it might be awkward as this was her first time meeting Johnny.


    And she was afraid that she might say something wrong.


    So she caught up with Carla and asked her to accompany them.


    Lynn wanted to be in good terms with Johnny and she needed to gauge what kind of person he was.


    "Lynn, can''t you have lunch with him alone? Do you really want me to be there?" Carla asked as she shook off Lynn''s hand on her arm.


    "No. Carla, can I count on you? I don''t know much about Johnny. I don''t want it to get awkward. Will you please eat with us just for my sake?"


    Lynn begged as she grabbed Carla''s arm again.


    "Oh, Carla, please, I''m begging you. Help me! Please!"


    Carla didn''t know how to deal with such a situation. At that moment, Johnny walked out of the club, surrounded by


    when she walked out of the elevator. She put a hand over her chest to calm herself down.


    ''Damn it! Why is Johnny so persistent and annoying?'' Carla thought.


    Johnny was leaning against the door of the elevator and looking at Carla, gasping and bending over.


    "What are you doing? Do you think it''s funny to play with the elevator?" Carla asked as she looked at Johnny who was seemingly out of breath.


    Johnny stood straight and said, "Do you think it''s easy to spend time with you? You leave after sitting down for less than an hour. Even if we''re just friends, you didn''t need to leave so quickly."


    Carla walked out of the elevator and looked around the hall crowded with people. She said impatiently, "Johnny, I have never found you so annoying. I''m married. Can you stop doing embarrassing things like this?"


    She walked towards the aisle where there were some people.


    "It doesn''t matter if you''re married. It''s the 21st century now. Does a woman have to cut ties with all the men that she knows just because she''s married? Why do you act like you''re still in some feudal society?"


    Johnny wiped away the sweat on his forehead. He had to run down as fast as he could using the stairs just to catch Carla before she left.


    "I know that I''m not in a feudal society. But to be honest, Johnny, I didn''t know that you would be in the club today. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have come in the first place," Carla said honestly. She hoped that Johnny would give up if she told him the truth.


    "So, that means fate brought us here today! That''s why we keep seeing each other," Johnny said with a smile.


    Carla felt her head throb when she heard this.


    At that moment, a familiar voice came from behind Carla.


    "Johnny!


    If I wasn''t mistaken, did I just hear you talking about fate with my wife?"

 Chapter 449 Win Against Me First!

    Carla turned around and saw Terence walking towards her. She immediately burst into laughter and welcomed him halfway.


    Holding her in his arms and caressing her short hair gently, Terence said, "Carla, you really did a good job!"


    "You''re not mad at me?" She brightly asked, snaking her arms around his waist. She thought Terence might be mad at her for taking part in the race without telling him¨C¨Cmore so that she even accidentally met Johnny.


    "Dear wife, I believe in you! It''s rare to see you so passionate about something. As your husband, I should support you." Terence lovingly looked at his cute wife, who was a little self-reproached.


    He knew Carla was an outgoing girl and she didn''t like staying at home all day. So, he had no reason to stop her from taking part in activities that she loved.


    Johnny felt extremely sad and jealous when seeing the couple so intimate and sweet. He thought, ''If I could get Carla''s love, even just the half of her love for Terence¨C¨Coh no, maybe just one-third of that, I would have nothing to regret even if I die.''


    Terence held Carla''s waist and turned to Johnny.


    "Johnny, you have, again and again, tried to seduce my woman. Are you an addict, or what?"


    Terence had heard what Johnny just said to Carla. He thought, ''This Johnny still said he and Carla were destined to meet.


    Destiny? The nerve of this bastard! How dare him seduce my wife in public!''


    Johnny played with his short curly hair and hummed, "Mr. Terence, I think you should know what I''m thinking."


    Truth be told, Johnny disdained to hide his thoughts about Carla. He wanted Terence to know he was ready to compete for her love.


    "Oh? Is that so? Well, I''m free this afternoon. Dare to meet me somewhere?" Terence''s cold stare pierced through Johnny.


    "Okay! Mr. Terence, I''m not afraid of you!" Johnny agreed without any hesitation


    Johnny thought there was no need for him to be scared since Terence had no guts to casually kill someone.


    After some time, Terence and Johnny arrived at a boxing hall.


    Of course, the subject of their rivalry¨C¨CCarla, tailed the two men.


    The two started fighting on the boxing ring with Johnny at a disadvantage. Meanwhile, Carla couldn''t bear to see Johnny being wholly trashed by Terence.


    Johnny didn''t get any opportunities to counterattack Terence, who seemed to be too focused and aggressive in the fight.


    Then, Carla''s sight landed on her man Terence, who was obviously enjoying the battle in his favor. She thought, ''Terence had really calculated this! Knowing that he couldn''t fight in public, he chose to combat Johnny in the boxing hall¨C¨Ca much more private place.''


    However, Carla also understood why Terence was so angry. It was not the first time that Johnny tried to publicly make a move on her¨C¨Ca married woman. Her husband could not tolerate it anymore.


    Whatever Johnny was suffering now, he brought it upon himself.


    Yet, even though he kept strug


    ged her.


    Carla, on the other hand, was shocked by his sudden moves and couldn''t help but take a long breath after rightly landing on his legs.


    Trying to calm herself down, Carla stared at the man whose good-looking face melted all the anger in her heart


    "Carla, should we plan to have a baby?"


    Carla sat up after hearing his words. "But won''t it be too early?" she asked, puzzled.


    Terence also sat up and embraced her in his arms again. "I mean, we should go back to the hospital and have a physical check. I think you should take advantage of this period to recuperate better. What do you think?"


    Terence suddenly thought of what the doctor had told him before.


    Carla nodded and softly said, "Well, listen to you." Then, feeling curious, she asked, "Did Dad urge you to have a baby again?"


    Before she married him, she had known that the An family badly wanted a child.


    So she didn''t feel surprised at all when Terence told her this.


    She knew Nicholas'' body was heavily dependent on drugs and other medication. Although the doctors said that he could live for at least three to five years more, it was just theoretical. No one could ensure how long he still had to live.


    "Yes. Dad said we should have a baby as soon as possible. But there''s no need for you to be pressured. We''ve only been married for two months, and your body has just recovered. So take it easy. Don''t worry," he gently explained.


    He was also afraid that Carla would feel stressed.


    Carla nodded, burying her head into his arms. "Okay. Let''s do that. Maybe it''s really time for us to plan on having a baby."


    Just as the two were snuggling quietly on the sofa, Sean ran in.


    "Carla! Terence!"


    As soon as Sean saw the two getting very intimate, he immediately covered his eyes with his two hands. He could only open his mouth without seeing anything, "Carla, you said you would take me back to BH City to see my parents tomorrow. Do you still remember that?"

 Chapter 450 The Truth Is Going To Be Unveiled

    Carla raised her head from Terence''s chest and stood up. She coughed slightly to clear her throat and said, "Of course I meant what I said. I''ve never lied to you, right?"


    "Okay, that''s great."


    Satisfied by her answer, Sean nodded. He just wanted to ask her whether they would go as planned so that he could get everything prepared in advance.


    After a peaceful night, dawn arrived.


    Sean got up almost an hour before sunrise.


    After getting dressed, he went and tried to wake up Carla and Terence again and again. He couldn''t wait to go to BH City.


    Thanks to Sean''s incessant urging, Carla and Terence had no choice but to get up and drive to BH City early in the morning


    It didn''t take long for them to arrive there. As soon as they did, they went to the cemetery.


    The cemetery, which was usually quiet and serene, was quite noisy that day.


    As Carla and Sean walked to the grave of their parents, along with Terence, they saw from a distance that it was surrounded by four people. They were discussing something so earnestly that they didn''t notice the three new visitors.


    As Carla got closer, she realized that those people weren''t strangers. They were none other than her uncles and their sons.


    She wanted to go up to them and find out what was happening.


    However, as she approached them, she heard their conversation and realized that there was something wrong.


    "Ronnie, is this true? Are you sure you didn''t misunderstand?" Uncle James asked his son, Ronnie, with a serious expression on his face.


    "Father, I''m quite sure that I didn''t mishear anything. When I was with the An family, I didn''t know what to do, so I decided to walk around and find something fun to do. However, I didn''t expect that I would find another banquet in a relatively hidden place. At first, I thought that they were relatives of the An family. But after carefully listening to their conversation, I realized that I was wrong."


    Ronnie paused to recall the scene. Then, he continued, "They seemed to be people from the Hua family. Moreover, two of them were referred to as the bride''s brothers.


    I was confused when I heard it, because I thought that apart from Carla and Sean, uncle didn''t have any other children. So how could Carla have two other brothers?


    I didn''t leave and kept listening to them. That''s when I found out something."


    Ronnie was about to continue when he saw Carla walking toward him.


    Their eyes met, and Carla immediately called out his name. "Ronnie!"


    Then, Carla faced her two uncles and greeted them respectfully, "Uncle James and Uncle Mike, you are both here."


    Uncle James and Uncle Mike, who were kneeling in front of the grave, immediately stood up when they saw Carla. When they noticed that she was followed by Terence and Sean, they were quite surprised.


    "Well, Carla, you''re here too. What a coincidence! I came here with your Uncle Mike today to visit your parents'' grave,"


    Uncle James said while nodding at Terence in greeting.


    "Yeah, we wanted to bring Sean here a long


    s in order to suppress her anger.


    She planned to come back to BH City to visit her parents'' grave today.


    However, she never thought that she would lose Sean because of this trip.


    She pondered to herself quietly, ''No, I can''t. I can''t leave Sean to them. Sean has to be with me no matter what.''


    "He is just a child and doesn''t know anything. How could he make a decision for himself? Besides, there are many children in our home and they can keep him company. Right?" Uncle James said again. It seemed that he didn''t have any intention of giving up his proposal.


    Carla shook her head firmly. "Uncle James, even if Sean is not my biological brother, both Terence and I will be nice to him. We care for him, you know that. And I really don''t know why you''ve suddenly made such a decision.


    As you just said, there are so many children in your family. Uncle James, your grandson is still a baby who requires a lot of care and attention.


    Are you sure that you''d still have the spare energy to take care of Sean and protect him from being bullied by other children?"


    Uncle James and Uncle Mike were forced to have second thoughts after being bombarded by Carla''s questions one after another. After thinking for a while, they exchanged a deep look, not knowing what to do next.


    "Carla, anyway, Sean is the Ji family''s child. Since we are his uncles, it''s our duty to raise him. If you don''t feel comfortable leaving him with us, you can come and see him whenever you want."


    Uncle James offered a compromise, hoping that Carla would finally agree.


    Mixed emotions overwhelmed Carla. She thought firmly and helplessly in her heart, ''It''s impossible for me to let Sean live with the Ji family. However, if my identity is exposed to the public, I will lose custody of Sean immediately. What should I do?''


    At that moment, she felt lost and didn''t know what to say or do.


    She wasn''t prepared for this situation at all.


    She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn''t even notice Terence walking toward them.

 Chapter 451 Its Hard To Read Ones Mind

    Terence asked Nathan, Rainer, and Sean to buy some snacks so he could come back to Carla.


    He had heard most of their conversation.


    "Carla..."


    He called as he walked towards her and stopped by her side. "I think your uncles were right. We just got married and it won''t be convenient to take a little boy with us. That could be annoying, right?"


    Carla didn''t know what to say.


    She stared at Terence with her mouth half-open, totally shocked.


    "Look, Carla! Even Mr. Terence agrees with us. You are newlyweds. Don''t you think it''s inconvenient to have a kid around?"


    Mike immediately echoed his words.


    Terence blinked at Carla before turning to Mike and James, "I think you have brought up a really good idea, Uncle Mike. We will transfer Sean to one of the local schools here once we are back to JA City."


    "Great, great!" Both Mike and James agreed cheerfully.


    "However, I have some conditions. I''m sorry if this would sound offensive." Terence smiled. "If you take Sean with your family then the child will have nothing to do with me and Carla."


    More so, Carla will never be a part of your family anymore.


    If that happens, I would be expecting you guys not to come near us again. Oh, I almost forgot. Since you have decided to raise Sean, I suppose that you have arranged everything for him, like his education and all the other things?"


    Terence''s voice returned to its usual coldness.


    Hearing what he said, Mike and James'' smiles melted away.


    They suddenly looked worried and didn''t know what to do.


    "If so, I suppose that you two will pay all the tuition for high school and university? And when he gets married, you will offer him some money to hold the wedding ceremony or buy a new house for the couple, right?"


    A smile cracked Terence''s lips again.


    "No, Carla..."


    "Uncle James, Uncle Mike," interrupted Terence even before Uncle Mike could say a thing.


    "I like to act decisively. I don''t like things that last too long. I totally agree to give Sean back to your family. Returning Sean would save us a lot of t


    w how afraid she was that they would take Sean away from her.


    "Thank God, you were there, Terence. I didn''t have any idea how to deal with them."


    "You''re just young and innocent, Carla," replied Terence, gently squeezing her palm. "You could have seen their point easily if only you calmed down and thought of it.


    Who will raise someone else''s child for nothing? Are they really that kind to take care of your father''s only son? Do they think it was just that simple?"


    Carla nodded, relaxing herself a bit while leaning against her husband''s shoulder. She wouldn''t have understood her situation earlier if he didn''t intervene.


    "Stop worrying too much, okay? They can''t take Sean away from you." Patting her shoulder, Terence comforted her sweetly and added, "They''re just a common family and raising a child doesn''t come cheap these days.


    It would be impossible for them to get what they want, so relax."


    Carla buried her face against the crook of Terence''s neck. She then sighed, "It was just that I''m afraid that they would tell Sean the truth."


    Terence went silent for a while, thinking about what she said. "I think it''s time to tell the child the truth.


    It''s better for him to know it from us than from your relatives. If it''s hard for you to do that, then I''ll do it."


    Since Sean would find out sooner or later, better to tell him now, right?

 Chapter 452 Don’t Teach Sean Something Bad

    Terence hoped that Sean would accept the fact and define his position after knowing the truth.


    During that time, if other people in the Ji family wanted to take him back to their hometown, Terence had a plan on how to deal with the matter in his own ways.


    But Carla''s eyes widened when she heard that Terence wanted to tell Sean about the truth.


    "Don''t tell him yet. Not now! I''m worried about him. The truth might shock him to his core. I clearly remember how surprised I was upon learning the truth! I even thought it was impossible!


    The difference is that I''m an adult and Sean is just a little boy. He might not take it well. I am really worried that he might not be able to accept the truth,"


    Carla said with concern enveloped around her eyes.


    The truth was that Carla was not really afraid of Sean learning the truth at a young age--she was more afraid that the truth would hurt Sean.


    While they were talking, Sean ran as fast as he could towards their car. He yelled at them, "Carla! Terence! You''re back!"


    Sean came back with Nathan and Rainer while holding a big bag of snacks.


    As soon as he hopped in the car, Sean asked, "Carla, what happened? I saw that Uncle James and Uncle Mike looked so serious. Did anything bad happen?"


    "N-no! Nothing bad happened. Don''t worry. Something important needed to be dealt with back in our hometown. I can''t tell you yet because you are too young to understand it, okay?" Carla changed the topic and looked at the snacks that he was holding. Carla then stretched out her hand and said, "Well...that bag looks really full! Can I have a snack? I think my stomach is rumbling. I guess I''m a little hungry!"


    "Okay." Sean searched through the big bag that he was holding. Then, he unwillingly took out a pack of cashew nuts, which was his favorite, and handed it over to Carla as he furrowed his brows.


    Carla took the pack, opened it and began munching on the cashew nuts. After a few mouthfuls, she then asked Terence softly, "My dear husband, didn''t you say that you wanted to take me somewhere to relax and unwind? So...where are we going next?"


    Terence thought for a moment and said, "Tavia Lake Park is near BH City. People say that it is beautiful and has very nice aesthetics. I have never been there, though. So...do you want to go there?"


    Hearing her husband''s offer, Carla immediately nodded and said, "That sounds like a great idea. After that, we can directly go back to JA City from there. I think that''s an easier route, don''t you think?


    Oh, I heard that Tavia Grand Theatre is also near the place. And since it''s still pretty early, we could go there to kill time. Maybe we can go and watch a show!"


    Carla enthusiastically encouraged her husband as she wanted to see the beautiful place in person. After all, she had heard a lot of good th


    .


    Meanwhile, Rainer was walking far behind them, ignoring Terence and Carla.


    "Really? So, when did you first learn about it?" Carla suddenly asked Terence out of curiosity.


    Terence took a deep breath and smiled bitterly. He found that he was going to be in trouble soon. "My dear wife, we are talking about Sean''s education, aren''t we? Can you stop asking about me?"


    "No. I''m more interested in your experience," Carla said without hesitation.


    Terence thought about it with a frown and said, "I forgot it. But my experience was a bit special. When I was young, many girls were around me. Having been bothered by them, I gradually felt a little disgusted."


    "Eh-hem¡­" Hearing that, Carla couldn''t help but cough and glare at Terence.


    "Do you mean that you had a rich experience at an early age?"


    Terence glanced at Carla silently, and said softly to make her happy, "What are you thinking of? I mean I don''t have any interest in those things since I have already known a lot about it."


    Carla looked at him skeptically and asked, "Oh, really? Don''t men always hope that many women stay around them? If not, then why are they often attracted to other women while they still have girlfriends or wives?"


    "Those men have no resistance to women, or maybe they do that purely for their physiological needs," Terence explained. He didn''t take her directly to catch up with Sean but went to the tree next to them to wait for Sean and Nathan.


    Carla wasn''t surprised by his actions. She knew that he wouldn''t go there.


    ''He was born to a rich family. How could he really squeeze in the crowd to watch a normal show?


    If he really wanted to watch it, he would ask them to perform for him alone, just like Theo, '' thought Carla.


    Seeing that Carla was lost in thought, Terence waved his hand in front of her to draw her attention.


    "Carla, what are you thinking of?"

 Chapter 453 I Want To Start Working! (Part One)

    "Oh, nothing. It''s not that important. I can understand. You just told me what happened when you were a child. However, that was years ago and now that you''re a grown-up, I would think that some things have changed, right? Does that include your perspectives towards women?"


    Carla carefully asked. She thought that it would be the same for Sean. It''s true that Sean was just a child but Carla believed that if he saw those women in body painting, he would just think they were wearing some colorful clothes. Carla fully trusted that Sean?¡ªan eleven-year-old boy?¡ªwouldn''t have the same sexual ideas like Nathan.


    Terence did not answer Carla''s question. Instead, he just stared into the distance.


    Truth be told, what he saw and experienced while he was growing up made him determined that he would treat his woman carefully, wholeheartedly and respectfully.


    And that was a huge part of the reason why he never let himself indulge in lustful thoughts and experiences.


    No matter how much he tried, he couldn''t erase from his memory the things that his mother experienced. There were a lot of times when he saw his mother crying all alone in her room. He saw how she couldn''t help but look at pictures of his father with other women and there was nothing that she could do. When that continuously happened, his mother had no choice but to leave his father.


    He had seen with his own eyes how his mother suffered painfully because of his father''s affairs.


    All of that happened while he was growing up and it played a huge role in the kind of man that he became. No one could imagine how deeply those things affected him.


    Therefore, Terence had been telling himself that he couldn''t let his own wife experience the same tragedy that his mother went through.


    At the same time, he had always been waiting for a woman who would be really worthy of his love.


    And now, he felt really lucky that


    was almost dark outside. With the sunset at their side, this small and happy family took a walk around the Tavia Lake Park while they talked and laughed.


    Because the Tavia Grand Theater was rented out for business activities, there was no dance show that day. However, the scenery at Tavia Lake Park was enough for their eyes and hearts to feast on.


    Sean told them that he wanted to ride a boat and so they did. It was very late at night when they finished having fun and finally returned to JA City.


    In JA City, they went straight to the


    Seaview Villa because the activities of the day exhausted them so much.


    When they returned, Carla couldn''t help but still ponder about what Terence had said earlier that day. She thought, ''Is it time to tell Sean the whole truth, unfiltered and true?


    But if Sean can''t accept the fact that I''m not his biological sister, what should I do? What could I do?'' Carla thought to herself.


    People have a tendency to always see the negative in every situation. It was the same for Carla. She thought that Sean was now going through an important part of his life as he transitioned from a kid to a young adult. And as any other person at his age, he had a lot of things on his plate, and his studies was just one of them.

 Chapter 454 I Want To Start Working! (Part Two)

    More importantly, the death of his parents had been a heavy blow for him. If he knew that his only family now was not even his biological sister, Carla couldn''t dare to imagine how Sean would react to this fact.


    "Why haven''t you slept yet? It''s very late already. What are you thinking about so deeply?" Terence asked.


    When he came back to their room, he saw that Carla was lying on the bed with her eyes on the ceiling. She wasn''t moving and she didn''t blink that often.


    Carla continued to lay still, imagining countless possibilities on how Sean would react. But each one was the same, he wouldn''t be able to accept the fact that they were not related. She sat up from the bed and said, "Terence, I still think we can''t tell the truth to Sean so recklessly."


    "Huh? Why?" Terence felt puzzled. Terence was stunned for a short while. But when Carla didn''t respond to his question, he walked towards the bed and sat down. He couldn''t understand why Carla was always worried about that. He said softly, "Well then, have you ever wondered what would happen if Sean discovered the truth by himself?"


    Carla shook her head.


    Terence continued, "Well, I promise you that we can tell him in two days'' time so you would have time to prepare yourself. You don''t have to worry about telling him. I''ll be the one to say it. So stop worrying about it and just go to sleep, okay?"


    Terence lay down beside her and held her in his arms. "Maybe Sean will be much stronger than you think. You''re just thinking about it too much. Try to calm down," Terence softly stated in an attempt to comfort her more.


    Carla leaned on his shoulder and nodded. She told herself, ''Terence is right. Maybe I''m just overthinking it.


    Maybe I just panicked because of what Uncle Mike and Uncle James said.''


    Terence embraced her more tightly and gently planted some kisse


    nted to the seat next to Carla and said with a smile, "Please take a seat first. I''ll go and get the list of all the vacant positions for you."


    Then, the manager went out of the office and said to his secretary, "Prepare a cup of tea for Mrs. Carla. Hurry up!"


    Carla waited for a few minutes in the office. Before long, the Personnel Manager came back with the list of vacant positions in his hand.


    "Mrs. Carla, there you go. These are the best positions that I have chosen for you. These positions do not have a heavy workload so you would still be able to enjoy your time. You can take your time and see if there is any position that is favorable for you," the manager stated as he handed Carla the list.


    "Thank you..."


    Carla took the vacant positions list from the Personnel Manager and looked at it carefully.


    "Oh, Mrs. Carla! I just remembered that Mr. Terence''s secretary just left her post due to family reasons last month. Right now, that position is still vacant. Would you like to consider it?"


    The manager exclaimed as he patted his head for almost forgetting such a position was still vacant.


    Because the position was very special and important, it was not included in the list of ordinary positions.

 Chapter 455 Whats The Matter With These Women

    However, after just a second''s pause, Carla shook her head and refused.


    "No, I won''t accept this offer."


    It wasn''t that she didn''t want to be Terence''s secretary. It was just that they''ve already been spent too much time with each other at home. There was no need for them to be together at work, too. Carla thought that they should give each other some space. That was a good way to maintain some mystery in their marriage. Otherwise, their relationship would get boring.


    Then, she continued going through the rest of the positions on the list. After a while, her eyes stopped on a position. She asked, "Manager Fang, may I know what a product image designer does?"


    "Oh, of course. A product image designer is supposed to design the appearance, logo, and packaging for new products. We usually change the packaging regularly for some products to keep up with the trends. So, we need someone who is imaginative and good at drawing,"


    Manager Fang explained to her patiently.


    "Mrs. Carla, you can have a try if you want to. It''s not too hard. As long as you can offer a satisfying design in the allotted time, you will be eligible to be a designer here. And relax, the standards wouldn''t be strict.


    Moreover, this is actually an offsite job, which means that you can travel and happily spend time at places like holiday villages and amusement parks if you''re designing for them. You can also have a free meal at a new restaurant when you design something for it.


    Basically, image designers in our company enjoy the most freedom and earn the most,"


    Manager Fang explained further.


    "Then why would the previous one quit?" Carla was confused. It sounded like designers here had a lot of spare time, and they could also travel a lot around the city and have so much fun. In other words, as long as the designers came up with something that their superiors loved, they could use their time at work any way they wanted to.


    So why would anyone give up such a great job?


    "Because one of her works wasn''t good enough to meet the standards. She got fired," Manager Fang answered.


    "Who fired her?" Carla was a little surprised.


    "Mr. Terence," Manager Fang replied with an embarrassed smile.


    Carla thought about it for a while. What Manager Fang had said was reasonable. The branding of the company''s key products was vital to its public image. Of course the design of their logos had to be of good quality. If a designer couldn''t deliver a good design for that, she would naturally be fired.


    "So all the design works have to be presented to Terence before they are approved and officially used, right?"


    she asked.


    "Ah, most of them. It wasn''t like that before, but


    er cleavage.


    What were these women doing?


    Who did they think they were?


    A bunch of imperial concubines waiting to spend a night with the emperor?


    It was ridiculous! The man that got to pick from them was her husband.


    She couldn''t stand this anymore.


    "Rainer, what is happening here?"


    Carla stopped Rainer when he passed by her.


    "Oh, Mrs. Carla, it''s you. These women are here for the interview for the position of Mr. Terence''s secretary. Mr. Terence usually interviews his secretary himself. So, they have to wait in here,"


    Rainer explained.


    There were about seven or eight women.


    After giving them a glance, Carla said, "So they were all actually screened before coming here."


    Rainer nodded, but then he stepped closer to tell the truth in a low voice. "But some of them were specially recommended by others. It''s not appropriate to reject them directly, so they are waiting for Mr. Terence''s decision."


    Rainer''s response finally cleared Carla''s confusion. No wonder there were so many women vying for the job. "I see. So when will Terence be available?"


    "I think there is still half an hour before the meeting will be over," Rainer replied. Mr. Terence had been busy recently and barely had free time.


    Carla nodded as she already knew what to do. "I see. Rainer, could you please gather these women in another free meeting room? Since Terence is busy, I''ll be glad to interview these applicants for him."


    "Mrs. Carla, what are you going to do?"


    "Do you have a problem with me interviewing them?" Carla gave him a glance.


    "No, no, totally not."


    Rainer shook his head immediately.


    Even Mr. Terence wouldn''t have the nerve to stop her from doing this. How would Rainer dare to get a say in it? Carla could do anything she wanted about this.

 Chapter 457 Second Eldest Sister-In-Law

    Carla looked at Terence for a moment before planting a short but deep kiss on his lips. Then, with all the affection she could muster, she stated, "My dear, thank you."


    "You never have to say thank you to me. As my wife, it''s your right. I''m simply doing my duty as your husband. Anyway, I''ve decided not to hire a secretary anymore. Besides, Rainer and Nathan can help me deal with almost everything that I need. They render a secretary''s job useless, to be honest.


    Um... Unless you want to be my secretary, then I''ll keep the position open for you anytime!" Terence exclaimed.


    He then smiled as he stared at his wife lovingly. Then, he continued to ask, "By the way, I heard that you went to the Personnel Department to inquire for vacant positions. Have you chosen a position that you wanted?"


    Carla nodded before she said, "As a matter of fact, I did. I want to be a designer in the company''s Advertising and Marketing Department. Oh! I heard that the position had become open because you dismissed the former designer a while back."


    Terence was apparently stunned for a moment. He said with a frown, "Carla, are you sure you want to take that job? I was under the impression that you still wanted to be my secretary!"


    "No, no, no! I don''t want to be your secretary. We already see each other at home every single day. If we would still be together at work every day, wouldn''t you feel bored with me?"


    Carla stated as she looked up at him.


    "What are you even saying? Me, bored with you? That''s nonsense!" Terence refuted as his frown got deeper. Then, he pinched her cheek and said, "Well, let''s forget about that! I just think that designing is not an easy job. I''m afraid that you wouldn''t be able to do it."


    Actually, Carla didn''t feel afraid and worried at all. She continued to eat her apple and said, "It doesn''t matter. Just let me try and work as a designer for a month. If you think I''m not suitable for this position within that period, then you can fire me. You wouldn''t need to be partial with me if that situation ever comes."


    "Um...Carla. Is this your final decision? You really don''t want to consider another position?"


    Terence asked with a slight sigh, and the frown still on his face.


    From Terence''s perspective, the position that Carla chose was very demanding.


    Truth be told, if Carla chose any other position than the designing job, Terence wouldn''t have any say in it. He would just nod and cheer her on but he knew the actual nature of the job. He knew that the job was not an easy one to handle.


    After all, the person in that position would be responsible for the branding of the company''s important products. It should not be taken lightly since it was an integral part of the company''s operations.


    "Terence, you promised me that I could choose any position in your company when I come to JA City! Do you want to break your promise so soon?" Carla stated. She was getting a little annoyed with Terence''s comments.


    Carla then threw what remained of her apple into the garbage can, sat on the sofa with her knees crossed, and glared at him


    anted to be my wife, but I declined, so Rhys took the chance and accepted this so-called matrimonial alliance."


    Carla paused for a while. She took her time processing what Terence had just stated.


    She asked curiously, "She originally wanted to marry you? Why didn''t you accept such a good marriage prospect?"


    "Um...Carla. At that time, I just came back from BH City. You should know why I refused."


    Terence hinted as he raised his eyebrows, waiting for Carla to fully understand what he meant.


    Carla was stunned for a few seconds, and then thought, ''He just came back from BH City? It means that he had only met me at that time.''


    "So, the daughter of the bank president...She was willing to marry Rhys instead? Don''t you think she would still want you even if she''s already promised to marry Rhys?"


    Carla asked with a little worry in her tone. After all, that woman wanted to marry Terence in the first place.


    "No, I don''t think so. We haven''t actually seen each other in person. But she has met Rhys. And Rhys is really good at charming women. So they immediately became a couple afterward,"


    Terence stated as he chuckled. He found it so funny when he saw Carla''s worried look.


    When she heard Terence''s response, Carla nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. They continued their meal with happy hearts afterward.


    After lunch, Carla left the AJ Building without Terence.


    She had planned to start working tomorrow. She thought that she should focus on the job first.


    After all, the working hours were flexible. When it would be time for her to prepare Rhys'' wedding ceremony, she could find time between work to check the details of the preparations.


    However, Carla still felt a little nervous and worried. After all, she just married into the An family. And now, once Rhys got married, there would be a second eldest sister-in-law for her.


    Although they needn''t live together, there would be a lot of inevitable interaction between them in the future. Carla thought, ''My future sister-in-law, I hope we''ll get along just fine!''

 Chapter 458 What A Cute But Powerful Woman

    Soon enough, the day that Carla had been waiting for finally came.


    Early that day, Carla went straight to the office so she could immediately start her work.


    She wasn''t surprised that there was already an office prepared for her inside the company.


    Carla slowly and carefully looked at the brand-new computer and the drawing materials on the table. She already knew that they had prepared everything she needed but judging from the office, it seemed that they went beyond the usual. Instead of being pressured, however, she knew that she needed to perform well in this position. Not just for Terence''s sake but to be able to prove to herself that she could actually do it.


    With this in mind, she smiled widely.


    Although she didn''t know much about the job and she didn''t have a lot of confidence that she would be able to handle her work well, she believed that at the very least, she would try her best.


    They say that time flies by when you do what you love. So before Carla knew it, it had already been several days since she first came to work in the company.


    For the past few days, she didn''t do anything other than educating herself about the company''s background, operations and most of all, the designers that she would be working with. She compiled a book of pictures that had all of the company''s standard designs and she also read all the materials that had been made available for her.


    Only after she had finished did she begin to think about what she was going to design.


    One could say that Carla had done everything she could to learn about the company''s background when it came to design. But because of her lack of experience, her mind would easily go blank when she tried to focus on creating a design herself. However, it was also an advantage for her since she would never be limited to things that used to restrict experienced designers'' imaginations.


    Her supervisor gave her the assignment to design a logo for a subsidiary brand of the AJ Group. It should have been released to the public last month. However, Terence didn''t approve any single draft that was submitted by the designers.


    So instead, the logo was going to be unveiled this month. Such an important job right then depended solely on Carla''s creativity.


    She also understood the importance of this assignment, so she fully committed herself on taking on the task really well.


    It was a peaceful and serene afternoon and Carla was drinking a cup of coffee while reading a report in her hand. It was about the introduction of the hotel which the AJ Group had been developing a new theme for. It so happened that she was assigned to design a logo for the hotel. According to the report, the hotel targeted the youth and aimed to offer its guests a style that exuded modernity with state-of-the-art technology.


    The design of the logo should reflect this objective, so it needed to be both eye-catching and thought-provoking. When people saw it, they should be interested in the hotel immediately.


    However, the more Carla read on about the assignment, the more difficult she found it to be.


    It was not at all, as easy as she thought it would be. Moreover, Manager Fang had put it too simply when she gave her this assignment. Such a logo had to contain so many things. Besides, it needed to be innovative, so it was not an easy job at all, considering that it had to be done in such a short time.


    She finally realized why Terence told her that it wasn''t an easy and comfortable position for her to take.


    The AJ Group ran wide and diversified businesses, ranging from real estate, hotels and restaurants, e-commerce, film and video, to self-designed electronic and health-care products. All of its products and establishments were quite popular across the country.


    The company had also consistently paid attention to keeping up with the current times so it remained relevant even years after being established. In addition to stabilizing its current industries, it never gave up on its efforts to develop new products.


    Considering the background of the


    hat she had drawn.


    However, because she had humorously portrayed the scene, it became more attractive. The conversations between the two characters were also quite interesting that it immediately captured Terence''s attention.


    Looking at all these drafts, Terence got a glimpse of her ideas.


    His mind immediately started to turn. If they could promote these cartoons and combine them with the new hotel that they had been developing for the youth, then there''s a possibility that they would be spearheading a new trend. It could actually attract more people to try and experience the new hotel.


    The hotel targeted young and adventurous people.


    And such customers always preferred this humorous and relaxing style.


    What was more, if the cartoons were consistently updated, costumers would follow the story and thus sustain their interest. It would help stabilize customer loyalty and potentially make them long-term patrons.


    Setting down the drafts on his hand back on the table, Terence already made a rough plan for the hotel''s promotion on his mind. Once her cartoons could be typeset by related departments, then the plan could be taken into action.


    He lowered himself to lift Carla who was still sound asleep. He was so gentle because he didn''t want to wake her up. He knew how hard Carla had been working herself for those drafts.


    The anger he once carried before coming into the room vanished into thin air. Right then, he was filled with love and respect for Carla and excitement for the plan that he had in mind.


    With the plan intact, he finally had time to think about why she pushed him away last night. It must be sudden inspiration that hit her at that moment.


    With that in mind, he couldn''t help but smile. ''What a cute but powerful woman!'' Terence exclaimed to himself.


    After carefully and slowly putting her down on the bed, he caressed her charming face ever so gently.


    He pondered quietly, ''Carla, you never failed to surprise me and show me different sides of yourself. You''ve never disappointed me ever since I fell in love with you.


    I was only asking you to design a logo. But I never thought that you would finish a complete campaign or even give an entire consideration for the next steps of the promotion process and how to make customers turn into long-term and loyal ones.


    My sweet honey, how could I stop loving you when you''re this smart and talented?


    You know better than anyone that you can choose not to work and just enjoy the life of luxury that comes with being my wife.


    However, you always try your best to improve yourself and take on new challenges. You can''t begin to imagine how much admiration, respect and love that I have for you.''

 Chapter 459 The City That Never Sleeps

    When Carla woke up the next day, it was already afternoon.


    Still with her eyes closed, she got up in a sitting position, placed her arms as high as she could and stretched her muscles. Then, she remained seated on the bed for a few more moments in silence.


    She worked so late last night that she didn''t even know what time she fell asleep or how she got in bed.


    Since it was already midday, she thought that it would be better to stay at home that day. After all, she had flexible working hours where she could decide what time she would work. It was the main reason why she chose the job.


    As long as she could finish the design of the logo by the end of the week, the company wouldn''t mind whether she came to the office every day or not.


    Carla continued to stretch her muscles but when she tried to move her neck, she felt shooting pain.


    She felt a little confused so she tried to twist her neck in the other direction. To her surprise, she only felt more pain. She thought that it must have been because of her bad posture when she was working and how she slept on the table last night. Rubbing her neck softly, she picked up her mobile phone from the bedside table.


    There were two new voice messages.


    Curious, she immediately opened them and found out that both messages were sent by Terence that morning.


    She played the first one and Terence''s voice filled the room. "Rest at home today. Don''t bother yourself about going to the office. I saw the drafts that you made. Congratulations! You''ve done a really good job. They were very innovative and creative," Terence sounded with a little excitement.


    Now with a light feeling in her heart, Carla played the other message. "I''ve taken two of the drafts to the company. From those two, I''m going to make the Planning Division devise a detailed marketing plan. You can make more of those drawings slowly. You don''t need to be in a hurry. More importantly, if you keep working late like you did last night, I will not let you keep the job anymore," Terence stated firmly.


    Carla played the two voice messages that Terence had sent again and again. She was so happy at first but then, she pouted deeply.


    She pondered quietly in her heart, ''What does he mean when he said that I''m not allowed to stay up late?


    Whenever inspiration would come to me, I have to quickly draw them on the paper. Or else, the inspiration might be gone just like that. Does he understand that unless I execute the idea that I have, I wouldn''t be able to sleep?''


    She listened to the voice messages two more times and couldn''t help but giggle every time she heard Terence say that she did a really good job. Although the pain in her neck still made her uncomfortable, she felt rather fulfilled and satisfied at that moment.


    She had actually been planning to explain and present her ideas to him. She was just waiting for the right time when she could make enough drawings. What she didn''t expect was that he would be able to understand her plans really quickly just by looking at her drafts.


    She had made the right choice in choosing the man to marry. They understood each other really well. With that thought, Carla couldn''t help but smile as she lay on the bed once more.


    Just when Carla''s heart was overflowing with happiness, her phone rang. She picked it up, only to find her Aunt''s name on the screen.


    Needless to say, she was surprised to see that she was calling her. But then she let out a long sigh when she realized that it might have something to do with Lynn, her cousin.


    "Hello, Carla?


    This is your Aunt. Have you seen Lynn these past few days?" Her aunt sounded so anxious on the other end of the line.


    "No, I haven''t seen her in so long. Why? What''s the matter?" Carla asked while she lifted the quilt and finally got up from the bed.


    "Carla, your uncle and I couldn''t contact her since yesterday. We-we don''t know where she is or if she''s safe. This has never happened before. Lynn, that girl, does not have a habit of turning off her phone. I''m afraid that something bad happened to her. Carla, do you have any idea where she might have gone to?"


    Her aunt was so worried that she couldn''t con


    and held back the impulse to vomit since she still had the consciousness and determination that she had to check whether Lynn was one of the two ladies. So she peeked inside the room one more time and felt relieved when she was sure that Lynn was not in there.


    She was planning to close the door for them quietly and discreetly when the man happened to turn back and look at the door with his eyes half-closed. It all happened so suddenly that Carla didn''t know what to do.


    She didn''t want to be seen by him so she reached out to cover her face and closed the door quickly.


    After she made sure that the door was closed tightly, she held onto her chest and sighed deeply.


    Shaking her head helplessly, she thought, ''Johnny, I didn''t expect you to be this kind of person.


    Now that I found out about this, I will never fall in love with you even if I had the opportunity to choose my lover again.''


    She turned her back and proceeded to walk to the end of the hallway as quickly as she could. Finally, she saw Lynn sleeping on a small sofa. She looked really drunk and seemed to be in deep sleep.


    As she stared at Lynn in that kind of state, Carla didn''t know what to say or do. She gently patted Lynn on the face and called, "Lynn, are you alright? Lynn, wake up!"


    However, after trying really hard to wake her up, Carla couldn''t believe that she didn''t have even the tiniest of reaction. Lynn didn''t even move an inch! Helplessly and patiently, Carla went closer to her. Then, she shook her body while she repeatedly said, "Lynn, this is your cousin, Carla. Wake up right now. Can you hear me? I''m going to take you home."


    Lynn laid still on the sofa while Carla tried to wake her up vigorously. Feeling uncomfortable, she then opened her eyes, looked around and then stopped on Carla''s face. She was still in a daze and couldn''t figure out where she was.


    However, she seemed to recognize Carla and asked confusedly, "Cousin, why are you here?"


    "Lynn, do you know how worried and anxious your parents are about you? Stand up right now and come back with me this instant. Quickly!" Carla was a little angry and upset to see her act like this. She pulled her arm and tried to make her stand up.


    With Carla''s help and urging, Lynn then stood up. However, she was unsteady and needed to rely on Carla. After being confused and disoriented for a while, she then remembered where she was and hurried to pick up her bag from the sofa. Then, she followed Carla out of the room.


    Carla turned to look at Lynn and knew that it finally dawned on her, the seriousness of what she did. Her anger then abated. She held Lynn''s arm and together, they walked out of the room as quickly as they could.


    However, just as they were passing by Johnny''s room, the door flew wide open.

 Chapter 460 Johnny Got Caught

    With only a pair of pants on, Johnny went ahead and swung the door open. But the moment he found out who it was outside the door, a sullen expression appeared on his face. As it turned out, it was actually Carla, who was just about to haul Lynn away by grabbing her. At that moment, Johnny felt so astounded as he looked at her.


    Forcing out a light cough, Carla acted as though she had not seen him at all, looking away to avoid his gaze, and lowering her head as she walked away.


    Seemingly at such a loss, all Johnny could do was watch as she left without uttering a single word. He couldn''t muster up the courage to call out to her.


    Focusing on the ground below, Carla continued to move forward. Lynn, on the other hand, walked right behind her, still in a state of confusion after coming to her senses. Lynn was such a mess that she unintentionally bumped into a man who was just getting off of his seat to get some water.


    When he turned to look and laid his eyes on Carla, he instantly felt exhilarated.


    The woman standing right in front of him, sporting a cropped haircut, with her straight nose and alluring black eyes, looking as if it could see through everything, was completely different from the other women inside the room.


    He could just tell that she was unlike any other.


    Caught in a daze for a moment, the man made sheep''s eyes at her and grabbed her wrist, "Hello, gorgeous. Did we meet last night? I just can''t remember. But since we''ve chanced upon each other today, would you mind telling me your name?"


    Feeling extremely violated, Carla pulled her hand back and shoved him away in utter repugnance. Then, she proceeded to head out with Lynn.


    "You have the nerve to push me away? Who do you think you are?"


    When he stumbled into the sofa, the man who had a bit too much to drink got rubbed up the wrong way. Because of that, he stood up and was just about to grab Carla by the shoulders.


    However, someone was able to catch his wrist before he could actually touch Carla''s shoulder. And before he could even stop to think about what had just happened, a heavy punch suddenly landed on his face.


    "Who told you that you could touch her?"


    Going off the deep end, Johnny had no clue how to let off some steam. So, the moment he saw the man who was about to get Carla caught up in such a difficult situation, he found the perfect outlet to release his pent-up anger on.


    Carla, on the other hand, simply went on her way and exited the room along with Lynn without turning back.


    Even though she could actually hear the sound of a fight brewing, Carla pretended not to hear anything and headed straight toward the elevator.


    She found it quite hard to breathe because of the smell that lingered inside.


    So, the second she finally stepped out of the elevator, she heaved a heavy sigh, feeling somewhat relieved.


    "Excuse me, sir. There are some guys stirring up a fight in Room 7008. Would you please go check that out?" After telling that to the waiter in the lobby, Carla immediately grabbed Lynn, intending to get out of the hotel as soon


    moment she got up, her aunt called her looking for Lynn. So, she wasn''t able to grab anything to eat at all, making her so hungry that she could eat a horse.


    "Ms. Carla, Mr. Terence asked me to inform you that he has talked to the doctor and made an appointment for tomorrow morning," Sophie said as she walked toward her.


    Terence had asked Sophie earlier to let Carla know so she could have a good night''s rest to get herself ready for tomorrow''s examination.


    "I see. Thank you for that, Sophie," Carla replied and continued sipping her soup.


    Terence had suggested for her to do rounds of checkup even though she already had an examination with Andrea in BH City.


    Be that as it may, she would be giving birth to the baby in JA City, so it made sense that they should talk to a professional doctor to have it checked.


    All of a sudden, she heard her phone ringing. "Hello? Who am I speaking to?"


    Carla picked it up and asked. However, no one seemed to be answering even after a while.


    Just as she was about to hang up, she heard a voice coming from the other side of the line.


    "Do you feel disgusted when you think of me?" the man asked.


    It appeared to be Johnny speaking.


    Putting down the spoon on the table, Carla lost her appetite after hearing Johnny''s voice.


    "Almost. But I should be thanking you, Master Johnny, for showing a bit of mercy to Lynn," she replied.


    If he were interested in Lynn, he would have no trouble seducing her whatsoever.


    When she was done talking, she heard an ear-splitting sound of someone shouting in the background.


    She put her phone away to avoid hearing it, but then, she suddenly heard another voice.


    "What are you raising your voice for? Get a hold of yourself! Do you want to get punched?"


    Noticing that something seemed to be quite amiss, Carla began to wonder what kind of person would have the guts to actually yell at Johnny.


    With that in mind, she asked, "Where are you right now, Johnny?"


    "At the police station,"


    Johnny flatly replied, feeling so dejected.

 Chapter 461 Repentance Is Priceless

    "Oh? You''re in prison right now? Is it for hitting that man?"


    Carla asked, feeling a little surprised by what she had just heard. But before long, she figured out what exactly happened to Johnny. Perhaps, the man that Johnny hit was not just any other person. The man might have some very powerful connections or in a position of power which made it hard for Johnny to escape prison time.


    "Yes, that man''s father insisted that I must stay here for several days. And that''s exactly what I''m doing to dispel his father''s anger," Johnny casually answered.


    But if one listened more closely, his tone actually sounded like he bore some resentment for that man.


    The truth was that Carla didn''t want to give more thought or care about him at all. She just wanted to get the conversation done and over with. She simply asked, "So why are you calling me? Do you want me to bail you out?" Carla sat lazily on the sofa. She didn''t have the time nor care to give the matter much thought. Certainly, even if Johnny''s answer was "yes", she would still be unwilling to help him.


    "No, I didn''t mean that. I just wanted to know if you saw me with those two women that time..." Johnny stated, sounding lifeless and without that much hope.


    In reality, this time was already the second time that Carla saw Johnny make love to another woman. And this time, he was even making love to two women at the same time!


    "I already know that Mr. Johnny has a really vigorous sexual appetite and strong desires. So it only made sense that you didn''t even care about having the door closed. However, it also made me come to the conclusion that you''re not scared of being seen by others," Carla sneered. If he didn''t want others to see his sexual affairs, he should have at least kept the door closed or even locked when engaging in those activities.


    Moments passed by and Carla didn''t get any response from Johnny. All she heard was another bang from the other side of the call. It was no doubt the sound of Johnny''s fists hitting the iron railings.


    "Mr. Johnny, I''m going to hang up now if there''s nothing more that you would like to say. And as much as possible, please don''t contact me again, okay?" Carla candidly stated.


    When Carla gave it more thought, there was one thing that puzzled her a little. From the very beginning, her attitude towards Johnny was extremely cold. She had gone as far as making it clear that she didn''t want to interact with him at all.


    And every single time that they would meet, it was always accidental. They never arranged to meet but somehow the universe always seemed to find a way for their paths to cross.


    Was it God who made it happen? Or the universe itself? Or was it something like fate or destiny?


    "Wait, Carla. I want to say... actually... I''m not as promiscuous as you think. Today...I just had a little too much to drink..." Johnny did not know exactly what to say, but there was something in his instincts that was pushing him to explain.


    "Mr. Johnny, you don''t have to give me an explanation or clarification. This lifestyle that you choose and everything that it entails have nothing to do with me. Even if you do it with three women at the same time, it really is none of my business," Carla casually stated, hinting a bit of laughter for mockery.


    However, she was suddenly reminded of what Lynn told her that day. With that, the sarcasm on Carla''s face gradually faded.


    Although she had a very bad impression of Johnny, there was no denying that he actually treated Lynn with kindness for her sake.


    If Johnny hadn''t known that


    houldn''t you strive to become better so that you can be worthy of her love or at least, her respect? If you work on yourself and really improve, the possibility of her liking you in the future will increase. Or at least, she wouldn''t treat you the same if you really showed that you''ve changed," Kelvin expounded.


    Kelvin had actually tried to persuade Johnny to give up on Carla so many times in the past. He had always been honest and straightforward to Johnny but every effort that he made didn''t work.


    So this time, he tried to motivate and encourage him instead.


    Just like Carla, he knew that Johnny was not a bad person.


    What happened today was enough to prove it. If today''s fight wasn''t settled peacefully, Carla must have been summoned to the police station as well. And if this news reached the public, Carla''s reputation and the reputation of the An family would have suffered more or less.


    Therefore, Johnny promised to stay in prison for several days without any hesitation. He knew about the consequences and he had also wanted the matter to stay private.


    "Kelvin, tell my parents that I''m all right..."


    Johnny, who had been silent for a while suddenly spoke.


    From the slumped and hunched posture that he was in earlier, Johnny straightened his back and stood up.


    "Sure, Johnny. Your parents love you very much. So I think that they wouldn''t be angry with you. Don''t worry. Your father will immediately come here to bail you out for sure..."


    Kelvin said, patting Johnny on his shoulder.


    "No, Kelvin. Don''t ask my father to bail me out. I only need to be here for five days. I want some time to calm myself down and really think about where I will go from this point on. So you don''t have to visit me either," Johnny said nonchalantly, void of any expression on his face.


    "Johnny..." Kelvin tried to convince him otherwise but Johnny immediately cut him off.


    "Just do as I say!"


    Johnny raised his voice so Kelvin did not dare to say anything more. He then walked out after saying, "Okay, goodbye."


    Johnny clutched the iron railing tightly with both hands. He stared at the only window on the opposite wall with his eyebrows furrowed.


    Even though the only thing that he could see outside was a red brick wall and there wasn''t a view that was pleasant to the eyes on the four sides of the prison cell, Johnny''s gaze was somehow focused.

 Chapter 462 A Pre-pregnancy Checkup

    It wasn''t like the usual peaceful dusk today.


    Silence filled the whole Seaview Villa.


    Setting up her painting materials, Carla was so absorbed in painting the glorious sunset by the seaside. Holding a several brushes of varying sizes in her hands, she dipped one in the paint and began to draw on the canvas, giving attention to the details.


    She might not have received any formal training nor attended any well-known universities for the fine arts, but she had her own unique ways and techniques when it came to drawing.


    As long as she was able to relax and enjoy what she had painted, then she could focus on doing it continuously.


    In the end, however, she would always come to realize that her paintings were actually not half bad at all.


    "Sis, are you busy painting right now?"


    When he got back from school, Sean came across his sister enthusiastically drawing under the light, so he walked towards her.


    "Oh, my! Sis, you came up with such a magnificent picture. Can I please have this one?"


    Sean exclaimed as she approached her, with his eyes dilating, after seeing the painting she was working on up close.


    "No. Have you forgotten what I mentioned to you before about me wanting to hold an art exhibition? One cannot live without keeping dreams in his or her heart. So from this day forward, I will start accumulating paintings little by little until the day comes when I can finally put them all on display in an art gallery."


    Carla stated, filled with so much joy and excitement. After adding the final strokes of black paint as the finishing touches on the canvas, she went ahead and put down the brushes she was holding in her hands.


    "Well, sis, then how many paintings have you actually finished at this point?" Sean asked, feeling very impressed, as this was actually the first time he ever saw her being serious while drawing something. After seeing what she came up with today, he came to realize just how good at painting and how multi-talented his sister was.


    "Only one, and this is going to be the first of many to come."


    Carla answered in such a serious tone. "What?"


    Sean felt dumbfounded, as he wasn''t expecting to hear such an answer. With a shrug of his shoulders, he went on and said, "I guess that I''ll already be attending senior high school by the time you''re able to hold an art exhibit."


    "Well, you can''t be too sure about that. Who knows? Maybe you can come see my art show next year." A Cheshire cat smile crept onto her face as she was preoccupied with cleaning up all of the pigments.


    It didn''t take too long for her to finish doing that. When she was about to put away her drawing board, she heard the sound of footsteps getting closer.


    Promptly looking up to check who it was, Carla found out that it was Terence who was walking toward her.


    She was about to call his name when the little boy, Sean, who was standing right beside her, beat her to it, "Brother-in-law, you''re back."


    "There you are, Sean. Your Uncle Nathan has been looking all over for you just now," Terence said as he approached them, with his gazed completely fixed on Carla.


    Seeing that she was planning to put away the drawing board by herself, he swiftly moved closer to her to grab it from her hand. And with his gentle voice sounding so worried, he said, "Let me take that. I''ll handle it with care and put it away for you."


    Beaming him a wide smile, she turned around and handed the box of paint over to Sean before saying, "Sean, here you go. Please hold onto them for me, okay?"


    After telling him that, she carefully picked up the fresh painting herself.


    Holding the drawing board in one hand, Terence stretched out his other arm and held her. The two of them headed toward the Seaview Villa. While they were on their way, Terence couldn''


    tanding right at the entrance.


    Without a doubt, Carla could tell that he might''ve overheard the things the doctor said to her.


    "Well, Terence. What are we going to do now?"


    Feeling so low in spirit, Carla found her eyes immediately turn bloodshot the second she looked at Terence.


    "Carla, the doctor only told you about the worst case scenario. Trust me, it''s not as bad as you think it is. Everything''s gonna be alright, okay?" Terence had a sullen look on his face upon seeing her like that. Stretching out his arms, he wrapped them around her. If only he had known that she was going to be this distressed, then he never would''ve listened to his father''s suggestion to bring her to the hospital today to have her checked.


    "However," Carla was about to tell him what she was worried about.


    Terence intentionally cut her off abruptly, "Carla, the doctor also told you that there''s a chance you might get pregnant again, isn''t that right? It might take a while, but that''s fine. Besides, we''re still young right now. What''s the rush? We don''t really need to have a child right away. Why don''t we just try to enjoy everything with just the two of us for just a little longer? Don''t you want that?"


    He rested his hand over her shoulders trying to make her feel at ease.


    Anxiously grabbing a hold of his hand, Carla lowered her head before asking, albeit reluctantly, "Still, if...if I still can''t get pregnant after two, three, or maybe even five years, what are we supposed to do then?"


    Deep in her heart she lamented, ''If I can''t get to have a child even after five or six years of patiently waiting, then I will be in my thirties by then. Wouldn''t it be even more difficult for me to get pregnant?''


    "There''s no way that''s going to happen. Trust me, Carla. I will make sure that never happens. And the situation is not as bad as you''re making it out to be. I''ll go look for another doctor to have you checked up next time. Don''t go thinking too far ahead, alright?"


    He had her wrapped tightly in his arms and said it in a resolute tone. Then, he continued, "Never have I ever failed to get the things that I''ve wanted in my life. And having a child with you won''t ever become an exception. So, just trust me on this, alright?"


    Wearing a downcast look on her face, Carla leaned against his chest and nodded in response. Feeling both moved and worried in the exact same time, she couldn''t think of anything to say to him.


    "My only wish is that God can bless us at least one more time," she softly sighed.

 Chapter 463 Worries About Infertility

    "Of course, everything will be fine. Believe me. It''s a miracle that I met you, and I know that there will be more miracles ahead of us."


    Terence released her from his embrace and planted a soft kiss on her forehead.


    "But I''m still afraid of..." Carla uttered and couldn''t help biting her lips. She looked up at Terence and asked sadly, "If I can''t have a child, will your father dislike me and force us to divorce?"


    "Carla!" Terence stopped whatever she was fussing about.


    He breathed a deep sigh. He didn''t want Carla to overthink, but she couldn''t control herself from thinking negatively. He continued, "Remember, Father couldn''t prevent me from marrying you before. What makes you think he can force me now?


    My dear wife, don''t always think negatively about things. We''ve only been married for two months, so you can''t mention anything about divorce, okay?"


    He frowned, took her hand, and went out of the hospital with Carla.


    Terence felt regretful again and began to blame himself.


    He shouldn''t have brought Carla here for such a check-up.


    He even thought of blaming the hospital!


    Perhaps, it was a better idea if he could have taken her to a cheaper and more ordinary hospital so that the check-up wouldn''t be so precise about her infertility.


    Although pre-pregnancy check-ups were now a regular thing, he still complained about himself too much!


    He could feel how sad and disappointed Carla was when she heard the doctor say that she was less likely to be pregnant.


    On the way back, Carla remained silent.


    Since then, Terence never mentioned having children or any topics related to it in front of her.


    An entire week passed with Terrence being extra mindful of his wife, who was obviously in distress.


    It was only until then that she could take things lightly and break a slight laugh once in a while.


    She also told herself not to think too badly about things. After all, the future was long ahead of her. Just as the doctor said, pregnancy was still possible, although it would take longer for her.


    In her mind, there were many other things she could do in life.


    So, in the following days, she kicked her interest in art and started drawing either in the office or somewhere with a quiet spot.


    Carla had completed designing the promotion plan for the new hotel, and its formal operation would start soon.


    However, worrying about things that might never happen increased their chances of happening.


    One day,


    oming salacious!"


    Just when they were about to kiss deeply, there was a knock on the door.


    "Terence, are you still up?"


    It was Edmund''s voice.


    Terence took a long breath and released Carla in his arms. He caressed her chin and said, "Carla, change into the red pajamas and wait for me to come back!"


    "Okay..."


    Carla nodded, watching him adjust his pajama before going out of the bedroom.


    Then, Terence followed Edmund into the study room.


    He sat down, looked at Edmund, and asked, "What''s the matter, Father? It''s already late. Why did you call?"


    Edmund lit a cigar, took puff and said, "I heard that you went to the hospital with Carla last week for a check-up. How''s the result?"


    Terence, with his legs crossed, was stunned for a moment after hearing his father''s question. Then, looking up at Edmund, he said, "Everything is alright. Nothing important."


    "Alright?" Edmund took another puff of his cigar and refuted, "Are you kidding me? I don''t deny you are alright, but Carla¡ªdo you think you can hide anything from me here in JA City?


    Carla couldn''t get pregnant anymore because of the miscarriage, am I right?" This is an important matter! Why didn''t you tell me?"


    Terence''s eyebrows wrinkled slightly. "Father, the doctor just said she was less likely to be pregnant, not unable!"


    Edmund hummed, showing a disdainful look.


    "Terence, I''ve specially asked my old friend¡ªDean Wang to check Carla''s medical record, and he concluded this. Do you think I''ll doubt a professional''s diagnosis?"


    "Father, what do you mean?"


    Terence asked in a depressed tone, as displeasure gradually arose in his eyes.

 Chapter 464 Pregnancy Concerns

    Edmund sighed before saying, "Terence, my son, I''ve already told you. You should have listened to me and married someone else, other than Carla. There are a lot of women who are more beautiful, more accomplished, and more connected than her. Women who would have helped you and our business more. When we found out that Carla is the daughter of the Hua family, I thought that she would be worthy of you by some degree, but now..."


    Edmund sighed a little deeper this time before he continued, "I think you should know well enough that you can''t divorce someone once you already got married. This is one of our family''s most important traditions. However, you should also know that as a member of the An family, there is another rule to be followed. Not having an heir is the gravest of the three cardinal offenses against filial piety."


    Terence smiled and responded, "Dad, please don''t forget that you have another son. You should relax and calm down. I''m pretty sure that you''ll have lots and lots of grandchildren, one way or another."


    When he heard this, Edmund''s anger shot to the roof, making him pound on the table really hard. It created a striking sound that even Terence was a little shocked that his Father could do something like that.


    "What nonsense are you talking about?! Have you completely lost your mind?!


    You know very well how strict the requirement is to be an heir of the An family. What the An family needs are your biological kids! How can you compare your brother''s kids with yours? They shouldn''t even be mentioned in the same sentence!


    If an illegitimate child and a legitimate child can be regarded as being equals, Marcus wouldn''t have become a person that we didn''t like, nor would he covet the family''s wealth.


    There are also the ancestral rules of our family. Therefore, there is no way that you will break the rules, Terence. I won''t let it happen. As long as I''m alive, that will never happen."


    "Dad, I''m the one who should be blamed for Carla''s miscarriage. It''s all my fault. You shouldn''t put the blame on her. If, and that''s a big if, she can''t conceive, I won''t abandon her,"


    Terence said firmly. Then, he stood up, showing the confidence that he had in his decisions.


    He thought that it had made his point very clear.


    "Terence, for the last time, listen to me carefully. It''s not too late and it won''t hurt either of you. Just divorce Carla and this will be over with!"


    Edmund heaved a deep sigh. In reality, he didn''t want to see them divorce. He actually found it in him long ago to have some affection for Carla as a father-in-law.


    However, if Carla couldn''t give birth to an heir, Edmund was afraid that it would create a lot of problems and delays for Terence.


    All of a sudden, a loud bang was heard throughout the room.


    Terence had kicked down the chair and was now glaring at Edmund. Consumed by rage, he asked, "Do you think that every man in this world is heartless? Not everyone is like you!"


    it''s necessary to hire an assistant for you. It will really make your life easier," Terence tried to convince Carla. He insisted on his previous idea to have an assistant help Carla, so that she wouldn''t have to stay up so late.


    Carla lost in the game on her phone once again so she wrinkled her nose. Then she looked up and stated, "You decide."


    "Okay sure. I''ll ask the secretary to choose an experienced one to be your assistant once we arrive at the company," Terence beamed. He was glad to hear that she had finally agreed to the idea so he pinched her lips slightly.


    Suddenly, Carla opened her mouth and nibbled the tip of his fingers gently. Then, she stated, "I want to visit my mom in HA City. I''ll go by myself if you can''t come with me..."


    "Oh? Let me see. I''m afraid that you have to stay at home for 2 days more, ''cause I''ll be going abroad in 2 days. Then, you can go and stay with your mom in HA City for a couple of days," Terence replied. Then, he touched her nose and enjoyed her disgruntled reaction.


    "What? You''re going abroad again?"


    The second she heard the word "abroad", Carla straightened herself up and frowned deeply. She was too nervous to allow him to go abroad because of what happened last time.


    "Yes, there''s something that I have to personally handle this time. But don''t worry, I''ll stay there no more than a week and I''ll be back as soon as possible," Terence tried to console her when he saw her worry. But it was so sweet to see her concern.


    He would usually assign a member of his staff to go abroad in his place if there was any need, but this time he really had to go and see the operations for himself.


    In a moment, Carla remembered that Marcus was still in prison, so she deemed that it would be safe now. Otherwise, they had to take precautions.


    It actually reminded her of how fast the time flew.


    Two days later, Terence went on with his trip abroad.


    The next day after he departed, Carla flew to HA City.

 Chapter 465 A Child Is Always Cherished By Mom

    Knowing that Carla would be staying with them, Andrea planned to get everything ready and got up early in the morning. She instructed the maid to clean her room and prepare some fresh fruits and vegetables as well as the snacks that Carla liked.


    When that was over and done with, Andrea headed straight to the airport to pick up her daughter.


    Upon seeing Carla, Andrea promptly asked, being so thoughtful and kind like the way she usually was, "Oh, Callie, did you lose some weight?


    How have you been lately? Are you getting along well with the An family?"


    Wrapping her arms around Andrea, she pinched her cheek with one hand and answered, "Well, I haven''t really gotten any thinner at all. In fact, it''s quite the opposite. I''ve actually put on more weight."


    "Oh, is that so?" Truth be told, Andrea still felt like Carla appeared to be thinner than she was the last time they met. Then, she went ahead and touched Carla''s waist and continued, "Be honest with me. Is Terence treating you well? And is his father being nice to you? Or has he been giving you a hard time?"


    Seeing her mother getting so worked up, Carla couldn''t help but smile, feeling the warmth deep in her heart and even down to the tips of her fingers and toes. At this moment, she suddenly thought of just how wonderful it was to have a mom who always held her dear. It had just truly been so long since she was last able to feel something like that.


    After a while, Carla replied, "I don''t think Terence has the guts to bully me at all. As for my father-in-law, he''s also treating me very nicely. Mom, there''s nothing for you to worry about."


    Seeing how happy Carla seemed, Andrea had to take her word for it, that she wasn''t being treated badly. So, she grabbed a hold of Carla''s hand and clasped it between hers.


    Then, she told her, "Callie, my only wish is for you to find your happiness. You should give birth to Terence An''s child. Only then will your position in the An family be secured. When that time comes, I won''t have anything to worry about anymore."


    Pressing her head against her mother''s shoulder, Carla responded, "Mom, everything''s going well. Don''t worry."


    That was what she told her, but her heart had really been aching deep inside. She didn''t have it in her to tell Andrea the truth and get her steamed up.


    In any case, she was under the assumption that things weren''t really as bad as they seemed. The doctor might have told her that she could be having a hard time conceiving, but that doctor didn''t specifically say that she would have no hope of getting pregnant. So there was still a chance that she would conceive again in a few years'' time.


    Carla believed that she was indeed still quite young, and there was also no telling what the future might hold.


    It was a good thing that she wasn''t that much of a pessimist, so she was able to quickly get back on her feet.


    She was now Terence''s wife. The things around her are moving forward, so she felt that she might as well look towards a brighter future.


    All of a sudden, Carla came to the realization that the car was heading toward the center of HA City instead of the Hua family residence.


    A little bit confused, she asked, "Mom, aren''t we going back home right now?"


    With a smile on her face, she replied, "No, we are not. I''ve ha


    at home. He didn''t really have many things to take care of, and he typically wouldn''t go home until he had a great time someplace else.


    As they were all sitting at the table and having a meal, Tristan intentionally asked her, "Carla, when are you planning to go back to the JA City? Can I tag along with you?"


    Shooting him a glance, Carla asked, feeling a bit curious, "Why? Do you have some business to take care of in JA City?"


    Tristan was at the same age as Carla, but he was very much still like a child inside. For that reason, he was the one Carla was able to easily form a bond with.


    With a stern expression on his face, Tristan looked at Carla and answered, "Well, there''s just nothing left for me to do here. I''m getting sick of HA City, so I thought it would be a great idea to go somewhere else and have some fun.


    Kidding aside, Carla, I seriously want to go to JA City. So, would you mind taking me there with you?"


    Appearing to be deep in thought, Carla paused for a while and eventually replied, "Well, I can take you with me, but under one condition. Promise me that you won''t go around talking crazy." Tristan had a tendency to be extremely uninhibited, so Carla was a bit worried that he might accidentally say something improper in front of Sean.


    Slamming her hand on the table, Andrea shot Tristan a glare and scolded him, "Tristan, cut that out. She already has a lot on her plate. Don''t add to your sister''s problems."


    Tristan quickly retorted, "Mom, why would you say that? Why do you think that I''m causing trouble for my sister? Carla is my sister. Couldn''t I just go hang out at her place for a couple of days? Is there something wrong with that?


    What? Is my brother-in-law going to throw me out of their house or something?"


    Carla couldn''t hold herself back from coughing the moment he heard what Tristan had just blurted out.


    It suddenly popped into her mind how Sean had always been referring to himself as Terence''s brother-in-law. And now here was Tristan, saying the exact same thing.


    She tried to picture how Sean would feel when he found out about that.


    And above all else, she absolutely had no idea whether Terence would like Tristan or not.

 Chapter 466 Show Me, My Baby

    "Well, we all know that you have thick skin! I just want to remind you that unlike you, York didn''t ask for that." Andrea looked at her son and tried to shut him up by putting more food into his bowl.


    Then, she continued, "Come on, Tristan, finish your food. Carla and I are going to a spa this afternoon, so she won''t have time to be with you."


    Andrea thought that Tristan would immediately lose interest in the topic, but to her surprise, Tristan said, "Oh, I think I need to have a massage, too! My body is aching after playing computer games all day."


    "Tristan, the spa is only for women. Do you think they would allow you in?"


    Carla chuckled, staring at her brother who had begun stretching and flexing his neck to relax himself.


    "Of course I''m not going to the spa for women. There is a spa for men in the same building, just one floor up. But I''ve already spent all the money in my membership card. Carla, could you give me some?"


    The moment Andrea heard his words, she put down her cutlery and stood up, and then slapped Tristan on his head full of permed yellow hair.


    "Tristan, now I finally know why you''ve come back home! I thought you missed me and came here to spend time with me, but it turns out that you''ve just run out of money!"


    Since Tristan was unemployed, he took care of all his expenses using the money he received from his family.


    However, the money he received was a monthly allowance, which was limited. Every time he ran out of money, he would come home like a spoiled child.


    But Andrea never expected for Tristan to have spent a whole month''s allowance in less than ten days!


    "Mom, I wasn''t asking you for money! Why are you getting mad at me?"


    Tristan stared at Andrea sadly while rubbing the spot on his head that his mother had just slapped.


    The scene reminded Carla of the time when she was with her foster family. Sometimes, when Sean was naughty, his mother would get mad at him as well, and they would bicker just like Tristan and Andrea were doing.


    "Mom, Tristan, calm down. Come on, the food is getting cold,"


    Carla said, trying to make peace.


    Andrea sat down, still fuming. "Go and ask your brother for money. Don''t come to me or your sister."


    It was Noah who took care of the finances of the family. He transferred money to every family member''s accounts at specific times of the month.


    Tristan made a face at Andrea. It was difficult


    dies here for you? They are all naked and I bet you will enjoy it with your eyes very much," Carla joked.


    Of course she wasn''t going to do that.


    "Oh, no. I think it will hurt my eyes. If it''s inconvenient now, how about showing me this evening when you''re back home? Or will you come up with more excuses?"


    Terence chuckled. "Oh, I almost forgot. Say hello to your mom for me, okay? Tell her that I will drop by for a visit when I get back."


    "Okay! I''m going back to the spa now. Mom is waiting for me. Bye!" Carla said.


    "Don''t forget to call me tonight. Bye, baby." Terence gave her a long look before hanging up the phone.


    After he hung up, Carla put her phone back, adjusted her towel, and walked back to the spa room.


    Call him tonight?


    She would play it by feel.


    Terence had become much more enthusiastic about sex ever since he had come back from the An Manor and Carla didn''t know why.


    She enjoyed it as well, of course, but only at the beginning. After a while, she would be so tired that she would beg him to stop...


    Carla suddenly realized that she was still in the spa center and she couldn''t believe that she was thinking about sex!


    She shook her head and sighed to herself. This was all Terence''s fault.


    It was dark by the time Carla and Andrea finally left the spa center.


    Carla went back to the Hua family home with Andrea and had dinner there. After that, Carla and Andrea kept chatting until the early hours of the morning. Carla didn''t even go back to her own room.


    The following evening, Andrea dressed Carla up to the nines and took her to a banquet.

 Chapter 467 Carlas First Love Is A Celebrity

    When they finally arrived, Carla saw that there was a huge crowd of people around.


    However, she didn''t feel suffocated despite the sea of people. She soon figured out that people were classified into 3 layers; the innermost, the interlayer, and the outermost layers respectively.


    It seemed to be a system inspired by the passengers in a commercial plane who chose the seats in various classes according to their economic status.


    Carla and Andrea sat in the front row with an ample view, so their seats could well be described as one of the best.


    Before the event began, Andrea greeted many couples present alongside Carla as she introduced Carla to all of them.


    Carla quickly realized that people usually liked to surround themselves with those who are similar to them. The people present were of wealth, of noble birth, or were politicians in HA City. Most common men found it to be extremely strenuous to get into this layer.


    Everyone remained eerily quiet when the exchange meeting began.


    The audience composed of people from all social strata, but everyone behaved properly, as they all maintained pin-drop silence.


    As Carla had been around for a while, she began to contemplate how they had a jam-packed audience today. It was because they had all heard the rumor that a famous singer and performer would be present.


    As a matter of tradition, the most important event would always be left until the very end.


    After many rounds of performances including motivational speeches, chorus by kids and a spectacular rendition by a local pianist, the final performance was about to begin.


    Sensing the impatience among the people around her to see the star, she too was eager to see who exactly this performer was.


    As she continued wandering her eyes, she found that even the celebrities were excited to see this person.


    Out of the blue, the star appeared on the stage from the back.


    She fixated her eyes to the direction of the exit. Carla spotted a tall guy in a white shirt and black pants, with a cello on his back. The man walked towards the center of the stage and bowed to the audience.


    The moment he looked up, Carla was attracted by his appearance. His clearly intriguing black eyes were that of a cold but elegant gentleman.


    Or perhaps he was a prince from the land of icebergs.


    But, why did he seem a little familiar? Carla found it to be extremely strange.


    To make matters awkward, she was quite familiar with the words "prince from the land of icebergs".


    It struck her as though she had used the words somewhere before.


    "Good evening. My name is Luis," the man introduced himself.


    Like a bolt from out of the blue, the name made Carla freeze to her core.


    Althou


    because he''s changed a lot."


    Noticing her feigned expression, Andrea held Carla''s arm and walked her out. She asked, "What happened, honey? You look nervous. Was that the boy you first loved?"


    Although she was married, she thought it was normal to have a history.


    It was understandable for someone to behave awkwardly when they unexpectedly met someone who meant the world to them once upon a time.


    "..." Carla was at a loss on to how to respond to it.


    "So, I was right. Wasn''t I? Wow, you''re incredible, Callie. You found a future celebrity to be your first love. How on earth did you do that?" Andrea found her excitement level going through the roof.


    "..."


    Carla was perplexed and dumbfounded.


    A consensual relationship could be described as a first love.


    However, their relation was merely based on her own wishful thinking.


    When they returned to the house of the Hua family, Carla was too excited. But she eventually calmed herself down after a while.


    After all, she was guilty of committing many odd deeds, so it was normal for her to feel nervous and embarrassed when they met again.


    However, it was merely a coincidence.


    It would be impossible for her to manage another meet up with him considering his celebrity status.


    On the third day after the encounter, she''d almost forgotten about the entire incident.


    Carla still wasn''t entirely liberated from the shock of that day.


    In the morning, she remembered to call Terence. As she dialed his number, she shot a quick glance at the clock and realized that he must still be asleep.


    Having stayed at home the whole morning, Carla had no idea what to do. Just then, Tristan who had just risen from his bed after a nap came to visit Carla.


    "Are you free, Carla? Can we go out for some afternoon tea?" he suggested.

 Chapter 468 A Dip Into The Profligate Lifestyle

    "You want to buy me a drink? Do you even have any money?"


    Carla asked while she smiled and turned to Tristan. She couldn''t help but actually raise her eyebrows at him. She was certain that she would be the one to pay the bill eventually.


    But Tristan just said that he would buy her a drink. So, to say that she was surprised was an understatement.


    "Well, you pay the bill and I can just say that I bought it for you." Tristan scratched his head while he chuckled a little too loudly.


    Carla thought for a few seconds before nodding. Then, she said, "All right. I don''t really have anything to do this afternoon. And Mom has already gone to her yoga class. Let''s go."


    Tristan snapped his fingers then exclaimed, "Yes!"


    To get to the place, Tristan drove her in his flashy blue Porsche.


    This third younger brother of Carla was an actual golden boy who really knew how to enjoy life. He would only be seen in the fanciest places in HA City. He would only dine in the most well-known restaurants, stay in the best reviewed hotels, and would only wear the most expensive clothes and accessories.


    Therefore, he took Carla to a five-star luxury hotel which was one of the most renowned hotels in the country.


    There was not a day in his life that he would not go to places like that. That''s why he could spend his money so fast.


    Carla suddenly thought that she shouldn''t have given up on Terence''s first challenge so soon.


    If she took Tristan with her to squander all their money, there was no way that they couldn''t splurge enough money for Terence''s satisfaction.


    "Carla, do you know that only celebrities in HA City would come here to have afternoon tea? That assures you that this place is very pristine and of course, exclusive to the 1% of the 1%." Tristan gave her a thumbs-up while he spoke. Then, he led her to a table. "A lot of the top-notch actors in the industry come here often as well. If you frequent this place, you would definitely meet some of them," Tristan added.


    Carla took a closer look at the hotel. From just a few seconds of scanning the room, she could easily gather that it was a first class hotel with prime quality interiors. All the walls were laid with ivory leather, the furniture looked like they were imported, and the floors looked like glass that Carla was afraid to step on it heavily. When she looked at the buffet, there were lines and lines of gourmet dishes and at the end was a variety of desserts on three-layer plates.


    Looking through the French window, she could enjoy a spectacular view of HA City.


    "Mr. Tristan. Welcome. Shall I take you to your usual table?"


    The waiter said in a formal and polite tone as soon as he approached them.


    "Yes, I''ll order the usual as well," Tristan responded. Then, he walked straight to a table with an even more amazing view of the city.


    Carla sat opposite him while she continued to gaze at the scenery from the window. "You come here a lot, don''t you?" Carla asked after a while.


    "Of course. Where do you thin


    same girl in his memory.


    "Apology accepted. You did make me go through a lot of trouble."


    Luis crisply stated while he continued to gaze at her.


    When she processed what he just said, Carla was even more anxious. As a response, she smiled wryly with her hands clasped in front of her. "I''m really sorry. I was too ignorant. I didn''t know I would get you into a lot of trouble.


    It seemed like I was not the only one who chased you. Please forgive my rudeness back then." Carla apologized once more.


    "Yeah, you weren''t the only one. But you were the only one who was brave enough to confess your love to me in front of so many people on the playground. You were also the only one who dared to climb over the wall of my dormitory to watch me take a shower," Luis said.


    He remembered all the things that happened in their former school as if it just happened yesterday. When he brought this up, it still terrified him if he were to be honest.


    Since then, he couldn''t get her out of his mind every time he was taking a shower or changing his clothes. The trauma that he got from back then lasted for a long time.


    Carla lowered her head when she was reminded of all the things she did before. She was silently wishing that the earth would open up and swallow her whole.


    At that very moment, Tristan came back to their table. He saw that his seat was taken by a man, so he pulled a chair next to Carla and sat down.


    "Who''s this?" Tristan asked.


    Carla looked up and exclaimed, "Oh Tristan, you''re back! This is... Uh... my fellow alumni and senior in high school, Luis."


    "Luis, this is my... My friend, Tristan."


    Carla almost slipped that Tristan was her younger brother. But she realized that if she told Luis, she would have to explain her true identity to him. Therefore, she decided to save herself some trouble.


    Luis looked at Tristan and realized that he looked like Carla''s type because he looked handsome and charming. With that, he couldn''t help but ask.


    "Is he your boyfriend?"

 Chapter 469 Terences Return From Abroad

    "I''m her..."


    Tristan subconsciously wanted to explain that he was Carla''s brother. But Carla suddenly touched his arm, indicating something to him.


    Getting the hint, Tristan immediately guessed what Carla meant. So he continued by saying, "I''m her boyfriend. What''s wrong?"


    Carla almost choked on her saliva when she heard what Tristan had said. She didn''t want to explain to Luis that she was the biological daughter of the Hua family. Carla gave a hint to Tristan, thinking he would cooperate with her and say that he was her friend, not brother. But she didn''t expect him to say that he was her boyfriend!


    Tristan blinked innocently at Carla when he felt her glaring at him. He felt puzzled at why she was looking at him in shock, ''Didn''t she mean that?''


    Seeing Tristan''s innocent face, Carla could only turn away from him helplessly and sigh inside.


    She thought there was really no tacit understanding between her and Tristan. Now, this lie would be even more difficult to explain later.


    "Nothing. I didn''t expect that your taste would still be so childish after so many years," Luis whispered softly, standing up from his chair.


    "Wait! Childish? Who''s childish?" Tristan felt disgruntled at that moment. He was already twenty-four years old. Of course, he wouldn''t be happy to hear someone describing him as childish.


    "I didn''t say that you were childish. I meant her taste is childish. It''s none of your business," Luis said in a cold voice as he turned around to leave.


    Tristan was now really ticked off. He rolled his sleeves up and stepped forward, grabbing Luis by the shoulder and shouted, "None of my business? Ridiculous! So funny! I heard clearly what you said. Are you interested in my sis... ...my girlfriend?


    So when you heard that she had a boyfriend, you felt jealous, right?"


    Luis turned around and glimpsed at Tristan, who was holding Carla''s hand. Then he looked at Carla. With a blank expression, he said, "She never even knew you when she was pursuing me.


    I didn''t want her at that time. Do you really think that I would be interested in her now?"


    However, the whole time that Luis spoke, he never left his eyes from Carla.


    Carla grabbed Tristan''s arm. "Stop, Tristan. Don''t be silly. Just sit down here and wait for me for a moment."


    She pulled Tristan back to sit down on the chair. Then she turned to Luis and asked, "Could I have a word with you?"


    Luis gave her a cold glance and then turned around to walk forward.


    Of course, Carla went after him.


    "Luis, I''m sorry. Tristan is a little impetuous. I apologize to you on his behalf!"


    Carla just wanted Luis to forgive her for what she had done during their school days, but Tristan made things more complicated.


    However, Luis didn''t mind Tristan''s actions at all. He just asked, "I know you''re from an ordinary family. Are you with him to have a better life?"


    Luis knew that Carla couldn''t afford to


    A City to have some fun.


    Therefore, on the way back to JA City, Tristan kept in with his usual style¡ªchattering all the way. He found all kinds of topics to talk about with Terence. By the time they arrived at the Seaview Villa, Terence couldn''t bear to hear his talking anymore. So Terence asked Nathan to take Tristan to the guest room to rest.


    After Tristan was escorted to his room, Terence didn''t waste any time in taking Carla to their bedroom.


    "Carla, your brother is a real chatterbox!"


    Terence felt as if his ears were buzzing all the way. Even now, he still felt like someone was muttering in his ears.


    "I guess he''s trying to please you!"


    Carla understood how Tristan''s mind worked. After all, if Terence felt happy with him, then Terence would pay for all of his expenses while he was in JA City.


    So, naturally, anyone would try their best to please the one who was able to pay for them.


    Terence raised his eyebrows and didn''t complain about Tristan anymore. Carla was about to take a bath and change clothes. But Terence said, "Carla, come here. I need to embrace you!"


    Hearing his words, Carla took off her coat and looked at him with a smile. She walked over to him and put her arms around his waist.


    "My dear husband, do you miss me?"


    "Yes, I really have missed you for a long time."


    Terence looked at her with a yearning desire. He bent over and kissed her lips and said in a husky tone, "Wait a minute. Let''s take a bath together..."


    "Oh, no! Then I won''t finish my bath by tomorrow morning!"


    Carla tried her best to control her laughter and poked Terence''s chest with one finger, and then she said, "I think I''d better take a bath alone first."


    She pulled herself out of Terence''s embrace and got changed into her robe. She then walked towards the bathroom.


    When she was about to close the bathroom door, a big hand suddenly appeared and grabbed hold of the door, stopping her from closing it.

 Chapter 470 Is He Your First Love

    Carla moved her body and turned around.


    Meanwhile, Terence had already changed his clothes and was on his way to the bathroom. He then put his hand on the bathroom door, forcefully pushing it open until it was wide enough for him to go inside. And as soon as he was inside the bathroom, he couldn''t take his eyes off her curvaceous body.


    "Bang." The door slammed shut behind him.


    It was a deep and cold night. The moon shone bright and the wind howled along with the rustling of the leaves. The couple could only care so much as to how beautiful the scene was outside for they were also having the time of their lives inside the bathroom.


    Carla was confused as she could not remember a single thing. She didn''t know when and how she got out of the bathroom. All she knew was that Terence had helped her take a shower before going to bed.


    She might have had a lapse in her memory. After all, they weren''t just taking a shower in the bathroom. Whatever happened might have been so good that she had almost forgotten whatever happened after their bathroom adventure.


    As soon as her body felt the bed sheets, she felt light headed that she could barely feel that she had already been pulled to the edge of the bed. Then, the sound of the hairdryer resonated and rang in her ears. The next thing she knew, her head felt warm from the hot air that came out of the hairdryer.


    Terence was very thoughtful of her. He dried her hair out until she could sleep, because he was afraid that she would get a headache if she slept with her hair wet.


    Carla opened her eyes and saw that the night had already passed. The morning sun greeted her eyes with a flash of golden light.


    She then moved her body and looked for the nearest watch. It was already past nine in the morning.


    This meant that Terence had already gone to the office.


    She got out of bed and put on her slippers. She then headed downstairs for breakfast before going to the study.


    Carla then opened her laptop to check if she had any e-mail from the staff in the company for they usually sent her e-mails regarding pending work.


    Everyone in the company was aware of Carla''s current status. That was why an e-mail was enough for them to communicate with her.


    The system went like this: After Carla finished her work, she would then hand it over to Terence. Then, he would directly ask her to redo the task should there be any problems. This method saved them a ton of time and effort instead of going through a lot of people along the corporate ladder to do it for them.


    With all the work that piled up on her, she had spent half the day in the study. During the afternoon, she finally made a sketch on the new product''s cover which was bound to be released soon.


    After all, what she needed first was a draft. She planned to make som


    t believe what he was seeing in front of him.


    He was about to stop them when Theo suddenly grabbed his shoulder.


    "Dude, why are you so nervous about a couple kissing in front of you?"


    Theo stopped Luis and then stood on the other side as they watched the couple drown in their own sweet little world.


    Theo was thinking that he didn''t need to worry whether Terence knew how to kiss. His lips curled into a smile as he saw that Terence looked like a master now.


    "What? What did you just say?''''


    Luis didn''t understand what Theo just meant, so he asked him again.


    "Hey, Luis! Aren''t you too obsessed with your work? Terence is your friend, right? He''s married. Didn''t you know? !"


    Theo had made it pretty clear.


    Luis was dumbfounded at that moment. What Theo said had completely blown his mind. He looked at the woman who shyly pushed Terence away. She would only act like that in front of someone she had loved.


    Luis had to admit to himself that he had always been so insensitive and clueless when it came to love.


    Maybe it was Carla who left a deep impression on him. After all, he still couldn''t get over her after all these years.


    Therefore, when he came back home this time, he wanted her back. Since he couldn''t get her out of his mind, he would just keep it to himself this time.


    After meeting Carla several times, Luis knew that he had feelings for her.


    However...


    Luis had thought of many possibilities in his head about how he and Carla would go about their relationship. But out of all the possibilities, he never imagined that she would become Terence''s wife.


    Carla gave out all her strength to push Terence away from her.


    But the more she pushed him away, the deeper he kissed her.


    "Babe, is Luis the first love that you have mentioned to me before?"


    Terence asked Carla as he let go of her with a frown on his face.

 Chapter 471 Carla Is My Sister, Not Yours!

    Carla slightly nodded her head. She was so embarrassed that she flushed intensely and looked away.


    That thing happened a long time ago, and it never occurred to her that Terence would learn about it one day. Carla gave him an embarrassed grin, not really knowing what to say at that moment.


    ''Oh god! How could you do this to me!


    Are you taking revenge on me? Why do you have to do it right now?'' Carla quietly thought to herself. A pang of remorse for what she had done hit her core.


    "Carla, there is nothing to worry about. You don''t have to feel shy when we talk about those things. You are my wife now, and I believe you. No matter what happened in the past, I will still love you. Nothing is going to change that. What''s more, Luis is our friend. You don''t have to hide any secrets from him. We should talk this out like adults," Terence calmly said.


    He took a deep breath and stared into her eyes, wanting to break the awkward silence between them.


    Although he appeared placid, deep down his heart, he knew that he would try everything to avoid crossing paths with Luis.


    Being a gentleman, Terence allowed Carla to have a chat with Luis alone for half an hour.


    He hoped that they could figure things out after spending some time together.


    Inside the room, Carla carefully explained her relationship with Tristan, describing how she had a hard time when she knew about her true identity. Those things were closely related, so she had to tell Luis about it.


    After the conversation, an eerie silence fell upon the room. Luis was so shocked that he wasn''t able to utter a single word for a while. His eyes were widely opened as he blankly stared at her in disbelief.


    After a long talk, Luis left.


    When Carla came home, she was hesitant to tell the whole thing to Terence. He deserved to hear an explanation, but she didn''t know where to start.


    "Carla, it''s nothing. You don''t have to be conscious about this whole thing. It is all in the past now, and we should move on. I can assure you that I will not let this thing interfere with our relationship. Everything will stay the same. I still love you so much," Terence softly explained while he lovingly stared at Carla.


    He saw right through her when he spotted the nervous look on her face. Knowing that she didn''t do it on purpose, he tried his best to cheer her up.


    Besides, it was all in the past, and there was nothing Terence could do about it. Even though Luis and Carla had a little misunderstanding, it was not that big of a deal. They could talk things out and settle everything.


    Knowing that Carla didn''t have a romantic relationship with Luis was all that mattered to Terrence.


    "Terence..." Carla tenderly called his name.


    She walked up to him and threw her arms around him. She was close to tears after hearing what he said.


    "Yes," Terence replied, smiling at her lovingly.


    "Tell me honestly, Carla. You don''t have any feelings to Luis, do you?" He put his arms around her waist as he tenderly looked at her with his starry eyes.


    Carla violently shook her head and uttered, "Not a single bit. I thought about him occasionally before you came into my life, but I don''t have any feelings for him anymore. Ever since the day I met you, I''ve loved you with all my heart. The men in my past don''t matter anymore. Heck, they don''t even cross my mind," she firmly replied with a stern look on her face.


    Terence was such a nice and perfect gentleman. He was way more precious than anyone else in Carla''s heart. He outshone all the men who had been in her life before, and no one would be able to take his place.


    "I''m glad to hear that!" Terence grinned widely, feeling relieved. He hugged her tightly and landed a soft kiss on her forehead.


    While they were talking, a lot of noises were heard from outside.


    They looked at each other, not knowing what was going on beyond the walls of their room.


    Out of curiosity, they walked towards the door, wanting to find out what was happenin


    ut it like this. It was the last thing that he had wanted.


    Hearing what Terence said, Sean seemed to understand something.


    He wiped the tears off his face and pulled away from Carla. His shoulders still uncontrollably shook with sobs. Dragging his numb legs towards his bedroom, he slammed and locked the door behind him. "Sean?


    Sean!" Carla shouted as she knocked on the door.


    "Carla, leave him alone. He is overwhelmed right now. You should give him time to process these things. Besides, he was meant to learn from it. It is inevitable not to hurt his feelings. Trust me, he will calm down eventually," Terence reassured.


    He threw his arms around her and stroked her back tenderly. Carla slightly nodded and hugged him back.


    She was left with no choice but to blankly stare at the door. Her eyes were swollen from crying. Sean''s strange behavior had made her anxious. Worried for her little brother, she waited by the door until she was too exhausted to stand on her own feet. When Terence noticed that she was dozing off in the doorway, he carried her to the bed and tucked her in.


    Carla felt that no one could really understand her feelings.


    When Sean was growing up, she was with him most of the time, so she knew him better than anyone else. He had been a well-behaved and understanding little boy ever since. But still, deep down her heart, she knew that Sean was also vulnerable. He was a sensitive child who tended to overthink sometimes. And that was the reason why she was worried about him.


    After Carla was woken up by a nightmare, she couldn''t fall back to sleep. She tossed and turned all night and kept thinking about Sean.


    Terence lay beside her and gently stroked her hair, trying to calm her down. Luckily, she was able to fall asleep by midnight.


    When Carla woke up, the sun was already up and streaming through the windows.


    She immediately pulled the quilt away and ran towards Sean''s bedroom before she could even wear her house shoes.


    As she stood by his door, she took a deep breath and rubbed her hands together with embarrassment.


    She wondered whether Sean had forgiven her after spending the whole night alone in his bedroom.


    Carla wanted to go inside and talk to him. She gathered all her courage to turn the handle, but the door creaked open after she slightly pushed it.


    When Carla found that the door wasn''t locked, she instantly went inside to check on him. "Sean? Sean? Are you awake? Let me explain it to you. Sean, where are you?


    Sean!"


    When Carla set foot inside, she found that the bed was unoccupied. She searched through the entire bedroom, but she couldn''t find any trace of Sean.

 Chapter 472 Are You A Human Trafficker

    "Sean? Where are you, Sean? Don''t you scare me right now! Come out, please!"


    Carla continued to call out loud. She looked in every corner of the room. She opened every single cabinet that could contain a person. However, to no avail, Sean was nowhere in sight.


    Running out of Sean''s bedroom, Carla began to search every single room in the house. She continued to call his name and soon enough, her throat began to hurt. But she didn''t pay much attention to it when her brother''s safety was on the line.


    Terence heard her shouts and went out of their room with his robe on. He followed her voice and grabbed her as soon as she was at arm''s length. He could tell that she was frantic so he asked, "What''s wrong, Carla? What happened?"


    "Terence, it''s Sean, I can''t find him anywhere. I think we lost him!"


    Carla cried in Terence''s arms while she stamped her feet. Breaking free from his hold, she went to the next room to continue her search for Sean. There wasn''t a corner that she left unchecked, not a closet or cabinet that she didn''t open, not a bed that she didn''t look under, and not even a curtain that she didn''t look behind. But no matter how hard she looked or how loud she called out, Sean was nowhere to be found.


    Terence didn''t return to his room and instead headed for the surveillance room downstairs. He also asked Nathan and Rainer to help with the search.


    ''It is still dark outside, so if Sean left the house, the only possibility is that he left before dawn, '' Terence assessed the situation in his mind.


    He was right.


    In the CCTV footage of the villa entrance, there was a lone little boy who sneaked out of the Seaview Villa in the middle of the night. Although it was very dark outside, it didn''t hide Sean as he made his way out of the villa.


    Even if there were servants in the house, it would have been difficult to stop him if he ran away on purpose, especially at night.


    "Mr. Terence, what''s going on?" Rainer asked as soon as he came. "Is Sean in the mansion or did he actually run away?" Nathan asked afterward.


    Then the two men rushed to the surveillance room as soon as they could.


    Ignoring their questions, Terence ordered instead, "Rainer, send our people to search for Sean along the main road. Be careful but don''t miss a single inch of that road."


    Terence turned to the clock and realized that it had already been 2 hours since Sean left. It was not good for them since it could mean that he had an ample amount of time to have gone far away from the house.


    "Nathan, go and check every single place on the road that has CCTV cameras installed¡ªconvenience stores, gas stations, even houses. Find out which route Sean had taken. Then, inform Rainer immediately if you find anything so they could modify their search," Terence ordered quickly and firmly. His instructions were well planned and detailed in the short amount of time that he had to make them.


    "Yes, Mr. Terence!" Nathan affirmed.


    "Yes, Mr. Terence!" Rainer echoed.


    They went off separately to execute the plan as soon as they acknowledged Terence''s orders.


    Meanwhile, Carla almost tore the villa apart.


    Tristan also heard the news and immediately came to help with the search.


    He had thought that Sean was a cheerful boy who could stand his jokes, but it turned out that he was just a fragile child. The matter had become extremely serious in the blink of an eye and suddenly spun out of control.


    "Tristan, listen to me carefully! If anything happened to my brother, if h


    e looked at Carla carefully. The worry and stress were so apparent on her face. So he kissed her forehead to calm her down a little more. Continuing to console her, he said "Honey, get in the car and wait for me. I''ll just go and buy something to eat. You haven''t had anything since this morning and I''m afraid that it''s not good for your health. You have to take care of yourself so you can have the energy to look for Sean. What do you say?"


    Carla nodded her head while she listened to him. She went for the parking lot on the other side of the road. But this time, she was now paying attention to the cars passing by.


    It was only then that she could admit how exhausted and tired she was. She was in dire need of some rest and sleep.


    Hours before, Sean was walking away from Seaview Villa in the dark of the night.


    He stayed on the road and walked for so long that he didn''t realize where he was going. When he realized what he had actually done, it was already too late.


    He looked north and south, east and east, as far as his eyes could see but he had no idea where he was.


    Normally, the driver would pick him up from school or anywhere he needed to go. So there was never an instance where he walked so far by himself. Standing alone in the dark in an unfamiliar place, Sean started to regret what he had done.


    He realized that he had overestimated himself and his capabilities.


    Rubbing his head, Sean kept walking forward with a guilty conscience. He tried to find the main road where he could hail a cab.


    But the further he went... why did it seem like the road was getting more remote?


    "Hello, little boy? What are you doing here all alone?"


    Sean heard a car honking while he was trying to figure out where to go. Then, he saw a middle-aged man who poked his head out of the car window. It seemed like the man was the one he heard asking earlier.


    Ignoring his question, Sean kept on walking.


    "Hello, I''m asking you. Why are you not answering me? Where is your family? Why aren''t you at school on a day like this?" the man kept asking. Then he parked the car and got off. He easily caught up to Sean who was walking ahead of him.


    Sean had to stop and looked up at the man who was standing in front of him


    All of a sudden, Sean directly asked him a question.


    "Mister, are you a human trafficker?"

 Chapter 473 I Was Wrong

    The middle-aged man was surprised for a second but then his lips curved into a smile. He was amused when he finally processed what Sean had just asked him. "Do you really think I''m going to tell you if I was an actual human trafficker?"


    It was often forgotten because of the things that have been happening all around but there were still a lot of good people in the world. Society may not always encounter them but they exist. And sometimes, when they were most needed, they would just appear out of nowhere.


    "Uhmm... I guess not? But if you were, you would have been quite nervous the moment I asked you,"


    Sean calmly replied. Looking at the man''s smile, Sean could see that he was kind and gentle. Besides, he was driving a really nice car so he might not be a human trafficker after all.


    Sean had been abducted by some human traffickers once, so he could quite tell the difference between a normal citizen with good intentions and a trafficker whose only intent was to use and abuse.


    "That''s a good point. I didn''t know you were such a smart kid." The middle-aged man looked at Sean a little closer and thought that he was a little mature for his age. After a few moments, he asked him, "Kid, where do you live? Do you want me to take you back home?"


    Sean stared at him as if he wanted to say something but he hesitated. Then he lowered his head woefully and softly said, "I am an orphan, I don''t really have a home..."


    "An orphan? Oh, kid, I find that really hard to believe," the man responded.


    The middle-aged man looked at his clothes from head to toe. "The brand of clothes you''re wearing are quite expensive. The total cost of what you''re wearing right now can actually fund a middle-class family''s living expenses for a month. And those pair of shoes, is that the famous British brand?"


    The man waited for Sean''s response but when he didn''t say anything, the man added, "And you were telling me that you''re an orphan? Well, how can I believe you?"


    ''How on earth could an orphan afford such expensive clothes?'' The man thought to himself while he furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.


    Sean looked at the clothes and shoes that he was wearing. They were all bought by his brother-in-law so he didn''t know the exact price of each.


    Although his classmates had mentioned again and again that the things he wore were quite expensive, he never felt anything special because they were just given to him. They were clothes that he would always wear so he didn''t give it much thought.


    In his defense, his brother-in-law had never told him how costly they were.


    "You had a fight with someone in your family, didn''t you? That''s why you ran away from home. Am I right?" Sean was so surprised that the middle-aged man had figured out his situation. However, for the man, it was a piece of cake. He thought, ''Kids from a rich family always have a tendency to be arrogant and rude since everything was served to them in a silver platter. They were always spoiled.''


    The man grimaced with the thought of every single spoiled rich kid that he had encountered in his life.


    He continued to think, ''However, this kid seemed quite polite and smart.''


    There weren''t a lot of cars passing by the remote road. The man only happened to be there because he was on his way to a construction site. If he didn''t notice the boy or if he had chosen a different road, he couldn''t imagine what would happen to the kid in front of him.


    Sean continued to look down at his shoes. Even after being


    dn''t know if you were safe. I didn''t know where to start looking. I was going crazy!


    I was afraid that I''ll never get to see you again. How am I supposed to live without you? How could I tell Mom and Dad about what happened?"


    Carla frantically told Sean everything that she felt. Sean, on the other hand, could only accept her words and hugs.


    Before she arrived, Sean had been sitting for an hour. He had been staring at the children in the yard. All of them had parents. Some of their parents may still be alive and some may be not. But all of them had been abandoned for various reasons.


    But he was lucky that he had a sister by his side.


    If he didn''t have Carla, he would just be like these kids, playing in such a small yard and praying for a family every night before going to bed.


    "My sister, I''m sorry, I know I was wrong..."


    Sean cried and hugged her back. He was sobbing really hard when he asked her, "Carla, you were also abandoned by your parents, right? You''re worse off than I was. I was born with a mother and a father by my side..."


    "Sean..." Carla could only utter.


    "Carla, when I found out the truth last night, I was really sad. I suddenly felt like I didn''t belong there. I tried to repress these feelings all night. But when I couldn''t do so anymore, I ran away."


    Sean wiped the tears on his face and looked at her with his tearful eyes. "Now I know that Terence was right. It doesn''t matter. Whether we share the same blood or not, what matters is how we feel about each other. I''m your brother and you''re my sister forever. That will never change!"


    Sean sobbed for a while and Carla could only stroke his back to calm him down. After a few sniffs, Sean continued, "But I''m happy for you, Carla. You finally found your own family. I heard that your father had passed away, but you have a mother now.


    So please don''t think that I''m not happy for you. I''m actually, truly happy for you."


    While she was listening to Sean, Carla felt extremely overwhelmed and touched. She was suddenly overpowered with too many emotions.


    It seemed really hard to believe that such words could come out of his mouth especially considering his age. But there he was, telling her all the things that she didn''t think she needed to hear until it was being poured out to her ears and straight to her heart.

 Chapter 474 Is Sister-in-law Pregnant

    "Sean..."


    Carla held him tightly in her arms one more time. She was so moved that she squeezed him even tighter. If anyone looked at her face, they wouldn''t be able to tell whether she was crying or laughing. After a few moments, she finally released him from the hug a little bit so she could say, "Sean, do you know what I''m the proudest of in my life?


    It''s that I have such a considerate brother who grew up caring not just for himself but for others well."


    Their relationship was always two-way. She couldn''t live without Sean and Sean couldn''t live without her. They had always relied on each other. But she felt even luckier to have Sean by her side during days that were especially tough. They suffered a lot of things together and instead of breaking them apart, it only made their relationship much stronger than ever.


    When Terence saw them hugging each other from a distance, he smiled and walked towards them. He just finished talking with Russell, the guy who stumbled upon Sean on the side of the road. Terrence had already expressed his gratitude to the man so he was free to be with them.


    He also promised Russell that he could go and ask him for help whenever he would encounter difficulties in the future.


    Terence approached his wife and her brother but he just stood near them. He restrained himself a bit because he didn''t want to interrupt their moment. However, he couldn''t help himself so he lowered his upper body to wrap both of them into his arms.


    "Everything''s fine, my darling and Sean. Should we go back home now?"


    Then, Terence rubbed Sean''s head gently. With a kind and understanding tone, he said, "Sean, don''t do this again, okay? You might not know it but your sister has cried so many times for you. You can''t even begin to imagine how concerned she is for you."


    Sean sniffed and then wiped away the tears on his face with the back of his hand. He sobbed, "Terrence, I know. I will never give you and my sister any kind of trouble ever again."


    "Well, that''s very sweet of you. You see, Sean. You have to remember that right now, you are not alone. Your sister and I are your closest relatives now. We are a family now and forever. We have the strongest bond and no one will ever get between us, okay?"


    Terence said in a gentle voice while he looked at Sean with a big smile on his face.


    Sean nodded his head while determination seemed to form on his face. In a serious tone, he said, "My brother-in-law, I understand. Right now, I feel like I have grown up. I learned my lesson and I will never be disobedient like that again.


    Moreover, when I become an actual adult, I will share some of your work. So at least some burden will be lifted off your shoulders and you can have more time to be with my sister. You can even have more time to relax!"


    While he was listening to Sean, Terence was so moved that he even had an impulse to cry. Instead, he just smiled and nodded. He replied, "Then, that couldn''t be more excellent for me. That''s a deal, okay? After you finish university, you can go straight to my company and help me with the work there."


    Sean''s words actually reminded Terence of a very important thing.


    It suddenly dawned on him that even if he and Carla couldn''t bear a child, Sean would still be there with them. After all, he was already like their biological child.


    Carla continued to turn from Terence to Sean. These two men had a wide gap in their ages but they had the same amount of love in her heart. She felt both happy and a little sad to hear their conversation and see the expressions on their faces. What she didn''t expect was that Sean became even more considerate overnight.


    She thought that a person would likely grow up at a very specific moment especially when something significant happened in their lives.


    All things were finally settled, so they drove back to the Seaview Villa.


    Upon seeing that Sean was actu


    wedding. Some of which were standard for every wedding so she didn''t have to attend to those matters herself. Instead, she asked trusted people to take charge.


    Although, there were some things that she had to determine, herself because Edmund didn''t pay any attention to them at all.


    It was clear that Eunice was going to be married into the An family, but she would just be her sister-in-law. Carla would still remain as the female master of the family. So sooner or later, she had to be in-charge of such matters.


    Edmund was fully aware of this so he didn''t intervene in the matter. He just let Carla manage the whole organization process.


    He also knew that Terence regarded her as his lover and wife in this lifetime. Even as his father, he still couldn''t change his mind or even sway the determination that he had. So Edmund decided to just let him be.


    ''After all, time could only tell what will happen in the future, '' he thought to himself.


    "Mrs. Carla, could we settle the exact amount of the cash gift?" The housekeeper asked while he walked towards Carla with a book in his hand.


    "Didn''t I tell you to ask my father first?" She was surprised to hear the housekeeper''s question and raised her brows while she asked.


    Normally, when it came to the cash gift, it was always determined by the family of the bride.


    However, it was the An family that Eunice was going to be married into. And Eunice''s family, the Mu family, was wealthy as well. Both families didn''t care about the amount at all so they just asked Carla to determine it herself.


    As long as they could see the sincerity of the An family, then Eunice''s family would be satisfied.


    However, the more they let Carla decide trivial matters, the more difficult it became for her.


    She didn''t have any experience when it came to giving the cash gift to the bride''s family and didn''t know how much would be proper for the Mu Family. So she instructed the housekeeper to ask Edmund first.


    "Mr. Edmund said that it could be determined by you and Mr. Terence," the housekeeper helplessly said. He bowed his head because he was worried that Carla would be upset when she heard the reply.


    However, she just let out a long sigh and then said, "Well, if that''s the case I will go and discuss this with Terence. With that, could you help me check whether there''s something else that remains unsettled?"


    For the next hour, Carla was so absorbed in discussing the details of the wedding ceremony with the housekeeper.


    She didn''t even notice that Rhys was walking towards them.


    "My sister-in-law, are you busy right now?"

 Chapter 475 A Grave Mistake and A Turn Of Events

    Carla looked up only to see that Rhys was walking towards her. She smiled at him while she handed over the book to the housekeeper. She then exclaimed, "Brother, you''re here! You know what, you came at just the right time. You see, I''m having trouble deciding the amount of the cash gift that we''re going to offer to the family of your future wife. I think your opinion would be a great help since you know her family really well. How much do you think would they want? How much would be the appropriate amount to offer them? I don''t really have any experience with this kind of thing, so I''m actually a little confused right now. Without an exact amount, I can''t give any offers to the Mu family."


    Rhys coughed a little when he heard Carla''s concerns. In fact, he looked a little embarrassed at the time.


    With an air of awkwardness, he stated, "Sister-in-law, what a coincidence. I actually came here, hoping to discuss this matter with you."


    Carla could see the hesitation in his tone. So she waved at the housekeeper, who was standing beside her, and gestured for him to leave. She got up and walked towards the sofa in the living room before saying, "Brother, come and sit down. Let''s talk about it in detail. Irma, bring us two cups of tea."


    She turned to Irma before she finally sat down on the sofa.


    Rhys sat opposite of her and said, "Carla, you already know that the Mu family, my wife''s birth family, is not a simple and impoverished family at all. Like our family, they are of high status and are affluent. I''m thinking that if we just give them a cash gift, would it not be a little too tacky? I mean, they already have enough money."


    Carla didn''t expect that Rhys would tell her that. She hid the astonishment that she was feeling. Instead, she just smiled with her big eyes and asked, "So what do you think would be proper to give them?"


    "I remembered that we have just won a piece of land in a bidding, the one located in the suburb of JA City. It didn''t cost too much when we bought it. So I''m thinking, why don''t we just give it as a present to the Mu family?"


    Rhys asked in a gentle and soft tone as if he would give up the idea if Carla even said a word in disagreement.


    Be that as it may, the truth was that the idea did not just dawn on him out of the blue. It was, in fact, suggested to Rhys by Eunice herself. Certainly, she didn''t come up with the idea on her own. There''s a high possibility that it was requested by her father.


    "Well, I''m going to have to discuss this with Terence when he gets back. Can I give you an answer after we have talked about this?" Carla asked. She couldn''t say yes to Rhys''s request so quickly and promise him anything since she didn''t have any information about the land that he was talking about. She thought that it might create complications if she immediately agreed.


    "Carla, you should know that this is just a small matter. It''s not really worthy of a lengthy discussion at all. As long as you tell him that I requested it, I believe that Terence will not refuse his younger brother. After all, the value of that piece of land is just nothing for the An family."


    Rhys tried to persuade Carla when he noticed that she seemed quite hesitant. He seemed calm and relaxed while he explained the matter in detail.


    "I see your point. But if it''s that simple, then it wouldn''t hurt to inform Terence about this first, right? Or are you afraid that he will disagree once he hears about this?" Carla didn''t actually want to continue talking about the piece of land and the cash gift so she brushed the subject aside and immediately followed up with, "By the way, Brother, has your future bride tried on the dress that we sent her?


    Please tell her that the designer could adjust the waistline accordingly. So we have to make sure that the other parts of the dress also fit perfectly."


    "Yes, she tried it on. It''s just perfect." Rhys responded but it didn''t seem like his full attention was on the conversation. After a few moments, it looked like he was about to say something but he was holding it back. It actually seemed like he was conflicted. After a while more, he strengthened his back, placed his hands on his lap and finally decided to blurt it out, "Carla, we are a family now. So I''m not going to hide something from you. I''ll be straightforward and tell it to you


    ed to come to work here anymore. Yes, I guess, that''s how we''re going to resolve this situation."


    Then, the director pulled a long face and snorted. He took out his phone where he had all the detailed information of all the members of the staff in the department.


    "No, Mr. Director, I understand that you''re really mad right now. But why don''t you calm down first? I really did something wrong. I admit that I was ignorant and careless. Could you please find it in you to forgive me? My husband has never mentioned to me that no relatives can enter the building. If only I knew about this rule, I would have just waited outside."


    Carla was still in the throes of being terrified while she looked at the director''s angry face but she kept apologizing because she didn''t want to make the situation worse. If she argued with him, it would create a commotion and further taint both of their reputation to the company.


    After all, the director seemed really strict and honorable. Carla knew that he was just abiding by the rules and regulations of the company.


    From Carla''s perspective, it was all her fault because she had no idea about the rule and the security guards knew her so they just let her in without informing her of the rule or stopping her. So now, she was forced to face such an embarrassing situation.


    "No, that won''t resolve this issue for me. Your husband violated the first and foremost rule of the department. So how could I believe that he will work diligently and carefully? Furthermore, if I let this slide, all the members of the staff might think that we''re not serious in implementing the rules of this Department."


    The director seemed to be incredibly honest and righteous that he didn''t have the consideration of letting Carla or her husband get away from the consequences of her mistake so easily.


    Carla let out a long sigh as she bent her head even lower. Then she said in a low and humble voice, "His family name is An. Mr. Director, I''m now aware of what I did wrong and I will leave the premises immediately. Could you just forgive me?" Carla tried to beg once more.


    "What was his name? I didn''t hear you clearly. Say it louder."


    The director kept a straight face and yelled at her again.


    "His name is Terence, Mr. Director."


    Carla straightened herself and said in a quite loud voice.


    "What? What did you just say?"


    The director was about to type the name on his phone when he heard Carla. All of a sudden, his fingers stopped moving halfway. He was so shocked that he didn''t move for a long time. From Carla''s perspective, at that moment, he looked like a bronze statue holding a phone in his right hand.


    At the same time, the elevator rang indicating that there were people arriving at the lobby. When the elevator opened, about seven or eight people walked out of it.


    Walking in front of the crowd was no other than Terence himself.

 Chapter 476 Carla Couldnt Avoid The Bad Blood

    Carla might have been speaking a little too loudly


    because everyone who came out of the elevator was staring at her. Actually, they could all hear every single word of their conversation.


    "Mr. Cameron, this is my husband. I''m going to ask him to apologize to you, so please don''t be mad," Carla humbly said.


    And then, she was about to rush to Terence as if she was grasping for dear life.


    But Cameron began to speak, stopping her in her tracks.


    "Wait a moment, Mrs. Carla. That''s very kind of you! But I was just joking, so please, there is no need to apologize. You can call me any time you''d like to. You can even come to our place if you would like,"


    he offered. He was smiling at Carla with embarrassment written all over his face. There was even cold sweat on his forehead.


    "Oh, I see. You''re very kind but I''ll make sure to be more careful next time," Carla responded.


    When she noticed that Cameron was turning pale because of fear, Carla couldn''t help but laugh. She replied immediately so that he wouldn''t be embarrassed any longer.


    Then, she caught up with Terence as quickly as she could.


    Turning to the woman running to him, Terence smiled and reached out for her hand. He then asked, "What happened? Did you annoy Cameron?"


    Carla squeezed his hand while she nodded with a pout on her face.


    "I didn''t know that people were not allowed to come and go at will. The security guy didn''t inform me either so I was completely clueless. When Cameron saw me wandering alone in the company, he called me out immediately," Carla stated, still feeling regretful with what she did.


    She got used to the freedom that Terence had always given her. He never imposed restrictions on her, so she went to the company whenever she wanted, without thinking about it too much.


    "Cameron?"


    Terence called out to Cameron out of nowhere. He then turned to the man who looked so pale that he could rival fresh snow.


    "Mr. Terence, I can explain. It was all just a misunderstanding. Mrs. Carla was so humble and kind. You''re so fortunate to be married to her. It''s completely my fault that I didn''t recognize her as soon as I saw her. So if there''s anyone who should be blamed, it''s me."


    Cameron said in a trembling voice while he wiped his sweat a little too shakily.


    "By the way, Mr. Terence here is the file that you asked me to prepare," he quickly added, ultimately changing the subject.


    Then, with trembling pale hands, Cameron handed over the file that he was holding to Terence.


    Terence only nodded and reached out for the file.


    Carla wanted to laugh when she saw the "adorable" and compliant Cameron. She actually admired his honesty and integrity. Most people would have a hard time admitting their faults but Cameron was brave enough to recognize his.


    However, it was a pity that he changed into a different person so fast. Now that Carla saw how delightful he could be, she saw the previously mean and strict Cameron in a new and better light.


    Minutes later, she followed Terence out of the Research and Development Department and got in the car with him.


    Carla had been holding it for so long so the moment the doors of the car were closed, she burst into laughter. She then turned to Terence and said, "Do you realize how cute your staff is in that Department?"


    "Cameron is a little strict and firm, but he''s a senior staff with trustworthy capabilities in the department. He has been with the company for a very long time. So honey, please don''t bother yourself, arguing with him," Terence smiled and consoled her.


    Then, he asked Nathan to take them to the company.


    "Of course I won''t. What do you think I am? Don''t you know that I''m such a generous person?" Carla reassured him while she looked at him with a smile. Normally, Carla would have fought back when she felt that she was wronged.


    But it was a different situation this time. Cameron was only doing his job. Carla knew that he was just doing what he was actually supposed to do. On top of that, he did it in a very adorable way. So Carla couldn


    ending cycle."


    "Honey, everyone goes through what you''re going through. Problems and circumstances are a part of life. It''s inevitable to encounter them multiple times. However, if we don''t push through and trod down the thistles and thorns, they will haunt us forever. That is why... We have to overcome every difficulty that comes our way so we can have that bright and peaceful future that you want."


    Terence told her while he caressed her hand.


    It wasn''t easy to be the daughter-in-law of the An family. Carla had been warned about this multiple times in the past. But at that time, she didn''t think that it would be this hard.


    "Fine, but tell me right now. How should we deal with this betrothal gift thing? If the amount is less than that of our wedding, will the Mu family be offended?"


    Carla reminded him of their original problem in an attempt to fix it right away.


    As for the problems that were going to come their way, she told herself, ''We''re just going to cross the bridge when we get there.''


    Although she didn''t have experience with mind games and plots against one another, Carla had her own strengths. And most importantly, she wasn''t born to be taken advantage of. She might not have been raised to deal with matters like an heiress of a powerful family, but she was a fighter all her life. She wouldn''t ever back down without a fight.


    "You should ask Rhys to talk to me about that. Father has his personal reasons why he doesn''t want to be involved in the matter. If he disagrees with Rhys, he will insult the Mu family. That would create a crack on their otherwise spotless relationship. But if he agrees, he knew the consequences that will fall on me. Therefore, he doesn''t want to make any decision about it. He just decides to throw this problem on our laps, "Terence comprehensively explained. He was actually training Carla how to think in this shrewd situation that they found themselves in.


    For Terence, since he could clearly see their intentions of wanting to acquire the land, he couldn''t just give in to them so easily.


    The Mu family wanted to take advantage of the Hua family so that they could step on Carla.


    They thought it would be that easy. But they might have forgotten that they needed Terence''s permission before the land could be theirs.


    It belonged to the An Family, and the An Family was Terence. Technically, the property belonged to Terence. He had power over it.


    If Terence refused Rhys''s request, they wouldn''t be able to inflict harm on Carla and her status in the family. Even if Eunice was the daughter of the prime minister, let alone the daughter of the bank''s president, it wouldn''t be enough against the influence that Terence had.

 Chapter 477 Rhys Wedding Day

    Time quickly passed by.


    It was already Rhys''s wedding day.


    Carla didn''t know how Terence had settled the issue of the betrothal gift that had to be offered to the Mu family. Rhys didn''t mention it to her again, nor did the Mu family say or do anything else.


    Later she learned that Terence had made a promise to the Mu family that after the building was finished, 5% of its shares would go to the Mu family.


    The Mu family agreed to this. The shares could eventually financially provide for them. While 5% was not a huge number, it could still mean a lot to the Mu family.


    All the businesses of the AJ Group had amazing profits.


    Eunice had been pregnant for nearly three months. Even though the wedding was moved to an earlier date, she still had a slight bump when the day came.


    Most of the guests in attendance already knew this so it didn''t come as a surprise.


    After all, it was pretty obvious especially with how Eunice behaved. She took her time as she walked. Whenever she would go up or down the stairs, she asked someone to assist her. She was always surrounded by people even though she wasn''t doing anything.


    It was very noticeable that Eunice was pregnant.


    Unlike Eunice, Carla preferred to keep a low profile. When she had first found out that she was pregnant, she scolded Terrence for making such a big deal out of it and telling everyone.


    The whole ceremony also tired Carla out.


    Carla had to tend to Eunice''s needs as she couldn''t do much being pregnant and having the wedding at the same time.


    The good thing was that Rhys and Eunice''s wedding feast didn''t need to be as complicated as Terrence and Carla''s wedding feast. Everything was finished in one day.


    Even though Eunice wasn''t exactly happy about it, she had to accept Rhys and Terrence for who they were.


    Rhys was not a legitimate child of his father, and his mother had never gotten married to his father, Edmund.


    While they always said that they were equal by law, people didn''t really see it that way. The guests that were invited to the wedding feast of Rhys and Eunice were only relatives and close personal friends.


    Even grandpa Nicolas'' friends from the army and Edmund''s friends in politics weren''t invited.


    Ultimately, Rhys''s wedding wasn''t comparable to Terrence''s.


    "Mrs. Carla, Mrs. Eunice isn''t feeling well and she''s asking if you could go see her..."


    the servant came in and told Carla. She had just finished her tasks and was just about to sit down for


    ests used were all made of pure gold!"


    "Eunice, even though we could afford it, that was really unnecessary. People will talk if we show our wealth too much and besides, luxury isn''t the tradition in weddings. That''s what I was taught growing up,"


    Rhys softly said. He thought Eunice was being unreasonable and jealous. After all, their wedding wasn''t as good as Terrence''s was.


    Eunice seemed to even be more annoyed upon hearing this. She pushed Rhys away and said, "Rhys, I really hate how many rules you have in your family! It''s the 20th century. Why are we still doing what your ancestors did?"


    "Baby, why are you so angry again?"


    Rhys asked, a bit taken aback. "They say you can''t accomplish anything if you don''t establish standards. My family got to where it is today partly because of the lessons that our ancestors had taught us.


    If we don''t follow these rules and standards, what would become of us?"


    "Rhys, I still really hate the rules of your family. If it weren''t for those stupid rules, you''d inherit the same amount of wealth as everyone else even if you''re not a legitimate child! You''re my husband you''re the older brother, why would I listen to your younger brother''s wife?"


    Eunice asked as she scooted away from her husband so she could look him in the eye.


    This was the only thing that made her unhappy.


    Rhys was a great man but this was something that she had trouble accepting.


    Eunice thought she should be the one who made the decisions about the family matters as her husband was the elder brother.


    But when she realized that Carla had as just much rights as she did. Why would she be okay with that?

 Chapter 478 Carla, You Should Learn To Be Calculated

    "Eunice, stop talking like that! It''s the family''s number one rule. You can question everything else, but you can''t doubt anything about the future heir!"


    Rhys exclaimed as his face became more serious.


    Rhys knew what the consequence was if he dared to rob Terence of the position in the AJ Group as the heir. After all, his eldest brother, Marcus, was the best example to this ordeal.


    This was also due to the fact that he didn''t aspire for the position at all for he was already contented with his current place in the company and the quality of life that he already had.


    Being born with a silver spoon in his mouth as part of the An family, Rhys, as the second son, could live a comfortable and luxurious life without having to worry about the future because he already had everything that he needed.


    He thought that the did not need the position which did not belong to him in the first place. After all, if he indeed had it, there was a huge chance that he would end up with nothing.


    "I didn''t mean that, Rhys. Okay, I won''t talk about it anymore." Eunice noticed that Rhys was unhappy with their discussion. She then lowered her voice and controlled her temper. After all, she should have cut him off some slack for it was their first day as a married couple.


    "But hey, I heard an interesting piece of news yesterday, and I think that it could be to our advantage!"


    Eunice sat down beside Rhys and said, "So...I met someone in the hospital and she told me that Terence and Carla had a pre-pregnancy check-up two months ago..."


    Feeling puzzled, Rhys asked, "So? What was the result? How was it?"


    "Didn''t you hear about it? I heard that Terence was okay, but I heard that Carla would less likely be successful with future pregnancies due to her miscarriage last time...


    If what I heard was true, our child could have the possibility of being the heir of the AJ Group," Eunice said in a pleasant tone.


    "What? Are you serious? Are you sure about this news?"


    Rhys also felt surprised upon hearing Eunice''s words.


    Eunice nodded with a bright smile. "It must be true. After all, my family is also relatively powerful and could provide us with reliable news!"


    Rhys thought for a while and then gradually curled his lips upward in a smile. Then, he muttered, "If Terence and Carla had no children, our child would naturally be the first in line as a candidate to be the heir of the AJ Group. But..."


    Rhys paused for a few moments as he arranged his thoughts.


    "But...?" Eunice asked urgently as she waited for her husband''s response.


    "But if Carla can''t be pregnant, I think my father will not accept her as his daughter-in-law anymore. And my father will have to force Terence to divorce Carla and eventually ask him to marry another woman. That''s right, it is really possible!" exclaimed Rhys as his voice became excited.


    He knew his father very well and also understood the deep-rooted rules in the An family. He knew that the elders would only accept Terence''s child as the heir.


    Hearing Rhys'' words, Eunice was stunned for a while and then


    so cared about his wife''s feelings and not only his own.


    But with every question thrown at her, she only felt...


    so ashamed of telling him the truth about how she felt.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The next morning, Rhys and Eunice went through the necessary process¡ªbootlicking and serving tea to the elders and paying their respects to the ancestors.


    This process, however, signaled the end of their long wedding ceremony.


    Meanwhile, Terence returned to the company while Carla still stayed in the An Manor and ordered the servants to finish some wind-up work.


    Now that Eunice had married into the An family, she would now live in the An Manor for a couple of days.


    Carla, now her sister-in-law, would also be there to accompany her.


    And again, just like clockwork, Eunice called Carla for a massage just two days after.


    But Carla knew better this time. She did not bother to attend to her, but instead sent Dolores to give Eunice a massage.


    Eunice was originally unsatisfied with Carla''s attitude even before the marriage with Rhys. But as soon as she heard that Dolores used to massage Nicholas and Edmund frequently, she had no choice but to shut up. She was younger than any of them in the An family, therefore she had no right to judge and complain when facing such an experienced maid.


    After staying in the An Manor for a few more days, Carla planned to go back to the Seaview Villa immediately the next day.


    She thought that she had stayed too long. And during this period, she realized the Sean must have already missed her so much since she had not been around for the past few days.


    The night grew darker and everyone in the whole family was there at the dinner table for supper.


    Carla originally wanted to tell Edmund about her plan of going back to the Seaview Villa.


    However, before she could open her mouth, Eunice suddenly broke the silence.


    "Father, I went to the clinic to have a maternity check-up today. Guess what the doctor said?"


    Eunice said with a smile that turned into a smirk as she looked sideways at Carla.

 Chapter 479 A Blessing To Have A Baby Boy On Your First Pregnancy

    "What did the doctor say?"


    Edmund asked. It was definitely obvious how delighted he was, with his eyes that seemed to shine and his smile that was wide as the fields. He was intently listening to Eunice while she talked about having a child.


    Eunice turned to glance at Rhys who was sitting next to her. Then, she lowered her head because of too much shyness from the amount of attention that Edmund was giving her.


    Carla, who was sitting opposite of them, looked at Terence. She could tell just from Eunice''s reaction that it might be a piece of good news.


    Rhys announced, as proud as a peacock, "Dad, the doctor told us that we''re having a baby boy."


    "Wow! That''s is such a great thing! It''s a blessing to have a baby boy on your first pregnancy. Eunice, good for you!" Edmund praised, grinning from ear to ear.


    People of age were of course conventional. They liked to stick to the old ways so naturally, Edmund was overjoyed with the news that he''s going to have a boy as his first grandchild. Boys would carry on the family name so members of the family had always regarded them as a blessing.


    Having a baby boy was particularly very important in a great and well known family like the An family.


    When she heard the news, Carla lowered her head slowly and silently.


    She bit her lip while she got lost in her thoughts. In the past, she had taken birth control measures. But since the doctor told her that she was not pregnant, she stopped taking them. It was just at the right time too because she and Terence had decided to try having a baby.


    But three months had already passed, and there was not even a sign that she was pregnant.


    They had already gone back to the doctor to ask for his opinion. What he told her almost crushed her soul. At that time, she thought that the doctor wasn''t telling the truth or he was just scaring them.


    He told them that it would be hard for her to conceive a child, let alone a baby boy. It had something to do with the quality of her egg cells or the structure of her womb. Honestly, Carla couldn''t remember exactly. Her mind just went blank when the doctor said that she would have complications trying to get pregnant.


    She twisted her hands nervously under the table. Suddenly, a hand enveloped hers very tightly then squeezed them a little.


    She lifted her head and turned to Terence. He was giving her a smile of reassurance. And she couldn''t help but feel just from his eyes, his soulful, calm and gentle eyes the calmness and comfort that she badly needed.


    Edmund, who was laughing before, sighed when he noticed that Terence and Carla were looking at each other.


    He had the sudden thought that if the news that he just heard was announced by this couple, he might be even happier.


    Edmund then felt that it was fortunate that Nicholas had yet to find out that it would be hard for Carla to get pregnant. He only went out once to attend the wedding and he had always stayed in the North Yard.


    Eunice then turned to Carla and said, "Carla and Terence, do you have plans of having a child as well?


    You got married before us, but you don''t have a baby yet. I really think that you and Terence should have


    hat if there would be a chance, he would still want to marry her in his next life.


    Before she knew it, tears started to flow all over Carla''s cheeks. She took a deep breath, lifted her head and deeply pressed her lips on his thin ones. After the kiss, she looked at him and said, "Terence, I can''t let you go. I don''t want to give up. But if you choose to let me go¡ª"


    But before she could finish her sentence, Terence suddenly bit her lip. Then, he showed her his frown before lifting her chin.


    He then said in a furious tone, "Carla, don''t you ever say that again! I don''t need any child. I only want you! I wouldn''t know what to do if I lose you! I wouldn''t even be myself if you''re not with me!


    I admit that it would be a pity if we can''t have a child, but I will still choose to spend the rest of my Iife with you. But if you leave me, it will kill me. My heart, my soul, my body will die. How could I survive without you by my side?"


    Carla looked into his eyes and found determination and love in them. For the first time that night, she smiled and replied, "You''re too uneasy. I''ve already said that I couldn''t leave you.


    I wouldn''t be able to take it if I see you be together with another woman or have a child with another woman. I really wouldn''t know what to do, Terence. I''d probably go crazy."


    Carla earnestly continued with tears in her eyes and a smile on her lips, "So unless I''m dead, I won''t leave you. You''re stuck with me forever."


    Terence wiped off the tears that were trickling from her eyes, with his thumb. Then, he embraced her in his arms and said, "Okay, I''ll remember what you said. We''re living for ourselves and not for other people. So we shouldn''t be bound to their opinions about how we should take our relationship.


    As long as we''re happy, it''s more than enough for me."


    People were naturally selfish and they became more selfish when it came to love.


    But all Terence and Carla wanted was to spend the entirety of their lives with each other.


    Everything else fell into the background, as long as they could hold each other''s hand while they took on their lives.

 Chapter 480 Meet In The Heavy Rain

    Carla simply nodded her head in agreement. ''That''s right. Life is too short, so you should make the most of it, '' she pondered to herself.


    She had always dreamt of having children with Terence and making a family, and she was more than willing to go to great lengths to make it come to true.


    -


    But if worse comes to worst and she couldn''t have a baby even after trying everything, she decided that she would still always be there by his side.


    -


    The morning after, Carla and Terence headed out of the An Manor together.


    Terence had already informed Edmund beforehand about their plan to go back home to the Seaview Villa.


    Carla intended to go to the company along with Terence, but he insisted that it would best if she just stayed home.


    He knew how busy she had been while preparing for the wedding until just recently. Now that it was finally over, she should be getting some well-deserved time to rest and recharge.


    As a result, Carla had to go back to the Seaview Villa on her own.


    She spent a couple of days relaxing at home and made it a point not to leave the house until she could finish one more painting.


    But on this particular day, Carla put on a mask, layered her clothes and decided to go outside.


    Without Terence''s knowledge, she found another hospital to have herself tested. She was still young, so there was no way in hell she would give up just like that.


    For that reason, Carla decided to consult more doctors. Maybe she could find a way to get things back to normal. Despite knowing fully well what the worst-case scenario would be, she still wanted to give it a shot.


    When she was done with the examinations, Carla ended up hearing the doctors say the exact same diagnosis, much like what she originally heard back in HA City.


    None of them explicitly told her whether she could still have a baby in the future or not. They just told her that she might have a hard time trying to get pregnant, but there was still a tiny chance of it happening.


    Upon walking out of the doctor''s office, Carla heaved a heavy sigh. She was cudgeling her brains about whether she should tell Andrea about it or not. For the most part, girls would turn to their mothers whenever they got stuck in a situation like this.


    "Carla! Is that you? What are you doing in a place like this?"


    The minute Carla got out of the office, she unexpectedly bumped into Lynn who had a nurse''s uniform on.


    "Lynn? Oh, it''s nothing much, really. I was just feeling a bit under the weather, so I came here to get myself examined. What about you? Why are you here?"


    Walking over towards her, Lynn replied, "I was assigned to this hospital for my internship. Are you alright? Is it anything serious? Would you like for me to refer you to a nice doctor?"


    "I assure you. There''s nothing wrong. You don''t have to worry about it."


    Trying her best to look as calm as she could, Carla left the hospital right away after catching up with Lynn for a moment.


    -


    -


    Be that as it may, the moment she left, Lynn actually slipped into the doctor''s office where Carla had just been.


    "Doc, the patient you were just talking to earlier, she''s my cousin. She wanted me to ask you if you could


    m the rain, so she just helplessly watched the rain pour down, which didn''t seem to be showing any signs of stopping any time soon.


    She was all alone in the street.


    Carla immediately asked the driver to pullover and grabbed a folding umbrella lying on the car and got out.


    "Do you live far from here, sweetheart?"


    Shaking her head, the little girl beamed her a smile through the rain. "It''s not that far, but it''s still a block away. Thank you for worrying about me, ma''am. But I''ll be just fine."


    "Are you willing to trust me? Could you please allow this lady to take you home, sweetheart?" Leaning a bit closer, Carla asked the little girl who somewhat reminded her of Sean.


    She thought of that time when he ran away from home. Fortunately, he came across a kind man, so he was able to safely come back home.


    Shaking her head, the little girl seemed to have her guard up.


    Carla had no intention to persuade her, so she just handed her umbrella over and beamed her a smile. "Here, you can have this umbrella. I came here by my car, so I won''t be needing it. Please take the umbrella and go home right away, sweetheart. It''s not safe to be standing all by yourself in the street. And your parents might get worried."


    "But, ma''am, you..."


    The little girl wanted to refuse and give her back the umbrella, but Carla turned around so quickly after giving her a soft smile and hurriedly ran to the car parked by the roadside.


    As she watched the car drive away in the rain, the little girl was touched at the gesture and kept staring at the car as it disappeared into the distance. Holding the umbrella in her hand, she hurriedly went straight home.


    When she hopped into the car, Carla proceeded to take off her coat, which had gotten wet under the rain, and grabbed some tissues to wipe her face with.


    "Ma''am, please use this." Jason grabbed a clean towel and handed it over to her.


    "Thank you, Jason. I appreciate it." Carla grabbed the towel and wiped her hair right away.


    Jason continued driving for some time, but all of sudden, he blurted out in excitement, "Ma''am, look! Isn''t that Mr. Terence''s car?"

 Chapter 481 Fight With Me

    It had gotten late in the afternoon. The heavy downpour outside made the sky seem very gloomy. The sun had shied away sooner than usual as the sky welcomed another dusk.


    The street they found themselves on was beside the AJ Building. Carla assumed that Terence had probably just finished his work.


    Before Carla could say anything, Jason honked at the car in front of them, twice.


    It was a black Maybach. Due to the heavy downpour, the driver was being overly cautious. However, he didn''t want the driver to go any faster. He simply recognized the car and knew who the owner was.


    Terence had many expensive cars parked at the Seaview Villa. He wasn''t the person who would be sufficed with just one favorite car. He drove a randomly selected car from his garage every day to work. Only the drivers like Jason who had been in and out of the Seaview Villa during several occasions could recognize all of his cars.


    It seemed that the driver in the black Maybach had in fact noticed the car behind him too. The owner might have recognized the car as well. The black Maybach slowly pulled over.


    Carla always sat in this car whenever she travelled.


    Noticing the black Maybach slowing down, Carla was about to open the door and rush outside. The door of the black car had already swung open by then.


    Despite the heavy rain, Nathan stepped out of the car. He opened a black umbrella and pulled the back door open.


    A pair of black leather shoes was visible at the outset. Carla could see a pair of dark gray trousers. The owner of the elegant shoes and pants gently placed his feet on the wet ground. Then she got to see his white shirt. It was Terence after all. He had a black coat hanging down from his arm.


    His six feet tall body was in perfect shape as usual. His eyes lit up like a shining star. Glancing at the car which Carla was in, he pursed his lips a little and walked over to her.


    Staring at him, Carla felt as if he was a character from a television show. She couldn''t take her eyes off him.


    When he was halfway over, a thought suddenly crossed her mind. Then, she hastily fished her phone out from her handbag. She rolled down the window, exposed her phone to the rain and took many pictures of him.


    She did it because she knew that the window would blur the picture. She had made a decision to draw him. He was going to be the subject of her upcoming work.


    Seeing the woman who was putting her hand out and taking pictures of him, Terence beamed. When he was about to walk towards the car, he noticed Nathan with the open umbrella and got beneath it.


    Carla had already moved over to make room for Terence. She was wiping the water droplets off her phone. Seeing his face, she cracked a big smile and eagerly waited for him to get in.


    "What a silly lady! You can look at me any time. Is it that necessary for you to go to all that trouble to take pictures of me in the rain?" said Terrence, turning his head towards her.


    He got into the car and ordered Nathan to drive the car back to the Seaview Villa.


    "This is different! A picture would make my life much easier when I draw you!" she explained with a big smile. Putting her phone away, she wished to sit right next to him. However, she didn''t. She realized that her shirt was soaking wet. It would be the best for her to stay put and not budge an inch further.


    "Where have you been? Why are your clothes all drenc


    e had forgotten almost all of those lessons.


    "I am bored with this. I am done with this stupid game. Terence, I want to fight for real. Do you want to try your luck?" she asked, putting the controller down. She actually thought a real fight would up her spirits much more than a game in the virtual world could.


    She would rather spend the time practicing her physical fighting skills than on a computer game. She could at least use those skills to save herself from trouble, in case it arose.


    "Oh well. No wonder you are bored. You just killed me five or six times in a matter of a few minutes," replied Terence. Lying back on the couch, he put down the controller too.


    He knew it was her avatar, so he didn''t want to shoot.


    Carla was a bit embarrassed. She cracked a big smile, pulled him up and asked, "Can you please come to the third floor with me? I haven''t practiced my fighting skills in such a long time. I''d feel bad if I forgot how to fight. Don''t you think so too? Please come and fight with me! Please!"


    Terence shot a quick glance at her as she had just showered and gotten excited by a computer game.


    "I told you I won''t fight with you anymore. Go get changed. I will ask Rainer to fight with you," he said.


    Carla blushed, "We''ve fought before. I don''t think it''s such a big deal. Fine! If you don''t want to fight with me, that''s your decision. But why do you ask Rainer instead of Nathan?"


    As she stood up, Carla was going to go back to her room to get changed.


    "Nathan could end up overpowering you. He might hurt you," Terence explained and followed her back to their room.


    Only Sean was left in his room. He rubbed his head in terrifying shock. He couldn''t believe what he had just heard.


    He was shocked that his skinny weak sister could fight with Rainer.


    He could only assume that they were joking. However, he doubted himself after he remembered how serious they were while they were talking about it.


    He had seen Rainer and Nathan fighting with others. Despite the gender difference, he still couldn''t believe his sister could fight with any one of them.


    He wanted to witness it.


    It was his sister who hit him all the time. He hadn''t seen his sister being hit by anyone.


    He really had to see it for once!

 Chapter 482 You Never Fail To Satisfy Me (Part One)

    Although it was already time to go to bed, Sean excitedly followed Carla to the third floor. He was obviously in high spirits which were clear if one looked at the huge smile on his face and the little hop in his steps.


    Rainer was asked to be there as well, along with Nathan who fully intended to watch the fun even if he wasn''t asked.


    At that moment, Rainer saw Carla who was already inside the ring. All of a sudden, he felt pressured so he smiled wryly at Terence from the audience.


    "Mr. Terence, I think it would be better if I come down. You should practice with Mrs. Carla instead. I don''t really want to get in your way," Rainer said cautiously.


    Carla was actually wearing loose sportswear but she didn''t have her boxing gloves on. As a matter of fact, she just wanted to practice close quarters combat. Such a physical exercise focused on reaction speed and precision of movements instead of strength so it would be uncomfortable to wear boxing gloves.


    When she noticed that Rainer was a little hesitant, Carla knew that if they didn''t start right away, Rainer wouldn''t dare to take the initiative or even take a step the whole night.


    With this in mind, Carla took the lead and stepped forward as a gesture that she was going to attack. Then, without pausing, she swung her fist at him.


    Even though he was caught off guard, Rainer instinctively caught her fist. But then he found out that it was just a diversion. What Carla had been planning was to attack his lower abdomen.


    Fortunately for him, Rainer managed to step backward and quickly dodge her attack even though he was stunned for a short while. However, after taking one step backward, he realized that Carla had changed her strategy once again.


    She stepped forward and took the opportunity to grab his right hand. Before he co


    e, but he could get a beating if he fought gently.


    Mrs. Carla isn''t just a pretty wallflower for decoration. Her skills show that she has been trained by the coach that Nicholas hired. He was known to be the best in the field of close quarters combat.'' Rainer thought while he tried to catch his breath.


    Caressing her sore hand, Carla sat on the floor and heaved a sigh of relief as well.


    She had to admit that women did have their weaknesses. After all, women were generally inferior to men when it came to physical strength. Science had proved that.


    When she was watching Terence fight before, she thought that it was just easy. But now that she was doing it herself, she began to realize that physical strength alone was not enough to win in a fight.


    "I''m sorry for hurting you, Mrs. Carla,"


    Rainer apologized.


    Waving her hands to him as a gesture to just shrug it off, Carla said, "What nonsense are you talking about?! I asked you to practice with me so you didn''t hurt me. Instead, I should thank you."


    Although their practice session was not that long, it cost her so much energy because she had to completely focus on the fight. It actually made her exhausted like never before.

 Chapter 483 You Never Fail To Satisfy Me (Part Two)

    "Rainer, you can go and take a rest," Terence said.


    Then, Terence went inside the ring and walked towards Carla who was sitting on the floor.


    Sean wanted to go to the ring as well and praise Carla, but Rainer took him out of the boxing room.


    He hadn''t forgotten what had happened last time.


    So just in case the same thing would happen again, he knew that it was better for a kid like Sean to leave as soon as possible.


    Carla watched as Terence approached her. Looking at him with a smile, she suddenly collapsed on the ring as if life had drained out of her.


    "Why don''t you stand up? Do you not want me to hug you?"


    Terence bent to look at her. But the moment he was close enough, Carla unexpectedly hooked his neck and pressed him down with an elbow on it.


    She was waiting for him to fight back, but Terence just lay motionless on the floor. He just stared at her and did nothing to counterattack.


    "Honey, I told you that this isn''t our battleground. If you want to beat me, go ahead, I won''t fight back," Terence calmly stated.


    When she heard this, Carla just stared at him for a few seconds then rolled her eyes. She wanted to play with him so they could have a little excitement but he didn''t want to.


    With a face of disapproval, she loosened her grip on his neck and bent one elbow to watch him.


    "You''re no fun. I know you still don''t think I''m good enough, so you don''t want to fight with me," Carla said.


    Carla was extremely self-aware of herself and her capabilities. Terence actually admired her for that.


    Holding her wrists, Terence got up and held her waist to make her sit on his lap. Then, he looked at her with a smile.


    "Once we get b


    , there is something that I have to talk to you about... I know the situation that you are in,"


    Lynn said while she looked at Carla with sympathy. Lynn noticed that Carla was confused so she immediately continued, "Doctor Liu said that if you want to improve your health, she could prescribe something for you."


    Carla paused and realized what she was getting at. Lynn was a nurse in the hospital, so it was easy for her to find out any patients'' records. She could just check their medical history with a few clicks.


    "Lynn, I hope that you can keep this a secret for the time being. Do it as a favor to me. Also, I don''t think it''s necessary to improve my health. Because if I want, I can find a lot of excellent doctors,"


    Carla peacefully replied.


    Lynn hid the fact that she was a little shocked that Carla admitted her situation just like that. Then, she looked around and noticed that there were a few people in the cafe, so she inched closer to Carla and whispered, "Carla, I know a solution to your problem that can give you instant and quick results. But I''m not sure if you''re willing to give it a try."

 Chapter 484 Lynns True Intention (Part One)

    Carla took up the glass on the table. But instead of sipping the contents, she turned to look at Lynn who was cautiously standing opposite of her. Finding out that the glass was hot, Carla winced a little.


    "What is it?" Carla asked after she placed the glass down.


    Lynn looked up at her a little and replied softly, "You can look for a woman and pay her to be the surrogate for your baby. As long as we cover up the situation and it doesn''t become public, no one would know that you didn''t give birth to the baby. Also, if you think about it, the baby will still be yours and Terence''s."


    Lynn carefully looked at Carla''s reaction but her face revealed nothing. All she did was turn away and stare on the floor so Lynn continued, "And the most important thing is that you would be able to keep your status in the An Family and still be Terence''s wife!"


    That was when Carla turned her focus back at Lynn. There was a glimmer of light that flashed through her eyes. Then, the corners of her mouth slowly turned upward in a bitter smile. She then responded, "That sounds like a good idea. But, who could that generous woman be? Who would agree to such an arrangement these days?"


    Now that Carla finally had some reaction and seemed at least a little interested, Lynn suggested in a soft voice, "Since it would be very confidential, the woman will have to be reliable. She has to be someone whom you can trust. Don''t you think so?"


    Carla remained quiet as she was in deep thought. She kept on blinking her eyes but she didn''t move that much. It was actually hard for Lynn to tell what was on her mind just by looking at her passive face. After a few more moments, Carla replied, "Why does it seem like you already have someone in mind?"


    "In fact, I actually do. What do you think about me? I


    ss to suggest such an idea, Carla wanted her to say it out loud, right in front of her face.


    "Carla, you should talk to Terence. If he really loves you, he will agree with it. It''s the easiest, most efficient, and most effective way,"


    Lynn mumbled with her head bent down in a futile attempt to hide her face, which was turning redder by the minute.


    "Okay, then. Let''s say everything goes well¡ªI agree with it, Terence also agrees with it, what would be the next step?" Carla asked. Despite the nature of the conversation, she was calm and collected.


    When she saw how hard Lynn was blushing, Carla sneered quietly.


    "If you both agree and no one takes an issue with it, then I can... I know it might be awkward, but for your sake, I can go through with it and do it with him until I get pregnant. So you could keep your place in the family and everything will be back to the way they were."


    Lynn''s face was almost as red as a tomato, but she continued, "Carla, don''t worry about it. I will immediately give the baby to you once I give birth. I wouldn''t lay claims or create any complications; I believe you will treat him or her as your own. You don''t have to worry about me at all!"

 Chapter 485 Lynns True Intention (Part Two)

    Carla was shocked to hear what she just said. She started to wonder if Lynn had read too many overly dramatic novels.


    Carla couldn''t figure out where she got this pregnancy idea from.


    The most unimaginable thing for Carla was that Lynn was even willing to sleep with Terence just so she could be pregnant. Lynn was her cousin but Carla couldn''t help but doubt her intentions. After she had taken care of the child and loved him/her as her own, Lynn might suddenly reveal to the child that she was the birth mother.


    Carla felt that Lynn would be so heartless to set up such a trap after all that she had done for her.


    Carla also wondered how dumb Lynn was to think that


    she was stupid enough to fall into such a lousy trap.


    Carla faked a cough. Then she said, "Lynn, you have pondered about it really well. You have also properly explained it to me. Just give me some time to think about it. Meanwhile, I have other matters to deal with right now. I have to go, but I will let you know my decision soon!"


    Carla stood up and promptly walked away. She shook her head and felt sorry for herself for wasting such a beautiful morning in there.


    "Okay. Just make sure to talk to Terence! I''ll give you a call later!"


    Lynn called out while Carla was on her way out.


    As she watched Carla''s retreating figure, Lynn became so excited. She clutched her fists into the air out of excitement. It seemed to her that Carla was not opposed to her idea.


    As long as Carla wasn''t against it, she believed that her plan would work. Once she got the opportunity to be in bed with Terence, she was sure that he wouldn''t be able to control himself and fall in love with her beautiful face and young supple body.


    Then Lynn started to daydream about kissing Terence''s handsome


    our husband would be a prince and you would at least be a princess. Not one of us would make it as far as you. You should really be happy about it!"


    A girl in a white dress said after she drank from a margarita glass.


    Eunice''s best friend, Selma, was also there. She could be seen wearing a denim skirt. She commented, "I heard that Terence''s wife was the daughter of the Hua family from HA City. Her family is just as rich as yours. She is going to be the hostess of the An family now. Is she nice? Will she give you a hard time?"


    "I don''t think she would do that. What do you think, Eunice? From what I heard, she''s a really nice woman. Do you think you''re going to get along with her?" the girl in the white dress remarked.


    "You just heard about it. You haven''t met her in person. How can you be sure that she''s nice?" Selma sneered.


    The girl in the white dress suddenly had an idea. She called out to a man who was playing billiards, "Johnny! Come here!" Johnny looked up at them and then approached their table. The girl then asked, "I remembered that you once competed in a horse race with Terence''s wife. Am I right?


    Can you tell us what kind of person she is?"

 Chapter 486 A Hen That Couldnt Lay Eggs

    Johnny didn''t respond immediately and just finished his last shot. Soon after, he stood up straight and glanced at the women.


    "Come on, it was just a race. How could I know anything about a person so quickly? Why don''t you go and ask Terence instead? I bet he would definitely know better," he replied.


    Without having much interest in the conversation, he then lazily grabbed his drink and took a sip. After that, he turned around and went on with the game he was playing.


    "Oh, is that so? I heard that you have a very good relationship with his wife. But I could have misheard that part. My brain''s kind of whacked today and I totally forgot who told me that..."


    said the girl in the beautiful white dress. She then scratched her head out of frustration as she tried to think about who had spilled her the news.


    Kelvin, who was playing pool with Johnny, aimed at one ball. He glared at them, and he grinned, "Jennie, didn''t you know that Johnny has a lot of women friends? And Terence''s wife might not be at the top of his list."


    Jennie, the girl in the white dress, shrugged her shoulders and acted in silence upon hearing what Kelvin had just implied.


    But Johnny knew better and never dared to put a finger on Terence''s wife. He would be deemed to be out of his mind if he ever had the guts to even make a joke about her.


    Eunice sneered, "Terrence''s wife is the hostess of the An family... for now."


    She said as she had the last sip of her juice. She then shook her head and smiled nonchalantly. "But nothing lasts forever. She is not going to be the hostess for too long," she continued.


    "What do you mean by that, Eunice?"


    Selma asked in confusion as her brows knitted together.


    "What do I mean by what? What I meant was that she''s not going to be Terrence''s wife for too long. Let''s give her one to two years and after that, they''ll get divorced. If it were me, it might be even sooner for her to be kicked out of the family,"


    Eunice explained slowly so that the other person could understand what she meant word for word. It seemed that god was on her side after all. Soon, Carla would not be the better daughter-in-law.


    "What do you mean by that? Please expound. Now you''re confusing me even more. Can''t you get straight to the point? When Terence proposed to her, he had created quite a stir in JA City. I even had a taste of the chocolate that they passed around. They are newlyweds. It has only been half a year! What''s wrong with their relationship?"


    a girl who sat across Jennie asked with much curiosity.


    Meanwhile, Johnny, who was playing pool at the other side of the room, paused for a moment as he eavesdropped on the women''s conversation.


    "Let''s make it simpler. How long do you think a farmer could keep a hen that can''t lay an egg?"


    Eunice said casually without filter as she kept on sipping her juice. She then raised an eyebrow and held her stomach as she gestured to the women with surprised and shocked faces.


    After the explosive news, the room fell silent. But that w


    a big hug.


    "Silly, why are you waiting for me here? How long have you been standing here?" Andrea smiled and gave her a pat on her back. And without getting any answer from her, Andrea figured that she had been waiting for her since she called her.


    "Oh, mother, I just can''t wait to see you!" Carla gave her a playful grin and complained. Then, she noticed that Noah walked out from another car behind the one her mother just arrived in.


    Noah opened the trunk and took out bags of gifts.


    "Callie, those are the clothes I bought for you from your last visit. I already told someone to alter the size for you!"


    Andrea said with a smile.


    Carla let go of her and walked towards the car. She then took a look at Noah, who kept on unloading more bags out of the trunk. But when she looked at how many bags there were, she was dumbfounded. "Oh my, there are so many of them! Mother, what are you doing? I don''t need that many clothes."


    "Silly. Your mother bought all of them while she was thinking of you! Just take them!" Noah said, smiling. And right after he had emptied the trunk, he closed it.


    Carla nodded her head and called Sophie to find some people to carry all the luggage and bags in.


    "Err? What is this?" She saw a lot of small packages which were wrapped up in papers in a big bag. She took a sniff and found that they had a traditional Chinese medicine aroma.


    Andrea walked over to her and explained, "These are the medicines I bought for you. I asked the most famous Chinese doctor in the HA city to prepare them. You see, a lot of women became pregnant soon after drinking the medicines he prepared. So, I got some for you too!"


    "......"


    Carla felt speechless. Just thinking about how bitter the Chinese traditional medicines were made her frown. She dug through the bag and felt really hopeless. There were so many of them that she didn''t know when she was going to finish them all.


    "Carla, may I have a word with you?"


    Noah asked, as he walked to the center of the grass lawn.

 Chapter 487 The Chinese Traditional Medicines (Part One)

    "Hey, Noah, what''s wrong?"


    She said as she followed him. She was a bit anxious as to what the matter could be now that she saw how serious his tone and face was.


    "Callie, if the An family gave you a hard time, please tell me, and I will immediately take you home. Don''t worry about it! I won''t let anyone hurt you in any way!"


    Noah said with concern ringing in his voice. He knew that the Chinese medicines were for her because he was the one who drove Andrea to see the Chinese doctor.


    Sensing that he had already found out about her condition, Carla sighed and said, "Don''t worry. Terrence treats me just the same. He didn''t treat me differently after what had happened. You really don''t have to worry about it,"


    "Oh, really? But the thing is, you are going to be with him for the rest of your life. That''s what marriage is. And you only have spent about a few months with him. Can you guarantee that three or five years into the future, he would still treat you and love you the same? Think about the future, think about ten years from now.


    And with Noah''s words, Carla was silenced. She thought things through for a moment and then spoke, "Noah, I don''t know what will happen in the future. But there are things that I know for sure. I know that I don''t want to lose what I have right now and that I don''t want to leave him."


    Upon hearing Carla''s words, Noah suddenly didn''t know what to say. "Callie, I''m just talking about the worst-case scenario here. I just want you to know that you are not alone. Don''t worry about it too much and don''t be too hard on yourself. Always know that yo


    women. I even know some of them. You should give it a try. If you don''t give it a chance, how will you know if it even works or not? There''s no harm in trying. It''s not like you are going to lose anything,"


    Andrea said patiently. She knew how bitter those medicines were and empathized with her daughter as she put in an encouraging word. She knew that everything would be worth it if the medicine worked and she got pregnant.


    "But mother, he didn''t even do a check up on me. How would his prescription work? I highly doubt it," Carla said, frowning. She was trying to talk her way out of drinking them. They tasted so horrible that she wanted to do everything she could just so that she won''t have to take them for a month.


    If it were couple of days or a week, she might deal with it and give it a try. But taking all of the medicines for a whole month was deemed to be a bit insane for her.


    Her doctor already told her that in her case, any medicine would not help. And in fact, she trusted her doctor more than the Chinese doctor she had never even met.

 Chapter 488 The Chinese Traditional Medicines (Part Two)

    "Oh, please! I am not that old. I showed him your examination results and told him about your situation. It was almost the same as if you were there. And besides, the medicines are there to nurse you back to health. They will help you keep your uterus warm for future pregnancy. For sure, they won''t harm you at all!"


    Andrea replied as she gave a warm smile at Carla. Then, she continued, "You just need to take them on time! After all, Chinese traditional medicine is profound. You can''t trust everything about it, but it helps sometimes. Don''t you agree?"


    Upon hearing that, Carla nodded her head with no choice but to agree.


    Earning her agreement into taking the medicines, Andrea stood up and said, "Alright! Let''s start then. Take the first one during noontime,"


    "Huh?"


    Carla was shocked about how soon it was going to be for her to take the horrible tasting medicines. With her mouth agape in shock, she watched Andrea already take a package of the medicines and walk to the kitchen. Andrea rolled up her sleeves, then proceeded to cook the medicines.


    "Mother, please, can''t we just start with it tomorrow?" Carla finally recovered and begged for her mother''s mercy.


    "Sooner or later, you can''t escape from it! The earlier you take the medicines, the faster your agony ends!" Andrea replied to Carla. Then, she called Sophie and said, "Sophie, soak these medicines and herbs in the water. After that, we must brew it. Is there a casserole pot around? Where is the..."


    Hearing their conversations, Carla knew she couldn''t escape from the Chinese medicines today. She was left helpless as she laid on the co


    with good views. That way, you can relax and take a rest, as well!"


    "That''s a great idea! I was just thinking about the same thing!" Carla agreed.


    After all, Andrea was going to be in JA City for a month. And Carla thought it was a good idea to show her how beautiful this city was.


    And even if she might have already been to some of the places, she still wanted to take her around the city. After all, the experience would never be the same because this time Andrea would be with Carla.


    "Great! You can think of some places you could visit tomorrow. I will arrange everything for you, so I can make your trip tomorrow easier," he replied gently as he felt her in his arms.


    There were a lot of people in most of the tourist parks during this time, especially in this kind of weather. Therefore, he needed to plan the day out for her ahead, so she and her mother would have a good time.


    Suddenly, Terence seemed to have something on his mind. He suddenly reached into his pocket and took out a small container.


    "Oh, and by the way, honey... I have a gift for you..."

 Chapter 489 Anniversary

    "What is it?"


    Carla asked while she stared at Terence''s hand. He was holding a small paper bag with red velvet.


    "Open it and have a look." Terence handed the paper bag to her so she could reach out and take it.


    Eager to know what was inside the bag, she took it from his hand quickly. She didn''t say anything and just gave Terence a sweet smile. Then, she turned to the paper bag and immediately untied the satin ribbon at the top.


    She took a peek and saw that something was shining inside.


    Carla took it out and was greeted with a chain encrusted in pink diamonds.


    She kept on turning her hand to see every side of the chain. The pink diamonds were glowing brightly all over. She fell in love with it at once. She even felt her heart melting from too much gratitude.


    "Terence, this is so beautiful! What day is it today? Why are you giving me such a precious bracelet?"


    Carla asked Terence while she looked at him with bright eyes. Before he could respond though, she took a few steps and kissed him deeply on the lips.


    Terence raised his eyebrows and took the chain on her hand, "Sweetheart, this is an anklet, not a bracelet."


    "What? It''s an anklet?"


    Carla had taken the chain back and tried it on her wrist. She found out that the chain was a bit too big for her wrist. Then, she raised her left foot and tried it around her ankle. It was a perfect fit.


    "Terence, is it possible that the diamonds are fake?" She took off the chain from her foot and held it in her palm. Then, she looked at the diamonds carefully. She thought, ''If the diamonds are real, it''s too luxurious to be worn around my ankle!''


    Terence''s smile froze when he heard Carla''s words. He raised his right hand and gave her a light flick on the forehead. "Carla, how can it be fake when it is a gift from me?


    Think about it. What day is it exactly? If you can''t remember, I''m going to punish you!"


    Then, he took the chain back in his hand and knelt down to put it back around her ankle.


    Her delicate white skin seemed to be more attractive with the chain of pink diamonds.


    Carla stretched her leg back and looked at the anklet on her foot. She found out that when the anklet was worn, the diamonds seemed to effortlessly hang from the chain. It looked more beautiful when she tried to move and take a step.


    While she was looking at the chain, however, one question kept repeating in her mind, ''What day was it?


    What made this day so special that he gave her such an expensive anklet?''


    She racked her brain for several moments but to no avail. She couldn''t figure it out. Turning to her husband, she asked, "Sweetheart, could you just tell me what day it is today? Is today a special one that''s why you gave me an anklet?"


    Terence looked at her in the eye for a while. Then, he raised his wrist so Carla could see his watch.


    "This day last year, almost at the exact same time, we met each other in BH City. It''s the anniversary of our first meeting. As for the anklet, I just want to give it to you as a commemoration of that very special day," Terence said lovingly.


    However, he wasn''t actually telling her everything. He also bought an anklet with a ch


    was upwards. Naturally, going uphill made them slower.


    At that very moment, the battery of the electric bicycle died out.


    When the maid gave her the key, she was told that the battery was not fully charged. But Carla was too excited so she didn''t pay much attention to it.


    And now, here came the consequence.


    "All right, I''ll ask Nathan to come and pick us up. Put the electric bicycle to the side. We''re going to let someone handle it," Terence said. He looked at Carla, who was obviously tired from the driving. Then, he took out his cell phone.


    "No! How shameful would it be if you call him! Let me push it back!"


    Carla said in embarrassment while she tried to push the electric bicycle forward. However, because the electric bicycle was too heavy, she had a hard time moving it by even an inch.


    "Shameful? Well, Carla, when we were riding the bike earlier, didn''t you notice the weird looks that so many people were giving us?"


    Terence asked while he laughed. She only then realized how shameful it was. But it was already too late!


    In total, there were seven people in the Seaview Villa, including Rainer, Nathan, Sean and four servants. All of them were standing by the windows and secretly looking at them when they got out of the Villa.


    It was rare for them to see something like that.


    It was only Terence''s second time to sit on an electric bicycle. The first time was also with Carla where he didn''t have any choice.


    Shortly after, Terence dialed a number.


    At the same time, he dragged the back seat of the electric bicycle, which Carla was still trying to push forward. "Stop pushing it. It''s very far from our villa! You cannot do it!"


    He told her and then he turned to the phone, "Nathan, come and pick us up."


    Terence continued to talk to Nathan on the phone while he tried to stop Carla from pushing the electric bicycle.


    "Well, Mr. Terence. Didn''t you go out on that electric bicycle?" Nathan asked. A short silence followed where Terence could clearly hear his laughter.


    "Don''t let me repeat my request,"


    Terence stated calmly with his eyebrows raised.

 Chapter 490 Anniversary! (Part 2)

    "Got it. We''ll be right there in a second!"


    Nathan didn''t dare to waste time asking about anything else. In fact, he thought that perhaps, the battery of the electric bicycle died out.


    Meanwhile, Carla parked the bike by the side of the road and tied it to a pole using a chain.


    "Give me your hand."


    She looked up and saw that Terence had already climbed a slope. He had his arm reached out for her to grab.


    Carla couldn''t help but smile before holding on to his hand and letting Terence pull her up.


    After which, Carla found out why he wanted to go there. He had found a big stone with a flat surface on top. It looked like it could fit both of them. Then, Terence took off his Italian-tailored coat and placed it atop the stone.


    "It''s going to be a while. Let''s just sit here and wait."


    Since it was already very late at night, Terence didn''t want to waste any more of his energy. He just wanted to breathe and rest awhile.


    Carla joined him and the moment she was settled, she couldn''t help but admire the view below.


    From where they were, they could see how the darkness enveloped the villages. The light from the houses looked like stars and they were even surrounded by a thick blanket of fog. The view looked so beautiful that it started to warm up Carla''s heart especially as the evening air was starting to get cold.


    Terence placed his arm around Carla''s shoulder and put his other hand on his knee. He looked so charming while he held her in his arms as they both watched the evening view from where they were.


    "Honey, I''m sorry for getting you stuck here with me."


    Carla couldn''t help but think that it was all her fault. She just wanted to spend quality time together but she didn''t think about the consequences.


    Terence pulled her closer to him and murmured with a smile, "Don''t be silly. How else would I have been able to enjoy such a peaceful night if I didn''t come out with you, babe?"


    Then, he kissed the top of her head and continued, "If we didn''t happen to be stuck here, we wouldn''t have had the chance to see this wonderful view. Actually, I thought we were going to have a boring night. Instead, you gave me such a surprise. You just never fail to add color to my life, you know?"


    "You''re just trying to comfort me, aren''t you?" Carla glanced at him and chuckled softly. Then, she lay comfortably on his chest while they listened to the dogs barking.


    Terence also stared at her with a gentle smile. "I''m not. I''m just saying the truth. You are who you are, and no one can replace you. No matter what you do, you''re unique and special to me. You''re one of a kind, Carla. So there is no right or wrong in everything that you do."


    Carla turned to look at him and met his bright dazzling eyes.


    She thought that if someone were to ask her what was the warmest thing in the world, without any hesitation, she would say that it was Terence''s bright eyes.


    He had always looked at her with that kind of warmth and it never failed to melt her heart.


    With Terence by her side, there was nothing that she was afraid of. She always felt like she was capable of doing anything when they were together.


    ou up the moment I got here," Andrea said, sitting on the edge of the bed.


    Carla sat up and stared into the distance for a while. Even though she could converse with her Mom, truth be told, she wasn''t fully awake yet. "Did Sophie say anything else?"


    She was worried that Sophie would tell her mom what happened last night.


    "No, she just said that you came home late and that your relationship was staying strong and that you were very happy." Andrea was confused while she looked at Carla''s expression, so she asked, "Is there anything that I need to know?"


    "No!" Carla exclaimed a little too loudly. Then, she got a hold of herself and said in a calmer tone, "Oh, by the way, Mom, why don''t we go out today? It''s a little cloudy so it''s not too hot. It''s a great day to go outside and roam the city. Also, according to the weather forecast, it''s not going to rain today,"


    Carla explained while she rubbed her head. Yesterday, Terence had asked her to come up with some places where they could go sightseeing, but she totally forgot about it.


    "Sure, but what if it rains?"


    Andrea looked out of the window. It was a little dark and the weather was changing dramatically.


    Carla grabbed her phone to check the weather again. "It''s okay. It won''t rain."


    She was about to open a website to search for some impressive spots nearby, only to find an unread message.


    It was a message sent by Terence an hour ago.


    When he arrived at the office, he had asked his assistant to list out all the great spots in JA City.


    When the assistant gave him the list, he picked out two of them which was closest to their home but were still worth visiting. He then sent it to Carla.


    The assistant had already made a call to the managers of the two scenic spots in advance so that Carla and Andrea could visit with ease if they choose to go there.


    The AJ Group had invested in the construction of most of the scenic spots in JA City, so wherever they went, they could enjoy special treatment.


    Constantly reminded by Andrea, Carla had taken her medicine after breakfast before they went out.

 Chapter 491 Stubborn Johnny (Part One)

    On this wonderful spring morning, the sun was shining, with flowers blooming all over.


    There were many people traveling toward JA City. And despite the weather being a bit parching, the famous scenic spot in JA City was still brimming with people.


    Originally, the plan was for Carla to take Andrea with her and go mountain climbing, but she was worried that Andrea might get a bit too tired from that kind of activity, so she opted to go to an ancient city with a flat terrain as their destination.


    They visited an old imperial city which covered a vast area. And after some renovations, there were even more and more places to come and visit.


    From the moment they came in, they were welcomed to the site by a specially assigned person and were accompanied by a senior tour guide.


    In truth, Terence had arranged for two bodyguards to accompany them. However, Carla thought that it would be a bit inappropriate, so she called him right away and told him that the bodyguards were unnecessary. After all, if they were constantly being followed by two men in black suits, it would just attract more attention toward them. So, Carla thought that having a guide tagging along would be enough.


    Carla also prepared for this trip and brought a camera that could take pictures in high resolution to take more photos for Andrea, and to take photos of the scenery for her own design materials as well.


    Carla was just about to move forward when she head Andrea calling out to her, "Callie?


    Wait a second! There''s a wishing pond right in front of us. I would like to make a wish before we proceed..."


    With that, Carla had no choice but to wait for Andrea. She saw her mother get some loose change and throw them into the wishing pond. In reality, th


    ge group!" Carla reassured her, wearing a pleasant expression on her face. Then, she proceeded to get her camera ready, aimed it at Andrea, and took some pictures as she smiled happily.


    "Well, Carla! Don''t just go taking pictures of me! Come here, show me how to use that camera. I would like to take some pictures of you as well!"


    Andrea moved closer, thinking that Carla had only been taking pictures of her all this time. She also wanted to take some pictures of her daughter.


    After showing Andrea twice how to use the camera, Carla moved a bit closer toward the waterfall and posed for her.


    Andrea wasn''t really well-versed with these high technology gadgets. And even though there had always been a lot of cameras in their family, she had never really been interested in these kinds of things.


    She raised the camera and focused it on Carla. But when she was just about ready to take a shot, she realized that she had no idea what to press.


    "Eh? Why did the picture turn out like this? Callie..."


    Andrea wanted to ask Carla what was happening, but a young man suddenly appeared and approached her. "Auntie, would you allow me to lend you a hand?"

 Chapter 492 Stubborn Johnny (Part Two)

    "Oh, yes, please! Thank you, young man! Cuold you please tell me how to take a photo with this? I want to take a photo of my daughter!"


    When Carla, who was striking a pose, saw Johnny appear from out of the blue and talking to her mother, she was at a loss for a while.


    Her mind suddenly wandered off, ''What is he doing here? And since when did he become so thoughtful?''


    Johnny assisted Andrea in using the camera, focused it on Carla, and then finally, he showed Andrea which button to press.


    Andrea tried taking a photo of Carla, and she actually managed to do it successfully! She exclaimed, feeling quite thankful, "That''s a great shot! Thank you so much, young man!" Andrea was filled with so much gratitude towards Johnny.


    "Auntie, don''t mention it. It''s my pleasure to be of help," Johnny replied. Then, shifting his gaze toward Carla, Johnny gave her a wink.


    Not wanting to see him, Carla tried to look away.


    It was only then that Andrea noticed that Carla was getting a bit flushed. With that in mind, Andrea looked at Johnny again. At that point, she came to a sudden realization and asked, "Young man, do you, by any chance, know my daughter?"


    "Oh, Auntie, yes, I actually know your daughter. I met Carla back when we were horse-riding together. I never would have expected that I''d bump into her here again!"


    Johnny explained. Then, he noticed Carla walking toward them.


    "I saw you from afar, so I thought I should say hi. But then, I saw Auntie having a bit of trouble with the camera, so I lent her a hand first. That''s all that it was. I wasn''t intending to do anything else..."


    Johnny made it very clear to Carla before she could say anything.


    three years, then I will stop bothering you completely! You have my word.


    But if he so much as lets you go to any form of suffering in those three years, or... if you two split up, I will marry you, no questions asked!"


    Johnny resolutely said, with his gaze glued to the woman who was on the other end of the line standing behind the boulders.


    Carla wanted to give him an earful so bad, but when she heard him say those things, she realized that flying off the handle in this situation would do her no good.


    "So Mr. Johnny, do you have an obsession with being a back-burner guy?"


    Carla curled her lips.


    "Yes, I guess you can say that. But only to you, sweetheart! I''m obsessed with being your back-burner guy! But even if I''m just your second choice, who knows? Maybe I''ll end up being your Mr. Right. Nothing''s set in stone yet. Perhaps we can really become a happy couple one day, don''t you think?"


    Johnny said, letting out a snicker.


    Carla''s eyebrows were deeply knit, thinking that Johnny probably knew something.


    "Johnny, what do you mean by that? By any chance, have you heard of anything?"

 Chapter 493 Ms. Carla, Mr. Terence Is Here To Take You Home (Part One)

    ''Why did Johnny sound so certain about it?'' Carla was almost on the verge of losing her mind¨C¨C she didn''t know what to think anymore.


    As a twinge of paranoia and confusion filled her, Carla thought to herself, ''It seems like the more I try to hide and keep it a secret, the more everyone gets curious.


    Why is this happening to me? What have I done to deserve this?''


    "Nothing. I just want you to know how I feel about you. You clearly know how difficult it is for me to fall in love with a woman, and yet you left me and married another man. You have no idea how hurt I am, Carla."


    Johnny calculated his words upon sensing that she may be on to something. He just wanted to tell her the truth and nothing more.


    If Carla could assure Johnny that she''s happy with her life with Terrence, then he would be more than willing to give up and set her free.


    However, just as he was ready to finally let her go, he learned something that could ultimately change both their lives.


    If she was unhappy being in the An family, he thought that it was his chance to swoop in and be the one to take care of her forever.


    He had never cared about what others thought of him. Even his father urged him to get married and have his own children, but the old chap had already aged and couldn''t keep an eye on him anymore. Johnny knew for certain that his determination to keep Carla just got firmer than ever before.


    "Hello? Hello? Can you hear me?"


    Johnny asked after dead silence filled the other line on the phone. Raising his head, he suddenly noticed that it was raining again. The sky seemed to cry a lot lately as if aiming to complement how he felt for the past few days.


    Worried, he looked afar and saw that Carla had already put away her phone. She then stood under the eaves of the main te


    force herself back in since the area had been entirely cramped¨C¨Cwith cranky people no less.


    As if the rain was challenging her, it mercilessly poured even more once she popped her umbrella open. However, just as her fragile umbrella, which was more like a parasol was struggling against the rain, a car stopped right where she stood.


    "Get in, Carla. I will drive you to the gate."


    It was Johnny, who came just right in time, looking like a knight in shining armor about to save the damsel in distress that she was, holding an umbrella.


    Carla stood frozen and instead wondered how he got the car, which was so small that it could only fit two people inside.


    Johnny, who was determined to be a hero at that moment, loudly greeted Andrea, "Auntie! I will come back to pick you up later. I won''t be too long."


    "Okay, don''t worry about me. Go ahead." Andrea said with a smile.


    She waved her hand to let Carla quickly get in the car.


    Without thinking further amidst the heavy rain, Carla put away her umbrella and got inside, sitting abreast Johnny.


    Together, they drove off towards the exit. Luckily, the car was small enough to quickly get through the narrow paths along the way.

 Chapter 494 Ms. Carla, Mr. Terence Is Here To Take You Home (Part Two)

    It was also speedy and even splashed water off the ground as it drifted on the pavement. Since the wind was rather intense, the umbrella was almost distorted and couldn''t entirely keep Carla from the rain.


    Noticing this, Johnny said, "Use this to shield yourself from the rain."


    He took off his coat with one hand and handed it to Carla while he used the other to control the car.


    A big piece of glass was in front of the car, and both its sides were equipped with some covers to keep some rainwater off; however, Carla still got wet.


    "No, I''m okay. You use it on yourself," Carla politely refused.


    Even though the umbrella wasn''t of much use, it would be too selfish of her to take his coat.


    "Put it on, or you will catch a cold." Johnny could clearly see the refusal on her face, so he placed the coat on her. He was well familiar with how stubborn this woman could be, so he went beyond his duty to not give her room to refuse again.


    The space inside the car was so limited for people to move, so pushing and shoving would do nothing but only affect his driving.


    Thinking of this, Carla had no other choice but to yield and put his coat above her head to keep the rain off her face.


    "Johnny, how did you know I was here? Don''t tell me this is a coincidence again." Carla couldn''t help but ask as Johnny was fully immersed in driving. She noticed that he drove so smoothly, even when passing all sorts of corners and barriers. Finally, while maintaining his silence, they were almost at the gate.


    She was planning to ask him why he seemed to be so familiar with the area, but it suddenly dawned on her that he grew up in JA City.


    With an impending answer to Carla''s query, Johnny glanced and smiled at her before saying, "


    ed around and ran back to the car.


    As Carla watched him drive off, she suddenly remembered that her phone had been continuously ringing just a while earlier. She wondered who it was, but she already had a slight idea.


    When she took out her phone, she confirmed her hunch upon seeing several missed calls from Terence.


    She was about to call him back when a luxury black Maybach drove right towards her in the heavy rain. And slowly, amidst the still heavy rainfall, she saw that it stopped right in front of her, covering the scenic attraction of the main gate. Again, another knight in shining armor was on his odyssey to rescue the damsel in distress that she was at that moment.


    The door was pushed open, and Rainer got off, holding an umbrella which was much more robust and sturdier than what she had. Carla''s heart was immediately sent racing, her heartbeat grew abnormally fast, thinking of the man who could be gallantly sitting inside.


    Meanwhile, as she stared at car and as its shiny exterior mirrored her dazed look, Rainer walked towards her and lowered his head respectfully before saying, "Mrs. Carla, Mr. Terence is here to take you home."

 Chapter 495 Are You Jealous

    Rainer said, holding the umbrella for her as she walked toward the black Maybach.


    Carla''s gaze was fixed on Terence, who happened to show up at just the right time, and then headed down the steps.


    After getting into the car, she saw that Terence was already sitting inside. Just as she was about to say his name, she suddenly caught on to something that seemed quite amiss.


    From a single glance, he was somewhat boot-faced, which was far from what she had gotten used to seeing. He simply kept staring blankly into the distance and didn''t even bother looking at her.


    Seeing him acting like that drove Carla mad.


    ''I messed up big time. I''m in trouble now! From the looks of it, Terence seems jealous and definitely pissed off.


    Was Terence watching while Johnny was chatting with me just moments ago?'' She pondered to herself.


    Carla made an effort to hide how worked up she was getting and just quietly glanced at him in secret.


    "Rainer, it''s time for us to leave,"


    Terence opened his mouth all of a sudden and instructed him.


    "We''re leaving already? But my mother still isn''t with us yet." Carla couldn''t help but exclaim when she heard that. Feeling a bit worried, she looked outside to check. Johnny had just left to pick her mother up, so it would probably take a while before he came back.


    "You don''t have to worry about anything, Mrs. Carla. Jason''s car is still here. He would be the one driving her home as soon as she comes out,"


    Rainer tried to put her mind at ease. Truth be told, he and Terence had actually been in the area for quite some time already, so they were able to see Johnny and Carla having a conversation.


    At that moment, Rainer felt a bead of sweat roll down his spine due to the frigid atmosphere inside the car, making it seem as though they were inside an ice cellar.


    Carla had no choice but to nod her head in response upon hearing Rainer''s explanation. With her eyes glued to Terence who was sitting right next to her, she nudged his leg gently.


    "Terence?"


    Calling out to him was akin to a small stone that was thrown into the vast ocean. There was no response whatsoever.


    All Carla could do was look outside as the car drove away, leaving the scenic spot.


    As she sat there quietly in the backseat of the car, Carla was like a cat on a hot tin roof.


    Terence hardly ever got mad at her, but whenever he did, it must be because of something really serious.


    And worst of all, Carla didn''t have the faintest idea how she was supposed to explain it to him.


    ''Johnny! Look what you''ve done! Damn it! That bastard really brought me a world of trouble.


    He always got a kick out of seeing me having an argument with Terence. Now, he succeeded in doing just that, '' Carla furiously gave Johnny a dressing-down in her head.


    "Honey?"


    Carl


    zed that since the room was so quiet, there was a good chance that he heard what Andrea just told her despite her voice not being that loud.


    "I''m perfectly fine. You should get changed as soon as you get back. Make sure you don''t catch a cold, alright? And don''t forget to take your medicine,"


    Andrea reminded her once more. Having a baby should be her daughter''s top priority at the moment.


    Carla simply replied, "Okay, mom. I know what to do. I''ll just talk to you later. I''m hanging up. Bye."


    Carla let out quite a powerful sneeze the second she hung up the phone.


    It seemed that she had actually caught a cold after getting a bit drenched and being exposed to the cold air for some time.


    "Terence... Ah-choo!"


    Carla desperately wanted to clear things up with Terence as soon as possible, but she couldn''t stop herself from sneezing. As she rubbed her nose, tears began welling up in her eyes from so much intense sneezing.


    "Honey, Johnny just wants to horse around. I never liked him in any way. I have really been trying to avoid him, I swear, but he just always shows up from out of the blue. I really don''t get it either... Ah-choo!"


    She sneezed one more time, showing him a pathetic look on her face.


    Terence made a face as he watched her sneezing nonstop.


    He couldn''t keep acting so cold any longer because he couldn''t help himself from feeling worried about her. Because of that, he quickly put his coat over her shoulders to warm her.


    "For the time being, you should have something to eat. We''ll head straight to a sauna after we''re done eating."


    Seeing Terence being concerned about her, Carla simply nodded her head in response and grasped onto the coat tightly.


    After dinner, Terence promptly brought her to a nearby spa.


    He might have still been extremely upset, but Carla''s health was more important than anything else.

 Chapter 496 Irritating Rumors

    It was a hot springs clubhouse.


    Carla took a dip in the spring pool for a short while. She then stood up and made her way into the sauna room for females. She then put her feet up to relax and unwind as the steam calmed her whole body.


    While Terence on the other hand, patiently waited for her near the hot springs outside.


    Carla sat on a wooden chair and felt the hot steam flow towards her continuously. She enjoyed the steam with two other women in the same room.


    After a while, all of the women in the sauna got used to the high temperature inside and got comfortable. Then, they started to chat. One woman said, "Have you heard about the story about the crown princess in JA City?"


    "The crown princess?" the other one repeated the phrase strangely as her eyebrows furrowed.


    She seemed not to understand what the first woman was talking about.


    Carla leaned herself on the wooden chair which was not far from them so that she could eavesdrop on their conversation. ''The crown princess? Who is that? Is there even one in the first place? Is there any one called the crown princess in JA City?'' Carla asked herself in her mind.


    "Yes, the crown princess. I''m talking about the An family! The wife of the crown prince is the crown princess, of course!"


    "Oh? Is that so? Are you talking about Mr. Terence''s wife? The one who just got married to him? What have you heard about her?"


    The other woman said as they gossiped while they enjoyed the steam in the sauna.


    At that time, Carla sat beside them, listening to their every word. It was then that she realized that the two women were talking about her. So this time, she paid closer attention to what they were about to say next.


    But how was the conversation brought up in the first place?


    She would never know. But she could learn more about it the more she listened to them.


    "Actually I heard it from one of Selma''s friends. Well, do you know Selma? She is the lady of the Wang family who has a good relationship with Mrs. Eunice. Oh, I see...So the news should probably be true! After all, they''re credible sources."


    "So come on, spill it! What is the news all about?"


    "What is the news about? Of course it''s shocking news! Okay, I''ll tell you, but you have to promise not to tell anyone else."


    "Okay, I promise. So come on, don''t keep me hanging!"


    "Well, I heard that Mr. Terence''s wife cannot do the job that an ordinary woman can. Will she be dumped by the An family soon? Take a guess!"


    "What do you mean? I don''t understand a word you just said. It doesn''t make sense at all!"


    "Oh my, you''re really slow, aren''t you! As the wife, she could not get pregnant. What else can she do? We all know that the An family is such a powerful and influential family. If she cannot give birth to the next generation, how long do you think she can keep her position as the crown princess?"


    Carla, sitting opposite to the two woman, didn''t speak but bit her own finger.


    She was confused on how such news could have gotten


    le. How could people sleep at night knowing that they had kept on talking about other people''s personal lives? Other people''s lives weren''t for someone else''s entertainment.


    Now that she had heard all this with her own ears, she felt hard on herself.


    She could not bear the pain that everyone thought of her less of a woman all because she could not bear a child in her womb. People do have such a backward kind of thinking!


    But at the same time, she felt a little bit hopeless as she could not do anything to fight back.


    As the best way of fighting back was to ignore them, completely, and to show them that motherhood was not limited to giving birth to another human life. Being a woman is not bound to the clutches of birth giving, that women can be successful wives without having babies in their arms. She could be who she was.


    But at the moment, all that Carla was able to do was to touch her belly and put the bed sheet on her face.


    Meanwhile, back in Rhys''s house.


    Rhys hung up the phone and returned to the bedroom.


    Eunice was lying on the bed with a facial mask on her face. Then, she turned around and asked her husband, "What''s going on? Who called you? Why did you answer it outside?"


    Rhys sat on the bed and gazed at Eunice who was lying there comfortably. He sighed and asked, "Eunice, is it you who spread the gossip that Carla, our sister-in-law, can''t get pregnant?"


    Eunice''s eyes grew bigger. She was surprised at what her husband had asked her. Then she stood up and asked back, "Rhys, what do you mean? Do you think I will ever say that to others?


    Was that Terence on the phone just now? Hmmph! He is really nice to his wife! Come on, it''s just a little gossip! Why did he make such a big deal out of this? Why did he even call and ask his brother about it?"


    Eunice sneered while she patted her face gently as not to displace her facial mask.


    Hearing what she said, Rhys frowned and asked, "So it''s true that you have spoken to others about it, isn''t it?"

 Chapter 497 Consequences Of Not Keeping Your Mouth Shut

    "Eunice, Aren''t you aware that this is a family secret and is a private matter? Even if Carla can''t get pregnant, it''s an issue that concerns our family only. If word got out about it, it will surely tarnish our family name."


    Rhys was ruffling her feathers, so she peeled off her facial mask at once and intently glared at him. "Yes, I was the one who spread the news about it. So what? Who gives a damn? She''s just like a hen that can''t lay a single egg. What''s wrong about that? I didn''t do anything wrong." ¡ª


    "You..."


    Rhys'' eyes were glued to Eunice who just came clean about what she had done. It was hard for him to believe that she was capable of saying something like that.


    "Eunice, Terence is my brother and she is my sister-in-law. They''re your family too! How could you just go and say those things about your family? Don''t you even realize that it was too rude?"


    Staring at her in utter disbelief, he suddenly remembered how she was when he first came to know her. She used to be such a gentle and sensible woman. And to think that she even made an effort to get a special wedding present for him.


    That being said, once they got married, her true nature had revealed itself and her erratic personality became far worse than that of any other girl.


    "Rude? Are you kidding me? All I did was tell the truth, Rhys. That''s your brother''s problem. Why should you blame your own wife for the interest of other people?


    I think he''s quite a funny guy though. This was something he should have kept all to himself. Why did he approach you to talk about such a deplorable thing?"


    Eunice curled her lips and pulled away the quilt, heading toward the bathroom.


    "It wasn''t Terence I was talking to on the phone earlier, it was Dad,"


    Rhys flatly told her.


    Upon hearing that, Eunice stopped in her tracks and turned around to look at him in surprise. "It was Dad?"


    "Eunice, you just became part of our family. Perhaps you have no idea about my brother''s temper. You think that as the youngest in the family, he is the one who could hold his temper best, don''t you?


    Once you get to know him a little more, you''ll see. If Terence confronts you about it himself, that would mean it wasn''t that big of an issue. But if he actually knows about it and still doesn''t do anything, then that would be the end of you," Rhys warned his wife fairly.


    Rhys grew up alongside Terence. When it came to his brothers, no one probably knew it better than he did.


    People tended to get the impression that Terence was the most good-natured one while their big brother was regarded as the one with a heart of stone.


    But no one outside the family was able to actually see their true colors.


    If Marcus was really as cruel as people made him out to be, then why hadn''t he ruined Terence all these years? Instead, he was the one who ended up behind bars.


    "Rhys, stop trying to scare me. Terence may be the CEO of the AJ Group, but he''s still your younger brother. There''s no way he would be capable of doing horrible things to us."


    After going into the bathroom to wash up, Eunice grabbed a towel to pat her face dry as she told him that she didn''t really care.


    "Eunice, listen to me and listen c


    s effectiveness.


    At the end of the day, getting pregnant was still the most important thing for them.


    Carla also diligently took the medicine day by day, knowing fully well that the best way to prove those rumors wrong would be for her to get pregnant as soon as possible.


    Lately, all she did was stay home, so she was completely oblivious to what was happening to everyone outside.


    Little did she know that the world had been turned upside-down because of her.


    Eunice''s father had asked his daughter to come back home all of a sudden.


    It was only then that Eunice was finally able to realize the extent of the trouble she had brought to her family for spreading the rumor.


    But one thing she couldn''t have accounted for was how her father, who was currently the president of JA Bank, would end up getting demoted to vice-president.


    This seemingly minor job demotion involved a sudden unexpected change of interests.


    This was no mere coincidence, but a fair warning given to them. Eunice''s family wasn''t the only one that got into a lot of trouble. Selma''s family had also been dealt a heavy blow.


    Eunice had been knocked sideways.


    She never could''ve imagined that Terence would really resort to doing something like this.


    It didn''t matter that she was his sister-in-law. He was so heartless!


    For that reason, Eunice immediately went straight to the An Manor and complained about it to Edmund for a lengthy period of time.


    Sad to say, Edmund simply said a few words to console her before proceeding to lecture her between the lines.


    What he stressed about the most was that now that she became the daughter-in-law of the family, the interests of the family would have to come first. The right course of action she should''ve taken was to protect the family''s honor.


    Eunice wasn''t able to let off some steam. Instead, she just got even more irritated.


    ¡ª


    All she could do now was look forward to the day when they confirm that Carla couldn''t conceive in the end, causing her to be thrown out by the An family. Only then would she feel satisfied, knowing that she wouldn''t be seeing Carla ever again.

 Chapter 498 Leave Terence (Part One)

    Time flew by so quickly. It had already been two months.


    Andrea had already left for HA City after insisting that Carla continue taking the medicine.


    No matter how much medicine she had taken, it seemed like it was no use, because she just couldn''t get pregnant. With the sands of time running out, she was beginning to get more and more anxious.


    Despite Terence not really saying anything regarding the matter, Carla just couldn''t help feeling


    tense and frustrated.


    Every time she come to visit the An family, she always felt as though Edmund was hinting at something. Knowing the kind of man that he was, it should be plain to see that he had been so eager to get a grandchild from her and Terence.


    However, due to her current condition, all it really did was bring Carla endless torment. A number of specialists had already told her that she was going to have difficulty getting pregnant, so the odds of the An family getting a grandchild from her was extremely slim.


    One day, Laura met up with her. At this point, Edmund was already getting sick and tired of waiting, so he decided to ask Laura to go talk to Carla.


    Laura was Terence''s aunt. Ever since he was little boy, the two of them had been getting along quite well. And compared with her other nephews, Terence was probably the one she was closest to.


    Because of that, Carla didn''t really think too much about it when she asked her out to meet.


    That was until...


    "Carla, what do you say you take some time off and go on a tour abroad with me? I know a couple of renowned doctors there. Most importantly, they have much better medical facilities compared to the hospitals here."


    Laura didn''t bother beating around the bush.


    She didn''t really intend to give Carla any stress. All she wanted to do was give her a bit of a push.


    When she heard Laura''s suggestion, Carla was left at such a loss for words. After a while, she tried to collect her thoughts


    ou can''t find a way to give him a child who''ll inherit the An Group, I think it would be better for you to just let him go,"


    Laura remarked, with her eyebrows deeply knit.


    She had no intention of hurting anyone, and that included Carla as well. But that won''t change the fact that Carla needed to know about it and come up with a solution at the earliest possible time.


    With that, Carla would also have the choice to look for her own happiness herself because when all was said and done, she was still quite young.


    "Aunt Laura, I understand what you and Father are getting worried about. But Terence and I have been through a lot, all for the sake of our love. So, there''s no way I can turn my back on him just like that.


    Could you please give us just a little more time?"


    Carla asked Laura after taking in a deep breath. It was quite apparent that it took a lot of courage for her to be able to say all of that.


    "Carla, do you think that it''s right to make everyone else wait for much longer?" Laura lamented once again, gripping tightly on the white coffee cup she was holding. Then, she went on and added, "I understand that it''s our family that was the reason why it became like this. And I also heard that it wasn''t your fault at all that you had a miscarriage last time.

 Chapter 499 Leave Terence (Part Two)

    For that very reason, if you promise to give up on Terence for good, our family is willing to give you anything you wish for to compensate for it.


    I just want to ask you to think about what''s best for yourself, and for Terence as well. If things won''t work out between the two of you, then it would be much better to end it right here and now."


    Upon hearing Laura''s awful remarks, Carla clenched her hands tightly under the table. And even though she put so much force into it, she just couldn''t feel the physical pain at the moment.


    "Aunt, why don''t you go ahead and talk to Terence about it directly? If he says that he agrees to do that, then I swear I''d leave him right away, no other questions asked. But if he doesn''t come to terms with it, even if I were to do as you say and leave, there''s no way he''ll stop until he finds me again. Then, there wouldn''t be a meaning to doing all of this."


    Carla lifted her head, looking her straight in the eye with a strained smile.


    "Um, I''ll go talk to him later,"


    Laura helplessly replied. The truth was, she really couldn''t help but feel sorry for Carla. So, stretching out her hand, she went ahead and patted on Carla''s hand and said, "Carla, I''m sorry. I really am. I understand that it hurts. But I hope you won''t hold it against me for saying all of this. It''s not your fault. It''s just that you married into the An family.


    I''m only saying this all for your own good. I still believe that it would be best for you to leave. If you decide to stay, then there''s no doubt that you''re going to get in an awful lot of trouble and hardship. When that happens, you''ll be leaving Terence between a rock and a hard place."


    Gently nodding her head in response, Carla replied, "I understand."


    Her mind had wandered off to some faraway place immediately after bidding Laura farewell.


    Obviously, Carla


    To her, it seemed that Johnny still hadn''t changed in the past two months. He was still that same old Johnny, and she wasn''t interested in talking to someone like him.


    "Hey, Carla!"


    Johnny got so worked up when she pushed him away and immediately walked out of the bar. But just as he was trying to go after her, the bartender suddenly stopped him in his tracks.


    "Sir, the lady who just left hasn''t paid for her drink yet. You two know each other, right? Could you please pay for her drink?"


    When he noticed that Carla was already gone, the bartender thought of stopping Johnny just in time.


    Grabbing some cash from his wallet, Johnny frantically tossed it to the bartender and hurriedly ran out of the bar.


    But by the time he got outside, Carla was already nowhere to be found.


    "She was gone too soon? How did she do that? Did she fly away?"


    There was nothing he could do about it. Tousling up his hair, Johnny looked at the empty street. Of course he was feeling frustrated at the moment. He thought that it was an opportunity for him to get along with Carla but he let it slip away.


    Back then, there was no way Johnny would''ve expected that it would be four years later


    before he would finally meet her again.

 Chapter 500 Follow You Everywhere (Part One)

    Johnny didn''t give up just yet as he gave it another shot and looked around for Carla one more time. But, to his dismay, he still wasn''t able to find her. Running out of possible options, he took a smart guess on where she might have gone and ran towards that direction.


    But Carla was just hiding behind the wall at the corner of the bar all along. After seeing Johnny leave the premises, she walked out of her hiding spot.


    As Johnny''s shadow receded from sight, Carla felt how Johnny truly cared for her.


    After that, she walked out of the bar, proceeded to the roadside and hailed a taxi to take her home to the Seaview Villa.


    "Mrs. Carla, you are home! Mr. Terence had called to ask about you. I didn''t want to worry him, so I told him that you were already asleep! Thank god you are back now!"


    Sophie said with a mix of excitement and worry as she saw Carla walk in through the front door. After seeing that Carla was not in any sort of trouble, she let out a deep sigh as she could finally relax.


    "I''m okay, Sophie. I just wanted to go out and get some air. I couldn''t call because my phone was already dead," Carla explained to Sophie with a reassuring smile.


    "Okay! I guess there''s nothing to worry about now that you are back safely. In that case, have you eaten? If not, then let me prepare something for you!" Sophie said as she nodded in agreement.


    Carla shook her head and replied, "You don''t have to. I''ve already grabbed something to eat while I was out. Sophie, I know that it has been a long day for you, too! Go take a rest. I am also tired, so I am going to bed now. Goodnight!"


    Carla said as she walked to her bedroom.


    It was such a mystery, how she even managed to take her tired body to bed. With her sore body and feet, she did nothing else but curl up under the covers to give herself some well-deserved rest.


    Everything fell into silence after she had gotten herself under the sheets. Then slow


    de his heart ache. "Hey, you can tell me! What''s wrong? What happened? Why are you crying?"


    After seeing his handsome face a few inches away from hers and feeling his warm hands, she realized that it was no longer a dream. Terence was real this time.


    Terence was finally back. Repeatedly she kept telling herself in her head that her husband was finally back.


    She then sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck as tight as she could. She said, "You are back!"


    "Yes, I am back. But tell me, dear, why are you crying?" he asked, frowning. Terence placed his hands on her waist as he tried to comfort her.


    But Carla just shook her head. Although tears were evidently all over her face, she just cracked a big smile and replied, "Nah, It''s not a big deal. I just had a bad dream. I dreamed that you left me, so I just couldn''t help but cry..."


    "Silly. You are my wife whom I have given my all just to be married to. How could I ever dare leave you?"


    Terence lifted his hand and wiped the tears off her cheeks. He sighed with a rough smile on his face. He then held her jaw up and kissed her lips to reassure her.


    "Calm down. It will never, ever, ever happen. Don''t you every think that way. It was just a bad dream. Can you feel me now? Am I real? I am here with you. Right?"

 Chapter 501 Follow You Everywhere (Part Two)

    Carla nodded. Looking at his eyes which were full of care and concern, she reached her hand out to touch his brows. "Aren''t you leaving soon for work?" she asked.


    "I will leave later in the afternoon. I still want to spend the entire morning with you, if that''s okay." Terence said gently as he held his wife safely in his arms.


    It was never his intention to stay for the night. He just planned to check up on her and go back to work. But when he saw how Carla was, he was a bit too worried to just let her be on her own.


    Carla nodded as she wiped the last tear from her eye. Then, she put her hands down from his neck and went on to hold his waist. She snuggled in his arms and said, "Terence, no matter where you go, I will follow you."


    "Oh, really? Look who''s talking. I have already suggested that to you in the past, but you were not so thrilled about it. What made you change your mind anyway?"


    Terence held her face up and asked teasingly.


    He started to realize that the bad dream that his wife had was not as bad as he thought it was.


    "I didn''t agree with you in the past because I was afraid that you would get tired of me. And after all, you are a very busy man. If I followed you everywhere, people might make bad rumors about you. I just didn''t want to make your life harder," she explained while she pulled his shirt. Truth was, she was just a bit shy to tell him what she really had in mind.


    "So, how about now? Don''t you care about it anymore? Are your reasons still the same?"


    Terence looked at Carla who was rubbing the corner of his shirt. He just let her wrinkle and pull it without saying a word. In fact, few of the buttons on his shirt were pulled open. However, he just looked at her with a big smile on his face.


    "I do care about you. But I don''t want to be away from you anymore. Everything has changed now. I''m


    she never expected it to go viral. Whenever she was busy, she would just tell her assistant some thoughts that could go with her story and asked her to draw out the chapter for her.


    "There''s my champ! So, how does it feel? Are you proud of yourself?"


    Terence asked Carla with a big proud smile on his face. After he came back to his office, he saw that Carla was checking her manga online.


    "Well, you know, just a tiny little bit!" Carla said humbly, as she joked around. Truth was she was so proud of herself that she could not help but grin from ear to ear.


    Terence walked to her and put his hands on the handles of her chair. He leaned over and whispered to her ears. He teased, "I think your story is not good enough. I don''t know about you, but I think you''ve missed a lot of details about us..."


    After all, the manga was based on their real life story, about how they met and fell in love.


    Terence felt that it was a good way to remember the details of their lives, their ups and downs, their funny moments and how good they felt for each other.


    This was their diary. When they get old and fight about things, they could feel better by reading the manga and thinking about how they loved and cared for each other.

 Chapter 502 Dont Disrespect My Woman! Not Even You!

    "No! I consider some details of our lives as precious memories that should remain private. These are memories that are only for the two of us, so I absolutely cannot draw them in my manga!" Carla exclaimed as she stretched her arms to hold Terence''s waist from behind. Meanwhile, she stared at the finished comics being shown on the laptop screen.


    She was not really an expert when it came to the specifics of the process and distribution of comics. Her responsibility lay on writing the plot and designing the original sketches. There was a professional team in charge of giving color to the sketches, further editing and polishing the final product.


    When Carla saw the panel of scenes in the comics and started reading the dialogues that were all too familiar, she couldn''t help but cry because she was so touched.


    "Why are you crying? Are you moved by your own work?" Terence turned his attention from the screen to Carla. When he saw what she was doing, he caressed her cheek with one hand and said, "Well, let''s stop reading it.


    Just hold on a little longer. As long as the chapters are enough for publication for half a year, we will be able to reach our targeted market shares,"


    Terence reassured her in a gentle tone. As of that moment, the unreleased chapters that they had on stock plus the released ones were enough for five months. So Carla only needed to write a few more chapters to fill that last month.


    In fact, their targeted publicity goal was on the right track. The only thing that Carla had to do at that moment was to come up with a nice ending for the story.


    Carla nodded, got up from the chair, and sat on the sofa. Then, she took out her laptop and began to draft the remaining plot of the story.


    Terence just provided some inspiration for her, so she finished writing the plot in no time.


    Originally, writing comics was only a hobby for Carla. When she was still a student, she used to draw some sketches for fun. She never showed them to anyone or even made money out of them. She just liked doing it. Besides, the original point of her job wasn''t to draw comics. But now, her comics made her famous. Carla couldn''t help but giggle when she realized how unexpected her journey had become.


    She wondered why she would always unconsciously and gradually walk into an unexpected path when she was focused on taking a different one.


    But when she started to think about it more deeply, it was not that bad because, at the end of the day, she still succeeded. It might not be the original path that she intended, but she still managed to flourish in her own way.


    It was like how she met Terence. At that time, she was just trying her best to be happy and make a living for her and Sean. But unexpectedly, Terence appeared in her life. And within a series of events that followed, he changed her life, one day at a time. It re-routed her life into another unexpected path. And in this path, she lived a wonderful life that she couldn''t even have dared to imagine.


    These unexpected events, on the contrary, all turned out to be the happiest memories for her.


    At that moment, Carla was so focused on editing the plot of the comics. But little by little, she became immersed in the story so much that tears began to flow from her eyes. She wasn''t crying heavily


    mily''s daughter-in-law. Edmund should be over the moon or at least, impressed by what she had accomplished in such a short amount of time.


    However...


    Edmund noticed Carla''s flat stomach. What should have been a vessel of an heir by now was still empty. In all honesty, he would be completely satisfied with this daughter-in-law if she could only give birth to the heir of the An family.


    "Father, why did you come here? Is there something important that you would like to discuss with me?"


    Terence asked again. In fact, he still felt furious with what his father had done. But, he had also noticed how Edmund was staring at Carla''s stomach a little too long. He had known this for quite a while now. Terence just didn''t say anything but he knew Edmund would always look at Carla''s stomach every time they met.


    Carla was already in a lot of pressure because of this matter. And his father would continuously contribute to the stress which in all honesty was not helping at all. Terence was afraid that Carla would suffer from dealing with the pressure.


    Edmund strengthened his back before responding, "Oh, there''s a family dinner this evening. Laura, Rhys, and Eunice will all be present. I also want to visit the company, so I came here in person to inform you about this."


    Edmund turned to walk out of the office but not before reminding them, "It''s at JA Hotel! Be there at 8 pm sharp."


    After Edmund left, Carla turned to look at Terence and whispered, "Terence, I think it would be better if I don''t come to dinner this evening. Would it be okay if you go by yourself?"


    "Why? It''s just a family dinner! Why wouldn''t you want to be there?" Terence asked. Then, after realizing that he might have been too harsh, he held her hands, and patiently said, "Carla, that''s just how my father is. His words could be sharp and hurtful. He has been very strict with me since I was a child. You don''t need to take his words seriously."


    Besides, Carla was already a member of the family, so in Terence''s perspective, she had every right to attend this dinner.


    Carla didn''t say anything more. She only nodded her head to agree.


    When evening came, Carla and Terence set out to JA Hotel.

 Chapter 503 The Family Dinner (Part One)

    At the JA Hotel, everyone was already in their seats by the time Carla and Terence arrived.


    As per tradition, Edmund was sitting at the host seat, while Laura was seated right beside him. To their left were Rhys and Eunice.


    Eunice was already at the end of the second trimester of her pregnancy, so she had a prominent baby bump. Currently, she was quite the talk of the town. Everyone was concerned about her and the baby she was carrying.


    The dishes served on the table were all of her favorites. They made it a point not to include any food that she didn''t like or wasn''t allowed to eat, so there was little chance of those making their way to the dining table.


    After Terence had taken a seat, he ordered a few of Carla''s favorite dishes. That being said, right after he had given his orders to the waitress, Eunice suddenly put her oar in.


    "Can we please not have the Black Fungus with Minced Garlic? I just can''t stomach the pungent smell. Even just a little bit is enough to make me feel nauseous..."


    Eunice exclaimed in such a childish way.


    "Okay then, please just cross that one out from the list for me. Thank you!" Carla told the waitress right away. With that, the dish was taken out of the order.


    "Thank you, Carla," Eunice expressed her gratitude. Eunice beamed Carla a smile. After that, she placed her hand over her belly and shot Terence, who seemed to have a flat look on his face, a glance


    After what happened last time, Eunice had learned her lesson. She wouldn''t dare to ruffle his feathers ever again. Be that as it might, this was the An''s family dinner.


    As the only pregnant woman in the room, she was dead set on taking advantage of every bit of privilege she had at the moment.


    As soon as all the dishes were served on the table, Carla began eati


    s, Carla replied, "I feel flattered. If you''re interested, I''ll be more than happy to teach you after your delivery."


    Because she wasn''t anticipating to hear such a response, Eunice was utterly dumbfounded. She found it hard to believe that Carla had the audacity to actually take her words as a compliment.


    She was baffled how Carla couldn''t detect the sarcasm in her words and had them completely misconstrued.


    Forcing a cough to clear her thoughts, she said, "That''s so nice of you. But I think riding horses doesn''t really suit me. Besides, I don''t think I''d have the time to do that. There''s a lot I have to learn about raising a child. At the end of the day, nurturing my baby to become a good person is at the top of my to-do list,"


    she remarked, letting out a soft chuckle and covering her mouth with her hand. As she was doing that, she made sure to glance at Carla, looking as though she had won this battle.


    Carla couldn''t help but raise her eyebrows. To tell the truth, she had never really thought that having a baby would be such a big deal. That being said, someone was apparently thinking quite differently. Eunice probably took great pride in being able to conceive.

 Chapter 504 The Family Dinner (Part Two)

    "Eunice..." Carla opened her mouth and was just about to say something. However, before she could even start, someone suddenly chimed in.


    "I think you''re right, Eunice! The most important role that a woman has to play is taking care of her husband and child. There''s a lot of talented people in our family. There''s really no need for others'' to expand our business. Your top priority right now should be to have more children!"


    Edmund commented. It was him who had just interrupted Carla. Pulling a long face, his sharp eyes were glued to Carla.


    Seeing Edmund speaking up for her, Eunice had never felt happier and prouder. Picking up some shrimp, she proceeded to put it in Edmund''s plate.


    After that, she added, "Father, we''re well aware of that now! Why don''t we take a few more bites before the food gets cold."


    She acted as though it was nothing, but she was actually busting a gut deep inside.


    She was making a mockery out of Carla due to the fact that she couldn''t get pregnant.


    No matter how hard Carla tried, she would never have the chance of bearing a child.


    Clutching tightly onto her chopsticks, Carla lost her appetite and didn''t bother having another bite of the food on her plate.


    She briefly glanced at the people sitting at the table. Edmund and Eunice were deliberately trying to humiliate her. Rhys wasn''t saying a word to stop his wife. Out of everyone listening, Laura was the only person who was actually feeling sorry for her, but all she could do was a sigh.


    All of them made Carla sick to her stomach. She was done trying to deal with these people. Putting down her chopsticks, she sprung up from her seat and told everyone, "Thank you for the wonderful dinner. I enjoyed it quite a


    ware of the fact that if she waited for him outside, he would really try to leave as soon as he could. However, she had no intention of ruining his family dinner.


    Terence had his gaze fixed on her for a moment. Then, he eventually opened the door and got out of the car.


    As soon as Terence was gone, the smile on Carla''s face quickly disappeared.


    She instructed the driver to drive around the hotel with no destination in mind. Sitting quietly inside the car, she looked outside the window and stared into the distance.


    The radio was playing, and someone was talking about the current road situations.


    It had been raining incessantly this year in particular. A lot of places had been hit by the flood and it was all over the news. A number of cities had suffered serious damage.


    In contrast to the other cities, JA City was located on relatively higher ground, so it was safe from the flood.


    It didn''t take too long before Carla''s phone started ringing.


    Without bothering to look at the screen to check who was calling, she could tell that it was from Terence.


    She wasn''t really expecting for him to be done with dinner so soon.

 Chapter 505 A Bad Collapse (Part One)

    Carla said a few words to Terence on the phone, and then she instructed the driver to head back to the hotel.


    Once they reached the hotel, they picked Terence up and went straight back to the Seaview Villa.


    It wasn''t long before they had reached the house. After all, they had a very smooth ride home.


    First thing that Carla did upon arriving home was to look for Sean. But when she found him, he had already fallen asleep. She guessed that the boy must have gotten tired from all the playing that he did all day with his toy aircraft. Sean had been into his remote control aircraft recently. He wouldn''t let it get out of his sight as it sat on his bedside table even while he slept.


    Carla couldn''t help but smile as she saw Sean sleeping soundly. And with caution, she slowly tucked him under the covers.


    Nathan and Rainer were very fond of him; that was why Sean never felt alone and alienated in the house. Every day after school, like clockwork, they would find time and go play with him.


    After all, they were all boys, and they had a lot in common.


    After tucking Sean in, Carla then returned to her bedroom.


    Once she got to her bedroom, she found that Terence had already taken a shower. He was sitting on the couch, reading a book while he waited for her.


    "Dear, is Sean already asleep?"


    Carla stretched, yawned, and sat on the couch right next to him and said, "Hmm, he is probably in dreamland right now, sleeping like a baby."


    Terence put his book down and held her shoulder. He smiled and said, "Oh, really? No need for DNA testing right there. No doubt you two are family. You sleep like a baby, too!"


    de up of chrysanthemums, for her father.


    She had even bought a bottle of liquor and some of her parents'' favorite food to put in front of their gravestone.


    "Mother and father, are you having a good time there on the other side?"


    Carla then pulled two cups of liquor and put them in front of their gravestones. Seeing that her parents were no longer with her, she tried to hold back her tears for she had missed them so much since they left the earth. Choking back her tears, she smiled and said, "You don''t have to worry about us now. Sean and I are fine. I guess you have seen how we are doing from where you are. I don''t need to say much...


    Sean has grown up a lot. He knows a lot of things now, and I am really proud of him.


    Thank you for teaching him well! He is smart and caring and even got his father''s intelligence. He''s a fast learner and he is doing very well in school."


    The words that came out of her mouth made her even more teary-eyed. In the end, she burst out a flood of tears. It was now difficult for her to keep her composure while she talked to her parents.

 Chapter 506 A Bad Collapse (Part Two)

    She then continued, "Mother, are you mad at me? I have made a mother out of another woman. If you were here, would you be mad at me?"


    She said as she brushed her tears away from her face.


    She then looked up, and a raindrop fell on her face. A light rain had begun to fall.


    But this was no surprise for the BH City had always been a rainy city. But in this place, ironically, the rain got worse during the summer.


    Carla then reached her hand out to wipe the drops of rain that fell on her mother''s photo. Then, she put her head on the stone and whispered, "Mother, I really miss you! I miss having you around and I miss the family we had..."


    "I miss Dad''s strict face. I miss the way you looked at me while you lectured me about being a better sister..."


    Seeing her mother''s black and white photo on the stone, she couldn''t help but feel such a familiar, yet strange feeling. She touched the face on the photo as her tears welled up in her eyes once again. Suddenly, it began to rain heavily. The sound of the pouring rain became her best cover as she burst in to tears.


    "Mrs. Carla, I think we should go now. The rain is getting heavier..."


    Jason said as he held an umbrella above Carla''s head. Initially, Jason kept his distance away from Carla because he wanted to give her some space with her parents and give her some privacy. However, he couldn''t have the heart to see her crying in the heavy rain. So he walked over and intervened.


    With his presence, Carla''s thoughts came back to the present. She just brushed her tears away with her sleeves.


    "Okay, let''s go."


    She faced the gravestones and gently gave a bow to each o


    she might have been in too much of a hurry. As the road was slippery from all the rain that kept falling, she slipped and fell down the slope.


    "Mummy!"


    "Mummy!"


    The children were stunned for a split second. Then, they continued to scream and run down the slope.


    "Jason, stop the car..."


    "Mrs. Carla!"


    The car slowed down. Carla didn''t wait for the car to completely stop. She just opened the door and jumped out to run towards the two children.


    At this crucial moment, Carla didn''t have time to think twice. If she spared even just a second, they could lose two young lives.


    They were twin boys who looked about three or four years old. They were too small and not capable of doing anything when faced with this kind of tragedy. Without their mother, they would not even know how to run for their lives.


    Carla ran to them as fast as she could. Hurriedly, she picked up both the boys and brought them to the car.


    Watching the ferocious flood water get closer to Carla and the children, Jason opened the door for Carla and the boys to get them to safety.


    "Mrs. Carla..."

 Chapter 507 Mrs. Carla Was Swept Away (Part One)

    Some people could feel the danger that was about to come, and Carla was one of them.


    She could hear the terrifying rumble as it got louder and louder. She could also feel the water splattering on her back. Before long, her back was completely drenched. However, she didn''t look back. She had no choice but to keep running. But no matter how fast she tried to run, something was telling her that she was not going to make it to the car.


    "Jason! Take the kids!"


    Carla suddenly exclaimed. Then, with the remaining strength that she had, she pushed the two kids as far as she could towards Jason''s direction.


    Jason turned around and did his best to catch the kids with both of his hands. Not a breath after, he heard a loud crash. Then, there was only silence. Jason was stunned. It took him a few seconds before he could react and realize that Carla was nowhere to be seen. As loud as he could, he called out, "Mrs. Carla?


    Mrs. Carla! Where are you?"


    But there was no response. The world seemed to come to a standstill.


    Anyone in that situation couldn''t help but think that god was so cruel. In a blink of an eye, he took lives just like that. However, he mercifully spared the lives of Jason and the two innocent kids.


    The collapse caused by the raging landslide stopped two meters away from where Jason and the kids stood by.


    Jason was beyond shocked. With his eyes locked on what was left of the collapse, his arms reached out to the two children. Subconsciously, he held them as close as possible. The three of them could only watch as raging waves of water continuously devoured the remaining space.


    Jason hadn''t lost hope. He tried to look everywhere for a familiar figure. But no matter how hard or how far he looked, he found nothing but broken trees, rocks, and more water.


    Then, he suddenly felt that the ground was becoming unstable. It took him back to the reality that they might still be in danger. In a heartbeat, he carried the kids into the car and


    o understand what happened. While he continued to listen to Jason, his face started to turn pale. He turned to look at Terence who was still holding on to the elevator wall for dear life. Terence''s face was more ashen than a piece of paper.


    For a long time, the three men in the elevator were in a standstill. No one was speaking. No one was making any moves. They were numbed out by the severity of the situation. Then, with all the strength left in him, Terence gnashed his teeth and said, "Nathan, book me a flight..."


    And that was it. The three of them were suddenly back in motion. "Yes, Mr. Terence!" Nathan promptly exclaimed.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Meanwhile, every media outlet in the nation was reporting the disaster that just happened in BH City.


    "There was a tremendous landslide that happened near the Western Hills Cemetery in BH City. As of the latest report, eighteen people had been be swept away by the heavy currents. Eight of them were already confirmed dead while the remaining ten are still missing..."


    When Terence arrived near the cemetery in BH City, the area was still inundated by floods. The disaster that just happened was apparent on every inch of the place. It was heavily covered in brown mud that it was hard to imagine the original state of the place. It was even harder to navigate around it.

 Chapter 508 Mrs. Carla Was Swept Away (Part Two)

    Jason and the two children had been evacuated to a safe area. The kids who had lost their mother stood right next to him. They had been clinging onto him very closely since the disaster happened.


    When Jason saw Terence, his knees instantly hit the ground with a thump.


    "Mr. Terence... I am so sorry! It''s all my fault..." Jason sobbed while he lowered his head in resignation.


    "Mrs. Carla... Mrs. Carla wanted to save those two kids. We... we lost her..."


    Jason exploded into loud cries. He barely saw Carla as she was swept away by the currents. He kept slapping himself in an attempt to get rid of the intense guilt that he was feeling.


    He couldn''t help but blame himself for letting Carla risk her life in order to save those kids. He should have done that for her instead.


    He felt that Carla''s life was way more precious than his. Carla meant everything to Terence.


    Looking at the vast disaster that the flood had left, Terence''s dark eyes had lost all of their lights. He just stared at the surrounding area and stood still for a long time without moving. He didn''t speak nor even breathe.


    "Nathan, assemble every single staff member that we have. Tell them to put all of their efforts into searching for her. Search every inch of this city. I don''t want any corner to be missed, I don''t want any stone left unturned or any building left unexplored..."


    Nathan contacted the local government of BH City, and soon enough teams of people were searching for the missing individuals. There were even several helicopters looking for them along the dangerous parts of the city.


    However, they found nothing.


    An hour passed by. Two hours passed by. And it was already getting dark...


    Still, Terence did not hear any news about her whereabouts. One by one, the majority of the missing individuals had been found except for Carla who was still nowhere in sig


    was feeling inside.


    No one knew how much he was afraid to find Carla''s body.


    He couldn''t even say the words. Because if he said it out loud, he felt that he would lose the last bit of hope that he had.


    He didn''t know what he should do but he knew he had to do something.


    At that very moment, Terence became furious. He hated how kind she was. He blamed her for being such a selfless woman. That was the reason why he never blamed Jason because Terence knew well enough that it was Carla''s choice to save the kids. And he also knew that once she set her mind on saving others, there was nothing anyone could do to stop her.


    Every single day, tens, even hundreds of people passed away. He hated her for caring about others'' lives more than her own. He thought that she would have kept herself safe if she wasn''t that kind.


    He hated her for not thinking about him when she sacrificed her life for others''. He hated her for not thinking about how he was going to live without her.


    He could hardly feel his heart right then. He couldn''t even feel that he was still alive. It seemed like when the currents took away Carla, they took his life with hers.


    It seemed like


    the second he heard about the accident, his heart stopped beating.

 Chapter 509 A Village of Solitude

    ''Do people go to heaven when they die?


    Or do they go straight to hell?'' Carla pondered to herself.


    With death looming, she couldn''t think of anything else. After a few moments, thoughts of the regrets she''d had in life came rushing through her mind.


    ''Is this how it''s going to end? Am I going to die like this?''


    Carla mulled over that question as the violent and ruthless flood gushed toward her.


    With one foot on the grave, it felt as though she had seen a light from which she saw her parents walking toward her, looking and sounding the way they used to before they died.


    The images looked so vivid that she could clearly see every single line on their faces.


    Despite that, when she tried stretching out her hands toward them, the only thing she felt was a stiff plank.


    Under such harsh conditions, she thought she heard something¡ªa voice calling out to her.


    "Carla? Please don''t die. You have to make it through this, for mum!


    Carla! Wake up! Pull yourself together! You can''t leave Sean all by himself, Carla!


    Callie! Dad had searched for you throughout those years, and you''re the only heir of our family, the Hua family, so you have to live no matter what! Your mother will certainly cry to death if you die here and now. Carla, wake up!"


    Surrounded by all these voices, Carla suddenly opened her eyes and finally came to her senses after being lightheaded. She instinctively grabbed onto the plank tightly for dear life.


    The moment she saw the blinding light, she started heavily gasping for air.


    However, when she tried to look at her surroundings to check where she was, she came to realize that she had drifted into a strange lake. The heavy flood washed her away until it stopped and she ended up in this place.


    She was so confused as to where she might be.


    Right now, the only thing she could think of was to keep holding on to the drifting plank so that she wouldn''t get carried away by the current.


    Although she was on the brink of death, Carla was lucky enough to pull through. However, she didn''t have the strength to move or to scream for help.


    Looking at the bushes getting closer on both sides, she saw a couple of squirrels that were frantically trying to run away as soon as they possibly could.


    No matter how hard she tried, she kept on drawing a blank. The only thing on her mind right now was to survive.


    For some reason, Carla began doubting whether she had offended Death in some way and he was screwing her over.


    Each and every single time, Death would push her until she was on the brink of death, but then at the very last moment, he would give her hope to pull through.


    Barely holding on to her consciousness, Carla had no idea how long she had been aimlessly drifting around. But one thing she was certain of was that a couple of days had passed.


    She made a desperate attempt to paddle towards dry land, but as she struggled to stay awake, she came to the realization that


    the shore, which she thought was right at her fingertips, was actually still a couple of miles away.


    For that reason, she understood that there was no way she could th


    been engaged then, so he chose to stay with me right here because he didn''t want to leave me all by myself. It''s been 20 years since then, and people are starting to forget this place little by little.


    There are some relatives who are living outside now who come to visit us from time to time, and they''re the ones who know the way to get in and out of the village. However, it''s such a long journey to come, so they only pay a visit by renting a boat every 3 or 4 years or so. Sometimes even longer, maybe 7 or 8 years."


    As it turned out, it was her father who chose to stay.


    As for the outsiders, it was quite understandable that they''d forget about the village or its residents as time passed by. After all, it was such a secluded place.


    Carla had been staying there for a number of days now.


    When she finally got back on her feet, she started trying to find ways to get out of the village.


    Living in the city for so long, she had gotten so used to the modern lifestyle, so it felt like such an inconvenience living in a place without electricity, let alone any mobile reception.


    She tried everything she could think of, to get out of there. Despite that, a couple of days had passed, half a month, and eventually, a whole month.


    But she still couldn''t come up with anything that worked. Now, she came to learn what it felt like being stuck in a limbo.


    ''Damn it! There''s no way to get out of this place!'' Without the aid of modern technology, everything she did was to no avail.


    Carla couldn''t wrap her head around the fact that there was still a place like this in the world.


    Completely surrounded by water, the road for people to come in was full of twists and turns and hard to pass through. Was she left with no other option but to float again like the way she came?


    Luck had been on her side once, would it still be on her side one more time and help her float back into BH City?


    The thought of it was driving Carla out of her mind, making her feel utterly helpless over and over again.


    She was stuck in the pits for so long.


    Until one day.

 Chapter 510 Surprise

    ¡ª


    Carla was forced to live a normal life in the mountains, eating bread, drinking fresh water, and helping Cathy''s family do the farm work.


    Leading quite a self-sufficient life, Cathy''s family members were the ones who actually planted all the food that they eat. The salt they used were extracted from natural brine water. They had gotten accustomed to eating rice and vegetables, so rarely did they ever have any meat in their meals.


    Carla didn''t have a hard time adapting to this lifestyle. After all, she had already experienced enough luxuries throughout her life. To be honest, she thought that it felt great having these kinds of meals.


    But little by little, she noticed that she was starting to lose her appetite. And she was feeling lightheaded all the time.


    Having been pregnant once before, she came to a sudden realization.


    Carla was over the moon when she did. Despite not having any pregnancy tests or was nowhere near any hospital to have herself checked, she felt quite certain because a lot of complications associated with pregnancy were getting much more evident.


    She must have gotten pregnant back when they went to BH City.


    Terence wouldn''t leave her alone day in and day out, which seemed to have worked.


    Just as she was about to lose hope of getting back home, she suddenly found a reason to look forward to it once again.


    As it turned out, the world was still filled with so much kindness.


    After all the hardships she had suffered, she finally got what she wanted the most.


    Now, she could finally call it even.


    It could be that she had just gotten pregnant, when she fell into the water. Luckily for her, she didn''t suffer any complications. It was a month later when she started noticing the changes.


    ''I need to find a way. I need to go back.


    If I could return to JA City, I could finally live with Terence in peace, and no one else would be able to say anything against us anymore!


    That''s right! I''m going back no matter what!'' Carla whispered under her breath.


    That being said, as time flew by, even though Carla was dead set on getting back home, she felt that she had to calm herself down whenever she rubbed her belly.


    If something were to go wrong while on her way back to JA City, all of this would be for naught.


    Realizing that she couldn''t be acting on impulse at this moment, Carla convinced herself that maybe it would be best for her to postpone leaving until after she had given birth to the baby.


    ''I have to be patient. I should give birth to the baby here and regain


    you have to stay alive. Please come back to me.


    Oh, dear God, please let her be alive!''


    ¡ª


    Surrounded by beautiful rivers and mountains, the village was in a secluded place.


    The old lady as well as Cathy were still trying to motivate Carla. This was her very first child, so she was having a bit of a hard time with her delivery.


    "Miss Carla, don''t give up. You can do it. Push a bit harder. We''re going to deliver this baby."


    Wiping the sweat that had formed on her forehead, the old lady told Carla. The labor pains seemed to have cost her a significant amount of her strength.


    There was no way she could lose consciousness from this. The longer it took, the worse the situation was going to be for her and her baby.


    Clenching her jaw, Carla nodded her head in response, "I, I know that..."


    "It hurts! Oh, God! it hurts so much!"


    Before she could even say anything else, the labor pains began to set in again.


    After a seemingly long and painful struggle, eventually, a baby''s loud cries were heard emanating from the room.


    Just outside the room, Cathy''s children all clapped their hands joyfully in front of the door the moment they heard the baby''s cries.


    "Wow! I can''t believe that Carla has given birth to a baby!"


    "Yes, sis, now we''ll have someone new to play with!"


    Staring intently at the little baby girl lying next to her, Carla felt like she was floating on cloud nine despite the sweat dripping on her face.


    Although she had just been born, the resemblance she had with Terence was uncanny. She had his nose as well as an adorable little mouth.


    ''Terence, we finally have a child. And she''s a beautiful little baby girl.


    You''re a father now!''

 Chapter 511 Carla Gave Birth To A Girl

    "Carla, you''re so lucky to have such a beautiful baby girl. The child looks like it was heaven-sent. Without a doubt, she is going to grow up into such a fine woman,"


    the old lady that assisted with her delivery couldn''t help but smile as she said that to Carla.


    She might not have been so proficient in delivering a child, nor did she have that much experience in doing it, but every time she''d manage to deliver a baby successfully, she truly felt a sense of accomplishment. It was a feeling which she enjoyed much.


    "Thank you very much for your help. I sincerely appreciate it. I can''t say how grateful I am for what you''ve done for me. I am deeply indebted to you. I promise that I''ll pay you back someday."


    Carla had lost almost every bit of strength she had, but she still tried to sit straight so she could bow her head to them to show her gratitude.


    Meeting these people was a stroke of good luck. Especially since they saved not just her life, but her daughter''s as well.


    "Oh, there really is no need for you to do that. Your body is still weak. You need to regain your health. Just lie down and get some much needed rest. Stop worrying about the future for now. Just focus on making a speedy recovery from the delivery," Cathy said, walking toward her to help her lie down.


    In the two months that followed, Carla wasn''t living the comfortable life she used to have back in the city with the An family. However, Cathy tried her best to provide for her and her daughter, the best food and living supplies just to make sure that they were both healthy and comfortable. Because of that, Carla felt content and extremely grateful.


    Everyone in Cathy''s family was over the moon about the baby being born. With their joyous hearts, they looked after the little angel.


    However, while Carla and Cathy were so caught up in the moment and brimming with happiness, back in JA City, something huge and painful had befallen Terence.


    It had already been a year since Carla disappeared without a trace. But Terence had yet to find a body to confirm that she was dead.


    So, holding onto that thin thread of hope, he kept telling himself that Carla was still alive somewhere.


    However, on one fateful day, he received word that the remains of a woman was found in a place, about ten miles away from the Western Hills Cemetery in BH City.


    The thick layers of sludge had already dried up and hardened, but they found the dead body when one of the buildings there was being rebuilt.


    And because her skin was already starting to rot, people could no longer tell who she was from her face.


    But she seemed to have the same stature and physique as Carla.


    And that news sent Terence''s heart into a downward spiral and straight to hell.


    How on earth could a heart make it through such a place that was filled with vicious raging flames?


    Terence was trying to bear the pain, which others could never hope to understand. Ev


    o her daughter, Carla heard Cathy calling out to her, "Carla, please hurry up. It''s time for you to go. They''re waiting for you by the river."


    Carla couldn''t afford to stay much longer and say a few more things to Bob and Abbey. After giving the two of them quick hugs, she picked Sally up and left with all of their belongings.


    Leaning against her Mommy''s shoulder, tears began welling up on Sally''s eyes. She watched silently, as the figure of her dear friends faded into blurs while her mother carried her away.


    Carla held onto Sally tightly and got on the boat.


    There were no electronic communication devices available on the mountain where they lived. If that hadn''t been the case, then Cathy could''ve called her relatives and asked them to come sooner.


    For others, this might seem like some wild mountain which wouldn''t be a convenient and comfortable place to live in. But for Cathy and her family, this mountain was their home. This was where they belonged. They were destined to grow old here, which was like a mission for them.


    Carla might have found it difficult to understand why they would insist on staying here, but she knew that their choice deserved much respect.


    That day, after a long ride, Carla and Sally arrived at Cathy''s relatives'' home and spent the night there.


    The morning after, Carla exchanged her anklet decorated with diamonds for one thousand dollars. After that, they took off and headed toward the train station.


    It was quite a long way before they could get to the station. They had to change several buses on their way there.


    But Carla did not falter at all. It''s been so long since she last felt Terence''s warmth, so she had been longing for him ever since. And these past four years didn''t fail her either.


    There was no way in hell several days of bus changing could ever stop her.


    But one thing she was clueless about was, after four years of being apart, how had Terence been living his life?

 Chapter 512 He Got Married Again (Part One)

    Four years had already passed since the unfortunate incident happened.


    After arriving in JA City for the first time in a very long time, Carla couldn''t help but feel that everything was so familiar and yet strange at the same time.


    She had been gone for four long years. Carla thought, ''It was not a long time but I guess it was enough for a city to change a lot.''


    "Mommy, I''m hungry..."


    Sally rubbed her stomach while she stared at Carla with her big eyes that was starting to water.


    "Oh, you are? All right then. Let''s go and buy something for you to eat!" While Carla spoke to the small child beside her, she took out all of the money in her pocket. Then, she laid them out on her palm and found out that she had less than a hundred in total.


    It was a long way coming to JA City and the price of their transportation expenses had cost her a lot.


    She had actually saved a lot of money for meals and a few nights on the road. But she had not anticipated that she would be short of money.


    Besides, Carla thought they would see Terence as soon as they arrived so she didn''t worry about the money that much.


    So, she decided to take her daughter to a high-class restaurant.


    While they were eating, Carla couldn''t help but notice that the other guests had been giving them dirty looks. Their mocking giggles, side looks, and eye rolls did not escape Carla''s attention.


    Soon enough, after eating, they went out of the restaurant.


    Then, they passed by a shop with a mirror at the front. As if in slow motion, Carla saw herself and realized what the people in the restaurant were seeing.


    Right there and then, it was clear to her that she didn''t belong in the city. At least, not anymore.


    She was wearing clothes that were obviously not from the city. It was made of loose and coarse fabric. The years that it had been used were apparent with its faded colors. With such clothing, she looked more like a beggar than the Carla that she was years ago.


    Subconsc


    Although he was a little far away, Carla was certain that it was her husband that she was seeing. Terence was as dashing as he was before. His deep-set eyes were shining like stars and they reminded her of the first time that she fell in love with him.


    Carla thought that he still looked tall with a firm posture that would intimidate anyone who would see him. However, he seemed to be more mature.


    He opened the back door of a car. Then, he bent down as if he was taking something from the car. When he reappeared, he was now carrying a little girl in his arms. From where Carla was standing, the girl looked to be about one year old.


    The little girl was wearing a pink princess dress. She even had a cute pink bow on her hair. There was no denying that she looked really cute.


    Terence fondly kissed the little girl on the cheek. At the same time, the door on the other side of the car opened.


    A woman got out of the car. She looked very beautiful and graceful as if she was floating. With a smile, she walked towards Terence and the little girl. Then she held his arm and the three of them headed for a luxury restaurant with huge smiles on their faces.


    While she processed the scene in front of her, Carla stopped in her tracks. Then, before she could stop herself, tears started to run down her cheeks.

 Chapter 513 He Got Married Again (Part Two)

    At that moment, everything fell apart. It was so simple in her mind. How come reality was so different from what she had thought?


    Four years. It had been four years! That would be 48 months or 1460 days. How foolish was she to think that Terence would wait for her for four years?


    She should have known that even if Terence wanted to wait for her, Edmund would not allow him to do that.


    And there was Grandpa Nicholas who had been eagerly excited from the start to have great-grandchildren. Even if Terence didn''t want to move on, he could not let down the old man again.


    "Mommy, weren''t we going to look for Daddy? What''s wrong? Why are you crying?"


    Sally asked with so much confusion in her eyes while she promptly wiped her mother''s tears with her small hands.


    Carla wiped away her tears and turned her back with her daughter.


    She really wanted to walk up to him. Every cell in her body was telling her that it was the right thing to do.


    But now, all the courage that she had for the past years seemed to run away from her.


    Without a definite purpose or direction, she started to walk down the streets while holding her daughter''s hand.


    It was already dark by then.


    Soon enough, Carla was already tired and she could not walk anymore. She stopped at a random side of a street and sat down on the stairs with her daughter.


    For the past four years, she had been disappointed and frustrated, but she had never been hopeless and in despair like this. After she saw her husband with a new wife and a daughter that wasn''t hers, all hope that she had fell apart.


    At that time, she could feel her heart die. Piece by piece, her heart completely shattered.


    "Sally, I''m sorry. Mom was wrong. It seems like your daddy has already gone..."


    She tried to control herself and be strong for her daughter but Carla had her limits and this was definitely one of them. Tears and more tears fell from her eyes like a ragi


    ly remember every single thing that happened like it was only yesterday.


    Everyone was a witness when the dead body was found and Terence could not accept it at all. For a whole year after that, he didn''t get out of his house, until two years later.


    "Carla, he got married again."


    Johnny dropped his head down when he finally said the words out loud. He didn''t know how to tell her but he knew that she had to know.


    Although, he didn''t have the courage to face her because he was afraid to see the hurt on her face.


    "I already know it,"


    Carla said. She bit her lip really hard in an attempt to control her emotions. She would not let her tears get the better of her again.


    "I''m sorry, Carla. I also have to apologize for something that I did."


    Johnny said while he turned to look at the woman who was sitting on the front seat of the car.


    The woman was wearing loose maternity clothes and sitting at the front seat quietly. Even though he couldn''t see from where he was standing, he knew that she was waiting for him patiently.


    It seemed like time wasn''t on his side either.


    If he could have just waited for another year, there would have been a possibility for him to be with her.


    But he missed his chance and it might be the last one that he would ever get.

 Chapter 514 Back After Four Years (Part One)

    Shaking her head, Carla''s eyes began welling up with tears, but she managed to put out a smile and said, "Don''t be silly! Four years is such a long time. Besides, you are at the ripe age to get married. There''s no need for you to apologize for it!"


    "But... what about you? What are you planning to do now?"


    Johnny had been in a state of shock when he saw her after such a long time that he didn''t notice it right away. Then, he suddenly realized that she was holding a little girl.


    "Who is she?"


    He was stuck on cloud nine when she saw Carla, so he failed to notice the little girl beside her.


    "She''s my daughter," she flatly replied. Taking in a deep breath to calm herself down, Carla gently pulled the little girl in front of her. Then, she proceeded to tell her what to say, "Sally, this is mummy''s friend. Please say hello to Uncle Johnny."


    "Hello, Uncle Johnny!" Sally greeted him with such a tender voice.


    Looking intently at this adorable little girl, Johnny was at such a loss for words. He glanced at Carla and asked, "Your daughter? But... I thought that you couldn''t..."


    Johnny didn''t know how to say the rest, but Carla was well aware what he was trying to say. "It wasn''t as bad as people were making it out to be. It''s just that my probability of getting pregnant is quite low, but it never really meant that I couldn''t. Alright, it was nice to see you again. We should be taking our leave. You should go back as well. Don''t keep your wife waiting."


    Beaming him a playful smile, Carla grabbed Sally''s hand and walked away.


    "Please wait a second!"


    Johnny ran past her and stopped her in her tracks. He couldn''t help but frown at the clothes she was wearing. Right now, she looked like a woman from some run down village. "What on earth happened to you? Did you just get back to the city?"


    "I just got here, actually. The heavy flood carried me to a distant village in a secluded mountain. The region is completely uninhabited save for that one village.


    keep looking and moving forward and live his or her life.


    Carla was able to find a cheap motel to spend her first night back in JA City.


    Although the motel was old and quite run down, her daughter still felt so thrilled to be staying in a place like this.


    After all, they had spent so many nights deep in the mountains. Comparing to that, this motel still was in a much better condition than what they had gotten used to in the past three years. And despite living a rather pitiful life, Sally was nevertheless happy and contented with the things that she had.


    This night in particular was not easy for Carla to get some sleep. She stayed awake even though her daughter was already sleeping like a log.


    She thought that everything would take a turn for the better when she found Terence. But never in her worst nightmares did she expect that Terence would get married again and have children.


    Looking back on what she had seen earlier, she could feel her heart slowly shattering into a million pieces.


    After contemplating about it for some time, she finally made up her mind.


    No matter what the situation was, Sally was also his daughter.


    There was no way she could just take her away and act as though nothing had happened. She had to do something about it, or, at the very least, say something to him.

 Chapter 515 Back After Four Years (Part Two)

    She couldn''t just go on living with things like this! It was not such a simple matter that she could accept so easily.


    First and foremost, she had to make sure of one thing. She had to confirm that Terence had really remarried after hearing the news about her death.


    She was holding on to that tiny bit of hope that there might be a reason why he had to marry another woman.


    Despite knowing that she could opt to just go back to HA City and find her biological parents as well as her older brother, she was still dead set on meeting Terence and letting him have a look at their precious daughter.


    She couldn''t just go on living as though she didn''t exist. In her heart, she knew she couldn''t hide from him forever and keep their daughter all to herself.


    With all those thoughts running in circles in her mind, Carla stayed up all night.


    When the sun finally came up, she got both of them ready and hailed a taxi with Sally and headed straight to the Seaview Villa.


    While they were on their way there, she didn''t notice that a black Maybach had passed the taxi she was riding in and was heading down the mountain.


    As soon as they stepped out of the taxi, they walked over to the front of the gate of the Seaview Villa.


    "Mummy, this house is enormous! It''s so beautiful! I have never laid eyes on such a big house..."


    Sincerely admiring this beautiful house, Sally began to wonder how happy it must be for the people to be living in such a luxurious house.


    "Who are you? Where did you come from? This is not a place for you to beg for food! Get out of here this instant!"


    An unfamiliar servant waved her cleaning rag at Carla furiously, feeling sick to her stomach when she saw Carla was walking closer.


    Brushing off her rude remarks and actions, Carla walked toward her and asked, "Excuse me, is Terence... Is Mr. Terence home at the moment?"


    Upon asking the servant that, Carla tried to come right in. That being said, the servant blocked her path and shut the gate, br


    get a bit of information about her younger brother.


    "He is no longer staying here. The deceased wife''s parents took him with them. How do you know all of these things? Just who the hell are you really?" the servant yelled, fuming with so much anger. Obviously, Carla was beginning to get up her nose. She was clueless as to how this homeless woman knew the names of all those people, making is sound like she was quite familiar with them.


    When she got that answer, every single fiber of Carla''s being trembled. Lowering her gaze, she turned around and walked away.


    "Mummy, isn''t Daddy there?"


    Sally asked, with the voice of an adorable little child. She remembered that before they left the mountain, her mummy had promised her that they were going to see her father. But despite that, she still hadn''t seen any man yet. For that reason, she began to wonder where her father might be.


    Holding her tiny little hand, Carla leaned over and brushed her fingers through her hair. Then she told her, "Sally is a good girl! Daddy just went to work. Let''s go there and look for him!"


    Carla had thought about heading straight toward the AJ Building.


    Given that he was not home at this time, she was bound to find him at his workplace! She still had fate that Terence could not just idly sit by and treat her like a stranger.

 Chapter 516 Memory Loss (Part One)

    The moment Carla left the Seaview Villa, the woman who was peering through the window went down. She silently watched Carla disappear into the distance. With a somber look on her face, she felt a bit uneasy for some reason.


    Just as she was about to turn around and head back into her room, a thought popped up in her mind and she glanced at Carla''s back with surprise written all over her face.


    Now she suddenly realized why that poor woman looked so familiar to her.


    She remembered stumbling upon a picture of her inside a drawer by accident.


    With that in mind, she began to wonder if that poor woman could possibly be the same person as the one she saw in that photo.


    That being said, she immediately shook her head and brushed that thought off, throwing that possibility out the window.


    They said that that woman''s body had already been found. There was no way it was her.


    ¡ª


    Carla went with Sally to the AJ Building. However, she wouldn''t be able to get in without having access. Because of that, she didn''t waste her time to break into the door.


    She purchased some snacks for Sally to enjoy, and she wanted them to keep her preoccupied as well. Then, she managed to find a shade where she and Sally could stay as they waited for Terence to come out.


    The spot where they were waiting was close to the path which Terence usually took on his way back home. Therefore, for as long as she could patiently wait, he was bound to show up at some point.


    For Carla, it felt like time was passing ever so slowly. She kept on checking her phone from time to time, in hopes that time could move faster. Finally, night had fallen.


    After running and jumping around the entire time, Sally had finally worn herself out and fallen asleep in Carla''s loving arms.


    At this moment, Carla was carrying Sally, who was sleeping like a log. She quietly sat on the stone steps as she waited.


    After what felt like an eternity of waiting, t


    ed as though he had been hit like a ton of bricks. He began to wonder whether his eyes had only been playing tricks on himself or Carla had really come back alive.


    "Nathan, unhand me this instant!" Carla said, fuming with intense rage as she grated her teeth. Then, she struggled to break free, but he had quite a tight grip on her wrists. There was nothing she could do as Nathan pulled her into a corner to keep a safe distance between her and Terence.


    "Miss Carla, please try to pull yourself together. Right now, flying off the handle isn''t going to help. Mr. Terence had already forgotten all about you. No matter how angry you get, there''s nothing that can help him remember who you are!"


    After pulling over her to the side, Nathan managed to regain composure from feeling so ecstatic knowing that Carla was safe and sound. Then, he went ahead and explained the situation to her.


    "Nathan, what the hell are you talking about? Are you pulling my leg or something? What do you mean he already forgot about me? Are you saying that he lost his memory? That''s bullshit! There''s no way I''m buying any of that crap!"


    Carla angrily yelled as she made a run for Terence.


    There was just no way in hell Carla was going to believe that Terence had actually forgotten everything about her.

 Chapter 517 Memory Loss (Part Two)

    And even if he really did, not even death could stop her until she had beaten those memories out of his brain!


    "Miss Carla, just please calm down for a minute and hear me out! It wasn''t his fault at all! A year after you got swept away by the flood, they were finally able to retrieve your body. When the news about it got around, Mr. Terence''s world crumbled into pieces. He went on a downward spiral, spending a year living in hell on earth..."


    When he got to this part of the story, Nathan lowered his voice down and glanced at Terence.


    "Then, Mr. Nicholas hired the most well-known and best hypnotist to put Mr. Terence into a trance over and over again. And finally, all of his suffering came to an end..."


    "Please don''t blame Mr. Terence for forgetting about you. It wasn''t his fault. If it wasn''t for that, you might not have even seen him alive right now. If that didn''t happen, you would''ve only found his body when you came back."


    Hearing that, Carla felt completely astounded.


    Taking her eyes off of Terence who looked like such a mess right now, she glanced over at Nathan and asked, "What did you just say? Are you being serious right now?"


    "Miss Carla, you, of all people, should know how much Mr. Terence truly loved you. It might be hard for you to picture how miserable his life had been, believing you were gone forever. But you have to believe me on this. Rainer and I both saw everything firsthand, we watched as he inflicted pain upon himself for days on end. Mr. Nicholas only did it as a last resort when he got backed into a corner. As his grandfather, he couldn''t just sit back and watch Terence torture himself to death!"


    Nathan whispered under his breath. But even after saying all of those things, he was still in a state of shock. After all, even in his wildest dreams, he never would''ve thought that he''d ever see Carla alive again.


    Terence had truly been


    His neck was now in plain sight, which somewhat added a disruptive look on his otherwise handsome face. Without question, he was truly such a sight to see!


    "Would you mind telling me who she is exactly?"


    In Terence''s eyes, Carla was no one but a woman who was mad as a hatter, and who also had the audacity to mess up his outfit and slap his face even though they had just met. He began to wonder who she was and where she came from. Judging from her actions, Terence thought that she must be from a prominent family since she didn''t mind making an enemy out of him.


    He was dying to figure out who this woman really was and why she was acting like that.


    "She... This woman... She is..."


    Caught off guard, Nathan had no idea how he was supposed to introduce Carla to Terence. After all, Terence had already forgotten everything he knew about her in the past.


    All of a sudden, he was at such a loss for words.


    Of course, it should go without saying that Carla didn''t know what to say either.


    A deafening silence filled the air around them. "Daddy! Daddy! Is that you?"


    A cute and adorable voice broke this awkward silence in an instant. Sally, who had been sleeping all the while, excitedly called Terence her daddy and quickly ran toward them.

 Chapter 518 You Are My Daddy, Arent You

    Sally looked at the handsome man in front of her mother. She didn''t have to look twice to know that her Mommy had found her daddy!


    With all the excitement that she had in her, Sally ran towards Terence.


    She remembered that her mother kept on telling her that her father was a really handsome man. This man in front of her Mommy was the most handsome man she had ever seen in her life. Therefore, there was no other conclusion except that this man was her daddy!


    Less than a minute after, Sally was finally in front of Terence. She seized one of his legs and held on tightly. Then, she raised her dirty but cute face up at him and stared into his face with her big bright eyes.


    "Daddy! Daddy, you are my daddy, aren''t you?" Sally cheerfully asked.


    She waited for Terence''s response but when he didn''t say anything, she continued, "Daddy! Can you fly your big plane so that Bob and Abbey could be here?"


    Terence looked down at the little girl who was holding onto his leg. Even if she was obviously in cheap clothing and even had holes in them, he couldn''t help but get close to her.


    He just couldn''t hate her. In the depths of his heart, he felt something familiar towards her. Obviously, it was the first time that they met but somehow, Terence felt like he had known this little girl all her life. Even though, there was also something strange that came with the familiarity.


    "Baby girl, I am not your daddy."


    Terence crouched down and looked at the little girl more closely. She was about three years old. He couldn''t help but be enticed by her big bright eyes looking at him.


    He then turned to look at Carla who was staring at him too.


    The girl''s eyes looked just like hers.


    There was no need for an explanation. Terence knew in an instant that this little girl was this crazy woman''s daughter.


    "No! You are my daddy! Mummy said that my daddy was the kindest and most handsome man in this world!" Sally pouted her lips as she spoke. Her dark round eyes blinked, never leaving their focus on Terence.


    "Ha... but I am not your father. I do have a daughter though. She''s one year old." Terence stroked her hair. Truth be told, Sally actually reminded him of his daughter. His eyes turned even warmer and nicer towards her despite the conversation that they were having.


    However, after hearing what he said, Sally cried out loud. Everyone on the road immediately turned to their direction.


    "Mummy! Daddy said he had a daughter of his own! Who am I then?" Sally cried her heart out while she ran towards Carla and fell into her arms.


    Carla picked her up and gently swept the tears off her little face. "Sally, don''t cry. You don''t have a Daddy, b


    a flood. You might have forgotten about her because of the enormous grief that you had back then. But it''s true. She was your wife before we lost her..."


    Nathan earnestly said.


    The second he saw Carla, he knew Terence''s world was going to be turned upside down.


    Terence loved Carla with all his life and heart. He loved her with everything he had. Even if he had forgotten about her now, Nathan believed that he was going to remember her very soon.


    After all, this was Terence-the man who would die for Carla.


    The actual Terence would never forget Carla. He had loved her with every piece of himself.


    The love he had for her was not just any kind of love. It was powerful. There was nothing like it in the world. Every cell in his body was for Carla. For the past years, they had found a lot of hypnotists to erase his memories of Carla. They all ended up failing.


    Now that Carla was back with their daughter, Nathan knew very well what that meant. Soon enough, Terence was going to remember her.


    Therefore, Nathan didn''t see the point of hiding the truth from him.


    "Nathan, do you really know what you''re talking about? Are you sure about this?"


    Terence asked. His voice was low and cold. His face was as dark as the night. He couldn''t look more at odds than ever.


    "Yes, I do. We all thought Miss Carla had died in that accident, so we didn''t mention her to you. However, she''s still alive. And she''s back!"


    Nathan said honestly. There was even a little excitement in his voice.


    "If so, that little girl is my daughter, isn''t she?" Terence asked with so much confusion on his face.


    If Nathan was telling him the truth, he began to actually wonder about his taste in women in the past. Also, he seriously considered why he married such a rude woman.

 Chapter 519 My Daughter Or Not (Part One)

    "Well, what do you think? What can you say about it?"


    Nathan told Terence everything that Carla had told him, even the minutest of details.


    With his eyebrows deeply furrowed, Terence blurted out, "My daughter? Humph! Who, in their right mind, would believe a word she says?"


    Hearing such a nonsensical response, Nathan was rendered speechless.


    He didn''t say anything at all. It was Terence himself who brought it up earlier.


    "Mr. Terence, don''t you think that it would be much better if she really is your daughter?"


    Feeling quite curious, Nathan went ahead and asked.


    "Humph! Why should I have to take her word for it? Wait for an opportunity and have her tested." As he gazed outside the window, there was a bit of a glimmer in his eyes. He wasn''t sure why he was feeling like that, but this was the first time in such a long time that his heart started pounding once again.


    "Would that really be necessary? Her nose and mouth looked exactly like yours. She''s like a spitting image of you. Without a doubt, she inherited those from you."


    As Nathan thought about the little girl''s adorable face, he couldn''t help but notice the uncanny resemblance between the two of them. From time to time, there would be certain expressions on her face that looked just like Terence''s.


    People said that a daughter would most likely inherit the father''s facial features. From the looks of things, Nathan was now of the same opinion.


    "Nathan, who do you think you''re talking to? How dare you speak to me like that?" Terence raised his eyebrows as he told him off.


    Because of that, Nathan didn''t bother uttering another word and simply focused on driving.


    ¡ª


    Moments later, they arrived at the Seaview Villa.


    "Terence, you''re back early! Sophie, are the meals ready?"


    "Miss Lucy, you don''t have to worry about it. Mr. Terence already grabbed something to eat outside."


    Nathan smiled and told Lucy, who seemed to have gotten so worked up upon seeing Terence. Then, he followed Terence and walked into the elevator. They headed st


    "


    Upon receiving his order, Nathan was finally able to let out a sigh of relief. After all, this was how Terence was supposed to be acting.


    Nathan went out of the room. And on his way out, he came across Lucy who was about to come in holding a cup of tea. After giving him a gentle nod, she went past him toward the door.


    With just a single glance, Nathan noticed the sexy skin-tight dress she was wearing, causing him to shake his head and walk away in silence.


    Lucy had been trying really hard to be a good wife to Terence.


    Unfortunately for her, there was only one woman in the entire world who could fulfil that part perfectly.


    Lucy knew that Terence wasn''t able to get a good night''s sleep, so she prepared a cup of tea in order to help him sleep better. To bring the tea over to him, she knocked on the door.


    "Come in!"


    Terence had just slipped into a bathrobe and was just about ready to take a shower. However, Lucy suddenly walked in.


    "Terence, I made tea for you to enjoy. This will help you fall sleep. Go ahead and drink it while it''s hot."


    There was a smile on her face as she walked in. She carried the tea over and saw him in a dark blue bathrobe. The loose bathrobe exposed his manly chest, making her blush a little. To hide her embarrassment, she lowered her head.


    "Thank you. Just put it down on the table over there,"

 Chapter 520 My Daughter Or Not (Part Two)

    Terence flatly said. Then, he proceeded to enter the bathroom.


    When he walked out of the shower, he noticed that Lucy was still there. She was sitting on the couch. He couldn''t help but frown seeing that she had not left yet, "What are you still doing here? Do you need anything?"


    Lucy sprung up from the couch and glanced at the tea on the table. "I am just waiting for you to finish the tea, so I can take the cup with me when I leave."


    As soon as he heard that, Terence grabbed the cup of tea, gulped it all down and handed the cup over to her.


    "Terence, Gail is scheduled for vaccination tomorrow. She''s going to cry really hard if you''re not there with her..." Lucy told him as she looked at him straight in the eyes. From the tone of her voice, she seemed a bit worried.


    "Got it. Is it tomorrow morning? I''ll just go to work after she''s done with it. I''ll stay with her until then." Without thinking twice, he agreed to accompany her.


    Hearing his response, Lucy felt glad. A big smile crept onto her face as she nodded her head, "Is there anything else?" Terence asked again. He felt a bit irritated when he realized that she seemed to have no plans of leaving the room just yet.


    Shaking her head in response, she replied, "That''s about it. Have a good night''s rest then."


    She then turned around and walked out the room holding the cup in her hand.


    Finally, he had the room to himself now that Lucy was gone. He sat on the couch and massaged his temples in an attempt to relieve the slight headache he was having. After a while, the exhaustion finally caught up with him, so he decided to go to bed.


    Just as he was about to sleep, he heard his phone ring. As it turned out, it was Nathan who was calling him.


    "Mr. Terence, I was able to find Ms. Carla''s whereabouts!"


    Nathan said, obviously feeling so excited about it.


    However, his excitement didn''t last very long. Lying in his bed, Terence replied, "So what? I don''t need to hear that right now. Just tell me abo


    m anyone other than Terence, she was forced to do so. Finding out the truth had stripped her of her pride.


    As he mentioned earlier, Rainer had booked a room for her in a nearby hotel.


    "Thank you, Rainer. Thank you for your generosity." Carla sincerely appreciated this kind gesture of his. Knowing full well that Terence didn''t send him over, she figured out that he was the one who paid for everything out of his own pocket.


    "No need to thank me, Miss Carla. It''s my pleasure to do it for you! I just hope you don''t blame Mr. Terence for everything that happened. What my brother said was true. Mr. Terence hasn''t really been himself for a long time now. At the rate that he was going back then, he was bound to torture himself to death, no doubt about it. So, we didn''t really have much choice at the time. I hope you could find it in your heart to try and understand him,"


    Rainer said with a heavy heart.


    Glancing over toward her daughter, Carla wanted to make sure that she was already in deep slumber before she headed out of the bedroom. As she walked toward the couch, she asked, "Rainer, there are some things that I''ve been meaning to ask. And I want you to be completely honest with me. Would that be alright?"


    "Go ahead, Miss Carla. I''m all ears,"


    he replied without even a single moment of hesitation.

 Chapter 521 I Want My Daddy Too! (Part One)

    Carla sat on the couch and asked Rainer to sit down as well.


    "Does he have a good relationship with his wife?"


    She managed to croak the question. Even though she looked brave, her voice betrayed her. The reality was that even just the memory of seeing him for the first time with his new wife and daughter would knock the air out of her lungs.


    Rainer meekly shook his head before responding.


    "He doesn''t. I know everything looks fine on the outside. They could fool everyone in the city, but Nathan and I know it''s nothing like that."


    "Is that so? How did they conceive a daughter then?" Being reminded of the little girl that she saw, Carla felt tremendous pounding on her chest. She couldn''t tell if it was pain, hesitation or fear. All she knew was that it felt really heavy on the inside, like a whole building had just collapsed in her heart and she was having a hard time recovering from it.


    "Miss Carla, you don''t really have to worry about her. When Mrs. Lucy got married to Mr. Terence, she was already pregnant. The little girl that you saw with them is not Mr. Terence''s biological daughter,"


    he explained earnestly. It was their family''s most kept secret at that time. As to be expected, not a lot of people knew about it.


    The new information stunned Carla for a while. It was overwhelming to say the least. She then asked, "Why would he do that? Why would he marry a woman who was already pregnant?"


    Rainer scratched his head again and replied with embarrassment, "Miss Carla, I can only tell you this much. You have to find out the rest of the story on your own." Carla carefully listened to his every word. He paused for a little while before continuing, "The important thing that you should know is although Mr. Terence couldn''t re


    he believed she could do it. As long as he hadn''t fallen in love with someone else, she was going to help him get his memory back.


    Carla was finally back. She was the wife whom Terence truly loved. Step by step, she would take back everything that belonged to her.


    Her daughter was going to get the love that she very much deserved from her father. She was going to get back the love that Terence had for her. She was going to take back her family. The days of perils and tears were over. She was going to take back the life that she once had.


    Carla took a bath and went to bed straightaway. Although it was already very late when she went to bed, for the first time in a very long while, she slept soundly.


    When morning came, she was woken up by the feeling that there was something wrong. Half-asleep, she turned to where Sally was sleeping and touched her arm.


    Her eyes immediately opened really wide when she felt that Sally''s body was unusually hot. Suddenly, she was completely awake. She sat up straight and touched Sally''s forehead. The worry rose up to her veins when she felt that Sally''s forehead was burning. Her cute face was almost as red as an apple.

 Chapter 522 I Want My Daddy Too! (Part Two)

    Even without a thermometer, Carla knew that Sally was burning up with a fever just by feeling how high her temperature was.


    She didn''t have the time to figure out Sally''s exact temperature. Carla immediately looked for a wet towel, soaked it with cold water and washed Sally''s face with it. Then, she changed her daughter''s clothes and headed for the hospital immediately.


    A doctor attended to Sally as soon as they reached the hospital. After a few tests, the doctor diagnosed that Sally had mild pneumonia. She needed to be hospitalized. However, the process required Carla to bring Sally''s official ID.


    Suddenly, Carla was facing a problem that she didn''t know how to solve.


    She didn''t give birth to Sally in a hospital. So Sally didn''t have a birth certificate nor a record of living by the government. Carla was suddenly at a loss on what to do.


    The hospital would only accept Sally after they had met all the requirements of the proper process.


    The doctor gave Sally an injection of antibiotics to bring her fever down. Carla then took Sally out and tried to find a solution.


    She reached out for her phone and immediately called the once person in the city that she thought would be able to help her. "Hey, Rainer," Carla softly greeted as soon as the call got through.


    "I''m at JA Hospital right now. What? You''re here too? Where are you? In the Vaccination department? Okay, we''re not that far from you. I''m coming over there. I''ll tell you what happened later!"


    With just a few exchanges, she found out that Rainer was in the hospital as well. Fortunately for her, they weren''t that far from each other.


    With Sally in her arms, she walked to the Vaccinati


    , Sally wouldn''t dare to say anything when Carla had already raised her voice at her. However, she knew her daddy was there to back her up so she was brave to ignore her mother.


    Terence frowned. He then passed Gail to Lucy who was standing behind him.


    "Take Gail and go home first."


    Lucy took Gail and turned to the crying girl in Carla''s arms. "But, Terence..."


    She wanted to ask him to go with them, but she didn''t have the courage to do so.


    "Just go," Terence outright stated.


    Lucy didn''t have a choice but to take Gail and leave.


    Sally immediately saw that Terence''s arms were finally empty. She didn''t care about her weak and burning body. She struggled out of Carla''s arms and ran to Terence.


    "Daddy! It hurts so much! The Doctor said I have a fever but it feels like I''m dying already. That bad doctor even poked me with a needle! It hurts so much!"


    Sally was actually feeling a lot of pain. It was not just because of the fever. A part of it was from seeing her father caring for another child. So without thinking about it too much, she ran to Terence, held his leg and complained to him.

 Chapter 523 Sally Was Sick And Sent To Hospital

    Leaning in a little closer, Terence pressed his hand against Sally''s forehead. It was clear that she was having a fever.


    "How are you taking care of the kid? You''re well aware that she''s running a high fever, right? Yet you''re still letting her stay outside in the cold breeze?"


    Terence suddenly whispered under his breath, chastising Carla.


    Hearing his remarks made Carla''s blood instantly boil. She walked over and grabbed the little girl from him and shot back, "Who do you think you''re scolding? She''s my daughter. She''s mine and mine alone. This has nothing to do with you whatsoever, even if she''s feeling under the weather!"


    "Oh, is that so? If she''s your daughter only, then why did you go through all the trouble of taking her to meet me?"


    Terence straightened himself up, giving her a contemptuous stare.


    "I... I came here to see Rainer, not you!" Carla promptly shifted her gaze and exclaimed.


    "Is that really the case? Rainer is my man. What do you need to see him for? Or are you perhaps telling me that he is actually the child''s father?" Terence shot Rainer a quick glance as though he didn''t care much at all.


    The second he heard those words, Rainer waved his hands and shook his head frantically, "No! No! No! That''s not true at all! Mr. Terence, please don''t mess around! You shouldn''t say that, even as a joke!"


    "Miss Carla..."


    Rainer proceeded to give Carla a pleading look.


    "I was just dropping by to ask Rainer to lend me a hand!" Carla replied, feeling quite irritated, as she held Sally in her arms. The little girl''s gaze was completely fixed on Terence.


    "Rainer, I was just wondering, do you know anyone who works here in the hospital? My daughter has caught a mild pneumonia, and she might need to stay here for a few days so she could be monitored. However, I don''t have any of the documents that they might need.


    My daughter doesn''t have her household register, nor does she have a birth certificate. Without these files, there isn''t any hospital that would admit her in JA City."


    "Ms. Carla..."


    Just as Rainer was about to say something, Terence suddenly interrupted him and walked over toward Carla, asking her with a blank look on his face, "I can''t believe my ears. How is she feeling now? How severe is her pneumonia?"


    Standing quietly by her mother, Sally saw her daddy come closer. So, she broke free from her mommy''s clutch, running excitedly toward Terence. With her arms stretched out, she wrapped them around his leg and looked up at him, sniffing nonstop. Right now, she was in such a miserable state.


    Terence knelt down a bit and hoisted the little girl up in his arms. Caressing her adorable face, Terence gently told her, "Sweetheart, please don''t cry. How about letting your uncle take you to the hospital?"


    "... No! Why are you saying that? You''re not my uncle! You''re my daddy! You''re my daddy! Oh, no... Mommy, Daddy is being so me


    have to take care of, I''ll certainly come and visit you."


    Then, after putting the little girl on the hospital bed, Terence grabbed Carla''s hand and pulled her straight outside the ward.


    "Miss Ji, could you please treat my daughter nicely? You don''t have to be so hard on her!"


    They were in the VIP wards, so it wasn''t as crowded and noisy as the ordinary wards tended to be. To be precise, it was in fact quite peaceful in this area.


    "What? What did you just call me?"


    Carla gave him a baffled look with her eyebrows raised. Truth be told, she didn''t hear¡ªand actually couldn''t really care less¡ªwhat he said next after hearing those first two words.


    "Ms. Ji..."


    "Would you mind calling me that again? !"


    Terence simply uttered those two words and then heard her blurt that out all of a sudden. For that reason, he couldn''t help but have a sullen look on his face. Now it was obvious whom the little girl in the ward inherited that bad temper from.


    Like mother, like daughter, it seemed.


    Glaring intensely at him with bloodshot eyes, she exclaimed, "Terence An, if you dare call me that one more time, it''s not just your coat that I''m going to tear up. You don''t believe it? Just go ahead, try me!"


    Terence suddenly broke into laughter when she grabbed his collar without his even realizing it. "I just couldn''t help but wonder how someone like me could fall in love with such a crude woman like you!


    However, there''s just one thing that I have to tell you right here and now.


    If it turns out that Sally is really my daughter, I would like to let her grow up around me. You have to realize that I''ve already gotten married. With that out in the open, there should be nothing going on between you and me."


    Upon hearing such depressing remarks, Carla couldn''t stop the tears from welling up in her bloodshot eyes. In just a few moments, they began to drip down her face. "Terence An, what are you trying to say?"

 Chapter 524 Are You Done (Part One)

    "What I meant to say is that we''re over. If you''re here to rekindle our relationship or whatever we had in the past, then save it. Don''t waste your breath. We''re done,"


    Terence stated in a firm and impassive tone that sent chills down Carla''s spine. He didn''t have any remorse or regret on his face but somehow, his heart couldn''t help but feel pain when he saw how hard she was crying.


    However, he had to make it clear to her.


    Compared to Carla, he was more fond of Lucy, whose temper was much more tender and loving.


    After all, a gentle and caring woman was easier to get along with in daily life.


    The moment he stopped talking, he felt a heavy force step on his foot. His eyebrows furrowed when he saw that it was Carla''s foot stepping on his. He got more annoyed when her foot just stayed there as it continued to stomp on him even harder.


    He tried to pull his foot away but she just wouldn''t let go of him. If anything, she kept on adding more force as if she wanted to bury his foot to the ground.


    "You crazy woman! Stop it. Do you really need to hit me every time you meet me?"


    Terence finally had it. He grabbed her shoulder and pushed her away. There was a flame of anger burning in his eyes. Carla staggered backward and only stopped when her back hit the wall behind her.


    Tears filled her eyes as she looked up and said, "Fine. I won''t hit you."


    However, as soon as she finished talking, she suddenly leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. Terence was caught by surprise that he didn''t have the time to react. Before he could do anything, he felt her lips on him as she kissed him deeply.


    He was so stunned that the only thing he could do at that time


    ace and tore his clothes.


    Lucy had tried a lot of times.


    But every single time Lucy or any other woman would touch him, he would suddenly feel caught off guard like a deer caught in the headlights. Every single time, he would politely but ultimately decline physical affection.


    He tried his best but it was all in vain. For years, it felt like there was a huge gap lying in his heart, which blocked him away and stopped him from continuing with his life. No matter what he did, he just couldn''t find it in himself to feel desire or even look for physical intimacy.


    "Mr. Terence, we need to go now. The company called again."


    Rainer approached Terence and reminded him of his responsibilities.


    Just as Rainer had stealthily expected, Terence wouldn''t be able to refuse Carla even when he had already forgotten her.


    Terence had kept his distance from so many women these past few years. His body only knew one woman and it was none other than Carla.


    "Sure. Let''s go."


    Terence cleared his mind as soon as he turned around. Then, he headed out from the hospital while he asked, "By the way, how was the DNA test?"

 Chapter 525 Are You Done (Part Two)

    "I''ve already sent Miss Sally''s hair and yours for the test. We''ll get the results soon enough."


    Rainer responded while he followed Terence outside.


    Actually, it shouldn''t have been necessary to have a DNA test. If Terence hadn''t lost his memory, he would not ask for the test at all. The test was just to double-check if Carla was telling the truth.


    Back in the ward, Carla took out the toy that she bought for her daughter. Her poor Sally had spent three years living in the mountains and had never owned a decent toy. All her toys were from Cathy, who made dolls out of torn clothes. That was the best that they could offer her.


    "Mom, is Dad going to visit me tonight?"


    Sally held on to the doll in a pink dress. However, no matter how attractive the toy was, it just couldn''t compare to the comfort of having her Daddy in there with her.


    To be honest, when Sally saw her Dad outside, holding another child in his arms, she felt really sad.


    She couldn''t afford to share her Dad with anyone else. And she didn''t want her Dad to hold any kid besides her. For so long, she had been seeking the warmth of having a father.


    So when she saw another kid clinging onto her Dad, it really made her upset. She would have accepted sharing her Dad if the kid was her biological brother or sister. Just like Bob and Abbey who were born by the same dad and mom. Only then would Sally consider to share a bit of her Dad''s love.


    "I have no idea." Carla responded and sighed heavily. When she saw how disappointed Sally looked, Carla brushed Sally''s soft hair with her fingers. She then comforted her daughter, "But don''t worry my child. Y


    . I''ll be finished in half an hour. Can she wait for me for a little while longer?" Terence was in the middle of a business dinner at that moment. Once he was finished with dinner, including the travel time to the hospital, it would almost be ten o''clock by then.


    "Fine. Hurry up then."


    After Carla hung up the phone, Sally''s eyes glimmered when she asked, "Is Dad coming?"


    "Yes, he is. But he''ll arrive a bit later. How about you take a nap first? I''ll wake you up when your Dad arrives. You would want to have energy when he arrives right?" Carla held Sally''s shoulders and tucked her in the blanket.


    "Fine. But promise me that you''re going to wake me up as soon as he arrives."


    Sally could barely open her eyes right then.


    Besides, she had taken some medicines that evening. She was totally sleepy at that time.


    Soon enough, she fell asleep, safe and sound.


    When Carla saw how comfortable Sally was sleeping, she couldn''t help but feel a bit sleepy as well.


    By the time Terence arrived, the only thing that greeted him was Carla and Sally sleeping soundly on the bed.

 Chapter 526 What Was Happening To Terence (Part One)

    Inside the ward, Carla and her daughter, Sally, were sleeping side by side in a narrow hospital bed.


    The mother was holding her daughter in her arms very tightly. She had placed most of the quilt on her child, leaving her own legs outside and exposed to the cruel coldness of the hospital air conditioner. Carla''s other leg was even hanging at the edge of the bed.


    When Terence came in and saw this scenario, unknowingly, a frown appeared on his face. With a second to think about it, he was ready to leave the room.


    But just when he opened the door of the ward again, he heard a soft grunt that sounded like Carla''s. "Terence?" Carla then said.


    She knew that he was going to come, so she willed herself not to fall asleep deeply.


    She sat up from the bed, moved Sally from her arms to the middle of the bed, and properly covered her with the quilt. Then, she stretched herself, put her coat on and walked towards Terence.


    "Now that you''re here, let''s have a talk. Take a seat," Carla said.


    She poured two glasses of water and sat down on the sofa.


    Terence turned around, went inside and turned to look at Sally who was still sleeping. Then, he walked toward the sofa and was about to sit down. But just at that moment, his phone rang.


    "Hello, Lucy. I''ll be home right away. Don''t worry about me. Yes, goodnight."


    After exchanging a few words, Terence hung up the phone. Then, he turned to Carla, and said, "I''ll come and see Sally tomorrow. For now, I need to go."


    Carla, who was sitting on the sofa, finally realized that Terence was very resolved to leave.


    So she asked straight away, "Is Lucy your current wife?"


    When he heard her question, Terence stopped on his tracks. Then, he briefly respond


    bbed her arm and pulled her into the bathroom.


    He held her from behind, holding her chin with one hand and forcing her to look at their reflection in the mirror. The bathroom mirror was wide, it not only reflected their faces but everything that they had. They could see themselves from head to toe.


    "Look at yourself! Do you think you''re deserving of me? And on top of that, you still have an arrogant and rude temper! Even if you gave birth to a daughter of mine, you still don''t deserve even a glance from me!"


    Carla bit her lips tightly and looked at their reflection in the mirror.


    She was a little haggard at that moment. In the past four years, what she ate and wore were the cheapest and the quality was terrible. She couldn''t even recognize herself. She was so far from the Carla who was gently cared for by Terence years ago.


    "And look at your hands! Look at how rough and calloused they are! You don''t even deserve to be a maid in our family! You''re no better than a village woman, don''t you think?!


    With all of this, you still have the nerve to want to come back to my life so easily? How do you think that would be possible?"

 Chapter 527 What Was Happening To Terence (Part Two)

    Terence''s words were like a jagged knife, ripping through her heart cruelly.


    "Ah!"


    Carla suddenly roared. She struggled out of Terence''s hands, took the bottles on the counter and smashed them toward the mirror.


    With a loud bang, the mirror broke into several pieces. She picked up one piece that was the closest to her and without a second of breath, she scratched it towards her hand!


    "Are you crazy? What are you doing!?"


    Terence shouted as he tried to grab her bloody hand.


    "Don''t stop me! Why are you stopping me? I just came back for you! You told me before that you couldn''t live without me. That was what I have been telling myself, that I couldn''t die for the past four years! All this time, I thought that you were waiting for me! So I did everything I could to keep myself alive, just so I could come back to you!


    Do you know how hard it has been for me for the past four years? I thought that when I could finally come back, you would care about me, hold me, and say that you don''t care about everything that happened in the past as long as I''m finally back, that I''m alive and we can finally be together again!"


    Carla looked at Terence with so many tears flooding her face. However, the tears did not conceal the despair from her eyes.


    She continued, "But when I came back, I found out that everything had changed. You have changed. Everything was not like it used to be! So there is no need for me to be alive! Just let me die!


    You''ve already forgotten about me, right? Then I''ll just disappear so you can completely forget about me!"


    Carla cried out desperately. The blood on her hand was daunting and direful. There was too much blood oozing from the cut, as if her hand was wrapped in red silk.


    Terence could only stare at the blood on her hand, stunned. At t


    d made his way out of the hospital.


    "I''ll be right on it,"


    Nathan answered while he looked at Terence with a little worry.


    At the AJ Building, Terence was not in his normal state for the whole day. When Nathan noticed what was happening, he asked Terence''s assistant to cancel all of his remaining appointments that day.


    "Mr. Terence, are you okay?"


    Nathan came into Terence''s office with a cup of coffee.


    Terence got up from his office chair and went to the sofa to take a rest. "Nathan, cancel everything in my schedule for today. I''ll deal with those things tomorrow. Don''t let anyone disturb me. I''m just going to take a rest."


    "Yes, Sir. This has been noted,"


    Nathan said while he nodded in response. He didn''t mention that he had already done that. Instead, he placed the coffee on the table in front of Terence and then went out of the office right away.


    Several hours had passed since then and Nathan had stayed outside of Terence''s door.


    He had been standing guard in case someone were to disturb him. Just then, he heard a loud voice from the inside. As soon as he pushed the door open, his eyes widened with what he saw inside.


    "Mr. Terence!" shouted Nathan.

 Chapter 528 Back To The Hua Family (Part One)

    That day, on a couch inside the Seaview Villa.


    Terence sat there with sweat dripping from his forehead. The table that was in front of him had been flipped over and the coffee had gotten splattered all over the place. Frantically opening his collar, Terence gasped.


    "Nathan, tell me the truth! She is alive, isn''t she?" ¡ª


    Nathan was left utterly dumbfounded. He stared at his boss for a long while without saying anything. After a while, he took one big gulp and nodded his head, slowly but with quite a heavy heart.


    "... Yes, Mrs. Carla is still alive!"


    Ever since he heard the news about Carla''s death, Terence started having moments when he''d completely lose control. Even after he was successfully put under hypnosis, he would still turn into this from time to time, but not as frequent as before.


    There were times when Terence''s memory would be in a state of disarray.


    In his mind, it was like two entirely different figures had been in constant conflict with each other. The tragic memory, which should have been masked completely by the hypnosis, would randomly flood his thoughts every now and then.


    That being said, it had actually been a while since he last got so infuriated like this.


    Nathan thought that Carla''s sudden return was probably the catalyst that woke up his memories once again.


    With a pair of bloodshot eyes, Terence gave him a menacing glare, itching to hear an answer, "Nathan... What are you talking about? What are you trying to say?"


    "Mr. Terence, as it turned out, Mrs. Carla didn''t really die. And she has finally returned!"


    Nathan remembered clearly that a while back, whenever Terence would ask him about Carla, he would always give him the same reply every single time¡ªthat his wife w


    ittle, his red eyes fixed on Nathan without so much as a single blink. It seemed that his breath was getting much slower than it was a few seconds ago.


    "... You also said that she had come back, and with a little girl. Is that true?"


    Nathan simply kept on nodding his head in response.


    "... So where are they at the moment? Where can I find them?"


    Terence asked, with his voice sounding like it was about to break.


    Straight away, Nathan gave him an answer, "Mr. Terence, Mrs. Carla has probably returned to her birth parents'' home by now. I received word a few moments ago that the two of them had just arrived at the Hua family home."


    Terence squinted his eyes in utter disbelief. Hearing those words from Nathan, he was having a bit of a hard time trying to process everything.


    "Nathan, if you are making all of these things up, I am going to kill you personally. Do you understand that?"


    He felt as though he had been waiting for an eternity. If she was still alive, why didn''t she come back much sooner?


    Why did she only decide to show up now after all these years?


    "I, Nathan, swear on my grave that I am not lying to Mr. Terence!"

 Chapter 529 Back To The Hua Family (Part Two)

    Nathan exclaimed as he heavily pounded on his chest.


    Seeing how lost Terence was at the moment, god only knew how sorry Nathan truly felt for him. Because of that, he thought that if he told him about every single thing that happened these past couple of days, he knew that Terence would suffer even more.


    So, he decided that, at least for the time being, he should only answer Terence''s questions without saying anything else.


    At the moment, Terence was still disoriented and his mind was completely unstable. He couldn''t think rationally the way he normally would.


    To Nathan, the way Terence was acting wasn''t really that surprising because he had already seen him act this way, during the first couple of days that he was hypnotized.


    Now that he was acting like that again, Nathan felt like his real memories were beginning to find their way back and break through the hypnosis. As soon as he learned to come to terms with Carla''s return, Terence would probably get back to his usual self little by little.


    Peering right into Nathan''s eyes, Terence gave him an order. "Please have a plane prepared and arrange a flight for me. I''m heading to HA City now."


    Apparently, he still wasn''t fully convinced that Carla had really come back alive.


    ¡ª


    Meanwhile, in HA City.


    The second Carla showed up in the Hua family''s house, all of her relatives couldn''t help but get so worked up!


    In a span of four years, Andreas''s hair had begun to turn to grey. Now, after seeing her daughter standing in front of her in the flesh, it took her breath away as she stood there completely still.


    Running hurriedly toward her, Carla wrapped her arms around her mother. With tears rol


    id my eyes on Sally together with your mom!"


    Andrea was laughing merrily and tearing up at the same time. It was quite hard to contain all of her emotions.


    Later in the afternoon, she went and took Sally to a shopping mall so they could get some fresh pairs of clothes and toys for her.


    When they heard about the news that Carla was back, both York and Tristan went to see her immediately that afternoon. Having a lot of catching up to do, they chatted for quite some time.


    Since he was still in school when Carla got there, Sean was the only one who hadn''t heard the news yet.


    Noah had already boarded a plane for a business trip abroad, but the minute Tristan called him to tell him about the news, he came back right away just to see her without a moment of hesitation.


    It was a bit later in the evening


    when Andrea got back home along with Sally after going shopping.


    When she stepped out of the car, Sally was wearing a magnificent princess dress. And as soon as they got back, she excitedly ran toward her mother to show off her new dress.


    "Mommy! Mommy! Look at me! Do you think I''m beautiful?"

 Chapter 530 Carla, Come Back With Me! (Part One)

    Sally asked her mom as she kept spinning around in front of her. She had a great big smile on her pretty little face as she was doing this.


    The little girl never really had an opportunity to wear such a beautiful dress when they were living in the mountains. But above else, she was floating on cloud nine having all of these people, whom she just met, loving and pampering her.


    "Of course, dear. Sally is our pretty little princess!"


    Carla replied, beaming Sally a smile while holding her hand. Sally was like a fluttery yellow butterfly as she joyously ran around the yard.


    This was the first time ever since they came back that she was able to really feel at ease.


    Meanwhile, just outside the yard of the Hua family''s residence, Terence was silently and anxiously watching everything. No matter what he did, he couldn''t stop his hand from shaking as he leaned into the black fence. Worst of all, his heart was thumping so much like it was about to jump right out of his chest.


    It all felt like an unbelievable dream playing out in front of him. He couldn''t help but wonder whether it was all real or if his eyes were only playing tricks on him.


    Carla...


    His precious Carla was finally back. She was standing right there, but it felt like she was still beyond his reach.


    "Mr. Terence, is there anything wrong? Are you alright?"


    Rainer asked, feeling a bit concerned when he noticed that Terence''s hands were shaking like crazy. Even though he offered to lend him a hand, Terence opted not to take it in the end.


    Hopelessly unable to take his eyes off of this woman standing in the yard, Terence worriedly asked, "Rainer, tell me the truth. How do I look? Do I look good right now? What do you think


    Carla replied, quietly letting out a soft sigh as she looked into his eyes.


    ''Well, this should be fine, '' she thought. It didn''t matter that he considered this meeting as their first time seeing each other again after so many years of being apart. Carla tried to encourage herself by thinking of the first few times they had met as some sort of preparation for this moment.


    Terence just couldn''t take his eyes off of Carla. Truth be told, he was so raring to wrap his arms around her. Be that as it might, he couldn''t bring himself to do it, because every single time he tried to embrace her in his dreams, she would disappear immediately. With that in mind, he couldn''t risk having her disappear in front of him anymore.


    "Oww, that hurts,"


    Carla cried out in pain when Terence suddenly grabbed her injured hand by accident. Her hand got injured by the mirror when the two of them were having an argument the day before.


    But all of that didn''t seem to matter anymore since the result was what she had wanted. His memory finally returned.


    "How did you get yourself hurt?" Terence anxiously asked right away, furrowing his eyebrows.

 Chapter 531 Carla, Come Back With Me! (Part Two)

    It was only when she reacted that way that Terence noticed Carla''s bandaged hand.


    "It''s alright. Don''t worry about it. Some guy was laughing at me yesterday. And he kept jibing at my rough hand, telling me that I wouldn''t even pass as a housemaid with these ugly hands. Because of that, I blew a fuse and broke a mirror. That''s when I got my hand injured by accident," Carla explained.


    "Who is that stupid bastard who hurt you? Tell me right now. I''m going to teach him a good lesson for you,"


    Terence exclaimed as the lines began to form on his forehead, holding her hands in his as though it were some kind of treasure.


    "Never mind that. I''ve already taught that guy a valuable lesson. Besides, he seems to have already realized that he was wrong,"


    Carla tried to calm him down as she looked him straight in the eyes.


    "Why did your hands become like this? What have you been doing in these past four years? Did you have to endure a lot of hardships? Look, even your precious hands are calloused now,"


    Terence asked in a tender voice as he gently massaged her hands. With his other hand, he touched her cheek and felt up every inch of her face. It pained him so much to see the marks on her hands which were enough proof that she had been through a lot.


    Taking a good hard look, Carla understood that the Terence standing in front of her at that moment was the same one that she came to love. The affection he had for her had finally returned.


    "I was carried by the flood into a faraway village deep in the mountains. The terrain there was quite unruly, so there was no way for me to get in touch with the outside world.


    ow, Andrea heaved a heavy sigh and answered, "Tristan, I believe that Terence is a good man. What he has been through these past four years is no less than Callie''s. So please try not to be too hard on him.


    The year that Callie went missing, he had gone through great lengths to search for her. And so did our family. Noah also sent a lot of people to search for her when we found out about it.


    But no one was able to find her even after a year-long search.


    What''s important is that


    Callie is finally back with us. And she even brought back her beautiful daughter with Terence.


    Knowing this, I have faith that they won''t be parted so easily.


    Right now, my only wish is that God would keep watching over them. I hope they could live a happy life from this day forward!"


    In the yard, a bunch of crown daisies were bursting out and blooming as they danced in the spring breeze. The sunshine felt so warm and bright, which lit up the flowers and made them glisten.


    "Carla, please come back home with me!"


    Terence said at once, leaning back a little and loosening his embrace.

 Chapter 532 He Is Such A Bastard (Part One)

    Since Terence and Carla were currently in the Hua family residence, they wouldn''t be able to freely do what they wanted to do.


    More importantly, Terence didn''t think that it would be right for Carla to stay with the Hua family for so long.


    Given that the two of them were married, leaving this household and living on their own should be the proper course of things.


    "What? It has barely even been a day since I got here. And I also haven''t even seen Sean yet," Carla replied, shaking her head in total refusal.


    She had just arrived at the family residence earlier this morning. In addition to that, Sean had already been sent to a boarding school, so he wouldn''t be back until the next day.


    "You don''t have to worry about that. I will have someone take him back to JA City as soon as he returns. You should just go inside right now and tell your mother that we''ll be on our way," Terence said, trying to give her a sense of reassurance as he held her hands. This was his plan all along. He intended to walk inside the house with Carla to tell Andrea that they were about to leave.


    However, Carla simply shoved him away and told him straight to his face, "No, I''m not going back with you. Now that I''m here, I would like to stay at my own home for a couple of days, at least, so I can spend time with my mother."


    She might have said that, but her heart was feeling the exact opposite. Truth be told, she really couldn''t care less about how long she would be staying here with the Hua family at all.


    Conflicting feelings were flooding her and making things difficult.


    What she really felt anxious about was that Lucy and her daughter were still living at the Seaview Villa. If she were to go back there with Terence immediately, things would get extremely complicated. The situation she was bound to face was making her feel so uneasy.


    To Terence, it was plain to see from the expression on Carla''s face that she didn''t like being touched by him. When he noticed that, his eyebrows became deeply knit as he asked, "Ca


    that I love you deeply as well."


    Acting like a doting and affectionate father, Terence glanced at his pretty little girl. He knew from an instant that Sally, just like her mother, was very smart. She was truly an adorable girl.


    "Well, I guess I can forgive you. Mommy, daddy seems to be feeling so lonely being left all by himself, so we''d better go back with him."


    Upon hearing Terence''s explanation, Sally was so quick to switch sides and was now standing in the same camp with him. She wrapped her arms around his neck tightly and lent him a hand in persuading Carla.


    "Sally, let go of him this instant and go inside the house to your grandma," Carla flatly said as she looked at her.


    "Carla," Terence called her name again. Seeing the look on Carla''s face, he couldn''t help but frown as he stretched out his arm to hold her hand. Even though he had the faintest idea why she looked upset, he knew that he had to take her home today at all costs.


    It didn''t matter what methods he was going to use. Now that they''re all here, they had to come home together as a family.


    It felt like an eternity, living without her.


    And he already lost count of how many sleepless nights he had.


    Now that Carla was back and standing in front of him, he didn''t want to relive that feeling and taste the agonizing pain of being without her tonight.

 Chapter 533 He Is Such A Bastard (Part Two)

    As they were discussing these things, Andrea came out from the house.


    "Mother."


    When he saw Andrea approaching them, Terence greeted her respectfully. He was still carrying Sally with one arm while holding Carla''s hand with the other.


    "Terence, it''s been so long," Andrea smiled as she welcomed him. Then, she turned to look at Carla and calmly told her, "Callie, now that Terence has gone through the trouble of coming here all the way from JA City, you should just go home and leave with him.


    It was you who chose to come back, so you have to understand that despite everything that happened, you are still his wife."


    Andrea held her hand and pulled her aside.


    She knew full well that the two of them should live their life together for the years to come since they were still a couple. That was the logical course of action to take.


    As Carla''s mother, her only wish was for the two of them to be able to live a peaceful and happy life. For as long as her dear Callie could be safe and sound, there was nothing else she could ever ask for. Even if they''re far apart, she would be able to sleep soundly at night.


    "But mother, you''re also well aware of the fact that there are still other people living at the villa right now,"


    Carla protested, trying to lower her voice down so Terence wouldn''t overhear it.


    "Callie, I know that. I know everything that has happened in the past two years. Even so, do you really think that you can stay here? From the looks of it, Terence is dead set on taking you back with him. I think I can speak for the both of us when I say that we know what he''s going to do if you say no to him, right?"


    Although Andrea had been living in HA City the entire time, she still heard the news about Terence getting remarried with another woman when Carla disappeared.


    "But I think you should know that Terence''s blood is not flowing through the veins of that woman''s child at all. It''s quite possible that outsiders have no idea that it was the case. But I myself, along with everyone in the An fa


    er''s question.


    "What little sister?" With Sally sitting on his lap, Terence didn''t give it much thought, so he asked without really paying attention.


    Along the way, both Nathan and Carla were beginning to worry about it.


    Carla also noticed earlier that Terence''s most recent memory was that from two years ago before he even knew Lucy or the fact that he got remarried.


    "Have you already forgotten that last time you were holding her when she was about to have an injection in the hospital? She was even crying so hard at that time." Sally yawned since it was already quite dark outside. Feeling a little bit tired, she wanted to get some sleep.


    Terence wasn''t expecting to hear such an answer from Sally, so he turned to look at Nathan who was driving the car and sitting right in front of him. It was clear as day that Nathan was shaking in his shoes at the moment.


    "Nathan, pull over," he ordered.


    "Yes, Mr. Terence."


    Nathan tried his best to hold back a heavy sigh deep inside as he parked the car on the side of the road. Then, the two of them stepped out of the car.


    "Nathan, I''m gonna give you two minutes to explain everything to me. Was there something important that I forgot?"


    As the two of them stood there, Terence asked him in a rather low but calm voice. However, it couldn''t hide the fact that he was completely serious.

 Chapter 534 Go And Get A Washboard

    When he got the confirmed news of Carla''s death, Terence''s life was suddenly at a standstill. So he couldn''t remember a lot of things clearly.


    But there was one thing that he was sure of. There were 2 years of his life when he couldn''t remember anything. No matter how hard he tried to recall what happened during those two years, all his efforts were in vain.


    When he tried to think about it, Sally was already 3 years old when they met. Adding that to a year of pregnancy, it would have already been 4 years. But still, 2 years of that time remained void in Terence''s memory.


    "Mr. Terence, there is one thing that I have to remind you. Currently, you''re married and you have a daughter named Gail," Nathan slowly said.


    When he heard this, Terence was stunned. His eyes opened really wide as if his eyeballs would pop out of their sockets. Then, without another word, Terence grabbed Nathan by the collar and asked, "What did you say? I''m married? I-I got married to another woman? And I have a kid? Tell me the truth, right now!" Terence''s voice trembled. He was so intimidating that anyone who was within earshot would be fearful of him.


    "Mr. Terence, please calm down. It''s not what you think. Gail isn''t your biological daughter. When you agreed to marry Lucy, she was already pregnant,"


    Nathan explained with so much patience. He knew that Terence was just in a state of shock and needed to recover. Then, he continued, "And the most important thing is, you didn''t register your marriage with Lucy. You just announced your marriage to the public so that Mr. Nicholas and Mr. Edmund would stop worrying about you."


    Suddenly Terence was filled with a thousand regrets. He turned to look at the car, then asked, "What about Carla? Does she know?"


    "Yes, Mr. Terence, she does. Actually, The moment Miss Carla came back, she immediately looked for you. But you couldn''t remember her. She was so upset that she went home to the Hua family with Sally," Nathan replied.


    A frown quickly formed on Terence''s face when he heard this. He was just realizing how unforgivable his actions were. He didn''t know how he could forgive himself for doing something like that.


    "Nathan, would you know if something happened between Lucy and me?"


    Terence asked softly. To be honest, he was afraid that he was going to hear something that he wouldn''t like.


    In an attempt to look for possible solutions on how to fix this mess, he was trying to see if there was at least something right that he did.


    Fortunately, Nathan shook his head.


    "Nothing happened. Ever since you received hypnotherapy, it seems like you lost any ability to be sexually attracted. Lucy had been staying in the guest room since she moved in. The only communication between the two of you is about Gail, nothing else."


    The moment he heard what happened, Terence sighed very deeply. He was very relieved, to say the least.


    "Nathan, call Lucy right now and ask her to pack up her things and leave the house! I don''t want to see


    aid.


    "What are you waiting for? Go, right now!"


    Nathan shouted to Ella.


    Carla got off the car and handed Sally to Sophie who came to greet her. After smiling back, she said, "Sophie, take Sally upstairs so she could sleep."


    "Yes, Mrs. Carla," she replied.


    Sophie took Sally in her arms. Then, she carefully went inside the Villa.


    Sophie didn''t say anything more. She knew that it would be improper for her to say anything under the circumstances.


    But she was genuinely happy to see Carla return to the Villa. Lucy had despised her since she started living in the Villa. It was because Lucy knew that Sophie had served Carla. Lucy didn''t like her, and Ella also pushed her aside occasionally.


    Sophie stayed because she cared about Terence''s health. After all, she had been serving him for so many years. Otherwise, she would have already quit and left.


    Carla walked towards Terence''s side. She looked at Lucy and Gail. Then, she said softly, "Terence, let them stay. It''s already late outside.


    Let them stay for one more night and they can leave tomorrow. What do you think?"


    When he heard this, Terence thought for a while and nodded.


    "Okay, you''re the boss. Nathan, let them stay for one more night,"


    Terence ordered and then he placed his arm around Carla''s shoulder. Walking towards the villa, he said gently, "Carla, you can go upstairs and take a bath. I''ll ask those in the kitchen to prepare something to eat."


    "Okay,"


    Carla agreed. She peeked at Lucy from the corner of her eye who was following them with stiff steps. She wanted to say something to Terence but she stopped herself.


    All of a sudden, Carla called Nathan who was just about to pass by them. "Nathan?"


    "Yes, Miss Carla?" Nathan stopped and turned towards her.


    "Go and get a washboard," Carla ordered.


    "W-what? I''m sorry Miss Carla, did I hear you right?"


    Nathan thought he misheard what she had just said.


    At the same time, Terence who was next to Carla was surprised as well.

 Chapter 535 Sweetheart, I Deserve Punishment

    "Go to the laundry area and fetch a washboard for me."


    "... Well, okay, Mrs. Carla."


    After Carla said it one more time, Nathan went ahead and did as she instructed.


    Terence was well aware that she wasn''t planning to wash clothes with a washboard. So, there could only be one possibility.


    "Sweetheart, can''t you just punish me tomorrow?"


    Terrence asked, wearing a bittersweet smile on his face.


    Pulling her hand back, she broke free from his grip and walked forward.


    As that was happening, Lucy entered the room carrying her daughter in her arms. As always, her gaze was completely glued to Terence.


    It didn''t take too long before Nathan came back holding a washboard in his hand.


    "Mrs. Carla, I''ve got the washboard you asked for," he told her.


    Nathan didn''t have the faintest idea as to why Carla asked him to bring the washboard to this room.


    Fortunately for him, Sophie was fond of doing the laundry using a washboard. If that wasn''t the case, then he wouldn''t have a clue where to possibly find one. Since washing machine were more convenient to use, washboards have become rare.


    Carla grabbed the washboard he was holding and placed it right in the middle of the living room. "Get down on your knees and kneel on this until midnight. You''re only allowed to stand up during dinner time."


    When she was done giving her instructions, Carla turned around to leave. But then, Nathan suddenly got down and knelt on the washboard.


    "Nathan, what on earth are you doing?"


    Hearing this, Nathan''s jaw dropped. "Mrs. Carla, weren''t you the one who asked me to kneel here? Do you think you can ask Mr. Terence to do such a dreadful thing?"


    "But of course! You''re not the one who made a terrible mistake, right? So, why are you the one kneeling there?"


    Carla said, raising her eyebrows in the process. Then, she instructed him to stand up right away.


    However, Nathan refused to do so and simply kept his head down. "No, Mrs. Carla, just please let me do it instead of Mr. Terence. He shouldn''t be doing something like this!"


    ''Mr. Terence''s body is so precious! How on God''s earth could she make him kneel on such a tough and rough surface?'' Nathan thought.


    Just as Carla''s was about to say something back, Terence walked over and quickly pulled Nathan up. "Nathan, if you want me to be able to sleep after midnight, stop trying to help me like this. It''s only going to make things worse. Trust me."


    After Nathan got up, Terence took off his coat and handed it over to him. Then, he went ahead and got down on his knees himself.


    Carla had a reason for asking Lucy to stay.


    She wanted t


    aid as she tried to help Lucy get up.


    She had assumed that Lucy would go and talk to Terence. In truth, she didn''t want Lucy to wait for another opportunity, so she thought she should give her enough time now.


    "Ms. Ji, don''t you think that what you''re doing to Terence is a bit too much? You''ve gone overboard. If you want to drive me away, I will leave. But you shouldn''t be treating Terence like that! He doesn''t deserve it!"


    Lucy stood up and blurted out.


    "What''s more, Terence is your husband, as well as the president of the AJ Group. He has his own pride. Don''t you realize that what you asked him to do is really humiliating for him?


    Carla blinked in surprise and burst into laughter. In Lucy''s eyes, she was a very unreasonable woman.


    "But he has made such a terrible mistake. If I don''t let him know what he did wrong, then how is he supposed to learn his lesson?"


    Hearing her answer, Lucy couldn''t help but laugh.


    "What did he do wrong? At that time, he thought that you were already dead. You didn''t show up for four long years. Do you seriously believe that he should wait for you forever? Did you really want him to be alone for the rest of his life without ever knowing if you were going to come back or not?"


    Everyone around her told her that Carla was such a nice woman. But right now, seeing what was in front of her, she truly believed that Carla was just a narrow-minded woman.


    Hearing her remarks, Carla pursed her lips. She wasn''t expecting that Lucy would say something like that.


    "Terence, could you please do the honor of telling her what you''ve done wrong? If you can answer the question correctly, I will let you stand up now,"


    Carla told Terence, who was still quietly kneeling on the washboard.

 Chapter 536 She Made Me Kneel

    Terence hadn''t said anything from the moment they got back.


    He was cudgeling his brain trying to figure out what he was thinking in the past two years.


    "Babe, the biggest mistake I have ever made was letting another woman stay in our house."


    Terence knew fully well that he had truly made a number of bad decisions throughout his life, but the worst of them all was what they had to deal with at this moment.


    Hearing his answer, Carla nodded her head, feeling quite satisfied. Then, she walked over toward him and reached out her hand. "Alright, my dear husband, let''s go have dinner first. I''m feeling a bit hungry."


    Seeing her arm outstretched toward him, Terence was on the verge of tears. He quickly grabbed her hand and stood up, holding her tightly in his arms. "I can''t tell you how sorry I am, babe. I''m really sorry... I''ll come back here and continue to kneel after dinner.


    If this can help me make it up to you, even just a little, then I don''t mind doing it. I won''t get up until you''re happy."


    Seeing how determined he was to make it up to her was enough to thaw her frozen heart. "Forget about it. You don''t really have to do that anymore. Otherwise, people might end up accusing me of being an abusive wife."


    "It doesn''t matter what other people say. No one else can tell us what to do!"


    Terence stated, gently wrapping his arm around her waist as they walked toward the dining area.


    Feeling as if trapped inside an ice cellar, all Lucy could do was jealously stare at the intimate couple.


    She found out the hard truth that that was what a real couple looked like.


    She had been with him for two years already. Yet, Terence had never been affectionate toward her and had always kept his distance.


    When they were done eating, Carla wasn''t really planning to let Terence go back to kneeling. However, this man seemed to have his mind already made up. It looked like he was treating this as his way of redeeming himself.


    He really didn''t go upstairs and knelt until the clock struck 12 at midnight.


    Carla was having trouble getting sleep, worrying that he might still be kneeling on the washboard downstairs. With that keeping her up, she decided not to go to bed until he went up to their bedroom.


    After taking a shower to feel refreshed, Terence headed toward their room and went straight to bed. He wrapped his arms around Carla, who was holding Sally in her arms, and embraced the two of them.


    "... Babe, are you asleep yet?"


    he whispered under his breath.


    Hearing his voice, Carla turned over to face him and touched his knee. "Does it hurt?"


    "No, not at all. To tell you truth, I actually feel so happy." Beaming her a warm and loving smile, Terence was completely over the moon.


    Even though kneeling on a washboard was such a disgraceful act, it had actually saved him lots of trouble and worked out for him because Carla had acted the part of the bad guy in front of Lucy fo


    me from doing it?''''


    Pressing his hand against his forehead, Terence thought that even if he wanted to take them back home right away, he couldn''t have possibly done it. Lucy and Gail were still in the villa. What could he do in this situation?


    "Mr. Terence, I tried my best to stop you yesterday, but you were so dead set on taking them back home with you. What was I supposed to do? I couldn''t dare to stop you."


    Nathan explained, feeling a bit hopeless.


    Taking in a deep breath, Terence raised his head and saw that Lucy was holding Gail and walking out of the room. Then, he noticed that Ella was walking right behind her, pulling their suitcases.


    Just as he was about to walk toward them, Nathan abruptly grabbed his arm to stop him in his tracks.


    "Mr. Terence, haven''t you knelt enough on the washboard already?"


    "Washboard? What do you mean?" Terence looked at Nathan, with confusion written all over his face.


    ''Knelt on the washboard?'' He couldn''t believe his ears.


    "You knelt on the washboard until midnight last night. Have you already forgotten about it, Mr. Terence? Well, even if you don''t remember, don''t your knees hurt right now?" Nathan wanted to refresh his mind a little.


    Upon hearing that, Terence realized that his knees were indeed quite sore.


    ''What on earth happened last night?'' He wondered, feeling so lost.


    "She seriously made me kneel?" Terence asked in a low voice, seemingly pissed off.


    ''That woman just came back home, then she made me kneel on a washboard?


    And I actually did as she told me to?'' he was desperately at a loss. ¡ª


    "Terence..."


    As Lucy stood in front of the elevator, she called out to him from a distance, wearing a gentle but sad look on her face.


    When Terence heard her calling him, he furrowed his eyebrows and was going to walk over toward her to talk to her.


    ¡ª


    Just as he was about to move, the bedroom door suddenly flung open.


    "Honey, where are you going?"

 Chapter 537 Be Aggressive Or Passive (Part One)

    With just a pair of pajamas on, Carla yawned. She kept staring intently at Terence as she stood at the door.


    Carla looked as though she was going to ask Terence about something, but she just didn''t say it out loud.


    Without a warning, she reached out her hand and pulled Terence back into their bedroom. "Sweetheart, where did you put all of my old clothes?"


    After asking Terence that, Carla turned to look at Nathan and told him, "Nathan, please ask Sophie to come upstairs and fetch Sally to take outside and play with her for a few minutes."


    In truth, Terence was actually a bit afraid of being around Carla.


    Carla already had two instances of showing bad behavior in such a short period of time. Last time she even shattered a mirror when she flew off the handle. It didn''t matter whether he knew what kind of person she was in the past or not. Right now, all he knew was that she was capable of doing the unthinkable when things didn''t go her way.


    When they got inside the bedroom, Terence had his eyebrows deeply knit as he looked at her making up excuses to reel him in. He went ahead and asked, "Why are you asking me about your clothes? Aren''t all your clothes still there? Not once did I ever touch your them!"


    "Well, of course, I have to ask you. The last time I was here, you used to put my clothes here, here, and here! All of these spaces should be where my clothes are. But now they''re all gone. Where did you put my clothes?"


    Carla dragged him over to the wardrobe and opened the door as she asked him.


    "This is my bedroom. It only makes sense that all of my clothes are in there instead of yours. Besides, the clothes you were talking about were from four years ago. Even if I still had them, would you still be able to wear them?" Terence furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at this woman in white paj


    eye peered right into his.


    Pausing for a while, but not humoring her with a response, Terence sighed, "Carla, please let go of me. You''ve already driven Lucy away. Shouldn''t that be enough? So just cut it out already, will you?"


    "No, I won''t!"


    Carla kept staring intently at him. He might be looking a bit annoyed of her, but in her eyes, he still seemed very cute. Pursing her lips, she went ahead and gave him a kiss on his lips.


    "If you still insist on going out, then fine, I will let you go! But you''re not allowed to leave me alone before the afternoon. By now... You should already know it."


    she said, giving him a coquettish grin, while slowly blinking her charming eyes at him.


    Watching her act like this, Terence couldn''t stop himself from bursting into laughter. Was this woman as direct as this before?


    "Hurry up! Carry me in your arms and take me to bed!" Carla''s legs were about to slip because Terence wasn''t really trying to support her. So, she kept on shaking her legs as she asked him to hurry up.


    Terence cleared his throat and supported her buttocks with one hand and carried her to the bed as she instructed. There was a tinge of shyness in his handsome face as he was doing this.

 Chapter 538 Be Aggressive Or Passive (Part Two)

    "It''s still too early. Can''t we just do it tonight?" he whispered under his breath as he laid her down on the bed.


    Four long years went by and not once had he ever had sex at all during this long period of time.


    The way he was right now, he had no idea if he would be able to perform well and satisfy her.


    Completely ignoring his question, Carla turned around and pushed him into the bed and pressed his chest. After that, her hands went to work and took off his clothes.


    In the bedroom, the act of lovemaking began with one being so aggressive while the other was completely passive.


    It didn''t take too long for Terence to realize that he had just been worrying about nothing. He got turned on in an instant with her being really aggressive.


    However, that didn''t last very long because their positions were about to change.


    "... Terence! Please let go of me. Didn''t you say that you have to attend the conference? I think you should be getting ready to leave. Hurry up!"


    She had no strength left.


    "No. I don''t have to go. You''re the one who said that I had to postpone it. That''s fine. I want to postpone it as well!"


    "... No, no, no! You can''t do that! The company will suffer big losses if it gets postponed for even just a single day! Your work is much more important than this. Most importantly, a lot of people are going to be affected by it! They need to earn money so they can provide for their families!"


    "It doesn''t matter! Who cares about those people? I can still support you!"


    "..."


    Carla began loathing herself for not being able to keep it in her pants. Why did she even initiate it?


    She shouldn''t have done that. She could see what she had gotten herself into. It was


    till looking a bit yellowish, and was made into two pigtails. There was one big radiant smile on her face.


    "Of course, dear! You''re daddy''s little girl. If you''re not going to stay here, where else are you going to stay?"


    When he was upstairs, Nathan had filled him in on the result of the DNA testing they had.


    As it turned out, she was really his biological daughter.


    However, he more or less, knew it even before it was confirmed.


    "So Daddy, Mommy and I can live here and be together with you from now on, right? Sally held her daddy''s hand and looked at him with eyes that seemed as though she was longing to be with him.


    Back when they were still in the village, Sally felt jealous of Abbey who had her father around her as she grew up.


    Her father was always nice to her. Sometimes he would even take her out as they tried to catch fish in the river!


    Looking at her daughter''s big eyes which were welling up, Terence lifted her and put her on his lap. He put his arm around her waist and told her gently, "That''s right! The three of us will be together forever and nothing can ever come between us or break us apart!"

 Chapter 539 Who Made You Into A Spoiled Woman (Part One)

    Looking at Terence and Sally who sitting across the table, a smile crept onto Carla''s face. She was filled with such bliss that she forgot that she was hungry. All she wanted to do was bask in this moment as she rested her chin on the palm of her hand.


    Feeling equally excited, Sally pouted her lips and planted a kiss on Terence''s cheek.


    They just took a little break after having lunch and were now getting ready to go to the shopping district.


    A phone suddenly started ringing. It turned out, it was Lucy who was trying to reach Terence.


    While he was on the phone, his eyes were glued to Carla, who was busy helping Sally get dressed.


    Lucy seemed to be crying on the other end of the line, "Terence, Gail has been crying for a while. I don''t know what''s happening to her. Could she be sick? I have no idea what to do! Can you please come over and check her?"


    "Is that so? She might not be feeling well. I will send Rainer right away so he could take her to the hospital just to be sure,"


    he calmly stated.


    Back when he still hadn''t found out that he had a daughter of his own, he used to care a lot about Gail.


    But now that his own daughter was with him, he was not about to leave her side.


    "But... Terence, you know Gail won''t stop crying until you carry her in your arms. Can you... can you please come over? It doesn''t have to be for too long. Just until I make sure there''s nothing wrong with her."


    Lucy was crying her heart out. At that moment, she couldn''t understand how life could be so unfair. One minute, she had a lot of servants in the Seaview Villa. The next, she found herself staying in a hotel, having just Ella to help her look after Gail.


    And even though Ella was there with her, she wasn''t really planning to stay for too long. Lucy was aware that she had called her friends in secret to look for another job.


    In other words, she was now


    she regularly used in the closet and put away the rest in the big closet up in the third floor.


    When she was done reorganizing the closet, she headed toward the storage room.


    Everyone had thought that she was already long gone, so they had put away all of her stuff in the storage.


    She was holed up in there for a while, picking out the things which were still quite meaningful to her. Then, she went ahead and put them back where they used to be.


    It wasn''t until midnight that she finally finished reorganizing the bedroom. She was so preoccupied with cleaning things up that she barely had anything for dinner.


    When she looked at her photos and books, along with all of the other items which she regularly used in the bedroom, it made her feel at ease. Having a warm and cozy bedroom to stay in was what she liked. She took a deep breath to wallow in the happiness surging through her body.


    Then, she merrily clapped her hands, feeling quite contented with the work she had done, and she went to take a shower.


    When she was done taking a shower, she headed toward the third floor. She saw that all of her painting materials were still there collecting dust. So, after dusting them off, she proceeded to place them right next to the window.

 Chapter 540 Who Made You Into A Spoiled Woman (Part Two)

    In that room, she saw the painting she hadn''t finished four years ago.


    It was a portrait of Terence standing in the rain. At that moment, the painting was still only half-way done.


    As she gazed at it, she had the sudden impulse to finish the painting. Just as she had grabbed a paint brush, she heard the elevator open.


    "You''ve been up here so long. Why haven''t you gone downstairs?"


    Terence walked over toward her and asked. Indeed, she had been on the third floor for quite some time. Sally had been playing around since they got back and had become so exhausted, so she was now sleeping like a log. And all the while, Carla was still on the third floor.


    "Hmm? Why do you ask? I thought you would be happier without me," Carla said, without even moving. All she did was sit in front of the painting. As she stared at it, a lot of thoughts came rushing through her mind.


    She couldn''t help herself from reminiscing about that rainy day.


    Pulling out a wooden stool, Terence took a seat right beside her. As he looked at the painting, he asked, "Is this one of your works?"


    "Yup. Can you tell whose portrait this is?" Carla asked, carefully touching the dry paint on the canvas. Right now, there was just a man''s silhouette on it. Given everything that happened, she hadn''t had a chance to finish painting the background.


    "Hmm... Ha! Nice job. I don''t look too ugly there. So, are all of those oil paintings in my grandpa''s house your works as well?" He curiously asked as he was looking at the man on the canvas. Her painting vividly captured the euphoria of a man looking at the love of his life. It was clear as day that she spent a significant amount of time and energy working on it.


    Carla tilted her head sideways to gaze at him, with her bright eyes glistening. "Terence, would you like to know what happened in the past?"


    Terence thought about it


    meal..."


    The resources in the mountain was very limited. So, it was certainly difficult for her to have something decent to eat, let alone a big meal.


    The more she talked about it, the sadder it made her become. She knew how lucky she was to have Cathy taking care of her during the first month. Or else, she would have had to do everything all by herself.


    "Alright, aright! That''s enough. I am holding you now, aren''t I?!" Terence said, with his eyebrows deeply knit. In his head, he couldn''t even begin to imagine how much she had to go through when she was living in that mountain.


    Carla sniffed and tried to stop the tears from falling. However, it was a bit too late for that now. Because of that, she grabbed his shirt and wiped away her tears. "I''m sorry. Whenever I think about it, I just can''t help myself."


    "Well, you didn''t have much for dinner. Aren''t you feeling hungry right now? Because if you are, I will ask Sophie to whip something up for you right away," Terence softly said as he carried Carla to the bedroom.


    "That actually sounds great! I do feel a bit hungry. But, I want you to be the one to prepare something for me..."


    Carla abruptly lifted her chin and stared at him, with her eyes welled up with tears.

 Chapter 541 My Dear Husband, Thank You

    With ''surprise'' written all over his face, he looked at Carla as he carried her in his arms. He wasn''t expecting to hear something like that at all, so he asked, "Did I use to cook for you before?"


    Now, Terence was wondering just how much he had pampered her in the past. Never in his wildest dreams had he thought that he would ever cook for a woman!


    Unable to hold back her laughter, Carla replied, "Yes! You used to cook three meals a day for us when we were still living together in BH City. When we moved to JA City, you would still prepare some meals from time to time."


    When they got to the room, Carla went down from his arms and opened the door to check on Sally. However, Sally was nowhere to be found when she walked in, so she turned around to ask Terence, "Where is Sally?"


    Terence simply answered, "Don''t worry. She''s just sleeping in the next room."


    Hearing his response, Carla anxiously blurted out, "What? No! She can''t sleep by herself! During these past three years, she has barely even left my side at all. I think I''d better bring her here so she can sleep right next to me!" Carla looked so worried as she told him that.


    Truth be told, she herself had actually been so used to sleeping with Sally in her arms in the past three years. For that reason, the thought of sleeping without Sally made her feel so strange.


    "Sally is already three years old now. I think she''s big enough to sleep on her own. Besides, Sophie is gonna be looking after her at night. So, there''s no need for you to worry about her,"


    Terence said in total disagreement with Carla''s opinion. The way he saw it, Carla only had to sleep together with Sally because there were only two of them back then.


    But now, things were a bit different than before. So, Terence thought that it would be a bit too crowded if the three of them all slept together in the same bed. But most importantly, he always felt a bit uncomfortable having another person lying between him and Carla.


    In spite of what he said, Carla still couldn''t help but worry a little, so she quickly changed into her pajamas and went to the next room to check up on her.


    When she saw Sally lying on the bed by herself and sleeping soundly, she was able to feel a sense of relief.


    All throughout these past three years, Sally had been by her side every night. So, truth be told, she was actually having qualms about not sleeping together with her daughter.


    When Carla went back to their own bedroom, she found out that Terence wasn''t there.


    So, she just waited there until he returned. And after a few minutes, Terence walked in with a bowl of noodles in his hand.


    "It''s been a while since I last cooked something, so I''m not sure whether it will taste good or not. Go ahead and try it! Eat it while it''s still hot."


    Putting down her mobile phone on the bedside table, Carla looked at the bowl of noodles he was handing over to her. She was left utterly dumbfounded for a moment there. She wasn''t really expecting for Terence to actually go and cook something for her.


    "My dear husband... Thank you."


    According to the way he was now, Carla assumed that he wouldn''t ha


    single mother!"


    Lucy yelled as she pinched her daughter''s cheek with quite a scornful smile.


    When she came to know Terence, she actually felt glad that she didn''t go through with the abortion. Because at the end of the day, her daughter was the only thing that caught Terence''s attention.


    In the past two years, Terence became a bit closer to her because Gail was there. She imagined that when her daughter got a little older, her relationship with Terence was bound to become more and more intimate in time.


    But the beautiful dream she used to have was completely shattered.


    "Gail, can you tell me what I''m supposed to do now? I can''t let it end like this! I''m not willing to give up so easily! Gail, tell me! What should I do?!"


    Lucy kept asking her daughter who was only one year old.


    Looking at her daughter''s miserable appearance, she slowly lifted her daughter into her arms and continued, "Gail, if that wretched witch and her daughter were to die, will your father pay attention to us again?


    If the two of them are gone, then Terence would have only one daughter, and that''s you! Then, I''m sure that it won''t be long before I can give birth to a boy for your father. And in the end, we''ll finally have a place we can truly call our home and live a happy life, right?"


    Lucy mumbled to herself. But this seemed to have only made the baby cry even louder.


    Back at the Seaview Villa, Carla was already fast asleep.


    She was out like a light, but inside her dream, she was feeling so uneasy.


    In that dream, she was hopelessly drifting in the boundless sea, and no matter where she looked, she could not see the edge.


    In that moment, she felt like she was going to continue drifting there aimlessly. She didn''t know if she would be able to see dry land ever again. And as if that wasn''t bad enough, she was hit by a heavy downpour. Moments later, she started shivering, fearing for her life, before finally waking up in cold sweat.


    "Are you alright? Were you having a bad dream?"


    Terence worriedly asked as he held her shoulders when she woke up shivering all over.

 Chapter 542 The Young Boy In The Hall (Part One)

    Carla was now fully awake. After checking her surroundings, the familiar environment managed to calm her down. Realizing that it was just a dream, she let out a sigh of relief.


    "I thought I was floating in the water again. The persistent feeling of being so helpless and hopeless came rushing back to me. It was so terrifying! I had no idea where to go or what could happen next..."


    "Shh, it''s alright, it''s alight. I''m here with you! You don''t have to be scared." Holding her tightly in his arms, Terence said, "We''re not going to do anything dangerous anymore. Just trust me, okay? Everything''s gonna be alright!"


    Nodding her head, Carla said, "Okay, and I''ll be extra careful from now on as well! I swear I won''t do anything reckless in the future."


    Having been through something like that, Carla understood how precious her life was for her and everyone who loved her. Knowing that, she would not easily throw her life away for someone who didn''t mean a thing to her.


    On top of that, she had Sally now. So, she would have to think things through before making a decision.


    "That''s good to hear! As the old proverb goes, ''One who survives a great disaster is destined to good fortune forever, ''" Terence softly said as he rubbed her shoulders to ease her tension.


    "Since you''re finally back now, it means you''re going to have a long life to spend with me!"


    Carla simply bobbed her head in response. A lot had happened since that unfortunate event four years ago. So, thinking that Terence had a point, she hoped that everything would really get better in time.


    All of a sudden, something popped up in her mind. Sh


    floor so you can release all of your pent up anger. What do you think?" Carla answered after pondering about it for a while.


    Curling his lips, Terence said, "You made the bed. You have to lay on it. You can''t just ask other people to do it for you!"


    Upon saying that, he leaned in closer and tried to plant a kiss on her luscious lips. But she was quick to react and managed to cover them with her hands.


    "My dear husband! We already did it this morning. And we just did it again before going to sleep. Can you please give me a break? The sun is about to rise any minute now."


    Carla was well aware that he wasn''t able to get some for about four years. That being said, they already did it so many times today.


    With his eyebrows deeply knit, Terence pressed her hands against the bed and said, "Nope."


    Because of that, Carla cried out in disagreement and tried to push him away and escape from his clutch.


    However, it was all just a vain attempt in the end. Her man was already raring to make love to her. Her struggling and begging only helped to turn him on even more.

 Chapter 543 The Young Boy In The Hall (Part Two)

    ¡ª


    When morning came, Carla was still sleeping soundly in the bed. But from out of the blue, she heard a noise coming from outside her room that kept on waking her up.


    Still feeling a bit lethargic, she heard a voice who was calling out to his sister. The voice sounded a bit odd. It was that of a boy who was most probably going through puberty. His voice was deep and filled with excitement.


    After a while, Carla finally woke up. She got out of bed right away, frantically changed her clothes and rushed toward the bedroom door.


    When she flung the door open, she saw who kept on calling out to his sister. She was left so dumfounded at that moment.


    As it turned out, it was a boy in his school uniform who was knocking on the door. As he stood in the hall, tears were dripping from his eyes and into his young, handsome face. He was rendered speechless as he stared at Carla who just came out of her bedroom.


    It was Sean. He was already about five feet, six inches tall, and he was only fifteen years old. Compared to the last time they saw each other, he now had a darker complexion due to playing sports outside. His eyes were dark, which made him look older beyond his years than boys his age.


    When their eyes met, Carla''s tears began to well up in her eyes.


    Slowly, she walked toward him, seemingly in a bit of a daze. It had been four long years since the last time these two met.


    Back then, he was still a young boy who barely even reached her shoulder. Now, he had gotten much taller and even more handsome.


    "Sis..." he blurted out, with


    "Oh, come on! You''re still in junior high school. At least wait until you graduate from college."


    "Sis, I am no longer a kid! I am about to enter senior high school in the next semester! I am aiming for the best high school in JA City. If I manage to get into that school, I can finally be with you again!"


    Sean stated. She sounded quite serious.


    "I''m sure you can do it! I believe in you! I heard that you''ve actually been doing quite well in school. You have no idea how proud I am of you!" Carla looked him straight in the eye as she cried. After all, she couldn''t be prouder as his sister.


    It could be because of everything that they had been through that Sean made an effort to study hard.


    Most boys in his age were going through a rebellious phase. However, Sean wasn''t like that at all. One could hardly see those traits in him.


    All of a sudden, a voice came from behind. "Mommy! Who is he?"


    Sally ran over toward her mother carrying a doll in her hands. With her gaze fixated on Sean, she felt a bit curious and asked.

 Chapter 544 Uncle Sean (Part One)

    "Sally, come here. Let me introduce you to your uncle."


    Wiping off the tears from her eyes, Carla smiled at her daughter as she reached out her hand toward her.


    Upon hearing Carla''s request, Sally promptly walked over, with her beloved doll in her arms. This situation was a bit surprising for her, so her eyes were wide open and glimmering. Actually, she was feeling rather curious about Sean, her new "uncle". "Uncle? But haven''t I met my uncles already?


    During that time when we were staying with the Hua family, I met two of my uncles there."


    Since she was still quite young, Sally hadn''t really understood yet what "uncle" really meant.


    "This is my younger brother, Sean. Honey, come over here and meet your uncle,"


    Carla knelt down and explained, with her hands resting on Sally''s shoulders.


    "Oh, it''s nice to meet you, Uncle Sean,"


    Sally exclaimed, looking up to Sean and beaming him a great big smile.


    Hunkering down a bit, Sean stared intently at the pretty little girl standing in front of him and said, "Sally, you''re Sally? Come over here. Let me take a closer look."


    Even though this was only their first time meeting each other, Sean seemed to have a soft spot for this sweet little girl, the daughter of his beloved sister. In that moment, Sean thought that Sally resembled Terence more than Carla. But in a way, she felt like she was just as naughty as his sister. Such a precious little girl!


    "Carla, in case you haven''t heard, Noah has also gotten a child of his own. It''s a boy who''s about five or six months old now. Oh, but a kid of Sally''s age is much more fun to be with." As he said that, Sean was having a good time playing with Sally. He sincerely enjoyed being around her.


    Upon hearing what Sean had just said, Car


    lap. Then, he lightly flicked her nose and asked, "What''s up, honey? You seem to be as happy as a clam."


    "Dad! I got another uncle just now. So, of course, I feel happy,"


    Sally instantly replied, as she glanced at Sean with a Cheshire cat grin on her face.


    Even though she had already met two uncles before, she seemed to be more fond of this new uncle of hers. Actually, she had no clue as to why that was the case. All she knew was that she felt much closer to Uncle Sean compared to her two other uncles.


    "Really? Then, you''re gonna like what I''m going to tell you next. Uncle Sean is going to move back in with us. So, that means the four of us can spend even more time together," Terence softly said as he held Sally in his arms.


    Sean and Carla grew up together. So, it only made sense that Sean would be the closest uncle Sally could have out of all of her uncles.


    "That''s great! I like the sound of that. That means there''s going to be more of you to play with me,"


    Sally exclaimed as she clapped her hands. The thought of having more people around her made her feel quite pleased.


    When Terence looked up, he saw Carla and Sean walking toward him.

 Chapter 545 Uncle Sean (Part Two)

    "Terence!" Sean called out to him and proceeded to take a seat right next to him.


    Sean knew full well that Terence had been under hypnosis for his treatment. With that in mind, not only had he been sad for Carla''s disappearance, but he also couldn''t help but feel sorry for Terence. That time, he realized just how much Terence really loved Carla, so he could more or less imagine how much pain Terence had been through when Carla went missing.


    For that reason, to Sean, Terence held a special place in his heart which no one could ever hope to replace.


    "Sean, you are about to take your exams, aren''t you? Have you already found a school that is to your liking? If you want, I could make arrangements for you in advance."


    Terence was just as fond of Sean as he was before. The relationship they shared had not really faded away even after all this time.


    After all, Terence had always treated Sean as his own brother.


    "Terence, I''m just fine. I''d prefer to get accepted into the school on my own. I told you before that I''ll be giving you a hand in the future. If I can''t even manage to get into the high school without your help, then how could I ever hope to lend you a hand when the time comes?"


    Sean remarked, with resolute look on his face.


    At the end of the day, he had been working so hard for such a long time. So, he had faith that he would be able to pull it off.


    "That''s wonderful! I know you can do it. I believe in you,"


    Terence replied, breaking into a smile as he gave Sean a pat on his shoulder.


    Walking into the kitchen, Carla fetched two plates of fruits and put it down on the table in front of them.


    After that, she gestured toward Sally and asked, "Sally, come to mommy. Tell me, sweetie. Wou


    e entire year. Things didn''t seem to be going too well for him.


    "Sure. That''s a great idea. I have actually been meaning to pay grandpa a visit earlier,"


    Carla flatly answered. Truth be told, she had thought about visiting grandpa from the moment she got back. But she couldn''t do that because of Terence''s condition.


    "I know. It''s all my fault, okay?" Noticing the condemning look on Carla''s face, Terence went ahead and apologized for it in an instant as he wrapped his arm around her waist.


    That being said, Carla had to push him away because she felt a bit embarrassed of him being intimate with her at the moment. After all, Sean was right in front of them and he had grown up a lot.


    "By the way, I''m planning to see Sean off this afternoon. I''ll just let Sally stay here to make sure that she''s home when father gets here," Carla stated after taking some time to think about it.


    She more or less knew that Edmund probably wouldn''t want to see her.


    It made perfect sense, given the fact that he wanted to drive her away before she got swept away by the flood. Her disappearance had probably even given him a sense of relief back then.

 Chapter 546 Things Change, But Love Goes on

    "Alright. But if you can, please try to get back home early so you can spend some time with my father. In spite of everything that happened in the past, you''re still his daughter-in-law,"


    Terence flatly remarked.


    Even though Edmund had never really been fond of Carla, it was time that he changed his attitude toward her as she was now the mother of his dear granddaughter. How hard could it be if it was for Sally''s sake?


    Even after all of the time he spent with Lucy by his side, Terence never really had any feelings for her whatsoever. Their marriage was just a way to cover up everything that happened and to help Terence forget about Carla completely.


    Edmund might not have mentioned it even once, but that didn''t necessarily mean that he wasn''t aware of the truth.


    Now that Carla had returned, it was about time that everything finally went back to the way it was before.


    "Okay, I''ll try to come back as soon as I can," Carla answered. At that moment, she couldn''t help but remember the time when Edmund and Eunice humiliated her in front of everyone. Even after four years, it was still making her feel uneasy.


    Sean played with Sally all afternoon, wanting to be a good uncle to her. As Sally sat on the swing, he stood behind her to make sure she didn''t get hurt. After that, he played basketball as Sally watched.


    Sally was running after Sean all the time as though she was his shadow. It was their first time meeting each other but she couldn''t help herself from getting fascinated by this uncle of hers.


    And then it was finally time for him to go. Sean gave Sally a great big hug before leaving the Seaview Villa with Carla.


    Before they left, Carla asked one of the servants to take a photo of the four of them together--herself, Terence, Sean and Sally.


    After having their photo taken, Nathan proceeded to drive Carla and Sean to a business hotel.


    In just a while, they arrived at their destination and went inside together.


    Sean would have come to Carla''s place yesterday if Noah wasn''t about to have a meeting this morning. He delayed his plan so he could come with Noah, which was more convenient.


    By the time they got there, Noah still wasn''t done with his meeting. But in spite of that, he immediately walked out of the room the second his assistant informed him about their arrival.


    When he got out of the conference room, he saw the woman who was chatting with Sean in the corridor. Left a bit dumbstruck, he wondered whether this was real or his brown eyes had only been playing tricks on him.


    It had been four long years since the last time he saw her. Because of that, he had been so down in the dumps and dispirited during the past couple of years.


    He decided to stay with the Hua family so he could protect her. So, when she disappeared, he almost gave up and lost all hope.


    It took a long time before he could pull himself together and started over again.


    He somehow came to the realization that he shouldn''t lose faith because of Carla''s absence. Instead, he should do what he could to protect


    st to greet her.


    Smiling politely at him, she held Sally''s hand and walked toward Edmund.


    "Hello, Father."


    "I''m so glad that you were able to come back safely!"


    Edmund gave her a nod before going on and saying, "Now that you''re back, why don''t you come to our place so you can have dinner with us one of these days? After all, we are family. Let''s have a celebration for your safe return!"


    Upon telling her that, Terence walked over toward him and handed him some documents.


    Sally had already turned three, so it was just about time for her to enter kindergarten. That was actually the reason why Edmund came here today¡ªto get the documents that he would need to include Sally''s name on the official family register.


    "Dad, I''ve got here all the papers you''re going to need. And I also had Sally''s birth certificate done as well," Terence informed his father.


    As the head of the family, Edmund was the one who was supposed to take care of things like this.


    Since Terence''s two older brothers already had their own nuclear family, they were no longer included in the official list with their father. Being the youngest of the siblings, Terence remained, unlike the other two. It was one of the traditions of the An family.


    That was the reason why Edmund was the one who had to handle Sally''s registration.


    "Okay, just let me take care of everything. When you visit your grandpa tomorrow, ask him to have a name picked out for Sally. Anyway, Sally is just a nickname for now. So, please let me know what her real name is going to be when you get back!"


    Edmund had broken into a smile as he grabbed the documents Terence was handing over to him. This was the day he had been looking forward to for too long. This moment might have been so long overdue, but everything was still worthwhile in the end.


    Not only was Carla able to return safely, but she had also given him a precious three-year-old granddaughter!


    For now, the first thing he had to take care of was adding the little girl into his family register!

 Chapter 547 My Great-granddaughter

    ¡ª


    Before he left, Edmund made quite an effort to persuade Sally to go to the An Manor and stay with him just for two days. However, Sally simply kept on turning him down no matter what he tried to say.


    Sally had never been away from Carla from the moment she was born, so she had gotten so used to having her mom around at all times.


    The only way she would agree to stay in the An Manor was if Carla was going to stay there with her as well.


    For that reason, no matter how hard Edmund tried to twist her arm, Sally was still very reluctant to leave with the grandpa she had just met.


    ¡ª


    ¡ª


    On the following day, Carla and Terence brought Sally along with them to pay Nicholas a visit.


    The place Nicholas was staying in was a private sanatorium surrounded by a lake. It boasted of such a wonderful scenery on top of its first-class service and medical facilities.


    People who lived here probably wouldn''t really feel like they were staying in a hospital at all. They could enjoy being looked after by the doctors while the mood was that of being on a vacation.


    Right now, what Nicholas needed the most was to have a relaxing atmosphere and a comfortable state of mind.


    "Carla, just let Sally come in first, we''ll go see grandpa later." Just as she was about to enter the room, Terence grabbed Carla''s hand and stopped her in her tracks.


    In his current condition, they needed to give him a bit of time to wrap his mind around everything that was happening.


    Carla didn''t get right away why Terence would say something like that at all. In that situation, she was under the assumption that Nicholas could become even more emotional if he met Sally before they show up in front of him.


    That being said, when she saw the way Sally acted, she realized in an instant what Terence had in mind when he said that.


    "Great-grandfather, this flower is for you!"


    With a carnation in her hand, Sally trotted straight toward Nicholas.


    Quietly sitting in a wheelchair, Nicholas was basking in the sunshine with his eyes closed. When he heard a voice which seemed to be calling out to him, he opened his eyes and put on his glasses to check who it could be. As he stared at the lovely girl, who appeared from out of the blue, he beamed her a smile and asked, "... Oh, where did you get those flowers, sweetheart?"


    Waving at her, Nicholas asked the little girl to come closer. At that moment, he simply thought that she was a relative of one of the other patients who came there to play and have some fun.


    The only people who were staying there were the elderly, and most of their great-grandchildren were significantly older than her.


    "I specially requested this one from mommy because I wanted to give it to my great-grandfather as a present."


    Sally batted her big innocent eyes as she came up to him.


    Looking at her great-grandfather, who seemed to have lost a bit of color in his face but nevertheless still quite amiable and kind, Sally explained.


    "Oh? You picked this one especially for me? That means I certainly need to take it then. Come on, sweetheart, would you be so kind as to let this old


    e up with a name years ago. It''s... Oh, look at me. Why can''t I think of the name now?"


    Nicholas exclaimed as he racked his brains to remember the name he chose. As he was doing that, he gently rubbed his grey hair. If it were a girl, then he would have wanted to call her...


    "Oh, I think I''ve already forgotten what it was. How about Sandra? We can name her Sandra. I hope she can live a happy life, free of problems and hardships."


    A smile appeared on Carla''s face and she nodded in agreement, "Sandra An, Sandra... It has such a nice ring to it."


    "Carla, you must have had to endure a lot during these past four years."


    Nicholas looked at Carla who seemed a bit emaciated, asking with great concern.


    Carla quickly shook her head trying to reassure him, "It''s alright, grandpa. It''s all in the past now. Don''t think too much about it, I didn''t really suffer that much. I was able to meet such a nice family. They let me into their household and I experienced living such a peaceful life throughout those four years."


    "... Oh, is that so? That''s good to hear. One good deed deserves another, Carla. Those children you saved back then would definitely feel grateful to you."


    When he heard her say that she didn''t suffer a lot, Nicholas felt a sense of relief and gave her a pat on the back of her hand.


    ¡ª


    Watching all of this, Terence went ahead and asked the nurse to bring in two low stools for them to use.


    Holding out his hand toward Carla who had been squatting next to Nicholas, he said, "Babe, go sit on this while you talk with Grandpa."


    Pulling her over to the stool, he went on and added, "We found out that their father is still missing and the mother had already passed away, so I would have to put them up for adoption. I''m planning to mentor those children in the future. Who knows? Maybe they can even work at our company."


    Since Carla had put her life on the line to save those children, Terence thought it would just be right to look after them. It was only by doing this that he could be sure that Carla''s effort wouldn''t be put to waste.

 Chapter 548 Successor (Part One)

    Hearing him say that, Carla nodded her head, feeling quite contented.


    "I think that''s a great idea. And in doing so, they won''t feel so helpless and alone. I feel sorry for those poor children!" Carla remarked.


    She had no idea what happened to them after she saved them. The two kids were being raised solely by their mother. Their father had become so addicted to gambling that no one had any clue as to where he could be found after getting divorced with his wife.


    For that reason, when their mother passed away, the two of them no longer had anyone else to turn to.


    "Come over here, Sally. Let me introduce you to your father''s grandfather whom you''re going to call great-grandfather. Go on and say hello to great-grandfather," Carla said.


    She held her in her arms as she explained who this person was to Sally.


    Glancing at Terence, and then at Nicholas, Sally found the situation a bit confusing. Yesterday, she had just met her grandfather, and now she found out she had a great-grandfather who was, in turn, her daddy''s grandfather...


    After thinking about it for a while, she gave up trying to figure it out as she got distracted by the wheelchair Nicholas was sitting on.


    "Great-grandfather, is it okay if I take a look at your wheelchair? It looks like fun. Why does it have wheels? Can they actually move?" Sally innocently asked.


    "Ho-ho, yes, they can move indeed. Come, let great-grandfather show you how it works..."


    As he grinned from ear to ear, Nicholas turned the wheels to move forward.


    With curiosity written all over her face, Sally watched him and followed him around.


    Caressing Carla''s shoulder ever so slightly, Terence couldn''t be any happier when he sa


    erence sighed and admitted the truth.


    Holding Sally''s hand, Carla was about to walk toward them, but she ultimately decided not to as she didn''t want to get in the way of their conversation.


    "Well, what about other ones who are not directly from the An family? Perhaps someone who''s upstanding and dependable? Do you happen to know anyone like that?" Nicholas went on and asked.


    He wanted to make the most of the time he had left, so he was desperate to find someone to follow his footsteps.


    For as long as he could find someone who was right for the position, he would definitely send him to the army and use the connections that he had. He had faith that the person he would choose was bound to make some accomplishments.


    But above all else, the reason he was so eager to find someone was because he didn''t want the An family to lose its connection with the army.


    "Mummy, when is uncle Sean going to come visit us again?"


    Sally asked from out of the blue as Carla grabbed her to walk away from the other two. It was just yesterday that she met Sean, so the memory of playing with him was still so fresh in her mind.

 Chapter 549 Successor (Part Two)

    The villa was filled mostly with adults, so her uncle was the only one who really wanted to play with her.


    Hearing Sally''s question, a thought came across Terence''s mind.


    "Grandpa, there is this one person, but..."


    Terence said as he shot Carla a bit of a hesitant look.


    He had no way to tell whether Carla would be willing to send her precious brother to the army at all.


    He had stayed in the military camp before and received training there.


    Once people got in, they would be forced to endure hellish days there, which could be totally unbearable for ordinary people.


    "Seriously? Do you have a picture of him, so I could see what this kid looks like?"


    When he heard that there was a prospective candidate, Nicholas asked and his eyes lit up in excitement.


    This was his one final wish, so it really meant the world to him.


    Carla, who was just a couple of steps away, glanced at Terence. Right now, she knew full well what he had in mind, but she decided not to say anything.


    It should go without saying that she understood how formidable Grandpa Nicholas''s connections were. And she was very much aware that if Sean were to serve in the army, he would have a great future ahead of him.


    But even so, she had some other cause for concern.


    Indeed, everyone could see how Grandpa Nicholas had been living a comfortable right now, but only a select few were privy to the fact that he had one foot on the grave for most of the time when he was young.


    Sean was the only son of the Ji family, so she wouldn''t dare to allow him to join something so dangerous such as the army.


    "Carla, come over here for


    ence took a seat and explained.


    Nodding his head along, it cropped in Nicholas''s mind that he had already heard about Sean from Terence before. Because of that, he was well aware that Sean had been living a difficult life with Carla ever since he was young. At the thought of that, it seemed that he was someone who might be capable of dealing with hardships, a trait that stood out to the kids of the An family.


    "Looks great! But you should know that it wouldn''t be right to decide everything just from seeing a photo of him. When you get some free time, go ahead and bring the boy here so I can meet him. If he is indeed the right person to do it, I''ll enlist him in the army when he turns 18."


    When she heard this, Carla curled her lips and walked over toward them, wanting to chime in on this matter.


    "Okay, grandpa. It''s just about time for him to spend his summer vacation. I''m going to bring him here then," Terence quickly replied.


    Holding Carla''s hand, Terence squeezed it gently, shaking it a bit to let her know that she shouldn''t say anything about it right now.

 Chapter 550 Lucys Plan (Part One)

    On the drive back to the Villa, the air inside the car felt a bit heavy between the two of them.


    "Terence, I understand how much you care about Sean and only want what''s best for him. But, he''s the only brother I have, so I really don''t want him to be far away from me!"


    Carla exclaimed. If it were something else entirely different, she might have had no problems with it. But she just couldn''t wrap her mind around the thought of Sean joining the army.


    "Carla, it''s not really as bad as you''re making it out to be. Even if Sean were to join army, there''s still a way for you to see him on a regular basis. I''m going to make sure of that."


    Terence tried to reassure her as he put his arm around her shoulder. "In any case, he has to be at least seventeen before he can join the army. That means he still has about a good two years to spend with you."


    He clearly understood why she was being so reluctant about it. Ever since their parents passed away, they had to depend on each other to make it through. For that reason, she truly didn''t want Sean to go through something so difficult.


    Once Sean got enlisted in the army, he wouldn''t be allowed to leave until he received a distinguished service medal.


    And to achieve that, he would have no other choice but to work really hard for it.


    He would probably need to sweat blood for it.


    "I just can''t help but worry about him! If anything were to happen to him, how am I supposed to live the rest of my life?"


    Carla anxiously said, biting her lower lip hard.


    Carla had already experienced a lot of hardships firsthand.


    Because of that, all she wanted right now was to keep her family together and make sure they were safe from harm. Carla found it hard to understand why doing something like that could be so hard.


    She had received formal training with self-defense for close co


    was eager to have. It was rather obvious that she intended to use Gail to get closer to Terence once again. Of course, that wouldn''t happen on Carla''s watch.


    When he heard what Carla had to say, Terence was left at such a loss. So, he reeled her in closer and calmly told her, "Honey, trust me. I''m not gonna let anyone hurt you ever again. Just trust me!"


    It was Rena''s fault that Carla lost her first baby. Because of that, Carla ended up being a target of public ridicule.


    There was no way in hell Terence could ever let that happen to Carla a second time.


    "Oh? It looks like a lot of your memories have come back. Did Rainer tell you something?" Carla smiled at Terence with a smug look on her face. His memories were returning much faster than she had thought they would.


    "My god, women are such complicated creatures. When I couldn''t remember the past, you complained that I forget you. And when I actually do remember, you still complain that my memories seemed to be coming back too quickly." Terence''s eyes appeared to be glimmering. Right then, he lightly flicked her forehead, raising his eyebrows in protest. After that, he went on and said, "Anyway, you should stop worrying about how I got those memories back.

 Chapter 551 Lucys Plan (Part Two)

    All you need to keep in mind is that I am the same Terence you loved back then and I am your only man!"


    As she rubbed her forehead, Carla gave him a look from head to toe. He was giving off a different vibe than Carla was used to.


    Most of his memories had already come back at this point, but something still felt quite different. It seemed that he was more strict and domineering than he was back then.


    When they were done talking, they left Sally at home with her nannies.


    Then, they head straight to the hospital where Gail was being treated.


    When they got to the hospital, Gail was still currently inside the emergency room.


    As soon as Lucy saw Terence, she paced toward him looking as though she was about to burst into tears. Then, in no time at all, she held onto him tightly as the tears rolled down her face. "Terence, Gail is in there and it''s all my fault! It''s all my fault! I am such a bad mother. I can''t even take good care of my own daughter! It''s all my fault. I''m the one to blame..."


    "How did it happen? Wasn''t Ella supposed to be with you?"


    Terence asked as he held Lucy''s shoulders and pushed her away.


    Shaking her head, Lucy wept and answered, "Ella... Ella had left us already."


    "After I moved out of the villa, she wasn''t interested in staying with me any longer. She ended up leaving us just yesterday. With her gone, I had no one else to help me look after Gail. I was doing the laundry and preparing dinner, when... I don''t know how it happened, but Gail managed to climb onto the table and she fell down..."


    Lucy wiped her tears dry. Right now, she felt so ashamed and looked like she loathed herself so much.


    ut all of a sudden. Carla''s comments seemed to have offended her.


    "Hmm? You have a point. That is indeed true. Your relationship with your family should be none of our concern. Then, I guess you better contact your daughter''s real father next time something comes up. Don''t you think it''s very inappropriate for you to be calling my husband over?"


    Carla stated in a cold voice.


    She was sincerely trying to help her with her daily life, and she didn''t even mind paying for a place for her and some nannies to stay to make everything a bit easier.


    But despite that, Lucy wasn''t willing to accept her kindness as she wanted even more than that.


    Given that Lucy wanted to challenge Carla, she was not one to back down, and she was planning to show her no mercy.


    Carla''s words were so sharp, so much so that it was just like a knife piercing through Lucy''s heart. "You!"


    Lucy was already in a towering rage so she was unable to say anything back. Turning to look at Terence, tears were dripping on her cheeks. As she stared intently at him, she called out to him, albeit hesitatingly, "Terence?"

 Chapter 552 Im Not Letting You Out Of My Sight! Not Again! (Part One)

    Terence''s heavy look just passed over Lucy and landed on Gail who was lying on the bed. He then said, "Let''s take Gail to her room first."


    When they had taken the little girl back to her ward, Terence walked outside to make a call.


    Inside the room, Lucy''s eyes were glued on Carla who was standing on the other side. "Miss Carla, how is Terence? Does he sleep better these days?"


    She waited for Carla''s response but Carla just turned to look at her. So Lucy continued, "He would always have trouble sleeping so I used to make him a cup of tea every night. He would only be able to sleep when he had his tea."


    However, Carla remained motionless. She just looked at Gail without an ounce of an expression on her face. She then responded, "Is that so? I didn''t know about that. As far as I know, he sleeps very well at night."


    Lucy was surprised with what Carla had stated. However, she tried to hide it and said, "That can''t be. I guess you might be sleeping a little too well to notice that." Lucy said casually while she started to warm some milk for Gail to drink when the little girl woke up. She then continued, "That''s a little weird though. You share the same bad every night. How could you miss that?" Finally, Carla placed a small smile on her face and replied, "Thank you for asking, Miss Lucy. Terence wasn''t able to sleep when he was with you because of me. And now that I''m back, he''s not losing time for sleep anymore."


    Carla''s response made Lucy feel very embarrassed. She started to regret inquiring about the matter.


    She had been with Terence for two years. In those 730 days, he had never spent a night with her. In the beginning, she thought that he might h


    o do so.


    Nathan suddenly stood in front of her and gave her a nod. He said impassively, "Miss Lucy, this is my number. Mr. Terence is a busy man so he might not be able to take your calls. If you need anything, please don''t be afraid to call me."


    Nathan made sure to put emphasis on his last word. After which, he put his business card on the table and walked out of the room as well.


    When everyone had left and only Lucy and Gail were left in the room, Lucy grabbed the things that Nathan brought in and immediately threw all of them on the floor. The anger that she was feeling made her a little out of breath. She shouted in rage, "What a jerk! I took care of him for two years. How could he be so heartless?"


    She then paused for a while to take deep breaths in an effort to calm herself down. But she just couldn''t do it. She continued, "How could he just leave like that? What is so good about that woman anyway?


    Right now, he couldn''t even look at me in the eyes!"


    Lucy sneered and looked up. Tears were starting to fall down silently as she continued to look at Gail who was lying on the bed silently.

 Chapter 553 Im Not Letting You Out Of My Sight! Not Again! (Part Two)

    In reality, she saw Gail on that table. She watched as her little child fell down on the floor. She didn''t move or do anything to save her daughter. As a mother, of course, she didn''t want her baby daughter to get hurt. However, she knew that if her daughter got into an accident, she would be taken to the hospital. And ultimately, Terence would definitely come and visit her more often.


    If Terence could change his mind and take them back to the mansion, everything would be worth it.


    However, Lucy never thought that Terence would act the way he did. He just left without a second look at them.


    Even when she tried the hard way and sacrificed her daughter''s safety, it was still no use. Still, she couldn''t get him back.


    Meanwhile, Carla and Terence were walking out of the hospital.


    "Where did you go? Why did you take so long?" Carla asked when she got inside the car.


    Terence followed her and then, he quickly held her by the waist and said, "I made a call to check on the situation with Lucy''s parents. And I also asked about Ella."


    "Oh? What did you find out?" Upon hearing that, Carla asked in a hurry.


    "Lucy''s parents already knew what was going on with Lucy. They''re on their way here as we speak. They sincerely sounded concerned about her," Terence said as he looked at her with a smile.


    He had overheard Carla''s conversation with Lucy. He even heard the part where Carla said that he was her husband and her man. Just thinking about it, he couldn''t hold his happiness inside.


    "As for Ella, she claimed that Lucy had fired her. But I doubt that Lucy would ask her to leave without a good enough reason," Terence then told her. Afterward, he fixed Carla''s


    ree year old kid. Why would you always have to watch over me?"


    "It''s not as serious as it sounds. I just meant that you can''t be too far away from me," Terence said. He then pinched her plump cheeks. From Terence''s perspective, he was not going to let her go anywhere by herself.


    Four years ago, he let her go back to BH City for a short while and he lost her, and he thought, forever.


    He would rather have people laughing at him about being a man who couldn''t live without his wife.


    He didn''t want to experience the pain of losing her again. He just couldn''t.


    "Okay, I can deal with that," Carla agreed. She then reached one of her hands to pinch his face back. Terence was enjoying playing with her too much. He didn''t notice that her other hand was reaching for the bag.


    "Alright! What''s in it?" she asked as soon as she got a hold of the bag.


    "Carla..."


    When he realized it, Carla had already taken the folder from the bag and was holding it high in the air. It seemed like she would still find out about his secret.


    Terence had never been prepared for Carla''s surprise attacks. He just couldn''t.

 Chapter 554 Kisses As Sweet As Yesterday

    Carla turned around so Terence couldn''t take back the folder. Then, she quickly opened it and read what was inside.


    However, when her eyes finally saw the contents of the folder, she was stunned.


    "Terence, so all of the things that you said you remembered are written here?"


    Carla asked him, shaking the folder in her hand.


    What was inside were all the comic strips that she had created for the company years ago.


    All the stories in there were lifted from her most precious memories with Terence.


    Terence only blinked at her a few times before looking away. "No. They had just been helping me remember things a little faster," Terence quietly said. He spoke really softly that it was almost like a whisper.


    Carla leaned closer to him and carefully tried to look into his eyes.


    Nathan had explained to her that Terence''s memory had been sealed in a special way by a foreign hypnotist.


    However, the hypnotist unexpectedly passed away.


    In other words, there was no way to get his memories back right now.


    He could only do it on his own. However, with this method, it was certainly going to take ages.


    Although she didn''t know anything about hypnotherapy, Carla figured out that this was what they would be facing for the next days of their lives. It was the sad reality in front of them and she needed to accept that.


    "Terence, do you remember when we had sex for the first time? Could you remember where we were at that time?"


    Carla fixed her eyes on Terence. She didn''t write that part of their life into the book, because she thought that it should remain private. Needless to say, she didn''t want to share it with others.


    Terence frowned a little and took a quick glance at Nathan in the driver''s seat.


    Nathan could sense what was going on so he faked a cough and he even honked his horn.


    It actually meant "in the car".


    What actually happened back then was that when Carla and Terence were enjoying their first time to be intimate with each other, Nathan was outside of the car waiting. Of course, he knew the answer.


    Terence thought for a while before responding, "Hmmm... In the car?"


    With his exceptional intellect and his bond with Nathan, Terence soon understood what Nathan meant.


    Carla glanced at Nathan. She was not dumb. She knew very well that he tried to help out his boss. So, she thought for a while and blinked a few times. Then, she came up with an idea and whispered into Terence''s ear.


    "Well, what position?" Carla whispered so softly that Nathan wouldn''t be able to hear the question.


    Terence raised his eyebrows and pondered for a while. Then, he raised her chin with a huge grin on his face.


    With all the confidence that he had, he said, "You were on top."


    That one was actually quite easy.


    Judging from her actions while making love since she got back home, Terence could tell how bossy she was. So he could only guess that she would be the same when they first had sex.


    Carla looked at him suspiciously. Although h


    ring him here, he''s sleeping at home."


    "So, it''s a boy?" Carla asked again.


    "Yeah, he''s four years old. I heard you have a daughter, is that right? Take her out sometime. Maybe we can introduce them to each other." Violet said with more tears in her eyes.


    "Yeah, that''s what I''m trying to do. Sally definitely needs to interact with more kids of her age." Carla beamed while speaking of her lovely daughter and then gazed at Violet who seemed to be a little worn out.


    "By the way, has William ever gotten in touch with you?"


    Violet nodded impassively with her eyes. She then said, "Yes, he went to my parents'' home and asked all of my relatives and friends about my whereabouts. This year, he came to my house. But, so what?


    I''ve made up my mind to leave him. I only came back to JA City this time to visit you. I don''t intend to stay here that long."


    Carla got a little disappointed when she heard Violet''s plans. "Really? Why does it seem like you''re in such a rush to leave?"


    Carla suddenly remembered that William had come to her before, asking something about Violet. And he told Carla to contact him as soon as she knew where Violet was.


    But now that she saw how Violet feels about the guy, she didn''t know whether she should tell him.


    While Carla was lost in her thoughts, Theo''s voice came into the other side of the room.


    "Terence, Look who I brought with me!"


    Theo patted Terence''s shoulder and introduced the guy beside him. "William, this is Terence. Terence, this is William. Although, I bet you guys have met before. I met William at an afternoon party, so we decided to come here together."


    After making a brief explanation, Theo sat down and made himself comfortable.


    "How are you doing, Mr. Terence?"


    William stretched out his hand toward Terence.


    Terence''s eyes discretely passed over to the women sitting at another table. Then, he placed a small smile on his face and shook William''s hand.


    "Mr. William, I haven''t seen you in a long time!"

 Chapter 555 Lets Drink Spirits!

    Carla and Violet were talking avidly, so they didn''t notice that William had come in with Theo.


    "So you haven''t seen William since you left him, have you?"


    Carla asked with a sigh after looking at Violet and seeing how sad she looked.


    Violet shook her head and answered, "No, I haven''t seen him since. Carla, do you have any idea, how I''m feeling? I don''t hate that woman who destroyed my relationship with William.


    But I hate him for letting her come between us.


    His love for me was not enough, so we couldn''t overcome the challenge lying in front of us. Even if I were to forgive him, probably another woman would show up. As the saying goes, once a cheater, always a cheater! I''m sure he would make the same choice next time. So I left him!"


    Violet smiled with teary eyes. She then added, "Now, I know our love would not last forever. So I think I shouldn''t keep wasting my time being with him!"


    "But it''s been almost five years since you left him. How do you know if his love for you hasn''t changed?"


    Carla stretched out her hand and patted Violet on the back, trying to comfort her.


    Carla also hadn''t seen William for a long time but, last time they met four years ago, she could tell that William had realized how much he loved Violet.


    Some people were like this. When they had someone in their lives, they wouldn''t think about them too much.


    But once they lose this person, they would find out that they loved that person more than they could imagine. Carla now thought that William was just this kind of person.


    "Anyway, let''s forget about it! I''m living a good life now. My job is stable and my son is obedient. And the best thing is that I don''t have to rely on men!" Violet laughed, pretending to be indifferent. She raised the glass in her hand and asked, "Carla, are you going to have a drink with me or not?"


    "Of course I am!"


    Carla answered without hesitation. She then raised her glass and cheered with Violet.


    As this strong drink passed through her throat, she frowned with disgust. This was a very strong alcoholic drink and she wasn''t used to it. She couldn''t help but ask, "Wow, Violet! I thought it was white wine! What the hell is in this glass? Are you drinking spirits now?"


    That glass looked just like a glass of white wine, and that was why Carla had grabbed it without blinking.


    "Wine?! No, no, no, that''s not


    h her."


    Then, she turned to Violet and introduced them, "Violet, this is Mr. Theo. Since you two have the fate to meet each other, you should drink together!"


    Violet stood up to face Theo and introduced herself.


    "Hi! Mr. Theo, my name is Violet. I''m Carla''s friend!"


    The four of them all stood up and had a drink together.


    Back at the table, William was sitting alone and waiting for Theo to come back, noticing these four people together celebrating.


    It was a little noisy inside the pub so he couldn''t hear what they were talking about. But he saw Carla sitting there.


    William originally thought Theo was drinking with Terence''s second wife Lucy, so he didn''t follow them. But when he saw Carla, he stood up and planned to walk up to meet them.


    Carla was Violet''s friend and he had also met Carla before, so he thought he should go and say hi.


    Four years ago, news about Carla had been spread all round JA City. Especially when people knew that she was sacrificing herself to save one child, her reputation went over the roof at that time.


    Thinking of what had happened four years ago, William walked towards them. He saw a familiar figure and asked himself whether it was Violet or not. He soon dismissed the idea. He thought he wouldn''t have the luck to meet her here.


    He also didn''t believe that the woman he had been searching for ever would appear in front of him so easily.


    When he was about to say hello to Carla, he unconsciously looked back and saw the woman sitting beside Theo.


    At that moment, time stopped and his heart skipped a beat.

 Chapter 556 Carla, How About Getting A Room Tonight (Part One)

    The glass William was holding in his hand fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.


    This caused the smile on Violet''s face to become frigid in an instant as well.


    As Theo sat next to Violet, he couldn''t help but look back and forth between her and William in confusion. For a moment there, he was a bit baffled as to why the two of them would be reacting the way they did. But after a while, he thought that their relationship might not have been as simple as he thought it was. When he came to that sudden realization, he quickly sprung up from his seat.


    "Umm... William, it''s just that there was no other place for me to sit down, so I took the one beside her. Believe me. I''ve only been here for a moment!"


    Theo tried to clear things up as he walked farther away from Violet to avoid conflict.


    "Violet..."


    Carla called out to her, sounding a bit anxious. The truth was that she was also unaware that William frequented this place at all.


    Putting down his glass on the table, Terence grabbed Carla''s hand and proceeded to stand up as well.


    "Carla, would you like to go for a walk with me?"


    In just a second, Terence pulled her away from the table before she could even give him an answer.


    As they walked away, Carla''s gaze was glued to Violet, feeling quite worried.


    That being said, Violet still stared at the man standing in front of her in astonishment, so she failed to notice that the people around her had already left one by one.


    "It''s been so long... Mr. William..."


    Violet greeted him when she finally came to her senses. At that moment, she held back what she actually felt inside, and tried to put on a relaxed smile as best as she could.


    William kept staring at Violet whom he had not seen for five long years as he walked closer to her in excitement. Then, he stretched out his hands and wrapped his arms around her and told her, "Violet, what took you so long to come back?


    ing her to sit back down. Then, he promptly took the two bottles of liquor in her hands and put them back on the table.


    William proposed, "How about we play a game? I''ll down three glasses and you''re free to drink anytime you like. And for every three glasses I drink, you''ll let me say one sentence to you. Deal?"


    Violet had no choice but to take a seat on the sofa when William forced her to do so.


    "Mr. William, I think that a man at your age shouldn''t be forcing himself to drink a lot!"


    Disregarding her sarcastic remarks, William sat down as well. Then, as he said, he immediately poured three glasses of liquor and drank them without a bit of hesitation.


    ¡ª


    Meanwhile, Terence decided to take Carla out of the Phoenix Club.


    As for Theo, knowing that there was no longer a chance for them brothers to have a decent chat together, he opted to just head straight back home for the night.


    In that beautiful moonlit evening, Terence and Carla went for a stroll, walking hand-in-hand on the street.


    "Terence, I would like to visit BT Village," Carla suddenly blurted out.


    It had already been a number of days since she came back. For that reason, she thought that it should be about time for her to pay them a visit now that she had already settled down.

 Chapter 557 Carla, How About Getting A Room Tonight (Part Two)

    After all, Cathy and the rest of her family had been of great help to Carla in her time of need. So, Carla thought that paying them back for the kindness they had shown to her should be done as soon as possible.


    "Okay, I agree as well that we should go there to show them our gratitude! Do you still remember how to get to that place?"


    Terence asked as he held his wife''s hand. It''s been so long since the last time he was able to enjoy roaming around like this.


    After giving it much thought, Carla replied, "Well, I don''t really remember its exact location, but I came back with Sally by car from the house of one of Cathy''s relatives. We can just head there first, and then we can ask one of her relatives to show us the way to Cathy''s home."


    The road they took from Cathy''s house to her relative''s was actually quite complex. She had only passed through it once, so she couldn''t possibly remember everything right away.


    Not to mention how she got to the village. Given the fact that she was barely conscious when she arrived, she was as clueless as a camel which had inexplicably found itself on the Arctic.


    "Alright. How about we go there the day after tomorrow? I will ask someone to get everything ready, so you can also make some preparations if you want. We could fly as soon as you are ready the next day," Terence stated.


    He had heard that BT village was extremely hard to find.


    If it weren''t, he wouldn''t have had a hard time looking for her in the past four years.


    Carla nodded her head in agreement and said, "I think I really need to prepare something. To be honest, Cathy really lives such a hard life. On top of that, there weren''t even any power sources in that village. They still lack a water source as well. Would you be able to figure out something so we can help to make their daily life become a bit easier?"


    "Sure! That shouldn


    ith this! She has been gone for four long years! There''s no way she could actually come back alive..."


    "I''m serious! How could I make these all up? The AJ Group has already announced this news and they are also planning to hold an activity called ''Love-Returning'' next month. On that day, all the products of AJ Group are going to be free for everyone!"


    "... Are you just pulling my leg?"


    "Of course, not! This is just some inside information as of the moment, but it will be announced to the public next week!"


    Hearing those words from the man she was with, the woman who was crying merely seconds ago burst into laughter and pulled her boyfriend back to the hotel with a coy smile on her face.


    Carla was quietly watching the couple as she stood in front of the display window, so she couldn''t help but overhear their entire conversation. After a while of being lost in thought, she came to her senses and glanced at Terence.


    Terence''s gaze was also completely fixated on that couple who just went back in. When the two of them walked back into the hotel, he beamed Carla a playful smile and suggested, "Carla, since we''re already out here and we have the hotel standing in front of us, what do you say we get a room for the night?"

 Chapter 558 Eating Street Food In Fancy Hotel Suites

    Instead of answering Terence''s question, Carla chose to ignore it. She just stared at him who was standing in front of her.


    Feeling strange at the stare that she was giving him, Terence shook his hands in front of her face and asked, "What''s the matter? Why are you looking at me like that?"


    "Terence, that man just said you were going to hold an activity in which all the products of AJ Group would be free for a day. Is that true?"


    Carla asked after taking a moment to construct her question.


    Truth be told, Carla was touched by that young couple''s dialogue just then.


    When she saw how other people could feel happy because of her story, she felt a sense of accomplishment arising in her heart.


    When he heard her question, Terence smiled and held her hand. Then as they walked toward the hotel, he asked, "So you heard about that news?" As a matter of fact, Terence deliberately wanted to avoid her question.


    However, Carla was eager to know the answer, so she pressed on and asked again, "Is it true then?"


    "Yes, it''s true. Next week, we''ll hold the press conference to officially announce the date of the activity."


    Terence knew that there was no point in denying it anymore.


    "Wow! That''s really amazing! If so, the company will lose a huge amount of money that day, right?" Carla asked him directly. For some reason, she started to become a little keen when it came to money matters. In fact, she thought that it would be fine for one shop to hold the activity. But if all the stores of AJ Group would give its products for free even just for a single day, she couldn''t dare to imagine the amount of money that the group would lose.


    "My dear, you do know that money doesn''t matter to us, right? I just feel very happy and I want to share it with other people,"


    Terence said with a bright smile on his face. Before long, they reached the front desk. Terence gave his card to the receptionist.


    To him, the most important thing that happened in his life for so long was Carla coming back to him. It only deserved to be celebrated by the whole country.


    That was why he didn''t really care about such an amount of money because his life had come back to him in the form of this beautiful and breathtaking woman in front of him.


    Since Terence and Carla were talking, the receptionist hesitated to interrupt their conversation. When she noticed that they had finished, she immediately greeted them. "Good evening, Mr. Terence!


    Please wait a minute. I''ll go and call the manager right now!" the receptionist exclaimed.


    As soon as the receptionist saw the American Express Centurion Card, and looked up at Terence, she immediately went inside and asked the manager to come out.


    In fact, everyone who had watched TV would recognize Terence''s face, let alone the employees of the AJ Group.


    The employees must pay special attention to their own company''s officials.


    While the receptionist left to call the manager, Terence took Carla to the sofa beside the desk and sat down. After a while


    ly easily.


    Terence couldn''t help but laugh and hum, "What? Are you going to find excuses for crying now?"


    "I just told you what I believe," Carla responded, pursing her lips into a child-like pout. Then, she took a spicy kebab and ate it in one go. She looked at Terence and asked, "Would you like to have one?"


    Terence shook his head. "No, I''m not hungry."


    Carla was just about to refute, but Terence opened his mouth again. He then said, "You know you shouldn''t eat this kind of food that often. Although the food inspection in JA city had always been strict, it couldn''t completely prevent some unclean meat from entering the market."


    "No! It''s really delicious! Why don''t you try it?"


    Carla said, taking the kebab closer to his lips.


    Terence furrowed his brows, looked at her stubborn hand in front of him, and reluctantly ate one. "The quality of the meat is okay, but it''s not very fresh."


    When she heard what he just said, Carla squinted into his direction. She couldn''t help but think that he was being really picky. But she was already used to his quirks because she knew that he was very meticulous about food and clothing.


    "Carla, it''s actually rare for us to get a room in a hotel. And it''s a little late right now. I think we shouldn''t waste our beautiful night with just sitting here, don''t you think so?"


    Terence suggested after looking at the time.


    It was already midnight.


    He thought that Carla had immersed herself in crying, eating, and reading for too long.


    Maybe it was time for her to pay attention to him.


    Carla glanced at him, stretched her arms, and stood up from the sofa. She went to the balcony and opened the curtains.


    Then, she started to enjoy the remarkable night view of the city. Behind the cloud, the moon watched from the sky as the stars blinked their eyes repeatedly. And the bright street lights below them formed a wonderful picture of connected ribbons.


    Soon enough, Terence followed her to the balcony and held her waist from behind.

 Chapter 559 See No Evil

    Carla turned her eyes away from the night view of the city. Unintentionally, her eyes landed on the balcony right next to their room.


    What she saw in there absolutely stunned her.


    "Carla, the view in here looks breathtaking. Do you want to¡ª"


    "Hush!"


    Carla interrupted Terence mid-sentence. In fact, she was actually watching the "live sex show" on the other balcony. She couldn''t help but be completely astounded about the fact that some people were that brave. They didn''t even close their curtains.


    When Terence didn''t hear more from Carla except telling him to be quiet, he followed the direction of her gaze.


    However, before he could see what was going on, Carla covered his eyes and exclaimed, "See no evil! Hear no evil! Speak no evil!"


    What Terence couldn''t see was a topless woman bending over on the other balcony. Her hands gripped the railing really tightly as a man was grabbing her waist with both of his hands. He was thrusting into her repeatedly. However, Carla couldn''t clearly see the man''s face.


    Carla was not going to let Terence see that bashful scene.


    At that moment, Terence''s lips turned into a smile, and he giggled softly. However, he didn''t take her hand off and just asked, "Is that so? Why are you looking then?"


    "That''s different! I am a woman!"


    In Carla''s perspective, it was acceptable for her to see a naked woman since she was a woman herself. However, she didn''t want her husband to see another woman''s naked body except hers.


    While Carla was speaking, she took another look at the two porn stars. Accidentally, she finally saw the side view of the man''s face. The familiar face surprised her even more.


    Terence took her hand down and responded, "Okay, I''m not going to look. Let''s not disturb them. Let''s just close our curtains and stay inside, okay?"


    He already knew what was going on, and he honestly could not care any less than he already did.


    However, she didn''t respond nor move. Her eyes were still fixated on the balcony next door with her mouth a little opened.


    "Honey, do you have to stare at them like that? Come on! Let''s just go inside. We have a big mirror inside. I can let you see as much as you want," Terence nonchalantly said with a hint of flirting. When he tried to pull her inside, he accidentally looked outside as well. Then, he frowned and pulled her in.


    "Terence, isn''t that..."


    Carla wanted to say something but she hesitated. She wasn''t sure if she saw it clearly.


    That man looked really familiar to her.


    "Yes, that''s Rhys, my older brother,"


    Terence said it out for her.


    After she got ready for bed, Carla laid on the bed and doubtfully asked, "I thought Rhys was afraid of Eunice. After all, they


    ned again


    and Terence walked in.


    The second Sally saw her father, she started tearing up even harder. Finally, she cried out loud. Her little body started to shiver as she continued to sob. She looked like she couldn''t be any sadder.


    Terence couldn''t help but feel sad as well when he saw the tears on Sally''s cheeks. He took Sally from Carla''s arms and said, "Sally, tell Daddy why you''re crying."


    Sally opened up her eyes with so much tears and looked at him and Carla.


    "Daddy and Mommy were not home. I wanted Mommy, but I can''t find her anywhere..."


    Sally hadn''t been separated with Carla for a whole day since she was born. When she couldn''t find Carla, her little heart fell into pieces.


    "Sally, can you please stop crying? Do you know how much Daddy is jealous of you? Your mommy had been with you every day for the past three years. But look at Daddy. Daddy hadn''t spent a day, even a minute with your mommy alone." Terence tried to comfort the little girl.


    "Now, Sally is a big girl already, right? You came back to Daddy. Don''t you think it''s only fair to share Mommy with Daddy?"


    Terence tried to reason with Sally. She was three years old, and Terence thought that she would be old enough to understand.


    Sally looked up. Her big eyes filled with tears were fixed on Terence''s face. She sobbed, "But, Daddy is a grown-up man!"


    Her words actually made sense. For Sally, grown-ups like her Daddy didn''t need a woman to watch him go to sleep.


    However, babies like her needed their mommies.


    "Daddy, you''re a big man! I slept by myself last night and the night before yesterday. Shame on you for asking Mommy to watch you go to sleep!"


    Sally said as she pouted her lips. She was extremely sad and disappointed, leaving her parents helpless on what to do to appease her.

 Chapter 560 Returning to the BT Village

    Carla was the one who used to sleep with Sally in the past. But when they came back, Terence started to sleep with her.


    Sally was a kid but she had to sleep by herself.


    While Sally complained, Carla couldn''t help laughing.


    Terence looked at Carla who was shaking with laughter and as Sally left his arms he said, "Sally, will you still need your mother when you become an adult?"


    "Of course!"


    Sally blurted out. She wanted to be with her mother forever and no one would separate them.


    Realizing that she wouldn''t have her way, she said, "Naughty Daddy. Humph!"


    Sally pouted and glared at Terence hoping he would give her more attention.


    She looked just like her mother when she got mad, which made Terence feel blessed for having both of them in his life.


    He laughed loudly and pinched her chubby cheeks. "Why are you calling me naughty? I haven''t seen your mother in a long time. I have a lot of things to share with her. So I asked her to sleep with me just for one night. But then you were crying. So, do you really think I am the naughty one?"


    It had been several days since they came home and everyone was busy looking after Sally. The little girl was much healthier. Her face was red and adorable, more beautiful and healthier than before.


    Winking her clear eyes, Sally listened to her father and didn''t seem as sad as before.


    She decided to forgive her poor Daddy who just wanted to spend more time with her mother.


    "Well, Daddy, will you be my Daddy forever? Just my Daddy? No one else''s?" she asked.


    Sophie had told Sally that her little sister got ill and that her father left to take care of the little one.


    So now Sally was worried that her father had another daughter and that he wouldn''t like her anymore.


    "Of course I''m your daddy. I will be your daddy for my whole life!" Terence confirmed with a soft emotional voice.


    Caressing her little head, Terence cuddled her in his arms. It was his fault that his daughter was feeling insecure.


    "However, there is one possibility..." Terence said and turned to face Carla.


    He smiled at her and continued, "If your Mommy wants to have another baby, then..."


    Terence paused fearing that Sally would become upset.


    But


    e also multiple water channels behind the mountain. The higher people walked up, the more mist there would be. So it was impossible for people to notice that there was a desolate village.


    Nathan nodded his head in agreement. "You''re right, Mr. Terence. The place is surrounded with overlapping mountains, so it is worth considering to develop stimulating entertaining activities. But it is also a vast place so a thorough study has to be made."


    They started making plans for the development program for sightseeing activities.


    Following Terence for many years, Nathan and Rainer were responsible for safety protection and work assistance. They had accumulated a lot of experience in their fields and knew what they were doing.


    Hovering for a while, the helicopter landed on an empty field at the foot of the mountain.


    The top of the mountain was rugged and there wasn''t any proper place for the helicopter to land.


    The farmland cultivated by Cathy and her family was trapezoidal. Although it was relatively flat, it was too small.


    "Carla, watch out!"


    Terence said with care, holding her hand to make her slow down. He knew Carla was excited to come back again.


    Holding Sally in his arms, Rainer walked out of the helicopter.


    On the top of the mountain, Cathy and the whole family had already heard the noise from the helicopter so they went out to check who had arrived. Upon seeing Carla and Sally, they cheerfully started running downhill to greet them.

 Chapter 561 My Appreciation (Part One)

    Upon seeing them again after a while, Sally was brimming with happiness. They excitedly gave each other hugs.


    Cathy was very pleased to see that Carla was doing fine, so she wrapped her arms around her and gave her a warm embrace.


    "Carla! You actually came back!"


    Cathy actually thought that she wouldn''t be able to see Carla again, for the rest of her life!


    This place was destitute and completely isolated. Rarely did she have any visitors coming by. With that in mind, anyone who had been to this place most probably wouldn''t consider ever going back a second time even for just a visit.


    "Yes! I came back, Cathy! And this wouldn''t be the last time either! I''ll drop by every once in a while in the future!" Carla gladly told her, giving Cathy a pat on her shoulder.


    "Carla! What is all this? What are they doing?"


    Duke asked in shock upon seeing the boxes of gifts being taken out of the helicopter.


    "Duke, all of these are for you and Cathy. You have taken care of me and my daughter for four years! I really can''t thank you enough, so please accept them as a sign of my gratitude,"


    Carla answered as she gave them a smile. There were probably more than a dozen bodyguards who came out of the big helicopter. Each of them were carrying two boxes of gifts in their hands. Carla went ahead and bought some new clothes and food for them. Anything she thought that might be able to help them in some way, Carla brought them all.


    Meanwhile, on the top of the mountain just right outside the mud house, Sally was holding a remote controlled airplane and showing Bob how to use it. Given that they had lived all their life in this mountain, Abbey had never seen a toy like this


    tay in this poor place was because there was just no way for them to leave due to the uneven terrain that they had in there. The other reason was because their family had been the guardians of this place for generations now. Because of that, they couldn''t easily leave just like that.


    There were only a handful of families residing in this village. The government had no intention of spending that much money to build a road just for them.


    Be that as it might, it appeared that things were going to be very different this time around.


    "We can''t possibly accept that! Carla, could you please tell your husband to stop what he''s doing? You can''t let him go around burning money like that! You know just how far away this place is to the outside world! Please say something to make him stop!"


    Cathy said as she shook her head and refused the money.


    Years ago, the government had estimated that it would cost a little over ten billion to build a road heading to the area. The huge amount of the expenses made the government steer clear of this place. And now that years had passed, it would most definitely cost even more.

 Chapter 562 My Appreciation (Part Two)

    "Duke, Cathy, you don''t have to worry about it! Trust me! My husband is a businessman. He is actually planning to turn this place into a tourist destination. Don''t worry, he can earn back the money he''s going to invest in this place. You can decide to stay in this place or go out if you want. If you''d let them, Abbey and Bob will be able to go to other places as well! Don''t you also think that it''s a great idea?"


    Carla flatly told them. In fact, she didn''t really worry about it at all since she knew that Terence had a plan.


    With the AJ Group''s funding, the government would most certainly be glad to improve local economy.


    "Are you serious? Then, that means we shouldn''t be taking all of these money even more! Improving and developing this place would be the best thing that ever happened to us! We couldn''t possibly ask for anything more!"


    Cathy exclaimed, holding Carla''s hand as she was looking forward to these improvements they mentioned. Turning around to face Terence, she said, "Please take all of these back! We really shouldn''t be taking it!"


    "Cathy, this is only a token of my appreciation for you for saving my precious wife''s life,"


    Terence softly told her.


    Realizing that these two wouldn''t take no for an answer, Cathy had no choice but to accept the money.


    Terence and Carla decided to spend the night in the village.


    Actually, Carla intended to head back home right away. She knew that Terence had issues with unclean environments. But in spite of that, he insisted on staying for the night. He wanted to have an idea of what she had gone through for the last four years.


    For that reason, they stayed in the


    case, but his daughter hadn''t yet experienced sleeping on a decent bed back then, so it wasn''t surprising for her to think that this bed was comfortable.


    When thoughts like these came to his mind, he couldn''t help but feel guilty for not being able to find them sooner. So, he planted a kiss on her cheek. And since Sally had a lot fun playing around all day long, she soon fell asleep beside them.


    It didn''t take too long for Carla to fall asleep as well. After making sure that the two of them were already in deep slumber, Terence got up and went outside. The moon was shining in the dark night sky. Mist hovered on all of the valleys as the birds chirped from time to time.


    It was much too cold to be standing on top of the mountain. Right now, Terence only had a thin shirt on as he peered at the rolling hills from the edge of a cliff.


    A cold breeze blew, causing the tiles of the dilapidated roof to squeak a little.


    "Mr. Terence, please take this jacket. It''s cold in the mountains around this time,"


    Rainer said as he walked over toward Terence to hand over one of his jackets.

 Chapter 563 Godmother

    "I don''t need it,"


    Terence responded in a calm and collected voice.


    Then, he looked into the far distance while he put his hands inside his pockets. He sighed, "Rainer, can you see yourself living in this place for four years?"


    Rainer thought for a while. He then promptly shook his head and replied, "I can''t. I can''t even stay here for a month, much less, a year or at worst, four. They don''t have mobile connection or Wi-Fi. The only purpose of my phone in this kind of place is for checking the time and taking photos."


    Terence didn''t react. His eyes remained fixated into the far distance.


    "But Carla had stayed in this place for four whole years. Where had I been? Where was I when she was suffering in here? I had been in sorrow for two years and completely forgotten about her for another two years. What I experienced was nothing compared to what she had been through. I can''t feel sorry for myself," Terence stated with a hint of regret and self-blame in this voice.


    He had left his wife and daughter to live in this horrible condition for four years.


    Terence felt that he had extremely failed to fulfill his promise of protecting Carla for the rest of her life.


    "Mr. Terence, please don''t blame yourself. This place is isolated from the rest of the world. No one would be able to find it without a guide,"


    Rainer comforted Terence after seeing how bad he was feeling.


    "Man-made and natural disasters are out of control! No matter what happened in the past and every circumstance that came with it, the important thing right now is that Mrs. Carla is back. Sometimes, great things come a little late, but eventually, they do come. We should look ahead rather than stay in the past. Don''t you think so, Mr. Terence?"


    Terence took a deep breath and slowly closed his eyes.


    "That''s true. Right at this moment, right here, I swear on all I hold dear that I am going to defend Carla for the rest of my life!" Terence exclaimed with all the confidence that he had.


    He then continued, "If I fail, then I shall follow her to the other side immediately."


    When Rainer heard that, he was incredibly astounded. He cried out, "Mr. Terence, don''t say that!"


    The truth, however, was that no one knew what was going to happen next.


    But one thing was for sure, God was very merciful, shinning his light on everyone with kindness in their hearts. They could only be hopeful that a day like what Terence had stated would not come.


    Knowing how much they loved each other, God even built a strong wall to protect them for the rest of their lives.


    The next morning, a ray of sunlight burst out through the clouds, through the windows and on Carla''s face.


    "You''re awake," said Terence.


    Carla heard him as she started to stretch her body that was aching a little from sleep. Then, she opened her eyes and saw Terence who was lying sideways while he was looking at her.


    It looked like he had


    at her with so much curiosity.


    For some unknown reasons, Cody suddenly felt nervous. At that moment, he really didn''t know what to say.


    "He-hello, how are you? I-I''m Cody. What''s your name?" The little boy struggled to get his words out.


    Sally looked at this little boy who was about her age, and she noticed that he was a bit taller than her.


    "My name is Sandra, but you can call me Sally," she said with a little smile.


    Cody tried to say something back, but Sally walked over to Carla and said, "Mommy! Why did you make me come down?"


    "Sally, this is your Auntie Violet!" Carla picked Sally up and introduced Violet to her.


    Even though they just met, Violet was already very fond of Sally. She was a bit jealous of Carla for having such an adorable daughter. "Come over here! Let me take a good look at you!" Violet smiled warmly at Sally while she gestured for the little girl to approach her.


    A lot of mothers with a son would often feel jealous of mothers with a daughter.


    Sally wasn''t too shy. She walked over to Violet and sweetly said, "Whoa, Auntie Violet? You are so pretty! But my Mommy is a tiny bit prettier than you!" Sally looked innocent as she stared at Violet in awe.


    Violet laughed out laughed when she heard Sally. She then looked at Carla and exclaimed, "Carla, your daughter is so cute!"


    She then turned her attention back on Sally and said, "Of course! Your mommy was the second prettiest girl back in college!"


    At that, Carla seemed to remember something and asked Violet, "Oh, speaking about the prettiest girl in college, do you know how Ruth is doing right now? I remember that she used to bully you back then."


    As Violet was talking, Carla reached her hand out and signaled for Cody to come closer. When he did, she gave him a candy.


    "Oh, right. I haven''t really heard anything from her. Do you know anything about her?" Carla replied.


    Violet then responded with a smile on her face.

 Chapter 564 The Hostess of the An Family

    "There''s a rumor going around that Ruth has been an old man''s mistress for three years."


    "Just recently, the man''s wife finally found out about her. The wife became so furious that she chased her in the streets and hit her multiple times. Witnesses even said that Ruth was running half naked when it happened!"


    It was rather apparent that Violet was having a blast talking about the miserable state Ruth was in. At the thought of how arrogant and hateful Ruth usually was, Violet just couldn''t help but think that it was just karma hitting her hard and that she deserved every bit of it.


    Upon hearing that, Rhys suddenly cropped up in Carla''s mind. Just the other night, she happened to catch a glimpse of him at the hotel.


    Ruth had been with Rhys for some time. However, Rhys decided to leave her because she always had too much drama going on that he couldn''t handle it anymore.


    "It shouldn''t be surprising though. After all, she has been relying on some guy''s support ever since she attained her college degree. She''s probably going to find another man soon enough. Oh, is that why you wanted to come here? To tell me about that?"


    Violet truly enjoyed seeing karma striking back on bad people.


    "Of course not! Despicable people like Ruth aren''t really worth my time to bother coming all the way to your house!"


    Violet replied. Then she glanced over at Sally and Cody. After giving it much thought, she went on and said, "How about we leave the kids to themselves, let them play here and look for a quieter place where we could talk in private?"


    Carla found the secretive look on her face a bit weird. "Okay. Hannah, can you please come over?"


    Carla called out to Hannah and asked her.


    At one point, Hannah was regarded as the best kindergarten teacher in all of JA City. She was already retired. Terence was the one who decided to hire her to be Sally''s tutor. When they had things to take care of, she would help them look after her from time to time.


    Carla then proceeded to take Violet to the balcony on the third floor. A breeze blew in when she opened the windows.


    She went ahead and took a seat on the comfy couch. When she looked up, she noticed that Violet was still standing up and hadn''t taken a seat yet.


    "Is there something wrong? Why don''t you take a seat?"


    "Carla! I am so jealous of the rich lifestyle you are living!" Violet frankly told her what she was thinking as she marveled at the view outside.


    After recovering from the shock, she sat right across Carla. The servant came in and served some pastries and sweets as well as cups of tea for them.


    "If you would like to, please feel free to come over and visit me every day!"


    Seeing the envious expression on her face, Carla told her that and smiled at her. Then, she let out a soft sigh and asked her, "Have you ever considered getting back together with William? At the end of the day, you two have a son together.


    y! We shouldn''t keep the food waiting!"


    Upon telling them that, he walked inside, carrying Sally in his arms.


    As soon as they turned around and went inside the Manor, Terence raised his eyebrows and glanced at Carla. They proceeded to follow them inside while walking hand in hand.


    It seemed that Edmund had turned over a new leaf, and his attitude toward Carla had improved after she had Sally.


    It appeared as though he was sincerely being nice to Carla this time.


    As soon as they went in, Carla noticed that Rhys, along with the rest of his family, were also here. There was also a little boy with them.


    "Carla is finally back! Welcome! Come over here and sit beside me!"


    Eunice noticed Carla the second she walked in, so she walked over toward her and held her hand, just as a good friend would, and led her to the dining table.


    "Carla, that was really scary! I thought I wouldn''t be able to see you again for the rest of my life!"


    The enthusiasm in Eunice''s voice caught Carla by surprise.


    She couldn''t help but wonder whether she truly cared about her or she was just putting up a show for everyone around her.


    "Sorry for making you worry. Thank you so much for taking care of the family while I was gone!"


    Carla smiled back at her despite being unsure whether Eunice was being sincere or not.


    Everyone looked so happy to see that she was safe and sound. It seemed like a good start.


    The smile on Eunice''s face turned frigid for a moment. That being said, she quickly lowered her head and replied, "What are you talking about? We are family! You don''t need to thank me for anything at all. You just came back! So just take a good rest! You shouldn''t be worrying about the family right now."


    "Hey, everyone! Let''s all take a seat and enjoy the dinner!"


    Carla went ahead and took a seat.


    She knew that Eunice had taken her place as the hostess of the An family during her absence in the past four years.

 Chapter 565 Sallys Fight

    There were various things a hostess needed to take care of in a family like that of the Ans. During Carla''s absence, Eunice had to handle all of them.


    In contrast, Lucy was a mere cover Terence had at the time. In reality, she had never truly been formally accepted as a member of the family.


    The CEO of the AJ Group had to be someone who possessed a remarkable reputation. Because of that, it was necessary for Terence to be living a perfect life together with a perfect wife. That was the only reason why he married Lucy in the first place.


    The second he saw Terence walk in, Rhys pulled him over to the side to have a little talk.


    In the meantime, Edmund was holding Sally''s hand as she played around the manor. He bought a bunch of new toys for her prior to them come over. The two of them seemed to be having so much fun, giggling as they played with the toys.


    The smile on Eunice''s face turned frigid once more upon noticing that her son was left to himself, standing quietly as he watched them play.


    He usually was the apple of Edmund''s eye and his grandfather would merrily hold and play with him all day. That was how it was supposed to be, him having everyone''s attention.


    That being said, right now, he didn''t have any of that.


    "Ha-ha! Sally, what did you just say? Grandpa failed to catch that. Would you mind saying it again?"


    Edmund was all smiles as he held Sally. She was truly such a sweet little girl. The way she talked so childishly and sweetly played a major role in her winning Edmund over.


    "Grandpa, I said that when you were young, you were probably just as handsome as Daddy! Am I right, Grandpa?"


    Sally yelled out in a playful girlish voice.


    "Of course! When Grandpa was young, many girls like you were flocking around him!" Edmund told her as he burst into laughter.


    He had three boys. Out of all of them, Terence was the youngest and the most good-looking.


    It didn''t come as a surprise when a lot of people started talking about his pretty face. Terence''s mother was also regarded as one of the most beautiful girls in JA city. It was apparent that Terence was the one who inherited both of his parents'' good looks.


    As the icing on the cake, he even had his mother''s poise and grace.


    Given the fact that Sally''s resemblance to her father was uncanny, Edmund was certain that she was bound to turn into a very pretty girl when she grew up.


    And as the An family''s precious little darling, there was no doubt that she would end up being everybody''s dream girl in the future.


    "Father, Eric had been calling out to you several times. Didn''t you hear him?"


    Trying to hold back her anger, Eunice put on a smile and told Edmund as she walked over toward them with her son.


    It was only then that Edmund noticed Eric''s existence. Holding his little hand, he said, "I''m sorry, Eric. Grandpa didn''t hear you. Come here and have a look. She is your little cousin. Her name is Sandra. But you can just call


    more damage compared to Eric''s. So much so that the celling even seemed to shiver a bit.


    "Stop crying!"


    When she saw Sally start crying all of a sudden, Eunice immediately tried to make her stop by covering her mouth with her hand. That being said, she was actually afraid that others might catch her doing that to a little child, so she was at such a loss at the moment.


    Unfortunately for her, Sally''s cries were just loud enough for Edmund to hear. It didn''t take too long for him to walk over to where they were.


    "Oh, my sweet littler girl! What''s wrong? Why are you crying? Tell Grandpa who did this to you!"


    Seeing his precious granddaughter in tears broke Edmund''s heart. So, he asked her as he walked toward her and held her in his arms.


    Terence heard his daughter crying as well, so he followed Edmund downstairs.


    Before Sally could say anything, Eunice opened her mouth and said, "It''s nothing. The children were just fighting over some toys. It''s not that big a deal! Sally, can you please stop crying? Eric, come over here. Give that toy back to your little sister. Okay?"


    Eunice leaned over and gave Eric a wink. She tried to give him a sign that he should let go of the toy right this instant.


    "Eric, you''re the older brother here. You should learn to humor your little sister a little, don''t you think so?"


    Upon saying that, Eunice pulled the toy out of Eric''s arms. Then, she walked toward Edmund who had Sally in his arms and tried to give the toy back to her in order to pacify her.


    Be that as it might, Sally didn''t want to take it back and even pushed it away. Wrapping her arms around Edmund''s neck, she cried out, "I don''t want it! I don''t want it anymore! Eric suddenly took it from me earlier. If I didn''t let it go in time, I would have fallen to the floor!"


    Despite being still quite young, Sally was a very smart girl. Just like her mother, she defended herself well and wasn''t about to let anyone take advantage of her.

 Chapter 566 Sallys Cry

    Terence frowned. He glanced at the servant who was responsible for watching the kids. "You were supposed to be watching them. What happened?"


    The servant glanced at Eunice with a scared look, and she lowered her head.


    She saw what happened but she knew she couldn''t say anything about it. She knew very well about Eunice''s character. If she offended her, she was not going to have an easy time working for the An family.


    "Terence, let it go. They are just kids. It''s normal for them to fight over toys. You don''t need to take it so seriously,"


    Eunice said. She lowered her head and looked at his son who was too afraid to talk.


    Eunice didn''t like that her son was terrified of Terence. He wasn''t afraid of his father and grandpa.


    But every time he saw Terence, he wouldn''t dare say a word.


    Sally started crying again after listening to Eunice.


    "Ugh! No! Eric and his mommy are bad people. They bullied me! Ugh-ugh!"


    Meanwhile, Carla had just gotten out of the bathroom and heard her daughter''s distinctive loud cry. She quickly put on her clothes and rushed downstairs.


    "Sally?"


    Carla called as she was running to her daughter.


    Sally opened her arms and cried even harder, "Ugh-ugh! Mommy, Aunt Eunice and Eric are mad at me!"


    "Oh, really? Why is that? Did you do something wrong?"


    Carla picked her up and held her. She wiped her baby''s tears and asked her. Even though she was just three years old, Carla knew she would not lie.


    If it was just kids fighting for toys, Carla would let it go. But if Eunice was involved in, Carla would not let it pass without handling it.


    Terence glanced at a panic-stricken Eunice and the servant. The servant still had her head down.


    His dark eyes turned even darker.


    Carla had been missing for the past four years, and Eunice had been the only woman in the family. She had been getting whatever she wanted, and that was all she cared about. Eunice and Eric were getting too overbearing.


    Now, his wife and daughter were back, so he had to do something.


    This family should have a new hostess now.


    "Mommy, Aunt Eunice said I am the little sister so I should let Eri


    take it out on a kid," Carla said casually and picked Sally up into her arms.


    "Sally, let''s go to bed. Okay?"


    Sally nodded and shot at Eunice and Eric an angry look. Then, she held Carla''s neck and let her mommy carry her to their room.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Not long after they were in their room, Terence walked in.


    "Where did you go?"


    Carla didn''t know where Terence went. However, she knew he was right to stay away from the situation.


    If he stood up for Sally and Rhys stood up for Eric, the situation would have been worse.


    "Nowhere. You know what happened though, don''t you? Eric took Sally''s toy. Eunice came and helped her son. She asked Sally to give the toy to Eric and said few bad words. Sally didn''t want to give up her toy so she started crying."


    Terence had gone to talk to the servant.


    He wanted to know if it was just a kids'' fight like Eunice had said.


    If it was, he would just let it go.


    But that wasn''t the case and Eunice had bullied his daughter. He was going to teach her a lesson.


    Sally had just come into his life. He was not going to watch people mistreat her.


    Thinking of what just happened, Terence cracked a big and satisfied smile. He couldn''t feel prouder for having such a smart daughter. Her tears and complaints had successfully won Edmund''s favor. Edmund was going to have a serious talk with Rhys.


    It seemed that Rhys and Eunice were not going to have a good night''s sleep.

 Chapter 567 The Hostess Of The An Family (Part One)

    Inside the room.


    "Daddy, I don''t like Aunt Eunice and Eric,"


    Sally curled her lips and grumbled to Terence.


    In truth, she didn''t really hate Eric at all. She was actually even willing to keep playing with him. That being said, what Eunice had just said made her feel extremely uncomfortable, causing her to start disliking Eric.


    Terence couldn''t hold back his chuckle as he lay on the bed with Sally sitting right beside him. So, he just told her, "Honey, please don''t be upset. After all, Grandpa has already taught him a lesson for you. We don''t really have to do anything but wait. I believe that someone is going to stand up for you.


    But above all else, I think you did a good job earlier. You were right to cry and speak for yourself. Come here, let daddy give you a kiss as a prize."


    Upon saying that, Terence planted a kiss on Sally''s cheek and continued, "I''ll tell you what. If you ever get bullied in the future but you don''t have a way to defend yourself, just cry as loud as you possibly can. Do you hear me?"


    Getting a kiss from her daddy, Sally felt at ease, so she wrapped her arms around his neck and nodded her head.


    "But what about when I''m capable of fighting back?" she asked, feeling a bit curious.


    "Then try your best to fight back at all costs," Terence replied.


    "Okay," the little girl replied despite not fully understanding what it meant.


    As she listened to their conversation, Carla couldn''t hold back her laughter. Lightly patting Sally''s back, she said, "Alright, sweetie. That''s enough for now. Get off of daddy. It''s time for bed."


    Considering the fact that she was still a little girl, it would be quite hard for Sally to defend


    ice.


    The moment Rhys showed up, he led her into the hall and proceeded to give her an earful for not being able to teach her son well.


    "Eunice, was there anything wrong with what I said? You''ve been wrapping Eric in cotton wool ever since he was a little baby. You wouldn''t even allow anyone to scold or lay a hand on him. Now you tell me what kind of a boy our son is gonna end up being?"


    Thinking of how full of himself his son was being, Rhys still felt truly ashamed of him.


    If Eric were simply acting this way in their own house, then that was perfectly fine. However, they were staying at the An Manor along with his father as well as Terence''s family.


    It wasn''t as simple as Eric humiliating himself. Instead, what he did had disgraced his parents.


    Be that as it might, Eunice was rather confident with Eric''s upbringing so she had a bias toward him.


    "No matter what kind of boy he ends up being, he is still my son!"


    Sticking out her chin, Eunice glared at Rhys with a smug look on her face and said, "No one has the right to bully my son! But above all else, he is the only heir of the An family.

 Chapter 568 The Hostess Of The An Family (Part Two)

    Carla only gave birth to a girl. That means she isn''t qualified to be the hostess of the family whatsoever! Why should my son have to apologize to her daughter?"


    Watching as this woman in front of him blurted out those words, Rhys couldn''t help but shake his head. Disappointment filled his eyes.


    "Eunice, I don''t think that you even realize that Carla is still the hostess of the An family. As for us, we aren''t even qualified to be in charge of the family. Do you seriously think that it would be a good idea to keep spoiling Eric like this?" he asked.


    Turning to the other side, Eunice sneered, "I think it''s still much too early to be saying that. Nothing is set in stone yet.


    According to the family tradition, family property should be passed down to the male heirs rather than the female heirs. How could Carla, who only has a daughter, become fit to stand as the hostess of the An family? And let''s say that I accept it, will father agree to it?"


    If Terence was Edmund''s only child, then there was a possibility for his daughter to be the one to inherit the family''s properties.


    However, he isn''t the only child!


    At this moment, Eric was regarded as the male heir in the family.


    That just meant that there was no telling who would end up being in charge of the family in the future.


    "Eunice, stop being too optimistic. Have you already forgotten that it was said that Carla couldn''t give birth to kids? But now what we have seen with our very eyes? She already has a daughter! How can you be so certain that she won''t give birth to other kids?"


    Rhys knitted his eyebrows as he reminded her of that fact. From the very


    m," Rhys was much too tired to even be arguing with her at this point, so he headed toward the living room.


    When she saw him walking away, Eunice felt a bit miserable and frantically grabbed his arm all of a sudden. "Rhys, stop! Could you please just promise me that you''re gonna stop seeing that other woman?


    I swear I''m gonna change for as long as you can promise me that you''ll end everything that has to do with her. That way, we can still have a happy life."


    It had been about 4 or 5 years since they tied the knot. They had been so happy being in each other''s arms for the first year, but after that, they had constantly been at each other''s throats.


    It came to the point where they didn''t even know when things started going south and when they stopped being affectionate toward each other.


    Truth be told, Eunice couldn''t even remember the last time they made love to each other.


    "Eunice, it''s already late. You should just go to bed... I also want to get some sleep."


    Completely ignoring her pleading, Rhys shook off her hand and headed straight toward the living room.

 Chapter 569 The Grass Is Always Greener On The Other Side (Part One)

    Eunice bit her lips as she watched his receding figure. Almost at the same time, the feeling of sadness and hate came rushing in her heart.


    For what seemed like forever, she stood there silently, not moving an inch.


    When she caught Rhys cheating on her for the first time, she lashed out at him. She had screamed at him and thrown everything that her hands could get a hold of. She had even thought of divorcing him.


    However, Edmund had stepped in and tried to resolve the issue. He had promised her that he was going to let her manage the whole family since Carla had been missing.


    She couldn''t say no because she had been wanting to be the hostess of the family for as long as she could remember. The offer made her hatred subside.


    Rhys had also promised her that he would not cheat on her again. So without a second thought, she forgave him and she had never looked back. They went back to being perfect and in love. It was like the cheating had never happened and everything went back to normal.


    However, three months later, he had done it again.


    After that, she couldn''t even keep track of how many times he had cheated on her.


    At that moment, she had gotten numbed from the constant cheating that he had been doing.


    Most days, Rhys would come home late at night from "business meetings". Sometimes, he would even tell her that he had to spend a couple of nights out of town for a "business trip". But they both knew those were just lies that he kept on telling her.


    So instead of dwelling on this constant disappointment and pain, she started to devote all of her time, attention and love to her son.


    She seemed to have accepted the fact that she couldn''t rely on her husband anymore. She was just glad to have her son by her side.


    She even thought that there was a high possibility that


    her son would be the ne


    w Eunice, he immediately frowned but he still greeted her politely.


    Then, he held Carla by the waist and said, "Honey, do you mind helping me pick up a tie for this shirt?"


    When she heard that, Carla turned to look at Eunice and was about to say something but Eunice spoke first.


    "Oh, it looks like you''re busy. We''ll see you later then."


    She then turned around with her son and headed back towards their room.


    A few steps later, she turned around. She saw Terence and Carla as they were walking towards their room. His hand was still on her waist.


    He was so handsome, and his eyes were filled with so much love as they were fixated on Carla. Eunice couldn''t tear her eyes away from the couple.


    In her heart, jealousy and longing for something like that started to form.


    Seeing how much Terence and Carla loved each other, she couldn''t help but think about her own marriage and how unhappy and lonely she had been feeling lately, especially last night. It was true that in her own way she managed to stay strong and get used to the unfortunate thing that was her marriage. However, when she saw how happy other couples could be in their marriages, she was reminded of how pathetic and abandoned she really was.

 Chapter 570 The Grass Is Always Greener On The Other Side (Part Two)

    Even though a part of her didn''t want to dream of it, her mind started to wonder what would have happened if she was married to Terence instead.


    With a lot of thoughts in her mind, Eunice and Eric were finally back in their room.


    Rhys was still sleeping on the couch. She patted Eric''s back and told him to go out and play.


    She walked to the couch and looked at Rhys'' sleeping face. She sighed and tried to put a cover on him.


    She was about to leave the room when his phone suddenly beeped twice.


    She turned to look at Rhys, and she saw that he didn''t even move an inch.


    Then, she picked up his phone. Her hands were shaking as she did so. She looked at the phone''s screen, only to see that it was locked.


    She took a look at Rhys'' hand, which was idly hanging outside the couch. She gently placed the phone under his finger and the phone unlocked in a second.


    She held her breath and nervously clicked the messages icon.


    The one who sent the latest message was from "Honey Olivia". The second Eunice saw it, her eyes immediately turned bloodshot. She knew very well what that meant!


    She took a deep breath so she could calm down and read the message.


    The first message read, "Dear Mr. Lazy, are you awake?"


    Then the second one was, "You promised to have lunch with me! Don''t be late! I will wait for you at our usual spot!"


    The nickname was enough for Eunice to know that they had a very close relationship. In fact, it was too close for someone like Rhys who had a wife and a son.


    After reading more of their messages, Eunice''s blood starte


    to help William in his plans of getting back together with Violet.


    Terence laughed. He rubbed her cute face and said, "That is not for you to know! Violet should be the one to decide if she wants to go. Even if she wants to leave in the middle of the night, no one could stop her."


    Terence smiled at Carla. Then, he continued, "Besides, Violet and William have a son together. Do you really think they will not see each other for the rest of their lives?"


    Upon hearing that, she raised her hand and poked his beautiful forehead.


    "So, William did beg you to ask me for this favor, didn''t he?"


    Terence chuckled, "Honey, do we have to lay it out on the table? William barely asked people for favors. Don''t you think I should just help him? It might be useful for us in the future too. Don''t you think so?"


    Terence was right. William didn''t like to bother his friends.


    In fact, Terence didn''t really have anything to do with Violet. But Violet was his wife''s best friend.


    And he couldn''t find a reason to reject William''s request.

 Chapter 571 Caring Cody (Part One)

    Glancing at him, Carla nodded her head and said, "Alright, I''m gonna give Violet a call to see if she is free later this afternoon."


    "You''re seriously the best, honey! If Violet gets married to William, your best friend can spend time with you here, and apart from that, Sally can also have someone to play with. That sounds great! Don''t you think so?"


    Terence went ahead and laid out all of the possible benefits for her.


    "Well, I guess you''re right! That''s it, I''m gonna do it! For now, you should head straight to work. Don''t be late!"


    Carla reminded him as she fixed his clothes. As soon as she was done, she proceeded to push him out the door.


    He was already about to get late. And even now, he was still wasting his time thinking of other things.


    "Honey... Are you really in such a hurry to make me leave?"


    Terence couldn''t do a thing as Carla pushed him out the door. She was so quick to act that he couldn''t even get the chance to kiss her goodbye. With a loud thump, the door was closed shut behind him.


    Unable to do anything, he simply shook his head and let out a soft chuckle. After making sure that his clothes looked fine, he walked out like a gentleman and headed downstairs.


    As he was making the turn, he seemed to be a bit preoccupied. Because of that, he almost didn''t notice that he was about to bump into Eunice.


    "Eunice, watch out!"


    Terence reflexively grabbed onto her because they were currently on the stairs.


    However, he let go of her just as soon as he had caught her.


    Eunice was caught completely off guard. In that moment, she smelled the faint scent of cologne a


    iolet, are you free this afternoon? Let''s go somewhere and have some fun!"


    Violet felt a bit sluggish. It seemed that she just got up.


    "Where are you planning to go? Is it okay if I take Cody with me? The babysitter I found for him called in sick for today. So, I have to look after him."


    Violet yawned as she checked up on Cody who was merrily playing with his toy cars.


    The kindergarten Cody was attending was in a different city. For that reason, she had to take a few days off for him in order to take him back to JA City. She still had to wait a while before he could get accepted into the kindergarten here. For the time being, she would have to look after Cody herself.


    "Why don''t you just bring Cody over to my place? That way the kids could play together! How does that sound? We''re gonna go hiking. It''s going to be a bit difficult if we bring the kids along. What do you say?"


    Carla asked as she closed the wardrobe after she was done hanging all of her clothes inside.


    On the other side of the line, Carla could hear Violet talking. She was asking Cody,

 Chapter 572 Caring Cody (Part Two)

    "Cody, Mommy is planning to go somewhere later this afternoon. Will it be okay if I let you stay over at Aunt Carla''s house with Sally?"


    As soon as he heard that, Cody put down his toys and walked over toward Violet.


    "I''m okay with it. But, I''m afraid that Sally doesn''t really want to play with me..."


    Cody said as he lowered his head, feeling so down in the dumps. The last time he played with Sally, she looked so bored with him that she even ran away.


    Cody grew up without having a father. Despite being only four years of age, he was already quite sensible. The two of them, Cody and Violet, were always on the move. But throughout all of that, he had never really caused much trouble for Violet.


    There were times when Violet couldn''t look after him because of work, so he would willingly stay at home all by himself.


    "That won''t happen! I''m sure of it! You''ve only played with her once. Once you get to know each other more, you''re gonna be just fine! Alright, now what do you say? Do you want to go or not?"


    He was still a child, but Violet totally respected his decision nonetheless. So, she asked him directly.


    "I want to go!"


    Cody nodded his head in agreement as he thought about Sally''s cute and adorable smile.


    "Carla? It''s settled! My son said yes to it!" Now that Cody gave her the go signal, Violet immediately reported back to Carla.


    "Alright then! I''ll give you an address. You can just come over and take Cody along with you this afternoon. After you drop him here, we''ll go together. And when we get back, I''ll just ask the driver to pick Cody up and bring him to you!"


    Carla


    old her out.


    "Really? Are you sure you don''t remember anything like that?"


    Carla burst into laughter and gently spanked her. "In any case, Mommy is going out with Aunt Violet in the afternoon. So, you have to promise that you''re gonna be a good host and keep your little friend company. Understood?"


    Carla wasn''t that worried about their safety given the fact that there were a number of servants staying in the house. With that keeping her heart at ease, she was certain that nothing bad could possibly happen to the kids as they would be there to keep them safe.


    "Okay! I got it!"


    Sally rolled her eyes and told Carla.


    Carla had lunch at the An Manor while waiting for Violet.


    Eunice, on the other hand, had already left with Eric earlier in the morning.


    She wasn''t trying to avoid Carla whatsoever.


    It just so happened that she needed to send Eric to school. Right after dropping him off, she parked her car outside the building of Rhys'' company in order to spy on him.


    As soon as Rhys drove away, she quickly followed him as cautiously as she could.

 Chapter 573 Seeing Olivia

    "Eunice, let''s just go home! You don''t have to do this! You might just end up getting yourself hurt!"


    At first, Eunice thought of tailing Rhys on her own. That being said, she was worried that she might turn tail halfway. So, she asked Selma, her best friend, to tag along.


    "I''ll be fine. I just really want to see what kind of woman he really likes."


    With a tight grip on the steering wheel, Eunice stared intently at the door of the high-end restaurant right across the road from where they were watching. She was anxiously trying to pull herself together and preparing to walk in.


    Heaving a heavy sigh, Selma patted the back of her hand and said, "Eunice, men are all like him. They long for something that they don''t have. Just trust me on this. I''ll stay here with you, and you can watch all you want, but please don''t go inside. Okay?"


    Selma was afraid that Eunice might end up causing a stir inside the restaurant once she witnessed with her very own eyes that her husband was having an affair.


    That being said, Selma wasn''t able to calm Eunice down. Eunice had put on a disguise before going inside. Putting on a pair of dark sunglasses, she opened the door and headed out.


    Caught between a rock and a hard place, Selma had no choice but to go after her.


    This restaurant was a nice place to dine in for couples in particular. It was well-known for the lovely atmosphere inside. Fresh beautiful roses of various colors adorned each table. The entire hall was filled with lovebirds sitting on tables as they whispered sweet nothings to each other.


    After a while of looking around, Eunice finally spotted her husband with a young girl, hidden at a table for two in a deep corner.


    Based on the way she looked, she was probably still in her early twenties. It wasn''t like she had any outstanding features at all, however, her tiny frame could easily entice other people to keep her safe at all times. Every time she smiled, she looked truly lovely.


    Selma was quick on her feet as she pulled Eunice to sit on a nearby table. At that moment, she tried her best to help Eunice remain composed. At least at that point, they still hadn''t done anything yet. Everything seemed normal, as though they were only having dinner together. Right now wasn''t a good time for Eunice to be making a fuss out of it.


    Eunice was forced to take a seat against her will. So, she quickly brought out her tiny cosmetic mirror to keep an eye on them through the reflection in the mirror.


    Eunice saw how happy Rhys was from the smile on his face, something she hadn''t seen for a very long time.


    "Honey, I got this for you..."


    Rhys took out a renowned brand''s latest limited edition lipstick out of his pocket and handed it over to her. "I happened to pass by a mall yesterday, so I went inside to get it just for you! I think this color would really compliment your face and look really good on your lips. You''ll probably be even more


    elf back and keep her anger in check. "Selma, we''re leaving!"


    Eunice was shaking as she walked out of the restaurant.


    When they got back to the car, Selma made it a point to make Eunice take the passenger seat. She took the car keys from her and was gonna drive this time.


    It was easy for Selma to tell that Eunice was not in the right state of mind to be a driver.


    "Selma, don''t go just yet! Let''s wait in here for a while. I want to take a photo of them when they walk out of the restaurant..."


    "Eunice, what do you intend to do?"


    With a devilish grin on her face, she replied, "Do you actually think I''m just going to sit back and watch in silence as they are doing this to me?


    You saw yourself how much he likes that girl named Olivia, right? Then, I am going to ruin her. Do you think he could still like her once she turned into a whore?"


    Selma was at such a loss for words. "Eu-Eunice..."


    Staring at the evil expression she was wearing right now, the memory of Eunice''s pretty face when she just got married suddenly cropped up in Selma''s mind.


    It was true that she had always been such an arrogant woman, but she had never been as evil as she was being right now.


    ¡ª


    Meanwhile, it was a little past noon.


    Violet dropped Cody off at the An Manor after having lunch with him.


    Carla instructed the servants to take good care of Cody, so they all played around with him. On the other hand, Sally had been taking a nap after lunch time.


    When she was sure everything was set, Carla went her way and went out with Violet.


    Terence sent Rainer to pick the ladies up. As for him, he left with Nathan after he was done with work.


    It didn''t take too long for them to get to the meeting place.


    Terence arrived there ahead of everyone. The moment Carla stepped out of the car, she noticed a big boy who was standing right beside Terence.


    A great big smile crept onto her face as she walked over toward them.


    "Sean!"

 Chapter 574 Field Operations

    Upon hearing a voice calling out to him, Sean saw Carla get out of the car. He promptly walked toward her and said, "It''s only been a couple of days since the last time I saw you, but why are you getting so fat so quickly?"


    "Can''t you say something a bit nicer to your sister? I was a bit scrawny when I got back, so I''m now trying to regain my health," Carla glared at him and answered.


    "Oh, by the way, are you still busy preparing for your final exam? Do you have anything planned right now?" she asked.


    Seeing that Carla''s condition was improving and she was becoming livelier and even appeared to be glowing, a bright smile crept onto Sean''s face as he turned to look at Terence.


    "Terence sent someone over to pick me up. He told me that being holed up in my room and studying all day long wouldn''t be good for me. So, I should learn how to properly balance my time between study and rest. I''m gonna head back to school this evening," he replied.


    "Oh? So, you only planned to come over in the morning?"


    Carla asked, turning her head to look at Terence who was standing on the other side.


    The man, who was leaning against the SUV in such a graceful way with one hand in his pocket, was giving her a wink.


    Just as Carla was about to say something, she was stopped in her tracks by the noise of a car passing from behind.


    When she checked who it was, Carla saw William''s car driving toward their direction. From the moment he stepped out of his car, his eyes were glued to Violet who was busy getting her bag.


    Given that she wasn''t really expecting him to show up, Violet didn''t have the chance to prepare herself. Upon noticing that he was about to approach her, she planned to leave right away by grabbing her bag.


    But William had immediately taken the initiative and stood in front of her.


    "Violet, why don''t you just stay longer since you''re already here?"


    As he stood in front of her, William shot Carla and Terence as well as everyone else with them a glance. Then, he went on and suggested, "Violet, there''s a lot of other people here today, so let''s not make it just about you and me. Even though we broke up, I don''t see anything wrong with us meeting each other from time to time as friends. What do you say?"


    Shaking his hand off of her, Violet retorted, "Stop screwing with me! Have you seen people who broke up spending time with each other every now and then?"


    It was obvious that she had no intention of doing that. They had hurt each other a lot, so it was rather hard for both of them to face each other in a calm manner.


    "I guess you''re right. Well, how about this? Let''s just make peace and let bygones be bygones. We only had a falling-out back then, but it''s all in the past. Now, it''s time for us to move on." William stated as he held her hand and pulled her toward the group, not giving Violet a chance to say anything back.


    "Terence, it''s time for us to enter the field since everyone is already here," he said.


    While they were having that little argument, Theo and his friends had already arrived and were just waiting inside the car.


    Turning a blind eye to Vio


    king charge of the monitoring, they thought that it would be a good idea to have Terence''s personal staff to be in charge of it himself.


    "Terence, are you serious about this?"


    Carla worriedly asked. Originally, she thought they just came to have a bit of outdoor fun, such as mountain climbing among other things. Although she saw nothing wrong with playing shooting games, it just seemed a bit too professional for her.


    "Why, of course! We have to be serious even if it''s just a game. But most importantly, we''re here to have some fun! What''s the matter, honey? Are you scared that you might lose while you''re with me?" Terence asked her.


    The game was just getting started, so every team went on their separate ways to look for the perfect place to hide. The actual competition would begin in 10 minutes.


    "No, not really. I just think that it looks a bit too serious. Your friends from the army in particular. They''re still serving in the army, so wouldn''t we be much too weak to compete on an equal footing with them?"


    Carla blurted out as she was moving forward. After that, she found out that Theo had already occupied the fortress right in front of them.


    "Why don''t you try to ease up a little? I''ve already asked them to take it easy on us and not to take the game too seriously," Terence said, trying to give her a sense of assurance. Realizing how worried she was being, Terence wanted to calm her down. After all, it wouldn''t be any fun if they were to get defeated at the very beginning of the game.


    Meanwhile, on the other side.


    William managed to find a secret place as he was holding onto Violet. So, they went ahead and sat down to conceal themselves. Now, it was beginning to really feel like a group battle.


    Be that as it might, his aim was very clear from the start.


    "Violet, is everything going well with our son?" William asked from out of the blue.


    Caught completely by surprise, Violet was rendered speechless for a second and then turned to look at him.


    "How did you find out about him? Who told you about it? Tell me. Was it Carla?"

 Chapter 575 Sorry, I Hit The Wrong Target (Part One)

    "Violet, I think you''re seriously underestimating me. Finding out things like that is just a walk in the park for me.


    Even if you were so careful about it that you didn''t even tell your relatives that you didn''t have an abortion, I''ll still have my ways to find out about it. After all, you have been bringing the baby along with you everywhere you went in the past couple of years, so it shouldn''t be that hard for me to put the pieces together and realize that you didn''t get an abortion and kept our baby!" William exclaimed.


    Of course, there was no way William could ever tell her that it was Carla who told him about this news by accident. Noticing the flustered look on her face, he held Violet''s hand and assured her, "Don''t worry. I''m not going to take the child away from you.


    My parents hadn''t found out about it as well. So, there''s no need for you to worry about anything."


    Truth be told, in his eyes, although the baby wasn''t really the vital factor, the baby''s existence indeed strengthened his resolve to keep patiently waiting for her to come back into his arms.


    "Okay, I''m glad that you''re sensible enough to think this way. Cody is my child. Don''t go having any weird ideas about stealing him from me! If you dare to think about it, I swear I''m going to hate you for a lifetime."


    Violet gave him a fair warning.


    Since she was the one who gave birth to Cody, not to mention the fact that the child was a boy, she couldn''t dare let the Qi family find out about him.


    She knew William''s parents quite well. Because of that, she was scared that his parents would arrange for people to find a way to get their grandchildren back at all costs.


    "Violet, why can''t you just learn from Carl


    er own gun yet!


    Seeing her in a fit of rage, William also came over and yelled at Theo, "Hey! Give me a shot as well! I''m going to keep her company!"


    "Sure! My pleasure! I''ll send the two of you down!" Theo proudly replied.


    Then, he immediately raised his gun and aimed it at William.


    But as soon as he took the shot, he realized that he hit the wrong target.


    A wisp of green smoke arose from Violet''s hat once more. She looked so pissed off as she glared at Theo and yelled, "Mr. Theo, I''m already ''dead''. Why did you shoot me a second time!? Were you afraid that I might come back alive again?"


    "Sorry about that! I''m really sorry. I just made a mistake!" Theo hurled back.


    Repositioning himself a bit, he aimed at William one more time.


    This time, William made Violet stand behind him to ensure that he was the one who would get shot.


    It should go without saying that if Theo were to miss William a second time, he would be the one who felt ashamed the most.


    Fortunately for him, the result didn''t end up being so bad. Theo successfully made the shot and William was eliminated from the game, just as he expected.

 Chapter 576 Sorry, I Hit The Wrong Target (Part Two)

    Waving his hand at the two, he proudly shouted, "Goodbye!"


    After a few minutes of waiting, Rainer arrived at the field to pick up the two who had just been taken out and escorted them back to the base.


    With that, one team had been eliminated from the game in no time at all.


    The game went on.


    On the other side, Carla was running just right behind Terence. After moving around for some time, she was starting to feel a bit exhausted. Because of that, she had to stop for a second as she looked at Terence while gasping for air. That being said, Terence was so light on his feet, so Carla had no choice but to follow close behind him despite being so out of breath.


    When it started, she felt a bit reluctant to participate in it. However, now that she had already taken part in the game, she couldn''t help but take the game seriously as she had always found it hard to admit defeat.


    And although keeping themselves holed up in a perfect hiding spot could help ensure their safety, it wouldn''t make the game interesting if they were to stay in one place for too long.


    But above all else, Terence preferred to move on his own pace, so he had been trying to find the best location to snipe the other teams the whole time.


    Turning back to check up on her, Terence put his arm around her waist and hoisted her up into the higher mound in front of him. "Carla, try to keep yourself hidden in here for a while. Over here, you can see Theo''s hiding place. I''m gonna take him out first."


    "That''s going to be just a piece of cake for you, right?"


    Carla tried her best to conceal her location, and she even thought she could finally get a chance to catch her breath.


    "Carla, you shouldn''t look down on Theo too much. He has also served i


    ous, and there are many people coming along as well. What do you think about holding a bonfire party?"


    At that moment, Carla wasn''t really paying that much attention to Terence. She grabbed her binoculars and noticed every single move that Theo made. "Okay, time for you to stop talking. Theo seems to have found a good hiding spot. Are you still not planning to shoot him yet?"


    This time, Terence finally took up his gun and aimed at Theo. However, instead of eliminating him directly, he only shot at the ground around Theo''s feet.


    And from the distance, Theo could be seen jumping around as he checked his surroundings, much like a frightened bird, upon realizing that he was being shot at.


    Seeing Theo''s reaction, Terence burst into laughter as he took his gun back.


    Knowing that his location had been located by the others, Theo had no choice but to move someplace else once again. He began carefully searching for a better hiding spot to stay in.


    As that was happening, Carla''s eyebrows were deeply knit when she saw the scene that was playing out on the other side of the mountain through her telescope. At that moment, she felt a bit strange.

 Chapter 577 Good Shot, Babe

    One of the other teams had been chasing Sean from the moment the game started.


    That might have been the case, but the people who were coming after Sean had never even shot at him, not even once. Instead, it simply appeared as though they were playing a game of hide-and-seek with him, leaving Sean no choice but to keep running around like crazy.


    When she noticed that her little brother had been frantically running around, completely inexperienced with games like this, Carla picked up her gun right away and aimed at one of the men who kept on chasing Sean.


    ¡ª


    However, just as she was about to take the shot, Terence stopped her from doing so and warned her, "Try not to alarm them. They''re a bit different from Theo. Once you shoot at them, they would most certainly be able to pinpoint our location in no time."


    "But they''re picking on Sean. You can''t expect me to sit back and relax knowing that he''s in danger,"


    Carla blurted out, sounding so ticked off. Despite not being on the same team, she just couldn''t help herself from wanting to keep her little brother out of harm''s way.


    "He''s gonna be just fine. Trust me on this. "Sean is the youngest one among all of us. I''m sure they''re just messing with him. Besides, if they wanted to shoot him, they would''ve done so already and he would be already be ''dead''" Terence told her in rather a calm tone. ¡ª


    ¡ª


    ¡ª


    That being said, without warning, Carla took the shot just as Terence had finished talking.


    Terence was at such a loss in that moment. Bringing out his binoculars to have a look, one of the men who was chasing Sean had actually been taken out.


    "Babe, you..."


    "What''s the matter? Is something wrong?"


    "Nothing. Forget about it. That was a good shot, babe."


    "You tell me. Even if we''re not playing on the same team, I''ll come and save him even if I have to put my life on the line."


    "I know. I get it, babe."


    Glancing over at the man who had just been shot, Terence saw that he was still caught in a daze with his smoking hat.


    And because they had already revealed their position, Terence had to be quick on his feet as he lifted Carla up. He couldn''t do a thing but smile apologetically at the man who had just been eliminated, pointing a finger toward Carla.


    That was a way to tell him that it was a result of friendly fire.


    She might have seen him do it, but Carla was completely clueless as to what it actually meant. Truth be told, she was quite proud of her shooting skills. Even though she had practiced shooting before, it had already been ages since the last time she had picked up a gun.


    Even Carla had a hard time believing she didn''t miss the shot.


    The second they tried to move from where they were hiding, Carla and Terence immediately caught Theo''s attention.


    Now that Theo was all by himself, he was completely dead set on getting revenge for his fallen teammate. Having that goal in mind, when he spotted the couple as they were moving to a different location, he quickly aimed the gun at them.


    "Stop! Don''t


    d for the car to pick him up.


    Now, four people had been eliminated in total, the remainder of the fight was not gonna be an easy one.


    Nathan was highly skilled in shooting too, but he had been protecting Sean all throughout the game.


    But Sean was the one who was being chased the most. Carla might have managed to eliminate one man, but there were still three other men coming after him.


    Despite being singled out, Sean had no intention to give in. He still made an effort to remain hidden.


    Carla wanted to lend Sean a helping hand once more but she was pulled away by Terence.


    After an hour of playing, the game was finally over.


    After taking some time to rest, a group of people headed for the hunting grounds once more.


    This time, they fought using shotguns.


    They could all enjoy a picnic as soon as they''re done hunting. There were even some professionals who could help them process the meat and prepare the seasoning before grilling it. They could simply have a good time and enjoy the barbecue when they''re done.


    ¡ª


    On the hunting ground... Violet who wasn''t able to enjoy the first round at all after getting eliminated so quickly was eager to enjoy the game to its fullest this time around. William decided to just stay by her side.


    "Sean, are you alright?" Carla asked as she was sitting right beside Sean.


    He was rather out of breath after all that running around and hiding in the shooting field.


    "I''m perfectly fine, sis. Those guys were just trying to mess with me because they think I''m the youngest one here." Sean smiled at her, seemingly as cool as a cucumber.


    He was aware that one of them had been eliminated by his sister. Otherwise. he could''ve been even more exhausted than he was at this point.


    "Are you sure? But from the way I saw it, it looked like they were deliberately trying to take you out..."


    Carla replied, feeling a bit skeptical.


    Although those men had already been gone for a while, she still clearly felt that something seemed to be quite amiss.

 Chapter 578 Catching Pheasants Barehanded

    "No, Carla, you''re just overthinking things!" Sean said, with an amused look on his face, still trying to catch his breath.


    Since Sean saw it quite differently, Carla didn''t bother bringing up the topic any longer. She turned around to check the hunting ground from where they were standing.


    In one part of the field, Violet was trying to shoot down a pheasant. But because she never really had any experience with handling a gun, she was having such a hard time. Some of the shots she took only startled the pheasants and nearby hares, causing them to scamper around.


    In a fit of anger, she threw the gun on the ground, rolled up her sleeves, and darted toward the field herself, intending to catch the pheasants using her bare hands.


    As soon as the people there saw her enter the field, everyone had no choice but to stop shooting.


    Everyone was left so dumbfounded that they simply chose to watch as Violet ran around the hunting grounds, desperately trying to catch a pheasant.


    Seeing her friend doing her best all by herself in there without anyone willing to lend a helping hand, Carla pulled up her sleeves as well and jumped in the hunting ground to help Violet catch something.


    Because of that, everyone around them continued watching these two women and their peculiar actions¡ªone was trying to block the pheasants'' escape route while the other was responsible for catching them.


    Other onlookers who might not be familiar with Carla and Violet might think that these two had gotten a few loose screws.


    However, for those who knew them quite well like Terence, Rainer, and Nathan, they could tell why Carla would do such a thing. After all, Carla already had a bit of experience with shooting, so there shouldn''t be a need for her to bother chasing after pheasants barehanded.


    In spite of that, she was still more than willing to help Violet catch the pheasants without a care in the world how others might view her actions.


    The fact of the matter was that she was there to accompany her friend and help her blow off some steam.


    "Ah, I caught one! I caught one!''


    After a while, running all over the field, Violet managed to capture a black and red pheasant! As though she were on top of the world, she raised her hand and waved away the pheasants'' feathers over her head, showing it off to the people outside the fence.


    Terence forced a cough to give the others a signal. Then, he was the first to clap his hands.


    Of course, William clapped his hands as well, actually feeling quite amazed that Violet was able to pull it off.


    When they saw the two men clapping their hands, the people outside the fence proceeded to give the two women who had been chasing after pheasants a big round of applause in spite of how weird they might have looked.


    In JA City, there were numerous wealthy ladies who mindlessly threw money down the drain, not to mention the material girls who perceived money as the most important thing in the world. Those women seemed proper, beautiful, and very liberal.


    That being said, only a handful of women could act as easy-going and carefree as these two¡ªCarla and Violet.


    But it should


    Cody bully you in any way?"


    Carla asked, sounding a bit angry.


    Sally simply shook her head as a response to Carla''s question.


    Seeing Sally looking so down in the dumps, Cody opened his mouth to stand up for her.


    "Auntie, please don''t blame Sally. I was the one who said I wanted to play with her."


    Hearing Cody''s response, Sally quickly nodded her head in agreement and added, "That''s right! Cody said that he was going to play with me no matter what I wanted to do! So, I told him that I wanted to dress him up like a beautiful little prince..."


    However, the little prince in front of them right now wasn''t really that beautiful whatsoever.


    As they were having that conversation...


    "Alright!" Violet exclaimed before putting her phone into her pocket. "I''m done recording my ''beautiful'' son!"


    Upon saying that, she turned to Carla and said, "Carla, don''t take it so seriously! You shouldn''t be so hard on your daughter. They''re just children! It''s not unusual for kids like them to play such games. And besides, Sally is a girl. So it shouldn''t come as a surprise that she prefers to play games like giving someone a makeover.


    Just let Cody wash it off of his face. Don''t scold Sally anymore."


    Cody nodded along and added, "Yes, Auntie! I can easily wash my face later. It''s alright! I don''t really mind."


    Then, Cody walked over toward Violet and had her accompany him to the restroom in order to get his face washed up.


    "You''re such a naughty girl!" Carla told Sally after Violet and Cody had left the room to go to the bathroom.


    After that, Carla went after them to give Cody the cleansing toner. After all, most of the cosmetic products she had were waterproof and quite hard to take off, so using cleansing toner would be necessary.


    As soon as Cody was done cleansing his face, Carla and Violet took their children and headed out of the An Manor.


    They intended to head back to the Seaview Villa to stay there for the night.


    The second the four of them stepped out of the An Manor, they found out that William''s car was still parked just outside the gate.

 Chapter 579 Sir, Are You My Daddy

    At that moment, it was quite apparent from the look on William''s face how surprised he was when he saw the little boy who was holding Violet''s hand.


    The original plan was that Carla would drive Violet and Cody home before she headed back to the Seaview Villa with Sally.


    But upon seeing that man waiting for them outside, it seemed that there wouldn''t be a need to do that.


    When she noticed William standing outside, Violet reflexively got in front of Cody as though she was trying to protect him from something.


    Feeling a bit curious, Cody took a peek at the man who was standing in front of the car. For some reason, he felt somewhat familiar with him. That being said, he opted not to approach him.


    "Let me just drive the two of you home. It''s already a bit late, so you shouldn''t be bothering Carla,"


    William said as he walked toward them.


    As he spoke, his eyes were completely glued to the boy hiding behind Violet.


    It took the best of him to hold back his smile and it was plain to see that this boy was his son because he resembled him so much.


    "So... Violet, what do you say? Why don''t you just head back in William''s car?"


    Carla suggested, albeit reluctantly. This was the first time William had ever met his son, so they would probably need to get some family time. It would be better for her to leave the three of them to themselves.


    At the end of the day, blood is thicker than water.


    "Come on, Violet! Let''s go."


    Before Violet could give any response, William grabbed a hold of her hand and led her into his car.


    After a futile struggle, Violet got into the car even though she really would''ve preferred not to.


    "Sir, I can do it myself. You don''t have to help me."


    Turning down William''s offer, Cody climbed up to the backseat all by himself.


    Hearing the word "sir" made William turn frigid for a second, filling his chest with pain and bitterness.


    After shutting the door, he got in the driver''s seat.


    Taking a look at the woman sitting right beside him and the boy at the backseat of his car, William had conflicting emotions. Being treated like a stranger by his son made him feel so empty deep inside. But at the same time, he also felt glad that he was able to make a bit of progress in his relationship with Violet and Cody. After all these years of waiting for a chance to reconnect with her, he could finally feel a sense of relief.


    Outside the An Manor, even Carla felt at ease as she watched the three of them drive away in William''s car.


    She sincerely hoped that Violet and William could still settle their differences somehow and get a bit closer to each other this time around.


    That was the way relationships worked sometimes.


    It doesn''t take too much to hurt someone, but in contrast, it would most definitely take a lot for their wounds to heal.


    Once a person had gotten hurt, the scar would forever be there every single time they look at it.


    mediately stopped him from packing things into her suitcase. "You don''t have to clean up this place. We''re only planning to stay here for one or two days. Besides, Cody will have to go back to school, so we really won''t be staying for too long."


    It seemed that William wasn''t able to hear a thing she said as he simply continued packing their belongings.


    "Violet, I''m not going to let you live here, not even for a single day. Come on and take Cody. You''re going to leave this place with me!"


    However, Violet simply stayed put while staring straight into his eyes.


    Seeing as she wasn''t planning to do as he said, William carried Cody in his arms and walked out the door as he pulled the luggage behind him.


    When she saw him take Cody away, Violet went into a state of panic and quickly ran after him.


    "William, what the hell are you doing? Put my son down this instant!"


    William was pacing fast, so by the time Violet came to her senses and ran out of the room to go after him, he had already gone down the stairs, bringing Cody and the suitcase with him.


    "Wait a minute, Miss! You haven''t checked out yet."


    The receptionist stopped Violet in her tracks when she reached the lobby.


    As that was happening, William exited the hotel holding Cody in his hand. Then, he put the suitcase into the trunk right away.


    "Sir, let''s wait for mommy. I don''t want to leave her behind..."


    The four-year-old boy stared at William with an apprehensive look in his eyes.


    He might have been curious about this man''s identity and even felt safe being around him, but he had no intention of leaving her mother whatsoever.


    "Don''t worry. You''re not going to leave your mother. I just want the two of you to live a better life."


    Upon telling him that, William opened the car door and put Cody in the backseat.


    "Sir... I was just wondering. Are you my daddy?"


    Cody asked from out of the blue, his eyes beginning to well up with tears.

 Chapter 580 A Huge Step (Part One)

    With his eyes glued to the little boy, William stopped dead in his tracks and completely forgot to get inside the car.


    That being said, it shouldn''t come as a surprise that William would be so dumbfounded. After all, it was the first time he had ever seen his son with his very own eyes.


    "Are you actually my dad, uncle?"


    Cody repeated his question one more time, his eyes filled with anticipation for William''s response.


    "Mom keeps on telling me that I don''t have a dad, but... I don''t believe it at all. Every single child should have their own daddy. Sally has her dad who''s always showering her with so much love and affection. So, why should it just be me... and me alone who doesn''t have my own dad? I really find that hard to believe..."


    Back when he was still in kindergarten, coming across a number of fathers gathering around the school''s entrance to pick up their sons and daughters was a common occurrence. On the other hand, Cody had always been picked up by either his mommy or aunt, and never by a tall man like those fathers of his other schoolmates. And because he was able to witness that every single day, he unconsciously realized that every other child had a daddy, everyone other than him.


    In truth, he had always been longing for the day when an adult man would appear at the gate of his kindergarten, and tell him in a gentle voice, "Cody, I''m your dad. I came here to pick you up so I could drive you home. Sorry I was late..."


    Cody''s words felt so sharp that it felt as though William''s chest had just gotten struck by an icy sword, freezing the softest spot in his heart. The guilt he was feeling was killing him deep inside.


    "Cody, to be honest... I am..."


    "William Qi! What the heck do you think you''re doing?! Where were you planning to take my son to?"


    Violet managed to shake off the waiter who was trying to stop her and rushed to get out of the hotel. As soon as she got out, she frantically


    ready been five long years since that incident happened, she still couldn''t run away from the shadow that it left with her.


    But at the end of the day, Cody was her only weakness, and sadly for her, William was well aware of that fact.


    "Oh, alright. I give up. I''m getting into your car, but I won''t stay at your place. You have to promise me that we''re just going to stay at a hotel."


    At that point, that was the best compromise that she could come up with to make her beloved son happy. This wasn''t at all for William or even herself.


    "Of course! You have my word!"


    When she finally got in the car, William made it a point to pull the seat belts and buckle them up for her and also his son. Then, he proceeded to take the driver''s seat and drive them to a much better hotel.


    ¡ª


    As for Carla, Terence had already driven her and Sally back home to the Seaview Villa.


    After arriving home, Carla went to take a comfortable bath before doing anything else. She couldn''t wait to get rid of the smell of chicken hair that was all over her body. On Sally''s side, as soon as she came back, she directly went to her room and fell asleep, feeling extremely tired.


    When she came out of the shower, Carla was still a bit worried about Violet, so she sent her a message to check on her.

 Chapter 581 A Huge Step (Part Two)

    ¡ª¡ªHow are things going there? Did the two of you get into an argument again?


    It wasn''t too long before she finally received a reply from her. However, Violet simply sent her a picture without saying anything else.


    Feeling a bit confused, Carla tried to zoom in a little and realized that it was a photo of a hotel room. Judging from the interior decoration and the furniture in it, it wasn''t that difficult to guess that they were probably in one of the luxury hotels in JA City.


    ''Hmm... Wait a second! What''s that?''


    She zoomed it in a bit more and carefully examined a certain part of the picture. After a while, she suddenly let out an audible chuckle.


    Why was there half a leg visible in the corner of this picture¡­? But more importantly, why did it look like it belonged to a man?


    ''The corner is most certainly a part of the bathroom. And the foot wearing a slipper is¡­ It looks so familiar¡­ Oh, I know now! That''s William''s leg! What?! So, does that mean¡­?''


    ¡ª¡ªI can''t believe it! You actually went and doggone slept with him! Violet, how could you give in just like that?


    After a little while, Violet sent her another reply.


    ¡ª¡ªDo you seriously think that I''m such an easy and wild girl? He was so insistent on taking my son and I to stay at another hotel. But what''s more, he wouldn''t take no for an answer and even said he wouldn''t leave until he was done bathing Cody! What am I supposed to do?


    When she heard those words, Carla collected her thoughts and told her what she had in mind.


    ¡ª¡ªI honestly don''t see anything wrong with it. It''s a role he has to fulfil. You have been taking care of your son all by your lonesome for the past four years. Don''t you think it''s about time that he did something to make up for it? Trust me, you don''t have to put up resistance. Just let him do what he wants so he could make it up to your son. That should be enough.


    Although Carla might have been trying to comfort her through the words she said, she


    After all, those four long years had become quite an unforgettable part of her life.


    But Terence viewed it differently, whenever he heard the name of the BT Village, thoughts of all of the pain and hardships that Carla had gone through kept on playing in his head.


    "It was nothing. But I have to admit, when it started, I felt a little uncomfortable. But later on, when I was pregnant with Sally and I had already gotten used to their way of living, the only wish I had in mind was just to be able to give birth to her safely. And because she was looking forward to seeing own daughter Sally, her everyday life seemed to have become lovely and beautiful."


    She recalled the inner struggle she had back then. Time passing by so quickly, simply increased her fears and tormented her deep inside. Truth be told, she was lying when she said that things were actually going well and that she was still fine.


    "Down the line, I started worrying that, if I wouldn''t be able to get out of this place until the day I die, then what was the point of giving birth to her?"


    Carla whispered under her breath, reflexively raising her head to shoot him a glance.


    It was only then that she realized that the man holding her in his arm was peering straight into her eyes through his complex and profound but gentle eyes.

 Chapter 582 One Night In The Alley (Part One)

    "Was there ever a time when you hated me?"


    Terence asked in a hoarse voice.


    Whenever the thought of not being able to see her ever again crossed his mind, the pain from the unbearable heartache almost overwhelmed and choked him.


    Shooting him a glance, Carla gritted her teeth and told him the truth, "Of course, there was. Especially when I was in labor, I''ve probably cursed you about a hundred times, maybe even more. That time I thought that if I ever got to see your face again someday, I would definitely..."


    ¡ª


    Saying that, Carla reached out her hand, acting as though she was about to twist his arm. That being said, she ended up not doing it when her eyes met his sincere gaze.


    "But that''s all in the past, and I''ve learned to live with it now."


    Carla''s heart felt more at ease as she leaned into his shoulder. "To be honest, when I look back on what happened, I think it was all worth it in the end."


    She had never been the type of woman who''d complain a lot.


    It was she who made that choice herself at that time. Since there was no way to change the past anymore, she couldn''t put the blame on anybody else.


    It wouldn''t make a difference even if she despised Terence for that.


    "Why do you think that?" Terence asked. With his dark eyes fixated on her, Terence couldn''t help but feel impressed by how positive she was being toward life. From the way she looked right now, it seemed as though she could always get back on her feet no matter what was thrown at her.


    "Four years of my life in exchange for all of this. I''ve been blessed with such a lovely daughter. I think of it as a deal I''ve made with God, so it was all totally worth it," Carla told him.


    Carla always believed that living life would be much easier once you learned to perceive things differently.


    Hearing her response, Terence wrapped his arm


    an actual human being.


    In that moment, she was so desperate to call for someone''s help, only to find out that they had taken her phone with them as well.


    As she struggled to move around for a while, she finally managed to pick herself up from the ground, covering herself up with tattered clothes. She kept staggering for God knows how long until she came across a public phone booth.


    As for the city itself, there wouldn''t be any phone booths in there anymore. It was quite fortunate that there was still one left in this desolate area.


    With her hands still shivering from the trauma, the woman looked so distraught as she dialed a number.


    ¡ª


    At that moment, Rhys who had just fallen asleep was lying in bed right next to Eunice.


    Eunice seemed to be a bit different today. All day, she did nothing but keep pestering him, acting like a sweet and considerate wife. Seeing her behaving like that, Rhys thought that it might be a good idea to spend the night at home.


    Be that as it might, Rhys''s phone rang all of a sudden.


    When he saw that it was Olivia who was calling him, Rhys couldn''t help but frown. Why was this woman calling him in the dead of the night? Didn''t she realize that right now was a bad time?

 Chapter 583 One Night In The Alley (Part Two)

    With that in mind, he immediately switched his phone into silent mode.


    Putting on his clothes, Rhys carefully sneaked out of the bedroom to answer the phone.


    "Olivia, it''s already the middle of the night. Is there something wrong?"


    "What?!" ¡ª


    Rhys flew off the handle as he tried his best not to be too loud. Hearing Olivia crying her lungs out, he quickly hung up the phone and left the house without delay.


    When Rhys finally got to the phone booth, he found Olivia who was dressed in ripped clothes, as she waited for him to come.


    ¡ª


    "Rhys... I didn''t mean to bother you. I just really didn''t know what to do or who to call..." ¡ª


    Bitter tears kept on dripping in Olivia''s eyes incessantly. As she tightly grasped the door of the booth which was covered with rust, her fingertips were bleeding. "Those bastards, they¡­ Oh, I have no idea what I''m supposed to do now."


    Rhys heaved a heavy sigh the moment he saw the miserable state she was currently in. Then, he proceeded to lend her a hand in putting on his jacket.


    "It''s alright. I''m here for you. You''re safe now. But first, we should get out of this place."


    However, a look of intense disgust and hatred flashed across Olivia''s face. Fuming with anger, she said, "Rhys, I clearly remember their faces. They might not have gotten too far away now. Would you please send someone to take them down?


    You can''t let them escape no matter what!"


    Resting his hand on her shoulder, Rhys stepped out of the phone booth and reassured her, "I know, you don''t have to worry. I''ll make sure they pay for what they''ve done to you. Let''s get in the car!"


    Given that they were one of the most influential families in all of JA City, it shouldn''t come as a surprise th


    w. I will let you know as soon as I catch those bastards. I have to go." ¡ª


    ¡ª "... Rhys, are you going to detest and hate me?"


    Olivia took a step forward and asked him, with her voice sounding like it was about to break.


    In truth, she was extremely hesitant to tell him that she had been raped because she was scared that Rhys might leave her once he found out.


    However, if she were to keep it a secret, that would mean she had to go on living knowing that those men who violated her got away with it. There was no way in hell she could keep all of that in her heart and act like nothing happened!


    Rhys was the only person she knew who would be able to help her get her revenge.


    Rhys''s eyes shifted from left to right. After a moment, he turned around to face her. "Do you think that I''m the kind of person who would do that? Try not to overthink things. You should just get some much needed rest." ¡ª


    Upon telling her that, he swung the door open and headed out.


    By the time Rhys arrived at their home, it was almost the break of day.


    ¡ª


    The second he walked in, Eunice was there sitting in the living room, staring straight at him.

 Chapter 584 Childhood Sweethearts (Part One)

    "Rhys, you''re finally back. How was it? Is your friend alright?"


    Eunice asked with a concerned expression on her face as soon as she saw Rhys enter the house.


    At that moment, the way Eunice was acting left Rhys at such a loss.


    The first thing he thought Eunice would do was to ask where he had been, so he was a bit taken aback when she greeted him in such an innocent and gentle tone.


    "Rhys? Why aren''t you answering me? Did your friend get seriously ill? Was it that bad? Do you want me to go with you to visit your friend tomorrow?" Eunice went on and added.


    Then, she walked over toward Rhys and helped him take his coat off and hung it on the coat hanger.


    "No, that won''t be necessary. Everything''s fine. My friend is alright now. Have you been up all night waiting for me?" Rhys said, feeling a bit guilty deep inside.


    Shaking her head, Eunice answered, "You went out at two o''clock in the wee hours of the morning without telling me where you''re going or even leaving a note. I was worried about you and couldn''t go back to sleep, so I just went downstairs to wait for you in the living room."


    "Well, Eunice... I''m sorry for making you worry. Thank you," Rhys said.


    "Well, I''m glad to hear that your friend is doing fine. But, since it''s still quite early, why don''t you go back to bed to get some sleep?" Eunice suggested.


    When he heard those words coming from her, Rhys was left dumbfounded once again. Truth be told, this woman standing in front of him felt so unfamiliar to him. She was being unusually gentle and caring.


    That being said, he decided not to say anything else and simply replied, "Okay, then I''ll go upstairs and have a rest."


    After telling her that, he headed straight toward the bedroom with a hint of doubt in his heart.


    When Rhys


    nd effort in building this castle, but it was destroyed by Sally in just an instant. And yet she had the audacity to say, "Your castle is too flimsy. It collapsed before I could even walk on it!"


    When Carla, who was sitting on the beach chair, noticed that Sally was being mean to Cody again, she immediately sprung up from her seat and wanted to give her daughter a talking-to.


    However, before she could even open her mouth, Violet said something first, "Cody, did you hear what she just said? That means your castle is useless, so you should make sure that you''re going to build a really large and super luxurious castle for your future wife. Do you understand?"


    Taking off her sunglasses, Violet shot Cody a glance.


    Raising his head to look back at his mother and then at Sally, Cody had no idea how he was supposed to respond to his mother''s words.


    Actually, despite being only four years of age, Cody more or less knew already what the word, wife meant as Violet had mentioned it a lot to him before.


    That being said, Sally was as clueless as a fish out of water, listening to what Violet just said.


    "Mother, what does ''wife'' mean?" asked Sally, feeling a bit intrigued.

 Chapter 585 Childhood Sweethearts (Part Two)

    Carla didn''t bother trying to explain it to Sally. Instead, she just cast a glance at Violet, who was right beside her, and let out a soft chuckle. Then, she proceeded to tell her, "My daughter is still too young to be thinking about that. You shouldn''t be making this decision for her as early as now!"


    "Carla, good things should be done as soon as possible! Wouldn''t you say?" Violet beamed her a smile.


    After saying that, she turned to look at Sally and said, "Sally, being a wife means that you will marry Cody sometime in the future, just like your father and mother!"


    It should go without saying that Violet was just messing around with these two children.


    Since Cody was a boy and Sally was a girl, add to that the fact that they were at about the same age, such an idea would inevitably come to her mind.


    At the end of the day, what would happen in the future was still uncertain. If Cody and Sally found someone else to love, Violet would have no right to force them to marry each other.


    "No, I don''t want to be his wife!" Sally screamed at the top of her lungs after finding out what a wife was.


    Then, she looked at Carla and exclaimed, "I''m going to stay with my mother and father for the rest of my life, so I will not marry Cody!"


    Cody, who was in the middle of trying to repair his castle, suddenly hurled back at her, "Sally, I never said I wanted you to marry me! It was my mother who said that!"


    "But that was your mother''s words! Are you saying that you''re going to disobey her order?" Sally asked.


    As he got up, Cody dusted the sand off of his hands and said, "Sally, I''m the one who has to decide whom I''m going to marry. When I''m older, my mom shouldn''t have a say in this matter. So, you don''t have to worry abou


    leaned on the sofa and stretched out her arms and legs.


    Taking her cellphone out, Violet moved a bit closer to Carla''s side and showed her the news that was being talked about all over the internet.


    "Look! These bits of news are all about you. Since you''re finally back, the AJ Group is about to hold an activity called ''Love Returning''. The activity is gonna be held next week, and it''s still on Saturday! I think that the hotels of the AJ Group will most certainly be fully booked because of it!"


    Looking at Violet''s mobile phone, Carla took out her own mobile phone and said, "I don''t think that''s going to be the case at all. The customers need to book the room in advance that day, so we won''t receive any more reservations if it happens to exceed the quota."


    Then, Carla also began to swipe her phone to get updated about what''s going on around her.


    From out of the blue, a push notification of a news article popped up on her phone screen. When she clicked it and, she saw the title of the news article¡ª"The Secret in the An Family".


    Carla was baffled by this piece of news and wondered, ''Secret? What secret in our family are they talking about?''

 Chapter 586 The Tide Of Public Opinion

    The title confused Carla, but her curiosity forced her to read on.


    She skimmed through the article quickly. As she pieced together the meanings behind the words, a feeling of dread started to gnaw at her stomach.


    The writer hadn''t included their names. He or she was completely anonymous, appearing to know all about her. In this article, the writer had laid bare all the sordid details of her past. Admittedly, some of the statements were true. Others, however, were entirely fictional. The author, whoever he or she was, had exaggerated the truth and taken liberties with it.


    There was no doubt about it, the article was written to discredit her.


    Somebody wanted to tarnish her reputation.


    This article was even more surprising given that recently she had been on the receiving end of a surplus of positive articles about her. Journalists had been singing her praises and depicting her as angelic, composed and selfless. They said she deserved to be the wife of the president of the AJ Group. In those articles, Carla was the perfect, untarnished embodiment of every rich housewife in JA City. She was serene and poised, but also generous, often putting others before herself.


    But this article was something else entirely...


    "What the actual fuck?" Violet swore in a loud voice.


    She, like everyone else in town, had just seen the article about Carla.


    As her eyes greedily absorbed line after line of the article, the anger inside her grew. "Who the hell wrote this? Did the writer receive some kind of bribe? How could they write these kinds of things? For fuck''s sake! People are so stupid online! They''ll believe anything, even these blatant lies!"


    The more Violet read, the more indignant she felt.


    Worried about whether Carla had seen the article, she glanced over at her. Carla''s phone was in her hand and her head was down, looking listlessly at the screen. She lifted her face and her eyes met Violet''s. The color had left her pretty face entirely. And Carla was white with shock at that moment.


    In the article, Carla was portrayed as a scheming bitch. And not just that, she was also a rampant and ruthless seducer of men.


    The article even claimed that she feigned the devastating flood in her home just to make Terence feel sorry for her and take her back.


    And that by far was not the worst of it.


    The article went even further with its sordid lies.


    She did whatever she could to seduce a young general manager of the Hua family, even causing him to lose his job. The article called into question her legitimacy as heir to the Hua family estate, claiming that she obtained this position after sleeping with the young and naive general manager.


    And the article still said that after Carla successfully became the heir to the Hua family, she discarded the poor young manager like he was an old toy and set her sights on seducing Terence once again. According to an inside source, Carla knew Terence was in a serious and stable relationship with a woman he was considering marrying. But that meant nothing to Carla. She did all she could to lure Terence t


    iolet, have you heard the phrase ''adding insult to injury''? The only option available to us is to be silent and do nothing."


    Carla stood up, walked to the window, stretched her body out like a cat, and said, "The truth will come out slowly, and only if I remain calm and dignified. With time I can rid myself of these rumors."


    With those words, the sea, which had been so peaceful all morning, became rough. Huge waves crashed onto the shore.


    At this point, the news had also spread within the AJ Group.


    "Mr. Terence, have you seen it? It''s simply awful!"


    Rainer called out loudly as he hurried into Terence''s office sweating.


    Terence was sitting, focusing on his work. He had important deadlines to meet.


    When he heard Rainer''s nervous voice, he wrenched his eyes away from his laptop and asked, "What happened?"


    "Mr. Terence, it looks like we''re going to have to postpone the activity for free sales we scheduled before..."


    Rainer put his tablet on Terence''s desk. The article about Carla lit up the screen. He said, "It was only just uploaded a few minutes ago and it''s already gone viral. It''s been shared over one hundred thousand times."


    Terence put down the pen in his hand, took the tablet and scrutinized the article carefully, reading every single word. The more he read, the closer his eyebrows knitted together.


    He reached the middle of the article and couldn''t go any further. He scrolled down to the bottom of the page, looking desperately and hopelessly for the writer''s name.


    There was no name there, but he did find the comments section. There were thousands of comments stretching out and expanding below the scandalous article, as every second another reader added their opinion. Some insulted Carla further, while others questioned the article''s reliability.


    "Jesus. I''m going to need you to do some research.


    Find out who uploaded this article!"


    Terence smashed his fist down on the bright screen of the tablet computer with such force that cracks appeared across the screen like an intricate spider''s web.

 Chapter 587 I’ll Love Her Even If Shes a Flirt (Part One)

    ¡ª


    Terence was having a hard time wrapping his head around the fact that he had no idea this type of malicious news about Carla was being spread around. How the heck could this happen?


    "Mr. Terence, please get a hold of yourself. Through the rapid development of the Internet, plenty of news articles had been posted by some individuals. I suppose it was started by someone who didn''t like Mrs. Carla and that person posted something like that out of spite." ¡ª


    Rainer immediately told him.


    "I''ve already contacted the people who are running the website and told them to stop spreading the article about her. Have you thought about whether we should move our free event to a later date or not?" He added.


    Clenching his fist so tight that it was about to bleed, Terence replied, "It''s still on. We''re going to push through with it."


    "I''m sorry, but I''m worried that this news might end up affecting our event significantly,"


    Rainer said, feeling so on edge. This event was going to be held for all of the hotels and entertainment projects of the AJ Group, so he couldn''t help himself from getting anxious. The event was especially prepared for the customers to have a good experience at no extra cost with the theme being that of gratitude.


    Every single person living in JA City was fully aware of how much Mr. Terence truly cared for his wife, to the point that he was about to hold an event to express his gratefulness.


    However, due to this malicious news that was going around, there''s a good chance that only a handful of people would show up at the event.


    "Rumors stop at those who are wise enough to know better. I couldn''t care less whether those who believed this awful rumor attends the event or not. They''re not welcome here anyway," Terence stat


    ed.


    Back when they were still together, he never really cared much about how she was doing, so when he suddenly asked her, Lucy had conflicting feelings because of it. "Me? I really can''t complain much. Raising a child all by myself is no walk in the park. But I''m still trying to get the hang of it."


    "Oh, really? Are you staying by yourself here? Where''s your family?" Terence wanted to know. Truth be told, he had actually been looking around her house from the second he came in, so he noticed that there were about three or four pairs of slippers, so it was quite possible that she wasn''t the only one living in this place.


    "They... They were all preoccupied with taking care of my brother''s children. As for me, you know, they would only come to visit their daughter every now and then," Lucy wistfully said.


    ¡ª


    Hearing that, Terence asked, feeling a bit skeptical. "Oh, really?"


    While they were on their way to Lucy''s home, Nathan had already briefed him about how Lucy''s mother was coming by regularly to lend Lucy a hand in taking care of her child. From what he could gather, it was rather plain to see that some other people were also living there with her.

 Chapter 588 I’ll Love Her Even If Shes a Flirt (Part Two)

    "There''s something that I''ve been meaning to ask you."


    Terence cut to the chase right away without bothering to beat around the bush.


    He was actually already aware of what was going on after having just a short conversation.


    Then, he headed straight into the bedroom.


    The living room wasn''t a good place to have a heated conversation given that the kid would be able to hear everything.


    "Oh? Is something wrong? What''s the matter? ¡ª


    With confusion written all over her face, Lucy asked as she followed him into the bedroom.


    "Have you seen what''s on the news this morning? Wasn''t it all about you?"


    As soon as he entered the room, Terence voice turned cold in an instant and asked, with Lucy right behind him.


    "What do you mean by that, Terence? I don''t get what you''re trying to say."


    Raising his eyebrows, Terence suddenly turned around to stare straight at her with his distant and dark eyes.


    "Did you seriously think I wouldn''t find out about what you did? You went ahead and asked someone to post fake news on the Internet to smear Carla and drag her name to the mud. I can''t think of anyone else will do such a thing other than you."


    With his eyes glaring at Lucy who was trying to act innocent, Terence exclaimed with a resentful expression on his face.


    "Terence, I seriously have no idea what you''re even talking about. Now that I''m all alone with my little girl, I''ve already got my hands full. In fact, I don''t even have the time to leave the house anymore. I can''t remember the last time I went out. How on earth could I do something like that?"


    Lucy replied, abr


    with tears, Terence didn''t have any sympathy for her whatsoever.


    "Disgraceful? Do you even hear the words that are coming out of your mouth? Lucy, I remember full well that I had given you a large sum of money when you left, that should''ve been enough to support you and Gail for the rest of your life.


    Who are you trying to deceive with that pitiful look on your face? Me?"


    Terence grunted as he held her face up and forced her to look straight into his eyes.


    "I''m telling you, Lucy. I am in no way the soft-hearted type. If you''re planning to take this opportunity to drive a wedge between me and Carla, then you''re only causing trouble for yourself."


    ¡ª


    "Even if Carla gets criticized by a countless number of people and become the flirt that you''re making her out to be, no one can ever change my mind because I will love her still." ¡ª


    Terence cold-heartedly let go of her chin and gave her a bit of a warning.


    He would continue loving Carla unconditionally for the rest of his entire life no matter what kind of person she might end up becoming.

 Chapter 589 I Hope Your Dreams Come True!

    Before looking at Terence, Lucy shook her head.


    "Terence, I really didn''t do it. There isn''t even any indication that I would do that! Why would you think it was me?


    This isn''t fair to me! It''s not fair!"


    Lucy felt dejected. The slander that defamed Carla had just spread for a little while, this made her think that Terence didn''t even have the time to find out who did it. But why did he think this was even remotely related to her? She couldn''t understand this.


    "Really?" Terence spoke back in a chilly voice. "I''ll trust you for now. You better truly have nothing to do with this.


    If I find out you had something to do with the slander, you will regret it."


    With his words, Terence strode away without looking back.


    While tears were streaming down her face, Lucy leaned against the wall and looked at Terence walking away.


    The argument made the one-year-old baby, Gail cry loudly, "Mother! Mother! Mother!"


    After Terence came down, he looked at Nathan and said, "Arrange someone to monitor her right now."


    He knew... He knew that the short-lived slander was not spread nor done by Lucy. Despite this, he had a vague feeling that the one who actually did it would find Lucy for aid. He thought that the person who was behind this whole thing would reveal himself sooner or later.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Night came and Terence returned to the Seaview Villa


    The cold wind blew past him while the moon shone with its wondrous beauty.


    The reason why he came back home late was because he went to see the head of the JA Television station and the director of the news bureau to try to suppress the spread of the slanderous articles.


    "Where is Carla?"


    He asked a nearby maid as soon as he entered the villa''s doors.


    At this moment, Carla was exercising in the boxing room on the third floor.


    As Terence came upstairs, he heard the sound of a sandbag being pummeled. He saw the petite woman in her sports vest, clad in a boxer''s attire and boxing gloves, hitting the sandbags.


    Even after seeing the barely moving sports equipment, he could tell that she put her all in every punch.


    "You should rest for a bit!"


    He said as he neared her.


    Terence could tell that she had been hitting the bags for quite some time seeing that her clothes were soaked with sweat.


    Upon hearing Terence''s voice, Carla stopped punching, and while gasping, she turned around and looked at him.


    "Terence!"


    Her vest had been drenched with sweat and strands of her hair were stuck on her cheek, but her little face was still beautiful, making Terence unable to move his eyes away from her.


    He noticed that even though her eyes looked exhausted, they were still sparkling.


    Terence moved closer, embraced her and said, "Don''t be sad, my dear wife. No


    What do you think it is?" Johnny answered.


    He helplessly looked at the camera with a wry smile.


    "It''s said that you and Ms. Carla are lovers and you often meet her in private even after she got married. Is that true?" the reporter asked, seeming to imply something.


    "Miss reporter, I hope your dreams come true!" Johnny responded.


    Deep inside, Johnny wished those rumors were actually true. He was in love with Carla from the very start, and still in love with her even now.


    Even if a lot of things happened these past four years, such as Carla going missing, and him getting married. He would still happily be Carla''s lover if she accepted him.


    The reporter was speechless for a moment after hearing what Johnny said.


    She pondered upon his words ''I hope your dreams come true'' as she didn''t understand what it meant.


    When she saw Johnny leave and was about to enter his car, she asked him, "Mr. Johnny, what did you mean with those words just now? Can you explain it to us?"


    Johnny felt annoyed after being hindered from his schedule. Because of this, he grabbed the microphone from the reporter, looked at the camera directly, and announced, "I''m here to tell all the citizens of JA City!"


    I will and only will say this once! The first woman I have ever loved in my life is now Mr. Terence''s wife, Carla. I pursued her love when they weren''t married. But from then on until now, I have not laid a single finger on her!"


    I acknowledge that I''m not a good man. But if I actually did the things the rumors say I did, then I would have declared it long ago! I don''t know who spread those rumors, but know this, the woman I once loved is not someone who would cheat on her husband!"


    Johnny threw the microphone to the reporter as he concluded his words and quickly entered his car while clearly looking displeased.

 Chapter 590 Johnnys Response (Part One)

    Quite possibly, everyone in JA City knew what kind of man Johnny was.


    But even though he had been such a flirt with the ladies, he was still a man with principles. Never in his life had he ever taken anyone''s side.


    Meaning to say, this was the first time he stood up for a girl.


    Carla, who had been watching him getting interviewed on TV, was truly touched by his kind gesture.


    For that reason, she quickly grabbed her phone and dialed Johnny''s number.


    At this point, he was probably the only person was willing to actually stand up for her and defend her.


    The words he said might sound a bit harsh, but she knew he only meant well.


    "Hello?"


    "Johnny, I¡­ Thank you... I sincerely appreciate what you did."


    Carla meant it from the bottom of her heart.


    Not a lot of people would be brave enough to stand alongside her given the fact that the tension was already quite high. Therefore, Johnny truly deserved every bit of her appreciation.


    For a moment, all she heard was silence coming from the other end of the line. He fell quiet for a while. Then, he told her, "There''s no need for you to thank me. I just got so sick and tired of those annoying reporters. They had been waiting outside my house for days and wouldn''t leave no matter what. You should know that I''ve never been fond of hiding."


    "Even so, thank you for speaking up for me!"


    Carla replied.


    For some reason, it seemed that Carla showing her appreciation for what he did made Johnny feel a little embarrassed. "Can you please stop being too serious? I''ve almost forgotten about you already! Now, your call is just messing me up in my head again." ¡ª


    "I see. I''m sorry for bothering you. I''ll just let you go the


    n, when are you going to be done with your final exams? Will it be sometime this week? Oh, that''s great! I''ll be waiting for you to come then. Let''s head over to BH City during your break. Hmm... I haven''t really visited them yet since I got back."


    After all, Sean was a son of the Ji Family. So, it would just be right for him to pay his parents a visit whenever he could get the time to do so.


    "Mommy! Give me the phone! I also want to talk to Uncle Sean!"


    Sally could hardly wait for Carla to wrap up her conversation with Sean. Throughout the call, she kept on bugging Carla to hand over the phone to her.


    "Alright, I think that''s about it. It was nice talking to you. But, Sally here wants to talk to you..."


    Before Carla could finish what she was about to say, Sally grabbed the phone from her hand and excitedly called Sean in such a sweet voice.


    "Uncle Sean! I miss you so much!"


    Carla helplessly shook her head as a smile crept onto her face while looking at Sally, who was having a great time talking over the phone. The little girl just sounded so damn cute. Then, Carla got up and walked toward her bedroom.

 Chapter 591 Johnnys Response (Part Two)

    During the past two days, Violet had gone back to her old home to get all of her belongings and move everything to JA City.


    They actually had plans to meet up this morning. And they didn''t really have anything planned whatsoever, as they were only supposed to go for a walk and chill out a little.


    That being said, Carla still hadn''t gone out because of the rumors going around.


    However, Terence went ahead and told Carla that he had the whole mall cleared out. Meaning to say, the mall would be open for the day exclusively for her to enjoy shopping without having to worry about hearing any hurtful remarks from anyone. No one would be able to bother her and ruin her time with her friend.


    It should be mentioned that Carla wasn''t really happy that he went out of his way to do that for her. If possible, she would''ve preferred that he didn''t make a big deal out of it. She could''ve simply worn a mask as a disguise and gone shopping like that.


    After just a short while, Violet came over with Cody.


    Now that the four of them were together, they rode a big SUV on their way to the mall.


    When they arrived at the mall, Carla asked Hannah to take the kids to the play area to keep them preoccupied while they went around the mall. In any case, kids their age wouldn''t really be that interested in going shopping yet.


    Then, Violet and Carla went on their way, walking with their arms linked together, and began to check each store.


    "Carla, this is absolutely amazing! This is the first, and probably also the only time I''m ever going to experience having the entire mall just to ourselves! Do you have any idea how snobbis


    were sitting across each other were quite familiar with the Carla and Terence.


    One of them was Lucy.


    While the other one was Eunice.


    Lucy and Eunice didn''t really have that much of a connection. There weren''t any issues between them.


    Eunice never really considered Lucy as that much of a threat. And even when Lucy was still with Terence, Eunice didn''t have to worry too much about her.


    However, Carla''s sudden return had completely put Eunice''s position in the An Family at risk. She had only been back for a couple of days, but Edmund had already decided to let her be the one to come as the representative of the An Family in the ancestor-worship ceremony that was going to be held this year.


    At this point, it was plain to see that Carla meant more to the family as far as Edmund was concerned.


    From this perspective, Lucy and Eunice had a common enemy. Both of them would benefit a lot from taking Carla down. With Carla out of the way, they would be able to get back what they lost when she returned.


    Having a common goal, the two of them decided to work together.

 Chapter 592 WHY SO CRUEL

    Lucy sighed, "I''m afraid Terence will come for me," She said nervously, fiddling with her fingers. She swallowed painfully. "If...If he umm....finds out about... about it," She stuttered.


    "Don''t tell me you''re scared now!" "Why were you not scared when you came to me in the first place?"


    Eunice said in anger to Lucy who looked worried.


    Lucy lowered her head in shame.


    Gail had an accident, and she was hoping that Terence would come visit her because she needed him more than ever. Then Carla came out of nowhere and said things that provoked her.


    Lucy couldn''t bear anymore insults, so she asked Eunice for help.


    Lucy knew Eunice had always wanted to be a hostess to the An family. But Eunice did not dare to fight for it because she did not have the power to do so.


    But now, they both have the same enemy, Carla!


    "There''s no need to be worried, Lucy. Acting like a coward will not bring Terence back to you."


    Eunice looked around and then scolded her in a low voice.


    Lucy exhaled and bowed her head in shame.


    "..." "But what if I''m only acting in vain? I''ve only been in Terence''s life for two years. It''s been four years since that woman left and Terence could not get her out of his mind. How on earth can I compete with her?"


    There was so many sweet memories of the past that it hurt so much to let go of everything.


    As time went by, she began to realize that what was lost could never be returned.


    ¡ª


    "How would you know if you don''t give it a try?" Eunice asked. "Do you even know how many women envy you?" She added. "They envy you because you''ve been with Terence before. Other girls are dying to spend just a day with him."


    "But you''ve lived with Terence for two years and that makes you a step ahead of those girls."


    Lucy shook her head in frustration.


    "You don''t understand Eunice. Terence and me, we were not close, we did not... "


    "What?" Eunice asked in disbelief.


    Lucy did not complete her sentence.


    Despite the fact that Lucy lived in the same house with Terence for two years, the two of them were never intimate.


    She was too ashamed to talk about it.


    They lived together under the same roof for two years and never did she and Terence move close to each other. No kissing. No smooching. No lovemaking.


    Lucy knew she would be laughed at and made fun of if she told anyone about it.


    "Don''t worry about that Lucy, we are now on the same side and we


    just tell me. I will break up with her. Why did you have to be so cruel?"


    Seeing that he finally admitted their relationship, Eunice furiously pushed him away.


    "Why do I have to be so cruel?" She mimicked his voice. "Now you accused me of being cruel? You''re very heartless." ¡ª


    "Have you ever stopped hooking up with those women since we got married?


    I never do anything to hurt you. I married you and gave you a son, but what did you do to me in return?"


    Eunice poked him in his chest with her fingers. She wasn''t sweet and caring anymore. All the love turned into hatred.


    Rhys just looked away and said nothing.


    "Say something!" She demanded. She wanted answers. "How did you treat me all these years?" She asked.


    Eunice kept poking his chest and glaring at him furiously, "Sometimes I wonder why you are so different from your brother.


    Look at how Terence treats his wife!


    Carla was missing for four years and never for once did he forget about her. Now that she''s back, I have no doubt he is going to treat her more than a queen.


    What about me? How do you treat me?"


    Eunice pointed to herself and tears rolled down her cheeks. "I would be extremely grateful if you could just act a little bit like him. I even blame myself for choosing to marry you!"


    "If I had married someone who didn''t have a powerful family like mine, I could have at least had a man who would love me and treat me like a queen."


    Rhys shut his eyes for a while and then opened them. He pushed away Eunice''s hand which she used in poking his chest.


    "That is enough Eunice!" He commanded with gritted teeth.

 Chapter 593 Have Fun In a Casino

    "Do you honestly believe that I''ve never dreamt of living a happy married life with you?


    Taking in a deep breath, Rhys heaved a heavy sigh and said, "I wanted to be a good husband to you, to treat you well. But you know that I''ve never been such an ambitious person. I just wanted to do my part and, at the very least, be a decent second son of the An family, but you''re always pushing me to go head to head with the host in the An Family.


    If you ask me, I don''t really see what''s so good about that. Am I not allowed to be contented with what we have? Why do I have to keep wanting more? I''m lucky enough to be able to enjoy my life as the second son of the An family. Why should I bother fighting for the right to be the heir?"


    Since birth, Rhys had always been like this. His personality trait had been innate to him. Meaning to say, he was nothing like Marcus.


    "But you won''t ever stop pushing me and forcing me to do things I never really wanted to do.


    Home is meant to be a place where you could be at ease, but right now, it feels more like a battlefield to me, because I am being forced to hear you run your mouth and complain about every little thing all the damn time.


    Do you think any man in his right mind would want to stay in a place like that every single day?" ¡ª


    After keeping it all in his chest for such a long time, Rhys exploded and hurled in a low voice, "Eunice, I seriously wanted to be a respectable husband. But have ever really given me a chance to do that?"


    Then, he furiously loosened his collar and walked out the door.


    "Don''t bother waiting up for me. I won''t be coming home for dinner!"


    Feeling so helpless when she watched Rhys slam the door as he left, Eunice threw herself into the sofa and burst into tears.


    "Am I the one who''s wrong?


    Even if I didn''t try to push him, could he have really been a better husband to me?


    Was it really all my fault? Am I the one to blame?


    Oh, dear God, why is it so unfair? What did I do to deserve this?


    Why couldn''t I marry Terence? Instead, I got tied up with a playboy like Rhys?" she whispered under her breath.


    ¡ª


    ¡ª


    By the time Carla and Violet were about to finally leave the shopping mall, it had already gotten late.


    The mall was quite huge, so it took them quite a while to check every single shop. Carla were leisurely chatting along as they walked around. Since they were already there, they got the kids some clothes as well. When they were done having dinner and finally walked out of the mall, night had already fallen.


    Carla was just planning to take Sally back to the Seaview Villa now that they were done.


    Be that as it might, it looked like Violet wanted to have a bit more fun.


    From out of nowhere, she took out a fancy invitation with golden letters on it and showed it to Carla. "Look at this, Carla. I found it in William''s car when he drove me back home yesterday.


    We might be able to have some fun in this place,"


    Violet suggested, giving her a cunning gaze. "It''s been so long since we did something like this. Why don''t we just let others pick up the kids and


    ey.


    However...


    "Oh, my! I lost again?" Damn it! I suck at this!"


    With her eyes glued to the roulette wheel, Violet was raring to move it herself.


    "It''s okay, Violet. Didn''t you say that we''re just here to try it out and have a bit of fun? Take it easy... "


    Carla said as she patted Violet''s shoulder and tried to comfort her.


    "Well, do you still have some chips left, Carla?


    Violet''s eyes were sparkling with such expectation.


    Taking out her chip box, Carla raised her eyebrows. "I''ve just won some chips from the slot machine. Let''s give that gambling table a shot."


    Despite looking quite fearless, Violet was actually already feeling a bit reluctant to continue at this point.


    "What? You know what? Carla, I guess you''re right. We just came here to have some fun. There''s no need for us to take that risk whatsoever."


    This time, Violet was the one who was turning tail. After all, she had already lost all of her chips, so she was afraid that she might end up losing her own money.


    "You''re the one who brought me here, remember? And now you''re the one who wants to back out? Come on, it''s not that big of a deal. I can just ask Terence to come to help us out in case we lose. Let''s just go already."


    Then, Carla had to drag Violet to look for an empty seat over the gambling area. She just watched them for a while. The players didn''t seem to be betting with a large amount, so she had the option to spend a little money. Everything simply depended on luck. There was no way they''d keep losing all the time, right?


    Since she had already come all this way, she would never go back until she had enjoyed herself to the fullest.


    When she was younger, there was no way in hell she would''ve gone to a place like this.


    However, things were much too different now. A lot had changed around her since then. With Terence having her back, she was able to have some fun here.


    "Here! Carla, I found a seat!"


    Now that there was a seat freed up on the gambling table, Violet immediately gestured toward Carla for her to come over quickly.

 Chapter 594 They Gambled Their Money Away

    Carla and Violet intended to play as partners, so even though there was only one vacant seat, it was already enough for them.


    After a long while of looking for an available seat across the floors of the casino, Carla finally managed to find one. However, just as she was about to take it, someone else occupied the seat ahead of them.


    "I''m sorry, this seat''s already taken," a woman told her.


    Sizing her up from head to toe, Carla noticed that the woman was wearing a tight-fitting dress with a slit on one side, which accentuated her sophisticated grace as a charming woman. She proceeded to take a seat after beaming Carla a smile.


    "Damn it! She took our seat just like that even though we spent a lot of time trying to find one! Isn''t she aware of the rule ''First come, first served''?"


    Violet was so upset as she glared at the woman, visibly gritting her teeth in anger.


    "It''s not that big of a deal. Don''t let it get to you. After all, this is a casino, and it''s just one seat at the gambling table, so just try not to mind it. We''ll find another seat eventually,"


    Carla tried to calm her down and was already about to leave in order to look for another seat. But before she could go, the woman stopped them in their tracks.


    "Wait just a second, you two gals. You don''t have to be in such a hurry to leave. If you could just wait for me right here for 5 minutes, I can assure you that there''ll be at least 1 seat available for you," she remarked.


    Hearing the woman say something like that, three men who were sitting away from each other around the same table glanced at her one by one.


    Quite an attitude this woman had!


    "It''s totally up to you if you''re gonna believe me or not. But I would recommend that you stay and watch for a while. So, what do you say?"


    The woman suggested, wearing an enticing smile on her face, as she lit up a cigarette and drew a bunch of cards.


    "Violet, how about we just wait here and see how the game is played? It''s going to be of great help knowing the rules, right?" Carla told Violet who was standing right beside her.


    Without saying anything, Violet nodded her head in agreement. Given that there were no seats available, it wouldn''t hurt to stay for a bit and watch the others play.


    Because there were a number of ways of playing poker, Carla wasn''t familiar with the rules that had to be followed. For that reason, Violet acted like a teacher and whispered in her ears to explain how the game was played.


    "The game they''re playing is called ''Bullfight'', a version of poker which is actually kind of easy to understand. The players are going to be dealt 5 cards. Each card has a value from 1 to 10, and the face cards all stand for 10 as well. In the end, they will have to compete with the banker. The winner is decided based on who holds the cards that have the largest value," Violet explained.


    She had stayed in JA City for a couple of years. Even though she rarely frequented the casinos in the area, she had already played this game before in private with her workmates.


    Carla was all ears as Violet was talking. However, the woman''s cards were kept face down on the table so there was no way for he


    ds one more time, Carla still couldn''t understand how such a low number could get large points at all.


    Completely clueless as to how great of a hand she had, she threw her cards away and shrugged her shoulders.


    They weren''t the highest points, so Carla became the banker for this round.


    As for the other two players, knowing that they didn''t have hands that would be a match for hers, they followed suit and threw their cards as well.


    As it turned out, Carla''s points were indeed the highest out of everyone.


    It seemed that she got lucky and ended up winning 5, 000 chips.


    "Well, what do you know, you''re actually quite lucky, sweetie. What do you say we turn it up a notch and add more chips? 1, 000 chips every round. How does that sound?"


    The woman took a puff and suggested. It was rather apparent that betting 500 chips at a time was a bit too little for her.


    So, Carla decided to humor her and they started adding 1, 000 chips.


    It was at that point that Carla came to realize how frustrating it could be, as she lost a couple of times. The chips she had won from the first round disappeared in just a blink of an eye. She decided to add another 1, 200 chips, only to lose all of it as well.


    Maybe she just had beginner''s luck, so it was too soon to celebrate.


    "Carla, we should stop while we haven''t lost that much money yet,"


    Violet pressed her hand against Carla''s back and gave her a piece of advice.


    Be that as it might, Carla wasn''t sure whether she should stop already or just continue playing. She was thinking that it just wouldn''t feel right to leave the table so soon.


    But at that moment, the gambling house, which was brimming with so much activity, became quiet.


    There was a deafening silence around the room. In fact, it was so silent that one could probably hear the sound of a needle dropping.


    When she turned to check what was going on, Carla saw 2 to 3 men walking toward her. And among them, there was a tall and handsome man walking ahead of the others.


    Carla''s heart was put at ease at last.


    Her beloved Terence had finally arrived to lend her a hand.

 Chapter 595 A Big Gamble

    The hubbub that filled the hall died down almost instantly the moment Terence arrived.


    All eyes from across the room were watching him as he walked in.


    Some people quickly sprung up from their seats to offer them to him.


    "You''re here, Mr. Terence. Feel free to take my seat if you want," a man ingratiated himself. "You can have mine if you would like to, Mr. Terence."


    "Perhaps you''d like to take my seat?" another man politely said, "I''ve actually got a great seat and I''ve been winning today!" he went on and added.


    "What are you trying to imply? Are you saying that Mr. Terence is someone who''s afraid to lose?" another man was so quick to point a finger.


    "No! I never said anything like that. I only meant well," the former said, trying to make it clear.


    As these people were having arguments, Terence scanned the hall awhile, obviously looking for someone, until his eyes became fixated in a corner where a woman was sitting.


    Now that he finally found her, his eyebrows had gotten knitted. At that moment, she was sporting a pair of unfashionable glasses with a black frame, which concealed her beauty and made her appear like such a plain woman.


    Then, he strode toward her right away.


    Shifting her glasses upward out of frustration, Carla threw her cards onto the table.


    However, just as she was about to hand over her seat to Terence, the manager of the casino who had a black suit on suddenly appeared and was smiling from ear to ear.


    "Good afternoon, Mr. Terence. I''m glad you could come. We''re happy to have you here. We have a suite reserved upstairs just for you. If you would please follow me to your room?" the manager politely said after giving Terence a warm welcome.


    Without saying a word, Terence simply nodded his head in response. Then, as a smile crept onto his face, he reached out his hand toward his wife.


    With her eyes glued to his captivating smile, it took a second before she gave her hand to him.


    Then, with a wave of her hand, she gestured toward Violet to follow them.


    "Kaylee, will you be coming as well?"


    From out of the blue, Terence politely asked the woman in a mandarin gown.


    At this point, the woman was visibly looking at Carla from head to toe as she got up from her seat. "How silly of me! I didn''t even realize this is your wife, Terence," she remarked, wearing quite a warm smile on her face.


    "I see you''ve already met. Carla, this is Kaylee. Father''s friend,"


    Terence said, formally introducing the woman to Carla.


    Carla could more or less guess right away that this woman was probably Edmund''s lover.


    Terence'' late mother had already been gone for a number of years. So, it shouldn''t be surprising for Edmund to be seeing another woman.


    That being said, Carla wasn''t really expecting to come across her in a rather inappropriate place.


    After that, Terenc


    as it might, everyone else thought that she simply had a stroke of luck this time and it would probably go against her on the next round, so they all thought of betting more.


    Sadly for them, things didn''t go as they expected it would. She actually managed to win twice in a row! This made her feel so thrilled that she couldn''t help but give Terence a great big hug.


    Now, she was able to proudly hold her head up high as she collected all the money she had just won.


    Patting her chest due to so much exhilaration, she could now finally let out a sigh of relief.


    That being said, she vowed never to get involved in such big gambles like this ever again.


    It was almost midnight


    by the time they walked out of the gambling house.


    William went ahead and drove Violet home.


    On the other hand, Terence and Carla decided to grab some midnight snacks with his friends before heading back to the Seaview Villa.


    "Honey, I think you should pay father a visit tomorrow," Terence said after getting home and taking a shower. "The day of ancestor worship that''s held once every three years is about to come, and father wants you to be the one to take care of it."


    "What? Me again?"


    Carla didn''t seem to be looking forward to it when she heard this news, so she curled her lips. The last time Rhys got married, she also had to take care of everything, which left her feeling so worn out in the end.


    Seeing the look on her face, Terence softly smiled at her and rested the palm of his hands against her shoulders. Then, he said, "I promise it''s going to be different this time around. Ancestor worship has a fixed process anyway. You just have to follow a few simple rules. Everything''s going to be a breeze."


    "That''s exactly what you told me last time,"


    Carla grumbled.


    "Well, I mean it this time,"


    he said, putting on quite a convincing smile to give her a sense of assurance.

 Chapter 596 There Is Only One Hostess In The Family

    "Who took care of it last time?"


    "It was Eunice, She handled it when you were away."


    Carla shot him a glance. "Why can''t she keep handling it then?"


    "You''re back here now. You should be the one taking care of it. All the An family members and relatives will be at the ancestor-worship ceremony. You need to take the leading role to guide all the females in the family to prostrate before our ancestors.


    "That position has been vacant ever since my mother passed away,"


    Terence patiently explained.


    Carla yawned as she listened. "Is Eunice okay with it?"


    Since this was a sacred tradition of the An family tradition, the lead role would naturally be taken by the hostess.


    Carla figured that Eunice had been very much enjoying the glory of the moment.


    As the An family was big, countless people would be attending the ceremony. It would be a wondrous sight to behold.


    "Although she wasn''t happy with it, she can''t do anything about this decision,"


    Terence said with a frown on his face. He remembered that Nathan had informed him about Lucy and Eunice meeting up in secret.


    He didn''t have to think too hard to figure out what was on their minds.


    It was clearly obvious to him what Eunice wanted to do.


    Eunice wanted to help Lucy in order to take Carla down and become the hostess.


    Carla leaned her head silently on his shoulder, her eyes closing as she felt his warmth beside her. "I understand, don''t worry about it. I won''t let anyone else take away what''s mine."


    Shortly after speaking out what she needed to say, silence filled the room and repetitive sounds of breathing could be heard.


    "Carla?" Terence gently called her name only to find out she had fallen asleep.


    At the beginning, he wanted to warn her about Eunice.


    This was because Eunice seemed to be aggravated. After all, in the past, she had always seemed to have a certain mocking temperament against Carla. Ever since she gave birth to a son, she seemed to have forgotten her place in the family.


    With these thoughts, the night dwindled by and morning came.


    Soon after, Carla waited for Violet to take Cody home. Carla then took Sally to the An family manor.


    As they arrived at the East Yard, Carla noticed that someone came earlier than her.


    "Just remember what I just said, you can prepare for the ceremony like we had last year. I think the courtesy done before walking inside the door is unnecessary. You can just remove them. I''ll talk to the elders in the family about it later,"


    Eunice said as she was looking at the list of the detailed processes of the ceremony in her hand.


    "Mrs. Eunice, I c


    She counted the days. Two days from now would be her ovulation period. Plus, she had the type of body that would easily get pregnant.


    She remembered that Gail''s father knocked her up just after a night together.


    If she got this opportunity, then she was absolutely sure she was going to get pregnant.


    "Don''t worry about it. Everything will go according to plan. You just need to be in the room waiting for him,"


    Eunice responded with a confident voice.


    She liked the mindless and cowardly Lucy way much better than Carla.


    Because despite being a coward, she would still listen to what Eunice would tell her.


    Carla had been staying inside the East Yard until late afternoon. The ancestor-worship ceremony was nerve-wracking as it was a really important thing to the family. There were too many complicated rules, and she had to study hard for it since it was her first time hosting.


    As Terence''s wife, she had to lead all the females in the ceremony. She couldn''t afford to make a mistake.


    While Carla was studying hard and racking her brains, Eunice was working behind the scenes.


    Instead of going back to her home, Eunice had stayed at the An family manor.


    "Father, please don''t be bothered by the rumors. Although Carla grew up in a small city, she definitely isn''t an ''easy lady'' like the news portrayed she was."


    "Those reporters don''t know anything about her. They just believed some blind rumors about the possible affair she had with the son of the Hua family. They even said she still kept a close contact with Johnny. I think they are just blatant nonsense. How could Carla even be that kind of woman?"


    "Don''t you agree, Father?"


    Eunice voiced out as she helped Edmund water the two pots of Kaffir lilies.

 Chapter 597 Edmunds One And Only Concern

    "The news is not completely inaccurate through. Indeed, there was a time when Carla was engaged to Noah. However, as far as I know, the only interaction that she with the son of the Ouyang family was when she competed with him in a horse race..."


    Before Edmund could finish talking, Eunice turned around and interrupted him.


    "I heard that some people saw Carla and Johnny walking around the old town. They had even been seen sitting very closely in one car. I guess that''s not true either,"


    she commented as she closely watched Edmund''s reaction.


    At that moment, Edmund was holding a pair of scissors on his hand. With one swift snap, he was able to easily cut down an extra branch off the plant in front of him. "Eunice, you are a member of the An family now. You need to have a pair of keen eyes to discern the truth from the lies. Especially to the things that you see on the Internet. A lot of those are misleading, misinformed and even half-truths.


    With a single article online, someone''s reputation could go down the drain. It doesn''t matter whether the source is reliable or not. Unfortunately, this is very common in our society right now."


    Edmund was right. With the convenience of social media these days, not a lot of people cared about the truth. Only a few would care to check if what they read and see online were trustworthy.


    They were completely ignorant of the fact that most of what they read were just one-sided opinions.


    At that point in time, Eunice was watering the plants. Her hand froze when she heard what Edmund had said. He didn''t directly say it but it was clear to her. She didn''t expect how much faith and trust he had in Carla.


    She turned to look at Sally who was running around and playing outside the room.


    Eunice couldn''t believe how much Edmund''s attitude had changed towards Carla after she gave birth to Sally.


    Eunice had Eric, her son. However, she had never felt that Edmund had treated her differently.


    But instead of voicing out the injustice and jealousy that she felt, she said, "You''re right, Father. I will keep that in mind and I won''t judge Carla any more. But, Father, I don''t know Carla very well. I had only met her a few times before she got into that accident. And after she had come back, I only saw her once or twice."


    "I guess what happened in the past doesn''t really matter anymore. She has come back with Terence''s daughter. Even if she had committed some mistakes before, I think it could easily be forgiven."


    Eunice thoughtfully said while she continued to look at Sally, who was now playing with a toy airplane outside. She then looked at Edmund who was still carefully trimming the plant in front of him.


    "It''s kind of interesting though. Carla had been married to Terence in JA City for so long but not once did I hear anything about her pregnancy. But right after the accident, it was revealed that she had been pregnant all along. It even seemed like the accident helped her to get pregnant,"


    Eunice casually mumbled in a low voice.


    With that, Edmund coughed and put down the pair of scissors in his hand.


    "Grandpa, look! My plane is huge


    enly asking about that?"


    Terence, who was sitting in his office, asked with a deep frown.


    "Nothing''s wrong, I''m just a little concerned. You and Carla had been married for half a year before she went missing. I like Sally but everything just seems to be too perfect. I''m just a little concerned about Sally''s identity,"


    Edmund said with honesty. He didn''t care about a lot of things. However, when it came to things about their family and anything that had to do with them, he had to be extra careful.


    "Father, you worry too much! We already took the test the week that I met Sally. She is my biological daughter," Terence said on the other side of the line in a firm tone.


    "Oh, is that so? Then, that''s good to know. I just simply thought about it today and wanted to check with you."


    Edmund let out a sigh of relief. "Don''t think too much about it then. I''ll let you go to your duties. If you have the time, come over and have dinner with me. That''s it. Bye."


    Edmund finally felt better after he hung up. He then thought about how impossible it was for Sally not to be Terence''s daughter. She looked just like him.


    He figured that he was just getting too old to think clearly about some things that he even started to suspect the unnecessary things.


    The news about Carla that had been spreading was completely exaggerated. He was Terence''s father, so naturally, he had checked Carla''s background before they got married. There were a lot of things about the news that didn''t add up.


    When he heard about it, he didn''t give it a second thought.


    He only cared about one thing. As long as Sally was his granddaughter, he had nothing to worry about.


    On the other end of the call, Terence didn''t put his phone down. He quickly called Carla afterward.


    "Carla, where are you?"


    "We just left Father''s house. Sally and I are on our way back home."


    Carla had just walked out of the East Yard''s door with Sally.


    "Don''t go home. I miss you. Let''s meet up! Tell the driver to take you straight to the company,"


    Terence said as he narrowed his eyes in a smile.

 Chapter 598 An Island For You

    When Carla heard what her husband had just said, she couldn''t help but chuckle. With a wide smile, she asked, "You miss me? So am I your puppet, dear husband? I have to run over to meet you whenever you miss me, is that right? What if I don''t miss you and I don''t want to come to you?"


    "Well, I''ll just come get you right now if you don''t want to come,"


    Terence threatened her in a low voice. He too, chuckled a little because he knew well enough that he got endless ways to make her come to him.


    "Fine, come and get me. Do you even know where I am right now?" At this moment, Carla was already on her way back to the Seaview Villa but they were stuck in heavy traffic. It was going to take a while before they could reach any destination.


    "You''re currently on the Feng He Road, waiting for the traffic light to turn green. But there is some traffic jam so it''ll take you ten minutes to get through," Terence stated with a gentle smile on his face while he was looking at her location on his phone.


    Carla froze when she heard what Terence had just said. She looked outside the car window and saw the blue road sign indicating that they were in fact, on Feng He Road.


    "Are you following me?" Carla immediately asked as she suspiciously looked at their surroundings. She was so surprised by how accurate Terence knew their location.


    "Oh, babe, you don''t know, do you? Every car in our house has a GPS tracker."


    The trackers were installed long ago so Terence could find any of the cars in the house if they ever got stolen.


    He then continued, "Tell the driver to turn around in the next intersection. A few meters from there is a shortcut to the company."


    Now that Carla knew Terence could see their exact location, Carla curled her lips and relayed to the driver what Terence had stated.


    In about 20 minutes, Carla arrived at the entrance of the company.


    Sally had been sleeping since the moment they got into the car. So with so much effort, Carla held the little girl in her arms as she got out of the vehicle. However, she immediately saw a person''s strong arms reaching out to hold Sally. Obviously, Terence had been waiting for her.


    "I thought you were busy. Don''t you have work to do?"


    Carla asked Terence as she got out of the car herself.


    Before he responded, Terence turned to Nathan and transferred Sally into his arms. He then took off his coat and placed it over her in case she caught a cold.


    "Eh, I''m not busy at the moment.


    Come on, let me show you something."


    On their way to his office, Terence asked Nathan to take Sally in his office so that the little girl could sleep soundly. Then, he led Carla into the design room at the end of the corridor.


    in anger.


    "I just wanted to give you a heads up so you''d be ready in time." Terence gazed at her with a smile and placed his arms around her waist.


    "Babe, why don''t we let Nathan take Sally home tonight, so we can go for a ride?" However, as soon as Terence finished talking, the door was pushed open and a high-pitched voice was heard.


    "Daddy! Mommy!"


    Sally came rushing into the room and stopped in front of her parents.


    "Daddy, I don''t want to go home. I want to go for a ride with Mommy."


    Sally had already woken up in the office a few moments ago and rushed to find her parents. Now, she was staring at Terence out of discontent.


    Terence laughed, looking at his lovely daughter and lifting her into his arms. "Alright, let''s go for a ride."


    "Yes! Daddy is the best!"


    Sally immediately turned to look at Terence and kissed him on the cheek.


    "Dad, what are we riding? Horses?


    But I didn''t bring any riding suit with me. Should I go home and change my clothes?"


    As she spoke, Sally worriedly touched her lovely dress which was not even close to a riding suit at all.


    Carla was amused by her daughter''s reaction, so she laughed.


    "Don''t worry, sweetheart. Mommy has brought one for you."


    Carla didn''t hurry to explain what ride truly meant as she tried to comfort her lovely daughter.


    Sally was relieved and couldn''t help but giggle. She then exclaimed, "Alright. But Mom, it''s getting dark. Could the horses see in the dark?"


    "Well, we''ll see then," Carla gently replied.


    Looking at his wife and his little girl talking innocently, Terence could not help but grin from ear to ear.


    He was just supposed to take Carla to watch the night view and enjoy some private time together.


    But now he could only sigh and ask Nathan to drive the sports car over.

 Chapter 599 What Our Memories Actually Meant (Part One)

    When that evening came, Terence drove one of his sports cars so he could take Sally and Carla to go sightseeing along some beautiful streets with sparkling and stunning lights.


    They never left the car. They just passed by the streets one after another. All through the night, they drove down at a constant speed but sometimes, Terence would slow down so they could take their time and appreciate the lights.


    Terence patiently introduced every street and view to Sally. Although Sally might not understand everything that her father was saying, she listened very carefully.


    JA City was an ancient city with a rich history for hundreds of years. A lot of kings that had ruled the country had picked the city as the capital of their kingdom. The reason they did so was because of its beautiful sceneries.


    "Daddy! This place is awesome! We are going to live here forever, aren''t we?"


    Looking at the beautiful ancient streets under the shadow of trees, Sally asked in great excitement.


    "Of course, we are! Daddy''s home is right here! Therefore, Sally and Mommy''s home is here too!"


    Terence smiled with great satisfaction.


    "Terence, can we stop over there?"


    Carla asked when she saw a self-service photo booth. At the spur of the moment, she thought that it would be nice to have their photo taken. Carla considered that it would also be a fun experience for the three of them so she immediately suggested it to Terence.


    "Will do!"


    Terence gently pulled the car over to the side of the street.


    Carla helped Sally in getting out of the car. Then, they walked towards the photo booth with wide smiles on their faces.


    People had gotten used to taking photos using their phones. They scarcely went to a photo service shop unless they had to print out some important photographs like passports and IDs.


    However, Carla thoug


    ly and pinched her little nose.


    "Your mommy is my wife. If I don''t kiss her, who else should I kiss?" he asked with an understanding smile on his face.


    "Me!"


    Sally answered without thinking much about it.


    Terence laughed and gave her cute cheek a kiss. He then turned around to look at Carla.


    "Carla, what are you waiting for? Let''s go!"


    "Just wait for me a little longer. This machine is really amazing. I just found out that it could print the photos on my phone! I have a few photos here that I actually want to print out, hold on a second,"


    Carla replied as she carefully followed the steps on the screen.


    She thoroughly looked through the photos on her phone and tried to pick out a few. While she was looking at them however, her mind was lost in her own thoughts.


    Although she had recently changed her phone, she was able to transfer every photo on her old phone through online backup.


    Soon, the photos that she had picked were printed out.


    Carla collected them all and placed them in her purse.


    After the photo booth, they went driving a bit more. Soon after, they were back in the comfort of their home.


    Sally had gotten used to sleeping on her own, so she went to her room to sleep.

 Chapter 600 What Our Memories Actually Meant (Part Two)

    Meanwhile, Carla went to their own bedroom and sat on the couch. She started organizing all the photos that she printed out and put them in an album.


    "Aren''t you going to sleep yet?"


    Terence walked over and sat right next to her after he finished washing up.


    He took the photo album from her hands and looked at the pictures that she had placed.


    "When did we take this one?" Terence casually asked as he pointed to a certain photo on a page. It was a photo they took with Nathan and Rainer.


    Carla adjusted herself and sat cross-legged on the couch. Upon hearing that, she gave him a puzzled look.


    "Don''t you remember? It was when we went to YH Mountain. There was a natural tunnel. Bonnie was there too when we took the photo."


    Terence frowned lightly and then said, "I remembered we went to YH Mountain, but I couldn''t remember very clearly what had happened while we were there."


    "How about this one?"


    Carla asked while she turned the album to the next page and pointed a photo. She was the one who took that photo a long time ago when they were in her two-bedroom apartment back in BH City.


    In the photo, Terence was wearing a cheap white T-shirt and an apron. He was cooking and there was a big smile on his handsome face.


    Terence frowned even harder. He rubbed his forehead to ease the pain that was starting to form on his temples. He was trying really hard to remember the things that he was seeing on the photographs. The man on the photo looked exactly like him. He knew that it was him and a part of him was saying that he was indeed in that moment. But somehow, there was a blank space in his mind about the things that he was seeing.


    "Carla, I-I''m sorry..."


    he sighed.


    It was becoming clear to C


    I guess it''s not really wrong for you to say that I care about the past."


    Carla continued softly as she snuggled closer in his chest.


    "I understand. Don''t worry. I will try my hardest to bring back all of the memories that I had lost!" Terence sighed and held her even tighter.


    Just like that, time passed by very quickly.


    Terence was going to be on a two-day business trip. He had decided to take Carla with him. In the middle of the night, Terence woke up Carla who was still in deep sleep. While she was half asleep, Terence placed a jacket on her and helped her into the car.


    While they were waiting for the RV that they were going to use, Carla finally started to wake up completely. The first thing that she noticed was that Terence had put a thin blanket on her.


    Taking a look at the dark sky outside the window, Carla yawned. "Why didn''t you wake me up?"


    Terence replied slowly, "I did. You just continued to sleep."


    He couldn''t blame her for not waking up though. It was only four o''clock in the morning. Usually, it was the time when Carla would sleep the deepest. It was understandable that she wasn''t fully awake at that time.

 Chapter 601 Busy Hands

    "You can go back to sleep. Our destination is still far, It should take around four to five hours,"


    Terence told Clara as he was reviewing the documents for the day''s business trip in his hands.


    He sat across her so she could have the whole seat for herself.


    She yawned and held the pillow in her chest looking quite drowsy. She closed her eyes and decided to take another nap.


    However, after closing her eyes for a while, she realized she couldn''t fall back asleep.


    She wondered if it was because Terence wasn''t right next to her.


    "Honey, can you please sit here?"


    Carla weakly muttered to him as she said with half-closed eyes. She was comfortably lying on the RV bed.


    Terence looked up and took a look at her charming face. He unhesitatingly agreed and moved to sit next to her.


    She sat up to give him space to sit, right just after he made himself comfortable, the former immediately placed her head on his lap.


    His smell reassured her, her eyes once again felt heavy. She slowly fell asleep.


    Because of the circumstances arising from her comfortable sleep, she lost track of time.


    She vaguely felt something was wrong and abruptly opened her eyes in confusion, the first thing she saw was Terence''s beautiful dark eyes. He stared back at her with a seemingly cold demeanor.


    "Is there something wrong?"


    She said as she yawned and looked at him in ignorance.


    After sitting up straight to take a proper look at him, she noticed his shirt, and her drowsiness flew out the window as if it was never there.


    "Did something happen? What did you do?"


    She couldn''t help but humor the situation as she looked at him.


    Terence let out a heavy sigh.


    His shirt had been open starting from the bottom to the top. There were only two buttons left that were thankfully safe.


    This was not all.


    His belt was unbuckled, and his pants zipped down.


    "Your hands were quite busy while you were asleep,"


    Terence said while frowning. Although his shirt was wrinkled, this only made him look wild and gorgeous.


    "Did I do this?" Carla couldn''t believe that she was the perpetrator of this weird occurrence.


    Carla scratched her confused head while she was straightening out her thoughts on why she did it.


    Because she had fallen into a deep sleep, she actually thought she was home.


    Terence usually slept topless, and she enjoyed the feel of sleeping next to his bare chest. His shirt might have made her subconsciously uneasy, and so she tried to take his shirt off.


    "Hahaha... I''m sorry


    Carla decided to go outside of her room.


    Seeing as she had stayed inside for long enough, it was a bit too late in the evening for her to go to the streets. So, she decided to just walk around the vicinity outside her room.


    After mindlessly strolling around, she came back only to notice a waiter sneaking around outside Terence''s room.


    Carla was about to confront him but she decided at the last minute to just keep watching.


    She was curious what the waiter was planning to do, and so, she hid behind a corner and silently watched him.


    After quite some time, the elevator opened.


    Carla''s eyes opened wide as she saw who


    the person leaving the elevator was.


    It was Lucy! Carla was surprised.


    She didn''t know why Lucy was here.


    The waiter looked at Lucy and walked towards her. He whispered something in her ear and gave her a door key.


    Lucy took the key in her hand and walked into the room right across from Terence''s. It looked like she was waiting for something.


    Carla was not stupid. She immediately knew what was going on.


    The only thing she couldn''t figure out was why Lucy planned this.


    From Carla''s perspective, it seemed that Lucy was dumb enough to not know she was here.


    If it were Carla doing this, she would have investigated where Terence''s wife was before doing anything.


    However, Carla didn''t know that because she overslept in the car this morning, it misled Lucy and made her assume Terence came here alone, with a few other reasons being that Carla rarely came with Terence on his business trips and that this business trip was only two days long.


    No one in their wildest dreams had expected Carla to come with Terence...

 Chapter 602 Be Gentle! (Part One)

    But for some reason, Carla still felt that something seemed quite amiss.


    She was completely clueless as to why Lucy would suddenly show up in this place.


    From what she could guess, Lucy probably came here for Terence. If that were the case, Lucy must be trying so hard to seduce Terence. The question was, ''How was Lucy going to get Terence''s attention?''


    As far as Carla knew, Lucy and Terence had lived together for two years during the time she went missing. But throughout those two years, Terence didn''t so much as laid a hand on Lucy.


    That being said, Lucy appeared from out of the blue and was now staying right across Terence''s room. With that in mind, Carla thought that Lucy must have plotted something before she came here.


    With these thoughts running around in her head, Carla took her phone out of her pocket and dialed a number.


    She gave Terence a call.


    It didn''t take too long before Terence picked up his phone.


    "Hello..."


    Terence said. Given that he had drunk a few glasses of wine, his voice had gotten a bit hoarse.


    "Terence, how long will you be gone? What time are you going to come back?"


    Carla went and asked, feeling so on edge.


    "I''ll probably be coming to the room late tonight. Is something wrong, Carla?"


    "Well, I just saw Lucy passing by. And she''s staying right across your room. It looks like¡­ It looks like you''re the reason why she came here. But I think she has no idea that I came here with you."


    Without beating around the bush, Carla told Terence what she saw just now. After a short period of silence, Terence replied, "Carla, I''m going to call Rainer right away. For the time being, you should just stay in his room instead. Give me s


    ly fuming with intense anger. The memory of Terence acting so rude toward her when he got so inebriated last time was still so vivid in her mind.


    Carla kept on cursing deep inside, ''Shit! I really hate it when this man gets so intoxicated! It''s like he can''t handle his alcohol at all!''


    Being with him for so long, Carla had already lost count of the number of times Terence had gotten so drunk in front of her.


    And every single time, without fail, he would be so aggressive with her while they were making love.


    As she was glaring at him, Terence suddenly got up from the bed and stared back at Carla. Dazed and so confused, he asked, "Why are you looking at me like that? Are you still not satisfied with what I did? Was that not enough for you?"


    "¡­ No. It''s not about that. I just¡­ don''t like you drinking," Carla spilled the beans.


    Then, she proceeded to walk toward him and help him take off his shoes.


    Actually, it was not like she hated him drinking or anything. It was just that she didn''t like him having too much to drink and ending up so intoxicated. Not only was it bad for his health, but he would also¡­

 Chapter 603 Be Gentle! (Part Two)

    Without a warning, Terence pulled her hand and made her take a seat right beside him. "I promise I''ll try to stop drinking too much from now on. But I just want you to know that I had no other choice this time, because the people present are the top leaders of the partner groups, so it was just right that I showed them my sincerity¡­"


    "Okay, I know that already. You should just get some sleep. It''s getting late. Good night,"


    Carla sighed.


    Carla made up her mind and decided not to talk to him about it tonight. And in order to avoid Terence''s insatiable lust, she thought it would be a good idea to sleep on the sofa by herself and just let Terence sleep on the bed tonight. With that in mind, Carla walked toward the sofa.


    "Where do you think you''re going?"


    Terence asked, with his eyebrows deeply knitted as he watched Carla walk away from him. Tapping on the bed with his hand, he said, "Come over here. Lie down right next to me."


    "No, I''d rather not. You reek of alcohol. I''ll just sleep on the sofa," Carla replied.


    With that, Carla went to get the blanket and quickly laid on the sofa.


    All of a sudden, Terence sprung up from the bed, got into his slippers and walked into the bathroom to take a bath. Right after he was done, he walked over toward Carla and asked her, "Go ahead and smell! Do I still reek of alcohol?"


    At the sight of such a cute look on his face, Carla couldn''t hold back her laughter. Then, she asked him to lean a little closer and tried to check how he smelled.


    "Um... the smell of wine is actually coming from your body. You won''t be able to get rid of that even if you take a shower. I shoul


    ine, eight..."


    Because of that, Carla yelled out in anger and felt so helpless. She knew fully well just how wild Terence could be when he was so drunk.


    However, even Rainer and Nathan weren''t aware of this fact. Meaning to say, there was no one else but her who could actually tell him. Only the two of them knew about it!


    But as for Terence... There was a good chance he actually had no idea that was the case at all.


    "Two, one... Time''s up."


    Not planning to give her a chance to speak, Terence covered her lips as soon as he was done counting. That kiss, which reeked of alcohol, ended up being her punishment for turning him down repeatedly.


    In that moment, Carla seriously wanted to cry. To make things worse, she even remembered what Rainer told her before he left.


    Terence still ended up drinking a bit of the wine that had been laced with aphrodisiacs!


    "Terence An!" Carla yelled out.


    "Hmm...?" Terence mumbled, but he simply continued kissing her like being crazy.


    "Be gentle with me, or else, I won''t let you touch me for a week! I''m dead serious!"


    "Okay..."

 Chapter 604 Abstinence For Half A Month Is Your Punishment!

    Sunlight shone through the window as the next morning came.


    Carla woke up and threw the bed-sheets aside. She looked at her body which was filled with marks. She gnashed her teeth in anger and growled, "Terence! A week of abstinence is your punishment! No, make it half a month!"


    Terence, who was sleeping soundly opened his eyes slowly when he heard Carla shout something at him. He turned towards her and asked, "Why? Wasn''t I very gentle last night?"


    "Gentle? Are you serious? Look at this! Look at what you did! You call this gentle?!"


    Carla pointed at her neck and collarbone. "Your Highness, Mr. Terence, look at it yourself! I''m covered in bruises! Mind telling me what kind of gentleness you meant?"


    Such a hateful man. How could she show herself in public with these bruises? It was impossible for her to wear a scarf on such a warm day like this.


    After looking at her again, he saw the bruises, Terence frowned and regretted it.


    He recalled that he tried to be gentle, but how could there be so many bruises on her?


    It seemed that his drunkenness indeed made him do such a disgraceful thing as seen from his behavior last night. He could not control himself at all.


    "Carla, I''m so sorry. Promise me you have to stay away from me if I ever get drunk next time. Don''t even try to help me if I ask for your help,"


    Terence said with deep concern in his voice, afraid he would hurt her again.


    "I''ll do my best to avoid getting drunk, No... I''ll do my best not to drink anymore!" he proclaimed to Carla.


    He wanted to slap himself for putting her in such an embarrassing situation.


    How could he have done this to her? Terence couldn''t forgive himself.


    Carla smiled wryly at him and she didn''t know how to respond to his sudden proclamation. Yet, there was no way she could ignore him.


    In such a small room together, where could she hide? The roof?


    After a brief moment of silence, somebody knocked on the door.


    He kissed her forehead and gently said, "Honey, you can continue sleeping. I''ll just be signing a contract outside and it should take me around an hour." When I''m back, I''ll take you out to play around..."


    "Don''t! Just take your time with the contract signing. I won''t be able to go out for a couple of days because of these,"


    She responded while covering her neck.


    "I''ll figure out something, don''t worry,"


    Terence looked at her beautiful eyes and promised.


    He got up in his robe


    and looked for clothes to change in the wardrobe. Unable to find anything to wear, he remembered that his clothes were in the other room.


    When he opened the door headed outside his room, he found Rainer guarding the doorway.


    "Mr. Terence, your clothes are in the other room, but it''s not appropriate for me to bring it to you..."


    Rainer reported while feeling perplexed.


    Terence remembered that he only took out Carla''s things from the other room, leaving his baggage and clothes in the wardrobe.


    "How is everything?"


    hing a lot.


    That man was a tyrant whenever he got drunk.


    Thankfully though, he showed a bit of mercy and made sure she would still have the strength to get up.


    She rummaged through her two sets of clothes only to find out that neither of them could cover her bruises.


    Because she thought that they would only be out for a couple of days, she didn''t bring that many clothes with her.


    She was in a dilemma on how to deal with this, and suddenly, the doorbell rang, interrupting her thoughts.


    "Good morning, ma''am. Mr. An asked me to send you these clothes," the waitress by the door said.


    She passed Carla two bags of clothes.


    She opened the bags to take a look at the contents, only to find out that there was a set of brand new clothes, including everything from underwear to the overcoat. There was even a pair of flat shoes that were a perfect match with the coat.


    Thank God!


    Carla hurriedly thanked the waitress and took the bags.


    She wore the clothes in haste and then realized the style matched her.


    The creamy white knit sweater with the high collar made her look more elegant. The most important thing of it at the moment was that it could cover all of her bruises.


    To match her coat, the light gray slacks were comfortable and stylish to wear, accompanied by the seemingly perfect shoes that echoed the style of her clothing. She found that this was perfect to wear outside.


    She picked up her English inspired light gray latticed coat and put it on.


    She spun around in front of the mirror, and just had to appreciate Terence''s taste in fashion. This set of clothes was extremely popular this year.


    After getting dressed, Carla stuffed the rest of her clothes into the suitcase.


    They would finally return to JA City after having a bit of fun, so there was no need to leave her baggage inside the hotel.


    She took some time to arrange her belongings.


    Terence finally came back just as she finished up.


    "Honey, are you ready to go?"

 Chapter 605 No Way

    The moment Terence walked in, he cracked a smile with pleasure once he saw how stunning Carla was.


    "Alright, let''s go. I am ready!"


    Carla said as she picked up her purse.


    Nathan and Rainer walked in. They went into the room to help bring their luggage down.


    Terence held Carla''s hand and went downstairs.


    They headed to the most famous royal garden and spent a considerable time there. Later in the afternoon, they finally went back to JA City.


    Carla received a phone call from Sean while they were on the road.


    Sean told Carla that he just finished all his final exams. He also mentioned that he would be in JA City today.


    Upon hearing the news, Carla''s heart raced with joy. She would finally be united with her dear brother again!


    Her life seemed to finally be back on track.


    "Carla, are you that excited?"


    Terence gazed at Carla and was happy to see her animated expression after she received the call from her brother.


    "Of course! I only have one brother! I have been taking care of him since he was a little boy. Why wouldn''t I feel excited about his return?"


    Carla replied as she looked at Terence.


    Terence wasn''t close to his brothers. His family was more like the ancient royal family. His brothers either fought with each other to be the successor of the family or took sides to gain the most profit. He didn''t understand how ties between siblings worked.


    However, Terence didn''t say anything to ruin her moment. He just let out a gentle smile.


    Carla and Sean had a really good relationship. No one in the Hua family could replace Sean in Carla''s heart. Terence was sure that no one meant more to Carla than her brother Sean.


    "Oh, since Sean is going to be back, I am thinking of taking him to the old house in BH City for a couple of days. In that case, we can visit our parents'' grave. It is also the time for him to pay the Ji family a visit. He hasn''t been home for many years."


    As Carla mentioned her proposal to Terence, she immediately thought of their relationship with their family. She and Sean had grown up in the Ji family. Although as the years passed by, they both became distant.


    But she couldn''t just let Sean forget where he came from.


    "You are going to BH City again?"


    Terence immediately furrowed his eyebrows after hearing Carla''s idea. It reminded him of the accident she had four years ago. They had been separated for four years because of her last visit to BH City.


    He was like a burnt child who dreaded any kind of fire or flame.


    "If you want, I can send someone to


    tanding in front of Sean. After hearing Sean''s words, she immediately turned around. When her eyes locked on Carla, she scampered over.


    "Mommy! Mommy! You are home too!"


    "Ha-ha! That''s awesome! Uncle Sean and Mommy are both home!"


    Sally jumped and wrapped her arms over Carla''s neck as Carla bent down to hug her. Sally gave Carla a big kiss on the cheek and said, "Mommy, I miss you so much!"


    "Gee, where is Daddy?"


    "Daddy is outside. He''ll be here soon."


    Carla said as she rubbed Sally''s angelic face and kissed her back.


    She hadn''t left Sally at home for a long time. But, for the past two days she had been worried about her.


    Sally stopped being clingy since Sean came back. She had been following Sean everywhere. She kept asking him to play with her.


    Sean really liked his little niece. He was excited to play with her and with everything she wanted to do.


    Even at night, Sally asked Sean to tell her bedtime stories.


    Terence felt a bit jealous at Sean and Sally''s relationship.


    "Don''t you think Sally likes Sean too much? Since we came back, she only let me hold her twice. She keeps asking Sean to play with her all the time."


    Terence said with a wry smile on his face as he assessed the situation after he went back to his room.


    "I know! I tried to talk to her once, she didn''t even bother to reply to me!"


    Carla was sitting on the couch. She shot him a glance and replied.


    Terence frowned. He sat closer to her and said, "Carla, I am a little worried. I don''t know if I thought about it too much."


    "What is it? Why are you so serious?"


    Apparently, Carla couldn''t just put her phone down. She kept checking her phone before looking up at Terence.

 Chapter 606 The Visit

    "I know you treat Sean as your little brother. He thinks of you no more than a family. However, you two don''t have any blood relations. Do you think it''s possible in the future when Sally is old enough..."


    Terence frowned and muttered in a concerned tone.


    He hadn''t thought of anything of the sort in the past. However, after seeing how much Sally liked Sean, this thought suddenly flashed in his mind, and it bothered him.


    After all, he couldn''t guarantee what would happen in the future.


    Parents all have similar worries at some point with their children.


    Although, some lose sleep over such things more than others.


    "Ah?"


    Terence''s words caught Carla by surprise. Her head went blank for a second. Then, she burst into laughter. She shook her head and replied, "That''s impossible!"


    "You are over thinking it! Although Sean is not related to me by blood, I still consider him as a true brother. Sally is our daughter. How is that possible for them to end up together in the future? That''s nonsense. You worry too much!"


    "Besides, they have over a decade of age difference!"


    Carla added.


    In her eyes, she was convinced that what Terence was thinking was absolutely impossible to happen.


    "Have you forgotten? William is older than Violet by about twelve years,"


    Terence reminded her in a cold but sad voice.


    There were a lot of couples with huge age gaps around him.


    Compared to them, the age difference he had with Carla seemed like nothing.


    Carla fell into silence. She started to think of Violet and William''s relationship.


    Men seemed to age slower than women. Although they had a huge age difference, they looked about the same age when they were together.


    However, after she heard Terence''s reasonable argument, she still felt something was not right.


    She stood still and shook her head.


    "I think you worry too much. Sally likes to play with kids who are older than her. That''s her personality. When she likes to play with someone, she will want to play with that person regardless of his/her age. She has been like that even when we were in BT Village. She enjoyed playing with Bob a lot!"


    "And Bob is about the same age as Sean. I guess that might be why she likes to play with Sean,"


    Carla posited as she remembered how close Sally had been with Bob in the past.


    In her mind, a three year-old girl couldn''t know much about love.


    She just showed what she liked or disliked using her face.


    Grown-ups tended to put their complicat


    lative, not family. However, making an effort to bridge their relationship closer was not a bad idea.


    The door finally opened. A black Evoque SUV drove out.


    It was easier for them to get around with a car.


    However, the road in the village was a little worse for wear, especially for city cars. Therefore, Terence took the car with a high underpan with them.


    After getting out the helicopter, Carla and Sean were immediately surrounded by the villagers.


    A few moments later, they walked a little towards the village entrance.


    Terence got out the helicopter while cradling Sally in his arms.


    The mad welcoming commotion by the villagers gave him bad vibes.


    He looked at them and surveyed the surrounding area. Behind him was an endless field and a clear river. The environment had a simple yet comforting aura around it.


    Then he got into the car with Sally.


    It seemed that Carla and Sean were not going to take the car. All their relatives kept chatting with them on the way into the village.


    Finally, they went into Uncle James''s house.


    Uncle James had renovated his house two years ago. His house was comparably bigger than the others.


    Since Carla got out of the helicopter and headed to James'' house, she hadn''t had a chance to catch her breath. She kept answering and talking to different villagers.


    When she finally caught her breath, she realized her daughter and husband were not with her.


    "Sean, have you seen Terence and Sally? Why aren''t they here?"


    Carla asked Sean.


    At the moment, Uncle James was in shock. He asked, "What? What are you talking about? Is Mr. Terence here too?" He couldn''t look more surprised.

 Chapter 607 Terences Different Experience

    "Yes, Uncle James. Terence came with me! He''ll come later,"


    said Carla.


    Even after whatever had happened between her and her uncles, Uncle James and Uncle Mike bore no grudges against her.


    They did not have a petty nature.


    However, her words made Uncle James panic.


    He was afraid the crowd would irritate Terence, and make him angry.


    "Ted, be quick. Go and meet Mr. Terence right away, He should''ve been here by now. I hope to god he is alright!" said James, then sat himself on a chair.


    But he was too anxious to relax. A second later, he rose again, urging to his wife, "Honey, quick! Get a room ready for Mr. Terence. Make sure it''s comfortable enough for him! And what about lunch? Is it ready?"


    He then turned to Carla. "Carla, you must stay here and rest. Make yourself at home. I am going to look for Mr. Terence with Mike. Hopefully, we will meet him halfway."


    Carla responded with a gentle nod.


    After they left, Carla called Terence.


    Meanwhile, Sean was summoned to another room to have a chat with his aunts.


    "Terence, where are you? Uncle James just left to look for you. Are you alright?"


    "Yes...I''m almost there,"


    Terence replied in a calm tone.


    "Really? I''m afraid this village is too lousy to welcome you. I told you not to come with me,"


    she said jokingly.


    She had indeed tried to discourage him from coming but he insisted on it. Sometimes, he just wouldn''t listen.


    "No, of course not. I''m going to spend the night on the helicopter. What do you think?"


    Terence asked gently. Since the trip from JA City was long, it would be very tiring for him to leave on the same day.


    The truth was, Terence didn''t like to stay in someone else''s house.


    He preferred to stay in a hotel whenever he was out for business. The hotels he picked were the kind that suited his requirements and lifestyle.


    "We can figure that out once you get here. Please try to come as soon as possible, honey. Bye! See you soon!"


    After hanging up, Carla looked around the courtyard. Somehow, it seemed both familiar and strange to her.


    Her father had spent his entire childhood in this house. He''d left for town after growing up. But he always visited with Carla and Sean to meet their grandparents.


    Sadly, her grandparents had passed away too soon.


    What was devastating was after a few years, her father passed away too. Uncle James moved into this house and renovated it in their grandparents'' memory. It looked completely new, but the feeling of familiarity stayed.


    In the next room, Sean was chatting with his aunt.


    "It''s been so long since I saw you last! You''re so much taller! How fast you have grown up, Sean!"


    She paused, sighed, and then spoke again, "Time really flies! We''re old now, and you are a young man at the cusp of your marrying age!"


    Incidentally, Carla stepped into the room at the same time.


    o stick their heads in, curious about what was happening in the house.


    All they knew was that some big shots from a big city had come to their village. They didn''t know who they were but were eager to find out.


    Just then, Carla saw Terence sitting on the living room sofa.


    James and Mike were sitting opposite him.


    "Carla, come over here! Lunch is almost ready. You can wait here..." Mike said, waving his hand at Carla.


    To make sure Carla and Terence were treated well, Mike had gone to the nearby town and invited a chef from the best restaurant there to prepare lunch for them.


    Carla nodded, then walked over and sat next to Terence.


    "How are you doing? Do you regret coming here already?" she whispered to Terence.


    Terence''s gaze was stuck to a glass that was kept on the table in front of him. It was clean but had some lousy tea leaf at its rim.


    He curved his lips into a smile. "No, not at all. It is actually quite fun to experience such a pristine, beautiful place..."


    Carla raised her eyebrows. Right before she was going to ask another question, the sound of the door cracking open caught her attention. She turned and saw all the kids of the Ji family crowd in the room. They had all come to greet her and Terence.


    "Good afternoon, Aunt Carla, Uncle Terence."


    Terence smiled and nodded at them politely. He then called out to Rainer.


    "Rainer, come in please!"


    Rainer stepped into the room with some red packets in his hands. He passed them to the kids one by one.


    Nathan followed shortly, carrying some boxes of Mao-tai. It was a kind of wine, which was very expensive and famous.


    James was so thrilled he couldn''t keep his eyes off the boxes.


    However, he responded with modesty. "Oh, Terence! You didn''t have to! That must have cost you a lot!"


    Mike coughed slightly. He realized what a pity it was that he didn''t treat Carla and Terence in his own house.

 Chapter 608 Bumped Into Zora

    "Don''t worry about it, Uncle James. We prepared this for you and Uncle Mike. This little gift is a token of our regard,"


    Carla smiled as she gave a glance to Nathan, who was busily moving the bags inside.


    Then, she looked at Mike.


    Now, it seemed that Mike''s expression softened.


    Soon, lunch was ready and was spread gorgeously on the table.


    They dished up a superb meal.


    However, Terence was tired of eating the same stuff. He barely had anything and only had a few bites.


    They left the house in the afternoon, and they went to the beautiful riverside.


    The view was especially ethereal. The sky was clear. The water rippled quietly. The air was clean as if the grass was just cut and smelled fresh while the gentle breeze brushed against their skin. It was a tranquil place, far away from the busy streets in the city.


    The tent was set up by Nathan and Rainer. Everything was well-prepared and ready. All the things that they might need were available. Of course, the tent that they brought was also comfy.


    They decided to put up a tent here because


    they wanted to give Terence a place to relax and rest.


    Deep in the night, they could sleep inside the tent.


    Although James'' house was enormous and had enough spare rooms for guests, Terence normally didn''t like to spend the night at someone else''s home. James had kindly asked his son to clean and prepare the rooms, but Terence preferred not to trouble them.


    If Terence had to be honest, he still actually needed to take care of some business matters and didn''t really have the time to have a small talk with him.


    Carla took Sean and Sally downstream where there were more fish to see. A girl named Jane came along with them as well.


    "Sally, wait over there! Mommy is going to catch a big fish for you!"


    "Okay! Mommy, can we grill it after you catch one?"


    The river was clear enough for the fish to be seen. Each one was lively. Carla could see the carps swimming a little deeper into the river. She rolled up her sleeves up to her arms as well as her pants up to her knees. She took off her shoes and then jumped into the river. As she splashed into the water, a small wave was created and some of the fish swam away.


    Meanwhile, Sally sat down by the riverbank and kept searching for fish for her mother. Suddenly, she found one and pointed to it while she called out, "Mommy, over there! Over there! There''s a fish!"


    Carla carefully walked towards the direction Sally pointed to. However, the fish swam away the moment she got closer.


    "Mommy, you''re so clumsy¡­ You scared them away¡­"


    Sally laughed at Carla as she watched the fish scampe


    t does your husband do?"


    asked Zora and suddenly examined Carla from head to toe.


    Carla played in the river earlier to catch fish and Zora hadn''t had the time to observe her from the excitement. Now that Zora did, she realized the Carla was wearing a luxury brand.


    "He owns a business,"


    replied Carla. After she thought about it, she didn''t reveal too much since she didn''t like to brag.


    She had been together with Terence for so long now that she felt like she was getting used into having a famous husband. But even though he was famous, she didn''t like telling everyone who her husband was.


    "Really? That''s not bad! As long as they can manage well, a lot of small businesses in our country thrive!"


    Zora enthusiastically nodded. She never would''ve thought that Carla''s husband would be wealthy and powerful.


    And Carla never bothered to explain as she felt it was unnecessary.


    Soon, they arrived upstream.


    The tent that stood upright was noticed by Zora. When her eyes came across the logo on the tent, her eyes opened wide with shock.


    "Do you see the AJ Group logo on the tent?


    What a coincidence! Carla! I work for one of the sub companies of the AJ Group abroad! Although the headquarters is in JA City, its businesses are all over the world!"


    Upon hearing that, Carla kept calm and nodded her head.


    "I know."


    She had previously seen the business map inside the AJ Building. It was indeed amazing.


    If the business wasn''t big and operated globally, Terence wouldn''t have endless work in front of him every day.


    However, there was one thing that Carla didn''t expect.


    Zora had been showing off all this time. Only then to find out that she actually worked for a sub company of the AJ Group outside the country.

 Chapter 609 Did You Think I Was Flirting With You

    It was quite a normal thing for all products of the AJ Group to bear the logo that had the words "An Jing" on it.


    And since the AJ Group was synonymous with high quality, it was only a given for Terence, as its CEO, to always use products that had been manufactured by the company.


    At that moment, Carla and Zora noticed that they were near a tent after walking for a considerable amount of time.


    Suddenly, Zora felt drawn to the tent when she saw so many products inside with the company''s logo on them.


    In a second, she turned to Carla and said, "Carla, please wait a moment. I want to go and say ''Hi''."


    Then, she looked straight at the tent and the Range Rover Evoque beside it, only a few meters away from where they were standing.


    "Well?... " Carla tried to respond but before she could do so, Zora was already within out of earshot.


    Zora thought that the tent owner must be portentous.


    When she was abroad, she had been active and outgoing so without an ounce of hesitation, she walked towards the tent with eagerness and enthusiasm.


    Meanwhile, Rainer was about to follow Zora and rush over to the tent when Carla promptly stopped him.


    She then beckoned him not to say anything.


    She wanted to see how Zora would "say hi" to Terence.


    The curtain of the tent was open to allow more light inside.


    Terence was busy typing on his laptop. His work had been piling up as he had been away from his office for the past few days.


    So whenever he had the time, he would do as much work as he could.


    In no time, Terence felt that someone was approaching him. At first, he thought that it was Carla.


    Because he was aware that she was nearby the area.


    However, when he looked up, he found a strange woman with an ardent smile on her face.


    Zora was about to greet him, but when she saw his face, she froze and suddenly, she forgot what to say.


    The man in front of her looked like he was so focused on doing his job. But it wasn''t what caught her off guard. His profile was handsome with a defined nose bridge and bushy eyebrows. When he looked at her, his eyes were as gentle as the stars. So for a moment, Zora was just fascinated by his beautiful eyes.


    Astonished by his handsome features, Zora didn''t notice that this man actually looked familiar to her.


    But that feeling was over in a second.


    Zora greeted, "Hello, Sir! You work for AJ Group, right?"


    When she walked in the tent, she noticed that a lot of the devices inside were made by the AJ Group.


    The documents on the desk was also emblazoned with "An Jing" on the letterhead.


    Terence lifted his eyebrows and replied, "That''s right.


    Is there anything I can help you with?"


    Zora approached him closer and warmly said, "Oh, is that so? You really work for AJ Group as well? So do I! I


    ent by Zora.


    When they were a few feet away from the tent, Zora turned to Carla and exclaimed, "Carla Ji, how could you do that? Your father was a teacher but why are you so impolite?"


    Carla pointed at herself in confusion. She wondered if Zora was really talking to her. She was quite speechless for a few moments before she could say, "What are you talking about, Zora? What did I do?"


    Zora quickly replied, "I told you to wait outside. Why did you follow me and enter the tent? And you didn''t say thanks when you were clearly supposed to. Even though you didn''t know what to do, you could have learned from me at that moment and just followed what I did. Why didn''t you?"


    "I..."


    Zora gave her no chance to speak and continued, "Besides, you''re married and have a child. Why did you flirt with that guy? Have you forgotten that you''re someone''s wife already?"


    Zora shook her head and looked at Carla with so much disappointment.


    In fact, Zora had just wanted to leave a good impression on "that guy". After all, in her knowledge, they just simply worked for the same company and she might need his help in the future.


    When she heard those words, Carla couldn''t take it anymore and she started to laugh really loud.


    She said, "Zora, you have it all wrong. I meant to explain this to you earlier but you didn''t give me the chance."


    Carla then turned to Rainer and asked, "Rainer, did you think I was being impolite to you?"


    Rainer immediately shook his head and responded, "No, Mrs. Carla. Not at all."


    He thought that Carla had always been nice and polite to him.


    He too thought that it was unnecessary to say thanks for a simple cup of tea.


    Carla then nodded to Rainer. In an attempt to further prove her point, she turned towards the direction of the tent and called out, "Dear husband, did you think I was flirting with you?"

 Chapter 610 The Wife Of The AJ Groups CEO!

    After hearing his name called from the outside, Terence slowly walked out the tent.


    Before replying, he noticed that Carla looked extremely upset, "I guess in a lot of people''s eyes, we do look like we exchange passionate glances more often than we notice."


    However, He did not think this was a bad thing to do as a couple.


    "Terence! Be serious about this! Do you think it''s inappropriate of me to do such things with you in public?"


    It was the first time anyone told her up front about it. This made her feel extremely uncomfortable.


    "Who said that?"


    He neared Carla and held her close. He raised his eyebrows and said, "You''re my wife. How could it be inappropriate for you to call my name?"


    Upon hearing Terence''s words, Zora froze in place.


    "You''re..."


    Carla turned around and looked at Zora, "I was just about to introduce him to you. This is my husband, Terence."


    Hearing and looking at the reality before her, Zora felt like she would pass out at any moment.


    "Te... Terence?"


    Zora''s eyes widened, and the corner of her mouth twitching as she looked at the CEO of the AJ Group.


    Obviously, Zora was working for him.


    In that sense, Carla, his wife, was her boss too.!


    She couldn''t explain the shock she felt inside with words.


    Despite recovering from the panic she was feeling, she kept looking at them back and forth. She worked really hard for the past ten years, and finally be in a good position within the AJ Group.


    However... Carla on the other hand, only had a degree from a normal college, she only had to get married to the CEO to live the life she could only dream of. Zora just kept staring at them, feeling dumbfounded. To her, it seemed that all the efforts she put in at work, and everything she was proud of just became a joke.


    "Zora? Zora?"


    Carla kept calling her name after noticing her sudden stunned look. However, Zora only responded by closing her eyes, and fainting.


    Rainer managed to catch her before she fell down.


    "Don''t worry about it. She''s not the first woman to pass out in front of me, she''ll be fine after a while,"


    Terence calmly said and walked past her with his arm around Carla''s shoulder.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Time passed by, and evening came. It was time to eat dinner.


    However, Terence stayed inside the aircraft and didn''t go back to James'' house.


    There was food in the aircraft and it was good enough for him


    Carla and Sean on the other hand, stayed behind at James'' house. They ate dinner there.


    After having dinner, James and his wife, Cheryl, chatted with Carla and Sean on the bench


    underneath the tree in the yard.


    They had something to suggest to Carla.


    "You''re living in JA City now Carla. However, we really can''t visit often. It would only seem like we can only drift apart,"


    Cheryl said with a heavy sigh.


    JA City was extremely far away from the village where they lived. There were


    nd Auntie are really smart."


    Carla was surprised with Terence''s reply. She noticed that he grinned after hearing about what happened back in the yard.


    Carla stared at him while still holding Sally, trying to put her to sleep. She asked, "What do you mean?"


    Meanwhile, Terence had a book in his hand, flipping a page while he explained to her, "To make it simple, if Sean married Jane, your aunt''s niece, Sean would naturally develop a close relationship with your uncle''s family."


    "In that case, wouldn''t Sean help them out when he has the money and power? What do you think about it?"


    "There really isn''t any difference to what they wanted last time. They just want to hold onto Sean as a way to a better life,"


    Terence slowly continued as he turned another page, pausing for a short moment, "Initially, you would''ve been the best choice. However, they are not in the position to ask you to do anything for them. And so, they settled for Sean."


    Upon hearing all this, Carla frowned.


    She didn''t think that deep into this matter. "So, this is the only reason they''re trying to keep Sean close?"


    Although Terence patiently explained everything to her, it was still hard for her to process it all at once.


    "That''s right! In the past, people would marry the girl within their family into nobility in order to enter the ranks of state administration. It would be the best way to build a solid relationship too,"


    Terence explained even further.


    "Nevertheless, what''s important is Sean''s choice. What does he think about it?"


    The final decision rested on Sean.


    The entire thing could actually be simply solved if they didn''t mind ruining their relationship with the Ji family.


    They could just simply refuse the engagement.


    However, if they did that, James might take it as a sign of looking down at them. He might even avoid Sean from now on.


    Because of this, Sean was in a dilemma on what to do.

 Chapter 611 The Unexpected Guest

    "Of course, Sean refused!" shouted Carla.


    She frowned and continued, "He''s only 15 years old. It''s too early to talk about marriage, even if it''s just engagement."


    In Carla''s eyes, Sean hadn''t really understood the meaning of marriage yet.


    If the elders forced him to promise to marry someone now, it would be unfair to him.


    "I have an idea. But you are likely to be misunderstood in this way," Terence said with a smirk on his face.


    Carla put Sally who was sleeping on the opposite bed, covered her with a quilt, and then sat beside Terence.


    "Tell me. What should I do?" Carla asked Terence for his help with her current predicament.


    Terence held her shoulder and explained with a smile, "Sean could say he''s willing to accept this marriage, playing the good cop. You, on the other hand, would say that you don''t want Sean to accept that, playing the bad cop.


    The reason why you are unwilling is very simple. You are eager to protect your younger brother and don''t want him to be bound by marriage so early. You can refuse from the perspective of Sean.


    And Sean can agree to the engagement from the other perspective. But he has to listen to you because you are his elder sister."


    After carefully thinking about Terence''s plan, Carla asked, "If so, won''t the engagement be canceled eventually?"


    "Yes, we just want to cancel the engagement now!


    And there must be one result in the end¡ªthis engagement will be discussed again two years from now," Terence replied with a smile as his fingers gently caressed Carla''s hair.


    All of a sudden, Carla finally understood what Terence meant, suddenly nodded and said, "Oh, I got that! No one knows what will happen two years later!


    If Sean goes abroad to study, or he has met another girl he likes at that time, the engagement will surely be canceled then!"


    Carla''s thoughts began to fly all over the place. She thought if Sean really had a favorite girl, she wouldn''t stop him from falling in love if he was over eighteen years old.


    Terence could only laugh and stare at Carla without saying anything as she was detailing every possible scenario that could happen to Sean in the span of two years.


    Truth be told, the two possibilities Carla mentioned were unlikely to happen, because Sean was going to join the army.


    Even if he wanted to enter a university, he had to take the self-examination.


    Although Sean was still under Grandpa''s investigation and trial period, Terence could tell that Sean would su


    tan came to their villa. He had no money and wanted to crash in their home for an inordinate number of days.


    Although four years had passed, in Carla''s eyes, Tristan hadn''t changed a lot. He seemed to be more mature according to his appearance, but his temperament was still the same as before.


    "I...I just want to give you a surprise! Besides, it''s not my usual style to inform you in advance."


    Tristan replied to Carla while sporting a grin, putting Sally down and shrugging his shoulders.


    "Really?"


    Carla asked while feeling worried. She had a gut feeling that there was something wrong with Tristan.


    "Carla, I really just want to give you a surprise. If you don''t believe me, you can ask Sean. We have been together all the time for the past two years. He should know me best!"


    Tristan said, pointing at Sean.


    However, Sean quietly turned his eyes away from him.


    As if he hadn''t heard anything, Sean walked into the Seaview Villa.


    Sean thought, ''I''m really glad that I''m a strong-minded person. Otherwise, maybe I have already become a degenerate after being with him for so long!''


    Carla received a call from Andrea just as she entered the house.


    "Callie, is Tristan there?" asked Andrea.


    "Yes, he is. What''s the matter?" answered Carla.


    Carla was silent for a while and glanced at Tristan.


    As soon as Tristan knew it was Andrea who called Carla, he immediately ran up the stairs.


    "Tristan got into a lot of trouble! Callie, ask him to come back home quickly! Don''t let him stay in your house, or you''ll be in trouble as well!"


    Andrea said to Carla over the phone, her voice seemingly worried for both of them.

 Chapter 612 Tristans Big Trouble (Part One)

    "Mother, what''s going on? Did Tristan do something?"


    Carla asked, feeling quite curious as she glanced at Tristan. That being said, it looked like he couldn''t wait for the elevator to come down, so much so that he actually took the stairs instead.


    Tristan was just about the same age as Carla. Right now, he was twenty-seven years old. In Carla''s mind, she was thinking that whatever it was that he did, it probably wouldn''t be anything that bad.


    "Carla, Tristan is the absolute worst! I can''t believe it! That pea brain went ahead and slept with the wife of the leader of a gang. Now, the leader has found out about it and has been trying to hunt him down!"


    "To make things worse, this gang is really powerful. Even our family wouldn''t be able to do anything about it. He has been keeping our house under surveillance and has left no stone left unturned!"


    Andrea furiously explained the situation.


    Tristan was still quite immature for his age. But even so, he hadn''t caused that much of a problem in the past. Right now, it was plain to see that he had gotten himself into something so troublesome.


    Carla was left utterly dumbfounded. "Mother, how on earth did this happen? Has Noah already heard about this? What did he say?"


    This was the very first time Carla had ever seen Andrea so infuriated.


    It seemed that Tristan had really gotten himself caught up in deep trouble.


    "Tristan messed up really bad this time. There was no way Noah wouldn''t have found out about it. He actually visited the leader of the gang himself to apologize on Tristan''s behalf. Unfortunately, the leader wasn''t buying any of it. He simply said that the


    ys for the rooms in the house, with her eyes glued to Tristan who was covered in a blanket.


    Wincing a little, Tristan lowered his head and replied, "Carla, please give me a chance to explain myself! I honestly didn''t know she was married when it happened. I swear to god! I really had no idea that her husband was...


    Carla, it was just an accident! I never meant for it to happen! If I knew that beforehand, of course I wouldn''t have done it! Please believe me! It was really just an accident!"


    Tristan brought it out in the open, with remorse written all over his face. Carla shot Sean a glance and said, "Let''s discuss this outside."


    She didn''t want Sean to misunderstand anything.


    Without saying anything, Tristan got up from the bed, fixed his clothes and stepped out of the room.


    "Carla, I''m begging you! Please let me stay here. I can''t leave this house right now. There are watchful eyes looking at me. That man put out word on the street. If anyone sees me out there, even if they don''t kill me, I''m sure that they''re going to put me in a wheelchair for the rest of my life..."

 Chapter 613 Tristans Big Trouble (Part Two)

    Tristan pleaded for Carla to help him. "Carla, you are my sister! Please don''t tell me that you''re just gonna sit back and watch them do that to me."


    At that moment, they were alone inside the home office.


    Tristan kept on begging and pleading as he shook Carla''s shoulder.


    "Tristan, I want you to be completely honest with me right now. Aside from what you just told me, is there anything else that I should know?"


    Carla flatly asked.


    This left Tristan at such a loss. Looking a bit guilt-stricken, he didn''t have the courage to look Carla in the eye. "Carla, I hope you can find it in yourself to believe me when I say that I had no idea that she was Peter''s wife at the time. I had always taken my relationships seriously. When I found out that she was expecting, I was even planning to marry her..."


    This sort of response was not what Carla had expected to hear, so this rendered her speechless.


    As her eyes dilated, she turned cold right then and there.


    Carla wanted to be frank, so she just went and asked him casually. There was no way for her to know that there was something more to the story that what they knew. Not only had he slept with Peter''s wife, he even actually got her knocked up. The situation was indeed worse than she had originally thought.


    This caused the anger to accumulate inside her. Without a warning, Carla slapped his face real hard.


    "Tristan! How could you do something like that?"


    "I didn''t know! Carla, I swear I didn''t know anything about it back then! It was just recently that I found out her true identity! But, it was already too late..."


    Tristan had to bear the pain on his cheek as it


    immediately headed out of the house to welcome Terence home.


    "Terence, you''re home!"


    "Carla, I already heard about what happened to Tristan."


    That was the first thing that came out of his mouth as he turned to look at her after getting out of the car.


    "I''m really sorry, Terence. This is all my fault..."


    Carla apologized for unknowingly bringing trouble back with her.


    If it weren''t for her being there, Tristan wouldn''t have thought of coming over and hiding in their house.


    "Hey, don''t say that!" Terence grabbed a hold of her hand. While walking inside the house, he went on and said, "Carla, I can think of a way to help Tristan out. But you''re gonna have to let me do it personally. You can''t try to stop me no matter what while I''m doing it."


    Given the fact that the Hua family had no way of solving this issue themselves, he knew he had to do something about it for Carla''s sake.


    Upon hearing that, Carla couldn''t help but feel a little worried. She decided to ask him.


    "Terence, what are you planning to do? Are you thinking about giving Tristan to those people?"

 Chapter 614 Follow Your Lead

    Terence, upon seeing Carla trembling and her concerned state, held Carla''s hand and walked her to the villa.


    "Tristan got Peter''s girl pregnant. Do you think they would just let it go so easily?"


    Carla nodded her head. "I know. I''ve scolded and lectured him, but I can''t make it up for it. It''s already happened."


    "My mother said we should just stay away from the issue. But, you know, we can''t just stand aside and leave him like that on his own, right?"


    Carla worriedly gazed at Terence as she spoke to him. She then sighed to herself.


    She knew what Andrea was worrying about.


    If Terence stood up for Tristan, he would certainly provoke those gangsters and make an enemy out of them.


    However, if Terence didn''t help him, Carla was afraid that Tristan would be attacked by those men.


    "Babe, this is going to be a little tricky. But I''ll handle it my way. Trust me."


    Terence gently patted her shoulder, and his calm voice comforted her. "Be careful in the next two days. Don''t go out if you don''t have to. We''ll be fine after I solve this problem," he assured Carla.


    Dealing with gangsters was not an easy job. Even if you made every effort to make peace with them, certain conflicts were inevitable.


    It would be the best if this issue could be handled peacefully.


    But they had to be prepared for the worst case scenario.


    "I know, don''t worry, I''m not going anywhere for the next two days. I''ll just stay at home."


    Carla replied as she lightly embraced his waist. "You should be more careful. We don''t know what might happen out there."


    Terence smiled and kissed her forehead. "Don''t worry. They have no reason to harm me. If they do, they don''t have the balls to do anything to me.


    But this time I''m going to teach Tristan a lesson in case he makes the same mistake next time."


    Carla nodded and agreed with him, "That''s right. Just do whatever you have to do. Don''t worry, I won''t interfere with any of your decisions."


    -


    The next morning, Carla was still sleeping and was suddenly woken up by a terrifying scream.


    Something was definitely wrong after that loud yelling.


    Carla hurriedly walked out of her bedroom


    and witnessed Tristan being dragged out by two bodyguards.


    He was desperately crying for help and clung to the doorknob, refusing to leave with all his might.


    Tristan''s desperate eyes focused on Carla after he saw her come out of her room. He screamed at her on the top of his lungs, "Sister, sisterrrr! Help me! I''m not going out! I can''t!


    They''ll kill


    re wrong, you''d better apologize sincerely when you see them later. Don''t be afraid of losing your dignity, because the thing you''ve done effectively made you worse than a coward."


    Terence coldly replied.


    In Terence''s eyes, if you were wrong, you had to admit your fault. If people couldn''t feel your sincerity, then you would lose your chance at negotiations.


    "Yeah, I promise to own up to my mistake! But... Brother-in-law, you must help me. I can only count on you this time!"


    Tristan replied obediently to what Terence wanted him to do, but his voice was already whimpering in sheer fear.


    At this very moment, nothing was more important than his own life, not to mention his reputation.


    Soon, the car arrived in the south of JA City.


    Though it took them nearly two hours to get there, Tristan felt that it only took them less than ten minutes.


    "Here we are. Get out of the car."


    Arriving at the entrance of the underground parking lot, Terence looked at a crowd of people in front of him and asked the trembling Tristan to get out of the car.


    "Oh, brother-in-law...


    It, it''s just a few of us here. Maybe we need more men with us."


    Tristan looked around and found that there were only three of them in the car plus four bodyguards in the car which Rainer drove.


    They only had seven people on their side, including himself.


    He then stared at the gangsters through the car window, reckoning that they might have over one hundred people with them.


    "We are here to negotiate with sincerity, Mr. Tristan, not to start a fight."


    Nathan got out of the car, opened the door of the back seat, and yanked Tristan who was trying to escape from the car.

 Chapter 615 Negotiations On The Brink Of Death

    Tristan got out of the car as his eyes timidly observed a crowd of gangsters who were all staring at him. He was so scared that his face was more ashen than a piece of paper.


    "Mr. Tristan, if you''re a man, stand by your own strength. Don''t let me hold you up. It''s pretty exhausting... "


    Tristan was unable to stand on his own, so his whole body leaned against Nathan.


    Tristan did a dry swallow and forced himself to walk as far as he could.


    He was trying his best to comfort himself, ''It''s OK, Terence would never let me die here. If something bad happened to me, how could he explain it to my sister?


    That''s right. I''m not going to die here. It''s okay. Don''t worry.''


    "Mr. Terence, I haven''t seen you in eight or nine years. How are you doing?"


    The gangster''s leader who was standing in front of his men walked towards Terence and reached out his hand.


    "Mr. Chen, it''s been a long time. I didn''t expect to meet you on this occasion." Terence snickered as he shook Mr. Chen''s hand.


    The leader of the gangsters was no other than Peter Chen. People always showed their respect and called him "Mr. Chen". He was about 40 or 50 years old and remarried the woman that Tristan hooked up with.


    "To tell the truth, Mr. Terence, I didn''t believe when I found out that this bastard was hiding in your place! I also found out that this boy is also your brother-in-law."


    As he was speaking, Peter was staring a hole at Tristan who was turning pale out of utter terror.


    "You''re right. I''m sorry, Mr. Chen. As the old saying goes, ''Don''t stand at a man''s side just because he is my relative.'' So today I bring him here to you. Terence''s thin lips curved and then he glanced at Tristan.


    "You can vent your anger out on him."


    He then signaled Nathan who was standing behind him to bring Tristan over.


    Nathan immediately dragged Tristan in front of Mr. Chen.


    Tristan''s knees buckled and couldn''t stand on his own because of fear. He knelt on the ground after being thrown by Nathan.


    "You''re not going to put on a show for me, are you? Mr. Terence. If you really want him to make up for what he did, I wouldn''t think of doing anything with you here."


    Peter declared while he touched his chin and smirked. The gold chain on his neck glistened as the light touched it.


    getting married, he also treats her like a treasure. But he never expected that Mr. Tristan would take advantage of her."


    "If they were just fooling around, maybe Mr. Chen wouldn''t be so angry. Now it seems that his wife has fallen in love with Mr. Tristan. There''s no way that Mr. Chen can tolerate that."


    "Do you think Mr. Tristan could still have his handsome face intact after being hit like that?"


    Rainer asked apprehensively.


    "It would be better if that can stop him from going out to seduce those innocent women."


    Nathan quietly answered.


    Terence finished his cigarette, squinting at the woman who was tired after hitting Tristan.


    Emily was breathing heavily after walloping Tristan. She stared at his red and swollen face.


    Compared to the fair and handsome man before, his face now resembled a grounded piece of meat that was pounded and tenderized by a butcher with a hammer.


    Every time she thought that she would do anything for him, including betraying her husband, she would fly into a rage because Tristan actually didn''t care about her at all.


    Tristan couldn''t move on the turntable and his face was numb after being hit so many times. Seeing the woman finally stop, he secretly heaved a heavy sigh.


    But he suddenly stared wide-eyed after a brief respite.


    -


    Emily stopped slapping him and then pulled the dagger out in between his legs. Her hand was trembling, but her eyes were seeing red.


    Suddenly, her rage got the best of her and she tried stabbing Tristan between his legs!

 Chapter 616 Well Prepared

    "Aaargh!"


    Tristan immediately closed his eyes and screamed at the top of his lungs in utter terror.


    The knife was going to stab into his flesh.


    On the last second, Peter held her hand and stopped her from further shaming Tristan''s dignity. "Honey, that''s enough. He came here with Terence. For his sake, can we not spill this man''s blood?"


    Peter had gone out of his way to do everything he could to make Emily be disappointed and disappointed with Tristan.


    He knew he was not as young as boys like Tristan any more. As long as Emily could get back with him, he was willing to put everything behind and start over again with her.


    He was sure after what happened this time, Emily was going to know who treated her the best. She was going to be dead set on staying with him.


    On the other hand, even though Terence gave his word to them, Peter was not going to make the situation that much harder for Terence.


    Emily let go of the knife. However, she suddenly lifted one of her feet and kicked Tristan in the crotch.


    "Peter, let''s go!"


    "I don''t want to see him again for the rest of my life!"


    Emily said with great disappointment as she gave Tristan one last heartbroken look. Then she turned around and held Peter''s arm.


    Peter patted her on the shoulder and walked to Terence.


    "Terence, now we are even. Remind that boy to think before he acts. Don''t mess with me again! Because of you, I let him slide this time. But the next time he crosses me again, he won''t be so lucky."


    Terence gave him a smile and nodded, "That''s very kind of you. Thank you for letting him go."


    "I ensure you if he does it again, I will not stand up for him."


    Peter patted his arm and simply replied, "That will be the best!"


    Upon finishing his last word, Peter and his gang got into the cars outside one after another. Soon after, they all left without leaving any trace.


    After they were all gone, Nathan and the other guards walked to Tristan and untied him.


    When Tristan was free, he instantly held his crotch. The sharp pain from the softest spot made him lose his balance and he fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes. He couldn''t scream earlier, and his body was unable to move.


    "Mr. Tristan, have you learned your lesson?"


    Nathan squatted down and looked at Tristan who was rolling on the ground and still feeling the effects of the beating he took.


    Tristan nodded with a painful grimace and replied, "I have! I really have..."


    He knew


    re was no need for them to have a powerful gang as their enemy.


    "Terence, I couldn''t tell how much I appreciate what you did! Please accept my appreciation, along with Tristan''s and the Hua family''s. Thank you so much..."


    Carla said as she sat straight with a serious and contrite look on her face.


    Terence had saved Tristan and solved a big problem for the Hua family.


    He cracked a cunning smile as he touched Carla''s cheek. "What are you going to give me then? I am very picky. Are you sure you want to appreciate me?"


    "Ah?"


    Terence''s answer caught Carla by surprise. She quickly recovered and nodded. She said firmly, "Yes, I am sure!"


    Terence had helped her a lot this time. No matter what, she owed him big time.


    "Well then, since you said it yourself."


    Terence''s smile turned wider. He pulled out a folded paper and opened up. There were a list of locations and her finger print on the bottom of it.


    "Pick one place you like."


    Carla scratched her head and took a quick glance at the paper. She thought for a while and pointed her finger on the two words.


    "How about the swimming pool? I have been thinking of taking swimming lessons..."


    she replied to Terence after thinking for a couple of seconds.


    It seemed that Carla didn''t get what he meant. She assumed he just wanted to her to go swimming with him.


    A lot of girls would write down a wish list of the places they wanted to go. And they would go to those places one by one.


    Carla just assumed that was what Terence did.


    Terence held her by the waist. Leaning to her ear, he cracked a meaningful smile and said, "Okay, the swimming pool then."

 Chapter 617 The Hotel On The Top Of The Hill

    "Sounds good! We can take Sally and Sean along too!"


    Without thinking twice, Carla smiled and replied, "Let''s do it at home! It will be easier for everyone!"


    Since there was a swimming pool in their house, Carla didn''t see the point in going outside and paying to swim at a public pool.


    However, Terence was determined. He shook his head and responded, "I know a hotel located at the top of the hills, it''s surrounded by mountains on all sides. One can look at them while being in a nice, warm pool. We have to go there!"


    "That sounds really nice, but can we do it some other day? Some day when the kids can come with us? They will love it!"


    Carla said, mentioning the kids again.


    "No, Carla! Just the two of us should go!" said Terence, frowning. He then flashed a smile at her. "Honey, we need to go on a date. How would that be possible with the kids around us?"


    Carla was taken aback. His hand, which was now around her waist, making her feel ticklish. She pushed his hand away playfully, then she spoke, "Alright then. Whatever you want, I''ll come!"


    Carla had promised to satisfy his wishes, so she didn''t argue too much and agreed as he asked.


    "Before we go, we should stop by the hospital to check on Tristan..." Carla said sadly, thinking about Tristan''s face which must be in pain.


    "There is no need for that. A few hits will not kill him. He will be fine!" Terence said in a casual tone.


    "So... are we leaving for the hotel now?" Carla asked looking at his face expectantly.


    "Yes, we are! We need to let go and relax!"


    "You just can''t wait, can you?"


    "Hey, hey... I just think we deserve a break from all the work!"


    Terence simply replied, trying to contain his excitement. Soon, they were on their way.


    The hotel was famous for its natural hot springs. Many rich and powerful people came here regularly for their getaways. Carla had even seen a news report about it.


    She never thought she''d be visiting it one day.


    On the way, Terence made a call to make an appointment.


    Before they arrived, the staff had already prepared a private pool for them.


    It truly was on the top of the hill. The room was surrounded by strong, bullet-proof glass, which ensured their safety while they remained suspended in nature. The glass was at quite a distance from them, giving them plenty of room to explore the greens under them.


    The entire place was like a sealed case, it was undisturbed by weather. Neither snow nor hail would bother them while they enjoyed the perfectly warm water.


    This was a room that was only opened for people with a spe


    jaw, then she asked, "Why didn''t you tell me earlier? There is no need for you to hide it...


    But this place is so out in the open. I am afraid people might see us. I don''t want to be hot news again!"


    The rumors about Carla''s death had just died down. She needed to be very careful right now.


    "Don''t worry about that,"


    Terence replied with a smile. He grabbed the controller that was kept on the tray with the wine bottle, and he pressed a button.


    Beautiful, heavy curtains slowly dropped down and covered the glass. Even the roof got covered with a shade.


    No one could see them from outside, but they could still enjoy the views.


    "How about now?"


    Terence narrowed his eyes, his mouth cracking open into a big smile.


    Carla laughed and kissed him on the lips.


    The warm water and the generally beautiful atmosphere excited her like never before. She had never been this enthusiastic.


    And her enthusiasm set his passion on fire.


    He couldn''t wait anymore. He needed to have her right away.


    He''d been waiting for this moment. Every time he was about to get there, she would ask him to let her go.


    He wanted to take her, but not at the cost of her comfort, so he''d been restricting himself.


    He had waited for her for four years.


    In her absence, he had to put to sleep the impulse of making love, like a wild bear hibernating in winter. He had tried many times to wake the bear.


    But it seemed like the bear didn''t want to come out of the cave, as if it was chained.


    He simply couldn''t free it in her absence.


    And that was how he''d been living until she came back.


    The bear had finally started to stir.


    This was only the beginning. It still had a long way to wake up completely.

 Chapter 618 Two Extreme Terences

    It was getting dark when they went downhill.


    Understandably, Carla couldn''t help but doze off while she was in the car.


    So when they finally reached the Seaview Villa, she had already gotten a good amount of sleep.


    A few moments after, she found out that Tristan had returned as well. She was informed that he went straight to his room and hadn''t left since then. As expected, he was ashamed to go out and face other people.


    However, he did ask Sean to deliver a message to Carla.


    He wanted her to know that he would like to stay in the villa for a couple of days before going back so the wound on his face would have time to heal.


    Obviously, he was too embarrassed to go home.


    Carla could only sigh at the information.


    In the afternoon the next day, Carla and Terence made their way to see a doctor.


    Doctor Allen was a foreigner, and it was said that he and Doctor Jerry who had treated Terence before shared the same master. Therefore, they expected that he would be the one most familiar with Doctor Jerry''s treatment in the industry.


    "Nice to meet you, Mr. An. I''ve read over Jerry''s treatment plan before accepting your invitation,"


    Doctor Allen tried to explain the situation with his poor Chinese. Since many of his clients were Chinese, he had learned the language on purpose. Therefore, he was a little fluent in daily communication and interactions.


    "Unfortunately, I found one problem which is not helpful for the hypnosis. That is, even back then, you were not sensitive to the hypnosis. For some reason, your defenses against it were relatively high."


    Doctor Allen said as he looked through Terence''s information on his hand once again.


    Normally, some women, children, and people with low willpower were highly sensitive to hypnosis, so it was very easy to hypnotize them. But Terence was different because it was hard for him to get into a hypnotic state. Even if someone tried to hypnotize him, there was a high likelihood that he could regain consciousness at any time during the process.


    If that happened, the treatment would have to be instantly terminated. That was why all the countless doctors that they had approached weren''t able to heal him.


    Carla who was sitting opposite the doctor asked after glancing at Terence, "Doctor Allen, do you mean to say that the chance for him to recover is very low?"


    ''At present, Terence behaves normally. He doesn''t show any signs of any psychological trauma or instability, so is it really more difficult to hypnotize him?


    If he couldn''t be hypnotized and there is no other way to treat him, then it would be impossible for him to recover his memories. Is this what the doctor meant?'' Carla wondered by herself.


    a physical disease.


    "Well, we could decide not to go on with the treatment. I figured that it doesn''t matter if you remember every memory that we shared or not. We can create new memories together. Just like our memories these past few days, they''re all stored in your mind, right?"


    Looking up at him, Carla replied with her own concerns.


    "No, Carla."


    Terence held her hand and placed it just above his heart. Then, he said gently, "I want to recover every single memory, bit by bit, as long as they''re about you, about us. We can''t return to the past, so the memories that we have then are more precious for me.


    Although Rainer has told me a lot, I just couldn''t feel it. It''s just?¡ªdifferent.


    I want to remember what I felt when my heart raced and I want to feel the warmth that our memories bring."


    "Terence..." Carla tried to say something but she couldn''t find the right words to say it.


    "Trust me, Carla. I''ll be the complete Terence who only belongs to you," he promised.


    Bowing his head and kissing her forehead, Terence continued, "Promise me that you''d be patient with me, no matter what I say or what I do, and you won''t leave me even if I drive you crazy. Because when those moments happen, you know that person is not the real Terence."


    They stared at each other for a short while and hugged tightly afterward. Then, Terence went back to the clinic by himself.


    According to the rules, during the treatment, no one other than the patient was allowed to stay inside because the Doctor needed everything to be perfectly quiet.


    So Carla had to wait outside.


    As time passed by, Carla paced back and forth along the windows of the corridor. She watched the sky outside turn to pale gray-blue, dark blue, and dark gradually.


    Finally, the door of the clinic opened.

 Chapter 619 Through the Photographers Lens

    Hearing the door open behind her, Carla turned around excitedly.


    A tall, slim figure strolled through the door. She wasn''t sure if he would remember her after his hypnotherapy. She look at him in the eyes desperately and called out tentatively, "Terence?"


    Terence returned her gaze with a smile and seemed his usual self. He held out his hand to Carla. "Let''s go home, beautiful wife of mine."


    Carla started at him up and down suspiciously and asked, "Are you feeling all right?"


    "I feel fine. Doctor Allen said my tendency to feel resentment towards you will recur fleetingly. It''s not as bad as you think," Terence explained. Then, he took her hand in his and together they headed downstairs.


    Terence''s words reassured her, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath of relief.


    She had prepared herself for the worst. She''d thought Terence would not recognize or remember her after his hypnotherapy.


    "Don''t worry. I grilled Doctor Allen about it. It''s because the hypnosis I underwent two years ago blocked all of my memories about you. So it''s not so easy for me to think back to those times. I''d suppressed all memories of you," Terence said after climbing into the driver''s seat.


    He made himself comfortable in the seat and added, "And now, Doctor Allen is trying to construct a bridge in my brain between my suppressed memories of you and now. Only when there are a lot of memories appearing at the same time, will my brain instinctively protect itself. And only then, my hate might resurface momentarily."


    Carla also slid into the passenger seat and fastened the seat belt. "Really? I feel a little relieved. I''ve been tearing myself to bits about this with worry. I was so afraid you wouldn''t remember me at all when you came out. I thought you''d look at me blankly as though I was a stranger, and all your memories of us together would have been wiped clear from your mind. I was thinking of many different ways to introduce myself to you, to explain the years we''ve spent by each other''s sides. Nothing seemed quite right."


    "Even if I hate you, at least I''ll still remember you, so you needn''t worry about that," Terence said with a smile. Then, he turned the key in the ignition and started the car.


    "It''s getting late, we should get some food," Terence said.


    The truth was it was already late and way past dinner time. Terence didn''t want to trouble the maid by asking her to cook something for them when they got back.


    "Okay! Seafood seems nice!" Carla said mischievously.


    Her stomach was rumbling and had been for a few hours. She was so nervous about whether Terence would remember her or not that she had forgotten to eat.


    She looked around the car, searching for something to eat. And finally, she found one lonely old lollipop.


    "Well, seafood it is," Terence said in an indulgent tone, looking at Carla who was sitting on the passenger seat rolling the lollipop over her tongue and around her mouth.


    "By the way, we''ve almost decided on the participants for the ancestor worship ceremony. It''s taking place next month, remember? The elders said they wanted Sally to lead the procession of grandchildren. But I have this niggling feeling that she''s too young to do that. I''m not convinced that she could manage it," said Ca


    n''t think it''s wise to let the public think you are a calculated woman for a lifetime."


    Clara listened attentively. It dawned on her that this might indeed be the opportunity she was looking for to clear her name.


    But she also wasn''t sure if she could tolerate being thrust into the limelight again. To put herself in that vulnerable position, open to criticism, scared her somewhat.


    "We need to take a set of photos of you for our exclusive interview. Are you okay with that?" Kaylee said to Carla with a smile.


    Then, Kaylee gave a glance at Terence who was about to speak. Before Terence could open his mouth, she immediately said, "Terence, have an open mind! I know that Carla is your wife. And I also know what you are worried about. But don''t worry. I''ll do my utmost best to make sure she''s represented fairly and accurately."


    Terence, catching Carla''s eyes, raised his eyebrows, pleading with her not to commit to anything Kaylee might suggest.


    "I think it will be a good opportunity for me,"


    Carla replied with a smile, ignoring Terence''s eyes.


    But as soon as Carla finished her answer, Terence frowned and cleared his throat.


    Terence looked cool and composed but he was struggling to contain his anger, ''Jesus. This woman really doesn''t know what she''s got herself in for!''


    Truth be told, Kaylee''s magazine was not small or local. It was the top magazine in the fashion field. They only interviewed the most famous celebrities and their pages were full of salacious and scandalous gossip. It''s what made the magazine so popular with its readers.


    But that wasn''t all. The interviews were graced with the sexiest and raunchiest photos in the industry. Its subjects would pose in racy underwear and in risque positions. These photos were also part of the reason the magazine sold so well.


    Terence remembered a copy he''d seen of this magazine and thought back to those sensuous photos. There was no way he''d let Carla be photographed in that way. He didn''t want his wife''s sensual, half-naked body to be greedily looked at by other men.


    Just the thought of it sent Terence''s heart racing. His palms became clammy and he broke out into a cold sweat.

 Chapter 620 Sleep In a Separate Room

    "Aunt Kaylee, I think we have to think about it. Carla isn''t a celebrity. I think it won''t look good if she stood out. Don''t you think?"


    Terence couldn''t help but ask.


    Although Carla agreed to take some sexy pictures, he wouldn''t want to share any of them to anyone.


    "Come on, Terence. I told you I have a great plan for her. Don''t worry about it, okay? I promise I won''t let anyone take advantage of your wife. Can you just trust me?"


    Aunt Kaylee assured Terence while giving him a friendly smirk.


    This friendly smirk was always Aunt Kaylee''s go-to move. Everyone knew that she just liked to do it and didn''t mean anything.


    "What''s the matter? It''s just taking some photos and talking about my life. I don''t see any problem with it."


    Carla looked at Terence while wondering why he was fussing over such a trivial thing.


    She thought it was a great experience for her. She didn''t know why he was opposed to the idea.


    A woman''s beauty only lasts for a few years. Carla thought that capturing her at the peak of her beauty was not a bad thing.


    After dinner, Carla and Terence said goodbye to Aunt Kaylee and made their way out the restaurant.


    "Wait here!"


    Terence said to Carla as he bought something over at a stall.


    When he returned, he had a couple of the newest magazines in his hands. He gave them all to Carla and said, "Take a good look at them. These are the magazines with Aunt Kaylee''s photos. After you take a look at them, you can decide if you still want to have your photos taken for her magazines."


    Carla gave him a look and opened one of the magazine. "These photos look great! I don''t see anything wrong."


    "Are you sure they are great?"


    Terence frowned and asked.


    Carla shrugged, "I still think they are great. These girls look pretty and sexy. Don''t you think so?"


    Carla strongly believed that every girl should take these kinds of photos when they are still young because once they get older, they wouldn''t be able to do so.


    Carla could ask Kaylee to put more conservative photos on the magazine. She didn''t have to show too much of her skin.


    People nowadays were more open minded. Carla totally didn''t think it was a big deal.


    Carla''s words silenced Terence''s uneasiness.


    He didn''t say anything but his eyebrows knitted tighter and tighter.


    "I won''t allow it!"


    "Why? I want to do it though."


    Carla closed the magazine and raised her eyebrows at him.


    "There is no reason for it. I said no! That''s it! If you want to try, you could. But I will not let it happen."


    "Bastard!"


    Carla angrily shouted. He had acted like this when they had their wedding photos taken. He had to pick the dress for her. Every dress he p


    !" Carla''s begging didn''t help. Terence became even more excited. He stared at her with a threatening expression. It seemed that he was ready to pounce on her if she uttered one more wrong word. "Uh-huh... I... I guess... I want it..."


    Carla said carefully. Now that he said her "No" meant "Yes", Carla figured that her "Yes" would mean "No" to him then.


    "Oh? Since you asked for it, as your husband, I surely need to satisfy your needs..." Terence cracked a triumphant smile. He grabbed her ankle and pulled her closer.


    Carla now didn''t know what else to say. She looked at the ceiling and cried for what was going to happen to her next.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The morning came.


    Carla opened her eyes and took a look at the man who was sound asleep next to her. She felt weak and didn''t want to move. She knew he was responsible for the uncomfortable feelings she was experiencing right now.


    Thinking about last night, Carla suddenly felt angry. She opened her mouth and bit Terence''s arm which was around her shoulder.


    Terence gave a grunt because of the pain. He opened his eyes and looked at Carla.


    Carla loved him no matter what. She didn''t really bite him hard. She left a mark on his arm but it wasn''t too deep.


    This scene looked really familiar to Terence.


    She had bit him like this before. He just couldn''t remember when it happened.


    Terence shook his head and gathered his thoughts. He frowned and push her head away. "Are you a dog? Why do you love so much to bite people?"


    "I am not only a dog, but I''m also a cat. I love to scratch people even more!"


    Carla sneered as she put her claw-like fingers and gently scratched his chest.


    Terence raised his eyebrows and pushed her away again. He sat up and commented, "Only street cats scratch people. Are you a street cat?"

 Chapter 621 The Start Of The Repercussions

    "What''s wrong with a wild cat? At least it can wander around freely and it doesn''t even need to be stuck in one house." Carla replied casually as she didn''t notice that Terence''s tone had changed.


    "Really? So you don''t want to stay in my house. Is that what you''re saying?"


    Terence stared at her with his cold dark eyes before getting out of the bed.


    Carla froze as soon as she had digested Terence''s words.


    ''What did he mean by that?'' She asked herself silently.


    Then, she couldn''t take it anymore and asked out loud, "Terence, what are you talking about?" She was just joking but it sounded like Terence took it so seriously.


    Carla blinked her eyes in confusion at Terence who was walking towards the closet.


    "I said, you can go anywhere you like if you don''t want to be confined to my house."


    Terence replied while he stood firmly in front of the closet.


    "What? I don''t get it." At that moment, Carla was at a complete loss. She just couldn''t understand why Terence would act like that.


    "You can go anywhere you''d like. Go to your mom''s house or to BH City. By any means, just get out of my sight, you nasty wild cat."


    Terence took a dark shirt from the wardrobe, and when he was about to button it, he saw from his peripheral view that Carla got out of the bed. But still, he didn''t look at her. He could hear her footsteps approaching him and stopped just behind him. Then, in a few seconds, she placed her arms around his waist from behind.


    "Did the bite hurt? I''m really sorry," Carla softly said. After a few seconds, she continued, "I didn''t mean it. I just got so tired last night because we had sex, so I took it out on you a little bit."


    Carla figured that he might be angry because she bit him so she tried to explain and apologized to him.


    However, Terence only removed her hands on his waist and raised his eyebrows as he imperiously said, "It''s your duty to have sex with me as my wife. Being able to sleep with you with such great passion is proof that I have been treating you well and that I''m not cheating on you. And you still felt upset because of that?"


    Completely stunned, Carla didn''t know what to say, what to do, or even what to feel.


    After a long moment of silence, Carla asked with too much confusion written on her face, "Terence, are you okay? Are you sick?"


    Doctor Allen had told them that only when Terence would recall something of the past would he act weird to defend himself like what he was doing at that moment. Moreover, it seemed like he really hated her.


    Terence had blocked his memories about Carla to protect himself. Now that he was receiving treatment, they were well-aware that there would be some side effects.


    For a moment,


    immediately realized that she shouldn''t have said that because it was useless. Terence quickly pressed the button when he heard her voice. By the time she arrived, the door of the lift had already closed.


    She stamped her foot in anger.


    In a few seconds, Nathan and Rainer walked toward her.


    "Mrs. Carla, did you have a fight with Mr. Terence?" Rainer asked playfully with a smile on his face. They saw everything that transpired and it seemed like Mr. Terence was trying his best to get avoid her.


    Carla took a deep breath. It was a secret that Terence was receiving treatment and only Doctor Allen and she knew about it.


    When Carla didn''t respond, Rainer smiled and stated, "It''s okay, Mrs. Carla. Let''s just take the next lift."


    ''Mrs. Carla didn''t answer my question, so it seemed like they really did have a fight, '' Rainer wondered.


    He didn''t think too much about it since it was very common for a couple to have disagreements from time to time.


    After she reached upstairs, Carla directly pushed the door of Terence''s office open, only to find that no one was there.


    "Mrs. Carla, it''s lunchtime now. I suppose that Mr. Terence is having lunch downstairs," Rainer respectfully told Carla.


    As soon as she heard Rainer, Carla went straight to the company diner.


    Just like Doctor Allen had told her, she had no choice but to keep showing up in front of him.


    No matter how much Terence hated her right now, she couldn''t leave him alone.


    The diner downstairs was no less extravagant than a five-star hotel, and Terence had an exclusive room of his own.


    Just as Rainer had told her, she could already see her husband in a seat from far away.


    However, before she could take a single step toward him, she suddenly noticed that someone was already seated opposite of Terence.

 Chapter 622 Would You Like To Come With Me

    As it turned out, the man sitting with Terence was not a stranger to Carla. It was Rhys.


    No one could hear what they were talking about all the way back from where Carla was. However, judging from the looks on their faces, it seemed like they were talking about something really serious.


    Initially, Carla thought of walking over to them. However, she stopped herself and simply chose not to interrupt them.


    "Mrs. Carla, I can take you to the Side Hall for lunch. It''s very close from here and everyone there has a high position in the company. It will be very quiet and peaceful in there."


    Rainer whispered behind her. Being in Carla and Terence''s service for so long, he could sense what was happening.


    Carla nodded her head in approval. She then turned around and followed Rainer to the Side Hall.


    For the whole afternoon that day, Terence had been extremely busy. It was only when he was finished with his work when Carla finally saw him.


    Actually, she had been waiting for him outside of the company for a while now.


    When she saw him walking out of the building, she called out, "Terence!"


    Hearing the familiar voice called out his name, Terence was stopped on his tracks. He turned around and noticed a woman walking towards him.


    "Carla?"


    When Carla was close enough to him, he continued, "Why are you still here? Have you been waiting for me?"


    It seemed like Carla had been waiting for him for a long while. He walked over closer to her and immediately touched her arms, only to feel the coldness from them.


    It rained that afternoon which made the temperature outside drop really fast.


    "You were hiding from me for the whole day. I was afraid that you wouldn''t go back home, so I decided to wait for you here." Carla bit her lower lip as she stared at him.


    "That''s not going to happen. I will be home no matter what!" Terence said with a smile. Pulling her closer and holding her on the shoulder very tightly, he walked with her into the car.


    "Humph! You were obviously hiding from me since this morning like a mouse afraid of a cat. How could I know if you are going to be home tonight or not?" Carla sneered and gave him a glare.


    When they got inside the car, Terence held her close, trying to warm her up. Seeing how upset Carla looked, he touched her face. "Honey, I know you care about me. And I also know that I should respect you just for being a person. But I just couldn''t help myself sometimes."


    He said in an apologetic tone as he gently touched her cheek.


    "However, for a brief mo


    ddenly felt that there was no point in doing so. He wanted to get married and have a wonderful life like the one Carla was having.


    "That is great!"


    Carla reached her hand to Sally and said, "Sally, let''s go to bed."


    Sally nodded her head like what a good daughter would do and put down the marker on the table. After a yawn, she followed Carla to her room.


    "Mommy, can I sleep with you tonight? I haven''t slept with you for so long."


    When they reached her room, Sally pouted her pink lips at Carla while she looked at her mother with her big, bright eyes.


    Seeing her cute pitiful expression, Carla picked her up and kissed her on the cheek. "Okay, you are going to sleep with Mommy tonight!"


    "Oh yeah! Mommy, you''re the best!"


    Sally quickly turned her sad face to a happy one. She then embraced Carla and giggled.


    When Carla saw how cute her daughter''s eyebrows were dancing, she pinched the little girl''s cheek. She took her to the bathroom so they could finally get ready for bed.


    When they walked out of the bathroom, Terence was already finished with his shower. His eyes softened and were filled with love when he saw his wife and daughter.


    "Come over here, Sally. Daddy will dry your hair for you!" He smiled as he shook the hairdryer in his hand.


    Sally was wearing a pink pajama. She ran over, climbed on the chair and waited for Terence to dry her hair.


    When the hot wind blew on her, she couldn''t help but giggle.


    "Daddy, it tickles!"


    Meanwhile, Carla placed down her phone and walked over to them.


    "Terence, I already set an appointment with Aunt Kaylee. I''m going to her photo studio the day after tomorrow. Would you like to come with me?"

 Chapter 623 Artificial Precipitation (Part One)

    Terence was drying Sally''s hair, who couldn''t stop herself from giggling.


    When he heard this, the smile on his face disappeared and he glanced at Carla.


    "Carla, why don''t you try to stop thinking about it too much?" he asked.


    As she sat next to him, Carla was drying off her wet hair with a towel when she suddenly looked up at him and said, "Why should I stop thinking about it? I don''t think it''s such a bad idea at all. Taking photos can be such an enjoyable experience and I would have pictures to look back on the occasion as well. Wouldn''t you say that it''s actually a good idea?"


    Otherwise, what was the point of girls taking selfies all the time nowadays?


    Moreover, she rarely ever got the chance to take photos for free, so why not give it a try?


    "Is it going to be the day after tomorrow? I saw on the news that there''s a high probability of rain that day. That means it would be impossible to film the exterior, but the interior wouldn''t be anything interesting at all. For that reason, I highly suggest we just cancel it,"


    Terence stated as he walked right beside her and helped her dry her hair after setting the towel down.


    There were various fashion shoots Kaylee had taken indoors, but most of them were taken outside.


    "Who told you it is gonna rain on that day? I''m going to check the weather forecast right now."


    Shooting him a glance, Carla grabbed her phone from the table and started checking the weather report.


    "It won''t rain. According to the weather report, it''s going to turn from cloudy to some light rain, so there is a low chance that it''s going to rain. And, even if it does, it''s


    went straight to the photo studio to apply some makeup first, then they went to the back lot and got ready to take photos and be interviewed later.


    This was the very first time Carla was going to do something like this, so she was actually a bit anxious. That being said, she was able to pull herself together upon thinking that it was Kaylee, the boss of a fashion club, who was backing her up.


    "Nice! Carla, that''s exactly the expression that I want to capture. As the first lady of JA City, it''s necessary for you to always exude this kind of confidence if you don''t want to embarrass Terence,"


    Kaylee complimented her upon seeing the beautiful Carla work herself into shape. Then, turning to the associate editor, she went and said, "Our theme this time is gonna be called ''The First Lady Who Has Washed All the Attachments but Follows Her Heart''.


    Oh, by the way, I want you to research on the report that made those defamatory comments about her but returned the fire one after another. The write-up we''re releasing this time has to leave no room for criticism whatsoever."

 Chapter 624 Artificial Precipitation (Part Two)

    Despite being Edmund''s mistress without having any official status, the two of them had been together for almost a decade now, so they were already at a point where they were treating each other as family members.


    After all, Carla was Edmund''s daughter-in-law and Terence''s wife, so it was her responsibility to look after her.


    Carla and Terence never really addressed the malicious report directly since it got out.


    That being said, Kaylee was well aware that the more they tried to speak up, the worse it would end up becoming. Any form of reply they might''ve come up with could just be perceived as them being guilty, so they ultimately decided to just ignore all of it.


    But things were a bit different this time around, because Kaylee thought she could come up with another way to help Carla show her unique disposition to the general public, which was also another way to fight back.


    "Is the staff ready? Is everything good to go? Prepare the car. We''re leaving right away," Kaylee said.


    When she noticed that they were already running a bit late, Kaylee knew in an instant that it would take a whole day for them to get done with the entire shoot, so they really had to start sooner. Based on what they had planned out, they would choose different scenes at different times of the day in order to come up with a distinctive photo album.


    "The makeup department, costume department, and film crew are all set now! But, Kaylee, it looks like it''s going to rain, so..."


    a member of the staff walked toward her and said, pointing his finger to the sky and showing his worries.


    Hearing this, Kaylee walked closer to the window and looked


    w that they had Carla''s go signal, the whole group searched for the natural cave and entered it. It was only then that they realized it was quite a scenic spot, because there was a naturally formed pool inside as well. When it rained, the water flowed into the pool through the cracks on the ceiling, and there was a white mist curling upward due to the difference in temperature.


    This rare occurrence could only be seen on rainy days.


    The first photo of Carla they took was her standing at the opening of the cave. On one side, the rain was pouring incessantly, while on the other side, the cave was dark and completely silent.


    With one hand pressed against the wall, Carla stood there, with her dress being raised by the prop man as it was flowing in the wind and in the rain. The scene which showed wildness and primitivism was captured perfectly by the photographer.


    Outside the cave, a black SUV arrived and pulled over under the rain.


    From a distance and sitting inside the car, Terence was peering through the window at the woman who was so preoccupied with having her pictures taken.

 Chapter 625 Wear It For Me

    "Mr. Terence, should we call the Weather Bureau and ask them to drop more ice?" Rainer jokingly stated.


    "Humph, I don''t think dropping more ice would actually do anything though. Even if we dropped some knives from the sky, they wouldn''t stop. Unless we could blow up this place, I don''t think they''re going to cancel it."


    Nathan commented in exaggeration while he turned to look at Terence who had been staring at Carla through the window.


    Following Terence''s line of sight, Nathan saw Carla in a daring red dress. She looked stunning under the lights of the set-up studio. Every single time that the camera flashed, she would move, and it was breathtaking. And then, to top it all off, she smiled, and everyone that was watching was blown away by it.


    Terence had to admit that Kaylee had a good eye. Carla''s skin was flawless and Kaylee had emphasized that and every single feature that she had.


    Without much make-up, Carla could rival some of the well-known celebrities and models of the country.


    At that moment, Nathan figured out why Terence was so opposed to the idea of her being in front of the cameras.


    Any man with a wife like Carla would want to keep her to himself and avoid any other man from fantasizing about her, or even just looking at her.


    "Mr. Terence, what are you doing?"


    When he saw that Terence had opened the door, Rainer quickly followed him and held an umbrella for him.


    Terence walked directly to the location of the shoot.


    In the cave, Carla was changing in a tiny space with the help of some crew members. She then walked towards the location of the next shoot. There was a black fluffy carpet on the ground near the edge of the pond.


    She had a white, sheer, long dress and a beautiful crystal crown on her head. She was barefooted but


    her fair and cute feet welcomed the soft carpet. Her long dress was fluttering as she moved. Although she hadn''t made a pose, her beauty was already making everyone hold their breaths.


    No one wanted to move their eyes away from her. She was absolutely breathtaking.


    "Beautiful! Carla, you are so gorgeous!"


    Kaylee complimented her in succession.


    She could tell that the next issue of her magazine was going to be the best seller in the history of magazines. Even the most professional model couldn''t give such emotions and aura to a photograph.


    The photographer had managed to capture a few photos of Carla in her unguarded moments. Sometimes, these photos were actually better than the ones they took intentionally. Professional photographers always tried to capture moments like these.


    At that moment, however, Carla was posing for the camera. She sat by the edge of the pond while rain drops were cascading behind her. The contrasts of the temperatures between the outside


    ely, the rain was actually caused by Terence.


    Although Carla was still able to take the photos that they needed, their time was cut short. In this case, one could say that the rain helped Terence quite a bit.


    Terence gave Rainer a glare and signaled him to keep quiet.


    If he called off the rain at that moment, it would be very obvious that he was the one who caused it.


    "Let''s go to the DS house!" He ordered Rainer instead.


    Carla was fixing her hair at that moment. She asked in confusion, "Why don''t we just go back to the Villa? It''s still early."


    "The house is very close from here. Let''s go rest for a bit first," Terence responded as he stared at the road ahead.


    Carla nodded in agreement and put her dress to the side. Leaning her head on his shoulder, she closed her eyes. Her back was aching a bit from posing for a long time.


    Terence held her by the waist. Unintentionally, he saw a bit from inside her dress and his eyes turned darker. Quickly, he took off his jacket and placed it on her.


    They barely went to the DS house. However, the servants would come once a while to keep the house clean. Therefore, it remained neat and orderly.


    "Rainer, go get a dress for Carla. On your way back, get some barbecue materials from the market. I want to make barbecue myself. Make sure you get everything,"


    Terence said to Rainer. Then he turned to Nathan and said, "Nathan, you go with him. Don''t forget the camp stove from the Villa!"


    In the past, Terence had always come to the house with Theo for barbecue. Since he hadn''t been back in there after a long while, he was suddenly reminded of it and wanted to make barbecue.


    Nathan nodded and simply replied, "Yes, sir."


    In Nathan''s mind, however, he completely thought that was Terence''s way of sending them away so he and Carla could have the house to themselves.

 Chapter 626 You Are My Queen

    As soon as Rainer and Nathan left, Terence went back to check on Carla right away.


    Carla was just about to take her makeup off and had already taken the crown down. However, when she looked at her purse, she realized that she didn''t bring any makeup remover with her when she left earlier.


    Kaylee''s makeup artist already had everything prepared for her. However, Terence appeared all of a sudden and took her away into this house, a place which she had never been to, before. Meaning to say, she wouldn''t have anything there to get rid of all that makeup.


    "Wait a minute! Don''t take it off! I''m still not done looking at it just yet!"


    Terence said as he walked over toward Carla. Seeing how good she looked in the mirror, he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and said, "Carla, do you have any idea why I don''t want you to be Kaylee''s model for this shoot?"


    Hearing this, Carla simply shook her head without saying anything.


    "I don''t want anyone else to see how beautiful and amazing you are. I want to keep you and everything else about you all to myself! I want to be the only one to see that side of you!" There was sincerity in Terence''s deep-sounding voice. Then, his cold lips gently made its way to the side of her neck.


    "Oh, really? So, what? Are you planning to keep me locked inside the house so no one else could see me?"


    Carla replied while looking at Terence through the reflection on the mirror. At this moment, she could feel the warmth of Terence''s chest leaning against her back, making her heart start to race.


    His lips just kept on making its way to her face until it touched her cheek. Then, he let go of her all of a sudden. Reaching for the crown, he grabbed it and put it back on her head. "You should know full well that''s not what I meant.


    You are my queen. How could I lock you up and take your freedom away? I wouldn''t even dare think about it."


    To this, Carla turned her head to look at him directly. A smile crept onto her face and she said, "Is that so? Do you still recall how you said the exact same thing the first time we met?"


    "Really? That only goes to show that I am your only man. Don''t you think?" There was a great big smile embedded onto Terence''s face as he looked at the stunning Carla right in front of him. He stretched out his arm and lifted her chin, planting a kiss on her lips.


    At first, he simply wanted to give her one kiss. However, one kiss turned to two. Then two became three, and it just kept going.


    "Terence..."


    Carla moaned as she called out his name.


    "Yea...?" Terence simply replied. After that, he lifted her up and carried her toward the dresser. The simple kiss they shared turned into a passionate French kiss.


    "Wait. Please be careful. We can''t ruin this dress¡­" Carla stated, well aware of the fact that the dress she was wearing was very expensive.


    Be that as it might, as soon as she said those words, Terence started putting more pressure onto his hand. And just like that, the dress had been torn open.


    It was ripped so quickly.


    Carla was left completely dumbfounded as the dress slid down her shoulder.


    Pushing him away, she looked at t


    to keep her eyes open. As soon as she climbed into bed, she instantly fell into a deep slumber.


    In the middle of the night, Terence suddenly woke up from his sleep.


    He was breathing heavily. And when he checked his forehead, there were beads of sweat on the palm of his hand. After seeing the doctor, some of his memories had started returning to him.


    To ease the pain, he tried rubbing his forehead. Then, he got out of the covers to pour himself a glass of water. After drinking it, he turned his head around and saw Carla who was still fast asleep.


    At that moment, he couldn''t help but frown.


    For some reason, whenever bits and pieces of his memories came back to him, he just couldn''t bear to see her from the bottom of his heart. It might be due to the fact that all of those memories were about her. For that reason, he couldn''t stop himself from feeling so frustrated.


    It made him wonder just how big of a part of his life Carla really was in in the past seeing as thoughts of her always flooded him even in his dreams.


    Terence''s mind wandered off into a faraway place. "Hey, you! Is there something wrong? Are you feeling sick?"


    Carla worriedly asked while yawning. Lying on the bed, she opened her heavy eyes and looked straight at him.


    After coming back, she had gotten a bit used to sleeping in his arms at night. Because of that, she woke up the second he got up.


    "I''m okay. You don''t have to worry. I think I just need a bit of fresh air."


    Still rubbing his forehead, he grabbed a jacket from the rack and walked out of the bedroom.


    The way he was acting so strange caught Carla by surprise. It rendered her speechless for a while. Then, she took off the blanket, walked over toward him and asked, "Hey, please tell me what''s wrong. Are you feeling under the weather? Do you need to see a doctor?"


    she asked, feeling so anxious. Terence seemed perfectly fine earlier. Carla was clueless as to what was happening right then and there.


    "Get away from me! Don''t touch me!"


    Terence yelled, feeling so irritated after Carla''s hand came into contact with his arm.

 Chapter 627 Sallys Crying

    Terence shook her hand off. He walked out the bedroom with his face awash with unhappiness.


    His cold tone made Carla freeze in place.


    A few seconds later, she blinked her sleepy eyes. Her mind was still having trouble processing what happened just now.


    Terence became extremely nasty all of a sudden.


    However, when she thought about it, she figured his sudden nastiness might have been the result of him recalling some unwanted memories from the past.


    His sudden negative attitude might only last for about half a month.


    A short term of suffering was better than long term pain.


    Carla''s anger disappeared as she became more lost in thought. He was going to be disheveled for just a while, anyway. She just needed to treat him like a naughty baby. After assuring herself of what she needed to do about Terence, Carla went back to sleep.


    When daylight came, Carla got out of bed and took a look at the office. She found out that Terence had slept on the couch.


    She knocked on the door.


    "Terence? Wake up..."


    She walked to him and gently nudged the man who was still sound asleep.


    Terence slowly opened his groggy yet beautiful eyes. When he saw he was greeted by Carla''s face, he frowned and sat up. "What''s wrong?"


    "Did you forget? We are going to take Sally to the hospital for her vaccination today,"


    Carla gently reminded Terence. It seemed that he still hadn''t recovered from last night''s dream.


    Terence took a while to gather his thoughts. He rubbed his forehead and stood up. "I can''t do it today. I am busy. You can take Sally to the hospital."


    Carla stood in front of him and blocked his way out.


    "We''ve already planned it yesterday. We already told the kids we''re going to see the flower show today after our appointment in the hospital."


    "We have to keep our word. You have to go with us!"


    Carla grabbed his arm slightly as she pleaded with Terence with a slightly raised voice.


    Instead looking at her, he turned his head away. "Don''t you feel sick? We have been together day and night! We haven''t gotten any personal time for ourselves!"


    Carla''s head went blank upon hearing Terence''s response. After a while, she recovered her bearings and replied, "Do you feel that Sally and I have been taking too much of your personal time and space?"


    "I just want to me alone in a quiet place for a while. I have spent long enough time with you during the past few days. Can you just leave me alone for a while?"


    Terence turned his head back and gave Clara a sullen stare.


    The look he gave Carla hurt


    n her wound with a Q-tip.


    Before she could cry again, Carla put a lollipop in her mouth.


    The sweetness totally drew Sally''s attention. Her body was shivering as she was eating the lollipop. She didn''t forget to give Carla an angry look.


    "Mr. Terence and Mrs. Carla, please stay here for an hour in case an emergency situation arises,"


    the nurse carefully advised them.


    "Will do. Thank you!" Carla responded.


    Suddenly, Sean walked in with Sally''s favorite doll. "Sally, are you finished with your shot?"


    Sean came to the hospital with Nathan in another car.


    The second Sally saw Sean, she opened her arms and wanted him to hold her.


    "Sean, please watch Sally here for me for a while."


    After Carla instructed Sean, she held Terence''s hand and walked out with him.


    "Are you sure you don''t want to go to the flower show with us?"


    Carla asked Terence again. Deep in her heart, she still wanted him to go with them. The trip to the flower show could be a memorable family outing.


    Terence frowned. The care he had for Sally earlier was gone. "We had talked about this. I only need to come to the hospital with Sally."


    "There are many works I haven''t done yet. I really don''t have the time to waste."


    Carla knew he was a busy man. However, he had balanced his work and personal life well.


    "Really? Can''t you take a half day off work? I already promised Sally that we''ll all see the flower show together. It''s not good for us to break our promise. Don''t you think?"


    Carla kept persuading Terence, hoping that he would change his mind.


    Terence narrowed his eyes and looked at her.


    "If you really want me to go, I could."


    "But you have to promise me one thing!"

 Chapter 628 The Man Who Ruined Her Day

    "What is wrong?"


    Carla asked. She couldn''t shake the bad feeling she had.


    "If I go to the flower show, you can''t go. Only one of us can go,"


    Terence said in a cold and uncaring voice.


    Upon hearing that, Carla gave him a stare, turned around and walked out of the room.


    Seeing her leave, Terence breathed a heavy sigh of relief. He headed towards the exit.


    He took a few steps, and a person came out of a shadowy corner, running towards him.


    "Terence..."


    It was Lucy. She looked at him. Her eyes were filled with love and tenderness.


    Lucy had come to see the doctor too. It was pure coincidence that she saw him, but when she spotted him she decided to follow him. While hiding in the corner, she accidentally overheard the conversation between Carla and Terence.


    She couldn''t help but feel excited.


    She had always thought Terence and Carla had a great relationship. What she had just witnessed, however, proved otherwise.


    No matter how close they were, they still fought and got mad at each other.


    Lucy was sure that Carla and Terence were getting bored of one another.


    She could never have predicted this.


    "What are you doing here?"


    Terence asked with a face of thunder as he looked at Lucy. He managed to hide his surprise at her popping up out of nowhere so suddenly.


    "Terence, Gail misses you. Can''t you find the time to see her?" Lucy gazed at him intently. Seeing his handsome face, she couldn''t help but think of the passionate night they had spent together. Her heart began to race.


    She hadn''t spent the night with a man for such a long time. That night was emblazoned in her memory.


    "As soon as I have some free time, I''ll be sure to see her," Terence replied succinctly. After giving her one last glance, he stepped past her as though to make his way to the exit.


    But as he stepped away, she moved closer to him, her arm grazing his back before pulling him desperately closer to her. She whispered in a trembling voice, "Terence, do you remember... Do you remember the night we spent together? Because I can''t stop thinking about it."


    Terence frowned and pushed her hands away from him.


    "Which night? I don''t remember anything."


    Lucy didn''t expect him to deny it. She shook her head. "Terence, how could you forget a night like that? You shared a bed with me in the hotel room on your last business trip. We spent the whole night together. How could you forget what happened between us?"


    "Really? I am sorry. My memory''s been really bad lately. I don''t remember it." Terence lied. Of course he remembered everything.


    lities and the fear of breaking up the family."


    Looking at her, Carla laughed gently, "Oh, is that a fact?


    Don''t you think it''s selfish to use the love you shared in the past as a way to manipulate him and keep him by your side?" The calm expression on Carla''s face surprised Lucy. Did Carla even care about her relationship with Terence?


    "Even if what you said was true, it wouldn''t make a difference. Love is a selfish thing. Where did you get the idea from that Terence doesn''t love me anymore?"


    "Lucy, don''t you get it? You are Terence''s past, not me!"


    With that, Carla blanked Lucy and left the room.


    She knew very well what happened that night.


    Lucy tried to use it against her without realizing she was making a fool of herself.


    Later that afternoon, Carla, Sean and Sally left the hospital.


    They went to the flower show.


    There were countless blooming flowers, and the breeze carried the delicate fragrant scent of the grass and flowers.


    There were new and rare flowers being exhibited.


    However, Carla''s interest was waning.


    Sean and Sally, on the other hand, were really excited.


    After they returned home, Carla went straight to her room to have an early night.


    She had agreed to meet Kaylee tomorrow for the interview and photo shoot. Kaylee agreed that Carla could get any photo she liked of herself and print them out to put up in the house.


    She sunk onto the couch, looked at her phone idly and opened a poker game app.


    She was in a bad mood. She hadn''t had a single good hand and she was losing the game.


    The door opened by a crack. Carla turned her head to the door and looked over curiously.


    There was the man who had ruined her entire day. Terence was back.

 Chapter 629 Ran Away From The House

    Carla didn''t wait for Terence to speak to her. She grabbed the pillows on the couch and kept throwing them at him one after another.


    "Why did you come back? Why don''t you just stay outside?"


    "Liar!"


    "There is a saying that you''d better believe that a pig could climb a tree than trust a man''s words! This is so on point right now!"


    Her rage had been burning inside her through the whole day. She stood up on the couch and stared at him with fiery eyes.


    There was a pillow in her hand. She was about to throw it at him.


    "What''s your problem?"


    Terence watched the pillows fly towards him and drop on the floor. His eyes turned darker, and he stared at the crazy pillow-flinging woman standing on the couch.


    Seeing the impatience in his eyes, Carla froze in place. It seemed that Terence still hadn''t recovered. She was hoping that he would already recover and apologize to her.


    Now, it seemed that she had found herself in an awkward situation.


    Carla shrugged and threw the last pillow in her hand at Terence.


    "I am crazy! I knew you didn''t want to see me! I will get out of your sight then!"


    Carla shot him a glare and jumped off the couch. She put on her slippers and stormed towards the door.


    As she passed Terence, he grabbed her arm and stopped her.


    "Where are you going?"


    "None of your business! You don''t want to see me anyway. Why do you care?"


    "Stop it! Do you know what time it is? If you run out of the house at this time in the night, people would think I had done something horrible to you,"


    Terence said in a low voice as he held her arm tightly.


    "Didn''t you?"


    Carla answered him with a question. Tears were rolling down from her eyes to her cheeks. She nearly wanted to slap him as hard as she could.


    "What have I done? I was just too busy this afternoon to go to that flower show with you." Terence looked at her. She just finished taking a shower and wore a white night skirt.


    There was no way he was going to let her walk out the house like this.


    "That''s right!" Carla stared at him in rage. Her chest heaved because of the anger building up inside her.


    She did her best to hold it inside. However, when she saw his face and this attitude, she just couldn''t hold her anger anymore.


    "You are being difficult on purpose," Terence concluded, frowning. He let go of her arm and walked inside. "If you want to leave, go ahead."


    Carla was completely taken aback. She didn''t expect that he would say such words to her. She didn''t really want to leave. In fact, she just wanted to scare him.


    Now, she didn''t know what to do next.


    Carla looked outside and looked at Terence. He seemed to not care at all. He just went to change his clothes and completely ignored her.


    Biting her lower lip, Carla grabbed a jacket on


    w it might kill you?"


    Carla tried to grab the bottle. Violet pressed her hand down and stopped her. She put one of Carla''s arm on her shoulder and held her by her waist. She then proceeded to help her get into the bedroom.


    Carla lay on the bed for a while. She frowned harder and harder. She was already drunk after drinking half the liquor bottle. The effect of alcohol started to catch up on her.


    She started to feel uncomfortable and woozy.


    Her phone had been ringing nonstop.


    After a couple more rings, Carla reached for her phone and answered the call.


    Putting the phone on her ear, she didn''t even know she was holding the phone backwards.


    "Hello, who is it?"


    "Can you speak louder? Your voice sounds like a little buzzing mosquito. Could you speak up? Are you afraid that I would hear your voice and cave your face in?"


    Carla felt really uncomfortable. She rubbed her chest and tried to feel better. She couldn''t hear what the person was talking about on the other end of the line clearly.


    "I am asking you where you are!" Hearing her uncomfortable groan, the person on the other line made his voice louder.


    He was almost screaming on his end of the line.


    "Oh, where am I? I... I don''t know. Who... who are you?" Carla opened her eyes. She managed to move her drunk head around, and she checked her surroundings. Everything looked strange to her. She couldn''t remember where she was.


    "Can you tell who I am?" Terence asked Carla, his voice grew angrier and angrier. It was about eleven o''clock at night and she was still not home.


    "I... I can''t tell," Carla replied as she loudly burped.


    "Have you been drinking?"


    "Yes... I... I have."


    "Are you drunk to the point that you couldn''t recognize your husband''s voice?"


    Terence shouted angrily after he heard her shamelessly admitting that she had been drinking.

 Chapter 630 Not The Same Person

    "Husband? What is a husband? Is it something I can eat or drink?"


    asked Carla, feeling tired and drowsy. She burped unapologetically and closed her eyes.


    On the other side of the line, Terence fell silent. After a while, he burst, "Nathan! Locate her right now!"


    "Yes, sir!" Nathan answered and walked away quickly.


    Listening to the short exchange, Carla suddenly opened her eyes. "Terence, don''t look for me! I don''t want to see you right now!"


    She suddenly realized who she was speaking to.


    "Oh? It seems like now you know who I am. I really thought you drank so much you lost your mind!" said Terence, raising his eyebrows in surprise.


    She could hear every single word he uttered clearly, even the sneers he made. Even though she was drunk, she was back to her senses.


    She had finally realized one thing.


    Terence wasn''t the person she knew four years ago, anymore.


    Although he treated her nicely and cared for her tremendously, he was never going to be the same person.


    The kindness and love he exhibited only seemed like copies of what he had done for her in the past.


    The real Terence, the one who belonged to her fully, was lost.


    After the treatment, she was able to see it clearly. Initially, she wondered if it was really necessary to retrace all their memories.


    But now there were no doubts.


    "Terence, do you still love me?"


    Carla held her phone tightly, staring out of the window with her blurry vision. The curtain moved lazily with the breeze, complementing the quietness of the moment.


    She had to admit the resentment she was feeling for Terence was not a phase, it was a part of what she really felt.


    Terence was taken aback. He wasn''t expecting her to ask him such a question. After a pause, he asked, "Does it matter? Whether I love you or not, we are going to live together..."


    He didn''t want to see her either, but it was strange to even think of leaving her.


    It was indeed a complicated feeling.


    "Of course, it matters!" Carla felt dizzy, but her mind was aler


    place.


    He reached Violet''s house, but he didn''t find Carla there.


    She had already left.


    He asked Violet if she knew where Carla was, but she didn''t know anything. She thought Carla had gone home.


    Carla hadn''t told Violet anything. She''d gotten drunk, and Violet only found her passed out, getting no chance of asking her anything.


    While Terence was looking for her, Carla was on her way to meet Kaylee.


    She had left Violet''s house early in the morning to go to Kaylee''s office.


    She had made an appointment, and she hated to be late.


    Carla had picked a few photos and asked Kaylee to print them for her. She wanted to put them up on her wall.


    It was still early when she finished.


    Carla decided to start hunting for a new house.


    Sally wasn''t at school, and Sean was keeping her company, so she had nothing to worry about.


    She had a bad hangover, but she remembered the conversation she''d had with Terence.


    Now sober, she didn''t regret her decision. He was changing and it wasn''t going to stop. Carla preferred to wait until he remembered everything. She really didn''t want to put up with his unstable behavior.


    She stepped out of Kaylee''s office and hailed a taxi.


    Before she could get inside, her arm was pulled away with force.


    She fell into a nice and warm embrace without even having a chance to look back.

 Chapter 631 The Real Terence Is Back (Part One)

    Speeding cars flew like bullet trains on the road.


    Meanwhile, Terence had his arms wrapped around Carla as tightly as possible as they walked along the sidewalk.


    "So why didn''t you come back last night? What happened?"


    Terence frowned. With his voice sounding painful, he then continued, "Did you forget what I had just told you?" I had already told you the truth that that Terence was not me at all! Why did you take him seriously?"


    For a while Terence was at a loss for words as he could not believe that he had almost lost the woman that he truly loved. Just the thought of it made him want to slap his own face.


    "Terence, I am serious about this! I think it''s best if we stay apart and give ourselves some space until you fully recover your memories."


    Carla pushed him away calmly, without a trace of any anger on her face. It took her a whole night just to decide how she would bring this up to Terence with her composure intact.


    "No! I don''t want to. I disagree!"


    Without thinking twice, Terence had already rejected her idea without even considering it. "You are my first and only wife! There is nothing that could ever keep us apart!"


    If he had only known from the start that he could hurt her after his treatment, he would not have gone through with it in the first place.


    After all, only a serious issue could split up a lovely couple such as them.


    Terence was firm on his decision and he would do whatever it took for them not to break up.


    Carla then took a glance at the busy street buzzing with the loud horns of cars and the voices of people walking by. Then, she turned her eyes to Terence and suggested, "Why do


    d to hear it more, because I wasn''t strong enough..."


    Terence said in a voice full of pain as he stared at her with his dark and beautiful eyes.


    "I couldn''t accept the fact you were not there with me. And I couldn''t breathe even at the thought of not seeing you. I just can''t lose you, Carla. The pain was unbearable, and my heart shattered into pieces..."


    Carla''s eyes grew wide for she was pleasantly surprised at what she heard. She then called out his name softly, "Terence?"


    Terence kept silent for a while and didn''t reply. Then he continued painfully, "But these experiences are not even the worst part of them all! There''s more!"


    "You had already come back, but I couldn''t remember you and I kept pushing you away! And I just realized how stupid I had been!"


    Carla shook her head and looked at him with tears falling from her eyes. "No, Terrence. Take that back. That''s not true! It''s all my fault! If I didn''t put myself in such a situation, I wouldn''t have gone missing. You wouldn''t have suffered that much, and Grandpa Nicholas wouldn''t have found that hypnotist for you..."

 Chapter 632 The Real Terence Is Back (Part Two)

    "It all my fault. If it wasn''t for me, you wouldn''t have been through all of those miserable days which made you hurt yourself!"


    Leaning forward, Carla held his neck and asked, "Terence, look me in the eye and be honest with me. Do you really remember something?"


    In response, Terence then put his arms around her waist and hugged her back. He laughed with tears in his eyes and replied, "A lot of the memories came back to me, and most of them were from last night. I remembered most things that had happened between us in the past. I also remembered the events in the last four years, including the ones before and after the hypnotist''s treatment."


    Terence was down and depressed as he just couldn''t help but hate himself for what he had done.


    But he couldn''t do anything about it since he only had pieces and patches of his memories come to him after she came back.


    However, this time around, he finally put all the pieces together. He now remembered what he had done after he had the treatment. And almost all of his memories were coming back.


    "No wonder... No wonder you were so weird yesterday." Carla laughed with joy as she wiped away her tears.


    This wasn''t at all new for Terence since he had already acted like this before. The only difference was that this time around, it lasted for a long time unlike the last time when it only affected him for a short while.


    Carla then came to the realization that he might be trying to endure the process of his recovery.


    Or maybe, he was forcing himself into getting back his memories as fast as he could.


    Doctor Allen had estimated that it would take at least a month for him to remember the majority of his memories. And now, even Docto


    a month for your husband to recover all of his memories. But now, I''m quite impressed that he only needs a week to do so,"


    Doctor Allen said to Carla who was patiently waiting outside after she walked out the operating room.


    "Oh my god, is it for real? That''s great news, but will he be stable after this?" Carla asked in worry.


    "Based on my experience, he is going to be fine. After all, he had gone through the hardest part. And besides, I don''t think he is going to forget any of those memories."


    Allen gave her an assuring smile to stop her from worrying more. Then he continued, "So, you don''t have to worry anymore! It''s almost over."


    With the doctor''s assurance, Carla finally dropped her worries and fears. With great relief, she patted her chest and sighed. It was as if a big boulder was lifted from her chest. Now, she could breathe more freely.


    As difficult as it was for Terence, it was also the same for Carla. After all, she had been disappointed loads of times for the moments when she thought her husband had already recovered.


    At last, it seemed that the day she had been waiting for had finally come.

 Chapter 633 Lucys Pregnancy (Part One)

    "Carla, how was it? Do you feel much better now?"


    Terence asked as he walked over towards her with a big smile on his face after putting on his shirt and walking out of the operation room.


    Because he didn''t want her to get worried too much, he had lied to her about his actual condition in the past.


    That being said, he became honest with her this time around.


    Carla felt so exhilarated and was jumping for joy. Then, she walked forward, put her hands on his waist and said, "Is this real? Please don''t tell me this is just a dream. Or could it be that you''re just lying to me and Doctor Allen is in on this?"


    "Oh, no! I don''t lie to anyone about things like this!"


    A voice from behind exclaimed. As it turned out, Doctor Allen was standing there behind them. With a shrug of his shoulders, he waved his hand to clear his own name.


    Wrapping his arms tight around her waist, Terence lifted Carla up in the air and replied, "You heard what Allen said, right? I''m not lying to you this time! I swear to God!


    As she caressed his face, she couldn''t help herself from giggling. Then, she put her arms around his neck and held onto him.


    Terence waved Doctor Allen goodbye and walked out of the clinic carrying Carla in his arms.


    "It''s such a pleasant feeling having a person to love and have that person love you back."


    Doctor Allen expressed how he felt about the amazing and somewhat enviable love those two shared with each other.


    While they were on their way back home, Carla kept touching Terence''s face and telling him to just focus on the road, "Can you please keep your eyes on the road? And can you also stop turning your head and looking at me? It''s makin


    ng to be the last time I''m going to meet up with her! It''s about time, this thing comes to an end."


    Lucy shouldn''t be a part of his life anymore. If it weren''t for him losing his memories, there was no way he would''ve ever let her into his life, and everything else wouldn''t have happened.


    Giving him a tender smile, Carla replied, "I believe you. I have never doubted you about it in my life."


    This made Terence laugh out loud. "Carla, it doesn''t end with just this, I will make you trust me on everything! I''ve decided that this is gonna be my new goal in life!"


    Moments later, it was almost dinner time.


    Carla and Terence headed to the YJ restaurant and had dinner there. Just as they were almost done eating, Lucy finally called.


    "Carla, could you please just wait here for me? I promise it won''t take any longer than twenty minutes."


    Terence said as he stood up, leaning over a little to plant a kiss on Carla''s forehead. Then, he gently added, "You already know the room number. If you''re worried, you can go there together with me now. Otherwise, please just feel free to come in anytime you want."

 Chapter 634 Lucys Pregnancy (Part Two)

    "Okay. Okay. I got you. Just get it over with already! I''ll be waiting!"


    Carla simply replied, waving her hands at him.


    Nodding his head in response, Terence headed upstairs.


    Upon reaching the third floor, he walked toward the private room to meet up with Lucy.


    When he entered the room, he found out that Lucy was already there waiting for him.


    Hearing the door being swung open, Lucy sprung up from her seat. It was rather apparent that she was wearing fine makeup. Upon seeing Terence enter the room, a smile crept onto her face.


    "Terence, you''re finally here!"


    Terence acknowledged it with a simple nod of his head as he shot Lucy a glance after she stood up to greet him.


    Right now, Lucy was wearing a white dress with a plunging neckline. Apart from that, she also had a black jacket covering her shoulder. The contrasting colors gave her quite an alluring, but nevertheless still mature impression.


    Most importantly, the tight-fitting dress only helped to accentuate her voluptuous figure.


    Noticing that, Terence lowered his head a bit to avoid looking directly at such a displeasing sight. With the fact that she deliberately put on such a sexy outfit and knowing she''d be alone with a man in a private room, it was plain for Terence to see her true intention.


    "Is there anything else you want? I made sure to order your favorite food."


    Lucy asked as she took a seat. Indeed, every single dish served on the table was his favorite.


    "Thank you, but I already had dinner earlier. You can just go straight to the point and tell me


    no way it can be mine.


    As far as I know, I only have one daughter. And her name is Sally. You have seen her already, haven''t you?"


    His response left Lucy at such a loss. Shaking her head, she leaned forward and tried to hold his hand. That being said, he was able to quickly move his hand away before she could even reach it. So, she blurted out, "Terence, how could you do this to me? You''re the only one I slept with. If it were not yours, then who else could it be?"


    Her unreasonable allegation took a rise out of Terence.


    He pushed the chair back a bit away from the table and sat back as he crossed his arms. Looking straight into her eyes, he replied, "Lucy, how could you be so sure that it was me who slept with you? I think you might be dreaming."


    If Terence was completely being honest, he would admit that a lot of girls in JA City had tried to climb into his bed. Unfortunately for the other girls, Carla was the only one who succeeded until now.


    And of course, he wanted to make sure it would be that way for good.

 Chapter 635 Seans Decision

    "How could you deny what happened? We... we did spend the night together Terence... You were even the first person I saw in the morning!"


    Lucy replied while clenching her hands tight enough for her skin to turn red.


    She, of course, had imagined many excuses he could use against her. However, never in her wildest dreams had she thought he would try to deny the fact.


    Hearing this, Terence couldn''t help but let out a chuckle as if he heard a really funny story. "Yes, I did go inside the room in the morning, but it doesn''t mean that I slept there the night before."


    "Unfortunately for you, I drank too much that night and didn''t even sleep there. Oh! But I do remember that one of my friends slept inside that room."


    "I entered the room the next morning just to get my coat. That''s all that happened."


    Right after he finished talking, Lucy''s face went pale. Soon, it lost its color. She gaped at Terence who sat across her. She was at a loss for words.


    "You... you must be joking Terence. Please don''t kid around!"


    Lucy just couldn''t believe that the man whom she had slept with that night wasn''t Terence.


    "Do I look like the type to joke around about this? If I did what you said I did, I will own up to it and take responsibility," Terence stood up as he said this. He initially thought she would come up with something much more interesting to keep this silly charade going.


    It seemed that this was all she could do to take advantage of her pregnancy.


    "If you think I''m lying, we can simply have a paternity test to see if it''s mine after you deliver the baby,"


    Terence responded while leaving the room.


    "No! That''s impossible!" Lucy just couldn''t accept this. She suddenly stood up and ran towards Terence to grab on to his jacket. "Terence, you''re joking, right? That man... How could it not be you? It had to be you!"


    Terence was not pleased with Lucy grabbing onto him. He gave her a disgusted look. "You might not know this, but Carla was there with me that night. I spent the night with her, we didn''t even notice that you were at the hotel."


    "I think we both know very well what you have been trying to do!"


    "I highly suggest that you get rid of the baby as soon as possible, and... you should get your dirty hands off me."


    Terence pulled his jacket out of her hands and gave her a chilly look.


    "Seeing as this is resolved, I don''t think there is any need for us to see each other. If you still care about the little reputation you have left, you should leave JA City with Gail and find a place where no one knows about you. Don''t let Gail feel shame about having a mother like you,"


    He finished the conversation and walked out without looking back. When he saw a trash can along


    las that I''d join the army in the future..."


    He had already decided on this a long time ago, he just didn''t know how to break the news to Carla.


    Carla''s reaction was just as he expected it to be.


    She tried to take a sip of water. However, her hand froze just as she was about to do so. She slowly placed the cup down on the table. "Sean... do you know what you''re talking about? Did Terence ask you to do it?"


    "No, he didn''t," Sean quickly shook his head to deny it. A serious and determined look appeared on his young and handsome face. "I made this decision myself. I''m already old enough to know what I want to do."


    "Are you? You''re still only fifteen years old! Do you really know what this kind of decision means? Do you know how much you''re going to suffer by joining the army?"


    It was impossible for Carla to keep her calm upon hearing this. If Sean joined the army and got assigned in an office type job, she would be completely okay with it.


    However, Nicholas had planned to train him for war. He was going to join in life and death battles. There was absolutely no way she could just happily watch him risk his life like that. She knew very well he was going to get hurt, one way or another.


    As seen with Nicholas, he was still suffering from a lot of pain with the scars that he got during the war when he was still young.


    Although it wasn''t obvious, even Terence had many scars on his body just from the five years of serving the in army.


    "Sis, I know what I''m getting into. Please don''t worry about me. I can take care of myself. I''m big now! I have always admired the soldier''s bearing and unyielding spirit. I''ve always wanted to be like that!"


    "Now that I finally have the chance to do it. I don''t want to miss this opportunity..."


    Sean said with a determined look on his face.

 Chapter 636 A Wedding and A Funeral

    After he finished, Sean got up and meekly sat next to Carla.


    Deep in his heart, he knew that Carla was just worried about him.


    "Sis, please, you can''t just think of the unpleasant outcomes of this decision. Grandpa Nicholas served in the army for most of his life. And right now, he''s not just alive, he''s still very healthy! Serving the army doesn''t ultimately mean that I will end up dead or severely injured. Can you trust me enough that I could take good care of myself?"


    Carla just bit her lips and didn''t utter a single word.


    Sean continued, "Sis, I want to grow up to be a strong man. And I can''t tell you how much I can''t wait to achieve that. I want to be strong enough so I can protect you and Sally. This is the start of that dream. Even though you already have Terence, don''t you think it''s better to have both of us protecting you?"


    Sean''s young and juvenile face, not only had a wide smile on, it was filled with an unspeakable determination. It made him stand out from other boys his age.


    "Sis, I''m not asking you to be happy about this, I''m just asking you to support it." Sean tried one more time.


    However, Carla only took her hand out of his grasp and stood up.


    "Do whatever you want. You''re old enough to make your own decisions. My opinion doesn''t matter anyway since it seems like you already made up your mind."


    While she was speaking, Carla was already on her way to the stairs.


    Realizing there was absolutely nothing she could do, Carla could only sigh and accept the fact that Sean would just do whatever he wanted.


    She was his sister, and it was her responsibility to worry about her younger brother. Carla knew that the moment he joined the army, she would not stop worrying about him every single day and night.


    Before she walked into their bedroom, she heard a series of ecstatic laughter coming out of the room. She was only at the end of the hall, but she could already hear it.


    Inside the room, Sally was clinging behind Terence''s neck. She was actually scared of falling but still unwilling to let go.


    Hearing the crack of the door, they knew Carla was back. Terence finally put Sally down. "Sally is a good girl, right? It''s time to go to bed. A good girl always goes to bed on time, right?"


    Sally was exhausted too. She pouted and replied, "Daddy, can I sleep with you and Mommy tonight? You can take me back to my room after I fall asleep. Please!"


    Terence looked at Carla and she stared back. It wasn''t that long before they could respond but Sally was actually getting impatient. She continued, "I don''t want to fall asleep alone."


    Sally''s poor and pitiful look, complete with her puppy eyes successfully melted Terence''s heart. He gave her a kiss on the forehead and agreed, "Okay, go and get in bed then."


    Sally nodded immediately. Then, she happily exclaimed, looking towards Carla, "Mommy, don''t forget to read a bed time story for me later!"


    Afterwards, Sally marched to the inner room with a smile that could not get any wider.


    Once they were alone, Terence immediately knew that Carla had something on her mind with just one look at her. He walked towards her and held her from behind, the moment he was close enough.


    "Le


    tonight.


    "You think? That means you''re not really on your period. If we don''t do it now, when should we do it? A week later?" Terence smiled cunningly while he softly put her on the bed.


    Carla gave him a glare and knew she was not going to escape him tonight.


    She could only hope that her period would come sooner.


    Meanwhile, Lucy''s life was falling apart that very night.


    After she walked out of the YJ restaurant, she felt like life had drained out of her. She even got lost. She wandered on the busy streets of the city and almost got hit by a car several times. If she wasn''t lucky enough, there was a high possibility that she wouldn''t be able to make the night.


    She had no idea that she had made a complete fool of herself.


    Like a complete clown, she even went back to him. All she wanted was for him to take her back and to have a place by his side.


    Now, she didn''t even know who the father of her baby was.


    She laughed out loud.


    She laughed at herself for being such a joke.


    Lucy had loved the wrong person in the past, and she had ended up becoming a single mother. But it wasn''t all her fault. She was young and naive at the time.


    But this time, she had brought everything on herself.


    After she carefully planned everything, she never imagined that she would be the one to desecrate herself like this.


    She screamed as hard as she could.


    She didn''t want the humiliation. She blamed Eunice for everything. She believed that Eunice was the one who brought this extreme disgrace on her.


    If it wasn''t for Eunice, she believed she would not end up in such a shameful situation. It was Eunice''s plan, and she was the one who arranged everything.


    If it wasn''t for Eunice, she would never be pregnant with a stranger''s baby.


    Instead of getting what she wanted, Lucy had lost her dignity. And now, she was pregnant.


    Lucy was already exhausted. She already had her hands full. She didn''t have the energy and money to take care of another baby.


    Lucy thought that she had to abort the baby. She didn''t have a choice.


    However, before she did so, she had to make Eunice pay for everything!

 Chapter 637 The Ugly Moment

    Soon enough, the morning of the following day had arrived.


    "Who is it?"


    Eunice asked as she was sitting on the table with her son and trying to get him to finish his breakfast quickly. When she heard the doorbell ringing, she asked the servant to check who it was on the door.


    "Mrs. Eunice, there''s a someone named Lucy who wants to see you,"


    the servant informed her as she walked back.


    "Lucy? What is she doing here?" Eunice whispered under her breath. After that, she gave Eric a pat on his shoulder and said, "Eric, hurry and finish your breakfast. You''re going to be late for your tutoring class,"


    Eunice reminded him as she got up from her seat and walked out of the dining room.


    The servant let Lucy in and asked her to wait in the living room. Seeing Eunice come in, Lucy didn''t bother standing up. She simply sat still on the couch.


    "Lucy, shouldn''t you be waiting for the baby to come in a quieter place? Why did you suddenly come looking for me so early in the morning?"


    Hearing this, Lucy simply stayed in place and paused for a while. Then, with quite a condescending sneer, she said, "I just came by to visit my good partner, Mrs. Eunice. Her house is nice and big, just as I expected it would be.


    With all of these servants she has around here, it doesn''t come as a surprise that she doesn''t care about poor and powerless people like me." It seemed that Lucy didn''t come to have a decent conversation.


    Her words were brimming with sarcasm.


    Seeing the look of hostility on her face, Eunice walked over and took a seat right beside her. "What''s the matter? What happened? Why are you suddenly talking like this?"


    "What happened? Do you really not know what happened? How could you be so calm while you''re asking me that?" Feeling so upset to the point that she was almost laughing, Lucy took the piss out of Eunice as she stared at her calm expression.


    From what she said, Eunice was the one to blame for what she was going through right now. Because of that, she couldn''t accept the fact that Eunice was still enjoying a perfect life while everything in hers was falling apart.


    "Let''s stop beating around the bush, shall we? Do you have any idea where you are right now? This is not the right place for you to make a fuss like that," Eunice gave her a dressing down in such a cold voice.


    At the moment, Eunice was completely clueless as to what was going on with Lucy, and she wasn''t planning to put up with her.


    Lucy wasn''t worth wasting even a bit of her time on.


    "I just came over to ask you how you set up everything that night. You were the one who gave me the name of the waiter and booked the room for me. Now, would you mind telling me why the baby I have inside my belly ended up belonging to someone else and not Terence?"


    As she was saying this, Lucy subconsciously and tightly grasped the middle part of her shirt. She couldn''t get an ounce of sleep last night. Whenever the thought came into her


    such a situation!


    You''re the one who did this to yourself! You ruined your life on your own! You only have yourself to blame for it! Don''t try to put the blame on me!"


    Upon hearing that, Lucy felt so ashamed and angry at the same time, so she had to look away. In truth, she actually had felt that something seemed to be quite amiss at the time. That being said, because what she did was quite disgraceful, she couldn''t muster up the courage to turn the lights on to check.


    "I may have offered you a chance to do it. However, you are still the one who had decided to take the offer, isn''t that right? You were the one who screwed up on this. It is blatant nonsense for you to take it out on me!


    "Lucy! I am telling you right here and right now! We are done with this! I don''t want to have anything to do with you from now on! Get out my house this instant!"


    Eunice furiously yelled as she pointed her toward the front door.


    Because of what happened, Eunice''s morning had been completely ruined by Lucy.


    "Oh, now you''re saying you don''t want to have anything to do with me? Okay then. You don''t have to worry. I will do as you please. However, it won''t come cheap! Don''t tell me you''ve already forgotten about that little deal of ours. I promised to keep my mouth shut so that no one would ever find out how much of a dirty and despicable person you are deep inside.


    Now, since I wasn''t able to get what I wanted, you''re going to have to give me a little payoff if you want me to keep my lips sealed!"


    Lucy stated, laughing rather maniacally. Then, she went on and added, "You have promised to give me two million. How about we make that twenty million dollars instead? Just think of it as a way to make your miserable friend feel a bit better. But in case that doesn''t work for you, you could just consider it as a small price to pay for me to keep my mouth shut."


    Upon hearing that, Eunice was left at such a loss for words. She was foaming in the mouth!

 Chapter 638 A Crazy Dog

    After hearing what Lucy had said, Eunice had to pause.


    Her hand trembled as she slowly raised and pointed it at Lucy.


    "What... what the hell are you saying? Do you honestly think I''m that stupid? How dare you have the gall to demand twenty million dollars from me?"


    Lucy had gotten completely insane!


    Eunice did promise to give her two million dollars in exchange for keeping her mouth shut.


    However, just after a night, Lucy shamelessly raised that number to twenty million. Eunice had a hard time processing the current situation.


    After thinking it through, she concluded that Lucy had lost her mind!


    "Mrs. Eunice... I''m already being nice to you. You know very well what you did. I''m just a normal woman. I couldn''t have a connection with the associate editor of the news agency. Which means that it would have been impossible for me to have asked him to report the ''unrealistic news''.


    You planned everything. You even framed your own family. Can you imagine what will happen if this comes out? Your reputation will go down the gutter!"


    "Now, let''s think about it a little more, shall we? Would the An family let you remain in the family after knowing what you had done?"


    Lucy slowly said with a pleasant voice.


    "Twenty million dollars is not much to you. Don''t you think I''m generous enough just to ask for such a measly amount? Think about it, your dignity and reputation should be worth significantly more than this right?"


    Lucy pointed her own face as she sneered.


    In her point of view, since Eunice had married into the An family. Her monthly expenses would definitely be a huge number. Twenty million dollars shouldn''t be a big deal for her.


    "You crazy bitch! You''re out of your goddamn mind! No wonder Terence didn''t want to be with you! Not even a male prostitute would want to marry a bitch like you!"


    Eunice looked at her with fiery eyes. She had always thought of Lucy as a poor, defenseless woman. Never had she expected that Lucy could be so heartless.


    She pondered a bit more before finally blurting out, "Fine! As long as you keep your mouth shut, the money will be transferred to your account. If word got out and I find out it''s from you, even just a single word about it, I will make sure you will regret it!"


    "Someone escort her out now!"


    Eunice shouted out to the servants nearby.


    Lucy gave Eunice a glance before snorting loudly and leaving the house.


    Lucy had nothing right now. Money was the only thing that could help her start a new life in a different place.


    She could no longer stay in JA City.


    As Eunice wat


    eed the entire family wealth. Terence had to have a son in the future.


    "Father! Kaylee!"


    Carla shouted as she walked out of a room with her hands waving at Sally.


    "Is everything ready?" she asked when she neared them.


    Edmund coughed to bring his thoughts back. He replied, "Yes, it is. All we have to do now is to just wait for everyone." Carla smiled upon hearing confirmation from Edmund. The ceremony would finally start next week, members of the An family would be coming here from all over the world.


    "Mommy! Grandma Kaylee''s the best! She''s been playing with me a lot! Can we please, please visit her next time?"


    Sally said when she ran to Carla.


    "Hahaha! What a sweetheart! Aren''t you just as sweet as your mother?" Kaylee couldn''t help but giggle upon hearing what Sally said.


    "You want to play more with me, don''t you? That''s easy! I love kids, especially smart kids like you! In the future, whenever I have time, I''ll visit you and play with you. You can visit me too if you want to play! How does that sound?"


    Kaylee said with a big grin on her face while she walked towards Sally.


    She played with Sally''s face when she got near. Carla honestly didn''t expect Kaylee would like Sally that much. They weren''t related by blood but they still seemed to be closer than relatives.


    "Carla, do you have time tomorrow night?"


    Suddenly, Kaylee asked Carla.


    Her question caught Carla by surprise. She smiled in response and said, "Let''s see what you want first before I''ll tell you if I have the time."


    She remembered that Terence had given her a hard time when she accepted other people''s invitation without knowing what it was about.


    She learned her lesson. This time, she was careful.

 Chapter 639 Is The Period Coming

    "You should take a look at yourself in the mirror. It seems to me that you''re on edge. What? Are you worried that I might hurt you?"


    Kaylee asked, wearing such a charming smile in her eyes.


    "No, of course not. I know you''re not gonna hurt me. It''s just that I wanted to know what kind of thing it is,"


    Carla replied with a smile on her face as she sat right next to Kaylee on the vacant chair with Sally.


    Seeing the two of them, Edmund understood in an instant that the two of them had something to talk about. Shaking his head, he waved at Sally and said, "Come here, Sally. Do you still remember what grandpa promised last time, that I was going to make it up to you by showing you a huge plane? Why don''t you come with me? I''ll take you there so you can see it."


    Being by Edmund''s side for ten years, Kaylee had never really asked for anything despite her identity being kept a secret.


    But apart from that, there was one more quality of hers which attracted him the most.


    Kaylee was an independent woman, someone good at interacting with people. Being the forthright woman that she was, she had never done anything behind Edmund''s back that would displease him.


    For that reason, he had never come across anybody that could replace her throughout all these years.


    If he was completely being honest, Edmund had come to realize that there was no way he could ever find a soul mate like Kaylee who was capable of reading his thoughts and was willing to give him space.


    And on top of that, he found out that as people grew older, they had the tendency to want to feel secure and settle down.


    For a while now, he had been contemplating the possibility of tying the knot with her.


    "It''s not anything too serious. It''s just that there is a dinner party that I have to go to, tomorrow night, and I will just get bored if I go there by myself, so I was just wondering if you would like to go there with me,"


    Kaylee said, unable to hold back her laughter upon seeing how nervous Carla was.


    "So, that''s it? Auntie, you''re quite well-known both in the circles of entertainment and wealth, and everyone is eager to talk with you, so how could you feel bored?"


    Carla felt so relieved upon hearing this. Taking out two clean cups, Carla served tea for Kaylee and herself to enjoy.


    "Yes, I have a lot of nodding acquaintances, but only a handful of them are actually enjoyable," Kaylee said, in a manner that seemed to show the unsteadiness of the world.


    "Carla, the first time we met in the gambling house, I had a good impression of you. However, I never would''ve expected that we were relatives! This just proves that fate brought us together. So, we have to look out for each other. You should go out with me as much as you can whenever you have some free time.


    You''re gonna be the hostess of the An family, so there are a lot of things you have to learn. I''ve met a lot of dignitaries in the circle, and I''m certain that they''ll be of great help to you someday."


    Upon hearing this, a smile crept onto Carla''s face, and she said, "You''re the one who has helped me the most, so I don''t think anyone else could b


    that I have, the latest party she''s going to attend is going to be held tomorrow evening, and wives of the officers and the wealthiest people in JA City are gonna be there. So, did Aunt Kaylee ask you to tag along?"


    Using his power of deduction, Terence looked at her with glistening eyes and said what he thought.


    As she listened to his in-depth analysis, Carla had no choice but to give him the thumbs up, "Honey, you''re great at this!"


    Never could she have expected that he would be able to give such an accurate guess.


    "Carla, I totally agree with it. I think it''s a great idea. Aunt Kaylee is rather dauntless, and social interaction is one of the things she''s quite good at, so I think you can learn a lot from her,"


    Terence remarked, holding her hand to show his support.


    "I think the same way. If I really want to belong to the circle, I would have to become acquainted with more people," Carla answered, feeling up the underside of her belly.


    She started to feel so uncomfortable all of a sudden. If she remembered correctly, her period should be coming right about now.


    From what she could guess, it would be very soon.


    "What''s wrong, Carla? You don''t look okay. Are you feeling uncomfortable?" Terence worriedly asked her upon noticing the strange look on her face. So, he immediately pulled over on the side of the road.


    Then, he suddenly heard Carla blurt something out, "Oops. It looks like my period is coming. Where is my stuff?"


    Grabbing her purse, Carla rummaged through her bag and looked for something. It was only then that she realized she had brought a different purse earlier, the one she needed was left at home.


    Fortunately for her, she noticed that they were right in front of a 24-hour convenience store. Carla opened the door, intending to get out and purchase something from the store.


    However, just as she was about to shut the door close, she caught sight of a brilliant color in the car seat.


    In an instant, her face became flushed red with embarrassment.


    ''For god''s sake, please just kill me now!'' she pondered to herself.

 Chapter 640 Buy Me A Bag Of Tampons

    It was undoubtedly the most embarrassing thing she had ever countered as a woman.


    Carla looked up at the man in the driver''s seat.


    Terence also noticed the scarlet red stain on the seat cushion. He looked at Carla with a smile on his face, and found her cheeks flushing. The red spread from her cheeks to her whole face and even to her neck!


    "Don''t make fun of me!"


    Carla stared at him with guilt, and yelled.


    Terence stopped smiling. He looked at her and said, "Babe... You don''t have to feel ashamed. I''m your husband! There''s nothing shameful about this!"


    Carla went back into the car angrily. ''Damn it! I can''t go out like this, '' she thought, looking at Terence again.


    After a while, she finally spoke again, smiling slyly, "Terence, could you please go and buy me a bag of tampons? I can''t go out right now... As you can see..."


    His smile gradually faded away completely. With his brow raised, Terence undid the seat-belt and stepped outside the car.


    About five minutes later, he came back with a black plastic bag in his hand, and handed it to Carla.


    Carla opened to have a look at it.


    Her lips curled into a smile when she saw what was inside. She never expected that he would buy a tampon of each kind!


    But then again, maybe it was the only way for him to save time and energy instead of choosing one.


    She then went to the back seat and carefully pulled down the baffle.


    After inserting the tampon, they went back to Seaview villa.


    Terence thought she would hurriedly change her clothes, but she chose to remove the seat cushion first.


    "You want to have this washed? I''ll ask the servants to wash it. You don''t have to worry about it,"


    said Terence. Hearing his words, she retorted, "No way. That would be so embarrassing! I''d rather just take it back and clean it myself!"


    Carla was used to doing everything on her own ever since she was little. She didn''t want anyone to help her for something like this. The very thought of it embarrassed her.


    Terence grabbed her hand and pulled the seat out of her hand. "How can you do this? You have just recovered and don''t have the energy to do much! But if you insist on getting this washed, I''ll do it..."


    She didn''t reply for a while


    e past, the first thing that came to her when she opened her eyes in the morning was Sean. He wasn''t in the house anymore and she didn''t know what to do without him.


    In the afternoon, Carla asked Violet to bring Cody to her house.


    Sally felt much better in his company.


    Night fell, and Kaylee called Carla.


    Carla had almost forgotten that she had promised Kaylee to go to a dinner party.


    She chose one of her little black dresses, and it was one which was rather casual.


    She wasn''t the star of tonight''s dinner, so it was better for her not to catch everyone''s attention.


    Once she was ready, Rainer took her to the party.


    By the time she got to the entrance, Kaylee was already waiting for her.


    Carla was surprised to see what Kaylee was wearing. Even though she was nearly forty years old, her dress and delicate make-up made her look younger. It looked like she was in her early thirties!


    "Oh Carla, you are so beautiful! Why didn''t you choose a sexier dress? You want to save your beautiful figure only for Terence, huh?"


    Kaylee looked at Carla and smiled coyly. Although Carla was under-dressed, she looked elegant and charming as always. She had a great sense of style.


    Kaylee was someone who always spoke her mind bluntly. "Don''t make fun of me, Kaylee! I''m on my period, so I couldn''t wear anything too short or transparent..."


    She was a conservative woman, but not when it came to clothing.


    Kaylee nodded her head, and then led her into the hall.

 Chapter 641 Hurry up! Embrace me!

    That night, what was made clear to Carla was that Kaylee was certainly great at socializing.


    As soon as she stepped into the hall, almost everyone present greeted her. And of course, she greeted them back in the classiest and most elegant way possible.


    ''To some degree, the social circle of JA City''s elite class is very exclusive. Hence, they must be aware of Kaylee and Father''s relationship, '' Carla thought.


    Their relationship could work as some kind of a protective shield for Kaylee. That way, no one would dare to offend her or block her path. Moreover, she had accumulated so much experience and power over the past years. Therefore, Kaylee seemed to have everything under her control.


    "Carla, don''t be nervous. And you don''t need to be afraid, either. Do you have any idea how many people here are behaving in order to accommodate you?"


    Kaylee said while she continued to greet people with a bright smile. And then she added, "Besides, don''t you know how powerful your husband is? It would be kind of a waste if you don''t take good advantage of his influence.


    You need to trust yourself and your husband, but more especially him. Speaking of your husband, no one in JA City dares to provoke him at all. So what are you afraid of since you have him supporting you?"


    Kaylee encouraged when she noticed that Carla was a little uneasy.


    However, there was not an ounce of lie with what Kaylee just said. As Terence''s wife, Carla could act as she wished and no one in JA City would even dare to judge her. Kaylee had only pointed out the truth to her.


    "Nowadays, the social circle of JA City''s elite class can be divided into three classes. But since you, of course, belong to the highest class, it doesn''t matter. Everyone has to look up to you since you''re one of the few that belong to the 1% of the 1%. Included in the highest class with you are some ladies whose husbands are mayors or political commissars. You only need to be friendly before them. That''s all."


    Aunt Kaylee explained while she waved her hand to the aforementioned ladies.


    In the highest class, there were certainly one or two parties that were extremely powerful. But there were only a few of them. That was for sure.


    When she heard what Kaylee had said, Carla turned her head to the ladies.


    She had actually met them at her wedding. But after so many years, memory had already faded away since they had only met once.


    "Although the An family doesn''t fear anything, it''s better not to piss off those government officials. The officialdom is way too complicated,"


    Kaylee reminded her.


    Carla nodded her head slightly to gesture that she understood.


    To Carla, it was just a banquet that day. She was only there to meet some people and make some friends so she could get used to such occasions in the future.


    It had been four years since she took part in such an event. Although, she didn''t actually attend a lot of parties


    was also quiet there since the people in attendance were all from the elite class and they were all wearing fancy clothes. Hence, no one would like to take the stairs even though they might need to wait a long time for the elevator.


    But Carla was different. She was in a hurry and didn''t have those "elite class" habits so she took the stairs.


    However, when she was going upstairs, she didn''t notice that a man was staggering downstairs towards her. It seemed like he might fall anytime.


    When Carla noticed the man, he was only three steps away from her. She took a step aside as soon as possible.


    But the moment she stepped aside, she saw the man fall forward.


    Out of instinct, Carla held on to his shoulders to prevent him from falling. She then asked, "Are you okay?"


    Hearing her words, the man looked up. Carla was immediately stunned.


    How could this man be okay?


    There was blood on his handsome face and he was still bleeding. His magnificent lashes blinked slightly while those dark eyes had already lost their focus. His lips were shaking as if he was trying to say something.


    "I''m sorry but what did you just say?"


    Carla subconsciously lowered her head to him so she could hear him better. Then she held her breath and heard, "Help, help me. Someone''s trying to kill me."


    "What?" Carla was shocked for a second before she could hold on to the man tighter. She then responded, "I''ll go get someone for help!"


    Although she was in a hurry for the restroom, she couldn''t just leave him to die like that.


    But before she could make a move, the man suddenly took her by the arm and put his arms around her.


    He was out of strength a moment ago. However, he summoned up his energy and pulled Carla to the corner. It almost cost all of his strength before he completed all of those movements. He then buried his head to her neck.


    "Embrace me. Hurry up!"


    The man ordered while he placed Carla''s hands around his waist.

 Chapter 642 Who Gets To Initiate (Part One)

    On instinct, Carla widened her eyes in great shock when she felt that the man lifted one of her legs to place it around his waist.


    That was not even the end of it.


    He leaned his face forward towards Carla and stopped when he was inches away from her neck. It was so intimate that people might think that they were just a regular couple who was in love and showing their affection for one another. However, Carla knew that there was no doubt that the man was already out of strength at that moment. Therefore, he was only leaning on her for support.


    Meanwhile, the man didn''t stop with what he was doing. He held her leg even tighter and made some movements back and forth repeatedly.


    Soon enough, there were two voices coming from upstairs. "Are you sure that you saw him running toward this way?"


    "I didn''t see it clearly but he should be here. Besides, there''s nowhere else for him to go."


    "There is a banquet down here. All the guests are famous and rich. We can''t let this situation escalate or we won''t be able to explain this to our boss."


    Seconds later, a bright light coming from a flashlight shone down on Carla and the man.


    When they saw the intimate "couple" in the corner, one of them hesitated for a second and said, "Fine. Anyway, it''s not suitable for us to show up at the banquet. Tell our brothers to guard the exit. We''ll catch him eventually unless he can fly out of here."


    "Sure."


    Then they left and soon enough, the sound of their voices and footsteps gradually disappeared.


    After making sure that they were gone, Carla summoned all of her strength and pushed the man who was leaning over her. She wiped her neck with a little bit of force since it was touched by that man a moment ago.


    Carla was really pissed off at the time since unfortunate things kept on happening to her. First, she was blocked from going inside the restroom on the second floor by teenage girls and then, not long after, she got taken advanta


    his other hand holding on to his chest very tightly, Steven made his way downstairs, albeit very unsteadily.


    Nonetheless, he didn''t go to the banquet nor the second floor. Instead, he went straight downstairs.


    It seemed like he didn''t want anyone else to see him like that. Perhaps, it was because of his dignity or perhaps it was something else, like the men trying to look for him.


    Carla continuously blinked her eyes when she suddenly thought of something. "Steven? Have I heard of that name before?" she murmured to herself. For some reason, she felt that the name really sounded familiar to her.


    Those young girls outside the restroom on the second floor were already gone when Carla returned to it. After getting out of the restroom, Carla suddenly remembered where she heard the man''s name.


    Steven Su... Steven Su... Steven Su... If her memory served right, those teenage girls mentioned a Steven.


    Was that the name that those girls had mentioned? Is it the same Steven Su that they were talking about? Could it be just a mere coincidence?


    "Carla, are you okay? What happened? Did you get hurt?"


    Kaylee asked with apparent concern in her voice when she saw Carla approaching her. There was a hint of blood on Carla''s neck. Although it was not that obvious, Kaylee still noticed it.

 Chapter 643 Who Gets To Initiate (Part Two)

    "Huh? What? Where is it?" Carla took some tissue and wiped the blood off her. She had cleaned it a moment ago but it seemed like she didn''t completely wipe everything off.


    It was not hard for Carla to realize that she got the blood from Steven when he embraced her earlier.


    "What''s the matter? How did you end up like that by just going to the restroom?" Kaylee asked with the same concern.


    "It was nothing serious. Please don''t worry about it too much. A man fell and got hurt. I gave him a hand. I probably got the blood from him," Carla simply explained while she took out her mirror to check her neck again. After a considerable amount of time inspecting her neck area, Carla was finally sure that she was clean.


    Fortunately, Terence didn''t see it first. Or who knew what he could have done if he saw a spot of blood on his beloved wife?


    "Alright. As long as you say you''re fine." Kaylee took a deep sigh of relief.


    It was her that brought Carla to that banquet. Hence, if Carla got hurt, she wouldn''t be able to explain it to Terence and certainly, she didn''t think that the man would even give her a chance to explain in the first place.


    After leaving the banquet hall, they saw a familiar car waiting at the entrance.


    "I have thought about sending you home myself but it seems like someone had already thought of that," Kaylee said with a smile while her eyes never left Terence. The man was sitting patiently inside the car. "Alright. Carla, I''ll see you later."


    "See you later, Kaylee. Take care."


    Carla waved her hand towards Kaylee while she walked over to the car.


    By the time she got there, Rainer had already opened the door for her.


    The moment Carla got in the car, she was pulled into a warm familiar embrace. Before she could react to it, a hot kiss occupied her lips.


    It was like the wildest waves in the sea, which rolled onto her


    t a little more.


    Ever since Terence recovered, he had never left a chance of them being alone go to waste.


    "What? Are you afraid that I might eat you up?"


    Terence said with a smile when he noticed what Carla did. As soon as he finished speaking, he lay down on the bed beside her. His smile got wider as he continued, "Do you know that sometimes, the more scared the prey is, the more interested the hunters become?"


    Like what he said, Terence got even more turned on when he saw her hiding into the quilt.


    "I''m not scared. I''m just on my period. Otherwise, do you think that I would give you the chance to initiate?" Carla answered.


    Carla was already an adult. She had figured out long ago that sex was a normal part of life and that she shouldn''t be embarrassed about it. Instead, she should try and enjoy how Terence was properly loving her this way.


    Nevertheless, it was not the right time. She was a little afraid that it would be hard for Terence to stop once they started. After all, she was indeed on her period at the time.


    When he heard what she had to say, Terence laughed out. His hand climbed up to her smooth back and lightly caressed her in there.


    "Fine. Once your period ends, I''ll give you a chance to initiate."

 Chapter 644 Sally Got Hurt

    Kneaded by Terence for quite a while, Carla felt itchy. She laughed and brushed his hand from her waist. "Fine, but you won''t be shy this time!"


    Terence laughed, thinking about how cute she was.


    "Let''s see whether you can make me shy or not," he said, trying to provoke her.


    Carla looked at him with a reserved smile but said nothing. ''You only talk big! I don''t think there is nothing that can embarrass you, '' she thought to herself.


    Holding her in his arms, and feeling her lean on his shoulder, Terence gazed at her profile and said, "Carla, you''ve no idea how tough the last few days have been for me."


    Watching her slim, beautiful figure bolstered his urges. Her touch made him eager for action. However, he could do nothing.


    "Well, what should we do?"


    Carla asked on purpose, seeing him restraining his desire, then teased, "What about hunting for a mistress outside this family, so she can share part of my responsibilities. I''m a very generous person, you know!"


    This was probably what his father would want him to do.


    In Edmund''s opinion, a man should not back himself into a corner. Even if he got married, he thought it was normal for him to have several mistresses.


    Rhys was a good example with his education!


    "Ouch! What are you doing? It hurts!"


    Carla cursed, rubbing her butt, surprised at his strength.


    "You wish! It''s your duty to act as the whole purpose of my life! No one has the right to get close to me, except you!"


    said Terence. Realizing he had pinched her a little too hard, he began to comfort her.


    "Please stop! I beg you, I know I made a mistake..."


    Carla begged for mercy, glancing at him helplessly. His spanking and biting turned her on too.


    Terence poked her forehead, knowing he couldn''t do anything but hug her. To keep himself from going further, he slept without cuddling with her, and turned the other way round.


    Carla watched him sleeping, then went to sleep herself.


    Time passed quickly, like a white pony''s shadow across a crevice.


    It had been a week, and it was time to worship the ancestors.


    The ceremony was to be held at An Manor.


    There was an ancestral temple there to worship the forefathers of the An family. Several times a year, the family would gather because of it. It was a place that stretched across a few acres, and could accommodate thousands of guests at the same time.


    Every year, and every time, the ceremony was solemn and elaborate.


    There were a lot of grandchildren in the An family, so the ceremony was so tremendous and splendid that it was almost as magnanimous as a wedding!


    Until then, Carla had found out about all the branches of the family tree, all the children and grandchildren.


    was going on. "Why, what happened? Why are you looking for Eric?"


    "Sally''s head got hurt because of him, don''t you know?" Carla asked, raising her eyebrows, since Eunice was acting like she didn''t know anything.


    "Nonsense! What are you talking about! Eric is such a good boy, he would never hurt anyone. Sally might have gotten hurt some other way!"


    Eunice denied clearly, shaking her head after she heard Carla. It might as well have been a joke.


    "You reminded me! I heard that a kid of our cousin bullied Sally, and Eric helped her. Did Sally tell you that Eric hurt her?"


    Eunice asked, casting a sharp glance at Carla.


    Carla responded with a sneer, shocked to hear her so unreasonably defend and protect her son.


    Little as Sally was, she wasn''t capable of lying. She had already told them the whole story on the way back.


    It was Eric and two other kids of some cousins who had ganged up on her and grabbed her stuff. She had even tried to call for help, but by the time the servants came to help her, they had already pushed her to a corner, hurting her head in the process.


    "Eunice, we weren''t present there, so neither of us know what actually happened. Therefore, it''s better you ask Eric to come over here so we can clarify this whole thing face to face,"


    Carla stated firmly. She was okay with the thing that had happened last time because no one had gotten hurt.


    But this time it was different because Sally had gotten hurt badly. If she let things go this time, Sally wouldn''t swallow it, neither would Carla!


    "For god''s sake, Carla, why are you taking it so seriously? It''s normal for kids to get hurt here or there. Sally will be okay in a few days! I mean, we''re family! Why are you making such a fuss?"


    Eunice said unpleasantly as Carla insisted on finding Eric.

 Chapter 645 You Will Destroy Him

    "Besides, I have already explained it to you that it was not Eric who caused Sally''s head injury. So even if you still want to find out who caused her head injury, I say that you should look for the sons of your two cousins. Why do you even think it''s Eric''s fault? "


    Eunice complained with a dreary look.


    Meanwhile, the ancestor-worship ceremony had already ended and some people had already left. With the amount of people in the event, no one surely knew whether the two children were still around or not.


    "Eunice, we assure you that the two children will be here soon. Even though they were just children, they should still be responsible for their faults. And you do know very well that parents should discipline their children whenever they do something wrong. But Eunice, if Eric didn''t do it, then we would have wrongly accused him of something dreadful,"


    Carla said in a cold voice.


    But she knew very well that Eunice was determined to protect her son, just like any other parent would. And that was why she made it an excuse saying that it was normal for children to fight and have a row at times.


    Not long ago, a servant who was looking after Eric saw that he fell down accidentally. And when Eunice knew about it, she immediately scolded the servant and sent him home that same day.


    This, however, was just something that Carla overheard from the housekeeper.


    Luckily, Eric just fell down and didn''t suffer any injury. But Eunice was still very angry at what happened. Carla couldn''t even imagine how furious Eunice would be if Eric also suffered the same fate as Sally.


    "Eric couldn''t have done it, of course. I''m certain about it. Not only has Eric been known to be clever, but he is also known to be a sensible child. Even the school teachers often praised him as a smart student. And as a matter of fact, never did he ever fight with any of his classmates!"


    Eunice raised her head as she said her statement with pride in her voice.


    But Eunice was just lying to herself. She knew very well that everyone in the school knew how much of a bully Eric was. But the parents were too afraid to speak out the truth about it since he was the grandson of the powerful An family. And as a result, the students who got fed up with his bullying weren''t able to do anything but transfer to other schools just to avoid him.


    "Don''t worry about it, Eunice. Since you claim that Eric didn''t do it, then I believe you and I will not further blame him."


    Carla glanced at Eunice and then went inside.


    Meanwhile, Edmund rushed to the scene as soon as he heard the news. He wrapped his arms around Sally as tight as he could upon seeing her with a bandage on her head.


    "What''s going on, sweetheart? Why do you have a bandage on your head? Who did this to my sweet little girl?


    I will never allow her to have any scars on her beautiful face!"


    Sally didn''t mutter a single word, but instead shed tears from her sad eyes. And with this, Edmund was even more bothered and distressed.


    Meanwhile, Rhys came in with his son Eric.


    But at the sight of her son being brought to the room again, Eunice''s face suddenly turned gloomy. Hurriedly, she grabbed Rhys by the arm, brought him outside


    reluctant to play with master Eric since the last incident, so she naturally refused master Eric to play with the plane with him. And as a result..."


    After saying these words, Dean took a glance at Eunice subconsciously with confusion.


    Although Eunice had already given him a hint that he should hide the truth from them, he knew better. He still had to frankly tell the truth about what had happened since Mr. Terence had already made the order first. It was very evident that he was afraid of Mrs. Eunice, but he was even more terrified of Mr. Terence!


    "Master Eric had a discussion with the two young masters. After that, they decided to take the plane from Miss Sally.


    And of course, Miss Sally was not willing to give them the plane, so they threw Miss Sally to the ground during the fight," Dean continued.


    Ady also nodded and said, "Yes, that''s true, Mr. Edmund. By the time we noticed that they were having a fight, Miss Sally had already fallen to the ground!


    But as caretakers of these children, we know that we are also responsible for this incident, and we''re willing to accept any punishment."


    All the servants who had experience looking after children knew that there would be some accidents along the way, no matter how careful they were at keeping an eye on them.


    "What are you talking about? That''s complete bullshit! Apparently, it''s your carelessness that caused this problem. Why are you still trying to dodge the responsibility? I can''t believe this! It''s just so shameless!"


    Eunice cried out in anger and frustration.


    With a heavy heart, Edmund gave out a deep sigh. Although he loved all the three children, he still had to defend for Sally. After all, Eunice should admit that her son was also at fault in this scenario. And it was just outrageous for her to make such a fuss now that the truth had already been said and she still refused to believe, let alone admit it.


    But at this point, Sally had already suffered such great grievance and pity. And that is enough reason not to let Eric off the hook so easily unless he admitted that it was indeed, his fault.


    "Eunice! Bring Eric here!"

 Chapter 646 That Was Fair

    After hearing Eunice''s name being called, her body started trembling. She slowly walked over with her son


    "Father, aren''t they just kids playing around? Is there a need to be this serious about it?"


    Eunice said as she was walking closer with her son. After looking at Sally, she continued, "Sally, Eric is your older cousin. He didn''t mean to hurt you. I''ll let him apologize, okay?"


    Upon hearing this, Sally quickly slipped down to the ground from Edmund''s arms.


    She ran over towards where Eric was.


    When she was finally in front of him, she looked at Eric who was hiding behind his mother with her big watery eyes. "Eric, aren''t you going to apologize to me? Are you really going to do it? Come out then! Why are you still hiding behind your mommy?"


    Although Sally was still young, she was displaying her cunningness by not talking to Eunice at all.


    Upon hearing this, Eric started to look around him. And then, he looked toward his mother with fear in his eyes.


    Eunice patted his back and hinted him to quickly apologize.


    Initially speaking, she wanted to cover up this incident and just let it die out.


    However, this thing was slowly escalating with everyone watching them.


    It was impossible for her to argue in favor of her son.


    Eric finally came out from behind Eunice and walked forward. He let go of her hand and stood in front of her.


    "Sally, I am sorry..."


    Right after he just finished apologizing, Eric was about to walk back to Eunice. However, Sally quickly replied, "Wait! I didn''t hear what you said. Can you come closer and say it again?"


    Sally said as she pointed to the spot right next to her. Her bright eyes blinked innocently.


    Carla was just a bystander. She didn''t know what her daughter wanted to do to him. However, she knew enough that her daughter wasn''t going to let Eric off that easily.


    Normally, when something happened and wasn''t that much of a deal, Sally wouldn''t take it seriously. But... if she was pissed, she was going to make sure that the person who pissed her off would pay.


    Eric walked toward where Sally wanted him to go and apologized again.


    "Sally, I am sorry..."


    Just as he finished his last word, Sally suddenly pushed him with all her strength.


    Eric wasn''t prepared for it at all. He didn''t expect that Sally would push him in front of everyone else.


    He fell down with a loud thump ensued by his head.


    Despite everyone watching what was happening, they were far enough that no one could help Eric in time.


    Eric h


    t he didn''t expect that she was hurt that bad.


    "Sean! I pushed Eric too. I heard he had stitches!"


    Sally said proudly. Her previous crying face was nowhere to be seen and was now replaced with a triumphant smile.


    Hearing this, Sean couldn''t help but have a wry smile. He walked inside the villa carrying her in his arms.


    Terence came out of the car and stood beside Carla before finally holding her hand and walked in behind them.


    "Sally''s just like you."


    "Oh, really?"


    Carla gave Terence a cold glance. Evidently, she looked worried.


    "I think it''s nice. At least we don''t have to worry about her getting hurt in the future," Terence laughed while he held her closer as they walked inside.


    At this point on, Terence was sure that Eric wouldn''t dare trouble Sally anymore.


    Sally''s retaliation had surprised Carla too. She didn''t expect her daughter to have the guts to do such a thing.


    Looking back, she honestly thought that Edmund would have been disappointed at Sally. However, contrary to her expectations, he didn''t take Eric''s side and even reprimanded Rhys and Eunice.


    Edmund had told them to be more strict with their son.


    Although Eric was the only boy in the family''s current generation, they shouldn''t have spoiled him like that. He might grow up to be a reckless man and could shame the family name.


    If the parents couldn''t raise their son up to be a proper man, they shouldn''t have brought him into this world in the first place.


    Emily was currently looking back at the events that transpired. Eunice''s face had been very dark upon hearing what Edmund had said to her. Upon seeing her face, it put Emily in a really good mood.

 Chapter 647 Carlas Promise

    Carla didn''t expect Sally to push Eric back.


    However, she wasn''t mad at her. Sally had been nice to him. It seemed that the soft way didn''t work for him. He had to learn his lesson the hard way.


    Carla just hoped that Eric would not bother Sally in the future, and she wouldn''t have to worry about Sally again.


    After all, they were family. Even they try to keep Sally away from Eric, the two cousins meeting was inevitable.


    In the next room, Sean had just brought Sally back.


    She sat down and sighed, sounding as exhausted as a man back from work.


    "What''s wrong? Does it still hurt?"


    asked Sean with great concern after putting her on the bed.


    Sally pouted, "Uncle Sean, what should I do? What if this scar never goes away? Am I going to be ugly?"


    Everyone was talking about how pretty she was. The little girl couldn''t help but worry if her scar would cost her those compliments.


    "Don''t worry! I already checked that for you. First of all, the wound isn''t bad, and it is under your hair. It won''t show on your forehead. And even if it did, you will remain as beautiful! The worst thing would be to see your sad face, and that''s the only thing anyone would feel bad about!" Rubbing her puffy cheeks, Sean reassured the little one.


    Sally blinked her eyes timidly. Looking back at him with an innocent expression, she asked, "Sean, will you dislike me if I get ugly in the future?"


    Sean laughed out loud. "Of course not! I will never dislike you! Besides, who is telling you one''s appearance decides how much people like them?"


    "Really? So you would marry me no matter what? Even if I don''t look as I do now?"


    Sally''s question stunned Sean.


    It took him a while to recover from that. His face turned red in embarrassment. "Sally, I am your uncle! I will protect you for the rest of your life, but I can''t marry you!"


    It was unethical, and he planned to never think about it in the future.


    He didn''t really have a blood connection with Carla, but they were family. He was Carla''s little brother!


    "Um...you can ask Cody if he wants..."


    Sally''s eyes widened as she pouted with great dissatisfaction. "Nope! You already kissed me! Mommy told me only a husband can kiss his wife!"


    Sean was dumbstruck. How was he supposed to respond to that? "Sally I am your uncle, so it doesn''t count. It''s the same thing as when your


    ke up! Have some breakfast, and then you can go back to sleep!"


    He put the breakfast try on the bedside table, and then he sat on the edge of the bed, blowing on the soup to cool it down.


    Carla still lay in bed without any movement. She opened her eyes and took a look at him. She then turned her back toward him and went back to sleep.


    He had completely worn her out last night. She had only had four or five hours of sleep. Naturally, she was exhausted.


    Behind her, Terence''s dark eyes narrowed again. He stared at her bare back. The blanket was only covering her lower body.


    He put down the soup and moved closer to her. She realized he was looking at her, and she mumbled lazily, "Don''t you have to go to work? Why are you still here?"


    "I will later this afternoon. I need to go back to the East Yard in a while to take care of some business there."


    Carla''s eyes were still closed, so she didn''t see the lust in his eyes.


    But soon, his hand cupped her soft shoulder, making her realize something wasn''t right. "Carla... don''t you know how easy it is for a man to be aroused by his woman in the morning?"


    It took her a second to process what he meant. "Eh?"


    She muttered. Then she turned around to look at him. When she saw her lustful face towering above her, her heart skipped a beat.


    But it seemed like it was too late for her to refuse. Terence had already gotten into the bed, and was only inching closer.


    Half an hour later, Carla drank the soup while gnashing her teeth, staring at this man who loved her so terribly and so truly.

 Chapter 648 Going To Kindergarten

    It was Carla''s breakfast, and Terence was in a good mood while feeding Carla. He seemed to enjoy switching from the greens to the sausages so that his wife could have a variety of tastes in her palate.


    Soon enough, Carla finished eating everything, including the very hearty soup Terence had made just for her.


    "Honey, would you like to have another bowl of the soup?" Terrence asked as he passed a piece of tissue to her. In fact, Carla enjoyed the entire meal so much that she was still in the mood for another helping of everything.


    After all, she needed the energy for she didn''t have enough sleep the night before. Terence tired her out until dawn. If she had not stopped him, they might have continued until the sun was up.


    Carla shook her head in response to her husband''s question. With every bit of her tired body, she lazily dragged herself back to bed. Thinking that she would feel more rested, she closed her eyes. But the bed didn''t do much for her but to feel even more tired than she already was.


    "How is Sally? Is she feeling any better?" Carla asked. She might be tired to her core, but she was a mother. And no amount of exhaustion could ever stop her from fulfilling her duties as a mother to her child. She looked at the clock, took a quick nap and decided to check on her daughter.


    "You don''t have to worry, dear. She''s fine. In fact, Sean has already taken her outside to play right after she received the new medicine the doctor gave her." Terence looked at her with sincerity and concern. He smiled before he continued, "If you feel tried, just go back to sleep. Take all the time you need to rest, we''re not in a hurry."


    There was no other reason for Carla to be in a hurry. And since the ceremony was already done, there was nothing for her to do but laze around and relax.


    Without a moment of hesitation, Carla nodded her head. She then lay her head on the pillow and almost instantly fell asleep.


    And just like that, time flew like the wind.


    The two-month summer vacation had already ended.


    Both Sean and Sally were ready to go to school. Sean was already in high school while Sally was a little student in kindergarten.


    Looking back at her injury, the wound on her forehead had completely healed, leaving no visible scar to remind her of her injury. Her beautiful recovery would not be possible without the help of the doctor who had been putting medicine on her wound every day.


    Meanwhile, Carla and Violet both decided to take their children together to the same kindergarten class.


    Carla initially wanted to pay for Cody''s tuition. But when they arrived in school, Carla found out that the tuition was already paid by Cody''s dad, William. Carla didn''t think too much and just kept silent about it since it was really William''s job and responsibility to pay for his own son''s tuition.


    She didn''t have to worry so much about it after knowing that Violet and William were officially back together.


    "I sense that you''re still unhappy. Has William taken you to see his parents?"


    Carla asked as she looked at Violet, sipping coffee at a coffee shop near the school. Violet sat across h


    l. Hm... It is Sally''s first day of school. Don''t worry about her. She''s fine. She didn''t even cry,"


    Carla talked to Andrea on the phone as she walked.


    "That''s good to hear. Callie, since Sally goes to school every day now and you have some time for yourself, when do you plan to visit your mother in HA City? I miss you..."


    Andrea said with longing in her voice. Carla hadn''t come to visit for a while now so Andrea invited them to her house. But they couldn''t get a good timing since Terence didn''t have the time to spare.


    Andrea had been really missing Carla ever since her last visit.


    Carla could tell how urgent Andrea wanted to see her. With her heart all warmed up, she replied, "You know what, Mother? I have been thinking of it too! I will visit you soon, I promise. Just give me a few days to take care of the rest of my work. After that, I will stay with you for a couple days."


    Carla had been wanting to visit Andrea for a long time. But, Terence had been busy and kept pushing their schedule back. It had been two months since she came back, and she still wasn''t able to see Andrea.


    "That''s great! Let me know ahead of time before you come. I will pick you up!"


    Upon hearing Carla''s plan, Andrea''s sad voice was suddenly filled with glee.


    The longing in Andrea''s voice was so apparent because they were barely able to see each other since Carla''s return home.


    Missing her daughter each and every night, Andrea had dreamed about her every time she slept.


    Back in her house, Andrea only had Tristan and Noah to keep her company. After all, Bonnie was married to a foreigner, and she barely called, while York, on the other hand, only paid her a visit during the big holiday.


    Busy fidgeting on the phone, Carla didn''t notice the cordon in front of her.


    "Excuse me, Miss. This area is under the state of siege. Please walk around the area to avoid any problems!"


    A policeman in a blue uniform warned Carla as she walked closer.


    Seeing many policemen handling the situation, Carla suddenly realized that there was something important going on inside.

 Chapter 649 The New Mayor

    "Excuse me? What''s going on inside?"


    Carla was shocked, feeling nervous and jittery. The police had shut down the entire road. The whole city hall perimeter was surrounded by police cars. Carla was both curious and anxious. She wanted to know if there was an important person inside or if there had been some accident.


    "The new mayor is being elected today! That''s why there''s a huge crowd and security is on high alert." a policeman explained the situation to her patiently.


    She suddenly remembered reading about it. Every five years, a new mayor was elected for JA City. Sometimes, the old mayor was reelected.


    The mayor they had right now had won the second time during the last elections. Everyone was talking about how he wouldn''t be elected this time.


    Carla had also heard about it on the news. She didn''t really care much. She knew what was going on and that was enough for her.


    Since the road had been shut down, she thought of taking another route. She had asked Rainer to wait for her by the next intersection. Now, due to the large crowd, she thought she should give him a call and let him know where she was.


    "Did you hear that the new mayor is going to be someone from the Su family?"


    "Hush! Keep your voice down! Don''t blab..."


    "Humph, what are you so afraid of? Mr. An has been the major for two terms now. It''s time for him to give someone else the chance!" "But would the An family be affected if he wasn''t reelected?"


    "Of course, it would! It has helped the An family greatly! No one dared to challenge them because they had his support. If a new mayor got elected, the An family would lose their power in politics. Of course, it would affect them!"


    Initially, all Carla wanted was to find her way through the crowd. However, the murmurs intrigued her.


    "That makes sense. Every dog has its day. The An family has been the most powerful and wealthy family in the town for a decade! It seems like their time has come to an end!"


    "Eh? I don''t think so. Nicholas is still alive. As long as he is alive, his distinguished services in the military will support the family. Plus, the AJ Group has great influence in the business world. I don''t think the An family would fall that easily..."


    "That''s true. But how lo


    honey. You have to have a little more faith in your husband too! Can you do that?"


    Carla nodded and put her head on his shoulder, drowsy but anxious.


    All the worrying had exhausted her.


    "Alright! It''s late, honey. Let''s go to bed!"


    Terence said, giving her a kiss on the forehead. He then picked her up and carried her upstairs.


    He knew he''d been too busy, and that was probably why she had started overthinking everything.


    He was tired, but he had made his mind to make sweet love to her.


    The next morning, Carla wasn''t surprised to find his spot empty when she woke up.


    She pulled the blanket off her body and rubbed her painful neck. Terence always went overboard when they had sex. She had talked to him about it several times, but it turned out he could never resist it!


    "Mrs. Carla, are you awake?"


    Hannah knocked on the door.


    "Come in!"


    Carla picked her pajamas up from the floor and put them on. "Is everything okay, Hannah?"


    "Miss Sally refuses to go to school without you. She insists you take her to school. What should I..." Hannah trailed off. She had been trying to persuade Sally for a while.


    But Sally was adamant on going to school with Carla.


    "Okay, I got it. Tell her I''m coming down shortly!" Carla smiled wryly as she got out of the bed. It was only Sally''s second day of going to school. She had expected her daughter to be fussy in the beginning.


    Carla dressed up and asked Rainer to take the car out, and then she took Sally to school.

 Chapter 650 Mr. Steven

    Sally was able to make her point come across, saying that she would only be able to meet her mommy when she got back from school in the afternoon.


    It didn''t matter how hard they tried to persuade her because Sally just wouldn''t budge, insisting that Carla should be the one to take her to school so the two of them could spend more time together on their way there.


    Finding out what was in Sally''s mind made Carla''s heart ache. It made her feel so guilty that she thought she should start waking up early to take her to school herself, so she could spend more time with her from now on.


    As these thoughts were running in Carla''s mind, they had arrived at the school. As she watched her little girl walk into the school holding the teacher''s hand, Carla was finally able to let out a sigh of relief.


    There were still some things she needed to pick up at home, so she intended to drop by the Seaview Villa before heading over to the company. She was in a bit of a hurry to leave earlier, worrying that Sally might be late for school.


    Carla had already gone back to work these past two months. And today, she happened to have some things she needed to take care of. Under normal circumstances, there wouldn''t really be a need for her to go to the company.


    There was one section of the road outside the school which vehicles were not allowed to pass through. Because of that, Carla had no choice but to walk around for a while before she was able to get back to the car parked on the side of the road.


    At this moment, a man standing across the road, who seemed to be talking to his superior, was asking a young man wearing a hat, "Mr. Steven, please. You have to go back with me."


    ¡ª


    "No way. I don''t want to. Why should I do that? I feel like some kind of prisoner under constant surveillance by you guys day in and day out."


    "Master, we don''t have much of a choice at this point in time. You''ve only just recovered from your previous injury. So, there''s no way I could risk letting anything happen to you."


    The man kept on going after the young man while desperately trying to convince him to come home.


    After a while, the young man stopped in his tracks and looked back at him as he adjusted his cap. "Victor, please just cut it out already. I''m getting tired of this. I''ve told you countless times that you shouldn''t follow me. I''ll be the one responsible for my own safety. I can fend for myself."


    "No, Sir! I can''t do that. If you really don''t want to go back home, you should at least let me follow you to ensure your safety. I''ll go wherever you will go!"


    The young man was pacing so fast that Victor needed to run after him in order to catch up.


    "Look out!"


    The young man failed to notice Carla walking right in front of him because he was so preoccupied w


    r name?"


    Hearing him asking such a question, Carla paused for a second and then grabbed a business card out of the purse she was carrying, handing it over to him and adding impatiently, "Don''t call me if it isn''t anything serious."


    Not wanting to waste time introducing herself to him, she decided to just give him a business card to get it over with quickly despite knowing that her phone number was also printed on it.


    Grabbing the card from her hand, Steven''s eyes was glued to her up until she got in the car and left. After that, he glanced at the card in his hand and read out loud, "Carla Ji."


    Steven''s eyebrows were deeply knit as he stared at the name printed on the card. Her name sounded so familiar. It really felt that he had already heard of it once before.


    "Victor, does this name ring a bell to you? I feel like I''ve already heard this name, but I just can''t remember where."


    He asked Victor who was standing next to him.


    Leaning a little closer to have a look at it, Victor rubbed his forehead and pondered about it for a while. Shortly after, he finally recognized the name and he said, "Master, I think she is the wife of the president of the AJ Group. Oh, that''s right! She''s Mr. Terence''s wife."


    He might not know most of the big names in JA City, but Terence was the first person Steven''s father wanted to pay a visit before he came to this city. For that reason, Victor had an idea who his wife was.


    The frown in Steven''s face deepened the moment he heard what Victor said.


    Of course, he knew who Terence was. He knew him quite well.


    Ever since he was a young boy, he would always hear the people around talking about how much of an outstanding and powerful man Terence was.


    It was just that Steven never would''ve expected that the first time he would have a connection with Terence would be through his wife.

 Chapter 651 It Was Critical To Have A Long-term Strategic Vision

    At the AJ Building


    Once she was back home, she immediately left for the company office.


    A month earlier, she had set up a team of her own and recruited several competent employees. The team specialized in designing the company''s brand image.


    Carla had recently expanded her team''s business and started taking orders from other companies. After all, her intention was to create better design works for the company, but she needed to gain more experience first.


    Of course, the main task of Carla''s team was to complete the AJ Group''s projects. Carla''s office address had not changed.


    As for taking orders from other companies, that was Terence''s advice. Terence had told Carla that it could help develop her independence and leadership skills.


    Besides, most of the companies that provided Carla''s team with orders had partnerships with the AJ Group, which was a requirement for the company.


    As soon as Carla arrived at the office, she summoned the members of her team for a meeting and assigned the tasks for the week. After the meeting, she couldn''t wait to go see Terence in his office.


    "You''re here, Mrs. Carla! Mr. Terence has just finished with a meeting and is now in his office."


    Terence''s assistant greeted Carla politely as he walked toward her.


    "Oh, I see. By the way, is he very busy with work today?" Carla asked. She hadn''t had dinner with Terence for a long time, so she wanted to enjoy a good meal with him before going to her mother''s home for a visit.


    "Yes. He has a bunch of files to go through and sign today. In the afternoon, he needs to attend a meeting about the company''s operating strategy for the next quarter. In the evening, he is scheduled to have dinner with the president of one of our cooperative companies and renegotiate some terms of cooperation between both parties,"


    the assistant replied.


    Carla nodded, trying to hide her disappointment. ''Well, having dinner together seems unlikely, '' she thought. When she found out how busy he was, she felt guilty about not being able to share his worries and concerns at work.


    Terence had been a great husband throughout all these years. No matter how busy or tired he was, he would always smile gently and be calm around her.


    Carla walked to his office. She was about to enter when Nathan, who was standing at the door, winked at her, gesturing that someone else was inside.


    Carla pursed her lips and stood quietly, waiting patiently.


    Through the door, she could faintly hear Terence''s angry voice.


    "Nathan, what''s going on?" Carla asked in a low voice. It was rare of Terence to


    Sean joined the army, there would be no suitable person to act as his right-hand man.


    Terence held her tighter and kissed her on the lips. "Honey, Sean must join the army. Having social relations in the army would make our family invincible. I''m sure you understand..."


    The business world was seemingly peaceful, but it was actually like a jungle. Only the winner was entitled to be the king.


    Competitors had to have a strong background if they wanted to win.


    "Yes, but even if Sean goes to join the army, it will take him at least ten years to achieve something there. Wouldn''t that be too late?"


    Carla asked anxiously. Having been with Terence for several years, she had begun to understand the importance of social relations.


    The An Family was probably going to have fewer social relations in political circles, so it only made sense for them to have some in military circles. Terence had to win the support of all social communities if he wanted the An family to remain powerful and influential.


    In other words, even if Sean did not do anything in the future, no one would dare to offend the An family as long as he held an important position in the army.


    Why were businessmen afraid of officials?


    It was because the officials had the real power in their hands. This principle had not changed since ancient times.


    "No. Our family has a lot of potential powers. On the surface, they may seem trivial, but together, they are strong enough to ensure no one will even dare to offend us. During his stay there, Sean will have enough time to grow into a capable man,"


    Terence said confidently. For him, it was critical to have a long-term strategic vision. He had a habit of making plans way in advance.

 Chapter 652 Men And Women, Never Feel Exhaustion (Part One)

    Terence then reached out and ran her hair through his fingers and clipped away the stray strands to the back of her ears. He glanced at her and then with affection in his voice, he said, "It has already been decided, Honey, and I hope you''ll be okay with it. I hope you''ll eventually understand."


    "Well, as long as Sean is safe, then I don''t see why I should object to such decision."


    Carla then took a sweet glance at him and nodded her head in agreement.


    Terence was known to be very familiar with business affairs management. Carla was even certain that without the mayor, they would still be able to handle the military and political affairs quite smoothly as long as they keep strong connections with the army.


    "Honey, you don''t have to worry about a thing. I have already asked a favor from grandpa to arrange several people of Sean''s age to join the army. In this way, we can be assured that Sean will be taken good care of. I''m sure he will be fine with our secret protection. And on top of that, he''ll be sure to have more friends that way,"


    Terence explained with a smile. After all, he would do everything in his power to ensure Sean''s safety and also assure Carla that everything would be fine.


    Moreover, the whole thing was not as serious as she thought.


    Terence requested that his grandfather gather a few boys of good moral character to accompany Sean in the army. Being only two or three years older than Sean, Terence was sure that they would get along eventually.


    "Oh my god, that''s good. Thank you for being so considerate! I feel so relieved right now,"


    Carla said as she took a big sigh of relief.


    Meanwhile, s


    on to the next morning. After all, he had already finished the work that he was supposed to do the next day. He was so productive and efficient with his work that day that it was like he hit two birds with one stone. He worked while he keeping his wife company.


    It was such a good deal for him. If it weren''t for that, then he would have never had the opportunity to see her the whole week.


    But he was about to have dinner with his clients that evening, which was why Carla had to go home first.


    He had so much fun with dinner that he didn''t come home until two in the morning.


    Coming home drunk, he held Carla tightly around his arms and started to kiss her relentlessly right after she had opened the door. Grasping her with all his might, he carried her straight to bed and they made passionate love with each other. Right after that, they lay on the bed both panting with satisfaction.


    "So, how are things going?"


    Even after making love, Carla still made sure to ask him about what happened with work. After all, she knew that Terence needed to vent out his anger from work that day.

 Chapter 653 Men And Women, Never Feel Exhaustion (Part Two)

    "Is there anything that I can''t handle at work?" Terence confidently hugged her and asked with a proud smile on his face.


    After all, Terence was a very capable man who could handle any task set in front of him.


    He was angry all due to a very stupid mistake which could have been prevented, if only he was not tired to death.


    Relieved to hear her husband''s words, Carla was very thankful that the problem was not too serious as she thought.


    "Oh, I see. Then go to sleep now. I''m going back to my parents'' house tomorrow. After all, today is Friday and I promised that I''d be back before next Friday," Carla said.


    But Terence wasn''t sleepy at all. And now that he heard that Carla was about to leave the next day, all he wanted was to spend more time with her. He then raised her chin and kissed her lips feverishly like he never wanted the night to end.


    "Hey, Terence, that''s enough! How can I possibly go visit my mother tomorrow morning if you keep on doing that?"


    Carla gasped for breath as she tried hard to push him away. But she hadn''t expected that her resistance only made Terence''s desire and grasp more violent.


    "You don''t have to worry about that anymore. I''ll just ask the driver to take you tomorrow morning. You can sleep in the car if you want... "


    And upon hearing him say that, Carla had finally given up with her resistance and went along with another round with Terence.


    The sun rose high in the sky and it soon became yet another morning.


    Being true to his words, Terence had arranged for an RV to take her back to HA City.


    And being tired as she was, Carla slept the


    and, and that she was now his rightful and lawfully wedded wife.


    And it didn''t really matter to her if her husband truly loved her or not.


    On top of that, Carla was now her sister-in-law. And since they were family, they should be friendlier and more generous to each other. Clinging to the past wouldn''t help any of them and they should just all move forward.


    "Is this Rock? Aren''t you just lovely! Come over here and give your aunt a hug!"


    Carla clapped her hands and said while looking at the lovely boy in Julie''s arms.


    Rock was only about seven or eight months old. He looked fat and fair skinned, but was still not really that good with strangers. Seeing Carla''s unfamiliar face, Rock shyly dodged away, turned his body around Carla and just hugged Julie''s neck.


    "Ha-ha. Why are you so shy, my little Rock?" Carla made a joke with a happy smile on her face so as to appear friendly to the child.


    "Carla, Julie, don''t just stand at the door. Come in now! "


    Andrea said. She then held Carla''s hand and took her into the room, smiling from ear to ear.

 Chapter 654 Gentle and Virtuous

    "Mom, there are some gifts that Terence asked me to give to you. He''s too busy with work to come with me and visit you, so he thought that this was the least he could do.


    Carla glanced at Rainer and a number of servants who had been carrying the gifts into the Hua family''s house.


    "I appreciate the gesture, but next time, you need not bother with such things. We''ve got everything we need at home." Andrea shook her head with these words while giving a warm smile.


    She peeked at the gift that Terence had given her. He was indeed thoughtful.


    When the family had dinner some time ago, Tristan had mentioned that his brother-in-law had specifically asked him if there was anything they needed at home or anything he could buy for Andrea.


    Tristan had just told him that she wasn''t sleeping well.


    Therefore, upon hearing this, Terence had someone make a special pillow out of precious Chinese medicine for her. The medicine of course would help aid her sleep better. If she used this pillow for a while then it might be able to get rid of her insomnia.


    It didn''t matter how precious the gift was. The most important thing was the intention behind it.


    Andrea was extremely pleased with Terence as her son-in-law, he did not only treat Carla well but also looked after her relatives.


    "He just bought these things for his own self-assurance, he reprimanded himself for being too busy and couldn''t spare any time to visit," Carla responded with a smile. Even she had to squeeze time within her schedule to come here. What about Terence who was the CEO of the AJ Group?


    "Don''t be, your brother is also tied up with all the work he has in the Hua Group. Not to mention Terence as the head of a top-notch company." Andrea then asked the servant to get some fruit and tea for snacks.


    Andrea knew what it was like to operate a company. She used to run the Hua group with Allen, she knew well how much effort it took to be in charge of a company.


    Carla took a seat beside Julie who was holding Rock in her arms on the sofa. "Hi Rock! Look! Auntie brought something for you too."


    She took out a bracelet with a little golden bell from her handbag and held it in front of Rock. It would fit him when he grows older.


    "Take this sister-in-law, please keep it for Rock when he grows up. It''s my gift for him for our first meeting."


    Carla then took out a red envelope from her handbag and shoved it into Julie''s hand.


    As Rock''s aunt, this was the least she could do.


    "Carla, you don''t


    really satisfied with Julie. "Of course, Noah married a great woman.


    Julie''s a filial daughter-in-law. Not only does she take good care of me, she''s also considerate towards Noah.


    I always told your brother that he''s a blessed man and that he was quite lucky to marry such a gentle and virtuous woman like Julie."


    Carla pouted her mouth when she heard what her mother had just said. "Mom, do you think I''m not gentle and virtuous enough then?"


    Of course Carla had always thought of herself as a really good woman. But if you compared her with Julie, then there was quite a difference between them.


    She hardly cooked any meals and wasn''t gentle at most times. She would also quickly lose her temper and would occasionally vent her anger on Terence.


    ''Virtuous... I don''t even know what it''s like to be virtuous.'' Carla thought to herself.


    "Oh you silly girl, you already know I''m not talking about you. Everyone''s different. If you were just like Julie, then maybe Terence wouldn''t have even looked your way,"


    Andrea said with a slight grin. A woman like Sally would only be suitable with a man that had Noah''s temperaments. As for Terence, being gentle and virtuous wouldn''t even enter his eyes at all.


    "Wouldn''t have looked my way? Wouldn''t that be great? Perhaps I would have lived a better life than now..." At the very least, her life would be so much easier.


    Maybe it would''ve been nice if she just lived in BH City.


    Carla muttered under her breath. Her phone rang as soon as she finished her words.


    She took out her phone and stared at it. It was Terence.


    ''Speak of the devil and he comes.'' She couldn''t help but think about it.

 Chapter 655 Amazing Julie

    "Hello? Are you there?"


    Coming from the other end of the line, Terence spoke in his typical voice.


    "Yes, I''m here. Rainer just left. Didn''t he tell you?" Carla said as she gave Rock, being carried by Andrea, a wink. She then stood up afterwards.


    "Well, yes, he did. But I still want to hear from you though,"


    Terence said, sounding a bit lonely as he knew that he would spend the entire week without his wife by his side.


    "I can hear your sadness up to here, you know. Come on. You still have Sally at home with you. It''s your chance to bond with her. If you don''t take that chance now, she might like me more in the future. And you''re going to regret it if that happens."


    Carla could clearly tell he already missed her from the way he spoke. With a smile on her face, she remembered something. Ever since he recovered his memories, she had lost pretty much all of her personal space.


    And now, she finally was able to have some sweet time for herself.


    "Okay, then. I''ll try to finish my work sooner so I can be with my daughter. I am glad you didn''t take Sally with you. If you did, I would probably be a very lonely man for the entire week,"


    Terence said as he laughed at himself. His assistant asked him to end his call immediately so that he could return to his meeting. Giving the assistant a look, he then continued, "Hey, honey, I need to go back to work. I will talk to you later."


    "Okay, talk to you later, then,"


    said Carla as she ended the call and went straight to Andrea.


    Meanwhile, like clockwork, Noah had just come back home that night.


    "Oh, Noah, you''re back!" Still wearing her apron, Julie went out of the kitchen to take Noah''s jacket off.


    "So... Where''s Rock?"


    Noah asked gently as he looked at his wife with an inquiring look on his face.


    "He is probably with Carla and Mother upstairs in the living room. Go ahead and say hi to them!" Julie answered as she hung up his jacket.


    Upon hearing that, Noah walked towards the stairs and went up to the living room.


    But even before he got to them, he had already heard his son''s giggles bursting everywhere. And when he looked over at what was happening, he found that Carla was making silly faces at Rock to make him laugh.


    Having Sally in her life, she knew very well how to entertain and make a child laugh.


    "Hey, Noah, you''re home!" Andrea was smiling while she looked at Carla make weird faces. And when she suddenly looked up, Noah was already walking towards them.


    Carla stopped what she was doing upon hearing Andrea''s greeting. She then turned around, looked at Noah and greeted him, "Hello, Noah."


    Noah was stunned at how beautiful Carla looked that night. Narrowed in happiness, her bright eyes were almost shut as she smiled from ear to ear. Carla even looked like a typical happy princess straight from the fairy tales.


    Noah then figured out that Terence must have been treating her pretty well. Looking at her once more, he noticed that Carla''s glow was the smile of a well-loved woman.


    "Hi, Carla. I haven''t see you for a while. Look at who seemed to put on some weight!" Noah commented with a smile as he w


    ed to have the caring wife he had.


    Julie blushed as he complimented her and said, "I am flattered. It''s my pleasure to marry you."


    Complimenting each other, Carla shrugged her shoulders and exchanged looks with Andrea. "Mother, did you notice that they love each other more and more every day?"


    "I know! I am very happy to have such a thoughtful and appreciative son and daughter-in-law! But, what I am glad about the most is to have you..."


    Andrea said as her narrowed happy eyes moved away from the two lovebirds and landed on Carla.


    That day, what mattered the most was that Callie came back to her safely.


    She thought of Callie as the continuation of her life. If Callie was happy about her life, then Andrea could never ask for anything more.


    Putting down her chopsticks, Carla hugged Andrea and said, "Mother, I won''t make you worry anymore in the future, okay? Don''t worry!"


    "Okay, I believe you..." Andrea gave her a pat on the back as tears filled her eyes. "Alright, enough of this and let''s enjoy our dinner. Julie had worked hard, preparing for it. Don''t let them go to waste."


    After dinner, Carla didn''t go back to sleep in her room. Instead, she went to Andrea''s room and slept beside her.


    "Mother, I have this question that I have been dying to ask you. I don''t know if you want to answer me though."


    The lights had been turned off and darkness encapsulated the room, which was only illuminated by the moonlight that poured in through the windows.


    Carla and Andrea lay on the bed, but none of them could fall asleep.


    This question had been on her mind for a long time and she had been holding it from the bottom of her heart. She wasn''t able to ask the question since she could not find the right words to ask Andrea.


    "Silly girl, I am your mother. You can ask me anything," Andrea laughed as she took a look at Carla who leaned her head on her shoulder.


    "Okay, I''ll ask you right now..." Carla bit her lower lip as she gathered the courage to ask her the question.


    "Mother, how did I get lost? Was I really kidnapped by human traffickers?"

 Chapter 656 The Chinese Doctor

    Carla had been thinking about it for a really long time.


    However, because of her father''s illness and eventual death that had kept her busy. She had never really had the chance to ask Andrea what really happened.


    She really wanted to know how she had gone missing.


    The Hua family was wealthy. Her parents only had a few children. There was no possible way for them to sell her to human traffickers. All she wanted to know was how it happened.


    Upon hearing what Carla had asked, Andrea''s body shivered. After a moment of silence, Andrea''s grave voice echoed throughout the room, "Callie, it''s a long story... There are too many things associated with it, and I don''t know how to tell you about it now. I don''t even know where or how to start."


    "Please let me think about it first. When I sort out everything, I''ll tell you, okay?"


    Carla nodded her head after listening to her mother''s voice. "Okay... Don''t worry about it, Mother. I''ll wait until you''re ready to talk about it."


    As she heard the confirmation from her mother, she felt relieved. She felt sleepy after the conversation, so she yawned and closed her heavy eyelids.


    The events had happened twenty years ago. It was indeed hard to recall the entire story.


    Carla''s light breathing could be heard as she drifted into slumber. However, what Carla didn''t know was that Andrea couldn''t fall asleep because of her. Andrea stared at her for a long time, it seemed as if she was reliving a deep memory. It was a sleepless night for her.


    Five days had passed. During this time, Carla had been shopping and enjoying her time with Andrea.


    Two days before she had to go back home, Andrea dragged her to see the Chinese doctor who had prepared the necessary medication for her.


    "Mother, can we not go to see him? I really don''t want to drink his medicine..."


    On their way there, Carla wore a long face. Her body shivered in resistance as she thought about the bitter taste she was going to endure.


    "No, we have to visit him. It might be thanks to his medicine that you had Sally. Although his medicine works slowly, it will definitely help you!"


    Andrea slowly patted the back of her hand and continued, "Callie, do you remember that the doctor said you couldn''t have a child? And yet, you had Sally in less than a year."


    "Nothing is set in stone, let the Chinese doctor take a look. You might have the chance to try again. It doesn''t hurt to visit, right?"


    "Even though you have a child now, wouldn''t it be better to have another one to keep her company? As long as you do this, I won''t worry about it anymore! I promise!"


    Carla sighed upon hearing Andrea''s insistence on this matter


    with a gentle smile. She had seen them sitting down on two broken bricks, so she had asked the driver to bring more chairs.


    The four of them sat down. Lynn had been sitting next to Fannie, and yet, she still avoided any possible eye contact with Carla. She barely even said a word or two to her.


    Carla chatted with Fannie. Throughout the conversation, she found out that Lynn was married and that during the last three years, she had two daughters. In order to have a son, her mother brought her here to seek consultation with the doctor.


    It sounded that Lynn had married into a wealthy family, and that Lynn''s parents had her do it. If her husband was not wealthy, then Carla figured that Lynn''s parents wouldn''t have let her marry.


    Fannie had been trying to find out how wealthy Andrea was.


    However, Andrea didn''t tell her much about herself. She had already dealt with many kinds of people in her lifetime. It was easy for her to handle people like Fannie.


    Soon, Carla''s turn came, so they excused themselves before walking inside the room together.


    The Chinese doctor was already in his seventies. He had a sharp look in contrast to his bright eyes. The doctor asked Carla about her body. He also took her pulse. After doing so, he started to prescribe medicine for her.


    They bid goodbye to Lynn and Fannie after they walked out of the room. They then continued walking out and leave.


    Carla got into the car with a puzzled face.


    In the past, she remembered that she had a very close relationship with Lynn. Although they had some arguments here and there which caused Lynn to say some harsh words to her, Carla didn''t take it to heart.


    It felt weird that Lynn had been trying to avoid her today while finally seeing each other after four long years.

 Chapter 657 Terences Order

    Meanwhile, time flew very quickly as two days had already passed.


    Andrea had missed Carla so much that she wanted to spend more time with her and keep her longer, but Carla had already promised her husband that she would be back Friday.


    And the fun for Andrea was over since today marked Friday on the calendar.


    But before she left, Andrea had prepared a lot of things for her. Some of which were desserts that she could eat as a snack so that she would not get hungry along the way, together with a few of the newest custom dresses.


    "Hey, Mother, don''t be sad. I promise to visit you more often! Plus, I''ll bring Sally with me when I come over next time. I''m sure you''ll love her!"


    Carla gave her a big and warm hug to comfort her. Although Andrea wasn''t able to utter a single word, her actions were clear that she was going to miss her so much.


    "Hey, I am okay. I am not sad. After all, I have Julie and Rock at home with me!" Andrea gave her a pat on the shoulder and then continued, "Remember to take your medicine on time. I will always call and remind you!"


    "Yes, yes, Mother. I got it! I will!"


    Very apprehensive to take the awful-tasting Chinese medicine, Carla just gave her a wry smile. Just thinking of the medicine sent shivers down her spine as she found it really bitter. But to her dismay, the doctor had given her over twenty days'' worth of prescription, giving her no choice but to take them.


    Meanwhile, the sun shone brightly as another day passed. Early that the morning, Terence had asked Rainer to pick her up.


    After having lunch, Carla and Rainer were on the road as they headed home.


    It was already late afternoon when they arrived safely back at JA City.


    After being caught in tight traffic during the rush hour, it was already dark when they finally reached the Seaview Villa.


    Both Sean and Sally stayed up as they were both so eager to welcome her back. After all, they didn''t have any school the next day since it would be Saturday.


    "You''re so bad, Mommy! You didn''t even let me see Grandma Andrea!"


    Sally complained, pouting while she hugged Carla.


    "Oh, that''s because it was on weekdays and you had to go to school! Remember that you''re a big girl now and big girls attend the first day of school. Don''t you think so?" Carla said as she stroked Sally''s little face. It had only been a week that she had not seen Sally, and she seemed to have already grown taller.


    "Well, I don''t care! You must to take me with you the next time you visit!" replied Sally shamelessly as she wrapped her arms around Carla with both arms.


    "Okay, your wish is my command. I''ll visit her again when you get your break. Then, we''ll pay her a visit and stay with your grandma for a longer while." Carla gave her a smile as she put her forehead against Sally''s.


    While she spoke to her, she glanced at Sean who was reading a book and asked, "So, Sean,


    have a high standard! Back in my hometown, pretty girls crawled all over the place. However, it seems that they couldn''t even earn a glance from you."


    "Of course, Mr. Terence is living in this extravagant city. He might already have a lot of those types of pretty girls. Unlike us! We barely see girls like that!"


    A man in his forties sat next to Terence on the other side. He laughed as he held a woman tightly in his arms.


    "Mr. Chang, Mr. Li, I have arranged two suites for you upstairs. You can have all the fun you want in there,"


    said Terence as he remained elegantly in his seat. Even with the alcohol and the lusty environment, it seemed that he was still well poised as a gentleman. And that environment had no effect on him whatsoever.


    "Ha-ha! That''s very thoughtful of you, Mr. Terence. You actually didn''t have to. But you know, we barely come here. Why don''t you stay overnight and have some fun with us? Come on, just pick one! Let''s go upstairs!"


    Mr. Chang stood up and held a woman by her waist. "Sweetie, you''re the lucky girl I''m going to take for the night!"


    "That''s right, Mr. Terence. You should come and join us! Don''t make us feel bad about it! It''s normal for a man to have a woman outside the family every once a while to ease the loneliness."


    Mr. Li stood up at the same time and shouted to the manager of the club.


    "Manager! Bring the most beautiful and sexy girls over. Mr. Terence here is going to take his pick for the night! I doubt that this big of a club doesn''t have anyone worthy of Mr. Terence''s glance! Bring out the girls!"


    Terence frowned as he listened to the drunken mumblings of his client and sat on the couch. Then he took a look at his watch.


    A few moments later, several girls, wearing the highest of heels, walked the floor like a catwalk. They all stood in front of the three men with their most daring poses that could make or break their night with them.

 Chapter 658 I Will Always Be Your Terence

    Mr. Chang''s eyes lit up, since all the pretty girls were lined up in front of them. He compared the girl he was embracing in his arms to the girls in front of him before pushing her away.


    "This one''s pretty! Look at her body... Mr. Li, is it alright if we pick two?"


    Mr. Li coughed a little upon hearing this. He pinched Mr. Chang''s arm before replying, "Mr. Chang, they''re here for Mr. Terence to choose from. You already have one, don''t you? In addition, do you think you can handle two girls for one night?"


    At this moment, Terence stood up with a faint smile on his face. "You can do as you like, I''m not a fan of these kinds of things. I''ve already set up an appointment with the masseuse upstairs. I''ll see you two later!"


    He silenced his ringing phone before he casually walked out in a dignified manner.


    Seeing this, Mr. Chang and Mr. Li exchanged gazes which seemed like they understood what Terence meant.


    No wonder Terence didn''t seem like he was into any of the girls here. They had already assumed in their heads that he had special needs only the masseuse could satisfy.


    They guessed that the masseuse had to be a really gorgeous young lady.


    Meanwhile, the "masseuse" had already arrived at the top floor. She was staying in the room where Terence had booked for himself.


    "Nathan, where''s Terence? He asked me to be here to see him. Where is he?" Carla looked around the suite and couldn''t find Terence anywhere.


    So she opened the door and stuck her head out to ask Nathan.


    "Mrs. Carla, please be patient. Mr. Terence should be here in a few minutes,"


    He replied calmly. He had already tried calling Terence, but he didn''t pick up. Nathan had already figured that he was already on his way up.


    As Nathan expected, five minutes later he saw him walking down the hall.


    Terence greeted Nathan before entering the suite. Carla looked up upon hearing the door open and saw Terence walk in. When he saw her, his dark bright eyes widened in glee.


    "Please wait just a little longer. I need to shower first!"


    he said in a hurried voice. Terence didn''t rush to hug her. He was afraid his smoke and alcohol filled scent would upset her. He had a lot of it stuck on him due to his business during the day. And so, he took his jacket off and walked straight into the bathroom.


    Carla saw how impatient he was tonight. She already knew why he was doing this. As his lover, she knew very well that he didn''t want to make her upset with the unpleasant scent stuck on him.


    Shortly after, Terence walked out with a towel wrapped around his toned waist, smelling extremely fragrant after his shower.


    "Terence..."


    Carla had just called out his name. Be


    p cheeks when she neared him and gave her a wry smile.


    "Honey, they''re my clients. I need to try my best to be sociable with them. But always remember, I will always be your Terence. They don''t want to be faithful to their wives, but I do. Isn''t that enough?"


    Terence couldn''t impose his own values upon other people. Despite setting a high standard for himself, he chose to stay true to it.


    Terence mumbled before he tried to kiss her again, but she ducked.


    She pointed her finger at the bed. "Let''s go over there. Isn''t it more comfy?"


    Terence laughed in a deep voice at her antics, he picked her up and carried her onward to the bed.


    After he placed her on the bed, he went to the door and double checked it in case anyone came in and interrupted their special time again.


    Finally, he returned to the bed with his beloved honey waiting for him.


    Tonight, she pleased him so much that he couldn''t have enough of her.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The next morning, the sun wasn''t shining as much as it should around that time.


    When Carla woke up, she still felt half-asleep. She pulled the curtain open and looked outside. No wonder she still felt so sleepy, it was cloudy outside, the best weather to huddle up in the blankets and just sleep.


    She turned around and noticed that Terence wasn''t on the bed. It seemed that he had already left.


    She was amazed at how energetic he was after a night of ''working'' and just getting a little sleep.


    Her stomach grumbled, which signaled her hunger. She rubbed her empty belly and went to the bathroom to freshen up and get dressed. She was getting ready to find a restaurant to eat breakfast at.


    After leaving the room, she stretched her body.


    She was just about to step into the street before someone interrupted her by pulling her arm.

 Chapter 659 How Dare You Own My Woman! (Part One)

    "Miss Carla, I heard you are a good masseuse. I kind of feel sore now from the accidental stiff neck that I got this morning. I was wondering if you could give me a quick massage."


    The man thought that since she was Mr. Terence''s personal masseuse, then she might be really good in doing it.


    Carla, surprised with the stranger''s request, turned around to see who it was. She saw a strange man standing behind her. His voice seemed a little familiar. She thought for a while as she tried to remember where she had met the man.


    Examining the man, she then remembered who he was¡ªone of Terence''s clients.


    "Sorry, I have to go home now," Carla responded as she took his hand off her arm.


    She then hurriedly fixed her coat and walked towards the elevator.


    But Mr. Chang, not taking no for an answer, put his hand on her again, "Wait a minute. You just got off work and there must be nothing for you to be in such a hurry about. It won''t hurt for you to stay and give me a relaxing massage."


    The previous night, Mr. Chang saw her massaging Terence and thought that she must be a good masseuse who offered extra special service. And since she was already off work, he hoped that she could do the same thing to him.


    "Mr. Chang, what do you think you are doing? I said, no. Stay away from me!"


    Carla replied, fuming with anger and impatience from the man''s insistence.


    "Well, is that so? Who do you think you are? That''s your job. Just do it! Oh, I see, so is this about the money? Just tell me how much it would cost and I''ll pay!" Uttering such disrespectful and nasty words, he tried to reach for her face. But Carla was so disgusted with him and moved away to avoid his inappropriate touch.


    Mr. Chang then glar


    d, Terence came out of the elevator.


    He passed by the room that Carla and Mr. Chang were in, and stepping into his own room.


    "Carla?


    Carla?" he called her name, but to no avail.


    Suddenly, there was a big racket of a noise that came from the next room, which sounded like something had crashed.


    However, when he listened carefully at the sounds that he heard, he could vaguely recognize Carla''s voice.


    He then realized that something bad must be happening to her.


    Acting immediately, Terence walked out the room and stopped at Mr. Chang''s door.


    However, just right before he kicked the door open, the door opened itself.


    To his surprise, Carla appeared right before him. He found her bending over to straighten her wrinkled coat. When she was done with her coat, she looked up and saw Terence holding one of his legs up high, giving her the impression that he wanted to kick the door open.


    "Carla, are you okay?"


    After a short pause, Terence put his leg down and asked urgently. Then he walked closer, checking every bit of her if she was okay. Finding that her clothes were neat as usual, he breathed out a sigh of relief.

 Chapter 660 How Dare You Own My Woman! (Part Two)

    "I''m fine. But someone''s not." Carla replied as she pointed at Mr. Chang who painfully had his hand over his stomach as he lay on the floor.


    Clearly, Carla was the one who brought him pain.


    It was good thing that Mr. Nicholas used to hire a coach to teach Carla some self-defense skills. Although she had not practiced for a very long time, her skills came in handy as she was successful in defending herself against the demonic maniac that Mr. Chang was.


    There was even a time when she was good enough to fight with Terence. Therefore, it was just a piece of cake for her when she took down the bastard who tried to abuse her.


    Terence then entered the room and saw Mr. Chang curled up on the floor, too weak to move. Carla had kicked him so hard that there was even a visible footprint marked on his crotch.


    "Mr. Terence, that bitch hit me. Please do something! Don''t let her get away with this..." Mr. Chang uttered weakly to Terence. At the same time, he struggled to raise himself up as he saw Terence coming in.


    His face was all twisted, which was an obvious sign of the terrible and excruciating pain he was in.


    However, as he asked for help, he received another hard kick.


    "How fucking dare you molest her!" Terence roared with rage as he gave Mr. Chang another hard kick on the face.


    Being hurt by the impact of the kick, Mr. Chang then flew through the air and collapsed again.


    Anyone who would know that someone was being harassed would of course do something. Especially when the person being harassed was someone you know, or worse, your wife. He would do anything, even punch the jerk to death just so that he could get what he deserved.


    "Terence, honey. I think that''s enough. I already taught hi


    the world to know about what you''ve done. I think the your remaining brain cells would know what to do next.


    You should feel lucky that all you had to experience was the termination of contract. It was actually very lenient of Mr. Terence to do so. Just for warning, do not let this happen again!"


    Nathan left after he finished his task.


    Mr. Chang whose body was fully wrapped in bandage lay on the bed, letting all of Nathan''s words sink in.


    He was still shocked by the fact that the pretty masseuse was actually Mr. Terence''s wife.


    How was that even possible! He wanted to molest and abuse her, and he ended up getting nothing. Instead, he was even forced to take all the responsibility for all the wounds he had gotten on his body. This, however, was how karma worked on him for he got what he truly deserved.


    Wanting to discuss the matter with somebody, he then had second thoughts because he realized that it would only be a waste of time.


    He was in deep regret for being so stupid. How could he not see that they were a couple?


    If it were that simple, then he would not have lost all the business deals he had with Mr. Terence.

 Chapter 661 Who Is He

    Meanwhile, Terence let out a breath of relief when he was sure that Carla was okay. Mr. Chang was lucky that he didn''t touch Carla. Otherwise, Terence was going to make him regret it for the rest of his life.


    After leaving the hotel, Carla had already planned to go back to the Seaview Villa.


    "Carla, why are you in such a hurry to go back home? It''ll still be a while before I go back to work. Can''t you spend a little more time with me?"


    Terence complained with a frown on his face. Evidently, he didn''t want Carla to leave yet.


    "I''m sorry, but I have already promised Sean and Sally to take them out today. You don''t need to worry about me! I''ll see you later!"


    Carla explained as she waved her hands at him to signal him to do whatever he needed to do now.


    "What about me?"


    Terence asked in a clearly bitter voice.


    "You? Hahaha... You need to go back to work and make more money. You need it to support our entire family, silly!" Carla playfully said with a big smile before entering the car.


    Just as she entered the car, Terence hopped inside from the other door. "Hey! I think I need to get changed at home! Let''s go home together!"


    "Don''t you usually keep spare clothes in your office?" Carla recalled that he had a lot of clothes packed in his office just in case.


    "Well, I want to change to the ones I have at home!" He calmly responded with a smirk on his face.


    Carla silently looked away in response to the childishness he was showing right now. The car was now heading home.


    Before they arrived, Sally had already put on a beautiful dress. She had parted her hair and tied it up into a twin tail hairstyle. After she finished, she went outside the house in anticipation of Carla''s arrival. Clearly growing bored from waiting, she rested her head on her hands with a pouting face.


    When she saw the car drive in, she immediately jumped up.


    She shouted in excitement, "Mommy! Mommy!"


    When she saw Carla get out of the car, she ran over towards her with her arms open. "Mommy! I thought you left me again!"


    "Daddy''s here too!. Mommy, is Daddy going to the amusement park with us?"


    After noticing Terence, she ran over to him with greater excitement.


    Terence picked her up and held her in his arms. He kissed her cute little face. "Sally, do you want Daddy to go to the park with you today?"


    "Of course! Last time when I went to see the pretty flowers, only Mommy and Uncle Sean were with me. I really want to play with Daddy too!"


    Sally evidently still remembered that her father didn''t go to the flower show with her.


    After she mentioned the flower show, Terence''s heart panged with guilt as he frowned. But before he could reply, Carla had already taken Sally away from his


    ? Why go through all this trouble?" a voice sounded out behind her.


    Carla turned around.


    She saw a young and handsome man staring at her with a big smile.


    Carla wanted to say hi to him, however, she just couldn''t remember his name. She knew the man, but she couldn''t remember his name immediately. His name was just at the tip of her tongue.


    "It''s Steven."


    This was already the third time for Steven to tell her his name. He shrugged his shoulders and smiled, "Is my name really that hard to remember? A lot of people would remember it in an instant. Why is it so hard for you? It seems like it''s impossible for you to remember my name."


    "Mr. Steven, why are you here?"


    Carla thought that it was more appropriate for her to call him in a formal manner.


    Steven frowned upon hearing that. "That sounds weird. Can''t you just call me by my name? Steven sounds a lot better. Steve is okay too in case you forget my name again."


    Speaking up to here, he pointed at a little boy who was playing a game nearby. "I''m here with my nephew. It was just a coincidence that I saw you here. I figured I''d say hi."


    Carla looked at the boy he pointed at. He was a little older than Sally. But what made him different was that there were bodyguards near him.


    "Who are you? I remembered that you were chased by killers the last time I met you. This time, you have bodyguards with you,"


    Carla curiously asked.


    Not many people in JA City walked around with bodyguards. Terence was one of those people. Even if he just went to work. Nathan or Rainer would always be around.


    Some famous stars or super rich people might have guards with them. Besides them, maybe some powerful politicians would have guards.


    Carla was really curious what kind of person he was that made him put bodyguards around his nephew.

 Chapter 662 Who Are You

    Carla had no idea who Steven really was.


    Meanwhile, Sally rushed over to Carla in a clearly joyous hop with a Peppa Pig toy in her arms. "Mommy! Look at my Peppa Pig! Isn''t she pretty?"


    Carla got down and looked at her before pinching her little cheeks. "She''s pretty, but... she''s still a pig. No matter how pretty she is, she''s never going to be as pretty as my daughter."


    "Although she''s a piggy, she''s the prettiest piggy in the world!"


    Sally exclaimed in response. After looking around, she suddenly screamed in surprise all of a sudden, "Mommy! Look! That piggy is prettier than mine!"


    Carla looked around and noticed that Steven had magically procured a Peppa Pig balloon in his hands. He walked over to Sally.


    "Little girl, if you call my name sweetly, I''ll give this to you. How does that sound?"


    Sally was about to take the balloon. However, upon hearing what Steven had told her, she retracted her hand. "My teacher said if a stranger approaches and offers a toy to little children like me, I should step away. He is not a good person!"


    Carla couldn''t help but laugh out loud when she heard what Sally said. She ruffled Sally''s head before saying, "Your teacher''s right! You shouldn''t take a gift from a stranger!"


    Steven coughed, "Hey! You''re teaching her the wrong thing. Do I really look like a bad person?"


    Steven looked at himself at a nearby glass window, clearly doubting what Carla had said.


    Carla stopped laughing before she stood up and asked, "Mr. Steven, may I ask how old you are?"


    "Twenty two. Why? What''s wrong?"


    Steven didn''t know why she asked him his age, but he still replied honestly.


    Carla nodded her head as she confirmed her suspicions. Steven was young. She glanced at Sean, who was playing a shooting game nearby. "You''re only about seven years older than my little brother. At the very least, you should address me as Mrs. Carla. I''m so much older than you."


    Steven still gave the balloon to Sally while his handsome face blushed upon hearing what Carla had said.


    "I''m sorry, my bad. Mrs. Carla."


    Carla nodded, she was okay with this title. Suddenly, she looked at him in surprise, "You know who I am, don''t you?"


    "Of course I do. You''re Mr. Terence''s long-lost wife. Everyone, who pays attention to the news, should have heard about you."


    Steven had seen her pictures from magazines. He had also seen her photos and read her interviews. She looked really pretty in the pictures. Although she w


    er.


    "Is Steven here? Why didn''t you tell me?"


    The atmosphere around the restaurant was not that great, but it wasn''t bad either. However, a woman''s voice had interrupted their meal. The noise of her stiletto heels could be heard clacking on the floor as she was getting closer to them.


    "Steven, you''re really here!"


    "Grace, why are you here?"


    Steven frowned as he looked at the woman who came near him. However, she seemed not to notice his discomfort. She ran over to him and put her arms around his neck. "Steven, I''m here to enjoy the park. Just as I came to this place to eat lunch, I heard you were here too."


    "Who is she?"


    Grace had already forgotten about Carla. They had met two months ago. But currently, the only thing Grace knew was that there was a woman who was having lunch together with Steven. She immediately gave Carla a dirty look.


    "She''s a friend. Grace, why are you..."


    "A friend? When did you make this ''friend''? I don''t know anything about her. Steven, is she troubling you again?"


    She cut off his words and didn''t even wait for Steven to explain. She abruptly grabbed Carla by her collar. "I knew these whores wouldn''t just leave you alone. They keep trying to throw themselves at you. All right then, tell me who you are!


    When did you meet Steven? Tell me!"


    Carla had been enjoying her food, but this crazy woman ruined her appetite. She put down her chopsticks with a loud thump, clearly showing her current mood. She brushed Grace''s hand aside and told Steven, "Mr. Steven, it seems that our meal is over. Thank you for the lunch."


    After saying this, Carla stood up and got ready to leave.

 Chapter 663 You Are So Amazing, Mom! (Part One)

    Carla would''ve never expected that she would be scolded when she was invited for this meal. She couldn''t even figure out why this stranger did what she did.


    Carla had always been reluctant to be wronged by someone. It was also completely unnecessary for her to receive the blame the woman was spouting when she did nothing wrong.


    She immediately got up after brushing the woman''s hand away and headed for Sean and Sally''s table which was next to theirs.


    "Mrs. Carla! Please hold on for a while!"


    Steven got up from the table he was sitting at in a hurry and stopped her. He then turned to Grace and said in an obviously angry tone, "Grace, can you stop making a fuss now? Mrs. Carla is my guest that I personally invited. If you dare irritate her again then don''t blame me for being rude to you!"


    "Mrs. Carla? You''re already married?"


    Grace looked at Carla disdainfully and asked, "It''s so shameless of you to seduce Steven especially since you''re already married. What the hell is your purpose on earth anyways? Is it just to have romantic relationships with men younger than..."


    A fierce and crisp slap hit Grace in the face just before she finished saying her words.


    She was beyond shocked as she turned to look at Steven only to find that he had just raised his hands and it was not him that dared to slap her in the face.


    So who on earth slapped her?


    Grace was greatly shocked at the suddenness of the slap that she just stood there silently. It took her several seconds to reorganize her thoughts and realize that it was Carla who had slapped her in the face.


    "How dare you? How dare you hit me?"


    "Don''t you think you deserve it? You''re too inconsiderate of other people''s feelings. Since your parents didn''t teach you how to


    hink we shouldn''t get too close?"


    "I don''t want to consider what happened too much, Steven. I know your father has become the new mayor, but so what? The things that are happening between our families have nothing to do with us. Don''t you think so?" She replied earnestly.


    This was what she truly thought. Grace didn''t think that the affairs between the elders within the family should affect their relationship.


    Her uncle used to be the mayor of JA City, but not long ago, Steven''s father had managed to win the election and became the current mayor.


    Before this happened, Steven''s and Grace''s families were close friends within the political circle. But ever since the election, the two families slowly lost connection with each other and had become indifferent.


    "Grace. Stop being so naive. What''s happened has happened. We can''t just ignore what occurred in the past. Don''t come near me again. It''s better if we don''t meet again."


    With those words, Steven took his little nephew''s hand and headed out of the restaurant without looking back.


    Grace was left in the restaurant, dumbstruck at his words. She just stood there silently, not moving an inch.

 Chapter 664 You Are So Amazing, Mom! (Part Two)

    While this happened, Carla had just come out of the restaurant with Sally and Sean.


    "You''re so amazing Mom! You''re my hero!"


    Sally said, blinking her adorably bright eyes while looking at Carla with admiration.


    ''That aunt was such a bad woman. She just grabbed Mom''s clothes and scolded her right away? I didn''t think that Mom would fight back in such a cool way. She''s so amazing!'' Sally thought.


    "Sally, I covered your eyes at that time, didn''t I? How did you know what happened?" Sean thought it would be harmful for Sally''s psychological health to see Carla argue with another woman. So he covered Sally''s eyes. But she still managed to know what happened?


    Sally pouted her lips at him and said, "Sean, I''m not stupid. Even if I couldn''t see it, I could still hear what they were saying!"


    Sean paused for a while upon hearing this. ''That''s true... Why did I forget to cover her ears too?'' He regretfully thought.


    "Rainer, do you know when Terence will come?"


    Carla checked the time and found that it was already a bit late. So she asked Rainer if he knew when Terence would be coming.


    "Mrs. Carla, Mr. Terence is already on his way,"


    Rainer replied decisively. He had just called Nathan a few moments ago and asked about Terence''s situation.


    "Ghost Maze? That one should be interesting! Carla! Let''s go inside and have a look."


    Sean had seen a huge sign in front of him with two words attached to it. "Ghost Maze!" he quickly exclaimed in excitement.


    Carla took Sally''s hands and asked her with a smile and a teasing voice, "That''s a really good idea. But I don''t know if Sally would dare to go in?"


    "Of course I would go in! It''s j


    s, but this time, no one replied. It was dead silent within the maze. The atmosphere showed around this time began to scare Carla.


    She looked around the walls of the maze and found that it was painted with all kinds of bloody ghost patterns. Upon seeing this, she couldn''t help but shrink her shoulders with fear. She held her cellphone tightly with her hands and hurried to find the exit.


    ''They should be waiting for me at the exit right now, '' Carla thought.


    She repeatedly thought about this in order to curb her fear, and so, she braced herself once more to continue to look for the exit.


    However, after a short while, she found out that it became more difficult for her to find the exit. This made her anxious. After about ten minutes of walking around, her frustration had finally beaten her fear. Alas, she gave up and was about to call Rainer to come and help her.


    Carla heard a noise and looked up. She saw a black shadow coming over really quickly to her all of a sudden.


    "Who''s there?" Carla screamed in terror. Her trembling hand loosened its grip and her cellphone fell to the ground.

 Chapter 665 Terences Shameless Trick

    ''Crap, crap, crap'', her thoughts repeatedly uttered as she tried searching for her phone. The only light she had was the one on the back of her phone. When she dropped it, it was as if darkness had greeted her. The lights in the maze were just too dim for her to see anything.


    Her hands shook, not really bothering to pick her phone up. All Carla wanted was to get out of this place. She turned around and tried to walk back to where she came from. However, no matter how much she walked around, she couldn''t see the corridors. At one right turn, her head bumped onto the wall. She winced in pain.


    "Why are you running?"


    A dark shadow appeared behind her, grabbing her by the arm. Carla froze.


    Then, a warm hand nudged her on the nose.


    Recognizing the familiarity of his voice, Carla finally relaxed. She sighed in relief, hitting his shoulder.


    "Terence, are you planning to scare me to death?"


    Terence looked down at the woman in his arms and grinned. "Idiot," he said fondly, "Sean and Sally already left ten minutes ago and you''re still lost."


    Carla stuck her tongue out, looking around. The dark corridors looked the same to her. Everywhere she went, it felt like she was just walking around in circles. "I''m bad at directions," she said, "so I can''t find a way out."


    "That''s why you''re an idiot. The maze isn''t as hard as you think. I mean, look at the paintings! They''re all different. You could use them to find where you need to go."


    Terence shook his head as he motioned to their surroundings. He walked a few steps behind her before picking up the phone. The screen was broken as it flickered back to life. He winced. Maybe he should get her a new one tomorrow.


    Carla slowly peeked at the paintings before returning her gaze back to the ground. It was impossible for her to observe them all. Since she couldn''t last long before she''d be creeped out by them.


    At first, she wasn''t scared of them. However, after spending probably an hour with these paintings staring back at her, she couldn''t help but feel a shiver down her spine whenever she was alone with them.


    Carla backed up, seeking warmth in Terence''s arms as it blocked her from the pictures.


    Given their familiarity with each other, Terence could sense Carla''s presence with the scent of her perfume. He glanced down, securely holding her by the waist. "Afraid?"


    She hesitated before nodding her head. It wasn''t like she could move anymore.


    "If you give me a kiss, I''ll get you out of here. Is that a deal?"


    Terence smirked.


    g time ago. However, knowing her situation, he decided to drop the idea. Besides, Sally really was enough for him.


    He didn''t really care for gender.


    As long as Carla was with him, his life was complete.


    Carla bit her lower lips, taking a look at him. After thinking of Edmund, she turned her body around silently and called Sophie. "Hello, yes, Sophie, please prepare the medicine for me tomorrow morning."


    "I really am in no rush, Carla." Terence frowned, a hand brushing her hair. "You don''t have to push yourself too hard.


    Plus, Sally is only four years old. We still have plenty of time.


    Promise me to not pressure yourself okay? We already have Sally, don''t we?"


    Terence said, concerned. He didn''t want her to push herself more than she could handle.


    Carla nodded. Since they were talking about the Chinese medicine, Carla suddenly thought of Lynn. "Terence, do you remember my uncle''s daughter, Lynn? Did you introduce her current husband to her?"


    Carla remembered that her aunt had asked her to find a good man for Lynn.


    However, the mention of Lynn''s name only made Terence reel back in disgust. His disdain towards her was just too obvious. "No, I didn''t. Is she asking me for help? Really?"


    She furrowed her eyebrows at the sudden hatred.


    "Why do you say that? What happened?"


    Terence sneered, "Three months after your disappearance, she came to see me."


    "For what?"


    Carla asked.


    She thought of Lynn''s dodgy eyes, how she always seemed to avoid her whenever she went over. She had always seemed to be the person who always looked as if she had done something wrong. At the thought, Carla wondered what had happened after her accident.

 Chapter 666 Violet Was Going To Get Married!

    Terence placed his hands on her shoulders as they walked inside. The sour look was still present on his face as he continued to talk. "It''s really not a big deal. Just stay away from her, okay?"


    "But what happened? If you don''t tell me about it, how am I supposed to know?"


    Carla insisted as she sat on the bed, pulling the sheets up to wrap them around her.


    She couldn''t really think of anything that Lynn did that would make Terence hate her that much.


    He snorted at the thought before gently stroking her cheek. "She... wanted to replace you. She claimed that you found her and begged her to surrogate a baby for you. She even said you were willing to share me with her. She even had the audacity to say that you told her that she was going to be the one to take care of me if anything were to happen to you."


    Terence shook his head in disgust. He had forgotten all about that incident if it wasn''t for Carla bringing it up again.


    Back then, he had just lost Carla and felt like everything went dark. He cared for nothing anymore, and all he wanted was for it all to end. In those times, Lynn had visited him out of the blue.


    She was Carla''s cousin. That was why he had agreed to meet with her, in hopes that she would be able to know something about Carla, or she could at least inform him of what had happened.


    He didn''t realize that she came to offer herself to him.


    At that moment, rage had overcome him. The moment he heard those words, he kicked her right out of the house almost immediately. He just couldn''t bear the sight of her or to even hear her name in a conversation.


    Carla froze, still trying to process what had happened and what Lynn had done. She never thought that Lynn would do such a thing.


    "Lynn visited me back then. She was working at the hospital at the time, so when I went to see the doctor, we bumped into each other. She found out about my situation that way." She winced. "Then she asked me to meet up with her to offer herself as a surrogate. I only took it as a joke and never bothered talking to her about it ever again."


    As Carla was explaining, she found it hard to believe that Lynn would actually dare fabricate and distort the words that were said between them.


    No wonder Lynn couldn''t even look at her.


    "Let''s change the topic, okay? People like her don''t deserve our attention¡ªall they do is ruin our good mood." Terence rubbed her shoulders soothingly.


    "Hm... I know," Carla replied, leaning on his chest. Before they were about to doze off, her phone started to beep. She scrambled u


    wedding game!"


    Seeing the beautiful doll in a wedding dress, Sally immediately dropped what she was doing and took the doll from his hands. She nodded in agreement.


    She touched the doll''s white veil, fingers running down its smooth hair. Her eyes twinkled at the sight, turning it around to give them both, a better look of it.


    "This bride is so pretty!"


    The moment Sally smiled, Cody did too, admiring the way she looked. In his eyes, she was the prettiest and cutest girl in the whole wide world. He inched closer towards her, holding up a suited groom doll.


    "Sally, will you be my bride in the future?"


    Sally was too enamored by the dolls that she didn''t bother to look at Cody. "No! I want Uncle Sean. I want to marry him. But I''ll play the wedding game with you!"


    Cody frowned, crossing his arms. "He can''t marry you, Sally! He''s your uncle, but I can!"


    "Why can''t he?" Sally raised her head stubbornly. She didn''t understand why everyone was telling her the same thing, even Uncle Sean.


    "Because he''s your uncle!" Cody emphasized, not really knowing how to elaborate further.


    Sally frowned, concentrating on her doll. "I don''t understand. My groom has to be a really good man! He should be as good as my dad."


    In her mind, Sally only ever admired two men in her life. One was her father, the other one was Uncle Sean. Her father already had her mother.


    Any man had to be as good as them for her to like him!


    Cody was stunned. Not really knowing how to respond to what she just said, he shrugged. "Okay!"


    He couldn''t help but admit the fact that Terence really was a good man, sometimes, he even thought he was better than his father. And that was saying something.

 Chapter 667 Nicholas Situation

    It was already late evening when Carla and Sally left Violet''s house after staying there the whole day.


    "Good evening, Mrs. Carla! I''m here to pick you up."


    Rainer stepped closer to them and gestured to the car he brought.


    "Where''s Terence? Is he done with work?" Carla asked as she buckled Sally into her baby seat.


    Rainer sighed before softly replying, "Mrs. Carla, Mr. Terence went to the hospital this afternoon. Mr. Nicholas was... not in a good condition."


    The news stunned Carla because she just visited Nicholas before she went to visit Andrea. Just a couple of days ago, he looked haggard but otherwise okay. Carla couldn''t believe that he was now in critical condition.


    "Rainer, let''s go to the hospital."


    The doctor had estimated that Nicholas had roughly about five years to live despite the heart surgery he got four years ago.


    While his heart had gotten better fine, the fact that Nicholas was old made him more susceptible to other sickness.


    Rainer quickly drove them to the hospital.


    Edmund and Terence were already there, entertaining Nicholas in the ward when they arrived. Even if Nicholas went through more treatments, there was no use of making him better. The doctor could only keep Nicholas alive in bed.


    As much as they would like to try, Nicholas would not get better. And any more attempts would only bring him more pain.


    "Terence, let me talk to your father alone..."


    Nicholas voice came out raspy when he spoke to Terence.


    "Okay, Grandpa." Terence looked at him before he quietly walked out the room.


    Outside the room, When they saw Terence outside, Carla walked to him with Sally in tow. "How is he? Is Grandpa okay?"


    A gloomy expression appeared on his handsome face as he shook his head.


    "The doctor said he might only have a month left."


    That was heavy. Carla could only bite on her lower lip because she didn''t know what to say.


    "Daddy, is Great-grandpa sick?"


    Sally couldn''t help but ask when she saw the serious and sorrowful look on her parents.


    Terence got down to her eye-level and stroked her soft cheek. "Sally, can you promise Daddy to visit Great-grandpa after school every day?"


    They couldn''t do anything else but to be with Nicholas since he couldn''t leave his bed and didn''t have much time left.


    The only thing they could do was to stay with him for the remainder of his days.


    "Okay! G


    tightly.


    When they got into the restaurant, they discovered that Edmund called Kaylee over.


    Kaylee picked up Sally from Edmund''s arms and held her into the restaurant.


    It was a silent dinner as the four of them seemed to be in deep sorrow, even the talkative Sally barely spoke.


    "Hey, everyone! Stop being so negative about it. Everyone has to face the death sooner or later. I think we shouldn''t be so depressed. Our sadness isn''t going to change a single thing. Am I right, Carla?"


    Since Kaylee couldn''t deal with the heavy brooding silence any longer, she spoke to Carla who sat across her.


    After taking a look at Edmund and Terence, Carla nodded. "That''s true. Grandpa''s eighty now. I think we should accept it."


    After she said that, Edmund raised his head and put down his chopsticks. "Kaylee, I''m planning to visit my old friend in A City. Would you mind coming with me?"


    Kaylee smiled, "Okay, I was just thinking of taking a break. I just finished my work for this month so I wanted to give myself a break."


    Edmund nodded slightly and turned to look at Terence. "Terence, it might take me a while before I come back. The company and your grandma are going to rely on you. Will you be okay?"


    Terence simply replied, "Don''t worry, Father." He didn''t ask for the details of his trip.


    "Great! Carla, there''s not much for you to take care of in the An Manor and I''ll leave everything to the housekeeper. If you''re not busy, go there and check on it,"


    Edmund gave his final reminders to Carla.


    It was about time for Edmund to visit this old friend of his.

 Chapter 668 Before The Wedding

    "I got it, Father," Carla agreed easily to the reminder.


    They finished the dinner. Kaylee left with Edmund first.


    When they left, Carla heaved a heavy sigh and tugged at Terence. "Terence, do you know the person whom Father''s going to visit?"


    There wasn''t much that Edmund told them when he left the house. And this time, he looked really serious.


    When he saw that Sally was sleepy after eating, Terence poured a cup of after dinner tea for Carla and placed Sally on his lap.


    "Father has an old friend in A City. He used to have a really good relationship with our family. But ten years ago something happened and our families drifted apart. I think Father''s trying to rebuild their relationship."


    As Terence explained, Carla nodded her head. She guessed that this old friend must be a big deal.


    Carla draped Sally''s abandoned jacket back over the now sleeping Sally.


    After that, they left the restaurant.


    Back in the Seaview Villa, Carla was already getting ready to go to bed, but Sophie stopped her.


    "Mrs. Carla, you haven''t taken your medicine."


    Since they were already about to enter the elevator, Carla waved off Terence who was holding Sally in his arms once she got over her shock. She sighed, "You go first. I''ll come up shortly."


    It made Terence give her a pitiful smile as he pressed the elevator button and left her behind.


    "Mrs. Carla, please wait for a little. The medicine will be ready soon. It''s better for you to drink it while it''s hot." Sophie gave Carla a smile, and she walked back into the kitchen.


    It was something that Sophie could have brought to Carla later, but Sophie decided to stop her in case she might go to sleep.


    There was even a call from Andrea to make sure Carla drank her medicine on time and Sophie had to obey.


    More importantly, she really hoped that Carla could have a few more kids. More kids meant more happiness in the house.


    There was no way for Carla to escape. She had to drink the medicine before she would be allowed to go upstairs.


    When she passed by Sean''s door, she knocked on it.


    "Why are you still up?" Carla looked at him and asked when Sean opened the door for her.


    "I wasn''t. But now I''m awake to open the door for you." Since she just drank her medicine, it still remained on her. Sean took one whiff of her and jumped back. "Where did you go? Why do you smell like dog crap?"


    "S


    he wedding.


    "Carla, what should I do? I''m so nervous!"


    Violet was sweating in her wedding dress as she paced around the house while they waited for William who was coming to marry her.


    "Why are you so nervous? Are you worried that he''s going to change his mind about marring you?"


    The words might be teasing but Carla smiled and rubbed Violet''s hand in an attempt to calm her down. Carla wore a light green off-the-shoulder dress with her haired pulled up for a simple but formal appearance.


    "I''m not joking. Carla, what should I do? I''m going to die from the nerves!" Violet faux scowled at Carla''s joke, the effect heightened by the V-neck wedding dress that made her look sexy and stunning.


    Carla stepped in front of her and held both of her hand. Then she laughed, "How about this? I''ll go and pour you a cup of alcohol. So, you could calm down a bit."


    Violet thought about it and nodded, "Okay, let''s give it a try! Every time I have a drink, I relax. Hurry up! Give me a shot!"


    It was actually a joke but Violet took it seriously. So Carla had no choice but to find her a glass to drink.


    Once she handed over the glass of alcohol to Violet, Carla suddenly remembered something and stopped her before she could drink it. "Violet, you can''t drink that! Did you forget that you''re pregnant now?"


    The reason that Violet was in a rush to get married was for the baby, because her belly will be too big in a few months. And yet they both forgot about it.


    While they stared dumbly at each other, the thunder of cannon-fire came from downstairs. William had arrived!

 Chapter 669 The Wedding

    "Carla! What should I do?"


    Violet''s hand trembled, her gaze averting to the ground. She was as white as a sheet. Carla immediately held her, almost dropping the bottle in the process.


    "Violet, calm down, you can do this. It''s your wedding, okay? It''s all right. Everyone''s doing this. Every married woman has gone through this. It''s really not as scary as you think.


    If not, just think of it as one big party and you''re the VIP."


    Carla grinned, nudging her on the shoulders. Once Violet''s hand had stopped shaking from the anxiety, she slowly loosened her hold over her friend.


    Violet looked up at her with a shaky smile. "Right, you''re right. It''s not a big deal. I''ll be okay."


    "You''re the VIP, remember that, yeah? Give them all a smile and a night to remember."


    Once Violet had already started giggling from both of their enthusiasm, Carla had called back the makeup artist to fix her makeup. When that was done, she knelt over to pleat the ruffles at the bottom of her dress, making sure that everything would look perfect for the pictures.


    A loud knock came from the door. The bridesmaids had set up a series of obstacles and challenges for William and his groomsmen in order to get to Violet. William, however, was quick on his feet as he overcame the challenges and easily made it to her bedroom.


    This was his last challenge.


    "Carla, keep him outside for me. I need to go to the bathroom first."


    Carla looked at Violet who was flushed from the entire incident. She didn''t know if it was because she was nervous or if she really needed to head to the bathroom. Either way, she wouldn''t be holding her back.


    "I''ll handle it. Just, be okay." Carla squeezed her friend''s hand before heading to the door.


    She peeked through the peephole only to find people trying their best to squeeze in there too. Her eyebrows shot up in the air as she leaned in closer so that they could hear her from the other side of the room.


    "Open the door! We''ve already faced the other challenges. We''re ready for this one too."


    From the man''s voice, she could tell it was Theo.


    "Mr. Theo, you all did come here prepared. However, this challenge isn''t going to be easy. I mean if I just opened the door for you, do you really think it''ll give you guys a challenge?"


    From the hole through the door, she could see William in the center of the groomsmen. He wore a nice suit, his tie tied perfectly under his collar. Though he was forty, he looked ten years younger than his age, especially today.


    "We''re friends, aren''t we, Carla? Let''s open the door so we could catch up. Do


    t. And it was beautiful.


    Carla didn''t really have the time to survey her wedding when she was a bride. However, now, it was a whole new different feel.


    Carla watched as Violet walked down the carpet. Every step she took was slow and steady. A part of it was because of the heavy dress she had chosen while the other part was to savor every moment of it. She smiled at the sight. By the end of it, she was sure that Violet only wanted to just get in his arms as quickly as possible.


    Sally and Cody followed right behind, each holding a basket of roses.


    "You''re watching them like a stalker. Why do you look like you''re going to cry?"


    Suddenly, a voice came from Carla''s back.


    She didn''t need to turn around to know who he was. Terrence snaked his arms around her waist as he held her close.


    "You''re here!"


    Carla turned her head to him and looked at him. She had a big smile on her face as she leaned close to his chest.


    "How could I miss William''s wedding?"


    His eyes shone as he glanced back at his wife, entranced. He just couldn''t stop staring at her. He leaned in to whisper, "You''re even prettier than the bride."


    Carla snorted, slapping his hand. Terence chuckled. To him, though there were many other beautiful women around them, Carla was the only girl he''d see.


    On the stage, William held Violet''s hand.


    "Carla," Terence whispered. "What do you feel of another wedding?"


    Carla, who was too busy admiring the couple on stage, shook her head almost immediately when he suggested it.


    "No way. It''s too much work." She made a face.


    Terence laughed. His hand held her by the chin and tilted her head up for a kiss.


    At that moment, the priest had shouted, "You may kiss the bride!"

 Chapter 670 A Wedding and A Funeral

    Terence held her hand as they strayed away from the noisy crowd. Going through the forages of flowers and leaves, they found themselves at the bridge on the other side of the park.


    Silence had finally intervened as the peaceful atmosphere fluttered around them. The water glinted in response to the visitors, as the birds chirped around them. This really was a brilliant place for a wedding.


    The wind blew, introducing them to the colder months ahead. Summer had just passed, and the temperature had started to go down day by day.


    Terence shrugged off his jacket and placed it around her shoulders almost automatically.


    Compared to the wedding scene with ribbons and petals being thrown about, this was a more subdued setting. The water splashed around them. Fish sometimes flying out of the water. It was truly as if they had stepped into an enchanted forest. He couldn''t help but admire the sight.


    The two of them stood side by side in the bridge. They didn''t have to talk as they leaned in to each other just admiring the view.


    "Mr. Terence!"


    Once Nathan had spotted them from afar, he hurried over almost gasping in breath.


    "What''s going on?"


    Terence was the first one to turn, scanning the man''s disheveled appearance. In that moment, his hands clenched. He had a feeling something was wrong.


    "Mr. Terence, Mrs. Carla... It''s Mr. Nicholas. He might not make it through¨Cyou need to go to the hospital¨C"


    Nathan blabbered out, switching his stare from the two of them. Beads of sweat trickled down his neck, but he didn''t care.


    "What?"


    His heart dropped into the pits of his stomach when he processed the news. Terence let go Carla''s hand in an instant before running out of the bridge, Carla blinked. She wasn''t expecting the news to come right now, or even to get such news at all in the first place.


    Without any hesitation, she raced after her husband.


    As she was running, she rummaged her bag to pull out her phone. "Hello? Rainer?" she called once she had it in her hands. "Pick up Sally for me after the wedding, we have an emergency to take care of."


    When they finally arrived at the hospital, panting from running the long way, Nicholas was already being transported to the ICU. Carla could only see him from afar, but from the looks of it, he looked lifeless¨Cas if all the color had been sucked out from his body. A shiver went down her spine.


    Terence looked on, his hand on the glass window. He was void of emotion as he turned to Nathan.


    "Give my father a call and ask him to hurry back."


    "Yes, Mr. Terence,"


    Nathan responded before running out to make the respected phone call.


    A while later, Rhys and Eunice finally came over.


    "Carla, how''s Grandpa?" When Rhys saw Terence''s hard expression, he decided to ask Carla instead.


    He knew Terence was the closest one to Nicholas. He must''ve been having a hard time trying to process that this was happenin


    portrait without a word. It was Edmund and Rhys who were dealing with all the oncoming visitors.


    People came and left, paying their condolences to the family.


    During those times, Carla noticed that another familiar man stumbled into the hall and collapsed in front of the portrait with a loud thump.


    As she moved closer, she realized that he was no other than Marcus who was supposed to be serving his time in prison.


    Marcus seemed to be at a loss, with blotched eyes and nose. He shook, crying at the death of his grandfather.


    Edmund stood beside him, but he didn''t bother to directly address his presence.


    Marcus was once Edmund''s favorite son. He remembered spoiling him very much, so much that he became used to a life of lavishness and fun. In the end, he got himself locked behind bars.


    Guards surrounded him, given that his sentence still wasn''t completely served.


    A few minutes later, Marcus stood up to look at his father. He could barely look him in the eye. "Father, can I have a few words with you?"


    They went to the other room next to the hall.


    Marcus had been serving for five years now. He looked older, with a stubble starting to grow around his jawline. When they were finally alone, he knelt before his father, trembling.


    He cried his heart out. "Father, please save me!


    It''s been five years. I''ve learned my lesson!"


    If it wasn''t for Nicholas''s death, Marcus wouldn''t have a chance to get out of prison to talk to his family. No one in his family had paid him a visit during the past five years.


    He had repented from what he had done for five years. He had spent every night in tears, just thinking of the fact. However, no one bothered to know about it.


    Now, his grandfather''s death had given him the chance to see his father. He was going to use this opportunity to beg for his family''s help. He would rather kill himself than spend another fifteen years in prison. Over his dead body.

 Chapter 671 The Tables Have Been Turned

    Edmund did not have the heart to face him. Turning his back on him, he opened his eyes as he breathed a heavy sigh.


    "Marcus, your grandfather just passed away. It''s a difficult time for everyone in the family. And that''s why I am asking you not to cause any trouble. Just stay in prison and serve your time in peace."


    Right before Nicholas passed away, he had entrusted Edmund with some tasks and asked him not to make any single mistake while handling them after he died.


    The pressure was on, for Edmund was expected to never let his family do any wrong.


    On top of that, if he took Marcus out of prison, he would only put the whole family in a very tight situation.


    "Father! I know that you''re the only one who can help me! Grandpa was the one dead set on putting me behind bars. Now that he''s gone, you can help me out, right? Please, help me out! I know you can pull some strings! You can do that, right?"


    Marcus said in anguish.


    And above anything else, going back to prison was the last thing Marcus would ever want. Prison was scary for him along with the endless labor, dirty halls and sloppy food. He really had enough of it!


    "The evil you bring on yourself is the hardest to bear. Can''t you see? You can''t blame anyone else but yourself!"


    Edmund turned around and glared at him with much disappointment and rage. "Can you count how many times I had given you chance after chance before you got in this prison? When you sent the killers after your own brother, you should have already been sent to prison. I tried my very best to persuade your grandpa on letting you off the hook and giving you another chance. But, you blew it with your next stint!"


    "Apart from the fact that you tried to murder Terence again, you even attempted to kill your own grandfather! I could not believe that you could still be so shameless about what you''ve done and even have the gall to ask me to take you out of there!"


    "Do you really think that what you have done would be erased and forgotten with your grandpa''s death?"


    Seeing Edmund was still mad at him for what he had done in the past, Marcus crawled on his knees to Edmund in desperation. Clutching on Edmund''s shirt, he cried, "Father! I know I was wrong! I know my mistakes now! I really do! And I have already served five years of my life in prison! Night and day in those five years, I have felt nothing but regret for what I have done!


    Father, I beg you! Please use your connections to pull some strings to get me out of there! Please save me! I swear! I swear to God I have already learned my lesson and I am not going to do anything wrong in the future! God knows I will spend the rest of my life in peace!


    I am not going to fight for anything. I just want to spend the rest of my life to be with you, my dear father! I don''t want to ever experience this again. I can''t even see Grandpa for the last time before he passed away. I didn''t eve


    ws how much he cares about his family. He is not going to watch his son suffer behind bars."


    Gary repeatedly tapped his knee with his fingers. As long as he knew about Edmund''s weakness, he would use it to his advantage to take him down easier as soon as possible.


    "Give our men in the prison a call in a little while and ask them to put more pressure and security around Marcus. I don''t think that Edmund would just stand by and do nothing to save his son."


    If Edmund dared to say anything about the situation, Gary was going to make sure that he would be dealt with accordingly in their own terms.


    As far as taking Terence down, Gary had decided to take it slow with his plan.


    After all, everyone had his own weakness. Gary was so sure that he would find Terence''s weakness in a matter of time.


    "Mr. Gary. Mr. Steven''s is on the phone..."


    The assistant picked up the call and passed the phone to Gary.


    "Hello, Steven, are you already home? I''ll be home very soon. Yes, your mother is home."


    Gary picked up the call with a big smile on his face. Although he only had one son, he couldn''t be any more proud of him for the person he had become.


    Steven was smart, sensible and extremely respectful to his parents.


    "Is Mr. Steven home, sir? Mr. Gary, you are so lucky to have such a wonderful son such as Mr. Steven. And even at an early age, he had already earned his master''s degree! And not only is he very smart, but also a very loyal child to you. I''m sure that he has a bright future ahead of him!"


    the assistant complimented.


    Steven was an outstanding guy, as he was kind and also very intelligent. Everyone who knew him would praise him for being a poster boy for perfection.


    It was a couple of days ago when he left the city. As soon as he came back, he called his father.


    As a matter of fact, in this generation of youngsters, it was very difficult to find children who were devoted to their parents.

 Chapter 672 I Did It Myself

    Cars had been coming and leaving the An Manor. It didn''t go without a second without the sound of tires screeching as people got out of the cars and entered the gates. The car engines turning off and starting didn''t stop till midnight.


    By that time, the hall was only filled with a couple of people, whispering and talking to each other as they reminisce the old times.


    Carla walked to Terence and knelt beside him.


    "Terence, I''ll be here. Why don''t you go up and get some sleep?"


    Terence had already been up for two nights. If he kept doing this, he might get sick. The funeral was going to be held in a couple of days.


    "I just want to stay here with Grandpa a bit longer. I''m okay, really. You should go and get some sleep yourself."


    Terence held her hand and smiled. Though there were dark circles under his eyes, he still looked composed and elegant for a man who had been awake for two days.


    Carla straightened her back. "I can''t sleep, so I''ll stay here with you."


    She already rested during the day, but Terence still hadn''t. Instead of going back to sleep, she might as well stay with him through this.


    Besides, as his wife, she should be here for him throughout all the hardships in his life. This was one of those hard times.


    Terence didn''t let go of her hand the whole night.


    Hours in, Carla was starting to feel the burden of staying up. Her eyelids were starting to droop. She almost fell head-in into a lit candle if Terence hadn''t held her back.


    Still, Carla was insistent in staying with him. Because of that, Terence placed two of their mats together so she could lean on him. He tucked a lose strand of hair behind her ear and let her be.


    The sun finally rose. With a shiver, Carla woke up.


    She looked around her, only to realize that she was leaning on Terence''s shoulders. He even supported her by holding her around the waist. She was also wearing his jacket.


    Carla''s face reddened in embarrassment. She quickly shrugged the jacket off before placing it on him. "Why didn''t you wake me up?"


    She held him by his chin, running her fingers down the stubble that was starting to grow. He licked his chapped lips as he continued to burn the paper in the fire.


    "Don''t worry," he insisted. "It''s still early. You must be tired sitting here the whole night."


    Even till now, Terence was still concerned over her. Carla couldn''t help but feel moved. However, at the same time, she couldn''t help but worry about him. She slowly stood up, rubbing her red knees before walking out.


    She had only been kneeling for around five to six hours. The pain was already unbearable. Carla groaned as she made her way outside. She couldn''t help but think, ''How does Terence feel after all of this?''


    Terence had assumed that she went home to get some sleep. To his surprise, she walked right back in, this time holding his water jug in front of his face.


    "Have a sip of water..."


    Carla knew


    one off the model.


    Maybe it''ll fit you. Please go get changed."


    After estimating his size, Carla knew that he probably wouldn''t have a problem fitting into them.


    The coffee had spilled all over his shirt and pants. If he walked out like that, people might have no good words to say about him. Thus, she just had to buy him a new set.


    Besides, it was her fault, so she had to fix it. If she didn''t do anything, it would weigh down on her conscience in the end.


    Steven was surprised to see her with a bag of clothes, not really expecting that she''d be such a careful observer. It wasn''t really that big of a deal since his house was nearby. He could just go back and change.


    However, since she''d already bought him some, he thanked her and changed into the new clothes inside the restroom.


    After he walked out, he looked around. She had already left.


    "Sir, a lady left a note for you."


    Steven took the note, noticing the beautiful writing that was scribbled all over the paper.


    "Sorry, Mr. Steven, I am completely sorry for ruining your shirt. I hope the clothes fit you.


    Forgive me for not apologizing to you in person. I was in a hurry so I had to go. I really am sorry!"


    Steven walked out to see Carla already assisting the two kids back in the car. She didn''t seem to notice him as she finally took off.


    "Mr. Steven? Mr. Steven!"


    "I told you I''d get that coffee for you. Hmm... wait, isn''t that a new shirt?"


    Victor had already walked inside when he noticed that he was taking too long. He furrowed his eyebrows when he stood there unmoving.


    When he followed Steven''s line of sight, there was nobody there.


    "It''s nothing. The coffee spilled. Do you mind getting me another two cups?"


    Steven replied, waving his hand dismissively.


    "Spilled? Is that why you had to change? Who did it? I''ll give that idiot a..."


    "Don''t bother. I did it to myself."


    Steven snapped before walking out of the restaurant.

 Chapter 673 Terences Jealousy

    After walking out of the restaurant, Steven could still feel the burning inside the chest. It definitely wasn''t from the coffee now as everything had cooled down. He didn''t know why he still felt that way, but he also didn''t want to stop it.


    Although he just bumped into Carla by accident, the little incident only made him want to see her again the next time around.


    At the thought, Steven immediately shook his head. Carla was already married to Terence, and they already had a daughter.


    It was impossible for him to be with her. And she definitely wasn''t someone he should get or even court for that matter.


    He shook those thoughts away and stepped on the gas.


    Unknown to him, however, was that he forgot about Victor who had just walked out of the restaurant holding the two cups of coffee he had asked for. "Mr. Steven? Mr. Steven!"


    Victor blinked, watching the car speed off in the distance.


    He furrowed his eyebrows. Steven had always treated him well. He''d even go through lengths to buy him an extra cup of coffee whenever he got one, so Victor really didn''t know why he was in such a hurry to drive away without him.


    ''Have I done something wrong?'' Victor thought in confusion.


    Meanwhile, Carla was in a hurry earlier because the car for Cody was already waiting outside. Cody''s grandma had already sent it for him, so she needed to bring him in without delay.


    After Cody got into the car, Carla took Sally back to the Seaview Villa.


    It seemed that all she really needed was a good night''s sleep. Without one, she was prone to make mistakes and slip-ups like these. Her face reddened from the incident earlier. She just wasn''t feeling like herself.


    It was a good thing that she made it up to Steven by buying him some new clothes, or else she''d feel guilty the whole ride home.


    An hour later, Terence had finally arrived.


    Carla was already sleeping when he went into the room. The past days had already exhausted her completely. Terence moved in closer, landing butterfly kisses across her neck and lips.


    She groaned as she moved closer to his body. Though she didn''t open her eyes once, she knew it was him. Carla kissed him back, allowing him to take her twice before she fell asleep once again.


    Terence couldn''t help but chuckle from the exchange, glancing down at the woman who had her legs wrapped around him. She was beautiful. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, before going to sleep with her.


    Carla had slept for hours that night. When she finally woke up, it was al


    ready for the day ahead.


    She took a shower, letting the steam loosen her bones. When she was done, she walked downstairs to make something to eat.


    "Ms. Carla, please don''t do that! Let me make dinner for you! Just tell me what you like..."


    Sophie said in panic when she rushed over to take over, but Carla wouldn''t let her, shaking her head.


    "Thank you, Sophie, but I just want to make something special for Terence. Don''t worry, I won''t burn down the kitchen." Carla laughed.


    She had spent four years in BT Village. While she was there, she had to do everything on her own whether it was doing the laundry or cooking her own meals. Due to limited resources back then, she couldn''t make delicious food. However, her cooking skills did tremendously improved through the years.


    Carla had already searched the cabinet, finding everything she needed to make a meal that she knew Terence would love.


    "I didn''t mean that, Mrs. Carla. Do you need any help?" Sophia watched Carla roll up her sleeves as she placed all the cooking utensils beside the ingredients. She looked like she knew what she was doing.


    "Sophie, I''m fine, truly. Go get some rest. If I mess it up, I''m sure to call for you!" Carla chuckled, waving her away.


    Carla thought of how thoughtful and caring Julie was to Noah, so she figured she might steal a few tricks from their book and do something nice for Terence.


    Although she barely cooked for him, every time she did, he always seemed to be fond of her cooking. She grabbed some vegetables and washed them in the sink.


    Now, it was time for her to do something nice for him for a change. She grinned, turning on the stove and starting to cook.

 Chapter 674 Carlas Cooking

    As Carla checked the contents of the refrigerator, she suddenly realized that she only knew how to cook vegetables and fish. That was what they mostly had back in BT Village.


    Carla might have had adequate knowledge in preparing vegetables and fish, but it was still Cathy who was regarded as the best cook when it came to dealing with vegetables.


    Living in BT Village for four years, Cathy taught her the basics of cooking. Carla decided to make four vegetable dishes and some fish soup.


    Gathering all the ingredients she needed, she went on and started to prepare the food.


    When she was done cooking the sumptuous meal, she asked one of their servants to take the food to Terence upstairs.


    Terence''s stomach was already growling out of hunger. Smelling the appetizing scent of the food, he immediately walked out of the bedroom in his pajamas to check where the smell was coming from.


    He then took a good look at the dishes lined up on the table. Seeing Carla still wearing her apron, he asked, "Did you make them, honey?"


    Carla sat down while she put rice into the bowls. She served one bowl of rice for Terence and kept one for herself. "Yup! Why do you ask that? Is it really that hard to believe?"


    Terence walked over the table and sat down. He didn''t reply, but his face showed doubt that his wife had, indeed, made the food in front of him. Grabbing his chopsticks, he took a bite of his food.


    The dish tasted bland at first. But after chewing on it a few times, Terence could taste the burst of flavor from the ingredients.


    Just having one bite of the dish, he could not help but nod his head in delight. He was all too sure that Sophie couldn''t make such a delicious dish.


    Giving his wife an amazed look, he took the ladle and served himself some soup. After having a taste of it, he finally asked, "Honey, since when did you take cooking classes?"


    Carla then grabbed her chopsticks as she tried her own dishes. Pleased with how her creations turned out, she replied, "Huh? How could I not be good at cooking? I had taken the class for four years! I must be good by now, don''t you think?"


    Hearing what she had said, Terence was stunned. He then suddenly realized that she learned how to cook these dishes back when she was still in BT Village.


    "So, what other things do you know how to do?"


    Putting down her chopsticks, she reached her hand out and started to count with her fingers. "Hmm... I guess I can do hoeing, planting seedlings, growing vegetables, mending and..."


    Aside from cooking, these skills she counted were necessary to learn while living off-grid. In such a tough environment like BT village, it was not really that difficult to learn those skills.


    But Terence could only frown upon hearing such words from his wife. His eyes reflected the pang in his chest as he felt how hard her life was back in the village


    ery fast as it had already been a month since Nicholas passed away.


    JA City might have appeared very peaceful and tranquil, but it was only the calm before the storm.


    Meanwhile, Marcus was serving his time behind bars in the south of JA City.


    "Son of a bitch, where do you think you''re going? I''m talking to you! Why don''t you come over and say hi? Do I even have to teach you how to say hi? Manners!"


    It seemed that Marcus was having a bad day. In response, he just turned around and grinned from ear to ear. "Of course not! I was just rushing to get to the bathroom, so I didn''t see you. My bad!"


    Initially, no one had ever dared to bully Marcus, because everyone was aware on how powerful the An family was. That being said, people in prison had treated him with the utmost respect. Although freedom had been taken away from him, his life behind bars was not at all that bad.


    However, ever since this leader of a gang came in over a half a year ago, Marcus''s good time was shut down.


    Marcus had no idea why this leader was always against him in every way. He even thought that maybe he was just a natural bully, or that he was jealous of the money that his family had. But no matter what he did, the bully just kept on picking on him, even for no apparent reason.


    Marcus had already told the prison guards about it. They all said that they would handle the bullying situation. However, days had passed and nothing had changed.


    As time flew by, the leader only grew worse in picking on him, which seemed that his lifelong mission was to annoy and bully poor Marcus to his senses.


    "Oh, so you didn''t see me... Okay, come over here! Let me take a good look at your eyes. You might have an eye problem!"


    This gang leader said sarcastically as he cracked an evil smile and walked towards Marcus. Without any warning, he grabbed Marcus by the collar and pressed his fingers hard on his eyes.

 Chapter 675 Marcuss Miserable Life

    "Please! Please stop! I am so sorry..."


    All Marcus could see was dark as he could feel the blood dribbling down his cheek. A jolting pain came from his right eye, burning its way through his skull but he didn''t dare scream.


    If he did, the gang leader might make more of an effort to scare him further. Marcus didn''t want to make the situation worse for himself, especially since he was dealing with hardcore criminals.


    "It''s my fault for not seeing you, my fault, p-please leave me alone now..."


    In prison, that man was the boss. Marcus didn''t know if it was because of the money he had possessed from dealing drugs or if it was because of the influence he had garnered from his long years inside. Even guards decided it was the best to ignore what he was doing at the expense of everybody else. Marcus had no choice but to beg for mercy.


    "What''ll happen if I just take your eye out, eh?"


    The gang leader laughed wickedly, and so did his other goons. Marcus let out a gutted noise feeling his fingers pressing deeper into his eye.


    "Don''t, please don''t! I mean, if I lost an eye, you''d have to face the consequences of looking at my ugly face, right?" Marcus forced out a shaky smile, teeth gritting through the pain.


    As if the gang leader had already processed his words, he finally let go off him, backing away. "True enough, I''ll let you go this time around, asshole. But the next time, if you turn your back on me again, I''ll make sure none of your eyeballs stay with you!"


    Upon dropping his last word, his palm connected with Marcus''s face. He spat out blood on the pavements, his cheeks going numb from the intensity of the slap. "Get out of my sight while I''m in a good mood."


    "Yes, sir! Will do."


    With the leader''s permission, Marcus felt his body relax. He staggered back up, bowing at them before turning around.


    However, before he could take one step forward, the leader stepped forward and kicked him from the behind. The entire prison echoed with their laughter.


    Marcus was thrown off balance as he stumbled back on the pavements, scraping his knees even further.


    Standing back up, Marcus put his head down as his hands balled into fists. But he didn''t dare face them again. Instead, he walked away.


    It was late afternoon


    when Edmund received a call from the prison.


    "Father, please... please save me. I can''t hold out any longer."


    No one had bullied Marcus in the past. In fact, if possible, he could be the one doing the bullying. As a member of the An Family, he had always been well respected. Even when he was in the wrong, nobody ever had it in h


    e wasn''t really much to do at home so he didn''t want to retire just yet.


    Terence was already on his way back to the Seaview Villa. After receiving a call from Race, he turned his car around and drove over to the East Yard.


    "What''s wrong, Father?"


    Terence walked over to the study area where his father was sitting, getting straight to the point.


    He had already planned to have dinner with Carla. So as much as possible, he''d want to end it here quickly and get to her as fast as he could.


    "You''re finally here! Take a seat. If you want, I can go call out for dinner." Edmund signaled him to take the seat in front of him.


    "I can''t. Just tell me what you need. I already told Carla I''d have dinner with her,"


    Terence said as he took a seat.


    Edmund sighed, "I just had a conversation with Governor Feng."


    Upon hearing that, Terence''s eyes darkened. Governor Feng was the one who was responsible for the prison which Marcus was serving his sentence in. Terence immediately knew Edmund was going to talk about Marcus.


    "Did anything happen to Marcus?"


    Edmund closed his eyes and sighed again. "I had a pretty good relationship with him, so I''d assumed that he was willing to help out. I called him to know about what just happened with Marcus, but he just kept making excuses and refusing to meet with me." His eyes narrowed.


    "I feel like someone''s behind this."


    Edmund being the head, had been in charge of the An family and the AJ Group for years. He had very sharp eyes and senses. He could tell that there was more behind what Marcus was saying, deeper than any of them could comprehend right now.


    "Father, do you think someone''s beating him up on orders?"


    It was as if Terence had read his mind.

 Chapter 676 Edmunds Concern

    Terence hadn''t heard about Marcus in years. Ever since he was put in prison, he wasn''t the most favorite topic when it came to dinners and parties.


    Since Marcus came to the funeral, he knew that the things between them had already changed.


    Marcus was also a grandson of Nicholas, so it was normal for him to join his grandfather''s funeral.


    However, Terence had a suspicion.


    It was hard for a prisoner to stay updated about the outside world. Even if they had asked the governor, the family still didn''t have strong enough ties with him to be the first on their ''inform'' list.


    Since Nicholas''s death came too quickly, no one in the family had informed him.


    Marcus was not close to Nicholas as well, so no one would care if he''d show up or not.


    So questions came to him. ''Who had told him?


    Who had allowed Marcus to leave? Who had informed him?''


    None of the family members were informed of him coming to the funeral.


    Everything seemed normal on the surface, a grandson visiting his grandfather''s funeral. However, Terence knew that something was brewing underneath them, more than he thought.


    "Initially, I didn''t think of anything... but no matter what, he is your brother, isn''t he?"


    Edmund looked at Terence before turning away.


    Edmund felt sorry for what he had done to Terence, which was why he invited him over, to discuss what could be done to Marcus. He needed Terence to be here to voice out his thoughts.


    Their family was in a tough spot right now. If anything, they needed to watch and analyze their every move.


    "If you''re worried for him, I could transfer him to another prison. I''ll make sure he''s okay."


    Terence offered after a few minutes of deliberating.


    It was the best they could do for Marcus, given that the Su family had come into more power. They didn''t need any paper or receipts that they could use against them. To do that, they needed everything to be sparkling clean.


    "I thought of the same thing, but if someone is truly behind this, don''t you think he''d stop at just one prison?" Edmund sighed.


    "Father, don''t you think we''re being too passiv


    trouble us any longer."


    Terence stood up. "That''s right. Taking him down is hard, but it''s not impossible.


    We need to get to him and his office slowly."


    Gary was not untouchable. That, Terence was sure of. All he needed was to do more investigating, and the dirt would be all over them before he''d even touch the An family.


    "Father, I have to go. Carla is waiting for me at home. If I have time, I will come over again."


    Terence bid goodbye once he glanced back at his watch. It was already a little over eight. Carla must be worried of him.


    "Wait, Terence!"


    Edmund stood up. He coughed uncomfortably before pulling out pictures of beautiful girls.


    "I knew how much you love Carla. I like her and Sally too. However, our family needs a man to take care of the business after you." He rubbed the back of his neck.


    "If... if Carla can''t give you a son, you should consider to find a woman for surrogacy. Don''t push it off for too long."


    He motioned to the pictures and the files behind them. "Here are some women I found for you. They all have clear backgrounds and good education. If you don''t want to touch them, that''s fine. I can arrange the hospital for insemination..."


    Edmund suggested, rambling on. Terence was already a little over thirty now. Though he still got plenty of years ahead of him, it would be better if he started training a son while he was healthy and young.

 Chapter 677 Dont Make A Fool Of Yourself Again!

    Terence''s face darkened at the offer. He glanced at the pile of photos coldly before turning back to his father. He was sick of him always bringing this up. "Seriously, Father?


    Do you think Carla would fall in love with such a preposterous idea? Even then, we already have Sally. Aren''t you sick and tired of worrying over the same thing? Because I am."


    Edmund sputtered in response, turning dark red from the accusation. "I''m just trying to help, Son," he said gruffly. "What if Carla can''t give you another one?"


    "We have Eric, don''t we?"


    "Just by the looks of that kid, he will be a spoiled brat once he grows older,"


    Edmund retorted. Eunice had already spoiled Eric to an extent that the kid would kick and scream whenever he didn''t get what he wanted. If the family corporation fell into his hands, God forbid, Edmund would be rolling in his grave.


    Sally was a smart girl. There wasn''t any argument to that, but she would be marrying into another family. She wouldn''t have much time to worry over the family business.


    Though that didn''t mean Edmund didn''t care for Sally, for he cared for her a lot! He just didn''t want the weight of the entire corporation on her shoulders. It would be too stressful, even for her.


    "If you really want to have another grandson, I will suggest that you wait,"


    Terence snapped, before turning around and leaving the room.


    Edmund blinked, still trying to process what had happened. However, when he was ready to respond, he was already left alone in his study area.


    Terence was finally home, parking his car right outside the house. He peered into the windows as he stepped out.


    The light in the kitchen was still on. That must mean that Carla was still awake.


    As soon as the car engine died, a skinny figure ran from the porch, gripping him into a tight hug.


    "Did you wait for me?"


    Terence asked in surprise, holding her close. He had already texted her previously to not wait for him.


    Carla hugged him tightly, like a koala bear hugging a tree. She didn''t want to let go of him. "I want to have dinner with you. I''m not in the mood to eat, if you are not around. Have you eaten?"


    Terence lowered his head before roughly kissing her. "No, I was afraid you are still waiting for me at home for dinner. So I rushed to come home to you."


    "Did you really eat nothing? Not even a sip of water?"


    Carla narrowed her eyes.


    Terence laughed out loud from her teasing. He held her by the jaw. "No, but I can have some from you though."


    Once he finished speaking, he pushed himself against her. His tongue poked into her mouth, exploring every inch


    She was so focused with her eyes narrowed at the canvas as her paint brush deepened on the page. She was deep in thought that she didn''t even notice the flecks of color on her cheeks.


    Her eyes twinkled as she inched her stool closer to the canvas. He couldn''t find it in himself to disturb her.


    Terence quietly walked behind her to see that she was painting a sunset.


    It looked like the one they always saw outside of the Seaview Villa. The sunset glow turned the sky red and tinted the ocean orange. The blend of colors was fascinating and real that it almost felt like he was standing there with her watching the sunset all over again.


    He had seen a lot of sunsets, all of them taking different forms and colors. However, this one, the one captured by her painting, was the most beautiful one he had ever seen.


    He looked at the clock. Though he didn''t want to disturb her, it was already getting late. She also needed sleep.


    By the time they were ready to sleep, it would be one o''clock in the morning. He didn''t want her to stay up that late.


    "Carla, it''s time to go to sleep. It''s a little over twelve now..."


    Terence leaned forward to whisper in her hear.


    Hearing his voice, Carla jumped, accidently poking him with her paintbrush. She didn''t notice that he was already this close to her.


    "Oops, when did you stand behind me?"


    When she had turned around, she busted out laughing.


    There was a stroke of orange paint at the right side of his face. It went from his forehead all the way up to his chin. He looked ridiculous.


    Terence didn''t have to touch his face to figure out where the paint was. He leaned over to her, "Are you really that jealous of my clean face that you have to paint on mine to make it even?"

 Chapter 678 Sharing

    Clara touched her own face, feeling the wet, sticky paint on her cheek. The sensation made her chuckle.


    "We are a couple! That''s what they call sharing, you know. We are sharing the colors together!"


    Carla defended with a cunning smile. Upon seeing the arrogance on her face, Terence couldn''t help but lean in and kiss her on the lips.


    The paint spread from one''s cheek to the other''s as they kissed. At the end, their beautiful faces were colored in the most unique and aesthetic way.


    Slowly, Terence lifted her up from the chair while kissing her wildly. He lay her on the couch, tearing her colored apron apart.


    Soon, with his palms and mouth running all over her, both of their bodies were covered with paint too.


    However, neither of them really minded it. The slithering and sliding actually turned them on.


    Around three o''clock in the morning, Terence finally carried Carla into the bedroom.


    She decided to take a bath and let the water run in the tub.


    She then lay in the tub. The water sprinkled on her body. Colored streams of paint rinsed out of her body. All the colors trickled and washed away like a beautiful rainbow. After looking at the curves of her own body, she raised her eyes to meet Terence''s gaze, only to find it full of lust.


    She sighed in her heart, knowing he wouldn''t let her go to sleep easily tonight.


    Truth be told, she wasn''t wrong.


    By the time they got out of the bathroom, the day was already breaking.


    Looking at his satisfied face, she thought, ''The only good thing for a man to stay celibate for years is to have endless energy to make love once he tried it. He can go all night long! Terence really has nothing to worry about regarding his sex life.''


    Carla could only sleep after the sun had risen completely.


    She slept soundly until one o''clock in the afternoon. She was woken up by her grumbling stomach.


    "Mrs. Carla, lunch is served. Please have a few bites before you go back to sleep!"


    said Sophie, standing outside Carla''s room.


    Carla''s face blushed in embarrassment, wondering what Sophie was thinking. "Thank you, Sophie. I will be there in a minute. Where is Sally?"


    "Mr. Sean has taken Miss Sally out. Rainer is with them, so you don''t have to worry about anything..."


    Sophie replied.


    Relaxing, Carla was satisfied that Sally was with Sean.


    Carla cursed Terence in her heart. It was because of him that she was sleeping at such unusual hours again! It wasn''t even the first time!


    She then got out of


    r eyes lit up just with the thought of toughing them.


    Terence was surprised to see how much she liked the brown horse. "The white one is yours,"


    said Terence, raising his eyebrows. He had assumed that she would like the white horse better.


    Carla turned her head and looked at him. She slowly walked toward the white horse. Suddenly, she turned around, put one foot in the stirrup and jumped on the back of the brown horse.


    "Let me ride one round with this one first. I will change horses with you!"


    Carla had always preferred brown horses over horses of any other colors. For her, real horses were wild and dark. With that, she shouted, kicked the horse and rode off!


    Terence looked at her receding figure. He had no choice but to get on the white horse. He got on it and started chasing after her.


    Nathan stood by the car. He held a camera up, taking a few shots of them. Once done, he got into the car and drove to them.


    Terence had told him to take tons of pictures of them. No matter where they went, Nathan was supposed to catch up and capture photos them.


    Terence wanted to use these photos to surprise Carla on their 10th wedding anniversary.


    All he wanted was for her to be happy. Capturing these lovely moments would surely do that.


    On the other side of the field, a car parked by the riverside.


    "Sir, why do you have to come here to draw? There are many beautiful views in JA City. This place is so far..."


    said Victor as he got out of the car with a big easel on his back. Steven glanced at him coldly, shutting him up.


    He then drew a green backpack from the car. Flinging it on his shoulder, he walked away on the road.

 Chapter 679 Sweet Kiss In The Prairies (Part One)

    Without hesitation, Victor helped Steven assemble the drawing board in his desired position.


    Taking the folding table and chair from the car, he also helped Steven set up the bottles of paint as well as the brushes.


    "Wait for a moment, Mr. Steven," said Victor. Using his sleeves, he brushed the leaves off the chair. When it was all clear, he extended his hand to Steven, giving him a signal that it was OK for him to sit down on it.


    Steven sat down, took the camera out of the bag then took a picture of the beautiful scene that he wanted to paint so that he could still continue painting it back home.


    Afterwards, he grabbed his pencil and drew a rough sketch on his paper.


    At the same time, in the distance, he couldn''t help but notice the sweet couple riding on the prairie.


    Carla rode the horse excitedly, showing her inner child. Although she already felt tired, she still didn''t want to dismount the horse.


    Side by side with Carla, Terence pulled the reins to stop the horse.


    "Hey, Carla, it''s time to go back!" Terence shouted to Carla.


    Slowing down her horse, Carla looked back at Terence, and yelled back, "Can you please let me ride for a little while longer? Just give me a few more minutes!"


    However, Terence didn''t answer back. He put the horse into a halt and got off.


    Noticing that Terence had stopped, Carla also did the same, only to find out that her husband was coming over to her. Then, Terence climbed up on Carla''s horse and held her by the waist as he took the reins.


    "Okay, you can ride for a few more minutes. But, this time, I''m going with you..."


    Terence whispered to Carla''s ear affectionately as he held her from behind. Grabbing the reins, they continued to ride


    he hurriedly took the camera and aimed it at the couple and took their picture. Then, he immediately took his pencil and began to draw the picture that he just took.


    But after sketching a few lines, he wasn''t able to help but blush. He thought, ''Wow, they''re such a sweet couple!


    They''ve already kissed thrice in such a short time. They must really be that in love with each other!''


    Steven took a glance at Victor who sat beside him. But Victor was too busy playing with his mobile game that he didn''t notice the beautiful couple across the river.


    But Steven stopped to draw. He felt too embarrassed to see other people behave so intimately while he continued with his art. He really wanted to move his sight away from the couple, only to find himself staring at them again.


    Meanwhile, on the horseback, Terence leaned over to her back as his lips met with her neck and kissed her softly. Carla, on the other hand, couldn''t help but moan in delight, as she turned delirious by the kiss, and responded in the same way.


    Steven, on the other side of the river, couldn''t help but feel lost at what he saw with his eyes in broad daylight.

 Chapter 680 Sweet Kiss In The Prairies (Part Two)

    His interest in the couple suddenly turned into envy. He thought that they should be so lucky to have such freedom to kiss each other so romantically out in the open without any restriction and strange looks from the public.


    Steven thought, ''How happy they are! I wish everyone could be free like them.''


    As Terence was immersed in deep kisses with her wife, he suddenly noticed the painter on the other side of the river.


    And at that moment, Carla noticed where Terence''s eyes were and was about to see what he was glancing at. But he was quick and covered her sight before she could see anything. Afterwards, another stream of hot and overwhelming kisses began to flood her lips.


    On the other side of the river, Steven was shocked when his eyes met Terence''s


    ''It''s him! He''s that man!'' Steven felt disbelief in his heart.


    Steven didn''t actually see each of the couple''s faces clearly before he and Terence exchanged glances. But with that one glance, he was able to recognize who Terence was.


    Then, Steven thought, ''So, that means that the woman is...''


    Minutes have passed and Carla pushed Terence away from her as she gasped for air. Although they were alone in the prairie, she still thought that it was inappropriate for them to do such an intimate thing in public.


    However, just when she thought about stopping, she accidentally noticed that there were two men on the other side of the river¡ªone sitting in front of a drawing board, as if drawing the view in front of him.


    From a distance, she wasn''t really able to see clearly who the man was, but she had the feeling that the man''s face was vaguely familiar.


    "Come on Carla, it


    ack to reality, he shook his head and put his pencil down.


    "Mr. Steven, is everything alright? Why did you stop drawing?"


    His face in a puzzle, Victor asked him after he saw that he was not doing anything for a long period of time.


    "Pack up! It''s time to go back," said Steven. Then, he stood up and began to pack up all of his drawing and painting essentials.


    Hearing his words, Victor immediately said, "What? Mr. Steven, the sun is still up. Why do we have to go back so early?" Victor scratched his head in frustration, thinking, ''We''ve traveled a long way to be here only for Mr. Steven to stay for a short while. Why does he want to go back all of a sudden?''


    But Steven only gave him an indifferent glance as a response. Without asking further questions, Victor helped him pack the rest of the materials with his head down.


    "Mr. Steven, when we arrived, I saw that the scenic spot in the prairies is still in trial operation. Although there are not many customers, the food here is very delicious. How about we go and try the whole roast lamb here?"


    Victor suggested with a laugh.

 Chapter 681 What A Coincidence!

    When Steven heard Victor''s invitation to go to the prairies to eat, he frowned since he was sure that Terence and Carla would also be there.


    Political affairs may not be something he participated in but Steven knew about the relationship between the An family and the Su family. It was improper for him to appear in the same private occasion with Terence.


    "Mr. Steven, I hope to try the whole roast lamb. Please..." Victor repeated his request.


    Steven sighed at his words and nodded, "Okay. Just go have dinner there."


    "Thank you very much, Mr. Steven! Thank you!" Victor immediately smiled at that because he knew that Steven had a good temper and never treated them as servants.


    That was also the reason why Victor was casual to Steven but he''d never do that if Steven''s father, Gary, was in the same room.


    ¡ª¡ª


    There was a beautiful Mongolian yurt in the prairies in the evening.


    Bonfires were burning around the Mongolian yurt.


    The Mongolian family living in the yurt was singing and also pouring the kumis for the guests.


    While Carla didn''t know how Terence persuaded the family to come here, she had to admit that the atmosphere became closer to the primitive Mongolian tribes after the family came.


    "How did you invite them here? You must''ve paid a lot, right?" Carla asked.


    The kumis in her bowl had a unique strong smell that she wasn''t used to.


    "It''s not as bad as you said it would be. I did pay them some, but I persuaded them to come here through a different way," Terence said. A frown appeared on Terence''s face when he took a sip of the kumis, since he didn''t drink it much, he wasn''t used to the smell too.


    "Really? So how did you persuade them?"


    Carla asked since she was very curious on how he got the whole family to leave their hometown and live here.


    Terence looked at a Mongolian woman who was dancing around the bonfire and smiled meaningfully.


    "I invited everyone, not just the whole family, but also the whole village. The families in that village are free to come and live here. They could just regard it as a family holiday. That way, not only can they have a good time, but also make money, so it''s easier to persuade them.


    It''s only on its trial operation stage right now, so there''s only one family. But when the scenic spot officially starts doing business, there will be


    s narrowed slightly when he saw that Steven was in the car right beside them.


    Of course, Steven''s car was also on its way to JA City. The prairies were in a distant location, so if the tourists wanted to go back to JA City, they would definitely pass through the same road.


    Steven felt a stare digging into him so he turned around and saw Terence in the car right beside them.


    "Hello... Mr. Terence."


    It was said with some hesitation but Steven took the initiative to say hello to Terence even if he wasn''t looking at him. Steven thought that it would be impolite if he didn''t greet him, so he rolled down his window.


    Terence glanced at Steven''s direction and only mumbled in response.


    "I''ve heard of Mr. Terence''s fame for a long time, but I just didn''t have the courage to say hello to you. My name''s Steven. I''m very happy to..."


    Before Steven finished, Terence''s car had already started to drive away.


    When Steven looked at the traffic light, it had already turned green.


    In the car, Carla looked at Steven who was far behind and then she looked at Terence and said, "I think you''re being rude in treating Steven like this."


    She was right next to Terence so she heard Steven''s words.


    "Rude? We''re on the road. Is it polite if I stop the car on the road and chatted with him?"


    Terence refuted in an unusual tone.


    It stunned Carla to feel Terence''s anger but she thought it was reasonable, because Terence said that he didn''t like Steven.


    But she really didn''t expect that they would meet Steven today. What a coincidence!

 Chapter 682 Garys Plan

    "Mrs. Carla, you might not know much. Do you know who Steven really is?"


    Nathan couldn''t resist asking her as he was driving. He figured Carla had misunderstood Terence.


    Carla shook her head. "I don''t, all I know is he comes from a very rich family."


    "That isn''t entirely wrong. His family is not only rich but also really powerful. He is the only son of our city''s new mayor, Gary!"


    explained Nathan, his eyes fixed on the road.


    Carla''s eyes widened in shock.


    It took her a while to process it, actually. She hadn''t expected that at all.


    Grace''s uncle was the ex-mayor. Steven''s father was the current mayor. Naturally, the two families didn''t get along well.


    Carla was surprised at how much Grace liked Steven despite that. She couldn''t help but wonder if it was actually some political maneuvering.


    It was beyond Carla''s understanding.


    She looked at Terence, who was sitting next to her. She finally understood why he disliked Steven so much. He wasn''t jealous of him, like she had thought earlier.


    It was better for her to stay away from people with political backgrounds as strong as Steven''s.


    "You don''t have to worry, honey. I will stay away from him," Carla put her hand on the back of Terence''s hand. Since he didn''t like Steven much, she had decided to keep her distance from him.


    Even though Carla thought of Steven as an honest and upright person with little to no ego and no ulterior motives, she would not befriend him for Terence''s sake.


    It wasn''t his fault. They were just on two very different camps.


    Terence wrapped his arm around her shoulder, keeping quiet.


    He didn''t really want Carla to get involved in the fight between the Su family and the An family.


    The Su family was currently in power. Gary was going to start a war with Terence. It was better if Carla didn''t get close to any members of the Su family, so she could stay out of any mess that might occur in the days that were to follow.


    A week passed by.


    There was some news from the prison. Marcus had got two of his ribs broken in a fierce group fight. He was taken to the prison hospital.


    This brawl in the prison wasn''t something unusual. However, Edmund knew this was Gary''s tactic to force him to save Marcus.


    What he hadn''t thought about was that it would come back to him so aggressively.


    "Father, do you believe me now? I never lied to you! If I had any other choice, I wouldn''t have called you for help. They almost took my eyes out last time! This time, I got two of my ribs fractured..."


    mumbled Marcus, lying on the bed in a miserable condition. He couldn''t help but cry out loud about the poor tre


    "


    Johnny replied.


    "It''s true, but we can''t just let one business corner the market forever. The past is the past and the present is different, don''t you think? I am an upstanding man. Even though An family is powerful, I will never give the green light to them,"


    Gary replied seriously.


    In the past, all the new projects in JA City were given to the AJ Group. Now with Gary in charge, the tables could turn.


    "Oh! Does that mean if I try my best, you will help me out?" Johnny asked, raising his eyebrows.


    He had heard that the Su family and the An family didn''t get along very well, but he wasn''t sure.


    It seemed like the rumor was true, after all.


    Gary smiled, slightly shaking his head. "I will take that as a joke. I am the mayor of this city. Keeping the market healthy is my job. It''s not up to me to take sides."


    Johnny touched his nose and smiled. Standing up, he nodded his head, saying, "You''re right, sir. The OL Group is going to try its best to get this tender. I hope you can handle it impartially and give a chance to a business like mine..."


    "Of course, I will make sure it''s fair and open to everyone. I hope your business can guarantee the product''s quality and make the consumers happy!"


    Gary also stood up and shook Johnny''s hand.


    Currently, Johnny''s family and the Qi family were the only two families that were powerful enough to challenge the An family.


    Gary had heard that the Qi family had a deep connection with the An family. He had no choice but to support Johnny''s family.


    Johnny was smart. Gary didn''t have to lay out everything for Johnny to get his idea across.


    Johnny gave him a sly smile before finally heading out the door.


    And as he turned his back to Gary, Johnny''s smile got wider.

 Chapter 683 She Is Not Going To Be There

    Steven was waiting for his father to finish up when he heard a noise coming from the door. Looking towards the source of the noise, he wanted to check what it was all about.


    Noticing a confident man walking out of the room, he stood up and gave him a courteous nod as a sign of respect.


    He recognized Johnny, and he wondered if he was his father''s very important guest.


    Being a popular and prominent man in JA City, people had various impressions of him.


    To some, he was nothing more than just a rich playboy, while others still had faith in him that he was a man with great untapped potential who could succeed in life.


    "Mr. Steven, you may now go inside,"


    the assistant said to Steven as he opened the door for him.


    After seeing his son walk in, Gary had put away his political act and somehow immediately shifted into being a father to his son. He then looked at him and gave his handsome son a sweet and loving smile.


    "Steven, good to see you back!"


    "Good afternoon to you, too, Father,"


    Steven greeted his father. Walking over towards him, he then took the teapot from his father''s hand and said, "Allow me."


    "Was it Johnny who just walked out?"


    He asked casually as he poured hot tea in the cups on the table.


    Taking his glasses off, Gary rubbed his nose and sat back on his chair. Absentmindedly, he then replied, "Yes, it was him. He''s the new CEO of the OL Group. Now that young men like him have taken over the businesses around us, it''s now the new generation''s world, I must say. But it''s a good thing for them to learn such skills at a young age. And I bet that when they get to my age, they''ll surely be able to do a lot more than what my generation was able to do."


    "Steven, our family is relying on you to carry forward and develop the family legacy."


    Putting down the teapot, Steven passed a cup of tea to him and replied, "Father, I had just finished school. I think I''ll need more time to learn more things so I could be well-prepared."


    "Ha-ha, but I know you very well! I know you like to paint and travel. You want to spend more years to look at nature''s beautiful views."


    Gary was sure that if it were in the olden days, Steven would have been a poor artist or poet.


    Gary smiled. He then let out a deep sigh as he put his glasses back on and said, "Steven, you have to know that I am worried about you. You are just being too kind and nice. Indeed, kindness is a good quality to have. However, it makes a man weak. And I am afraid that I find you incapable of protecting yourself.


    If I couldn''t protect you in the future, how else would you survive in this world? For all the years that I have been living in this world, I assure you that this world is not as pretty as you think it is. You have to learn how to protect yourself!"


    Sitting beside his father, Steven ga


    all finally connected. Terence stood up and started to talk on the phone.


    But after a while, he hung up. Frowning, it seemed that Nathan''s suspicion was right all along.


    "Mr. Terence, what do you think we should do next? If we do let it happen, won''t it affect our current partners? They might think we have lost the government''s support. As the result, they might start to slowly end their partnerships with us."


    If it were a small contract, the AJ Group was going to be fine. However, this was a big project as it was about to expand to the urban areas of JA City.


    Losing this contact would hurt the company''s business more or less.


    "I will not let it happen! Nathan, adjust my schedule for today. I need to go to the OL Group later," Terence said with determination on his face as he suddenly stood up from his chair.


    Many corporations swarmed the city, working together here and there for various projects, just like how the AJ Group and the OL group had their connections, too.


    Being professionals when it came to work, Terence and Johnny never let their personal issues affect their work.


    Suddenly, just when Nathan was trying to contact Johnny''s assistant, his phone rang.


    Afterwards, Nathan walked to Terence and reported, "Mr. Terence, Mr. Johnny''s assistant just called. He said that Mr. Johnny wants to meet with you tonight."


    "He also wanted me to add that he doesn''t mind you bringing Ms. Carla to the meeting..."


    Upon hearing that, Terence sneered, "After all this time, he still has feelings for Carla."


    "Tell him to meet me in the VIP room of the TH Restaurant. Also, tell him that Carla is busy taking care of our daughter. Thus, she will not be joining us tonight."


    Nathan was stunned for a moment after hearing what Terence had just said. After he had recovered from spacing out, he took out his phone and called Johnny''s assistant back.

 Chapter 684 Cover Up the Truth

    Right at that moment, Carla was in the Sea view Villa.


    It was indeed a busy day for her. Her body felt so sore, making her breathe heavily. As she held her waist, she stared at Sally who kept on running around in front of her.


    She raised her eyebrow and wondered why Sally had so much energy.


    They had been playing for a whole day, yet Sally seemed so full of life without an ounce of fatigue. She just wanted to rest for a while. It was as if playing with Sally was a kind of torture for her.


    Feeling the need to rest for a bit, she immediately sat on the white sand.


    Suddenly, Hannah, who was sitting behind her, tapped her shoulder lightly to get her attention.


    "Mrs. Carla, you can take a break for a while. I''ll look after Miss Sally."


    "Okay, thank you. Just remember not to let her get too close to the water," Carla said as she took a glance at Sally. She was giggling while running on the beach.


    Then, she grabbed her mobile phone from her pocket and stared at the screen.


    There was a missed call from Andrea. She dialed the number and it immediately started ringing. When she answered, she asked, "Hello, Mom. Did you call me a while ago? What''s the matter?"


    "Well, I called to ask why you didn''t come this past weekend?"


    Andrea replied.


    "Oh, I had to take Sally to her dancing class this morning and that''s why I couldn''t come back. Andrea, why don''t you come to JA City and stay here for several days?" Carla asked. She thought that when Sally started attending school, she would have plenty of things to do.


    "I''ll see if I''m free these days, Carla. Have you finished taking your traditional Chinese medicine?"


    Andrea asked her again.


    "Yes, I just finished it a few days ago," she replied as she wiped the beads of sweat forming on her forehead. A few days ago, she was busy taking care of Grandpa Nicholas'' things. It was the main reason why she had forgotten to take her medicine for a week. With that, she had only taken and finished her medicine one day before.


    "That''s good. You should take some time to see if you are feeling better. If it doesn''t work, I can ask the doctor to prescribe you some more medicine," Andrea said on the other end of the phone.


    When she heard that, she started complaining with a bitter face, "Mom, why do I feel like my only responsibility to this family is to give birth to the next generation?"


    Andrea was always reminding her to take her medicine even before giving birth to Sally, until now.


    "What are you talking about, Carla? Children are also the vitality of life. Just think about this. We''re all going to become old ten


    nged.


    "We''re going to the TH Restaurant. I have something to talk about with Johnny," He replied with a calm tone.


    "Okay." She walked upstairs and entered their room. She changed to better clothes and went out with him afterward.


    Although Carla didn''t know what Terence was going to talk to Johnny about, she knew that Terence always had his reasons for doing things, so she didn''t need to ask more.


    At this moment, they were in the VIP room on the sixth floor of TH Restaurant.


    Sally was staring with a fruit on her hand while tilting her head at the three-month-old boy who was being held by Johnny''s wife.


    "Mom, he looks so ugly!"


    Carla tried to stop herself from bursting out laughing at Sally''s words. Turning to her daughter, she scolded her, "Sally, how can you say that? He''s still a baby. He will become handsome when he grows up."


    The baby looked like the exact replica of Johnny, but his son looked darker than him.


    Johnny''s wife laughed. "It doesn''t matter, Mrs. Carla. I admit that my son is indeed a little darker than his father, but his facial features aren''t ugly. Sally, you should have a closer look at him."


    Johnny''s wife smiled at Sally. She really didn''t mind her words, though.


    At this moment, Johnny and Terence were in the billiard room. Johnny threw Terence a billiard stick.


    "Mr. Terence, how about we have a game between the two of us?"


    Terence took the stick and looked at him. "I''ve already sent someone to check this room in advance. There''s no monitoring device here."


    The reason why he asked Carla to come with him was just to cover up the truth.


    Now, every move of the people in the An family might be monitored. He had to be aware and secure against any potential threat.

 Chapter 685 Lets Have A Daughter

    Johnny started the game while saying, "Let''s make a deal first. This time, I''m going to repay what I owe you. After all this ends, let''s mind each one''s own business."


    Last time during the NF, he also took part in the incident. It was impossible that Terence didn''t know about his participation, but he didn''t dig into it and he even let him go.


    Johnny was a grateful person, so he would return the favor.


    Terence stood in front of the billiards table with his arms crossed. He simply asked with a smile that didn''t show any sign of surprise at all, "Are you sure you want to do that?"


    "Didn''t you always want to surpass me? With Gary''s help, isn''t this a good opportunity for you to gain the money and power necessary for your ambition?"


    Johnny had won the first round at this point. He sat on the edge of the table and lit up a cigar.


    "You know I hate being used. Gary''s using me as a tool to deal with you, if I go along with what he planned, he''s going to take full advantage of the moment we turn against each other. Heh, nice try,"


    Johnny said with a sneer. He took a deep drag to emphasize his displeasure at the thought and slowly puffed out the smoke.


    He continued, "JA City has been peaceful for these past years. Why on earth would I allow him to turn the whole city upside down just because he got here?"


    A new broom would sweep the place clean. However, if the dust landed on him, Johnny wouldn''t be at all pleased with it.


    Terence bent down and hit a ball before glancing at him, "You''re not that silly after all then. Here I thought you were in league with him."


    If Johnny ever did so, he would have chosen a side too early because a few unmentionable powerful families would have definitely reached out to him.


    "Of course not. I did want to compete with you. But ever since I was a child, you were always ahead of me at everything, even with the woman I fell in love with. And now, she has fallen for you with all her heart. Even when it comes to our careers, you''re still ahead of me. Despite all this, if I want to compete with you, I''ll only fight against you fair and square."


    Johnny looked at the two women who were talking outside with eyes filled with understanding. He turned towards Terence. "Anyway. Now is not the right time for us to fight. I''m not someone who will take advantage of you."


    Terence raised his eyebrows and let out a chuckle after hearing what Johnny had said, "What a touching speech. You should blame yourself for your own incompetence. Even now you still pretend to be like a selfless saint.


    After finishing four shots, Terence sat down and began to drink some tea to try to not go overboard with drinking this time.


    John


    "What? He''s better looking than me?"


    Johnny asked her with clearly less confidence in his voice.


    "If you''re more handsome than my Daddy, then why didn''t my Mommy marry you?"


    Sally retorted.


    This made Johnny speechless for a moment.


    "Sally?"


    Just now. Carla came in and called out to Sally, "Come here Sally. Daddy and uncle needs to talk. Listen to Mommy, let''s go out first okay?"


    When she got close to Terence, the latter pulled her down.


    Terence had pulled Carla into his arms. "It''s okay. We''re almost done. Let me hold you for a while."


    Sally had one hand around Carla''s neck and the other around Terence''s, she giggled as she asked Terence, "Daddy! Can you lift me and Mommy at the same time?"


    "¡­ Maybe Daddy can try, "Terence answered after thinking about it for a moment.


    After hearing this, Carla frowned and tried to move away from Terence''s arms, but her waist was firmly held by his arm. He grunted before seeming to lift both Carla and Sally effortlessly.


    "Wow! Daddy''s so awesome!"


    Sally was ecstatic at her Dad''s feat, she kissed his cheek with twinkling eyes filled with adoration.


    Johnny was silently sitting at the side and couldn''t believe that they couldn''t stop displaying their affection to each other.


    He looked at Carla who clearly stared at Terence with shame and anger mixed with embarrassment, then he looked at Sally gazing at Terence with an extremely sweet and innocent smile. Johnny put down his cup and stood up before walking outside.


    He felt so envious at what he just saw, he thought that Terence was so lucky that he had such a lovely daughter.


    When he came out of the room, he saw his wife holding his son in her arms. He looked at her affectionately before saying to her, "Honey! Let''s go home and have a daughter!"

 Chapter 686 Something Fishy

    Terence shrugged, unaffected by Johnny''s exit from the room.


    Instead, he held Carla and Sally close to his arms, grinning at them. It was a good feeling, to be with family, especially with his two angels. He glanced at his wife. "Honey, I think I''d love another daughter. What do you think?"


    He had always thought that compared to boys, girls were always more considerate and understanding.


    In his eyes and through experience, boys had always been more mischievous in their childhood years, getting into more trouble. And when they became mature, they would have busier years whether it be due to the burdens of business or their wives. Either way, he''d always thought that daughters would grow to be more thoughtful.


    "Let me go first! Do you think you can choose a baby''s gender as you like? It''s not something you''d order in Amazon, you know,"


    Carla sniffed, glaring at him as she wriggled against his grip. If she did have more girls, Terence might be pleased but Edmund, his father, might have a heart attack from too much disappointment.


    However, that didn''t mean that Edmund didn''t like Sally. He adored her, but that might be due to him not having a daughter of his own, especially since Rhys also had a son. Sally was the only girl in the An family. ''If they''re rare, they''re valued, '' Carla thought, considering why Edmund liked Sally now.


    "Daddy, I don''t want a sister. I want a brother," Sally insisted suddenly, pouting.


    Terence put Sally down, raising his eyebrows at the sudden proclamation. "And why is that?"


    "Because Grandpa said I should have a little brother next," she answered almost automatically as if she was in class


    Sally had once overheard it from her Grandpa, and it stuck to her mind since then. ''If I did have a younger brother, maybe Grandpa would be proud of me too, '' she thought excitedly.


    As the words slipped out of Sally''s mouth, Carla cringed away from Terence''s touch before leaving abruptly.


    "Carla?" Terence called, but she didn''t turn back.


    When she didn''t bother to answer him, he hurriedly carried his daughter out of the room. Something was wrong with his wife, and he felt as if it had something to do with what was just said.


    The moment they reached home, Terence immediately handed Sally to Hannah to clean up before marching up the stairs.


    As he peered into their bedroom, he could see Carla sitting cross legged at one of the chairs in the balcony, overlooking their pro


    been so used to sleeping on the hard pavements in prison, that now even with a soft comforter and fluffed pillows, he couldn''t find himself dozing off.


    As he was still a convicted prisoner, he wasn''t allowed to use a cellphone. As such, he settled with using the TV to pass the time.


    After a while, someone knocked on the door.


    "Come in," Marcus said.


    A nurse came in.


    Lying on the bed, Marcus eyed the curvy nurse as she bent towards him. He blinked, taking the thermometer from the nurse''s hand. "Why haven''t you slept yet?" he asked, though a part of him was glad that she was the one who showed up. "It must be hard to be a nurse."


    "It''s not an easy job. But I need the money."


    The nurse looked at him, and he averted his gaze. "Hold the thermometer, so that the temperature will be measured accurately,"


    she warned, placing it under his arm.


    As the nurse approached him, Marcus could smell the lavender attached to her skin. He couldn''t help but smile wolfishly. It had been years since he had been with a woman, so this was the closest he''d been with a woman since he was in prison.


    "What are you doing?" the nurse asked accusingly.


    She shook her head, poking on him teasingly on the chest. "Stop doing that. You''re a patient now mister.


    Don''t move and call me after five minutes."


    The nurse walked out of the ward, her hips swaying that Marcus couldn''t help but eye her as she retreated


    He licked his dry lips. Five years had passed, and he could feel himself aching for her touch. He groaned, covering his face.


    Marcus smirked, feeling his mouth water. He was excited for her to return.

 Chapter 687 A Romantic Affair Comes As A Disaster

    A while later, Marcus checked the clock on the wall again and again and he wondered how five minutes could be so long.


    It was slow and agonizing but finally.


    Five minutes had passed.


    Marcus hurriedly rang the bell and just a moment later, the ward''s door opened.


    The familiar nurse entered and that made him lick his lips again and laugh, "Miss, I feel so numb since I''ve been lying down for so long. Can you get the thermometer for me?"


    The nurse just laughed as she came closer like she''d seen through his "conspiracy", a smile quirked on her lips. "Look at you, you called me just to get the thermometer for you? You got the strength to ring the bell, why don''t you just get the thermometer yourself?"


    She reached into his clothes and took out the thermometer from his armpit.


    As soon as she pulled it out, Marcus grabbed her wrist with one hand and pulled her into his arms. "Miss, isn''t it your duty to save lives and heal the wounded?


    It hurts here. Can you give me a massage?"


    Marcus took the nurse''s hand and guided it down.


    That made the nurse turn red and push him away immediately. "What are you doing? Didn''t you break your ribs and get yourself hurt? Why are you still thinking about this? That''s bad!"


    "I can wait for as long as it needs for my ribs to heal. But I''m desperate for this. It''s been years. If I can kiss you, I''ll happily break another one of my ribs."


    It would have been easy for Marcus to get any girl he desired but that was in the past.


    It had been years since he last had sex, since he only had a few days away from prison, he didn''t know how long he''d have to wait if he missed the chance.


    His injury was a small matter in the face of his rising evil desire.


    Marcus pulled the


    t?"


    "Open your eyes and look! He''s the famous Marcus An! The eldest son of the An family! He''s a capable man and he can handle everything with money. In this world, money can solve everything."


    "That makes sense. Poor girl... She''s so innocent but was raped by him."


    In the ward.


    Marcus was shocked by the nurse''s words. She was obviously seducing him before, but now she acted pure and chaste!


    "Mr. An, according to the testimony of this nurse, you forced her to have sex with you, that''s a crime! But since you''re seriously injured, we''ll arrange policemen to take turns looking after you until you leave the hospital. Afterwards, we''ll take you directly to the police station. Please cooperate with our investigation!"


    The cold voice of the police officer and even colder words made Marcus fall off the bed.


    He was completely dumbfounded.


    He thought it was a romantic affair but it turned out to be a disaster.


    When he realized that he might be sentenced for a few more years, Marcus''s face turned pale.


    He jumped out of the hospital bed and quickly strode towards the nurse and grabbed her neck!


    "Tell me, why did you set me up?"

 Chapter 688 I Can Be Your Heater

    "You didn''t want it so why did you seduce me?


    Who sent you here to set me up?"


    Marcus asked, madly pinching the neck of the nurse who slept with him.


    How could he force her if she didn''t want to?!


    She turned against him with no warning. What the hell did she want?


    When the policeman next to Marcus saw his actions, he immediately hit the back of Marcus''s neck with a police stick to save the nurse.


    Edmund closed his eyes at the sight of his son falling to the ground. He let out a deep sigh.


    ¡ª¡ª


    In the Seaview Villa, Nathan delivered the news to Terence who was still in his pajamas.


    "Mr. Terence, that''s the whole story.


    We were just worried that Mr. Marcus would run away, but we didn''t expect that something like this would happen," he sighed.


    Their men waited outside the ward and didn''t think that such a thing would happen inside.


    Terence slowly opened his eyes and said, "It''s not your fault. There''s no smoke without fire. His personality is going to get him into trouble sooner or later.


    Terence had underestimated his enemy''s grit. They had expected that the An family wouldn''t take action on Marcus, so they thought of this way to fight the family.


    "Mr. Terence, what should we do now? I''m afraid that all the bad news about Marcus would spread to the entirety of JA City quickly."


    There was a frown on Nathan''s face as he spoke. Right now, their enemy was waiting for evidence against them. Once they had something against the An family, they would hammer it mercilessly.


    "I''ll talk to my father. Go and meet Bryant, ask him to pay more attention to public opinion about the AJ Group. Take the necessary measures to minimize the negative effects."


    After the last instructions, Terence turned and went back into his bedroom.


    He went straight to the wardrobe to get dressed and Carla followed after him, wrapped in a


    ng at it.


    "There''s no evidence to prove that what they did was consensual, so he was sent back to prison," Carla answered.


    Violet breathed a sigh. "It''s unfair that people blindly blame the scandal on the An family. I''m afraid it''ll be hard to calm the public''s anger quickly," she commented.


    "The truth is very clear. Marcus couldn''t be so stupid to rape a woman in a hospital. He''s been in prison for five years, so he must be more law-conscious than others," Violet added.


    "The weak aren''t necessarily the victims. She could''ve called for help when she was violated. People outside the ward could''ve definitely heard and saved her. Unless she meant to let it happen.


    There must be something fishy behind this," Violet continued.


    "But the public doesn''t want to believe the truth. Besides, Marcus is widely known as a playboy with a previous conviction. It doesn''t matter if he''s innocent.


    Who would be willing to believe that?"


    Even if nobody cared about him, Marcus was still the heir of the An family. The scandal would definitely be a disgrace to the AJ Group.


    Violet patted Carla on the shoulder and pointed outside. "Look, Carla. What are those people doing?" she said.


    Following Violet''s finger, Carla looked.

 Chapter 689 Carla Showed Up And Solved The Problem

    And in a second, a huge crowd gathered near the entrance of the AJ Mall.


    "I don''t know. What''s happening?"


    Staring at the group of people near the mall''s entrance, Carla wondered what they were gossiping about.


    "Oh, you mean these guys? They''re tenants of the mall and they''ve been asking for refunds in the last couple of days. And not just in this mall. This also happened with the other malls of the AJ Group."


    The waiter came over and served their delicious plate of deserts, and then told them what he knew about the matter.


    "Hey, Carla, where are you going?"


    Without hesitation, Carla stood up from her seat as soon as she heard the waiter finish his words and went towards the gate where a lot of people were gathering. Taking some cash out of her bag, Violet then put them on the table in such a hurry as she followed Carla storm out of the restaurant.


    "Carla! Carla! Wait for me! Calm down. Don''t be impulsive... "


    Violet yelled at Carla as she walked briskly to catch up with her.


    Being in such a hurry, Carla was already panting when she reached the gate of the mall.


    Carla saw security guards all over the mall''s entrance as they tried to maintain the order, while managers dealt with such a messy situation. The accident happened just a few days ago and it had never been the same for the mall, causing it to be neglected.


    And because of this incident, the shop keepers and other tenants'' businesses were also closed for many days. They couldn''t just bear with the situation any longer and had to do something about it.


    Judging from the situation, it was apparent that none of them had ever expected that it would escalate into such a huge mess.


    Just like how true the saying was, indeed, everyone had a black sheep in their family.


    "Please keep quiet! Calm down! Would you please just listen? We have already informed our superior about your concerns, and we''ll give you a response as soon as we hear from them. Please calm down!"


    The manager of the mall said to the group of irritated shop keepers through the megaphone that he held in his hand.


    "Calm down? How on earth can I possibly calm down? We''ve been paying such an expensive rent! Come to think of it, we need to pay for our employees'' salaries, water, and electricity! This is absurd! How can we afford it if we haven''t had a guest in a long time? What else can we do?" ¡ª¡ª


    "Yes, definitely! It''s your company''s fault! After all, why should we, the innocent people, pay the price for your mistakes?"


    "Exactly! You don''t feel any loss at all. Instead, you''re charging us! Who will pay for our loss? Why should we even be treated as sitting ducks?"


    Standing on the stairs, the manager raised his megaphone once again and shouted, "Please keep quiet. Like I''ve said, I''ve already notified the superiors. We''ll work out a solution soon so please calm down!"


    However,


    e would be timid when it came to dealing with serious issues like this. Seeing Carla take the matters into her own hands, she knew that she learned a thing or two from her.


    "I really had no choice. Especially now that I have encountered it in person. After all, it really matters to our company, I just couldn''t help myself, so I didn''t think too much before I did it." Carla now pondered and also had a lingering fear. It was a promise, but she didn''t think too much about the consequences of her actions.


    It was not a big deal to give the tenants a rent free pass. But if there were other customers that were affected by the AJ Group, a large sum of money would be needed to help all of them out, which they couldn''t afford.


    Then, she wondered¡ª would Terence be angry if he found out about it?


    Thinking long and hard, she believed that he must have been forced by the circumstances to make that decision just now.


    And at that time, she really wasn''t able to stand it anymore.


    Actually, what Carla couldn''t stand was the fact that these people condemned the AJ Group, which made her feel that they were directly accusing Terence. And as his wife, she really couldn''t just stand aside, because they were in this mess together.


    "By the way, Carla, you were so awesome back there and I admire you so much! And wow, you made the hundreds of them think twice with your words! If I were you, I wouldn''t have had the nerve to say anything even if I had to bite the bullet to confront them."


    Violet said as she held Carla''s arm and gave her a thumbs up.


    With a sense of guilt, Carla patted her chest and said, "Let''s go and have a cup of coffee. I need to calm down. My heart almost jumped out of my chest from what I did back there."


    Hearing Carla''s very anxious words, Violet burst into laughter and said, "All right. Come on. Let''s find a better place. I''ll buy you a drink. You definitely need one!"

 Chapter 690 Lady, You Are Pretty Brave

    In just half a day, the video of Carla spread widely.


    Everyone in the city knew she preferred keeping a low profile all the time. She was both kind and brave.


    There was indeed some negative news about her some time ago, but everything had been clarified.


    A third party had revealed that the report was fabricated by Terence''s substitute wife. It turned out the whole thing was a farce.


    In addition, Johnny admitted in public that he liked her, but chose to give up in the end.


    If what the report described was true and she was really a skittish and scheming woman, why would Mr. Terence marry her?


    Johnny was right. The woman he once loved couldn''t have been of that character.


    With all this news, people were becoming more and more curious about Carla. What kind of woman was she? Why were two handsome masters of JA City so deeply attracted to her?


    As soon as the video about Carla reached the public, their opinion about the An family began to change.


    They began to realize not all the members of the An family had a bad temperament like Mr. Marcus. There were still nice people like Mr. Terence and his wife.


    "Mr. Terence, you should go online. The video of Mrs. Carla has gone viral!"


    said Rainer to Terence as he handed him the phone.


    "But the total rent will be a large amount. Is it too rash for Mrs. Carla to do that?"


    he asked in a soft voice.


    The AJ Group had to pay off the bank loan with a large sum of money every month. If they paid for all the loss, they would lose too much.


    Terence saw the video in which Carla was excitedly speaking. Then he smiled and said, "If the money we spent can save the company''s image, then it''s worth doing."


    "Tell the employees to post the announcement at the shopping malls. Carry it out as soon as possible.


    By the way, ask Bryant to write a report about the video incident from the eyes of the public."


    Rainer nodded and replied, "Yes, Mr. Terence. I''ll do that right away."


    "Wait. Can you book a restaurant for tonight? I want to treat my wife to a romantic dinner,"


    Terence added. The dinner was in honor for what she had done. She really was brave.


    Meanwhile, a conversation was taking place in the Su mansion.


    "Sir, we shouldn''t underestima


    out of the room with his eyebrows knitted.


    Soon, the sun had set and it was evening.


    Rainer drove Carla to a manor which she had never been to. Instantly upon stepping out of the car, she could smell the rich fragrance of flowers.


    "Rainer, where are we?"


    She had just been home for a while when Rainer mystically brought her here.


    "Madam, this is a private flower manor, and the restaurant is closed to the public. Only a few people know about this place."


    Rainer smiled and led her inside.


    "Wow, it''s so beautiful..."


    Carla looked at the sea of flowers that shone under the lights. There was a road that wound up through the sea of flowers, leading directly to a two-story wooden house at its end.


    "Are these roses?"


    She asked while looking at the flowers with small red and pink petals, which looked mysterious and charming under the light. The fragrance greeted her nose.


    "Yes, madam. The owner of this manor is very fond of roses, and so he has planted roses of all colors. They look even more beautiful in the daytime!"


    Rainer patiently explained to her. He pointed to the front and said, "Madam, you can go ahead along this way and enter the house..."


    The flowers swayed gently in the moonlight. Carla couldn''t help but gape at them with a smile. Breaking from the spell, she walked along the path at a brisk pace.


    She suddenly stopped at the gate.


    She raised her head, and saw a tall and handsome man standing in front of her, looking straight at her.

 Chapter 691 Honey, Am I Pretty

    Carla halted and stared at the prince-like man at the end of the path. At that moment, she felt as if everything popped out of a storybook, just waiting to be read and swooned over.


    Under the night lamp, Terence stood, his lips curling into a smile. It was more beautiful than all the roses scattered all over the mountain top.


    His eyes were so bright that it almost seemed as if they were supernovas just waiting to explode. He stood straight, like how he was trained as a soldier, his tall and muscled figure almost similar to the mountains ahead.


    He was standing far away, like he was a part of a canvas, with a breathtaking scenery. It took everything for Carla to not draw out her sketchbook and start drawing him.


    Terence just stood there, letting her gaze at him unscrupulously.


    He was curious to see how long she''d stand there, processing everything in one go. The tips of his lips quirked up.


    Finally, Carla took a step forward. She plucked a rose from the fields, placing it behind her ear.


    Once she was done, she walked over towards him with a smile to rival his.


    "Babe, am I pretty?"


    Seeing that he was so good looking tonight, Carla wanted to at least make her as presentable as him.


    "Of course."


    Terence beamed in reply.


    "Then, who would be more beautiful? The flower or me?"


    Carla asked, tilting her head.


    "Of course, my wife. You can give me a valley of roses and they''re still nothing compared to your smile."


    Terence didn''t even hesitate as he stared at every detail of her face, taking it in as slowly as he could, savoring the moment.


    Flowers were simply ornaments¡ªaccessories, how could they compare to her?


    "You''re being too sweet,"


    Carla teased, chuckling. Once they were closer, she took another step, flushing as she bowed her head. "But I really am sorry about today. If the company''s finances were affected by it, I''ll find a way to pay it back."


    All the money given by Noah was kept in her card as receipts for all these years, so it wouldn''t be a big deal to take it out to cope with the emergencies that had happened today.


    Terence rolled his eyes, flicking her in the forehead. "What are you talking about? The AJ Group isn''t that volatile. I could care less about the money taken."


    It really was no problem. For Terenc


    unning a restaurant for the public, she stopped. She now only cooks for her friends once in a while."


    Biting the chopsticks, Carla was stunned. This was the first time she heard Terence mention his mother.


    Though they''ve been in a long relationship, she never did hear him talk about his mother before. He never really brought it up.


    "Terence, I have never heard you talk about... Mom, was she in a bad relationship with Dad before?"


    Terence furrowed his eyebrows, taking his chopsticks to get some food. When he finally swallowed, he answered, "When I was young, my father was just like my second elder brother, he didn''t care much about the family. He was either busy with his work or was staying at other places instead of at home."


    Carla bit her lip as the atmosphere grew tense. No wonder he never mentioned it.


    "Well, let''s just enjoy our dinner. Let''s talk about that some other time," Terence waved his hand before bringing the chopstick to her. "Give this a try."


    "All right." Carla didn''t ask any more questions, deciding to drop it for now.


    They decided to spend the night here.


    The garden was surrounded by the fragrance of roses that she even dreamt of them in her sleep. She dreamt that she was swimming in the sea of them, drowned by their colors and beauty.


    Carla remembered lying on them, the flowers sighing with the wind.


    She slept soundly that night if not for the mosquito that seemed to love to disturb her. No matter how much she tried slapping it, its buzz never seemed to go away.

 Chapter 692 Come Here And Let Me Give You A Massage

    Early in the morning.


    Carla was woken up by the sound of her phone ringing, and she fumbled around a bit until she found her phone under her pillow.


    "Hello..." she said, still half asleep.


    "Callie, I''ll be arriving in JA City in a bit. But there''s someone I have to meet first so I''ll be dropping by at around noon time," Andrea told her. Her voice sounded so clear from the other end of the line.


    Rubbing her eyes, Carla mumbled, "Okay, mom. Have a safe trip. Let''s have lunch together later..."


    Upon saying that, she hung up the phone right away and yawned, turning around and burying herself in Terence''s arms. But she was caught by surprise when she took a look at his face and asked, "Why is your face so red?"


    Upon hearing those words coming from her, Terence curled his lips and let out a snort, feeling so irritated. Then, he grabbed Carla''s hand all of a sudden and said, "Why is it so red? You slapped me several times last night. That''s why."


    "What? What do you mean I slapped you?"


    Raising her head, Carla stared at his handsome face in complete disbelief. "That''s weird. I remember swatting mosquitoes last night. How could it be..."


    However, before she could continue what she was trying to say, Terence''s face turned sullen. As he gave her a cold glance, he asked, "Do I look like a mosquito to you?"


    "No, No. That''s not what I meant. I dreamt of mosquitoes. I don''t regard you as one." Realizing that it was getting quite difficult to clear things up, she couldn''t help but smile at him, and she opted to simply keep her mouth shut.


    This only caused Terence''s face to darken even more. He simply wanted to hold her tight, but he couldn''t do that because she just wouldn''t let him at all. She kept on slapping his face every single time he tried to touch her. Did he turn into an annoying bug in her dream?


    "Did I slap you on this side? I''m really sorry. I''ll make it up to you. Come here and let me give you a massage..."


    With a smile on her face, she apologized to him and proceeded to rub his handsome red-flushed face. "Does it still hurt? Let me blow on it to ease the pain even if just a little."


    Upon saying that, Terence felt her warm breath on his face.


    However, as soon as she did that, Terence raised his head and looked straight into her eyes with his eyebrows deeply knit. "It''s my heart that''s aching."


    Left somewhat dumbfounded, Carla quickly held onto his fingers and massaged them.


    "What are you doing?" Terence asked, feeling a bit confused.


    "I''ve read somewhere that the nerves on the fingertips are connected to the heart. By doing this, your heart won''t be hurting anymore..."


    Hearing this, Terence made a face and burst into laughter. Then, he held her chin and quickly gave her a kiss on the lips. "The two of us being able to spend time like this in a romantic place is such a p


    ble to look after her instead.


    "Well, her husband belongs to the An family of JA city."


    As she told him that, Andrea carefully observed the expressions he made.


    Upon hearing her say those words, Gary lightly moved his cup from side to side. Then, with a look of amazement in his eyes, he stared at her and asked, "Who?"


    "Terence, the third son of the An family. Why? Is there something wrong? " Andrea glanced at him, feeling quite confused.


    Gary was left at such a loss for a moment there. When he finally regained his composure, he replied, "Well, it''s nothing. The An family is the wealthiest and the most powerful family in all of JA City. Your daughter is so lucky to be able to marry into the An family."


    That being said, Andrea simply smiled and shook her head, "That''s the first thing that everyone says when they hear about it. To be honest, that''s what I also thought at first. But after some time, I realized that I would rather she married into an ordinary family. That way, she wouldn''t have to bear so much suffering.


    "The higher a person stands, the more people can see her. And for that reason, a lot of people would come to envy and despise her, causing them to do things that would hurt her.


    At this point, my only wish is that she can live a safe and happy life. As her mother, I''ll be satisfied and more at ease with just that," Andrea exclaimed.


    Just as what was previously reported, Carla had been slandered by lots of different people.


    Be that as it might, as her mother, there was nothing much she could do but silently worry about her.


    Despite casually blurting those words out, it was actually quite natural for a mother to care about her child. However, Gary, who was sitting right across her, thought a bit differently.


    As she looked at him, seeming to have spaced out, Andrea went ahead and asked, "What''s the matter, Gary? Is everything alright?"

 Chapter 693 To Have A Second Child

    After hearing that, Gary came back to his senses and shook his head. "Oh, I''m fine. Let''s have a cup of tea."


    "Sure." Andrea beamed and grabbed the pot, filling Gary''s cup and hers with relaxing tea.


    ¡ª¡ª


    As they came out of the wooden house, Carla started to stretch herself while watching the blossoming red roses as the warm sunlight made contact with them. Her heart was filled with adoration, and she found the urges to take pictures. She grabbed her cellphone from her pocket and took a few photos of herself. Afterward, she strolled through the beds of flowers on each side.


    As the stroll ended, Terence came back and walked with her until they had reached their car.


    "We can come again next time if you really like it here. Isn''t mother coming at noon? You may want to go home early," He reminded, making her eyes widen.


    She looked at her wristwatch. "Oh my God! It''s almost ten in the morning? It''s all your fault! You said that the meal would be over in an hour, but look at what happened!"


    Carla complained.


    "Well, we finished at eight and left at nine o''clock. So, basically, the meal didn''t take that long. Just a reminder, you spent another hour with the roses. Do you remember now?" A smile made its way on his lips as he shook his head and shrugged.


    Carla made a face and stuck out her tongue at him. Afterward, she took out her phone from her pocket then looked at the pictures. Mostly, they were all images of flowers and photos of her with them.


    "Don''t worry. We still have time. I''ll drive you home first." Terence''s eyes glistened with affection as he placed his arm around her shoulder.


    At the moment, they were in the suburban area, and it would almost take about two hours of driving to reach the Seaview Villa.


    "Don''t mind me. Your work is the most important here." She paused for a moment before coming up with an idea. "How about this? I''ll just take a taxi to go home."


    As she shook her head, she thought to herself that it didn''t matter if her mother had to wait for a while, because she was her mom.


    "No. I should just skip it entirely since I am behind already for the whole morning. I''ll head back after driving you home first," he said with concern evident in his tone.


    After saying that, he turned his attention to their driver. "Rainer, take us home first."


    Rainer followed his order. During the drive home, Terence turned back to her. "Hey honey, there will be an art show in JA City in a few days. If you have time, you can ask your mother to go there with you.


    I know that she likes paintings that''s why I''m telling you this. Besides, she could see more works of other art


    ealizing that it was a picture of a young girl hidden in plain sight


    This painting was too abstract, and no one could tell if it was placed properly. Carla guessed that the staff had difficulty understanding it so he just hung it up randomly.


    Afterward, she turned around and saw that Steven was standing there with a smile on his face.


    "Steven? What are you doing here?"


    "Well, I have nothing else to do. That''s why I came here to have a look." His smile never disappeared as he stepped closer to her. "I can see that you like paintings too."


    "Well, I do. But I''m not really good at it. Let''s just say, it''s only my hobby," she said as she walked to another painting.


    "Really? Well, I have my paintings here in today''s exhibition. Would you take a guess which of these paintings are mine?"


    Steven asked with a beam while walking.


    Carla glanced at him then looked around the gallery. There were plenty of paintings there, and she asked herself how could she find them if there were too many?


    Another question was, what good would it bring?


    "Will I get a reward if I guess correctly?"


    With a raised eyebrow, she stared at him then at her mother who was busy looking at her painting on the other side.


    Steven thought for a while then said, "If you can guess which paintings are mine, I''ll buy one and give it to you as a gift, whatever you like. Is that okay with you?"


    Her eyes widened for a moment because she was just joking about the reward. When she turned to the grand finale of the exhibit, she wondered whether she should buy it or not.


    The son of the head of the JA City must be very rich. So if she could actually get a painting, she planned to sell it and donate the money to the poor people in the mountainous region.

 Chapter 694 Victor, Shut Up!

    "Carla, who''s this?"


    Andrea walked towards them while the two were conversing. She tilted her head at his direction, eyes scanning him from head to toe. He didn''t look familiar.


    "Mom, this is Steven. He''s from the Su Family," Carla introduced. She held Andrea''s arm, assisting her.


    Steven stood up at the introduction, tilting his head in acknowledgement. "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Aunt Andrea," he greeted politely.


    When she heard the surname, her lips curled in thought. It was familiar, and she just couldn''t put her finger on why it was so. In a few seconds, she clicked her fingers. "Mr. Su! Does that mean your father''s Gary Su, the new mayor?"


    "I..." Steven hesitated.


    He didn''t expect her, or anyone in that matter, to bring it up. Steven glanced at Carla whose eyebrows furrowed in thought. He still hadn''t told her about his identity¡ªwho he really was. And now, it was all out in the open.


    "Umm... yes!" Steven said in surprise. "You know him?"


    From the way Andrea brought it up, it seemed that she knew him not only as a mayor but as an acquaintance.


    Andrea nodded, "When I was younger, your father worked in HA City, so we crossed paths every now and then. It''s been years since we last saw each other though. Oh! Your mother, how is she? Do send her my regards."


    "I''ll be sure to tell her. She''s doing great," Steven beamed. He wasn''t expecting them to be friends, and a part of him was worried that they didn''t have the greatest history.


    She smiled back. Just by seeing him, she could already tell that he was a well-rounded young man. It made sense, given that he was Gary''s son.


    While the two were talking, Carla decided to join in. She took a sip from her drink and turned to Steven.


    "Mr. Su, now I''m wondering if our agreement still stands."


    Steven whirled back at her. His eyes glinted at the challenge and shrugged, "It still does.


    Once you recognize the painting, you win."


    Now that he was aware that Andrea and his father''s friendship went way back, he felt that it was now inappropriate to keep calling her Auntie. He tapped his finger on the table, thinking of what he could call her as.


    Unaware of what was happening, Carla continued to stare at the paintings. She scanned the style to the little flecks of paint that scattered across the canvas. She needed to win this. "You''re really sure you won''t go back on your word when I find the painting?" she asked.


    "Of course. But I do have to let you know that all these paintings are done by various outstanding painters across the country. No three paintings are done by the same person. It''s not easy to distinguish my work from other painters,"


    Steven continued. During the exhibition, there have been voting processes and expert commentaries on eve


    my turn to cash in. What painting do you want? That''s what you''ll have."


    "Seriously? Maybe I should join the lottery," she mused before pointing at one of the paintings.


    "You''re good at this! You didn''t just guess, did you?" Steven shook his head with a smile. "You know that I paint scenery, so you canceled out the others."


    Carla laughed in reply.


    "Go on and pick your favorite." Though he was being nonchalant, his heart was already beating fast. His forehead creased slightly as he waited for her answer.


    In order to draw the attention of the people, the gallery had invited two contemporary masterpieces. Carla wasn''t an expert in painting, not aware of their value. Though that wasn''t much of a problem at first, it was now.


    Carla decided to take one of the two, pointing at the painting that was hanging at the entrance of the exhibition. It was grand, with its pillars decorated with swirls and engravings.


    "That''s impossible. That painting''s just for display, Mrs. An. Pick another one, please!"


    Victor refused at once.


    He had stayed by Steven''s side and worked for his boss for so long, so he had learnt much about paintings and arts. The two paintings at the front-door stand were worth about a million each.


    If Carla insisted on her choice, she was no different from thieves¡ªgetting things they never deserved. At least, that was what Victor thought.


    "Victor, shut up!" Steven shot a glare before turning to Carla. "You got it. A moment please." Without another word, he walked towards the head office.


    Victor grew anxious, as he saw his boss leaving. He walked to Carla and begged, "Mrs. An, please don''t embarrass us! This is really a big ask. Can you pick another one? We couldn''t afford to pay for that painting."


    "Really? But he promised me. I didn''t force him."


    Carla''s eyes widened innocently.

 Chapter 695 The Backstage Manipulator

    "... Mrs. An, I don''t think that''s appropriate. Your family is rich and powerful. Why do you need my master to give it to you as a present?"


    When Victor heard her words, he cruelly spoke as he looked away.


    This money was nothing to their family, but the Su family was a political family, how could they earn so much?


    Andrea also came closer and said, "Callie, forget it. Just treat it like a game."


    Victor nodded his head and threw in immediately, "Yes, Mrs. An. Your family''s rich, so please don''t be so serious with our young master, okay?"


    That made Carla pout and disappointed when she heard their words. She wasn''t happy that she had wasted so much time on them and didn''t get anything in return.


    Before Steven came out, Carla gripped Andrea''s arm and waved at Owen.


    "In this case, tell your master that we''re leaving!"


    She dragged Andrea by the hand and left the exhibit hall.


    A few moments after they left, Steven walked out of the curator''s office to find that Carla wasn''t there anymore.


    "Victor, where did they go?"


    Lightly scratching the back of his head and looking away, Victor said, "I don''t know. Maybe they left because something urgent came up."


    The expression on Steven''s bright and handsome face turned cold when he saw Victor playing dumb. "Victor, tell me the truth. What did you say to her?"


    "Nothing, master. I didn''t say anything." Victor shrugged innocently.


    "You said nothing? Did you say that I didn''t have the money to buy a painting for her? Don''t you know that what you did was a slap in my face?!" Steven said with a frown.


    Although he wasn''t rich, he wasn''t poor. Besides, his father was acquainted with the painter who would sell the painting for a low price if he asked.


    "Master Steven, I know you thought of that. But I don''t think that''s necessary. You''re not courting her. Why would you do that?"


    Since his young master had seen through him, Victor didn''t hide the truth anymore.


    If Carla were unmarried, it would be understandable that Steven wanted to please her.


    A fair lady was a gentleman''s desire.


    But Carla was a married woman and she might be holding a grudge against the Su family. That was why it wasn''t necessary for Steven to do that for her.


    "Victor, don''t you know that a gentleman must keep his word?" Steven said in a co


    oked at the entrance of the spa club.


    "Mr. Bao, according to our investigation, this woman helped Steven secretly escape."


    The man adjusted his sunglasses while chewing his gum. He glanced inside the room and asked, "Have you investigated the woman''s background?"


    "Yes. She''s Terence''s wife," the guy with him replied.


    Mr. Bao smiled and pushed his sunglasses up his nose and lowered his hand to pat his watch.


    When he raised his wrist, the diamond of the watch was very eye-catching.


    "Really? They''re enemies. I don''t think that thing ended peacefully."


    "Hmm, it didn''t. But Steven is really grateful to her,"


    the guy said.


    "Is that true? Did he fall in love with another man''s wife? Should I help him win her heart?" The thought made Mr. Bao laugh as he stroked his chin.


    How would Terence react if he knew that his wife had an affair with a man who was younger than him?


    "But Mr. Arnold... she''s Mr. Terence''s wife. If we irritate him, then..." The guy''s words trailed off.


    "What are you afraid of? He used to be the prince of JA city and no one dared to do anything to him. But now it''s different. His time is over."


    There was a bright and vicious look in Mr. Bao''s eyes under his sunglasses. "If you want to change the master of JA City, you have to make a great sensation. I don''t believe that the An family can be in control forever."


    "Yes, Mr. Bao, I''ll do as you say."


    The guy didn''t dare to say anything else and just obediently nodded.


    Mr. Bao waved him closer and gave him a whispered order.

 Chapter 696 Retribution Was What Carla Got When She Did Something Good

    "But Mr. Bao, how can I persuade him to go there?" asked the man, with creases on his forehead.


    "Are you a moron?" barked Mr. Bao, as if he couldn''t believe someone could be so stupid. "Give him a piece of paper saying the woman was kidnapped because she saved him last time. I''m sure he will definitely take the bait," he added, almost rolling his eyes at him.


    "That''s brilliant, sir! I''ll do it right away!" replied the man, his eyes suddenly lighting up.


    He then got out of his car and got into another one, ready to carry out his boss''s orders.


    Mr. Bao relaxed a little, smiling viciously as he slid in his seat in the car. Casually, he spit the gum out of the car, rolled up the window, and ordered his driver to move just with a hand gesture.


    Back at the women''s spa club, Wearing nothing but a white towel around her beautiful body after taking a bath, Carla lay on the massage bed, her wet hair stuck to her gleaming back. A masseuse prepared the oils for her and slowly started massaging her from the head down.


    Relaxing music played in the background. That, combined with lavender incense that filled the air lulled her into a sense of dizziness. Soon, she began to feel sleepy, ready to indulge in a world of fragrant dreams.


    To ensure privacy, everyone had individual rooms adorned with beautiful flowers and large plants.


    Andrea too was at the spa, in a room next to Carla''s.


    Carla''s body was fully relaxed, all her tension released.


    She napped for a few hours. Sadly, she did not wake up in the same state that she had slept in.


    A feeling of anxiety got hold of her heart as soon as she opened her eyes. Something was definitely wrong. She sat up with a shock, immediately checking herself and her surroundings.


    ''Why am I not in the same room?'' she thought, her eyes wide with panic.


    She rubbed her dizzy head and got off the bed. She fastened the bathrobe on her chest, getting a hold of herself.


    Her head and body felt heavy, so much that she had to rest her hand on the bed to gain balance. Even when she managed to stand still, she found herself incapable of walking after a few steps.


    With her head spinning, and feet weak, she suddenly spotted a man lying on the ground.


    She could only see the side of his face, but recognized who he was since she had seen him this morning. It was no one else but Steven.


    "Hey. Hey, wake up..." she said, bending down to check on him. E


    o this spa because it was close by.


    "I just can''t figure out what they want. We were taken to a room together. But now they are nowhere around! What is going on?!"


    Carla asked, looking back at him. Frustration marred her face.


    To her surprise, Steven''s face reddened.


    Steven touched his warm cheeks and frowned. Before he had lost consciousness, he had a vague feeling that someone was feeding him something. Now he was feeling it kick in. Could it be...?


    "What''s the matter?"


    Carla asked, looking at Steven curiously.


    Steven turned his head away so she wouldn''t be able to see him and took a deep breath. "Don''t worry. We just need to be patient and wait for someone to find us."


    "Hey... Were you drugged?"


    Carla inferred because she once had had the same experience as him.


    She tried to examine her own body. Nothing felt too unusual. She was only slightly dizzy but that was probably because of the heavy incense.


    "I... Am I incompetent? I should have given you a painting today, but I broke my promise. Now you are in trouble. I can''t save you, and..."


    Steven couldn''t bear the feeling of shame coursing through him right now. He had never felt like a coward before. Now, he felt both powerless and helpless.


    "It''s not so bad! You are still young. It''s just one lesson you have to learn. Sometimes, we are fooled by things and that''s acceptable," Carla said, standing by the window.


    Would Andrea find out that she was missing? If she did, she wouldn''t hesitate to let Terence know.


    She knew Terence would be able to find her quickly. All she needed to do was wait patiently.

 Chapter 697 Steven Was Drugged

    Meanwhile, Andrea was ready to go outside of her room. She thought that Carla was already waiting for her, so she rushed to the waiting area.


    She was surprised to find no one in the lounge. She wondered if Carla had come out of her room yet, and so, she turned back to head towards her daughter''s room.


    Once she got there, she quickly knocked on the door.


    "Callie, are you in there?"


    After waiting awhile, she wondered why there wasn''t any response coming from inside. Andrea knocked on the door once again, this time a bit louder.


    "Callie? Callie, are you in there?"


    There was no sound at all no matter how long she waited. Andrea reluctantly turned the doorknob only to find out that the door wasn''t locked. She slowly opened the door and was shocked at the first thing she saw.


    A masseuse in uniform was lying on the bed, unconscious. She hurriedly entered the room and moved around to check the entire area, however, Carla was nowhere to be found!


    "Callie..."


    The shock left Andrea too scared to react for a moment. After she came back to her senses, she quickly took out her cellphone and contacted Terence.


    "Terence! Ca-Callie... Callie''s missing!"


    ¡ª¡ª


    In a room upstairs from where Andrea was currently panicking, Carla was trapped with Steven.


    Steven heard her words loud and clear and knew the implication behind them. He knew that he was still young. But now that he had the chance to be with the woman he liked, he hated it.


    "I have already discussed with the curator about the technicalities for the painting. I was going out to have it packed up for you. But when I came back, you had already left.


    It doesn''t matter now. Either way, I''ll still have someone send you the painting after we get out of here,"


    Steven said with his back faced towards Carla.


    Carla, who was looking outside, glanced at the boy who was currently lost in his thoughts. "Whatever," she muttered out a small reply.


    If he really insisted on this, then she couldn''t persuade him to stop.


    Steven faced the wall with his eyes closed and his teeth gritting silently. The strange feeling was coursing through his body and mind, it made him tremble a little bit.


    He felt that it was too shameful for him to look at Carla straight in the eye right now.


    The truth of the matter was that he was afraid of turning around to look at her, no... He was afraid of her eyes, He was afraid that he might see in her eyes that she would be looking down on him.


    Carla started to pace back and forth in the room. Time passed, and the night deepened, she couldn''t help but grow more anxious.


    "Steven, did you come here alone? Does Victor know you''re here? Does he know that you''re missing?"


    She walked over to Steven and asked with a clear yet anxious voice.


    However, she stopped when she saw him sweating profusely. She felt stunned at herself for forgetting the fact that he was drugged. Steven was suffering right now.


    "Steven... If you can''t control it, then you can help yo


    difficult for you to stop fantasizing... But please calm down. I believe that someone will come and help us soon!"


    She could only try to persuade him since she was worried that Terence might not be able to come in time. There was nothing else she could do.


    While all this was happening, the entrance of the club was surrounded by a dense crowd.


    "Mr. Terence, I have already checked all the surveillance footage of the area. We didn''t find any sign that Mrs. Andrea had left the premises," Nathan reported as a look of worry began to appear on his face.


    "This means that she''s still in here somewhere! Nathan! Rainer! Bring people with you to search every room on all the floors!"


    Terence said with a frown. He also walked inside to search for Carla with another group of people.


    Outside of Carla''s room, Andrea was pacing back and forth anxiously.


    How could this be?


    How could something go wrong here? Who on earth was trying to hurt her daughter?


    Upstairs, in the dimly lit room, Steven couldn''t help but pant as he felt a hot raging stream running wild in his body. Yet, there was no outlet for it.


    "Steven, are you okay?"


    Carla quickly grabbed him when he was about to fall to the ground. She helped him to the bed only to find that his body seemed to be getting hotter by the minute.


    She looked around and found nothing that could help lower his temperature.


    Carla noticed Steven''s brown leather shoes on his feet as she glanced around the room.


    An idea struck her. She took his shoes off and walked over to the window with Steven''s shoes in her hand, she carefully looked at it and then suddenly hit the window hard.


    The glass windows were fairly hard, she persisted on hitting the window multiple times until she finally saw cracks starting to form. It seemed that the window could no longer bear the force put on it by Carla. She raised her arm and gathered up all her strength for one final hit. She swung hard with determination. The window finally broke.

 Chapter 698 How Dare You Wear His Clothes

    Fortunately, it was the right time.


    People were searching the rooms downstairs one by one when a loud noise grabbed their attention.


    Two minutes later, Carla heard someone kick at the door.


    Doors were opened one by one and finally, theirs was opened.


    There was only relief in her when Carla saw the man who kicked the door open and she rushed towards him.


    "... Terence, you''re finally here!"


    Carla heaved a sigh of relief and hugged him tightly. Her heart was still pounding in her chest.


    "Are you all right?"


    Terence held her in his arms and heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that she was fine. But his relief was short-lived when he saw Steven lying on the bed.


    It only took one more look for him to notice that Carla was wearing another man''s clothes and that made him frown.


    "Why is he here?"


    A coat was draped on Carla as Terence spoke coldly. "Did he do anything to you?"


    Carla shook her head and also looked at Steven who motionlessly laid on the bed. "What can he do to me when he looks like that?"


    If it had been another man, she would have been raped, but Steven managed to suppress his lust and ended up passing out.


    "That''s good. Let''s go." Terence cradled her in his arms when he noticed that she wasn''t wearing shoes.


    "Wait!"


    Carla tugged at his clothes, pointed at Steven, "Let''s get him out with us. He did what he could to protect me. He was drugged and passed out because he controlled his lust."


    It was a fact that if Carla didn''t tell him the truth, Terence would have no plans to save Steven because he was the son of the Su family.


    But it was for Carla''s sake and it was her request, so Terence decided to listen.


    "Nathan, get him into the car and take him to the nearest hospital."


    "Yes, Mr. Terence,"


    Nathan replied and went to the bed just to find that Steven was lying still. He said to the bodyguard next to him, "Give me a hand. He passed out."


    Those words made Carla pause and turn to say something, despite being carried out of the room, but T


    ot more complicated the more she spoke and Terence just got angrier.


    "Don''t go just anywhere, if you have to be alone. I''ll set up a private club for you. And reduce your shopping. Tell me which brands you like and I''ll arrange for people to send the latest fashions to you on time,"


    Terence said, frowning.


    There was a thorough investigation to be carried out because he suspected that the Su family might be behind this.


    But when he saw Gary''s son there, he knew it was more complicated than he thought.


    The invincibility the An family had enjoyed disappeared when his grandfather died.


    There would definitely be someone hiding in the dark and secretly scheming against them.


    There would be a lot of people who would be happy to take the place of their family.


    "I know. It''s just an accident today. I''ll stay with mom and you don''t have to bother to do that,"


    Carla said while clinging to his arm and shaking it. She didn''t think it was necessary to build a club for her and hire someone to look after her.


    "An accident? I''ve had it checked that someone added some overpowering drug in the incense. Even the masseuse passed out after inhaling it. Do you think you could have avoided it by being with your mother?"


    Terence said coldly.


    It wasn''t an accident. Someone did it on purpose.


    And that person was powerful.

 Chapter 699 Troubled Autumn

    But who was it that dared to lay his filthy hands on his wife?


    Not only could he arrange people to come in and out of this club in JA City, but could also get his people upstairs without anybody noticing. What a capable man.


    Moreover, he also went after the mayor''s son. That was bold of him to do so.


    "It''s settled then. From now on, don''t go out as much as possible unless you get my permission to do so. If you really have to go out, you have to ask one of our people to follow you closely wherever you go,"


    Terence said with resolute eyes.


    Until he found out who this person was and got rid of him or her, it would be better for Carla not to leave home.


    Carla looked at Terence with the words at the tip of her tongue and swallowed them back because she knew he was thinking of her. What scared her the most was losing her freedom. It was fine that she was staying at home, but she needed to get his permission to go out? This wasn''t something she wanted.


    But now she could see that Terence was furious. Despite what she really felt, she reluctantly agreed with him for the time being and then decided to talk to him once everything cooled down.


    "I got it,"


    She looked down at the floor and answered obediently in a timid voice.


    He saw Carla lowering her head, clearly upset about the circumstances. He raised her chin and kissed her lips. "Carla... There''s a lot that''s going on. I can''t let you get hurt anymore.


    The only thing that I want right now is that both of you and our daughter can safely stay with me. As for other matters, I wouldn''t even care if it is the end of the world!"


    Terence proclaimed while gazing at her eyes affectionately.


    Carla nodded and proceeded to hug his waist. "Yes, I know honey."


    After a while, Carla was taken back to Seaview Villa in order to be protected.


    Clearly oblivious to the events that transpired, Sally ran to her mother as soon as she saw her.


    "Mommy! I learned a new song in kindergarten today. I wanna sing it for you!"


    She didn''t directly go upstairs after hugging her mother since she wanted to prepare a show for her.


    Carla felt a bit of the gloom in her heart lifted once she saw her daughter''s innocent and lively face. She proceeded to put away the sadness on her face and put on a smile. She said, "Sure, I can''t wait to see it! Just wait for me for a second okay? I ne


    rity footage inside and outside of the club?"


    Nathan nodded in response. "Yes, I''ll check everything tomorrow to see if I can find any useful information."


    Terence patted his shoulder with a sigh. "Thank you for your hard work. Someone''s trying to hurt Carla. This means that he is not afraid of us. This type of person is extremely dangerous. This is why we have to find him as soon as possible!"


    "Mr. Terence, Sir, don''t worry. I''ll have our people expand the search area and double their efforts," Nathan said with his head lowered.


    Terence thought for a moment before continued, "Also, help me investigate whether our new mayor has offended someone in the recent years. And if he did, check if those people have any connections in JA City. This might help us a bit."


    Terence grew more confused. He wondered who the true target of these people was. Him or Gary?


    Or maybe... both of them?


    Terence then saw Nathan off once their conversation was finished.


    Terence went upstairs and entered the bedroom only to find that Carla wasn''t in there. He turned around and heard the sound of water coming from the bathroom. He opened the door quickly and finally felt relieved after he saw her. He sighed and went to the balcony.


    Carla saw his worried face and couldn''t help but think that he was being unnecessarily nervous about this.


    After she came out of the bathroom in a bathrobe, she headed towards the balcony and saw him smoking. She walked closer towards him with the intent of


    hugging him from behind, but he suddenly turned around and embraced her.

 Chapter 700 We Try Harder

    "What did you say? Are you afraid that I would run away?"


    Carla rubbed her head on his arm.


    As Terence finished the remaining cigarette in the ashtray from the windowsill, he held her waist with his hands.


    "Why would I not be worried about you? You have your freedom to do so. If I didn''t notice, you would leave me behind. I even have no idea where to start looking for you!"


    The light smell of the cigarette from his breath fanned onto her face as soon as she looked upon him. "Well, it''s different now. There''s a thick rope pulling me from running away."


    "What about Sally?" He raised his eyebrow.


    "I won''t fly away with her and even if I do, I''ll just show up around." Giving him an assuring smile, she encircled her arms around his neck.


    Ever since she gave birth to Sally, she felt as if there was a knot tied around her heart all the time. She always had to take care of her daughter first, no matter what happened.


    She flinched when he slapped her hip.


    "What are you doing?" She glared at him while rubbing her upper thigh.


    "What about me? Do you have any place for me in your heart? Only your daughter matters to you?"


    Jealousy was evident in his eyes at that moment. If one day he had to choose between Carla and his daughter, he would choose Carla without a doubt.


    Though he cared for his daughter, Carla was much more important to him.


    However, it looked like Sally was more important than him now.


    "Of course not. I''m not done with my words yet. You are her biological father. Of course, I will also think of you while being trapped."


    She tried to hold back her laughter and quickly pulled out from his arms before he could even respond.


    But he was much faster than her because he grabbed her arm and pulled her back into his arms then groaned. "Congrats, you have successfully pissed me off. I suggest you better stay in bed tomorrow and don''t go anywhere else."


    "Why not?" She whined.


    "Sally is the rope that keeps on dragging you, right? I think one is not enough so it''s better to have more ropes for you."


    Grinding his teeth, he leaned closer to her face then bit her lower lip. He scooped her up and walked towards the bed.


    "Well, you are really brilliant if you can im


    t say that it was effective. Even half a bottle of that could make him go wild. That drug made him so exhausted from all the sex. He wondered to himself if Steven was made of stone.


    Not to mention, there was a naked woman wrapped in a bath towel, and Steven was even fond of that woman. He shouldn''t have the power to control himself after taking a whole bottle of the medicine.


    "But Mr. Bao, we even watched from the opposite building. And I''m telling you the truth, he really managed to control himself!" Depression was obvious to the man''s face as he was also expecting that their plan would work.


    According to the plan, as soon as Terence opened the door, the first thing that he would see was Steven and his wife having sex in that room.


    However, it was as if they were unlucky enough because contrary to their expectations, Steven controlled his urges and prevented himself from touching the woman.


    No one had ever thought that their plan would fail.


    "Warn our men to be cautious next time. I know that Terence is a tough kind of man, and I''m afraid he would get his revenge." As he took another smoke, he turned around and went out of that room.


    He clenched his jaw while thinking about another plan. If that didn''t work, then he must make something else. He didn''t expect that the idea to make the war between the Su family and An family more severe, would back fire and end up like that.


    But it didn''t matter.


    There were plenty of opportunities in the future.

 Chapter 701 A Strange Bracelet

    During that night, Gary rushed to the hospital as soon as he got news that


    Steven was sent there.


    "Steven, are you okay now?" The worrisome face of Gary appeared at Steven''s side.


    Steven was lying on the bed, still looking weak due to the medication given to him. The doctor had given him a small dose of something similar to a tranquilizer. The effect of the drug was quite strong that it made it difficult for him to get up.


    At this moment, a bit of redness could be seen from his bright and handsome face, and it was evidently something caused by the medicine.


    "Dad, you don''t need to worry about me. I''m fine. But the whole thing that happened was too strange. Do you know who did it?"


    Steven couldn''t help but ask with curiosity while he struggled to try to sit up.


    In the past, he had never asked too much about his father''s business. This was also because Gary wouldn''t allow him to do so, for he was worried that Steven might get involved in the problems. But now, the situation was getting extremely serious. He could no longer abide by his father''s wishes.


    They were exposed in the light, whereas the enemies were hidden in the depths of darkness.


    The situation was clearly disadvantageous for them. If things went on like this, he wouldn''t be able to protect himself.


    "Damn it! Who else could it be? There was no denying the fact that the attackers were the subordinates from the Qu family. It was now evident that they''re too cruel and cunning, obviously moving around with no remorse for their actions. They even dared to hire people from illegal channels! It''s clearly apparent that the Qu family wants to steal the position as mayor from me. They had already tried to persuade me out of my status through negotiation and threats. Hmph! I refused them.


    But I didn''t expect that they would resort to this. They know that I only have one son... and that you are my only weakness. They did this as a warning to me."


    Gary clenched his fists in anger. But since he had already rejected the Qu family, and with what they did to his son, he couldn''t change his mind anymore.


    If he had agreed to the Qu family''s conditions and lived under their protection, then he would have had to obey their orders for the rest of his life without any right to deny them. If that ever happened, then there would be no way for him to fight back anymore, let alone to compete against the An family.


    "Dad... What should we do then? We can''t let them control us like this!" Steven''s wrathful voice could be heard outside. He was not afraid of fighting against the Qu family. The only thing he was worried about was that innocent people might get involved in this because of him.


    Fortunately, nothing too serious happened this time. Otherwise, he would live with the guilt to his grave.


    "Steven, don''t worry too much. I''ve already been searching for evidence


    hat JA City isn''t really that peaceful now. How about coming back to HA City with me?"


    "Mom, it''s useless even if I do that. If they''re really insistent on what they''re planning, then I won''t be safe even if I escape to HA City," Carla held Andrea''s hand and explained to her with a reassuring smile. "Don''t worry, I know how to handle this since I''ve already experienced all sorts of things. Trust me," she continued.


    She wouldn''t be scared by such a small incident after everything she had been through.


    Andrea let out a sigh of relief after hearing Carla''s words. She thought that what had happened yesterday was definitely not a small incident and what would happen to her in the future was too unpredictable, which was why it was even more terrifying.


    "I''ll go the temple to ask the fortune teller for some predictions for you. Please tell me when you can settle down. What the hell is happening nowadays? This is scaring me to death!"


    Carla couldn''t help but burst into laughter when she heard her mother''s words, "Mom? When did you become so superstitious?"


    "I can''t help but believe them, now that you''ve suffered so much. There''s a temple in HA City and I heard that their fortune tellers there work like magic. I''ll tell you the results later."


    Andrea passed the clothes to Carla and continued with her words, "You should get up now. You still have some things to do."


    After that, Andrea left the bedroom.


    Carla looked at the clothes her mother picked out for her and began to put them on. She still felt uncomfortable with the bracelet around her wrist since it was a little heavy.


    But she had no other choice because she didn''t know how to take it off yet.


    As soon as Terence came back in the evening, Carla pulled him into their bedroom and extended her hand in front of him, while pointing the bracelet with her other hand.


    "Tell me, did you put this bracelet on my wrist?"

 Chapter 702 Taking You For A Ride

    Terence was suddenly pushed against the wall by her. The strength that emanated from her arms made him smile. He took a look at the bracelet on her wrist and replied with a smile, "Yes. That was me. What''s wrong with it?"


    "What the hell is it? It feels so heavy. Take it off me!" Carla snapped at him and shook the bracelet on her wrist. It felt like she was in handcuffs.


    Terence smiled and replied, "No. Just make do with it for now. I''ll change it for you when a lighter one comes out."


    Carla was stunned upon hearing his words. What did he mean? Was there anything special about the bracelet?


    "It couldn''t be a gold band that can be used to control me, right?"


    She worriedly shook the bracelet once again and asked him.


    "Of course not, it''s just something to ensure your safety. You don''t need to worry about it, just pretend it''s not there. You''ll get used to it." He pulled her arm down and revealed an enchanting grin. He kissed her lips before saying, "Carla. I''m a little hungry right now. Can we go downstairs to eat dinner?"


    "You won''t be going anywhere unless you take this off for me! I can''t sleep with this heavy thing on my wrist!"


    Carla said as she placed her arm in front of his face again.


    Terence kissed the hand in front of him in response. "Carla, please be a good girl. Your man is starving to death right now. Let''s talk about this after dinner, okay?"


    "Well, promise first, you''re going to do it!"


    Carla said as she stepped forward.


    Terence smiled and held her hand instead. "Come on. Let''s go downstairs and have dinner together," he urged.


    He went downstairs with Carla in tow.


    During dinner, Andrea announced her decision that she was going back to HA City the next morning.


    "Grandma! I don''t want you to leave! Please stay for a few more days!"


    Sally said as she pouted and grasped Andrea''s hands.


    "I''m sorry Sally, but there''s something urgent for me to deal with back in HA City." Andrea turned to look at Carla as she said.


    The truth was, she didn''t want to leave her grand-daughter. But there were a lot of things she had to deal with, in the Hua family, she had no choice but to leave the next


    it was neither of those.


    Terence brought Carla to the garage, got on his motorcycle and handed her a helmet.


    "Come on! I''ll take you out for a ride!"


    If you''re in a bad mood, you can go out for a walk or a ride. The scenery and fresh air can help you cheer up.


    Night in JA City was extremely beautiful. Although it was already late autumn, the streets were still bright and mesmerizing.


    Carla hugged Terence''s waist as they rode through the streets and lanes.


    It was a long ride for them, but they enjoyed it.


    "Are you feeling better now?" Terence asked her now that they''re back at their house.


    Carla nodded, she felt rejuvenated now. She hugged him with her cheek pressing against his coat. "Yeah. Thank you, Terence."


    "Don''t be silly. All of us have bad days. When we live in this world, we''ll have to face numerous emotions; either happy or not. No matter how painful they are, they help us grow. This is what we have to face no matter the age.


    "If you''re ever in a bad mood next time, don''t hold it in. Let it out!"


    Terence said with a smile as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders.


    Carla raised her head from his arms, looked at him with a smile and sneeringly said, "Good speech, as expected from the CEO of the AJ Group, you''re indeed so eloquent."


    "Now, are you going to follow your promise to take off the bracelet from my wrist?


    Carla lifted her hand once more and put it in front of his face.

 Chapter 703 The Meeting Between Gary And Henry (Part One)

    Seeing that she still remembered it, Terence held her hand and looked at her with a warm smile. Every time he looked at her, he was reminded of how much he loved her. "It''s dark and cold out here. Let''s get inside first..." he said, touching her arm gently.


    Currently, they were standing at the door of the garage, feeling the chill in the air. The moonlight fell on Carla''s skin, making it gleam.


    They had gone around the neighborhood, talking about how their day went, how beautiful the night was. By the time they got back, it was already midnight.


    As the neighborhood was close to the sea, the wind at night was especially strong during this season. The chilly wind struck Terence''s body, almost making it shudder.


    Carla too shivered at once. Without wasting another second, she threw herself into his arms, breathing in the warmth of his body. Terence put his hand at the back of her head, stroking it gently.


    He couldn''t help but smile seeing how Carla was stuck to him. Sometimes, she was way too cute! He then put both his arms around her, hugging her so tight that he almost squished her! He turned around, shielding her from the brisk, cold wind.


    As soon as they entered the villa, they headed upstairs to their cozy and warm bedroom.


    "Can I take the bracelet off from my wrist, now? My goodness, I feel so cold even my voice is trembling."


    Her nose was red, lips dark, hair stuck to the side of her face. Terence took one look at her and wet his lips, letting out a small sigh. Before she could go any further, he suddenly pressed his lips to hers.


    Carla resisted at first, and then indulged, letting his soft lips envelop hers. Meanwhile, she also understood this man had no intention of allowing her to take off the bracelet.


    This happened every single time she brought


    ermination in his eyes, and anticipation in Henry''s.


    "But you shouldn''t have taken any action at this time. Do you realize you are already exposed?"


    Henry was stunned. To hide his surprised face, he looked down and started to caress the diamond watch he was wearing on his wrist. He took some time to think of what he had to say. Then with his eyes still low, he said, "Please have a seat, Mr. Su... Let us talk with a little more detail, shall we? What are you talking about? I don''t think I understand...


    I am only a businessman. How dare I do something against a mayor?"


    He shrugged his shoulders, as if he was the most innocent. He pretended like he didn''t know anything, denying everything that Gary was claiming.


    Gary raised one of his eyebrows. It appeared like it was going to take longer that he had thought. The reason he had come here today was because Henry had tried to lay a hand on Steven several times already.


    Gary had to deal not only with his government affairs, but also pay attention to the An family. Now he knew Henry was trying to go after him. He couldn''t pay attention to everything at once, so he came to see Henry personally so he could make a deal with him.

 Chapter 704 The Meeting Between Gary And Henry (Part Two)

    "Mr. Bao...surely you understand I am pretty certain about what I know if I have come all the way here to see you personally... You have tried to hurt Steven over and over again. Did you really think I will never find out about it?"


    Henry''s mouth fell open. With firm, difficult steps, he walked to the chair opposite Gary and sat down with his arms crossed. He was still hesitant to admit what he had done, so he stayed silent and listened.


    "Mr. Bao, you''re a smart person. But now the situation in JA city is critical. Do you really think it''s a good idea to be against your mayor instead of cooperating with him? We should never forget who our common enemy is. A lot of people are now aware of the position of the An family. We all want to replace them, but it''s not something that can be done by you or me alone!"


    Gary then paused, looking at Henry expectantly, but Henry had no answer. He then tapped the table with his forefinger and continued to speak.


    "Perhaps you are aware about my relationship with the An family? I suggest that you put aside your boss'' instructions and consider my advice. Don''t work blindly, learn how to read the situation. You might even get a chance to kill two birds with one stone."


    Henry''s lips remained pursed. He brushed his hand on the soft wood of the table, plotting what he had to say now. "Mr. Su..." he said, finally raising his eyes to him. "You are a big shot now...as the top leader of JA City. Isn''t it condescending for you to co-operate with me?"


    Gary closed his eyes and smiled, and then opened them again with a sense of determination in them. "Mr. Bao, I have a lot of responsibilities to take for this countr


    oth him and me. There''s no reason for him not to cooperate with me."


    "Really? That''s good. We can take advantage of him. You may rest assured now," said the secretary.


    Gary closed his eyes. "We still need to be cautious. The An family isn''t easy to take down. They still have great influence and power in JA City. If I want to take them down, I need to have a hundred percent chance of winning!" he said calmly.


    Gary thought Marcus'' downfall would only be prelude to destroying the whole family. But now, it seemed like they were ready to sacrifice Marcus to save their reputation. That was something beyond Gary''s expectation.


    Now he needed to think of another way.


    He had even considered laying his hands on Carla to use her as leverage. But he couldn''t do that after finding out she was Andrea''s daughter.


    Besides, he knew Steven, his own son, was protecting her.


    At the moment, the only thing that could work in his favor was reaching out to Henry.


    He was the best to cooperate with since he had just the right amount of power, money, brains and the most important, hatred for An family.

 Chapter 705 Beautiful As A Flower

    A war had started between Henry and Terence.


    No matter how deep he hid it, Terence would still discover it sooner or later. Gary examined the whole situation and offered Henry a deal. It would be all good for Gary''s concern as long as Henry was willing to work together.


    Though they were once mortal enemies, Gary was willing to set his hatred for Henry aside for a while and go against the main enemy - the An family. If Henry had the same viewpoint then there was nothing to worry about.


    He had high expectations that he would receive a positive response from Henry.


    However, Henry was a clever man, and he was the kind of guy who would cooperate only if there was some benefit for him to take advantage of. If there wasn''t, then it would be hard for Gary to persuade him. Right at that moment, he was planning to let Henry realize that cooperating was worth a shot.


    Meanwhile, in the Seaview Villa.


    Carla had been staying home for several days, making her almost forget what the outside world looked like.


    As she placed the brush on the table, she stretched her arms and then stepped towards the window. The calming sound of the waves of the blue ocean made her feel relaxed.


    Fidgeting with the tracker that looked like a bracelet, she sighed. If she ever made a single step, the man next door would know where she was going.


    After a while, her phone started ringing.


    She turned her attention to the mobile phone on the table. She rolled her eyes and walked towards it. Standing in front of the table, she grabbed her phone and pressed the answer button.


    "Hey, is it really important for you to check on me from time to time? I didn''t go outside today."


    She sat on the couch and crossed her legs.


    "I believe you must be so desperate to go out, and that''s why I''m taking you out tonight for dinner. Be my companion and I''ll take you for a large feast." Terence said through the phone.


    "I''m not going out with you. There''s nothing enjoyable going to dinner," she murmured.


    A few days ago, Kaylee took her to four dinner parties in a row, just to open up her eyes and lead her into the life of celebrities. She had almost been able to remain calm, and was able to adapt to it.


    But being herself, she didn''t really like that kind of event because she only felt so exhausted.


    Under those friendly and kind gestures of everyone, smiling was their way to hide their true colors. Carla knew that they were planning something, God knows what. That was why she didn''t like parties because aside from that, it was really tiring to talk with them.


    "Are you sure? Everyone has to go with their companions. If you don''t come with me, then I''ll just arrange for someone else to go." A slight smile appeared on his lips.


    As she heard him say that, she raised her eyebrow and leaned against the sofa. "Okay, if you say so. I know you are faithful to me and I always trust your devotion."


    It was really normal for hi


    erent. I am afraid I might lose you in the crowd when we''re at the dinner party." He lifted her chin up and had a closer look at her delicate face.


    Though he got used to Carla''s natural face, this new look of hers made his heart go wild. It seemed that she had changed into another person, which was strange and familiar at the same time. Most of all, she was more beautiful than ever.


    "Carla, you are like a queen now."


    The beautiful evening dress made her look like a noble female celestial coming down from the cloud, dignified and beautiful.


    She fluttered her long eyelashes with a wide smile, giving such irresistible elegance. "Then, what are you going to do to welcome your queen?"


    "Well, I''ll give my queen a long kiss. A kiss that she wouldn''t forget that easily."


    Without saying another word, he leaned closer and captured her juicy lips, moving their lips a bit.


    She pulled away and looked at his lips. It was smudged with her rouge lipstick, making her laugh. "I think, it''ll be great if you wear makeup."


    A thought came up to her mind. She remembered that he had once worn a woman''s clothes when they got married. It was according to the traditional rules of marriage. It was still fresh in her memory when Theo got enticed with his stunning look.


    After hearing her words, he raised his eyebrows then looked at the rear-view mirror and saw the smudged lipstick on his lips. He shook his head and wiped it out using a piece of tissue. Then he turned to her with a smile. "It''s not needed. I, Terence, am responsible for making money and taking good care of my family. Just like a soldier, I don''t need to look fragile. I think a beautiful and delicate flower is responsible for it, and that''s you."


    Afterward, they started driving to a particular place until they had finally arrived at the dinner party.


    Their driver, Nathan, parked the car steadily in front of the door of the banquet hall and then opened the door for them.

 Chapter 706 Revenge (1)

    As Terence was helping Carla out of the car, he spotted a man and a woman exiting the car next to his. They stopped to peer out as they moved their way closer to him.


    "Terence? Bringing back a beauty? Tell me, where did you catch her?"


    Theo narrowed his gaze over the woman who had her head faced downwards. She was familiar. He turned to Terence, keeping his eyes on her.


    "I picked her up on the street."


    Carla stifled a snort as Terence assisted her to the gates of the banquet hall. Her heels clicked on the pavement as they walked side by side, blocking Theo''s sight.


    "Really? Which street? Maybe I should give it a visit." Theo tilted his head, trying to get a better look at the woman''s face to no avail.


    ''Why can''t I pick up that beauty?'' Theo thought, disgruntled about the missed opportunity. He was already itching to get himself another girl to have fun with.


    Terence glowered when he noticed Theo staring, very obviously, at his wife. He shoved him roughly, mouth shaped in a thin line. "Look at her that way, and I''ll gouge your eyes out," he threatened.


    "Why are you so angry? What would your wife think? You think I won''t tell her? If she knew about this, you''d be dead."


    Theo scowled at Terence, his eyebrows furrowing. He just couldn''t believe Terence would go out of his way to protect her, when he already had his own wife at home.


    Carla had kept a straight face for so long, not wanting to be recognized throughout the whole ordeal. However, after hearing Theo''s words, she couldn''t help but burst into laughter. "Mr. Huo, though I do thank you for your kindness, that isn''t necessary."


    Theo slowly blinked.


    ''This voice...''


    He slapped himself on the forehead, realization dawning on him. No wonder she was so familiar to him. The woman was no other than Carla herself.


    As Theo processed this, he couldn''t help but shake his head at the thought. Obviously who else would it be?


    In the banquet hall.


    As soon as Carla stepped inside the banquet hall, she couldn''t help but stand in awe at the lavish designs. The high ceilings glittered from its expensive ornaments, blinking at the guests. This was different from all the parties that Auntie Kaylee had taken her to¡ªthis was definitely more prestigious.


    Terence wouldn''t


    into Theo''s ear. Theo''s eyes glinted.


    "Okay, I got it."


    Although he was a mischievous man who always seemed to get into trouble, Theo was always serious in helping his friends.


    The banquet came to the second half quickly, now serving more entertainment for the mostly tipsy guests.


    Theo pretended to be drunk as he stumbled around the hall. His wine glass swayed from side to side. Once he saw his target coming in, he fell over, spilling the wine all over the man''s shirt.


    "Oh, sorry, sorry! I didn''t see you," he slurred.


    Theo made a quick apology, glancing up at the man, silently cheering himself for what he did.


    The man was Henry.


    Henry glanced down at his white suit which had been dirtied by red and purple from the spilled wine. The stains were so bad that Theo had to step backward to get a better look at his accomplishment. Henry reddened in anger.


    "You bastard! How can I see people in this suit?"


    There were only few people outside the bathroom, and Henry couldn''t help but swear like a sailor. He was turning purple now, hands curling into the fists.


    Theo''s eyes widened momentarily. He had been told that the man was impolite, he didn''t expect that ''impolite'' meant being an asshole to everybody.


    "Seriously? I have already said sorry, you don''t need to be such an ass. It''s a crappy suit anyway. I''ll pay for it,"


    Theo said, gnashing his teeth. He let his wine glass fall from his grip as he grabbed Henry by the collar, pulling him closer, yelling back with rage.

 Chapter 707 Sweet Revenge (Part Two)

    "I said, let me go! Do you hear me?" Henry''s face became red as a tomato while he tried to get out of Theo''s tight grip on his collar.


    Nonetheless, he was a big guy in JA City. He wondered how he could do this to him and talk to him in a rude manner.


    With a furrowed eyebrows, Henry pushed him away with such force. Afterward, he fixed his wrinkled collar while giving him a death glare.


    "What the hell is wrong with you? Do you even know who I am? You just poured the red wine onto my clothes! I believe, I deserve an apology from you."


    Theo, who was on the ground, stood up and then narrowed his eyes at the man, ten years older, in front of him.


    "Well, I don''t like the way you speak to me." He eyed his suit. "It''s just a cheap tuxedo. If you want a new one, then I can send one to you since I do have a lot of them in my closet. There''s no need for you to behave in a disrespectful way." A smirk made its way on his lips to insult him more.


    "I''ve already made an apology and showed my sincerest respect to you. You should be more alert next time and stop blaming others for being blind." He laughed bitterly and then continued, "Don''t you ever underestimate my strength and think that you can win against me with your fists."


    Scowling at Henry, he clenched his hands.


    Their fight and anger became more intense as seconds passed by. Meanwhile, at the corner of the banquet hall, Carla was busy eating mousse with Terence when they heard the noise and saw Theo. "What''s happening there?"


    She was about to go there when he grabbed her hand, shook his head and then ate the cake from her hand. "Babe, it''s none of our concern. Just ignore it and continue eating the cake."


    "But, there is a commotion over there. It looks like Theo''s involved, and I think we should go there to have a look!"


    Concern was evident in her tone while she stared in the direction of the noise.


    Terence took the small spoon in her hand, scooped up a spoonful of the cake and put it in front of her mouth. "Don''t worry about him. He is always loud when talking. I guess it''s nothing serious."


    Staring at the spoon in front of her, she swallowed it and wondered why he looked so calm as if it was all an ordinary thing.


    In an instant, Terence heard a faint sound from afar. It sounded as if someone had been thrown onto something.


    With that, Carla immediately placed the plate with dessert on the table.


    This time, they strode towards Theo.


    "Theo, stop it! What''s wrong with you?"


    He scanned Theo and Henry and noticed that they were having a fight, so he went in the middle to stop them.


    "It''s his fault! I admit that I''ve spilled some red wine onto his clothes, but it was not intent


    d, so he began to intimate me without my consent. I was thankful that my friend came and saved me from him! Thank God I was rescued because I couldn''t think what would happen to me if my friend hadn''t come!"


    After hearing that, Terence paused for a second. Carla was really a smart woman because she had realized the real plan so quickly. Without a warning, he punched Henry on the face.


    He fell on the ground as he spat out some blood, realizing that it was all an act. The real purpose was to settle the old accounts with him. With the small conflict in the beginning, they finally had the chance to fight him.


    "Mr. Henry, is that true? Was it you who harassed my wife several days ago?"


    Terence asked and pretended to be irritated by the truth.


    It seemed like his face ran out of blood as he wiped off the crimson red liquid on the side of his lips. After regaining a bit of strength, he stood up and tried to open his mouth to explain, but he found it too hard to do so.


    The play was perfectly designed by Terence, and now he took that opportunity to get his sweet revenge. Clearly, all of his explanations would turn futile.


    "Mr. Terence, I''ll explain. Look, it''s just a misunderstanding..."


    With that being said, Terence stepped closer to him and then grabbed his collar. "Just a misunderstanding? So, are you telling me that you did not make advances on my wife?"


    "I... I..."


    "Where''s the confidence you had a while ago? Is it too hard for you to speak now? You know damn well that she''s my wife, but you still dared to do that to her. I can see that you''re really not taking me seriously, Mr. Henry."


    He tapped his pale face with a deadpan expression and fire burning in his eyes. His heart was filled with so much anger to the point that he wanted to tear him apart.

 Chapter 708 Revenge (Part Three)

    "Mr. An, if you would just give me a chance to explain... This is not what it looks like! This is all just a big misunderstanding. I... I was..."


    Moistening his lips, Henry glanced around. At that moment, he noticed that the people around them were whispering about him. In truth, he was so desperate to defend himself, but he realized that the explanation would sound so lame that it would probably be better to just keep his mouth shut.


    On one hand, the guilt was beginning to eat him up inside, and on the other, Terence had quite a strong and overwhelming presence. He wasn''t ready yet to defend himself right in front of him.


    However, being caught in such a situation, he couldn''t muster the courage to do it at all.


    Not a single person who was watching felt the least bit sorry for him. Since he had the nerve to try and flirt with another man''s wife, he fully deserved to get punched in the face!


    "Mr. Bao, why don''t you go ahead and explain? What really happened back there? How dare you?! Where did you get the audacity to treat my wife like that? It''s making me wonder if you''re that shameless because you''ve got someone powerful to back you up,"


    Terence snorted and said. There was a look of disgust on Terence''s face as he said those words. Then, he quickly dusted off his clothes and sprung up from his seat.


    "Mr. Bao, we used to go our own separate ways without ever interfering with one another. But right now, you have chosen to start a fight, I hope you know that I won''t be showing you any mercy."


    As soon as he was done talking, Terence turned his back on him and grabbed Carla''s hand. Then, the two of them headed straight toward the gate of the banquet hall.


    Shrugging his shoulders, Theo followed them outside.


    When they finally got out, Terence quickly asked, "Honey, what did you come here for?"


    As he looked at Carla, Terence''s eyebrows were deeply knitted. He and Theo had everything planned out ahead of time, but when Carla appeared from out of the blue and started making a fuss, he was left at such a loss.


    "He got on my nerves. I didn''t have any ill will against him. Why did he have to do that to me? I just had to kick his ass to release all of this anger. Otherwise I wouldn''t be able to calm myself down,"


    Carla said as she pursed her lips. As the two of them were talking, Nathan had already opened the door for them to get in the car.


    Terence stepped into the car first. But the second Carla took a seat inside the car, a hand suddenly grabbed her and pulled her out before the door could be closed.


    In the blink of an eye, Theo got into the car and sat right next to Terence.


    "Terence, please, you have to keep me safe. He mig


    pletely still at his doorstep, not daring to move an inch.


    Theo was right after all.


    Since Henry was humiliated in front of a lot of people today, there was no way in hell he could fall asleep without letting out all of that steam on somebody.


    He couldn''t risk laying a finger on Terence. But given the fact that the Huo family was not that influential in JA City, he decided to release his anger on Theo instead.


    "Guys, teach this guy a lesson! Let him know he chose the wrong person to mess with."


    As he rubbed his swollen cheek with one hand, he gestured toward his men with the other.


    Watching helplessly as the gang of men began to approach him, Theo couldn''t help but take one big gulp. He might not have been saying anything out loud, but he was already screaming and cursing deep inside.


    ''Terence, you son of a bitch! You have put me in such a precarious situation, '' Theo thought.


    He knew he couldn''t win this fight all by himself.


    ''Oh, my God! I''m so screwed!'' Theo thought, feeling so dreadful.


    As luck would have it, moments before Theo was about to get hit, he heard the screech of a car backing up.


    Then, he noticed Terence''s car parked behind the gangsters about to go after him.


    After that, he saw another car pull over.


    The door of that car was swung open first, and then a group of tall and burly bodyguards in black suits got out of the car.


    Even though there weren''t that many bodyguards, every single one of them was highly skilled and well-versed in fighting.


    After that, they proceeded to stand on both sides of the road.


    In that moment, the door of the Benz business car in the middle opened.


    With Nathan and Rainer standing by the car, they bowed their heads and respectfully waited for the man inside to step out of the vehicle.

 Chapter 709 Collusion

    "Terence? You''re finally here!"


    A smile appeared on Theo''s lips the moment he saw him.


    He was very thankful that he came just in time. With Terence''s presence, he wouldn''t get beaten up by the other gangsters.


    Meanwhile, Henry winced in pain as he rubbed the ice bag against his face.


    As he saw the situation, he violently threw the ice bag onto one of his goons. Then he hopped inside the car, and slammed the door. "Start the car! Now!"


    The driver nodded then quickly inserted the key to start the engine. He felt relieved when the car started to create a sound, indicating that they were about to get out of that place. However, with a loud blow, the windshield was suddenly broken by someone.


    As soon as he heard the loud noise, Henry lowered his head to avoid it. His heart started beating so fast to the point that it wanted to come out of his chest. While breathing heavily, he grabbed his phone then dialed Gary''s number.


    "Hey, I''ve made up my mind."


    Before he could even react, Nathan stood in front of the car then kicked the windshield, shattering it into pieces.


    Truth was, he had been working as an upper-class bodyguard for Mr. Terence these past few years. For the sake of his job, he would forget all of his abilities before and would only focus on practicing what he had learned.


    Henry opened the door and walked out with a sigh. This time, he wasn''t panicking anymore. He looked up at Terence, maintaining eye contact.


    "Mr. Terence! I''m surprised that you''re here. Why? Are you going to intimidate me in public?"


    It was pretty obvious that all of what happened today was a trap made by Terence.


    "What the hell are you talking about? I''m going to intimidate you? You know what? This wouldn''t happen to you now if you''d just chosen to be kind in front of my wife, but you didn''t. Instead, you decided to harass her." Standing beside the car with an uncanny expression, he lit up a stick of cigarette. "But, I''m just curious. Who the hell gave you permission to hurt my woman?


    I hope you know that everything has an outcome. Just to remind you, whether you can afford it or not, I don''t care. I want you to face the consequences."


    The punch that he had thrown at Henry at the party wasn''t enough. It was just a threat.


    He knew that Henry wouldn''t let this pass that easily and that was the reason why he chose to wait for him here.


    But Henry didn''t have the slightest idea a


    and the cops would ask them questions. But they just left and didn''t even ask about what happened."


    Terence furrowed his eyebrows and thought that it was indeed strange.


    JA City was usually very safe to live in, so if ever a criminal was caught by the cops then they would have a strict investigation.


    The question was, why the police officers were so perfunctory this time?


    "Terence, I remember that you have friends in the police station. Why don''t you ask about it?" Theo asked.


    He thought about it for a while then said, "That''s a good idea. I have to end this call now. Just be careful in the future. Don''t worry, I''ll send two bodyguards for you tomorrow."


    As soon as he brought his phone back into his pocket, Carla turned to him. "What happened?"


    He emitted out a massive sigh. "It looks like things are getting more and more difficult. I really thought he would deal with Henry, but nothing happened in the end."


    It was noticeable that Steven was the real target last time. The thing was, why didn''t Gary take this good opportunity and let him go instead?


    Were they working with each other on something?


    He rubbed his eyebrows and wondered to himself if they were working together and why.


    ''Were they working together to fight against me?'' he thought.


    It seemed that this man named Su was really brutal and unemotional enough to deal with the An family with every means.


    But he understood that a mean man like Henry would do anything just to reach his goal.


    The Su family was in power now. Hence, it was really normal that he would be enticed by just a little temptation.

 Chapter 710 A Fathers Care About His Sons Marriage

    Carla looked at the lines on Terence''s forehead and his deeply grave eyes, staring into nothingness. He was immersed deeply in thoughts, clenching his jaw. Although she didn''t know what exactly it was that was bothering him, she could guess what it was.


    She lifted her hand, running the tips of her soft fingers on his forehead, smoothing the wrinkles on it. She leaned on his shoulder quietly, making no sound to disturb his thoughts.


    The An family had been in trouble ever since Steven''s father came into power as the new mayor of the city.


    She couldn''t understand why Henry was so determined to be against them, but Terence was the kind of man who would do anything to protect his family, even if it meant risking everything. But why would he even pick on Terence in the first place?


    "Hey...honey, did my expression worry you? I was just thinking about something..." Terence put his arm around her shoulders, staring down at the shiny slope of her nose, the slightly plump lips from the top.


    Carla looked up at him with a concerned expression, resting her chin on his shoulder. Her high cheekbones shone under the light making her look like a wax doll. "Mr. Terence, your wife isn''t that weak. Do you think it was Henry who locked me up with Steven that time? I mean even if he did I simply cannot figure out why he would do that?"


    Carla''s brows creased. She was frustrated almost to the level that she thought of giving up entirely. She hissed in helplessness, the skin above her eyes folding delicately. There were so many questions she couldn''t figure the answers to.


    "If I am not mistaken, Henry wants to increase the gap between me and the Su family. The greater the conflict is, the better it will be for him," Terence answered gravely.


    Carla looked up again and questioned, "What could be his motive? Didn''t he regard Su family as his only enemy? I remember how badly he wanted to take them down. And now he''s after us? How many enemies does he want!"


    Terence cupped her face in his palm, looking deep into her beautiful eyes. "Honey, it''s not as simple as we think. There has to be someone really powerful behind Henry for him to be acting this way. How else could he dare to lay his hands on the mayor''s son?"


    "That can''t be good for us! Terence, I am so scared. He has already started threatening me!" Carla said, clutching Terence''s hand in nervousness. The situation was getting messier and messier.


    "Yes, Carla...it might be bad for us, but we can try to make it beneficial for us. Henry is strong enough to go against the Su family, but he could still be our ally. He seems to have changed his mind for some reason, and he wasn''t following the orders he''d been given..."


    Terence lifted her chin and kissed her gently on the lips. His lips were cold, and so were hers. Once they fused though, heat ran through both of their bodies. The short kiss ended soon, although both of them wished they could go on. Terence pulled back, slightly breathless. "Carla, you don''t have to worry about anything. It''s my job to take care of such things. I will try my best to protect this family and you from this dirty politics


    the accident, he realized one of the things he really wanted in life was to see his son happy. He thought getting him married was one way of doing that.


    He used to keep Steven away from women for the fear that he would misbehave with them. He was also afraid his son would get influenced with bad social habits.


    But now, he could almost see this sphere of isolation that Steven had withdrawn himself into. He didn''t seem to want to do anything or talk with anyone. Seeing him like this made Gary feel like he had failed as a father in creating a strong emotional connection with his son.


    "Good job! I''ll pick one and arrange a meeting with Steven myself. If Steven likes someone, it''s better they date each other for a while. If things work out, they can consider getting engaged."


    Gary shortlisted several pictures on the way and handed them to the secretary.


    The young woman took them over with a smile, and said, "Mr. Su...you have such a good eye for people! I''m sure your son will like them."


    "Thanks, but you know I have never been worried about Steven, ever since he was a child. But I feel guilty this time."


    said Gary with a sigh. He realized that his private education and limited interaction with people had dulled him over time. He used to be such a jolly child, and now, he barely even spoke!


    "Sir, don''t think that way. You shouldn''t be so hard on yourself. It''s better to be strict with children. Everything you did was out of love and for his own good."


    With a smile, the secretary stole a glance at his boss and then continued, "You don''t have to worry too much about your son''s relationship. The young master is a fine-looking, modest and polite man. I''m sure many girls like him."


    What she said was indeed true. Indeed, a lot of girls liked Steven. He had excellent looks, and a very charming personality.


    Gary nodded in agreement. Her words made him feel a little better. Steven was indeed an eligible bachelor. Perhaps there was no need for him to worry about him.


    As a smart and intelligent man, Steven would definitely find a nice girl he liked.

 Chapter 711 Not Enjoying Her Meal

    Two days later


    In the morning, Carla felt bored staying at home.


    She wanted to do something so, she went to the company with Terence. On the way there, she first dropped Sally off at her kindergarten school.


    Afterwards, Carla immediately went to her own office, and Terence proceeded to his.


    Both of them quickly got busy with their own work.


    Nowadays, Carla would seldom come here. She would usually supervise the working quality of the team every week. However, if there was a particularly important piece of work that had to be done, she would do it herself.


    Now that she had finally gotten on the right track, she certainly wouldn''t waste any chances with it.


    At this moment, Carla was currently staring at an image of the new product. This was designed by her team, she propped her hand against her head while staring at the image.


    This project came from a partner company, not directly from the AJ group''s products.


    One of the group members from Carla''s team came over and told her that the logo had already been rejected for the third time. If the logo wouldn''t pass this time, then their entire group would get replaced.


    "Hello Violet, what''s up?"


    Carla answered her incessantly ringing phone while she was reading the design documents on her computer.


    "Carlaaaaaa, I''m dying!"


    Violet''s clearly hysterical voice could be heard from the other end of the line.


    "What is it? You''re a newly married woman now. Aren''t you supposed to be on cloud nine? Why are you dying all of a sudden?" Carla asked with a wry smile. She continued on with her work while talking with Violet, she drew a rough outline using a pencil.


    "I think my mother-in-law is too weird! I don''t know how she gave birth to someone like William," Violet muttered on the phone.


    Carla''s hand continued working with the outline. The pencil''s scratching noise could be clearly heard on Violet''s side. "What''s wrong with her? Why would you say that? Even if she is a weirdo, she still raised an excellent son like William. Otherwise, you wouldn''t have fallen in love with him."


    Violet took a deep breath upon hearing this to try to calm down.


    "William has been on a business trip for the past few days and I''m currently pregnant with his child. So, in order to take care of me, I''m currently living with his parents. I thought that since William''s mother had lived in the city for years, she would''ve been an open-minded person right?


    And you know what happened? Since it was cold these days, I thought it would be nice to eat something warm, which is why I had mutton hotpot to eat. Can you guess what happened?"


    Carla stopped drawing when she heard this and asked, "What happened? It''s just some hotpot. Nothing serious should''ve happened right?"


    "No! It''s the complete opposite


    gn drawings and brush box on the sofa. "This is a design needed for a furniture company. However, they''re not satisfied with it. They said that the deadline for it is today," she said sighing.


    "Really? Since they''re so difficult to deal with, why not just ask them to change companies to work with?" Terence took a piece of wet tissue and wiped her dirty hands.


    "No way I''m doing that! Now that we have accepted their project, how can we just cancel what our clients need?" Carla took the tissues and wiped her hands. "I have made an appointment with the other party. I will take the design drawing to see them tomorrow.


    I''ll introduce this design idea to them. If there isn''t anything more that we can do and they''re still dissatisfied with it, then they''ll have to consider changing companies then,"


    Carla said while sat down at the table. She picked up the chopsticks. She was too focused drawing the design earlier on that she couldn''t feel hungry. Now, she felt her stomach groaning for food.


    Terence nodded at what she said. If it were him then he too wouldn''t easily give up just because of some difficult clients.


    He looked at her and sighed. He just didn''t want her to be too tired.


    Terence frowned at her once he saw that she only took two bites before her attention was captured by the design again. After a while, she would put down her chopsticks and make some changes, before going back to eating. She would repeat this multiple times.


    She was so distracted by her work that she couldn''t even enjoy her meal.


    She obviously thought that the design wasn''t that good. Carla had a lot of ideas she could implement. After a few bites, she felt that she wasn''t that hungry anymore. So, she started to draw again.


    All of a sudden, her pencil was taken away. She looked up only to see a handsome face with a stern expression on it.

 Chapter 712 Overprotective

    Carla never took an important situation as a joke.


    Terence had seen it before.


    Aside from that, he also knew the amount of food she could eat. At that moment, she only had a few bites, and that wasn''t even enough to fill her stomach.


    "Carla, just enjoy your meal and eat it, or else, I will take you back home and won''t allow you to come to work tomorrow."


    His face held a serious expression as he looked at her.


    As soon as she felt that he wasn''t in a good mood, she gave him a beam while putting the design draft away then grabbed the brush out of his hand. "Okay, I''m sorry. I''ll eat it now."


    She grabbed his hand then pulled him to sit down, eating with him afterward.


    From a deadpan expression, his face turned into a relaxed one.


    After dinner, Carla glanced at him and cleared her throat, standing up from her seat. "Terence, I''m going back to my office now."


    "Wait. Have a cup of tea before leaving."


    He rolled up his sleeves then poured some tea into the teacup.


    She pouted and didn''t utter a word. As she went to the tea table, she placed her elbows on it then rested her chin on her hands while watching him being very careful, washing the cups.


    Afterward, he poured some tea into her cup then gave it to her. "Honey, I have to go on a business trip tomorrow. It''s really important. So, I want you to stay home and don''t go out by yourself, okay?"


    After what Mr. Chang did to her before, he became so worried about her whenever she was alone outside. He was even planning to limit her freedom just to her away from any harm.


    "Business trip, huh? How long would you be there?"


    Carla gave him a questioning look.


    He paused after taking a sip. "Ten days."


    "Ten days? You''d be away for that long?"


    Ten days felt ten years for her, and as that thought kept on running in her mind, she became upset.


    "Honey, you can come with me if you want." A grin made its way on his lips as soon as he noticed her hesitant expression.


    She waved her hand dismissively. "Well, forget about it. I don''t want to leave Sally."


    His smile faded, so he flicked her on the forehead. "You cruel woman. You''d choose your daughter over your husband?


    You can easily leave me just to stay with her?"


    She chuckled


    to stand by for an hour to wait for him.


    To get rid of boredom, she took out the design outline then scanned through it.


    As she kept on staring at it, she remembered how she had put all of her efforts just to finish it. It differed from the other group members'' designs. That was why she was so nervous about whether or not the customer would like it.


    She snapped out of thoughts when a young man and woman sat at the table next to her.


    "Nice to meet you. My name''s Celine."


    She gave Steven a smile.


    She expected that the mayor''s son would be a well-educated scholar, or a spoiled dude, but she was wrong.


    With a tall and thin body and angelic facial features, he really was a handsome young man.


    His uniqueness made her feel the butterflies in her stomach to dance with joy. It was rare to find a man like him nowadays.


    "I''m Steven. Nice to meet you, too."


    He gave her a polite handshake with a smile. "Here''s the menu. Order anything you''d like. Don''t worry, I''m not choosy when it comes to food."


    Celine stared in astonishment while picking up the menu. "Okay. Just so you know, I prefer sweets."


    He wanted to complain because he disliked her food choices. However, he kept his composure.


    "That''s okay. Have your way, then."


    It was against his will, though.


    Meanwhile, Carla set the design draft aside and glanced at her wristwatch. It was almost time, yet the client hadn''t appeared.


    Just then, she spotted a man walking from afar and looking around.

 Chapter 713 Ex-girlfriend

    "Hi, there. Are you, perhaps, Manager Li from the R Furniture Company?"


    Carla stood up right away to welcome him.


    Nodding his head, he said, "Are you the one in charge of the design team?" Then, Manager Li walked over toward Carla and shook her hands before taking a seat.


    "Yes, I am. Thank you for sparing us a bit of your time. I truly feel sorry that our design couldn''t meet your expectations before,"


    Carla politely said as she waved at the waiter to come over. After that, she heard Manager Li say, "Well, I hate to say this but I was really disappointed. I mean, you are the AJ Group after all. I had high expectations of you. If I''m completely being honest, I think children could have done a much better job than you. Do you actually think we''re that easy to fool?"


    Upon saying that, the manager glanced at Carla and tapped on the table.


    At this point, the waiter was already there to take their order.


    "I sincerely apologize for that, Manager Li, but please calm down. What would you like to drink?" Carla asked, handing over the menu to him.


    However, Manager Li simply went ahead and asked for a cup of coffee and put down the menu. "That won''t be necessary. Let''s cut to the chase, shall we? You asked me out today. Have you come up with a new design?


    But first, let me just make it clear that I don''t think we have to use your design just because you are the AJ group. In case you still fail to meet my expectations again this time, we''ll have to consider going with another company."


    Bringing out her own design, Carla proceeded to put it in front of Manager Li. "Manager Li, please have a look at this and see if it is to your liking. I designed this myself. If ever you still feel unsatisfied with it, I can make some adjustments."


    As he leaned back against the chair, he took the designs Carla had just laid out.


    The moment he took a look at her designs, Manager Li was left at a loss for words. He browsed through all three designs and paused for a while. When he finally opened his mouth, he said, "Carla, this is what you came up with?


    Childish. The way I see it, it seems like you don''t deserve the title of chief designer at all!"


    As he said those words, Manager Li looked so displeased that he threw her design away.


    As she watched the design being thrown to the floor ground, Carla couldn''t help but sigh, "Since Manager Li isn''t satisfied with my design, I guess we should end this partnership.


    But I would seriously appreciate it if you show a bit of respect for our hard work. All of my team members worked so hard to make this design


    That you have a crush on me?"


    Hearing those words coming from her, Steven lowered his gaze and clenched his fists.


    However, Carla simply mentioned it once again, "Of course, I know that would be impossible! You don''t have to think too much of it at all." After that, Carla took another sip of her coffee, beamed him a smile and added, "Steven, even though we''ve only interacted with each other a couple of times, I can tell that you are a good guy.


    You are innocent, kind, decent and so talented. I think there are a number of girls who really like you..."


    Carla was barely done talking when she heard a woman''s voice coming from behind.


    "Steven, who is she?" Celine had just come back from the restroom. Judging from the last thing that she heard that Carla said, she tried to guess, "Could she be your ex-girlfriend?"


    Because there was a bit of a misunderstanding, Carla wanted to clear things up right away. That being said, Celine interrupted her and said, "Well, that doesn''t matter. It''s quite normal to greet your ex. Why don''t we just sit together?" With those words, Celine proceeded to take a seat beside Steven and gave Carla a suspicious look.


    "Miss, I think you misun..."


    "I would actually like to thank you. Thank you for leaving Steven so that I can meet him. Despite this being my first time meeting him, I have quite a good impression of him. To be honest, I haven''t met a boy who could make me fall in love the way he does for such a long time!"


    Celine exclaimed as she grabbed a hold of Steven''s hand, not giving Carla a chance to speak.


    Carla had no choice but to swallow her words back down her throat.


    ''Did he come here for a blind date?'' Carla couldn''t help herself from wondering.

 Chapter 714 Mother Duck And Male duck (Part One)

    Steven''s eyes fell on his hand in Celine''s. He looked back at Carla and swiftly withdrew his hand. "Don''t think otherwise. She isn''t my girlfriend...and never was. We''re just friends," he said hurriedly, stammering like a child.


    "Uh, what? Oh, I''m sorry. I thought you were..." Celine said. "That''s okay. We just..." Steven interrupted her, trying to clarify a situation that Carla was not even concerned with. Sometimes, we want to believe that other people care about the same things we do. The way Steven was reacting was out of nothing but his wish that Carla would be bothered by looking at him with someone else. The boy''s heart was already beating for her.


    Carla looked at him indifferently, and then suddenly realized something. She rose to her feet with a dismissing expression and said, "Well, I have to go. Have a good time, you two.


    I''ll catch you later, Steven." She could sense that Steven was a sensitive person and so tried to be as polite as possible.


    She smiled slightly with her lips pursed, waved goodbye and then walked out. Steven looked at her distancing figure, something in him shrinking to see her walk away.


    Celine didn''t go back to her seat after Carla left. "Steven, I''m sorry I misunderstood you," she said in a sweet voice, thinking she had offended him.


    She leaned closer to him, her bosom almost in his face. Steven felt uncomfortable to feel her so close to him. He could almost feel her breath on his face. Her tangy, pungent perfume was overpowering. He wanted to move back, but sadly, his chair was against the wall.


    "That''s OK, Miss Celine. Um... excuse me, I''ve just got to get past," he said as he got up, somehow managing to move past without touching her legs.


    "You can call me Celine. That''s what my family and friends call me," Celine said.


    She looked directly into his bright, beautiful eyes. All


    wn, as the light finally died down.


    It was Friday. Sean would be back any time now!


    She finally put the brush down. She looked at the scene she''d just painted. The window from the cafe was stuck in her head for some reason.


    Thinking about all the finer details she still had to add, she took a deep breath, composed herself, and quietly walked out of the studio- where the real world waited for her. Sean and Sally were just walking in when she was coming down the staircase.


    "Mommy!" Sally called out sweetly, running towards her. Her sweet, innocent eyes lit up the moment she saw her mother.


    "Carla!" Sean exclaimed too, happy to see her sister after such a long time. He missed messing with her when she wasn''t around.


    Carla walked forward quickly and lifted her daughter up in her arms, spinning her around like a doll. "Oh, you''re finally back, Sean! And Sally! How did you guys come together?"


    "We had a school meeting this afternoon. After the meeting, I went to pick her up," replied Sean, resting on the couch. It was so soft he almost sank in it. "By the way, Carla, I got you your favorite sesame cake. Someone was selling it outside school... I hope it''s nice," he added, holding a brown bag in front of her.

 Chapter 715 Mother Duck And Male duck (Part Two)

    Carla''s mouth fell open in excitement! She put Sally down and took the bag, feeling the warmth of the cake through it. She flashed a wide smile at Sean and asked, "Why are you acting so sweetly all of a sudden, huh?"


    "Don''t let it get to your head. I happened to have some coins in my pocket, and they felt too heavy. I just wanted to relieve myself of the weight," Sean said, feigning indifference. This was what he missed the most.


    "By the way, where is Terence?"


    "Oh, is it? And here I thought you wanted to make me happy!" Carla responded mockingly too, while feeling warm in her heart. "He is on a business trip," she added while taking a bite of the cake. The soft cake melted in her mouth, the flavor seeming to dance at the tip of her tongue. "Oh, this is delicious! Sally, do you want some, honey?"


    "No, thanks. Sean bought me some as well. I already ate it on the way," Sally responded sweetly, then ran to fetch her school bag that she had dropped at the entrance.


    Carla wasn''t surprised. She knew Sean would always offer Sally first whatever he bought.


    She walked to the couch and sat next to Sean. She first considered for a while whether she should bring up the topic or not, but then decided it was important. "So Sean, has uncle James been visiting you at school?" she asked, keeping the cake aside.


    "Yeah, well," Sean started, while Sally continued to fish for something in her school bag.


    "he visited once two days ago. He wanted me to reconsider the engagement," he added, looking at Carla with a sense of guilt. The young man was under the impression that he was doing something wrong by denying his uncle.


    James was hoping for Sean''s agreement, and didn''t realize reaching out to him again and again was pressuring


    y, her head leaning on her own palm resting on the back of the sofa. She couldn''t help but smile at the scene. How purely the two little ones loved each other! She recalled what Terence had told her a few days back. What a crazy idea that was!


    If Sean wasn''t her little brother, she might accept the wild idea even though he was seven years older than Sally. Their relationship was so pure, and Sally clearly had a special place for him in her heart.


    Carla treated Sean like her biological brother, even though they had no blood ties.


    But since they actually didn''t, could their relationship change into something else in the future? She shook her head, trying to shake off the thought.


    She was thinking too much! Come to think of it, they were only two kids who enjoyed playing together. It was normal for kids to be close at such ages.


    She felt foolish to even think about such a stupid thing now.


    Suddenly, Carla''s phone rang, interrupting her wandering thoughts. Looking at the name on the screen, her face lit up, It was Terence.


    Seemed like his plane had landed. Oh, how she was craving to see him, kiss him, and indulge in the warmth of his body.

 Chapter 716 Are You My Biological Mother

    "Hello, are you there?"


    Carla rose up from the sofa and ascended upstairs.


    "Yes, I missed you so I called as soon as I got off the plane."


    Terence''s magnetic voice was warm and affectionate.


    Carla snorted and didn''t believe his words. She walked towards the window at the end of the corridor and asked, "We were just together this morning. Are you really missing me now? I believe you are enjoying hanging out alone and breathing some fresh air since I''m not with you.


    I have heard that Z country is famous for its beautiful women. Don''t you want to try your luck with them?"


    While she was speaking, Terence suddenly turned silent. Then, Carla heard that he was indeed greeting someone in a local language that she couldn''t recognize. Judging from the voice, it seemed that the person who was greeting him was a woman.


    As soon as that realization kicked in, her smile vanished into a grimace.


    "Terence..."


    "Yes, what is the matter?"


    "I don''t believe that you have just arrived. How could you hook up with other women so soon?"


    It was too fast, wasn''t it?


    Carla rolled her eyes.


    The person on the other end of the line remained silent for a while. Terence then began laughing uncontrollably. "Carla, I was just walking out of the airport. A staff was conducting routine examination on me just now."


    "I asked you to escort me earlier, but you refused. Now, you are concerned about me?"


    Terence couldn''t help but burst into laughter. Nathan and Rainer, who were standing behind him with their luggage, got in a car.


    "Well, were you?" Carla scratched her head. She didn''t quite follow the language he had spoken, so she didn''t know what they were talking about. She smiled awkwardly and replied, "I surely trust you. You''re my man. If I don''t trust you, who else can I trust?


    By the way, is there anything special that you can get me from there? Bring me some when you come back if you can get your hands on them."


    Terence nodded and said, "Yes. The caviar here is very famous. I''ll get you one when I return. As for some of the delicate craft works, I''ll bring them to you and Tina later."


    "Okay! Take care then. I am waiting for you at home eagerly," Carla continued.


    "Okay, we''ll go and have something to eat. It is time to hang up,"


    Terence added and hung up the phone after Carla did it first.


    After he disconnected the call, Rainer, who was sitting in front of him, received a message from their home country. Rainer immediately turne


    iolet, however, said with an awkward smile, "It doesn''t matter as long as you are satisfied. Anyway, he is being brought up for your family''s sake."


    The house that was built with great efforts by Cody suddenly collapsed into a heap.


    He turned around and looked at Violet, wondering, ''Was she really his mother?''


    Noticing that, Carla couldn''t stop laughing. "Violet, Cody is still here. Could you please take his thoughts into consideration and render an appropriate reply?"


    But Violet still acted like nothing had occurred at all. She just focused on talking with Carla and eating some food by the side.


    Carla stood up and walked towards Cody. "Cody, your mother is now pregnant. She is emotionally unstable. Let it go. Don''t lower yourself by hurting her. You''re not expected to do that.


    If she makes you angry, just call me. I''ll send someone to pick you up, okay? Am I clear?"


    Cody looked at Carla with his dark eyes and said, "It''s okay, Auntie Carla. I have already gotten used to it by now..."


    It was no surprise that his mother always mocked him at home.


    Sally raised her head and asked, "Mommy, is there a little baby in Auntie Violet''s belly? When will he come out and play with us?"


    "About four or five months later, darling," Carla replied.


    To her surprise, Sally had no plans to stop. She was curious and had many more questions to get replies for.


    "Mommy, when will I have a little brother?"


    Sally looked at the semi-circular building blocks and put a piece on top after thinking for a while. Then, she looked at Carla, waiting for her answer. Perhaps, Carla was better mentally equipped to answer that question.

 Chapter 717 Edmund Has Ulterior Motives

    Carla was stunned at what she heard. She didn''t know how to answer her daughter.


    "Sally, don''t worry sweetie. You see, Auntie Violet didn''t get pregnant again until Cody became four years old. You''re only three years old aren''t you?"


    Violet came over and squatted beside Sally, stroking the little cutie''s hair.


    After hearing this, Sally pondered for a while before saying, "Yeah I''m still three! Maybe when I''m as old as Cody, I''ll have a little brother or sister too right? Auntie Violet?"


    "Of course Sally! You''re so smart!"


    Violet praised Sally before she held Carla''s hand to stand up. "Carla, you''ve been back for quite some time, yet nothing happened?" Her voice filled with concern.


    Carla sighed and shook her head.


    "Do you still remember my miscarriage five years ago? It was my first time being pregnant, and that miscarriage harmed my body. Later, I found out that it would be extremely difficult for me to get pregnant again. I always thought that I was lucky enough to give birth to Sally."


    She got pregnant for after having sex with Terence twice or thrice without taking any birth control medication. Ever since then, because of the accident, it took her a long time sleeping with Terence before she managed to have Sally.


    Nevertheless, the fact remained that Carla''s condition now made it hard for her to conceive again.


    "I''m not going to lie to you, I really don''t know if I can have another baby again."


    Carla forced a smile and sighed.


    Violet paused for a moment before saying, "Why didn''t you ever tell me about this? Carla, don''t be too depressed. I''m sure you''ll find a way."


    However, this infertility was nearly impossible to be cured. Moreover, a lot of couples wouldn''t be able to have their second child after giving birth to the first one.


    Carla took a deep breath and shook her head with a smile. "I knew this day would come, I prepared myself for this. If I really can''t get pregnant again, then I should just be content with Sally. It''s better than none right?"


    Violet stepped forward and snuggled her side. They leaned against each other and said, "Carla, don''t be so negative. My pregnancy can bring you luck! We''re still young and we still have a lot of years to try to have a baby!"


    "Also! Didn''t you know that unexpected joy is so surprising?"


    The two best friends leaned against each other while looking out of


    o ask her to go to a fashion show at that time. Maybe it was a couple of days ago, she couldn''t really remember the exact date.


    "Ronald is an influential figure within the domestic appliances industry. We''ve been friends ever since we were still young. He came here on his holiday with his wives last night just to drop by and pay me a visit,"


    Edmund took a sip of tea and said these words.


    Carla lowered her head when a thought flashed through her mind, "Oh. Uncle Ronald must be a lucky man."


    "You''re right. Ronald is the only man I''ve ever met who is able to make two ladies satisfied on a certain level, yet not making them jealous of each other at the same time." Edmund nodded his head with a smile. He looked at her thoughtfully and continued, "He''s extremely lucky. What''s more important is that he managed to get a good wife."


    "This is because Ronald''s first wife is infertile, so she asked him to find a second wife to have children. She was so virtuous and adorable that not only did Ronald not divorce her, but it made him love her even more."


    "In my point of view, I see her as a smart woman. She clearly knew that she would probably lose everything in the future if she didn''t make any compromises. With her way of doing things, not only did she save her family, but also made the second wife respect her. Now, they have two lovely sons in the family.


    You have to learn to give in most of the time in your life."


    Edmund''s tone with his words seemed to be casual, but, his intentions were obvious.


    Of course, Carla could understand what his words meant.

 Chapter 718 Why Did She Say That To Him

    Carla blinked, trying to process what Edmund had just said. She plastered a smile on her face and arched up an eyebrow. "What do you mean? You want Terence and I to also do what Uncle Ronald did? Did Auntie Fanny even agree to this?"


    Carla asked bluntly, the incredulity in her voice evident. Her forehead creased at the thought but she continued to remain calm, at least she was trying to, but it was starting to prove difficult.


    Edmund choked at his tea, setting his cup down. "Carla, you should know what I''m trying to say.


    I have nothing against you and Terence. All I want to do is provide another option. Uncle Ronald''s two wives were willing to sacrifice for the family, and I do believe you should as well."


    Edmund quickly intercepted Carla''s words, explaining to her in great lengths. He really had nothing against his daughter-in-law. If not for this issue, he''d have no problem for them to just have one child.


    That was the reason he had invited her over to talk.


    Given Carla''s condition, it was difficult for her to give birth again. Even if Cilla was there as a prospective candidate, the AJ Group was a large business and required a stronghold of a man, not a woman.


    Terence was already thirty-three. He should be able to provide a male heir for the business''s sake.


    If Terence kept on postponing such an important thing, Edmund was afraid it''d be too late. The older he got, the more he''d lack the strength and time to teach his son on handling the company.


    The family business had been passed down from father to son, as what Edmund did to Terence. This should be no different.


    Edmund had already thought it over numerous times before reaching out to Carla, giving his hand in trying to persuade her.


    Carla''s jaw dropped as her bottom lip trembled. It was just as she expected. Edmund just couldn''t live quietly without a male heir, and that was something that she just couldn''t give.


    "Dad, so you want me to persuade Terence to find another woman? One that could give him a boy?" Carla played with the papers set on the table, avoiding his gaze.


    Edmund nodded with a smile, relieved that she finally got it. "Carla, I know it isn''t fair for you, but it really is something you should consider...for the family''s sake."


    "I don''t care what method you use, as long as the boy has our blood. If you were able to give us a boy, I''d be happier!


    But it isn''t something we should keep delaying."


    Edmund sighed, stirring his tea. "The reason why I told you this instead o


    she rested her chin on the cushion. Finally, she looked into the screen and watched Terence from the phone. "You asked for it. Take as long as you want."


    Carla pouted.


    "You went to see Dad. Did he say anything to you?" Terence heard from Sophie that Carla had been called to go to the East Yard by his father. If he knew anything about his dad, he must''ve said something that made her act this way.


    Carla blinked her eyes. She knew that she couldn''t hide it from Terence, not in her state.


    Besides, he already knew her so well that it was impossible to hide anything from him.


    "Nothing new. When you come back, I''m to provide you a selection of women to be your second wife. I''ll make sure they''re all young and beautiful, and you could fuck them as much as you want."


    Carla laughed bitterly, her vision already bleary from the tears. She poked on the screen. "Are you happy now? You better make her pregnant.


    If it''s a boy, I''ll personally raise him for you! You better have a lot of them, a lot of sons. No daughters..."


    Carla choked, trembling. In an instant, her tears freely fell and she hurriedly wiped them away.


    Terence watched Carla cry and laughed at the screen.


    He frowned, heart aching as she shuddered, sobbing into the pillow.


    He wanted to embrace her tightly and kiss her hard, comfort her from what had happened today. He wanted to assure her and tell her that it was okay, but he couldn''t help but be silenced by her murmurs across the screen. Why would she even say that?


    What woman was willing to give her man to another woman?


    Why did she say that to him? Though as much as Terence wanted to ask, her sobs met his silence.

 Chapter 719 Should We Fly To Meet Him

    "It was my father who came up with that idea, right?"


    It wasn''t really that hard to guess given the fact that Edmund had already mentioned it before. That being said, Terrence was the one who turned it down. For that reason, Edmund grabbed the opportunity while Terence was away giving Carla something to work on.


    "Carla, you shouldn''t be bothered by him at all. As long as the two of us are living together, he will always be a mere outsider. How long do you think he can continue trying to control our every move?"


    Terence exclaimed, trying to touch her face through the screen. "If we just leave him to do what he wants, what can he actually do? Please try not to take it personally. You don''t have to worry about him whatsoever."


    Carla sniffed and bit her lower lip. "But I do want to have another baby with you. What am I supposed to do?"


    Nicholas was right. The AJ group wasn''t just some small-time business. It was a big company. It needed to have someone who would take over everything.


    "Then we''ll just keep trying and trying. To be honest, I''m quite confident with our plan. It''s just my father who''s being too anxious. That goes for you as well. This is something we can''t rush. We have to learn to be patient and take our time."


    As he looked straight into her eyes, Terence tried to convince her in a calm manner.


    As she listened to him talk, Carla started feeling a bit hot and somewhat sleepy. It was late in the afternoon, so, she proceeded to take off her clothes and change into something more comfortable. At around dinner time, she was already feeling a bit drowsy after drinking alcohol.


    Right now, her face was as red as the sunset. She was barely awake, and her eyes had become as lazy as that of a cat''s. Gazing at her face, Terence was so lost in thought.


    Carla couldn''t even hold her cellphone up because her arms felt sore, so much so that she had to put a book behind it for support.


    At this point, she lay on the sofa and began to fall asleep.


    After having too much to drink, she was too lightheaded to stay awake that she completely forgot that there was still someone looking at her on the phone.


    As he watched the woman on the screen sleeping, Terence didn''t want to close Facetime yet. At that moment, it was already midnight in the city he was in.


    After a while, he gave Sophie a call and asked her to put a blanket over Carla.


    Then he went ahead and charged his phone and put it down on the bedside table. Looking at Carla, who was still on the screen, he said with a helpless smile on his face, "Honey, I''ve already made a mistake once. How can I ever let you down again?"


    Lucy shouldn''t have come into his life back then.


    This time, let alone his father, even if his grandfather were to rise from the grave, it would still be useless.


    Carla was so inebriated. By the time she woke up, it was already midnigh


    er another message.


    "Try not to be too obsessed with me, or else, you''ll just end up having trouble falling asleep later.


    Well, there''s a meeting I have to attend later. I''ll just call you tomorrow. Good night."


    Carla spent some time staring at his photo before she reluctantly put down her phone and turned off the light and tried to get some sleep.


    Finally, she closed her eyes after tossing and turning on the bed countless times to find the perfect position.


    When Carla woke up the next morning, Kaylee gave her a call.


    "Carla, have you made up your mind yet? Would you like to go with me? If you''re interested, you''d better get ready. I''m going to book the plane tickets now!"


    From the way she sounded, she seemed to be looking forward to this trip.


    Without a hint of hesitation on her voice, Carla replied, "Yes, I''ll go. Why not?"


    "Yeah, that''s my girl! Okay, for the next two days, you should have a good rest and just get relaxed. After that, you''ll get to see some of the world''s most fashionable items and broaden your horizon, isn''t that great?"


    Upon hearing Carla''s response, a smile crept onto Kaylee''s face.


    "Great! It''s settled then! I''m going to book the tickets right away. You should get your things ready. Oh, and you don''t have to pack your clothes, I''ll be the one to take care of that for you. We''re going to attend an international event. Don''t go making a fool of yourself, you hear me?"


    When she heard her say that, Carla simply smiled and said, "Okay, I appreciate you doing that for me. But, as you very well know, I''m a married woman. So, if possible, I would like to keep things low key."


    "Fine, fine. I know that, silly. But just an ounce of sexiness is okay, right? You know what? I''m just gonna decide for you!"


    Before Carla could say anything else, Kaylee went on and added, "Everything''s settled then. I''ll see you at eight o''clock tomorrow morning!"

 Chapter 720 Backup Model

    Kaylee had already hung up before Carla could add anything else.


    She thought it was necessary to give Kaylee a heads-up, or else she might go overboard and make Carla wear an incredibly sultry outfit.


    Meeting up with Kaylee wasn''t really a big deal, but since she wanted it to be a surprise, they both had to hide it from him.


    However, with the looks of the bodyguards surrounding wherever she went, it was close to impossible to hide what they were planning.


    ¡ª


    Carla glanced at the bracelet on her wrist, watching as it blinked in the dark. Besides the bodyguards, she also needed to worry about the GPS attached to the bracelet. How was she going to hide it from Terence now?


    It would be almost impossible to hide the fact from him; she had to disappear from his watch to avoid any interrogations for the night.


    Carla chewed on her bottom lip, looking hard at the dangling bracelet. She never really tried to take it off before...''Should I use soap water?'' She eyed the soap at the corner of the bathroom, rubbing her wrists.


    Carla grabbed the soap before rubbing her wrists, trying to make it slippery enough so that it''d fall off. The bracelet didn''t fall off till her wrist was blood red. It clattered onto the sink.


    She sighed in relief, clutching the bracelet as she shoved it back in her pockets.


    Then she started to pack up her things, making sure to place everything neatly as she hummed proudly. Maybe this would all turn out in her favor...hopefully.


    At first, Carla was hesitant in not telling Sophie about this, but if she had told her, she might as well have told Terence directly.


    That was why, when she called her, Carla lied and said she was going to Violet for a few days, just enough for everything to fall into place.


    She had already instructed Violet in advance so that Sally wouldn''t be left alone. If Violet were to pick up Cody, she would be able to pick up Sally and take her home along the way for a few days.


    The little girl always felt much better whenever Cody was around.


    To make up for her absence, Carla had already planned a weekend filled with fun games and outings.


    ¡ª


    The next day before she left home, Carla had called Terence to make sure he was still there, and whether or not he had another business trip to get to within the next two days.


    Carla silently grinned when he replied with a ''no''.


    If he had decided to


    , are you ready? We''ll have half an hour to go!"


    Kaylee asked the model who was changing her clothes and then turned around to look at Carla.


    She took out a paper with address on it from her pocket and handed it to Carla with a prideful shrug. "Nothing''s impossible for me," she started with a wink. "Terence is my future step son. It''s not difficult for me to know his whereabouts."


    She smiled smugly.


    Before Carla could reach for the paper, Kaylee immediately tucked it back in.


    "I''m fine giving it to you, but you need to do me a favor. If you''ll help me, you''ll know the address plus the fastest way to get there. You''ll see him right away."


    Seeing her mischievous smile, Carla gulped. She knew it was impossible to get out of this unscathed. "What do you want me to do?"


    She sighed, considering her other options. Carla could just call him if she''d want to.


    But if she did, he''d knew she was there. It''d ruin the surprise.


    That was the sole reason why she was asking Kaylee''s help in the first place.


    Kaylee rolled her eyes. "You act as if I''m going to ask you to murder your dad. It''s really not that serious. There''s a set of clothes on the rack, just wear them and walk down the runway."


    She flipped her hair and motioned to the rack almost exasperatedly.


    Carla''s mouth curled. "You have other models," she protested.


    "My 19th model got the stomach flu so we''re one short." Kaylee sighed as if the topic was only giving her a headache. Could you please do it for me? For Terence?"


    Kaylee grabbed Carla''s hand and held her close, staring into her eyes.

 Chapter 721 The Trap That Kaylee Made For Her

    Carla smiled at Kaylee as she loosened her hand free from her grip.


    "Don''t bother, Auntie Kaylee. I''ll work on the address. You can go deal with your business. You don''t have to worry about me!"


    ''Was she joking?


    This is an international fashion event. All the models are supermodels. Even though I''m still young, none of those clothes will fit me, '' Carla thought.


    She turned to look at the models.


    The clothes were too revealing.


    Just the thought of wearing them made her shiver as she could imagine how cold she was going to be. Terence would never allow it and she too couldn''t handle going out in something so skimpy.


    "Hey, Carla, don''t go!"


    Kaylee stepped forward and blocked Carla. With a huge grin on her face, she implored, "Carla, my good daughter-in-law, please help your future mother-in-law. I''ve been preparing for this for so long. Do you really have the heart to let me down? Especially at such a critical moment like this?"


    "Don''t be so dramatic. It''s just a dress. You have so many models. It''s not a big deal for you even if I refuse,"


    Carla said. She tried to walk past Kaylee but was again, blocked.


    "Carla, I''ll choose the most conservative one for you. It won''t be as revealing as those you have seen. Come on, let''s go. We need to put makeup on you first!"


    "Auntie Kaylee, it''s really not a matter of negotiation this time."


    Carla refused without hesitation.


    "Don''t say that, Carla. Just do me a favor. We can go up and have a walk around. At least make it seem that I have a lot of people. Please, I''m begging you!" Kaylee held her hand as she pushed her inside.


    "Auntie Kaylee, I really don''t want to..."


    "Of course you want to. Not all women will have the opportunity to be a model in their entire lives. It''s a great honor to even be invited here! A lot of people are going to be watching you. Plus, you''re being supported by me! You just go onstage and walk with your head held high!"


    Kaylee tried her best to drag her inside.


    Carla wasn''t expecting this.


    they always stayed close to Terence.


    "¡­¡­ Rainer, I think this model looks familiar."


    Nathan wasn''t the kind of people to hide his interest in women. Rainer was too shy to watch the show and Terence wasn''t even looking.


    So it was Nathan who noticed Carla first.


    Most of the models who had walked so far all looked the same. It was just the last one who looked a bit different.


    Her smile looked a little childish. It seemed as if this was her first time. Nonetheless, she looked so beautiful that her lack of experience was quickly shoved aside.


    Rainier then turned his attention to the stage.


    "I don''t think it''s possible. Mrs. An is in JA City now. I don''t think she''s here." Rainer looked toward the stage. He immediately thought that the model looked like Carla but he doubted that this was actually Carla.


    Plus, the world was a big place. This wasn''t ''the first time that one would come across someone''s lookalike.


    "You''re right. But I still think she really looks like Mrs. An,"


    Nathan murmured to himself as he looked at the model on stage.


    Rainer then fixed his gaze at the model who was on stage.


    The model did look like Carla.


    At this moment, Terence was busy talking with his business partners. He glanced at Nathan and Rainer who were whispering behind him. Then he turned his attention toward the stage.

 Chapter 722 Absence Has Made the Heart Grow Fonder

    Out of all the ladies who strutted the runway, Terence couldn''t help but fixate his eyes on the last model.


    From the curve of her lips to the glint in her eyes, she looked so much like Carla. Terence blinked, narrowing his gaze. ''Why does she look so much like his wife?''


    At that moment, Terence started to connect the dots. This was Auntie Kaylee''s fashion show. That model really did look so much like his wife.


    That must''ve meant that she was here. She was right here.


    Nathan and Rainer weren''t able to connect the dots as they sat there, dumbfounded by their similarities. She just looked so much like Carla that they found it almost hard to believe it was her.


    Terence couldn''t help but chuckle at the realization.


    He stared at the gorgeous woman, his lips twitching up into a mischievous smile. After looking her over, he glanced at his phone to check her location. The tracker blinked at Violet''s home.


    He glanced back at her bare wrist, noticing the dull red that colored her skin. How hard had she tried to take it off?


    "Hi, Auntie Kaylee."


    Terence placed his phone on his ear, wanting to confirm his suspicions.


    "Terence, have you come to the show yet? Oh, wait, I see you now!" Kaylee peeked from backstage and waved her hand up in the air. She beamed.


    "Terence, take a good look at these models and see if there is someone you like. If there''s one, then I''ll take her up to your room after the show,"


    she teased, returning back to arrange the last set of clothes.


    Hearing her words, Terence was now positive that his theory was right. He grinned, glancing up at the swaying model. "The last one is good; she''s exactly my type."


    He leaned back. "Tell her to come to me. Don''t let her get out of her outfit."


    Kaylee snorted in laughter, shaking her head. "Take it easy, young man. You already have a wife, what would she think when she finds out?


    I''ll get her to you later. Remember to be gentle, and take her back to me tomorrow, okay?"


    Terence grinned from ear to ear, eyeing at his retreating wife.


    "You''re always so sensible, Auntie Kaylee. I''m looking forward to it. You must''ve put a lot of effort in


    s pitch black inside the car.


    With her back to the man, Carla looked around, struggling to see her surroundings. Her heartbeat was much louder now, drumming in her chest.


    Carla removed her high heels and tried to flipped them to the man behind her, just enough for him to loosen his hold.


    Realizing this, the man grabbed her wrist before she could do so and kissed her passionately.


    The familiar kiss calmed Carla down slowly. In that, she pushed deeper into his hold.


    The grip on her heels loosened, and she finally relaxed. She let her fingertips run down the handsome face, exploring every angles and details that she had missed while he was away.


    "Why didn''t you tell me you were coming here?"


    Terence said, letting go.


    Carla was stunned. The lights outside the window flashed, and she caught sight of Terence''s face. His dark eyes glinted in surprise and longing. Somehow, she felt that hers also reflected the same.


    "Why are you here? How did you know?"


    She couldn''t believe he was here.


    Carla had spent the entire time in the runway concentrating on her very high heels, with the fear of falling and embarrassing herself. She didn''t have time to look around.


    Thinking of this, she opened the paper she had kept in her hand. Carla flipped the light open to get a better look at the scribbles on the paper.


    It was a note from Kaylee.


    "Absence always makes the heart grow fonder. Have fun, Carla!"

 Chapter 723 Being Self-sentimental

    "What are you looking at?"


    Terence took out the piece of paper from her hand and read it. Then, his lips curved up as he embraced her. "Honey, do you feel that you have fallen into the trap made by Auntie Kaylee?"


    Carla nodded. At this point, she knew Kaylee had previously prepared all this. She had let her come up on the stage as a guest performer, assuming Terence would spot Carla.


    "I didn''t know either. Yesterday, Auntie Kaylee invited me. I didn''t foresee that such a tremendous surprise would come for me."


    With a beam on his face, he raised her chin up then gave her a pleasant kiss once again.


    He thought he could only see her when he returned home, but he never expected that she would model in front of him.


    Although the sudden surprise shocked both of them, it still delighted him to see her.


    Carla sighed. "I was planning to go to your office to surprise you. But it''s different from what I imagined."


    He chuckled then placed his arms around her waistline. "Our plans often vary. I''m not surprised that you couldn''t win against Auntie Kaylee. She knows everything.


    But..."


    He stopped talking then frowned while glancing at the V-neck dress she was wearing. A slight part of her breasts showed up, making his black eyes darken.


    "This dress is too sexy."


    When he recalled those men who kept on staring and taking pictures of her in the crowd, he felt uneasy.


    Reminded by him, Carla covered her chests and adjusted the skirt to hide the uncovered legs.


    While she was busy covering her body, he lifted his eyebrows then glanced at Nathan who was driving and Rainer who was sitting in the front passenger''s seat.


    He took off his coat then placed it on her shoulders, pulling her into his arms.


    "Rainer, inform Wilson that I''m going back to J City."


    Wilson, a local resident, was his friend and partner coming along with him.


    Carla leaned in Terence''s arms and blushed. She looked up at him and swept away his hand that was touching her body under the coat.


    They soon arrived at the hotel where he was staying.


    After entering the room, Terence pressed her against the door then started to kiss her.


    Their lips didn''t separate all the way from the entryway, to the sofa, then to the bedroom.


    They


    n to pack up her belongings without telling a word. She didn''t want to deal with queries asked by Kaylee.


    "Auntie Kaylee, please stop her. I''ll be right there!"


    Terence frowned and went to the wardrobe to pick out clothes to wear.


    He didn''t know what was going on. Carla just came to see him, so there was no reason for her to leave so soon.


    "Mr. Terence, good morning.


    They are waiting for you in the meeting room now,"


    Nathan reported when he came in.


    Terence''s eyebrows knitted together. He almost forgot that there was an urgent meeting this morning.


    "Nathan, cancel it. I have to see Carla now." He took his shirt and put it on.


    "But Mr. Terence, we have been here for several days to prepare for this meeting. If we cancel it, our efforts will go to waste."


    When Nathan heard that he would cancel the meeting, he persuaded him. "How about you and Rainer attend the meeting and I help you find Mrs. An?


    Sir, I hope you can set store by overall interests. It''s natural for women to lose their temper. Mrs. An will be fine if you propitiate her later. But if you delay this meeting, we''ll drop the opportunity of partnership."


    Nathan tried his best to persuade him.


    Terence, who was buttoning his shirt, breathed a sigh then closed his eyes. "Get ready."


    "Okay, Mr. Terence. Do you want me to check on Mrs. An?" Nathan sighed in relief.


    Buttoning his shirt up, he responded, "Don''t bother. She is my wife. I will deal this problem. Just focus on your business."

 Chapter 724 The Condoms

    ¡ª


    Kaylee had been looking at the door anxiously, wondering why Terence hadn''t come back yet.


    "Carla, what happened? Could you at least tell me what Terence did to make you angry?"


    Kaylee grabbed Carla who was just about leave with all her luggage. She held her hand and asked her to sit on the sofa.


    Carla kept her head down and her bright eyes were like a pool of stagnant water. She was emotionless as she sat on the sofa, not saying a word.


    "If you don''t want to tell me, then let me just guess. You and Terence haven''t seen each other in a few days. You two should be excited to see each other! Did Terence say something to annoy you?"


    Carla didn''t respond. So Kaylee shook her head as she kept talking, "No, that''s impossible. Terrence is crazy about you. How could he do that?"


    "Oh, Carla, I don''t really know but don''t do this to Auntie. Just tell me what happened." ¡ª


    Holding her hand, Kaylee looked at her with pleading eyes and said, "Please tell Auntie Kaylee. You''re here because of me and now you''re leaving for no reason at all. At least tell me why you''re upset."


    At this moment, Carla''s eyes flashed. "Kaylee, what does it mean if you find condoms in your husband''s hotel room?"


    "It means..."


    Kaylee was stunned. She rolled her eyes for a while before realizing what happened. "Carla, you mean... Did you find condoms in Terence''s room?"


    Carla remained silent.


    Since Kaylee had experienced the same thing, she knew exactly what that meant.


    Terence didn''t know Carla would come in advance so even if Kaylee tried to say it was her who had put that in his room, it wasn''t believable.


    "You didn''t ask him what happened? Maybe it was from the hotel. That''s actually quite common in a hotel room," Kaylee said after giving it some thought.


    Carla shook her head and looked down at her hands. "No. That''s impossible. Then why did he open the condoms and leave them in the drawer of the hotel? This isn''t his first day checking in."


    Kaylee opened her mouth but she didn''t know what to say. She sighed and said, "Carla, you don''t need to take it too seriously. Terence is just a man. Sometimes he is away on a business trip for a l


    it him any time. Why would he need to prepare?


    Even if he was busy, he would make time for her.


    "What do I mean? Don''t think I don''t know men like you. You''ve been sleeping around, haven''t you? No wonder Carla misunderstood things. No one could stand to see that."


    She shook her head and sighed slightly. He was on a business trip and he had opened condoms in his drawers. Any woman would be upset.


    Moreover, Carla had come all the way here to be with him. But the fact was that he had already had sex with other women. If his wife found out, how would she feel?


    Terence frowned in response. Puzzlement was evident in his eyes. "Auntie Kaylee, just tell me what happened. Why did Carla suddenly leave?"


    Kaylee could tell that Terence was still confused. So she decided to be straightforward with him. "You haven''t seen Carla in a while but why did you have so many condoms in your drawer?


    Don''t tell me you''re just blowing on those for fun."


    Terence froze for a while. If Kaylee hadn''t mentioned it, he would have already completely forgotten about the condoms.


    Without any explanation, he quickly stood up and walked out of the room.


    As she watched Terence leave without a word, Kaylee shook her head. She figured that Terence was probably going to look for Carla to explain himself.


    Carla rarely travelled outside the country and her trip turned out to be an utter failure. Kaylee could only understand how upset she was.

 Chapter 725 Dont Keep It To Yourself

    That day, Carla seemed to be running into problem after problem.


    She suddenly realized how poor her English skills were. She couldn''t even comprehend complete sentences to express what was on her mind. As a result, she had a hard time enjoying herself or even socializing with the locals. With nothing else to do, she silently started to regret not paying attention to her English lessons back when she was a student. Moreover, since she graduated from college, no chance or opportunity had come up for her to learn English again. That was until that fateful day.


    Besides, every country had their own accent, dialect, and expressions so it was more difficult for Carla to understand anything that her acquaintances were saying.


    What was worse? She didn''t have the time to charge her phone last night, so she couldn''t even rely on a translation app to help her with the language barrier.


    Earlier, the driver didn''t even understand where Carla wanted to go. It took her almost half an hour to be able to leave.


    So even if she tried her best to express herself and asked the driver to take her to the airport at that moment, Carla could only guess when the latter would only give her a confused look. But, she had no other choice. At last, the driver nodded his head but after a few moments in the car, it seemed like the driver took her to a place she didn''t recognize at all.


    Carla didn''t know whether she should laugh or cry. When they left earlier, she didn''t know if the driver actually understood what she said. She even showed him with body language how an airplane would take off. If she were being a little honest with herself, the gesture actually looked a little ridiculous and stupid.


    To no avail, they ended up in what looked to be a farm.


    Seeing that the place was in no way close to an airport, Carla waved her hand repeatedly to ask the driver to take her away. But the driver only shrugged his shoulders, seemingly giving up. He really couldn''t understand what she was saying, so using some gestures, he just asked her to get off the taxi. Then, he left her luggage with her.


    The only thing that Carla could feel was helplessness. She looked up into the sky and sneered. Then, behind the fence of the farm, she saw a baby duck playing in a pond. For a while, all she could do was watch the yellow animal.


    She didn''t know what to do or where to go. She then realized that she actually had no place to go. She could only hold onto her luggage case and stand outside the farm, dull and numb.


    After a while, Carla was getting a little tired so she sat on the suitcase and looked around. As she had nothing else to do, she started to observe the farm animals a little closer. She thought to herself, ''Is there something different between ducks back home and the ones here in a foreign land?


    Can the ducks in here speak like Donald Duck?'' A lot of things had happened to her but the truth was, she still retained the childlike innocence in her heart. When she realized it herself, she couldn''t help but chuckle.


    Looking at the ducks on the farm, Carla was suddenly reminded of the toy duck that her daughter would occasionally play with.


    ''Sally, my cutest girl, I miss you so


    r.


    "Nathan, let''s go to the Flower Restaurant." Terence took out his mobile phone to reserve a table for them. Then he directed Nathan where the said restaurant was located.


    "Carla, you haven''t eaten anything this morning. You must be really hungry, aren''t you? I''ll take you to a high-class restaurant so you could taste the authentic food here. I''m sure you''ll love western food after eating it for the first time."


    Terence looked at Carla with a smile. However, Carla didn''t have an expression on her face and still, she didn''t say anything. But to Terence, he couldn''t help but think in his head, ''What a cute girl she is.''


    Looking at Carla, Terence was instantly reminded of their daughter. He felt that they were cast in the same mold.


    "Mrs. An, I wanted to apologize to you. Mr. An wanted to go after you this morning but I stopped him. The meeting he had earlier was really important. Mr. An had been waiting for this opportunity for a long time. So, he really had no time at that moment."


    Nathan explained and apologized when he noticed that Carla was still upset.


    Nathan wanted to explain more for his boss, but Terence gestured for him to stop.


    In Terence''s perspective, Carla was his woman, and it was his duty to appease her whenever she was upset. More especially, if it was his own doing that made her feel that way.


    So Nathan sank into silence and kept his focus on the road.


    Terence glanced at Nathan one more time and then turned to look at Carla. He gently held her hand and said, "Honey, it''s all my fault. If you''re angry with me, please don''t keep it to yourself. I''m begging you."


    Actually, Terence didn''t know what to say or feel. He wasn''t used to the silent treatment from Carla. He would actually prefer if she could pour out her anger on him, instead of holding it all inside.


    If Carla was suffering inside, then Terence would not be able to put his mind at ease.


    The moment he was finished speaking, Carla suddenly looked up and put her hands on his shoulders. Then, she dragged her body closer to his and moved her head toward his. In a matter of seconds, her lips were on his.

 Chapter 726 A Free Lunch

    Carla bit Terence''s lips hard and with much anger.


    Terence slightly frowned but he didn''t stop her. He tightly held her waist, allowing her to let out her anger on him.


    She would not let go of him until she had bit him hard enough.


    Carla only stopped when she saw that his lips were already swollen.


    Terence smiled bitterly and touched his swollen mouth. "Carla, do you really want to eat me up like this?


    It doesn''t matter. If you still feel dissatisfied, you can do whatever you want to do when we go back home..."


    Carla ignored him and moved aside. She sat up against the window, and then took out a lollipop from her pocket and put it into her mouth. She hadn''t eaten anything since the previous night so she was really hungry.


    With a lollipop in her mouth, she seemed really hungry as she even let out a couple of cooing sounds. Her stomach was grumbling too.


    Terence lovingly looked at Carla, his stubborn wife. He chuckled and moved towards her, leaning close to her ear, and said jokingly, "No wonder you bit me so hard. You''re hungry..."


    Carla glanced at him as she sucked on her lollipop


    Since Carla had a daughter, she always had a few lollipops in her bag to give when she wouldn''t behave.


    "Nathan, stop the car,"


    Terence said when he saw a bakery.


    After Nathan parked the car, Terence got out and went to the bakery.


    He came back with two paper bags in his hands.


    "I bought all the goodies that you like. Which one do you want to eat first? How about the cakes?" Terence said as he handed the bag to Carla.


    Carla took out the lollipop from her mouth and skimmed the car with her eyes, wondering where to put it first.


    After a pause, she looked at Terence.


    Terence looked at her with uncertainty. Just as he was about to say something, Carla suddenly shoved the lollipop inside his mouth.


    Carla then took out a cake from the bag and began eating it. She opened another bag and started eating again.


    Nathan and Rainer silently exchanged looks.


    so much. Why don''t you pick the food?"


    "Humph! You''re looking down on me, aren''t you?"


    Carla glanced at him and thought, ''What I need to do is just to eat them. It''s not a big deal. It doesn''t matter if it''s salty our sour, I''ll just eat it.


    Anyway, all the dishes are in small portions. I''m sure lots of other people have eaten these before. Even if it tastes bad, I''ll be fine.''


    Carla urged Terence to start as she was already starving. She already had a few cakes but she still wanted to eat more.


    "Carla, are you sure you won''t regret it?" Terence asked, smiling as he raised his eyebrows.


    "Hurry up! When did you become so talkative?"


    Carla urged Terence anxiously. She was waiting for the free lunch.


    At this time, an attendant with golden hair was standing next to them, gladly supervising everything with a smile.


    Terence glanced at Carla without saying a word. He looked at all the food, wondering which of the dishes he could make Carla eat.


    After giving it some thought, he headed to the middle table and lifted the lid on the last dish.


    At this moment, Carla, who was rubbing her hands and ready to eat the food, didn''t realize what she was in for. She just assumed that the food that she was going to eat was delicious.


    She instantly knew she was wrong the minute the first dish was revealed.

 Chapter 727 The Free Lunch Is Not Delicious

    Seeing the cheese on her plate, Terence raised his eyebrows and feigned a sympathetic look. Then he smirked. "Honey, why did you stop? Just continue eating.


    Do you want to eat by yourself or you want me to feed you?"


    The dish on the side looked delicious and wonderful, but he was wrong on his first impression. The locals of this country didn''t care much about it though.


    As he stared at it with curiosity, Carla bit her lip while scanning the white stuff underneath the cheese, making her almost gorge all the contents of her stomach.


    Her vision zoomed in. They looked like maggots underneath the cheese.


    She didn''t believe her own vision at first, but then she asked herself if they were real or not.


    With that thought, she covered her mouth using her hand then looked away.


    "Uh, Terence, can we replace this and choose another dish?"


    She stared at him with pleading eyes.


    With no other choice left, he informed the restaurant staff that they would choose another dish. Thereafter, he turned to her with an assuring smile. "She promised to give us a chance. But next time, she won''t let us return our food."


    She nodded with an embarrassed smile.


    "Can I pick one for you this time?"


    The previous dish never got out of her head. She even assumed all the meals were as disgusting as the last one.


    She didn''t dare to order that again.


    "Okay."


    With a light smile, he moved aside and let her choose.


    Carla''s attitude was different from his.


    If he was the kind of person who wanted nothing but the best for her when it came to food, she was the complete opposite of him.


    After deciding what to order, she picked the dish in the middle at the first row. She rubbed her palms together then opened the cloche, making her eyes widen. To her disappointment, it was a plate of sliced lemons.


    It would be nothing for Terence, wouldn''t it?


    Shaking his head with knitted eyebrows, he took a piece of sliced lemon, scanning it before eating


    eat, but the games were hard to tolerate.


    After their food arrived, she glanced at her husband who was eating across her. "Did you really eat that octopus? Is there anything wrong with your stomach now?"


    It wasn''t a big deal for him. He continued to eat the delicious oysters in front of him. Since the restaurant was near the ocean, some of the dishes were seafood.


    "Eating is normal. We are used to eating chicken, duck, and fish that''s why for us, it''s normal to eat all this food. In fact, eating a live octopus is normal in some other places. But since we aren''t used to it, we only enjoy what we like.


    It''s the same as eating sliced fish and beef."


    She nodded as she considered what he said. He was reasonable, but she didn''t take it seriously. For Rainer and Nathan, it was hard to accept.


    With that, she forced herself to eat the food in front of her.


    Eating was a great way to release some bad vibes because after they had stepped out of the restaurant, she was in a cheerful mood.


    As soon as they reached their car, they went inside.


    "By the way, Terence, what was that second dish you ate?"


    Carla remembered.


    She was really curious why Nathan and Rainer looked so different at that time. For her, it wasn''t a big deal to eat whatever it was that was served at that restaurant.

 Chapter 728 Could You Stay With Me Just For A Little Bit

    "It would be for the best that you don''t know anything about it. I fear that it will only leave a shadow in your heart."


    Upon saying that, Terence threw his arm around her shoulder and burst into a playful chuckle. "For now, let''s just worry about where you''re going to play later in the afternoon. Come on, let me show you around."


    With Carla''s gaze fixated on Terence, she couldn''t help but feel that he was trying to hide something from her. However, the more he tried to persuade her not to think too much about it, the more curious she became.


    "Tell me right now. I really want to know."


    Even after what he said, she still asked again. In truth, she wasn''t really in the mood to go for a walk outside because she was actually feeling sleepy. After all, she barely got any sleep ever since she arrived.


    She was having a bit of a hard time trying to fall asleep at first. But now that she had something to eat and a little too much to drink, her eyes were starting to feel heavy so she wanted to catch up on sleep.


    "Alright. Don''t say I didn''t warn you. And you can''t go blaming me if you don''t like what you''re going to hear." With a smile on his face, Terence let out a soft sigh as he whispered in her ear.


    After finally hearing it, Carla''s eyes were left wide open as she stared at him.


    With that, she quickly pushed his handsome face away and exclaimed, "Don''t you dare touch me today. You make me sick!"


    Grabbing a hold of her hand, Terence couldn''t help but chuckle, "See? What did I tell you?"


    Feeling a shiver running down her spine, Carla glanced at his body and then looked away in an instant.


    At this point, it was clear that she was overcome with fatigue. And with the car riding smoothly, she couldn''t shake off the weariness she was feeling.


    She couldn''t get so much as an ounce of sleep last night, so it was hardly surprising that she was about to doze off right then and there.


    Once Carla had fallen into her deep slumber, nothing could possibly get through her ears anymore.


    Noticing that she had drifted off to sleep, Terence instructed Nathan to drive her to the hotel so she could get some much needed rest.


    By the time they arrived at the hotel, it was already dark outside. And Carla wouldn''t wake up until the morning after.


    When she finally got up, it was still actually quite early in the morning. Looking at the time, she found out that it was only six o''clock.


    That being said, Terence had already left. His side of the bed felt so cold, that it seemed as though he hadn''t actually come back last night.


    After washing herself up, she put on a fresh change of clothes and walked out of the room. There, she saw Rainer waiting outside for her.


    The first thing she said the moment she saw him was, "Rainer, do you know where Terence is?"


    "Ms. Carla, you''re awake. In order to free up his schedule today for you, Mr. Terence had to get back to work as soon as he got you here,"


    R


    ance appeared to be white clouds falling from the sky.


    Basking in lovely scenery around the world was indeed quite a rare and extremely pleasurable moment.


    When he found out that she was planning to go back the next day, Terence had no choice but to adjust the schedule.


    They didn''t have enough time to enjoy the snowy mountains, but he decided to take her to the best location he could think of later in the evening to enjoy the most beautiful night view that this foreign city could offer.


    On the top of the mountain, the cold night wind blew. As she looked down at a blaze under her feet, Carla then glanced at Terence, who had been silent all throughout the day, gently wrapped her arms around his waist from behind.


    She knew fully well why he wasn''t saying anything.


    But she just couldn''t convince him. How could she persuade herself not to go back and just change her mind?


    When they arrived at the hotel, it was already past midnight.


    The more silent Terence was being, the more furious he was. So, the second they got inside the room, the beast inside of him was unleashed.


    Carla couldn''t sleep a wink the entire night.


    Because of that, she opted to take a nap sometime close to sunrise.


    By the time she woke up, she was surprised to find out that the sun was already high outside. Her heart jolted subconsciously.


    When she got up and looked at the clock, she found out that it was already ten o''clock. It was at that moment that she realized that she had totally screwed up.


    She had scheduled an appointment with Kaylee to fly out at ten o''clock. How the heck could she possibly make it at this point?


    As far as she could remember, she had set an alarm on her phone before dozing off, but why didn''t it ring?


    With this in her mind, she took out her phone and noticed that the alarm she had set had already been deleted.


    The question was¡­ who could''ve done this?


    Of course, it wasn''t her.


    Could it be...


    Terence?

 Chapter 729 Cherish The Present

    If it wasn''t him, then who else could it be?


    ''Why did he turn off my alarm? What is he up to?'' Carla thought in frustration.


    Carla tried calling Kaylee to tell her that she had gotten up late but found that Kaylee''s phone was off. She figured Kaylee must have already been on the plane.


    Then she called Terence.


    He picked up the call rather quickly.


    "Are you awake? Wait for me there. I''ll be there around noon so we can have lunch together." Terence''s familiar voice came from the other end of the line.


    Upon hearing this, Carla snorted. "Terence, did you turn off my alarm clock?" she asked.


    "Yes. It was too noisy. I was afraid it would wake you up,"


    Terence said playfully.


    "¡­¡­"


    Carla was so angry that she couldn''t even say a word. After a while, she said, "I had an appointment with Auntie Kaylee and I basically stood her up! Can you at least ask Rainer to bring me to the airport? I need to fly back right now."


    "Auntie Kaylee won''t be mad at you. I answered her call this morning," Terence said calmly, "Carla, I''ll be back home in one week. Don''t go anywhere, okay? Will you just stay with me?"


    He had asked her to come along with him but she had refused.


    Since she was here already, there was no reason he couldn''t ask her now. He also didn''t want her to fly back alone.


    "No, I''m worried about Sally!" Carla said anxiously. She had originally planned for Sally to stay with Violet for just a couple of days but with Terence changing up her plans, it would be 10 days now. She couldn''t agree to that.


    "I''ve already had her picked up from Violet''s house and taken to Father''s house. She''s now with her grandfather. There''s no need for you to worry about her."


    Since Terence knew that his daughter staying with other people was just a temporary fix, he asked Jason to bring her to the East Yard yesterday.


    His father hadn''t been working that much recently as he liked staying at home, drinking tea, and tending to his flowers. He was enjoying his leisure time. He loved Sally dearly so Terence knew he would take care of her.


    Carla was at a loss for words. It turned out that Terence had already planned the whole thing.


    She was so angry that she hung up the phone and th


    Terence had already seen right through her. He reached out and took her hand. "Carla, I can assure you that I can take care of myself. It''s only when I take care of myself that I can enjoy my time with you so I assure you that I''m not abusing my body."


    Carla looked at him and then turned her gaze to his hand tightly holding hers. "I''m glad you know that."


    "Actually, I''m halfway done with the business I need to do here. As for the rest of the work, I can ask my men to do it on my behalf. I still can''t fly back home but I''ll be able to spare some time to spend with you every day,"


    Terence said as he put the steak he had cut up into pieces on Carla''s place and took hers.


    "It''s fine. Just do whatever you have to do. We can spend time when we get home so don''t worry about me," Carla said, eating a piece of steak.


    "It''s not the same. We haven''t been able to spend time recently. I want to spend more time with you,"


    Terence said gently as he peeled a shrimp and put it into her mouth.


    Carla devoured the shrimp, nodding. "Whatever. I need to go out tomorrow to do something for my mom so I probably won''t be back until the evening."


    Terence paused and wiped his hand with a tissue.


    "Where are you going? We''re in a new place, okay? And you''re still unfamiliar with the area. Just tell me what you want to do. I''ll do it for you. "


    Carla took a sip of the red wine and looked up at him with a smile.


    "Actually, I''m going to visit your ex fiancee."

 Chapter 730 Decadent Bonnie

    Terence frowned as he continued to cut his steak with a fork.


    "Bonnie? Why?"


    Carla took a bite of her steak and sighed, "Since she moved here, she hasn''t talked to us. Not even once. My mother''s worried about her."


    "Really? Then don''t go there yourself. I''ll send someone to check up on her," Terence said in a low voice. Even if it wasn''t Bonnie whom she was going to visit, he wouldn''t allow her to go there alone.


    He didn''t even want to think about everything that Bonnie had done before.


    "No, I promised my mother that I''d see her in person. After all, she''s still part of the Hua family. I''m already here so I don''t see why I shouldn''t visit her,"


    Carla said, shaking her head.


    She was just hoping that Bonnie was doing much better so her family wouldn''t have to worry about her anymore.


    If she was doing fine then she wouldn''t have to keep in touch with them and her mother would be relieved.


    "If you really have to go, at least ask Rainer and Nathan to come with you," Terence sighed.


    "If they''re both coming with me then what about you?" Carla said, eyeing him. Nathan and Rainer were not only his bodyguards but also his personal assistants.


    "Do you really think I''m short on help right now?" Terence replied faintly. The AJ group also had branches here so he also had employees here that he could ask for help.


    He was just used to bringing Rainer and Nathan with him. He could easily bring someone else along with him.


    "All right. I''ll ask them to go with me tomorrow," Carla compromised.


    After lunch, Terence went back to work.


    In the afternoon, Carla stayed at the hotel alone. She watched the movie she had downloaded on her tablet while eating the snacks she had bought at the mall earlier.


    The next day.


    Carla got up early because Bonnie lived a good few hours away from her hotel.


    She decided that she couldn''t go there empty-handed so she asked Rainer to prepare two presents before they set out.


    After all, Bonnie came from a wealthy family. Even if she had ended up marrying a foreigner, there was no doubt that he would also come from a wealthy family like sh


    something was wrong.


    Bonnie couldn''t stand it anymore. She opened the door and found two pieces of tissue and used it to wipe her nose.


    After opening the door, Carla had a clearer view of the bedroom. Her nose was also instantly met with something unpleasant which made her cover her nose.


    "Bonnie, are you..."


    Carla noticed a straw and a small board placed in the corner. She''d never seen anything like this before in person but she''s seen it on TV. Was Bonnie really...?


    "Carla Ji, if you really care about Mother, you won''t tell her about this! I''m going through a rough time right now. When I fell in love with him, everything was rainbows and sparkles. I thought life was going to be wonderful but after I married him, I realized that it was all just a lie."


    Bonnie sat on her messy bed and hugged herself. She looked so thin as she closed her eyes and said, "He''s a drug addict. He didn''t tell me about it.


    When he couldn''t hide it anymore, he lured me into taking the drugs with him. We don''t have money anymore. We used up all my savings and even my dowry is gone. The big villa we used to live in is gone. Now we''re just staying in this small house.


    I wanted to give whatever I could to the man that I loved but who would have thought that things would turn out this way? But it doesn''t matter now. I''m already over it. Just let it go,"


    Bonnie said dispiritedly after opening her eyes.

 Chapter 731 Took Back A Trouble

    Looking at Bonnie, Carla had mixed feelings. She couldn''t quite figure out what she was really feeling.


    "Bonnie, if you were happy with your life right now, I''d leave you alone. But... What is this? Leave him. Go back and live in JA City and start a new life there.


    Even if she didn''t care about Bonnie, Andrea wouldn''t be able to just stand back and allow Bonnie to continue living her life like this.


    In that way, Bonnie could also be helping Andrea.


    Bonnie shook her head without even considering it. "No way. He won''t divorce me and I can''t go back either. Carla, can you just leave me alone? ...


    I hate you. I don''t want to see you. Stop pretending like you care about me when you and I know that you don''t. I don''t need your kindness or your pity,"


    Bonnie snapped.


    Suddenly, Bonnie''s husband came over and had a few words with her. Then he turned around and tried to push Carla and Rainer out.


    But before he could touch Carla, Rainer stopped him.


    "Bonnie, this isn''t the time to be holding on to your pride like that. Think it over. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I''m offering you.


    Once I leave, this is going to be your life forever. Are you sure this is what you want?"


    Carla gazed at Bonnie''s husband and couldn''t figure out what the hell Bonnie saw in him in the first place.


    "Think about it. If I leave today, my mom and brother are going to come see you. What do you think they''re going to do if they see you like this?"


    Bonnie snuffled. She sat on the edge of the bed, arms around her knees, burying her head in her legs. "Please don''t tell them, please?"


    "Do you really think I can do that?"


    Carla asked.


    Bonnie rubbed her head. Her drug addiction was starting to kick in. It seemed as if it was taking everything she had to not snort up right now since she was in front of Carla.


    "It won''t work. He won''t divorce me. Besides, I can''t go anywhere now..."


    Upon hearing this, Carla frowned. Then she turned to Rainer and said, "Tell him that I''m Bonnie''s sister and our mother hasn''t seen her in a while so I''m taking Bonne with me."


    Rainer nodded and turned to the foreign man.


    Then she saw tha


    Carla asked Rainer to arrange a room for Bonnie to stay in. Then she went back to her room to find some clothes for Bonnie.


    "Carla, are you with Mr. Terence?"


    Bonnie asked after a while.


    She couldn''t focus earlier so she was just realizing that Nathan and Rainer were Terence''s body guards. It dawned on her that Terence was probably here too.


    "Yes. Take a shower and change your clothes." Carla put the clothes on the sofa.


    Bonnie shook her head and sneered. "I didn''t expect that you''d see me in a situation like that. Carla, are you happy now?"


    "To be honest, I was a bit happy when I saw that you weren''t okay. Even though I knew then that Terence would always choose me no matter what, I still enjoyed seeing you like that."


    As time passed by, though, Bonnie''s grudge against Carla slowly disappeared.


    She hated Carla for taking away what belonged to her including the man she loved, her own parents'' love and her position in the Hua family.


    Only when she had gone through so many things did she realize that she only ended up with the life that she had because of the choices that she had made.


    If only she hadn''t been so stubborn and arrogant and had listened to her mother then maybe she would have had a better life now.


    As she thought of this, she suddenly felt ashamed to go back and see her mother and brother.


    Rainer knocked on her door and said, "Mrs. An, Mr. Terence is back. He wants to see you."

 Chapter 732 Trust Me And Dont Ask

    Bonnie then turned around and walked inside the room after she heard that Terence was back. She seemed too ashamed to see him.


    Carla turned around and walked out.


    Terence had already come back?


    It was still so early.


    As Carla headed back to her hotel room with Terence, she was busy thinking how she was going to tell Terence. Would he scold her for getting herself involved in someone else''s business?


    She could have actually asked her mother and brother to take Bonnie back.


    But she was too impulsive.


    When Carla saw Bonnie''s living situation, she couldn''t help but think that she deserved it all. Still, she wanted to help her by taking her back.


    "You''re back?"


    Carla discreetly took a deep breath as she strode toward Terence who was getting changed.


    Terence straightened his collar and turned to Carla, who was smiling at him. "I thought you were just going to see a friend? Why did you bring her back?"


    "Well, I guess I was kind of impulsive but I just couldn''t leave her alone after what I saw!"


    Carla said, biting her lips. Then she stepped forward and held his arm. "Honey, I know she''s done so many bad things to us. To be honest, I don''t even like her.


    But after all, she''s still a member of the Hua family. If I didn''t do this, my mother would have done it herself."


    Terence raised his hand and flicked her forehead with his finger. He looked at her helplessly and said, "Carla, do you know what kind of trouble you just got yourself into?"


    Carla lowered her head and nodded.


    "Tell me, what else did you do?"


    Terence lifted her chin so that she would look into his eyes.


    She sighed slightly as she met his gaze. "Bonnie''s a drug addict. If you want to send her back, let''s at least make sure she''s clean first."


    Bonnie wouldn''t even make it past the flight thus creating more trouble for them.


    "Anything else?" Terence asked.


    Carla scratched her head and asked, "What else?"


    "You knocked people out and took Bonnie out of her house. Did you think about the consequences of that? Not everyone knows that you''re Bonnie''s sist


    dn''t let her mother see Bonnie like this.


    In the following days, Carla didn''t know where Terence had sent Bonnie and she didn''t ask him either. When Andrea called to ask her about Bonnie, she just gave her a vague answer.


    The day finally came.


    Carla was about to see her dear daughter. She was so nervous that she didn''t get much sleep. She only slept during the flight.


    When they arrived in JA City, it was around eight in the evening.


    Carla and Terence went to the East Yard to pick up Sally first.


    When they arrived at the East Yard, they found that Kaylee was sitting in the living room and watching cartoons with Sally who was still awake.


    Sally was so focused on watching TV that she didn''t notice Carla come in.


    "Honey, guess who''s back?"


    Carla said enthusiastically as she walked behind her and planted a kiss on her cheek.


    Sally hadn''t seen her mother for more than ten days. As soon as she heard her mother''s voice, she was excited. Rather loudly, she said in a sweet voice, "Mommy!"


    After which, she turned and tightly wrapped her little arms around Carla''s neck. She burst into tears as she did all the while smiling joyfully.


    "Mommy, why did you lie to me? You told me that you would be back in three days. It''s been more than three days!"


    She stretched out her hand and counted three fingers.


    As she spoke, her eyes were brimming with tears.

 Chapter 736 Are You Looking For Trouble

    Just as Terence was about to say something, Carla cut him off. He knitted his eye brows together.


    "Even if I chase this one away, your father''s still going to send another one. I can''t get pregnant with a boy anytime soon. Maybe it''s better if we..."


    "Carla,"


    Terence said coldly, interrupting her.


    "Are you looking for trouble?"


    Carla leaned forward, cupping her chin with one hand, and looked at him with a smile as if she didn''t have any pressure.


    "All right. I''m just joking. No other woman can touch my husband. Only I can!"


    Carla said happily. She grasped Terence''s collar with one hand and pulled him towards her. She pouted as she leaned to kiss on his lips.


    "Now I''m serious. Can you help me check who sent my designs to R Furniture Company? That was about 10 days ago, I think."


    Terence was about to kiss her back but his eyes twinkled as he heard this. "I had someone send it out.


    You worked so hard on that design and it''s perfect for them. It would be a waste if you didn''t show it to anyone.


    What''s the matter? Why do you suddenly ask me that?"


    Carla almost choked on her own saliva when she heard that it was Terence who had done it. "I just didn''t expect that it would be you."


    "Now you know,"


    Terence said calmly.


    Carla let go of him, walked around his desk, stared at him and said, "Do you have any idea what you have done?"


    "What happened?"


    Terence asked, raising his eyebrows.


    "They''re coming after me. They said my design team plagiarized their work. Now they won''t leave me alone." Even as Carla was talking about it, she could feel her anger resurfacing once more.


    It was perfectly acceptable that Terence didn''t know of this as the AJ Group was a very big company who had branches all over the country, probably even more than a hundred. Terence was a busy man and he didn''t have time to keep track of things like this.


    "What do you mean? They accused you of plagiarizing their design?"


    Terence


    estaurant, Violet took Carla''s bracelet out of her bag and tossed it to Carla.


    Carla took it. As she looked at the bracelet, she smiled back at Violet and said, "No need to hurry. I was going to visit you at your place. You probably miss me already since we didn''t see each other for so long, right?"


    "Yes, I can''t deny it. You''re right. Since you weren''t around, I didn''t know who to call whenever I wanted to have fun." Violet shrugged her shoulders. Then she said, "I regret getting pregnant so early. I just got married and I haven''t been able to enjoy my married life yet. Now I''m pregnant again and I have to focus on being a mother again.


    Then after I give birth, I have to take care of the baby. I''m already tired just thinking about it,"


    Violet complained while eating.


    Carla looked at her with a smile and said, "Violet, stop complaining. There are also good sides to getting pregnant early. Think of it this way: when your children grow up, you''ll be free."


    A mother''s love and care for her children never went away after all.


    "By the way, Carla, a few days ago, I was thinking about taking you somewhere. What do you think? Are you free tomorrow?" Violet asked as she recalled it.


    Carla blinked back. She had a smile on her face as she responded, "Yes, but where are you taking me?"

 Chapter 737 Take Preventive Measures In Advance

    "Like I told you before, it''s a place where they hold lotteries. It''s so much fun there! I''ll take you there tomorrow,"


    Violet said with a grin.


    Carla, who was initially listening to her seriously, couldn''t help but roll her eyes at her upon hearing this.


    "When did you become so superstitious? I don''t believe in those things. Besides, aren''t places like that normally located in the mountains? You''re pregnant. Should you really be climbing mountains?"


    Carla shook her head with a resigned smile. Andrea had said this before but she just didn''t expect the same thing to come from Violet too.


    "Believe me! It''s magical there! Our country has a history of over five thousand years. Anything can happen! Just give it a try. You know what? I tried my luck about five years ago and I was told that all my hardships would come to an end and I wouldn''t suffer anymore in no more than four or five years. Look at me now. It came true!"


    Violet put down her chopsticks and continued, "Just go and check it out. Look at it as a walk outdoors with me.


    The temple is located on a mountain but there is a nice road so it is accessible by car. Don''t worry. It''s not tiring at all and it won''t take that long."


    Violet just wanted a trip where she could relax. When Carla was in another country, she didn''t know what to do because William was always busy with work.


    Seeing Violet so insistent, Carla nodded and agreed with a smile.


    "All right. I''ll look at it as a trip with you."


    After lunch, she and Violet parted.


    When Carla left the restaurant, she made her way towards her car. She had taken no more than a few steps when she suddenly got this strange feeling that someone was following her.


    She couldn''t help but be nervous, thus she quickened her pace.


    As she walked faster so did whoever was following her.


    As soon as she felt whoever was following her was starting to catch up, a voice suddenly came.


    "Mrs. An!"


    Seeing her bodyguards appear in time, Carla was relieved.


    She turned around and saw the men who were trailing behind her immediately turn around to leave.


    The body guards quickly scanned the area before taking a step back and opening the car door for her. One of them said respectfully, "Mrs. Carla, please get in the car now."


    Carla breathed a sigh of relief as she got into Jason''s car.


    Meanw


    arm as they slowly made their way to the top of the mountain all the while appreciating the beautiful views they chanced upon.


    Violet couldn''t walk as fast so they often took breaks. Thus, it took a while before they reached the top of the mountain.


    It was late autumn and the leaves had begun to turn yellow. The two of them stood on the top of the mountain, laughing and taking pictures.


    "The air here is so fresh. I haven''t climbed a mountain in so long. Do you remember that we used to go climb mountains a lot when we were in high school?" Violet said as she sat on a stone, trying to catch her breath.


    Carla handed her a bottle of water and said with a smile, "Yes. I remember that! We always wanted to go out back then. I think we were able to go to all the mountains in BH City!"


    Carla had just been in BH City to visit her uncle but she hadn''t been able to take the time and tour around the place.


    She missed that place a lot.


    And the neighbors who used to take care of her. She wanted to know how they were doing now.


    Carla decided she would go back to BH City when she found the time.


    "Carla, I don''t think there are a lot of people in the temple right now. They say that the temple is very magical. We''re here already. Why don''t we go inside and pray? It won''t do us any harm anyway."


    Violet looked at the drawing room in front of her. It was almost noon and there were fewer people.


    If the Goddess of Mercy could show Carla some mercy and impregnate her with a baby boy then maybe Terence''s father would be much nicer to her.

 Chapter 738 A Prediction And A Plan

    Inside the temple, Carla devoutly knelt and touched the ground with her forehead before the statue of Buddha.


    Life could be so unpredictable so Carla thought that it wouldn''t hurt to pray for some strength and luck as she went on with her life.


    There were a lot of things that Carla prayed for. Her first prayer was for the family that she had married into, the An family. Terence was their only successor and as his wife, she prayed that the family would continue to be rich and powerful. She hoped that there would be a bright future ahead for the family.


    Next, Edmund was living a peaceful life at his age. Carla also prayed that when they reached their fifties, Terence could be free from the heavy burden on his shoulders and finally be able to live without a single worry on his mind. There were a lot of things that she wanted them to do like travel the whole world, to see places that they had never seen before, and to eat delicacies from the most exotic places. She wanted them to experience life with only smiles on their faces.


    Carla firmly closed her eyes and shook the lot pot. Then, one of the lots fell to the ground with a click.


    "Here it is."


    Violet exclaimed while she picked up the lot up at once. She handed it to the monk who was standing beside them. She then patiently waited for the lot to be interpreted.


    The monk put on his prescription glasses and then closely examined Carla''s lot.


    "Well, this is a good one. From what was written here, this lady must come from a rich family. However, when you were young, you went through a lot of suffering. All the rough roads and hardships lead up to who you are today. Your future will be as bright as the moon. Luck and fortune will surround you."


    "Can you please predict when she will be pregnant again?"


    Violet anxiously asked. She actually thought that it was unnecessary to tell them whether Carla was rich or not. However, Violet kept her mouth shut since she wanted to find out about the more important things.


    "Calm down, lady. According to what I can tell from this lot, your friend will have a child sooner or later. So, you don''t need to be worried. You only need to wait and see!"


    The monk gently said, looking at Carla with a smile.


    "But you have to tell us the approximate time. When exactly will Carla be expecting?" Violet continued to press on the matter.


    "There''s no need to rush. The baby will be a very special one once it is born. Generally, it will take a while. But there is no doubt that this young lady will indeed be expecting. Remember, wait and pray!"


    "Hey, what exactly do you mean by that?"


    Violet wanted to know more. But Carla quickly placed down the fee on one of the bowls and grabbed Violet''s arm to drag her out of the temple.


    "Carla, why are you in such a hurry? Don''t you want a clearer answer?"


    "Violet, I think everything has been made very clear. The monk already told us to wait and see. We can''t change my fate! After all, I came here just to ask for peace of mind. Now that I heard the answer, what I''m asking for has been given to me. So let''s go back now!"


    Carla said with a sigh of relief while she g


    ou but also be good to her. That will make Dad think you and Susan are developing a relationship. But secretly, you can help Rainer and create opportunities for him to meet with Susan."


    Carla analyzed the whole thing in detail. "What''s more, Rainer has been with you for a long time. He is such a devoted bodyguard. As his boss, you should put his marriage into account. Think of it as showing your gratitude for his years and years of service."


    Terence raised his lips and said with a smile, "You are such a smart woman! The only problem is that Rainer doesn''t seem to be very good at chasing girls. He easily gets nervous in front of beautiful women."


    "I don''t think there is a problem. Rainer is a tall and handsome young man. What''s more, he has you and Nathan to teach him the necessary skills that he needs. There wouldn''t be any problem at all!"


    Carla stated, full of confidence with her plan. Rainer''s responses to every single thing that Susan did, really got Carla thinking that this was a good plan. In her opinion, Rainer had always been a composed man. He barely talked to any woman except when necessary. It turned out that he had never met a woman who attracted him so much. And now that he finally met someone who grabbed his attention, it was making him lose all of his composure.


    When a man and a woman met for the first time, there were only two possibilities. They would fall in love with each other at first sight or develop affection for the other person within days, weeks or even months afterward.


    It seemed like it was the latter that happened to Rainer.


    "Okay, I''ll arrange for Rainer to work with Susan more." Terence said after thinking about what to do. He fully understood Edmund''s intentions and he didn''t want to waste it. It was just in a different way from what his father was hoping for.


    Moreover, it would be a good chance for him to make his loyal subordinate happy.


    "Yes! That sounds like a plan. By the way, how is the investigation of the R Furniture Company going?"


    Carla asked when she finally remembered what she came into the office for.

 Chapter 739 Attended The Meeting Together

    "I think I''ve figured it all out. That Manager Li is so keen on recommending that small company all because of one thing-- it''s his brother-in-law''s. And on top of that, I think that his wife forced him to give this cooperation opportunity to his brother instead.


    And that''s why Manager Li was so crazy and careless to even come up with such an idea without thinking of its repercussions,"


    Terence said with a scornful smile on his handsome face.


    "I have already asked my men to gather evidence against him and his cohorts. I have already instructed them to submit the findings in court and file a case against them. They have openly slandered the reputation of our company and we have to fight back."


    Listening to her husband''s plan of action, Carla heaved a heavy sigh. "I just didn''t expect things to be like this. I never thought that Manager Li was anything like that at all. How about... "


    "Carla, don''t be so softhearted. You know what he did and don''t give him too much benefit of the doubt. No matter what his reason was for doing it, I won''t just sit back and do nothing! He dared to insult the AJ Group and pick on you and I will not let him get away with that!"


    Terence said firmly as he tried to hold back his anger. Then, he looked at his watch and continued, "I''m going to attend a company meeting held by the JA City government. Do you want to go with me?"


    "I don''t know. I mean... it''s going to be a government meeting. Am I even allowed to be there?" Carla asked curiously.


    "Of course, you are. Come on. I''ll take you as my assistant. After all, each of the guests can take one assistant with them,"


    Terence said with a smile upon seeing hesitation on her face, "If you don''t have anything else to do these days, you can come with me to meetings and listen to the plans and goals for JA City as long as you don''t feel bored."


    Terence was a renowned entrepreneur in JA City and was very used to attending meetings annually.


    Upon hearing what the meeting would be all about, Carla immediately lost interest and even thought that it would be very boring for her. Wrinkling her nose, she said, "I guess I''ll take a pass on this one. Seeing you in your sharp suit, I know that it''s that boring kind of occasion."


    "Well, not really. You can meet some of the rising entrepreneurs in this city. Plus, you''ll see what our newly appointed mayor looks like."


    Terence then rubbed her nose. Smiling, he said, "Alright, but since you have nothing to do now, I''ll ask Rainer to bring a business suit for you. Change into it and go with me."


    Determined to bring Carla with him, he called Rainer who was just standing outside the door.


    "Don''t bother. I already have one in my office. I will just ask


    ched.


    Sitting behind her, Steven was helping to adjust the video on the scene. And when he saw her accidentally, he focused the camera on her.


    He had not seen her for a very long time, and he did not expect that he would see her in the meeting.


    Out of boredom, Carla looked around the entire room. After shooting glances here and there, she suddenly found out that the camera was focused on her.


    Realizing that the camera must have shot her dozing off very frequently, she smiled awkwardly, sat straight, and became more alert.


    But under the table, she suddenly felt Terence grab her hand tightly.


    Carla and Terence looked at each other and exchanged smiles for a while, and then looked away simultaneously. Again, Terence took her hand and wrote a few words on her palm with his finger:


    "Meeting will end in an hour."


    All the writing on her palm made it very itchy so she clenched her hand and pulled it away from his grip. Wanting to say something in return, she then grabbed his hand and wrote: "Can I go horseback riding later?"


    Terence raised his eyebrows and replied in the same manner: "Ride me instead. I promise you it will be better than riding a horse."


    Shocked by her husband''s reply, she was partly aroused and almost choked on her own saliva.


    Meanwhile, behind the camera, Steven saw how happy Terence and Carla were with each other. With overflowing love and affection, he knew that Carla was happy and contented with Terence''s presence.


    He could not comprehend why he felt a little melancholic and disappointed by what he saw. But whenever his eyes laid on Carla''s smiling face, he felt happy, too.


    "Master Steven, your father has requested your presence. He wants you to go to see him after you finish your work."


    At this time, his secretary came over and informed him.

 Chapter 740 I Just Want To See You Happy

    When he suddenly realized that someone was approaching him, Steven switched the screens on his computer and turned his attention back to his father''s secretary, Secretary Liu.


    "Well, I see, Secretary Liu."


    Steven had a hobby of painting and photography, and he also knew something about video shooting. Hence, he would help his father with the interview work occasionally.


    As soon as the meeting was over, he asked, "Father, are you looking for me?"


    At this moment, Gary had just returned from the meeting room. He was sitting in a chair with some employees from JA City and sipping tea. When he saw Steven approaching, he waved at him instantly.


    "Hey, Steven, come and sit down to have a talk with your uncles."


    Steven walked up to them and greeted them politely, "Good afternoon, everyone."


    "You are a good boy. Mr. Su, where does Steven work now?"


    The chief of the Administrative Management Bureau, Jim Hu, who was sitting next to Gary, parted his lips. He stole a glance at Steven and nodded with satisfaction.


    "He has just graduated. He hasn''t secured a proper job yet," Gary said with a smile.


    "Really? How would you feel about inviting your son to work in our executive bureau? He is so young. He surely does have a bright future!"


    Hearing that, Jim said to Gary.


    "Really? It will be such an honor for him to work with you. I''ve been worrying about my son''s life very much in these recent times. He doesn''t focus on his work. He solely focuses on painting, tourism and photography. It''s time for him to get serious and to settle down to do business."


    With a smile, Gary looked at Steven and replied, "You''re still young, so you''d better start from the grassroots level. Don''t be afraid of work. Don''t be afraid of fatigue or exhaustion. How about staying in Uncle Jim''s office for two years at the outset? What do you say?"


    Since he was the mayor of JA City, it was not a good idea to arrange a job for him directly, in order to not be embarrassed by others. Jim''s offer was indeed a magnificent one.


    Steven hesitated.


    He had thought of this when he came, but he didn''t expect that his father would allow him to work in the administrative bureau. He was under the impression that he would work for his father.


    "¡­¡­ Thank you, Uncle Jim."


    Jim said with a bright smile, "That''s very kind of you. My son is about your age, but he is far less sensible than you! Mr. Su, I have to learn from you. You''ve raised such a wonderful kid unlike me!"


    Gary waved his hand with a trace of a smile on his face.


    Since he had run out of topics to converse about, Steven said to his father and Jim, "Father, Uncle Jim, may I be excused? You guys can carry on."


    Gary waved at him.


    at I''ve arrived at a bad time. Has President Qi returned home so early?"


    Carla hadn''t informed Violet that she was coming, because she just met her this morning. So, she was aware that Violet would be at home this afternoon.


    As soon as Carla and Sally entered the living room, they saw the couple snuggled up against each other on the sofa. Violet was lying in William''s arms.


    William held Violet with one hand and touched her belly with the other. His eyes were full of affection and care.


    Seeing her approaching, Violet quickly got up from William''s arms and asked, "Carla, what are you doing here? Come on in!"


    "Be careful. Don''t wrench your back and hips." William nervously stopped Violet, who seemed to totally forget that she was a pregnant woman.


    "Hi, Auntie Violet and Uncle William!"


    Holding her hand, Sally greeted them sweetly and innocently.


    As a matter of fact, Sally had been to Violet''s house quite often and she had also lived here for a few days. Hence, she didn''t feel uncomfortable at all. This was like a second home to her.


    "Oh, hi, Sally! I haven''t seen you in a few days and I missed you so much. Come and give me a kiss!"


    Violet saw that Sally also came, so she pushed William away and walked towards her, kissing her on the cheek gently.


    Violet had a son, so she liked girls very much. She wished for a daughter in her next delivery.


    Sally was so cute and she had two beautiful big eyes. She looked like a little angel and was so sweet. She was simply adorable for everyone around her.


    William stood up and gave some private space for them. "Let me go upstairs to read. Carla, bring Terence alongside you the next time you visit us."


    "Okay!"


    Carla smiled and watched William leave. Then she turned around quickly and walked towards Violet hastily.

 Chapter 741 Terence Was Drugged By His Father

    "Violet, how''s living life like an empress? It must be so nice to have servants waiting on you hand and foot. Plus, Mr. Qi seems to care so much about you,"


    Carla teased.


    There was a saying that pregnant women must be treated like royalty. A queen, or even better they were treated like an empress.


    "Of course! It''s the least they could do for us pregnant women. They have to make us feel as comfortable as possible during our pregnancy. God knows how much we''re going to suffer when we give birth." Violet caressed her swollen belly. With a smile, she began, "I also admire you. Even if you''re not yet pregnant, Mr. Terence always dotes on you. You''re the apple of his eye. And when you do get pregnant, I''d imagine he''d feel like you''re the most important woman in the world."


    Carla smiled at Violet''s assessment of her relationship with Terence. Sighing, she tried to evade answering the question. "By the way, where''s Cody?"


    At Carla''s question, Violet remembered that her son should still be in the room. "Cody! Have you finished your homework? Come here and play with your future wife!"


    Carla couldn''t help but chuckle at her friend''s antics. Although she had heard this joke a lot before, it still made her laugh every time she heard it.


    Hearing her mother''s call, Cody rushed into the room. "Mom, is Sally here?


    Sally? Where are you?"


    When he saw Sally standing beside Carla, he moved closer to her before he took her hand. "C''mon, let''s go to my room. You have to see my new collector''s item, a Transformer!"


    Although they went to the same school, the two kids were not in the same class. It was only during special times or after school did they get to meet.


    With their hands held together, they went to Cody''s room. Watching the kids go, Violet sighed. "Carla, just relax! Your daughter is lucky to marry Cody in the near future.


    He''s good at taking care of people."


    At this, Carla tried to let her worries go. She would cross the bridge when she got there. In the meantime, they moved to the sofa to sit more comfortably.


    "Even if she does end up with Cody, I can''t help but feel anxious about giving her away. I feel anxious about being apart from her. Even now, it seems like time is running so fast and the time I spend with her is just never enough." Carla said and took the peeled grapefruit on the table. She


    gined his own father drugging him.


    As Terence blacked out, Nathan sensed something was off. He immediately moved from his station at the foot of the stairs to check his gut feel. As he was coming up to the room, he was stopped by two bodyguards.


    "Nathan, this is a family affair. It''s none of your business.


    Besides, I''m his father. I won''t hurt him."


    Edmund took a look at the tea cup in front of Terence. The tea was smeared with traces of the drug he used on his son.


    He knew Terence would be coming from the party today. People who had a drink usually had a weaker sense of smell and the medicine had little to no smell at all. Terence wouldn''t be aware he was being drugged.


    Nathan watched helplessly as two bodyguards lifted Terence into the innermost room.


    Nathan wanted to approach Terence, but he was stopped by the bodyguards.


    Seeing this, Nathan turned around and walked downstairs. When he was about to go downstairs, Edmund clamped a hand on his shoulder and said, "Nathan, I know you''ve always been loyal to Terence. We all appreciate your loyalty to him. If you want to call Carla and tell her what happened, please consider doing it tomorrow morning instead.


    Find his mobile phone and all other communication devices and take them away. Return them to him tomorrow morning,"


    Edmund told the guards before standing from his seat slowly.


    He didn''t care about Carla and Terence''s relationship. His son could have whoever he wanted as long as he gave him a grandchild. He just wanted a grandchild.


    a grandson.


    That was all.

 Chapter 742 Where Is Terence !

    In the manor''s innermost room, Susan was inside, waiting for Terence, wearing quite a seductive nightgown. The moment she saw Terence being sent in, her face became red-flushed and she couldn''t help but lower her gaze.


    She didn''t have much of a choice as she was forced into doing this.


    It was Edmund himself who called her and asked her to come here after work to prepare everything for this.


    Given the fact that she had received an order from him, Susan had been feeling so on edge as she waited in the room up until now.


    Edmund understood completely how strong his son''s self-control was. Because of that, he decided to put two kinds of pills in the tea that he drank to weaken him. Not only were those pills capable of melting away his resolve, but it was also strong and powerful enough to draw forth his sexual desire.


    With her gaze fixated on the handsome man lying on the bed, Susan''s heart was thumping so hard in excitement. At that moment, she didn''t feel like she was being forced to do something against her will anymore. Instead, she felt rather lucky to be able to have the chance to sleep with Terence.


    From the moment she was handpicked by Edmund to work with Terence, it had been deeply ingrained in her mind what her mission really was.


    As a matter of fact, she even made it a point to find out Terence''s preference in women. She presented herself in such a way that it would display the particular characteristics which Terence would want to see.


    Actually, she was already quite satisfied with the work that Edmund had given her, to the point that she was starting to get used to it, but she never would''ve expected that Edmund would come up with such an arrangement all of a sudden...


    ¡ª


    As all of that was happening, "Rainer, why are you here? Where is Terence?"


    Carla asked Rainer, who was the one driving, after she stepped inside the car with Sally, who was sleeping soundly in her arms.


    "Mrs. An, it seems that your father-in-law wasn''t feeling well, so Mr. An left in a hurry to check up on him," answered Rainer. He simply told her what Nathan said over the phone when he called him.


    Grabbing a thin blanket, Carla covered her daughter with it and glanced at Rainer. "Do you mean to tell me that my father-in-law is not feeling well?"


    "Yeah. He was the one who asked Mr. An to come see him personally. I think it''s probably something very serious," Rainer went ahead and told her what was on his mind.


    Pondering about it for a while, Carla simply nodded and said, "You may be right. It''s already eleven o''clock now. Could it be something so serious that Terence was called over at this time of the night?"


    "Well, what do you think, Rainer? Why don''t we go there and see how he''s doing? I hope it''s not the case, but I think I should pay him a visit in case he is seriously ill,"


    Carla said, feeling a little worried.


    It had only been a couple of days since she heard that Edmund


    er, stop it. You''d only be wasting your breath! They''re not afraid of me. I think Edmund was the one who instructed them to do this!"


    No one ever dared to go against her except for Edmund. ¡ª


    But why did Edmund want to stop her from coming in? And he even got Nathan locked up.


    It was at this point that Carla seemed to have come to a sudden realization as she struggled to break free. "Let go of me! Let go of me! I need to find Terence right away! Terence!"


    "Terence Can you hear me? Come out this instant!"


    "Terence?!" ¡ª


    Carla kept on shouting hysterically.


    With all of this happening in front of him, Rainer decided to put Sally down on the sofa and then quickly went back upstairs. As soon as he got close, he kicked away one of the bodyguards that were trying to keep Carla from getting any further to help break free.


    Thanks to that, Carla managed to free her hand and put all of her strength into kicking the other bodyguard who was holding her back. She actually went ahead and kicked him in the groin.


    No matter how strong the bodyguard was, he had to let go of her as he grabbed his crotch in excruciating pain.


    As soon as Carla broke loose, she went inside to look for Terence. Rainer, on the other hand, stayed back with the two bodyguards, trying to buy Carla a bit more time.


    "Terence..."


    "Terence!"


    Carla searched every single room. Since she had been there a couple of times before, she was quite familiar with the layout of the house. So, she found the innermost room right away.


    There were only a handful of guest rooms on the second floor, and only one of them was reserved for important guests.


    Since Terence was not in his room at the moment, there was only one other place he could possibly be.


    "Terence, Terence, are you in there? Answer me!"


    Carla kept on pounding against the door. The door was locked from inside, which proved one thing.


    There was no doubt that Terence was inside this room!

 Chapter 743 You Ruined Everything

    Carla kept on knocking at the door but after doing so for a while and nothing was happening, she started to kick it!


    However, the door was made of hard wood and it was very sturdy. How could she, a weak woman, be able to break it?


    She stopped kicking the door and tried to figure out another way to get inside. It was in this state that the door opened on the other side.


    "Carla, can you please stop that?!"


    Edmund exclaimed.


    "Father?" Carla uttered in surprise. Not for one second did she expect Edmund to be there. She thought he wouldn''t be at home after making such a scene.


    "But why..."


    She asked in disbelief as she looked at Edmund. Then, Carla''s eyes started to fill with tears because of too much anxiety.


    Edmund, on the other hand, sighed and closed his eyes.


    "Carla, you have to pretend that nothing has happened. As long as you don''t get into a fight with Terence, you are still the prominent Mrs. An, the wife of Terence An. This fact will never change."


    Carla bit her lip and asked after a while, "What do you mean? What do you mean, Father?"


    Edmund slowly opened his eyes and said, "Carla, you''re smart. You should know what I mean.


    I advise you not to open that door. Otherwise, you will break your own heart."


    Carla eagerly shook her head as a response.


    "No way! That''s impossible! Father, I know Terence very well. He won''t do that! He would never dare to do that to me!"


    With that, she slammed into the door once again. No matter what Edmund said to her, she still wanted to get in.


    "Enough! You''re right! Terence won''t do that, but I have a few ways to force him. Carla, don''t be so stubborn. You shouldn''t bother yourself with this matter anymore. Just let it go!"


    Edmund said while he turned around, ready to close the door on Carla.


    Carla snorted. For the love of everything that was right in the world, she couldn''t believe what he said at all. Terence would never do that to her. That was for certain. She completely trusted her husband.


    "Rainer, help me kick the door!"


    Carla shouted towards Rainer''s direction.


    Edmund sighed and waved his hand, gesturing the bodyguards that they didn''t have to stop Carla and Rainer.


    Rainer came over at once. "Mrs. Carla?"


    "Kick!" Carla pointed towards the door. Rainer hesitated for a few seconds before actually doing what Carla ordered him to do.


    Carla felt the door shake a little, but it didn''t open at all.


    Even though she knew there was a possibility that at the other side of the door, something could extremely hurt her, she had to find out. She had to see it with her own eyes, no matter what was behind that door. Unless she did so, she would never believe it.


    Rainer took two steps back and gave the door a hard kick!


    With a loud bang, the door finally opened!


    But with the loud thud of the door, there was a scream from the inside.


    As soon as her eyes landed on what was inside, Carla wanted to sob and cry and scream. She felt her heart break


    d Eunice who quarreled with each other a lot in the beginning. But now, everything was fine for them.


    While she was coming down the stairs, Carla almost fell down several times.


    Sally, who was sleeping on the sofa was woken up by the noise just then. She rubbed her eyes and sat up.


    "Mommy, what''s wrong?"


    Hearing her words, Carla turned her eyes to her daughter and slowly reached out her hand. "Sally, let''s go."


    Sally stood up obediently and walked towards her. "But Mom, it''s so late now. Aren''t we going to stay at Grandpa''s house for one night?"


    Carla sneered, her voice was as cold as ice, "Sally, from this moment on, you don''t have a grandfather anymore."


    "But Mommy¡ª" Sally pouted, confused with what her mother had just stated.


    "Sally, just this once, please be good and don''t say anything. Let''s just go, okay?" Carla interrupted her.


    Then, holding her daughter''s hand, Carla went out of the room and walked out of the East Yard.


    Meanwhile, Nathan kneeled in front of Terence and slapped himself on the face.


    "Mr. Terence, I''m sorry. It''s all my fault!"


    Terence rubbed his temples. He wanted to remember how all of this mess had happened. How did they get to this? But he realized that he couldn''t remember anything at all.


    "Nathan, send someone to follow Carla. But don''t interfere with her. Make sure nothing bad will happen to her. Keep her safe."


    When he saw that Nathan remained on the floor, Terence rubbed his forehead and called loudly, "Rainer!"


    "Yes, Mr. Terence?"


    Rainer responded with his head down while he approached Terence.


    Terence glanced at the woman on the bed who was desperately covering herself with her clothes.


    "Give her the medicine right now!"


    Although he didn''t know what exactly had happened, it was better to be safe than sorry. He needed to take damage control. Just in case they¡ª


    Anyway, the important thing was that he would not allow another woman to bear his child. It was only meant for Carla.

 Chapter 744 Divorce

    The sky was pure darkness.


    The cool breeze of late autumn swept up the yellow leaves off the ground.


    It blew more leaves from the trees, fluttering around in the air, landing on the ground, then carried up by the wind again, as if it destined them to roam with no permanent living place.


    The chilly night didn''t even affect Carla.


    Sighing, she went to Violet''s home.


    Because she had nowhere to go.


    "Carla? Why are you here? Why are you so cold? Be quick. Come in! "


    Violet put on her pajamas and came out as soon as she saw Carla. "What... What happened?"


    After entering the room, the expression of Carla frightened her. With that, she told the servant, "Mary, take Sally to bed first."


    Thereafter, she took Carla''s hand then dragged her into a quiet room. "Tell me what happened and I''ll listen."


    It was as if Carla became deaf all of a sudden.


    "Carla, please don''t be that way. A while ago, you were okay then now you look depressed."


    She held Carla''s hand with an anxious face.


    Tears blurred Carla''s vision. It was too hard for her to utter a word.


    "We can''t get along with each other this time," Carla said in a trembling voice.


    Violet pondered over her words. "What? Do you mean you can''t be with Terence anymore? How... how could it be possible?


    You haven''t been apart since those four years of separation. I don''t think anyone or anything could make you two away from each other!"


    Carla formed a bitter smile. "Violet, if you see William sleeping with another woman, will you forgive him?


    Even if he has his own reasons or difficulties?"


    ''Terence must have thought Susan was me, so he protected her at the moment I turned on the light, '' Carla thought to herself.


    As she remembered it, she could tell that Terence''s mental state wasn''t in proper condition.


    But, what she had seen was enough f


    it was because he really didn''t expect his father would lie to him using his illness as an excuse.


    No one would always be on guard against his own biological father.


    Terence said nothing more, so he took a step closer to her. "Carla, please, let''s go back home together."


    Carla shook her head and sighed.


    "We can''t go back anymore. Terence An, although I don''t seem to care about anything when I speak, but in fact, I do care about that. Your father has been forcing you to give me up since he has decided to set this trap for you.


    So is there any reason for me to go back?


    As long as I can''t be pregnant with the heir of the AJ Group, he will keep forcing you. Even if I can forgive you this time, what about next time? This time he lied he was sick. What if he compels you with his life next time?"


    Carla looked into the sky without looking back, then smiled. "Your grandfather and mother are dead, and you only have your father.


    No matter how unreasonable he is, he would do anything just to make sure you''re all good. So you can''t leave him, but you can abandon me."


    "Carla..."


    He wanted to say something, but she interrupted him.


    "So, let''s get a divorce."


    She held her tears while heaving a sigh.

 Chapter 745 Let Me Take Care Of Sally

    In all the time they were married, Carla had never mentioned the word ''divorce'' to Terence.


    Letting the words take shape and saying it out loud, divorce had become real. Once uttered, there was no going back. Nothing could have prepared her for the realness speaking it out.


    As he heard the word come out of her mouth, Terence frowned. His surprise was evident on his face. "Carla, what did you say? I can''t... I don''t want to leave you!


    You''re wrong. I know I received a lot of inheritance from my parents, but I''ll be damned. If it''s between you and my father, I will always choose you!"


    His father once said that Terence would always choose family. But now, faced with this decision between Carla and his family, he wouldn''t even think twice. If it made him a bad son, then so be it.


    And in his eyes, what his father had done was step over the line. Edmund had not only hurt Carla. He had hurt Terence, too.


    "And what good would it do, choosing me? It doesn''t matter whether you''re willing to leave me or not. I''ve already made up my mind. Let''s schedule an appointment to get our divorce certificate. Then you can give your father the grandson he has always wanted."


    Sitting on the sofa and looking out of the window, Carla formed a bittersweet smile. Her arms were wound tight around herself as if she had to physically hold herself together. Each word was a barbed weapon that drove painfully into the chains of their relationship, tearing them apart and breaking her down.


    The next second, Terence strode to her. With his chest against her back, he held her in his arms, tightly. He held her, as if his action could make her stay, as if it could keep them together. "Carla, I won''t let you go. No matter how much you hate me, I won''t let go."


    Feeling powerless, Carla stayed still in his arms. A frown marred her features.


    "Terence, you know me. There''s no turning back once I made a decision."


    "I will keep Sally with me. Let me take care of her. You don''t have to give me anything. I don''t care for your money or your family''s property. Perhaps your father made the right decision. I probably would only have Sally in this lifetime. So please give Sally to me."


    Carla pleaded, with her tone defeated.


    She might not be able to have another baby in this lifetime, and it might be best if Sally stayed with her.


    "Carla, this is nonsense. What are you talking about? "


    Terence turned her around in his arms and stared into her eyes intently. "I don''t want Sally. I want you.


    I don''t want anyone or any child or any heir. I just want you!"


    st time.


    Convinced that they were at the right place, Carla opened the door and stepped out of the car. No hesitations. All the bluster and bravado of a woman trying to keep it together.


    Terence didn''t try to persuade her again. They went straight to the divorce window.


    "Guys, have you thought about this? You have gone through a lot of difficulties to be together. Even if there''s a big reason behind you doing this, I still suggest reconsidering."


    The staff tried to persuade her.


    Carla didn''t say anything. She silently handed her marriage certificate and other documents over to the staff.


    The staff glanced at Terence. Only then did Terence put his documents on the table.


    "... Carla, take care of yourself."


    Terence lowered his head and signed on the agreement.


    Hearing these words tore through the last thing holding her back. She couldn''t help but bite her lips to hold back the tears. Tears that still found a way to stream down her face. Her chest tightened as she signed the document and gave it to the staff.


    With an official stamp, the divorce certificate was handed over to Carla.


    She had always thought the divorce certificate was green in color. The document they gave her was purple.


    Perhaps divorce was no longer as taboo and frowned upon as it was before. Many people saw it now as another means to get a new life.


    "Now that it''s done, I''ll leave first."


    Carla stood up, thrust the certificate into her bag, and walked out.


    But as soon as she left, Terence''s calm fa?ade shattered. He suddenly stood up and kicked over the count table.


    "Mr. Terence! What''s wrong? Did we make a mistake?"


    The two employees stood up immediately and stepped back in horror.

 Chapter 746 A Fake Divorce Certificate

    In that moment, the counter was temporarily set up because time was too tight. Therefore, most of the projects in there were for single-use and it would be disposed of with minimum effort.


    "It''s none of your business. Go and get your money!"


    Nathan exclaimed while he proceeded to approach Terence.


    On the other hand, Terence smashed everything around him like an angry lion.


    Nathan looked at Terence''s enraged face and sighed.


    It was impossible for Terence to actually divorce Carla. It was just unthinkable for him to do such a thing. So, he had someone set up the place overnight.


    It was no wonder that so many people had come to get divorced or get married. All of them were actors who had been hired by Nathan.


    Thanks to the technology nowadays, a fake divorce certificate could actually look more realistic than the real one.


    However, Nathan knew that what Edmund had done had brought much trouble to Mr. Terence.


    Nobody would have thought that it was his own father who would put some kind of drug into his son''s drink. The drug clouded Mr. Terence''s mind and he got very confused. What was worse, he had drunk a lot of wine before that so he couldn''t even tell who was around him at all. Nathan could bet that if you asked Mr. Terence his name that night, he wouldn''t even be able to answer correctly.


    Because of that, things got more complicated. On one hand, Carla wanted a divorce. On the other hand, Edmund was his father so Terence couldn''t do anything to reprimand his behavior.


    In the end, it was Terence who had to take the burden of fixing everything all by himself.


    "Where is Susan? What happened to her?"


    Terence stopped smashing everything around him and gasped. He straightened up and coldly glanced at Nathan. If Nathan didn''t know Terence, he would have gotten the chills from his look alone.


    "No, she kept insisting on the validity of her original testimony. S-she said that that you treated her as your wife. She said that you kept on calling her ''Carla''. Then, everything that was supposed to happen, happened."


    Nathan shakily stated while he lowered his head. His relationship with Terence did not stop him from being a little too afraid at Terence''s voice.


    Terence slowly closed his eyes and rubbed his temples a little too hard. No matter how hard he tried, he still couldn''t remember what actually happened.


    At that time, he couldn''t control himself. He didn''t know what he had done or what Susan had done to him. Only when the door had been kicked open did his consciousness recover a little.


    In all honesty, he thought that it was Carla who slept beside him at that moment.


    So, only Susan knew what exactly happened at that time.


    "Mr. Terence, if I may say something, I don''t think it''s necessary to find out every single detail of the truth. We would never know what actually happened since only Susan can tell us what happened but I don''t think we can trust her. What we should do is prevent the chairman from getting what he wants. What we know for sure with absolute certainty is that you didn''t mean to do this. In your mind, the most important thing


    l have a really hard time. Call your husband and ask him to come here.


    If he can come over in person and kowtow to me three times by calling me Grandpa Henry, maybe I will let you go."


    When he thought about the prospect of finally getting what he wanted, Henry laughed louder. It seemed like his dream was so close to coming true.


    Looking at Henry who was grinning from ear to ear, Carla''s lips slightly trembled and responded, "I''m afraid I can''t do that. I just divorced him earlier. I came from the Bureau of Civil Affairs before you dragged me in here. As of now, Terence and I have nothing to do with each other.


    So, Mr. Henry, it''s too late for you to tie me up. I''m afraid, you have lost the best time to make use of me."


    Hearing this, Henry couldn''t help but grin as he raised one of his eyebrows.


    "Are you kidding? Terence loves you so much. You''re telling me that he was willing to divorce you? You wouldn''t even be able to fool a three-year-old kid with that! Do you think I would be?"


    Carla knew that he wouldn''t believe her. She looked for her handbag and said, "You don''t believe me, right? Go look through my handbag. The divorce certificate is in there. Then you will know that I''m not lying."


    Henry was confused and asked one of his guys to check her bag.


    Soon enough, the guy took out the purple divorce certificate from her bag.


    The guy handed it to Henry and he immediately looked at it. The stamp of the Civil Affairs Bureau was clearly on it. It seemed like the seal was exactly the same as when he divorced his now ex-wife.


    "But why did you get divorced so easily?"


    Henry asked her with so much confusion on his face.


    "Why do you have to know that? Do we really have to inform you of every single detail of what has been our marriage?"


    Carla couldn''t help but respond in sarcasm.


    Henry walked around Carla and thought for a while.


    "It doesn''t matter. Even if you two are divorced, so what? I don''t believe that he will really ignore you when it''s a matter of life and death."


    Then, Henry asked someone to contact Terence.

 Chapter 747 How Dare You Touch My Wife! (Part One)

    "Mr. Henry, I have him on the phone right now!" the man frantically said.


    Then, he handed the phone over to Henry.


    As Henry grabbed the phone, he cleared his throat and said, "Hello, Mr. Terence, your wife is at my home for a visit at the moment. Why don''t you come and have a cup of tea with us?"


    Upon saying that, Henry held his breath while anxiously waiting for Terence''s response.


    Be that as it might, all he heard from the other line was dead silence.


    Terence had just returned to the office when he got that phone call from Henry.


    "What did you just say? Say that one more time."


    He asked, with his voice sounding rather cold.


    "I said that your wife is staying at my house as a guest right now. Would you like to come and see her? If you don''t plan to come, I want you to know that I will not show even an ounce of mercy!"


    Henry went ahead and restated. Shooting a glance at Carla who was sitting on the floor, he put the phone in front of her and asked, "Mrs. An, would you like to talk with your husband? Or should I say, your ex-husband?"


    "Terence, now that the two of us are divorced, whether I live or die has nothing to do with you anymore!"


    Carla said without a hint of emotion on her face.


    Hearing this, Henry immediately put his phone over his ear and said, "Mr. Terence, as the old proverb goes, ''Ten years mend cultivate crossing, but a hundred to mend altogether pillow sleep!'' Do you seriously not care about her life at all?"


    After a period of silence, he heard Terence speak.


    "What she said is true. We did have a divorce. Right now, I don''t have anything to do with her anymore


    ld probably want to think this through. Besides, you went ahead and called Terence and even told him that I''m here with you, so¡­"


    Upon hearing those words, Henry started having second thoughts.


    That being said, after just a short while, Henry snorted, "Are you kidding me? Do you think I will be scared? Let me tell you something, I''m not a coward like your husband! And you can''t fool me. I don''t believe you are willing to die whatsoever...


    What... What are trying to do?"


    Henry asked. As he was saying that, Carla stood up all of a sudden, wearing a resolute look on her face.


    Her eyes turned sullen. And in the next second, she had darted toward the wall, something which Henry could never have expected.


    As fast as he possibly could, Henry grabbed a hold of her arm and pushed her to the sofa. Then, in a fit of anger, he yelled, "Damn you, woman! Have you lost your mind! Are you planning to die just because of a divorce?


    Come over here and send her out!" He called to his henchmen.


    Indeed, it wouldn''t do him any good if the woman ended up dying in his house.

 Chapter 748 How Dare You Touch My Wife! (Part Two)

    God only knew whether or not Terence would let him see the light of day ever again. But most importantly, if he were to carry the burden of taking a person''s life on his shoulders, it would not be easy to get away with such a crime. If it came to that, even Gary would not be able to save him.


    For that reason, he must stay away from this kind of trouble at all costs!


    ''Damn it! What a rotten bit of luck! I thought I could finally get the chance to beat Terence on the spot and teach this woman a lesson today. Who would have thought that Terence would actually divorce her?'' Henry helplessly pondered on his bad luck.


    When she finally got out of Henry''s house, Carla walked behind a tree with her legs still trembling in fear as she gasped for air.


    It was only a lie when she said that she was not afraid of dying. In any case, who would want to die at such a young age?


    She wasn''t actually that vulnerable.


    Without wasting any time, Carla immediately hailed a taxi and left this dreadful place.


    But just moments after Carla had gone.


    The police arrived and had Henry''s villa completely surrounded.


    A black Maybach was with them.


    Terence stepped out of the car with a somber look on his face and strode into the villa.


    "Who is it?"


    Henry was about to go upstairs to get some rest. However, he was left utterly dumbfounded when he saw the swarm of policemen.


    As soon as he opened the door, Terence walked toward him and kicked Henry in a fit of fury!


    With Henry''s back against the wall after being kicked, Terence grabbed the collar of his shirt and asked, "Where is she? Tell me right now. Otherwise, I''ll see to i


    n living in JA city for so long. Do you think you''ll get used to it if you go back?"


    Violet couldn''t help but worry about her, so she walked over toward her and continued, "Have you thought this through? If you want, I can help you find a house where you and Sally can move in. And besides, Sally still needs to go to kindergarten here. Don''t you think so?"


    Hearing this, Carla simply shook her head.


    "She can just transfer to another kindergarten. I really don''t want to stay in JA city even a second longer. Violet, please don''t try to persuade me. I have already made up my mind.


    I''ll be leaving in two days. But before that, I''ll take Sally to her school to take care of the discharging formalities."


    She said, with her voice sounding so firm.


    At that moment, she had no plans to stay in JA city much longer. If she did, she knew she wouldn''t be able to breathe easily.


    She wanted to go somewhere else. A place where she could clear up her mind and start over.


    And upon careful consideration, she decided that BH city was, without a doubt, the best place for her right now.

 Chapter 749 My Wife And Daughter Left Because Of You

    Seeing Carla so determined, Violet sighed. She knew Carla well enough and she knew there was no way she was going to convince Carla.


    The next morning.


    Carla went to Sally''s school to fix her papers in withdrawing her enrollment from the school.


    Violet accompanied her.


    Cody''s eyes turned red when he saw that Sally was about to leave. He put on a long face as he stared at Sally as if he didn''t want her to leave.


    "Auntie Carla, when can I see Sally again?"


    Cody asked tearfully.


    "Don''t cry, Cody. Once we''ve settled down, I''ll make sure Sally visits you on her free days," Carla replied, rubbing Cody''s little head.


    Then she stood up and said to Violet, "Violet, thank you for keeping me company these past few days."


    Violet looked like she was amused by this. She glanced at Carla and said, "Well, we can never really tell with life. Maybe I''ll ask for your help next time.


    All right. Since you''re leaving, you should hurry. If you arrive at BH City early enough, you can still get some cleaning done."


    Carla nodded and stepped forward to hug Violet. "Violet, take care of yourself and your baby. Don''t get bored without me around."


    Violent couldn''t help but be sentimental. Suddenly, her eyes were red too. "All right, it''s time for you to leave. Tell me when you''ve arrived!"


    Carla got on the cab with Sally, heading to the airport.


    The mother and daughter left.


    In the AJ building.


    Rainer informed Terence of Carla leaving.


    "Sir Terence, Ms. Carla has already officially withdrawn Sally from school. They''ve already returned to BH City..."


    Terence seemed to freeze in response.


    After a while, he slowly turned. He was sitting lazily on the sofa and he had just lit a cigarette. He took a long drag seemingly out of frustration.


    "Sir, you have a meeting in 10 minutes,"


    Rainer reminded him.


    "Cancel it," Terence replied indifferently.


    He looked out the window. No one could tell what was on his mind.


    "Okay, how about the inspection scheduled this afternoon?"


    "Cancel it."


    Rainer was stunned upon hearing this. He just nodded and left.


    ''Looks like the boss isn''t just cancelling his schedule today but also for the succeeding days, '' he though


    r change!" Rainer grinned.


    Terence had always been good to them. They were never short on days off. They both had their own cars and houses. Their annual salary was pretty good. Where else could they find a good boss such as Terence?


    Nathan got in the driver''s seat without waiting for Terence to respond.


    Then Rainer opened the door for him and said, "Sir. Terence, please."


    Soon, the three of them were already in the car.


    Nathan started the car without even asking where Terence wanted to go.


    Rainer asked in confusion, "Nathan, where are we going now?"


    Nathan glanced at Terence who was silently sitting on the backseat. He''d worked for Terence for years. He had a pretty good guess where Terence wanted to be right now.


    He rolled his eyes at Rainer and replied, "Are you an idiot? Can''t you see that sir Terence''s wife and daughter have left him? I can''t believe you even have to ask where we''re going! We''re going to the BH City to get Mrs. An back!"


    "Oh, I see. But they didn''t really divorce right?"


    Rainer asked in confusion, scratching his head.


    Nathan eyed Rainer. He said, "Rainer, don''t say that in front of her. If you don''t know something, just let it go. Just stay still and behave. Just do your job, okay? Especially when we arrive in BH City."


    Rainer nodded and said, "You can count on me!"


    Although he didn''t know much about love, he was good at following orders.


    After that, they wasted no time as they headed to BH City.

 Chapter 750 Incomplete

    In BH City, Carla had been busy with renovating their house in the past few days.


    The fire had burned most of it down, so she needed to buy new furniture.


    There was another bigger and better house for her to live in, but she didn''t want to live there. Although the furniture was in an awful condition, she didn''t want to replace them since they were the only things left by her foster parents for her and Sean.


    It was very hard for her to let go.


    With that, she decided to remodel the house.


    She sent Sally to the nearby kindergarten. On weekdays, she had to drop her off in the morning and pick her up in the afternoon.


    In the past, there was nothing to worry about since there was a driver to do those things for her. Now things were different.


    Parents would wait for their kids, and when the bell rang, the children would dash toward their parents. That was what happened on a daily basis. With that in mind, she was satisfied with the set up.


    She noticed that she hadn''t been spending quality time with her daughter ever since she came back.


    "Carla, are you back to taste the normal life?"


    Although it had been five or six years, Aunt Jena was still hale, hearty, and still good at doing the dance.


    It was easy for her to take care of things since she rented an apartment near the house that was under renovation.


    "Exactly. I''ve experienced enough luxuries. I''m so tired of them to the point that I want to live here for a few days."


    She smiled at Jena while holding the bag of groceries she had bought from the market earlier.


    "Oh, Carla, you''re the only girl who has manage to leave this neighborhood and live in the big city. The daughters of the families around here see you as their role model!"


    Jena chuckled, "When I first met Terence, I noticed in an instant he came from a noble family. Now it turns out I''m right!"


    Carla let out a heavy sigh.


    People from this community who have met Terence were proud and even bragged to others that they were able to meet him.


    They were honored to have met him in person.


    After talking to Jena, she went upstairs.


    As soon as she placed the groceries over th


    "


    She was too young to understand things such as unfaithfulness and divorce, that was why she couldn''t find a way how to explain it to her.


    Staying in BH City without his presence was too hard for them.


    However, every time the thought of not being accepted by the An family crossed her mind, Carla believed that leaving was a good choice for her and Sally.


    Edmund loved his granddaughter, but Sally could never compete with the future heir of the family, who had to be male.


    "But I miss daddy now. I want to call him,"


    Sally mumbled while fidgeting her fingers.


    Carla took her hand and changed the subject. "You must be hungry, sweetie. Let me finish cook this delicious meal for you. How''s that sound?"


    "Mommy, aren''t you with dad anymore?"


    Sally pouted and stared at her mother with her bright eyes.


    "In the former kindergarten, my classmate''s parents were not together for a long time. That''s why his mother brought him to a new father''s house.


    "Mom, I don''t want a new dad. I want my daddy... "


    As soon as she finished her words, she glanced at Carla with a pout and watery eyes.


    Children were sensitive and fragile. Staying in BH City without her father for a long time, she was starting to get suspicious.


    Looking at her cute little face, Carla hesitated for a while before standing up.


    She took a deep breath to calm herself down. Then she took out her phone and dialed Terence''s number.

 Chapter 751 Mommy, I Miss Daddy

    No matter what happens, Terence would still be Sally''s biological father. Even if they did divorce, he still had every right to keep in touch with his daughter.


    Besides, Sally had always loved her father. She''d be devastated if she wouldn''t be able to see him.


    Carla dialed the number before it was on speaker. She tilted her head towards her daughter. "Sally, daddy will pick up the phone later. You can talk to him about this."


    With that being said, she turned back to the kitchen.


    Jumping at the thought of speaking to her dad, Sally hovered around the table intently, eyes fixated on the small phone. When the ringing stopped, she peered delightfully at the screen only to be greeted by a sound, "Sorry, the subscriber you are calling cannot be reached at the moment. Please try your call later."


    Sally''s shoulders sagged in disappointment. "Mom!"


    "What''s wrong?"


    Carla asked, poking her head from the kitchen.


    She pointed accusingly at the phone, sniffling. "Daddy didn''t answer the phone. A lady said that I couldn''t be connected!"


    "What?"


    Carla blinked, walking over. She picked up the phone before dialing his number all over again, only to find that the second call couldn''t get through him either.


    ''Weird.'' She dialed Rainer this time, only to be met with the same message.


    Calling Nathan also brought the same results.


    ''Why were all their phones turned off?'' Carla''s eyebrows knitted together before shaking away the thought, looking up at her pouting daughter.


    "Sally, maybe daddy''s busy now. Let''s call him tomorrow, okay?" Carla took the remote control and turned on the TV. The bright colors automatically removed the frown painted on the girl''s face as she moved closer to the screen. "Come on, honey, let''s watch some TV."


    As the bright cartoons danced and sang on screen, the girl found herself entranced by the loud voices that she forgot all about the unanswered phone call.


    Carla inched away from Sally before returning back to her cooking. The phone call didn''t escape her mind. It was rare for Terence to turn off his phone, more weird that all three of them had their phones turned off. It was only off when he was on a meeting...''Was he?''


    ¡ª


    What she didn''t know was that Edmund was blowing up his phone so much that Terence had to turn off his phone.


    Although he had already made up his mind in not arguing with Edmund


    nerves. But before he could enter the room, he couldn''t help but overhear what his father had just said.


    He held back his hand from knocking.


    ''What did dad just say?''


    ¡ª ''Terence had divorced his wife?


    How could that be?'' Steven pondered to himself.


    A couple of days ago, he had just seen Carla and Terence at a conference. They were clinging to each other as if their life depended on it, not letting each other go unless they needed to. They didn''t look like a couple about to divorce.


    Steven blinked, handing the midnight snack to the help, asking her to bring it to Gary.


    He, then, turned back to his room.


    Once he was already seated, Steven took out his phone and scrolled down on Carla''s number. He had it saved for a long time, but he never really had the guts to call her.


    It was the second time they met when Carla gave him her business card. He held it closely, typing the number in, but he never really got a chance to use it.


    Now it was probably that chance.


    Without another thought, he decided to give her a call.


    ¡ª


    In BH City, Carla tossed and turned in bed. Although she was still awake, she finally felt her eyelids start to droop. Just before she was about to fall asleep, her phone rang out.


    Startled by the call, the sleepiness she felt drifted away as she sat up, grabbing her phone from the desk.


    Seeing it was a call from a stranger, Carla hesitated before answering it.


    "Hello, who''s this?"


    Carla yawned, tucking her sleeping daughter in the quilt. She later got out of bed, not wanting to wake her up from the phone call.

 Chapter 752 A Long Battle

    "Hey, it''s me. Steven."


    Hearing her tired voice, Steven felt his hands getting clammy. He grasped himself. "Sorry to bother you in the middle of the night."


    Walking out of her bedroom, she paused, furrowing her eyebrows once she heard Steven''s voice pop out of the speaker.


    "How did you know my number?"


    Her memory wasn''t as good as Steven''s, not remembering that she gave him her number.


    "Oh, you forgot, it was during the last time we met. You gave me your business card when I asked your name," Steven reminded her.


    He had also remembered that she told him to not call her unless it was for emergencies, but he didn''t bother to bring that up. That was also partly the reason why he never dared call her, especially in light circumstances.


    "Oh! I remember now." Carla nodded, the memories already coming back to her. She glanced at her phone. "It''s quite late now. Anything I can do for you?"


    "Have you sold the painting I''ve given to you? Because if you have it, I have a buyer here in the city.


    I just thought to ask you, I mean, if you haven''t sold it yet..."


    Steven started to ramble. Although everything was normal and his voice was still as stable as it could be, his heartbeat was already going fast and his hands started to get more sweaty.


    He had never been so nervous, not even for any business meetings that he had attended.


    "Oh, the painting''s still in the warehouse. I''m not in JA City right now, so I won''t be able to hand it to you at the moment."


    Carla had paused before answering him. She had told him to sell the paintings and donate the money into charities in his name, but when she went abroad to see Terence, things had been postponed. Now it was entirely different.


    After what had happened, she wasn''t in the mood to talk about paintings.


    "It doesn''t matter, as long as you still have it. My friend will be relieved. Ms. Carla, are you in another city right now?"


    Steven said quickly.


    "Yes. I have something to take care of in BH City," Carla blurted out. "I really am sorry to keep your friend waiting. I might not be able to go back to JA City for a few more days. How about I''ll give you a call when I''m back?"


    "All right, that''s fine. You''re in BH City? What a coincidence. My friends and I will be going there to do some painting in two days. Do you want to hang out?"


    Steven clenched his other hand, trying to keep his voice as casual as possible. In these moments, he felt like


    ure to compliment it.


    Terence followed her silently, watching as she stared long and hard at all her selections. She had always been cautious of her purchases, making sure that everything suited the room and her taste.


    As he had expected, her apartment must be almost done with the renovation.


    Carla couldn''t make up her mind about which sofa she should choose. The sofa shouldn''t only be small enough to fit the room, but it should also compliment the entire design of her apartment.


    As she continued to stare at the couches, a phone call interrupted her. She glanced at the ID to see that it was Andrea, her mother.


    "Hello, mom? What? You''re coming to JA City?" ¡ª


    Hearing what Andrea had just said, Carla almost dropped her phone. The sofa left forgotten, she inched away to the hallway to talk.


    "Yes, Tristan''s wedding issue has been taken care of, so I wanted to visit you and Sally. I miss all of you," Andrea brightly replied.


    Actually, her real purpose was to bring Carla to another physical examination, one that she knew her daughter wouldn''t go to, alone.


    It had been a while since Carla had taken the Chinese Medicine that she had sent, but she still hadn''t heard any news. As her mother, Andrea couldn''t help but be worried for her daughter.


    "Mom, I''m not in JA City now.


    "I have a lot of things to deal with, so I came to BH City. An old friend of mine is in the hospital, so I came over..."


    Carla trailed off, not noticing that someone was behind her, listening to every word she was saying.


    The man in sunglasses was leaning against the wall, intent on hearing what else she had to say.

 Chapter 753 I Just Want To Stay With You For A While

    "Really? When will you go back to JA City?"


    Andrea asked, with a little bit of sadness on her face.


    A little nervous of what she would say, Carla scratched the window unknowingly and replied, "Mom, it''s not easy for me to come all the way here and I want to stay for a few more days. I''ll just call you when I''m back."


    "How many more days will you stay there? Didn''t Terence urge you to come back?" Andrea asked again.


    Terence had been very reluctant to let her stay at her mother''s house before. And now that Carla had decided to stay in BH City, Andrea didn''t believe Terence would agree to it.


    "Actually he... he has been very busy recently. With all the things that have been happening in the company, he has to deal with a lot of work. And besides, if I decide to go, he can''t stop me from doing so,"


    Carla said after heaving a heavy sigh.


    "You''re right about that. But Callie, you are his wife, and maybe you could give him a little bit more of consideration regarding your decisions. I know you, and it''s not really good of you to be so stubborn.


    We both know that Terence is a very busy man. He goes home late at night with the hopes of finding you at home and spending more of the little time you two have left before he goes back to work. Come back here as soon as you are done there!"


    Andrea tried to persuade Carla with all of her patience.


    Anxiously biting her lower lip, Carla replied, "Okay, I know."


    She then hung up the phone and sighed slightly.


    Standing beside the window for a while, she felt the cold air swish in the corridor. Freezing in the weather, she shrank her shoulders and wrapped her coat tightly around her body for added warmth. After that, she went on to continue selecting the furniture she needed.


    After all, that was the task that she needed to accomplish that day.


    But as Carla turned around, she bumped into a warm and broad chest which was right in front of her face.


    Seeing that chest, she already knew who it belonged to, even without looking up to see the person''s face.


    It hadn''t been in Terence''s plan to show up in front of her, but he wasn''t able to help himself.


    Afraid of the cold and freezing weather, she usually stayed at home to avoid the chilly air. But when Terence saw her alone, he felt a sting in his heart for he could not bear to see her looking sad and depressed.


    "Why are you here?"


    Carla looked up and asked while she struggled out of his arms.


    "I came to see you and our daughter. I miss you terribly, Carla,"


    Terence said gently as he touched her face and looked at her with affection. "Carla, please let me stay with you for a while. Would that be okay with you?"


    But to his dismay, Carla only stepped back to avoid his touch and said, "Sorry, I''m a little busy right now. If you want to see our daughter, you can meet her after school."


    Hearing that, Terence then whispered a few words in her ear in a soft voice. Trying to convince Carla was a tough move for Terence, but he w


    o sleep in,"


    Terence said as he changed his tone immediately.


    Carla glanced at him and thought he was right.


    Changing her mind, she then walked towards the section of the queen sized beds, which were able to accommodate two people comfortably.


    Seeing Carla have given up her first choice and changed her mind, Terence was a little relieved. Her room might not be that spacious, but it could definitely hold a 1.8-meter bed.


    But for someone who had been used to sleeping on big beds, the 1.5-meter bed was still a little small for him.


    "That''s enough. The bed is my private item. I can choose it myself, and it''s none of your business anyway. I don''t need any suggestions from you on this,"


    Carla said as she realized that she had just fallen into another one of his traps and decided to make decisions for herself on the matter.


    In the end, she really wanted to choose a 1.5-meter bed. She also intended to put a drawing board in her room. To spare a little more room for entertainment, she found it unnecessary to buy a bigger bed.


    Giving up on making any more decisions for her, Terence just smiled and shrugged his shoulders. He thought that although the bed was still small, it was enough for him to sleep on.


    But there was still a bright side to the small size¡ª winter was coming up and they would have to cuddle up together to stay warm.


    Finally, Carla chose a wooden one with a simple and elegant design which fitted the furniture in the house well.


    Meanwhile, Carla''s phone rang again.


    Taking out her phone, she wondered why there were so many calls for her today. But when she saw the number, she subconsciously looked at Terence.


    While Terence was helping Carla select the table, he noticed the strange look on her face, and asked, "Why are you looking at me instead of answering the phone?"


    As a reply, Carla raised her phone in front of him and looked at him with her eyebrows raised.


    "It''s from your father. Why is he calling me at this time?"

 Chapter 754 My Dear Ex-wife

    "Answer it, but don''t tell him I''m here,"


    Terence said while his eyes were fixated on her cellphone.


    "Why not?" Carla asked with her eyebrows furrowed.


    Then, she looked down at the phone on her hand. In fact, she didn''t want to answer the call. She didn''t want to hear his voice at all.


    If it wasn''t for him, she and Terence would not have come to this point.


    With this in mind, Carla turned to Terence. Without turning away, she slid her thumb on the phone''s screen, placed it by her ear and said, "Hello?"


    "Carla, is Terence with you right now?"


    As soon as Carla spoke, Edmund went straight to the point and asked.


    While looking at the man beside her, Carla lied, "No, he isn''t."


    "That''s impossible! He has been looking for you! Hurry up and let me talk to him! The company is in a mess right now. He must come back as soon as possible."


    After Edmund had finished talking, Carla walked up to the matching chair in front of the coffee table and sat on it. Unintentionally, knocking the wooden table, she said, "I already told you that he is not here. Did you not hear me earlier?


    And may I just remind you that your son and I are already divorced. So please don''t call me again in the future, I beg you!"


    Carla didn''t give Edmund the time to respond, she immediately hung up the phone in a huff.


    Terence looked at her and smiled, "You''re still too kind to him. If I were you, I would have cursed at him, at the very least."


    Carla put away the phone and looked at him. "What did he mean? Why did he say that? What''s the meaning of ''The company is in a mess.''"


    "It''s nothing. I just resigned,"


    Terence said lightly. He then looked away from her but not before capturing her hands and engulfing them in his. He looked around the room to look at the pieces of furniture all around them. "Can you describe to me the interiors of the house you''re staying at? So I can choose a table that matches it."


    "Wait, hold on a second. What did you just say? You resigned? Terence, are you kidding me?"


    How could Carla have the mood to choose a table after being informed of that news? How could he resign? She could have never imagined that Terence would do such a thing!


    She would have easily believed it if it was anyone else that had resigned. But it was Terence, the heir of the AJ group! What did he mean by "resigned"?


    Terence stopped looking around and turned to her. "Carla, I''m not kidding. Do you know what I loath the most these days?


    My identity! I hate who I am and everything that has to do with it!


    If it weren''t for my identity as the successor of the company and heir of the family, I wouldn''t have lost my wife and daughter. I wouldn''t have lost the love that I have worked so hard to have."


    Terence said while he looked at her with so much sincerity and determination.


    "It''s always very easy for a lot of people to forget the important things in their lives. Although the glory on me is inherent, there''s the pressure and responsibility com


    console himself.


    Edmund believed that what he did was just for the best interest of the family. For others, it might have been a mistake but for him, he was just doing his best.


    It was such a pity that Terence couldn''t have his own biological son. Since he was such an excellent boy, Edmund had hoped that Terence would also be able to have a son that would come to be an excellent successor for the An family.


    However, things didn''t always go as one wished them to be. If people were forced to do something they didn''t want to do, trouble was on the horizon.


    Edmund had to accept that.


    Meanwhile, Carla just came out of the furniture market and was fully intent on going home. However, the only problem was that Terence was still following her.


    "What else do you want?"


    Carla stopped and turned to ask him.


    "Hon¡ª Carla, please don''t act like I''m a stranger. Think of everything that we had been through. It''s noon now. For the sake of our past, aren''t you going to invite me for lunch?" Terence stated with a little whine in his voice.


    Instead of finding it endearing, Carla was just annoyed with what he said. ''How about you? Did you think about everything that we had been through before doing what you did?'' Carla wanted to say but instead, she sarcastically asked, "Why? Are you too poor to buy a meal for yourself?" She then sneered and walked away from him.


    As they say, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse. He had been the president of the AJ Group for so many years. Even if he quit today, how poor could he be?


    Terence tried to catch up with Carla and said, "You''re right but I didn''t bring anything with me this time."


    Terence said while he took out his pockets to prove that they were empty. He then shrugged and continued, "I learned from you. In order for my Father not to find me, all my bank cards are inactive and my mobile phones are out of reach.


    So, my dear ex-wife, could you please take me in for the sake of what has been our relationship?"

 Chapter 755 Is Mr. Terence Missing

    Meanwhile, in a hotel on the other side of the city, Nathan and Rainer had just arrived on the front desk. They got up very early to get there but soon enough, they found out that Terence wasn''t there anymore.


    "Nathan, why didn''t sir Terence take anything with him?"


    Up to a certain point, they could understand why Terence didn''t ask them to come along. But the man didn''t even bring his wallet or his phone.


    Rainer looked at what had been Terence''s bed on his stay there. His wallet and cell phone were all lying on top, disregarded. He didn''t take anything with him. They started to wonder how Terence could eat, drink, or live without his resources.


    "Don''t you understand? This might be his exact purpose. This might be sir Terence''s strategy."


    Nathan took the wallet on the bed and opened it. He saw that his bank cards and IDs were all inside. He really didn''t take anything with him.


    ''Looking at the situation on hand, Mr. Terence must have gotten up very early today. Where could he have headed?'' Nathan thought.


    Around the same time


    at the gate of the furniture store, Carla was starting to realize that the scene in front of her was very familiar. She was taken back to the first few months that she met Terence. That was the time when they were just starting to get to know each other.


    How persistent and nice he was to her before. How he never stopped trying to win her affections. And in the end, she inevitably fell head over heels for him.


    "Carla? What are you thinking about? Hello? Are you still here?"


    Terence waved his hand in front of her and then held her hand tightly. He said, "Let''s go. I''m a little hungry. I''ll cook for you when we get home."


    Then, with her hand still in his, he tugged at her a little so they could walk over to the car parked on the other side of the road.


    But before he could take even a single step, Carla pulled her hand away from him.


    "Terence, I''m doing very well right now. My life is how I want it to be. I''m completely contented with everything I have. So can you please, please stop bothering me? I beg you, leave me alone."


    Carla stated while she lowered her head. Without looking into his eyes, she continued, "If you want to see your daughter, I can fulfill that wish. But I hope you can recognize the fact that we''re already divorced. Except when it comes to Sally, we have nothing to do with each other anymore."


    Terence looked at her and said, "Carla, if it isn''t clear by now, you should know my intentions. I don''t want to leave you and I''ve never thought of divorcing you."


    "But it doesn''t matter now, Terence! We''re divorced, you can''t change that!"


    All of a sudden, Carla looked up at him, her eyes glistening with tears that threaten to fall anytime soon. Then she raised her voice and continued, "Although it wasn''t you who hurt me, I can''t stay by your side anymore.


    That''s the truth and you have to learn to live with that. Just like what I have been doing."


    Carla took a deep breath and looked away from him. "You know, your father ma


    ent to see Karen. Since then, she hadn''t seen Terence at all.


    Nathan and Rainer exchanged glances with each other when they heard Carla''s words.


    "Ms. Carla, we haven''t seen our boss since yesterday. And there isn''t any information from our counterparts in the city that he has returned to JA City,"


    Nathan worriedly said.


    Rainer added, "Yes, Mrs. Carla, do you really have no idea where Mr. Terence is? He didn''t bring anything with him. He left all of his bank cards, IDs, and wallet. Oh god, where could he go by himself without any resources?"


    Carla comforted, "You two need to relax. He is a strong man so he will be fine. Maybe he''ll come back on his own when he''s done doing whatever he needs to do."


    However, Rainer shook his head and said, "That would be a little out of character for sir Terence. He had never done anything like this. Well, except when you disappeared four years ago. Well, I mean, he has never acted like this."


    "Ms. Carla, May I have a word with you alone?"


    Nathan asked, looking at Sally who was quietly listening to the adults.


    Carla nodded and they went to a park nearby.


    "Mrs. Carla, there is something that I''m not sure whether I should tell you or not," Nathan gently stated.


    "Is there anything you''re afraid of telling me? No matter what it is, just tell it to me straight."


    Carla responded to Nathan while she tried to examine his facial expression.


    Nathan lowered his head and sighed, "Mrs. Carla, please forgive me for my straightforwardness.


    But since it has come to this. Let us set aside our personal feelings and look at it from a different perspective. If one day, while you''re still with Mr. Terence, you find yourself with another man. In this situation, let''s say you weren''t willing to. For example, you don''t have love for the man or you were forced to do it. I can guarantee with absolute certainty that sir Terence will never divorce you for it.


    Nor would he alienate you because of it. He would forgive you and just go after the other man."

 Chapter 756 Looking For The Same Person In The Same Cold Night

    "The truth is that Mr. Terence did not want any of that to happen. In fact, he couldn''t even remember anything from that night because he was in a state of daze. He was heavily drugged. His heart and mind have not changed. For him, there has only been one woman in his life and it''s you.


    So, Ms. Carla, do you really think it''s that unforgivable? Do you think it''s enough for you to never come back to our boss?"


    Nathan took a deep breath and slowly continued, "I''m not sure if this will appease you but for the longest time, Mr. Terence didn''t come to see you because he was still in shock of what happened. He''s not in the mood to work or do anything at all. All he wants to do for so long is try so hard to remember what happened that night. Last night, he even got in a huge fight with his father and he even said that he would disown sir Edmund. Can you imagine that?


    Ms. Carla, to tell you the truth, Mr. Terence has never betrayed you both in mind and body. I hope you can consider this very seriously and give him another chance. For the sake of everything that the two of you went through? For Sally''s sake? Please?"


    Carla could only sigh and say, "Nathan, I understand what you''re trying to say.


    But what you fail to consider is that the only thing your CEO''s father wants is a grandson, a future heir of the AJ Group. And as more time passes by, he is getting more and more impatient in getting what he wants. And I think you already know that because of my physical condition, I can''t give that to him.


    If your CEO has to make a choice between me and AJ Group, we both know that he would choose the latter one without a second thought. So, patronize me for a while. Let''s say, I forgive Terence for this. I come back to him and all of that. What happens next?


    I would still have my physical condition and it would still be hard for me to conceive again. And after half a year, two years, or even three years, and I still fail to give birth to a boy for the An family, then we would only go back to where we are today. Don''t you think so?"


    At that moment, the cold wind of the late autumn blew, making everyone feel colder and lonelier.


    During that time, Rainer took Sally to the corridor so they could be protected from the cold wind.


    "Mrs. Carla, please trust me that Mr. Terence won''t make the same mistake." Nathan tried to plead once again.


    "I understand but please return the favor and understand me as well. I''m the one who is under pressure here. I was the daughter-in-law of the An family and Terence''s wife. I was the one responsible for giving birth to children for him so the family could have an heir that will inherit the business after Terence''s time is over."


    Carla closed her eyes and put on a bitter smile. She continued, "But no matter what I do, I can''t fulfill that responsibil


    de her electric scooter out of the neighborhood.


    The cold wind of late autumn blew on Carla''s face and it bitterly hurt her.


    She had once searched for the same person on a similar electric scooter on a similar cold night.


    However, Carla knew that it was different this time. If there was one thing that was the same as that night, it was that Carla didn''t want anything to happen to Terence.


    A few years ago, she cared for the man very deeply. What was more this time when they had already been through so much?


    Even if she divorced him and pushed him away, she couldn''t deny that she still had so much love and care for him. And that just made it more painful.


    After parking the scooter in front of a parterre, Carla looked around.


    Although there had been some changes during the past four or five years, the parterre didn''t change a bit.


    After looking around for Terence everywhere, she sighed in disappointment. She thought that he would still be here, but it seemed like she was wrong.


    Nathan had told her that Terence had been missing since yesterday. Even if he had been here, how could it be possible for him to stay here since last night without moving at all?


    Carla couldn''t help but glance at the parterre that Terence once stayed under several years ago.


    But it turned out that it was no longer buried under the hibiscus tree.


    The night was cold and dark as ink.


    Carla was suddenly feeling like an idiot. She came here in the middle of the night in the bleak chance that she would find him in this old place.


    She turned around and hopelessly walked to her electric scooter.


    "It''s late. What are you doing here?"


    Carla, who was about to get on the scooter, was stunned when she heard a familiar voice.


    She turned around.


    She saw Terence, who was walking out of the corner and was coming towards her with his hands in his pockets.

 Chapter 757 My Wife Is The Best

    "I should be the one to ask you that. It''s late. What are you doing here? Nathan, Rainer, and god knows who else in JA City have been looking for you!"


    Carla demanded, her voice trembling. She didn''t know if it was from excitement or surprise that he was here. Either way, she took a step back as if the thought of him near her would break her even more.


    Terence walked up to her, glancing at her reddened face. The wind blew harder, but his face continued to be passive. "Haven''t you already divorced me? What do you care?"


    "I..."


    Carla stuttered out, shocked by the coldness of his voice. "Even though we have divorced, you''re still my daughter''s father. I can''t just leave you alone here. What if Sally asks about this? About you?"


    "That''s easy. You could go find another father for her."


    He was now standing under the street lamp, leaning over the pole. The darkness enveloped around him, as if he molded right into the winter night. His voice brought shivers down her spine.


    "Of course. I''ll do just that,"


    Carla said through gritted teeth as she grabbed his hand. "Let''s go back. Sally''s been looking for you."


    All of a sudden.


    Terence grabbed a hold of her, another hand running down her hair. "Carla." His voice changed. It was softer now, more vulnerable. "If...If I hadn''t slept with Susan that night, would we... will you feel better?"


    Carla paused, feeling his freezing hands on her. ''How long has he been standing here for?''


    "I saw it with my own eyes. What else can you prove?"


    She scowled, pushing him away.


    "Sometimes what we see may not always be true. Something else may have happened, okay?" Terence looked at her seriously.


    He would''ve already accepted it if he could remember what truly did happen that night and accepted that Carla would never deserve him under these circumstances. But that was the point.


    He couldn''t remember. As much as he wanted to, he couldn''t find himself picturing what had happened during that one and a half hour he had entered that room.


    Terence just couldn''t believe what Susan had said, what he had just done.


    "If you could prove that, then, I''ll give you another chance. If you could prove it,"


    warned Carla, biting her lips.


    If he was that insistent, then maybe...nothing really happened. In that instant, Carla found herself placing a little bit of trust on him.


    "Now, could we please go back to the apartment?" Carla pulled him to the electric scooter, pushing the extra helmet into his chest before wearing her own.


    When sh


    in the bowl.


    "There''s more in the pot. Help yourself."


    Carla knew that the small bowl was not enough, especially since he hadn''t had a good meal in days, so she put it in herself to cook a little bit more.


    Terence nodded and took the bowl to the kitchen.


    As he entered, he couldn''t help but observe the well-arranged space, wondering how much effort Carla must''ve put to get everything together. He saw the large pot in the kitchen, filling himself up with the contents.


    Though he was starving, he still behaved decently while eating. He still held his chopsticks upright as he continued, wiping out any excess that seemed to have fallen on the bottom of his lips. Being born in a family like his, she knew that he''d never abandon etiquette and grace even if he had gone rogue for a lifetime.


    Once he was done, Terence stacked the bowls and plates as he headed back to the kitchen to clean up. It was the least he could do.


    "You don''t need to do it. Really, just leave them there."


    Carla protested. He was her guest.


    Terence ignored her as if he hadn''t heard them in the first place. He only left once he was done cleaning.


    "I''m leaving now,"


    he said as he walked towards the door.


    "Wait, where''s your car?"


    Carla asked, remembering how he had met her using his car yesterday.


    "It ran out of gas so I left it out on the roadside." He shrugged, wearing his jacket.


    Before he could leave, Carla ran up to him. "Wait, all the hotels nearby must be booked, and it''s freezing out. You could stay here for tonight and let Nathan and Rainer pick you up tomorrow."


    Carla didn''t expect that Terence would answer her so quickly without hesitation, "Okay."

 Chapter 758 Is Mommy Going On A Date

    The following day


    was a Saturday and the sun was shining brightly.


    Carla and Sally were still lying in bed.


    Since Sally had woken up at midnight and cried for a long time, she was trying to catch up on more sleep. Carla, on the other hand, had woken up a few hours earlier but when she saw her little daughter sleeping so soundly, she decided to also go back to sleep.


    After Sally woke up, the first thing she did was to look for her father.


    She clumsily got off the bed and without wearing her slippers, she walked out of the bedroom. While walking around, she shouted, "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!"


    Soon enough, she found out that her father was not in the living room. Next, she went to the bathroom but still, she didn''t see him there.


    Getting a bit frustrated, she was about to cry when Terence walked out of the kitchen.


    "Sally, good morning!"


    The second she saw her father, Sally''s tears immediately stopped. Then, she pursed her lips at him.


    Seeing his daughter''s cute face, Terence quickly came over to her, crouched down, held her in his arms, and pinched her little face. He said in a gentle voice, "What''s the matter princess? Daddy is making breakfast for you and your mommy."


    Sally wrapped her arms around his neck and rubbed her cheeks against his. "Dad, I thought you were gone again," she said, still with a pout.


    "Don''t be silly. I made a promise to you yesterday and I will, by all means, keep my word," Terence said in a tender tone while holding his daughter in his arms.


    "Really? Daddy, please tell me the truth this time! I want to be with you for a long, long time! For my whole life! Till death do us apart!"


    Sally said when she buried her face into her father''s chest. Then, she gave her father a sweet kiss on the cheek.


    Terence looked at his daughter''s little face and smiled. He had always heard people say that a daughter was like a warm jacket to her father. Seeing his daughter in front of him, Terence could attest that it was true.


    "Sally, go and wake up Mommy. Ask her to get up and have breakfast with us!"


    He exclaimed while he gently pinched his daughter''s nose.


    "Okay!" Sally eagerly said while she tried to get herself out of his arms. Terence opened up his arms a little and the girl rushed to the bedroom.


    When Carla finally came out of the room, the first thing that she saw was a Chinese breakfast already set up on the table. The red date lotus seed porridge looked warm and delicious. There were even golden fried eggs on the side.


    Sally missed her father so much that she cuddled up to Terence over the whole breakfast.


    Terence was not in a hurry. He patiently fed his daughter. He didn''t start to eat until she was finally full and he helped her wipe her mouth.


    While Car


    .


    They went to the famous Leopard Head Mountain in BH city. It was named as such because it looked like a leopard lying on its stomach.


    What was interesting was that on top of the mountain, there was a spot where maple leaves fell very beautifully.


    And it was actually the best season to watch the maple leaves. At that time of the year, the maple leaves in the mountain were as red as the sunset clouds in the sky. It was breathtaking to see.


    After less than an hour or so, their group walked in the mountain, enjoying the beautiful scenery and looking for the best location for sketching.


    "Hey, Steven, I''ve never seen you with a girl before. Is she your muse?"


    A boy who was about the same age as Steven asked, patting him on the shoulder.


    Steven hesitantly looked at Carla who was walking ahead. When he was sure that she didn''t hear what the boy said, he explained, "What are you saying? No, you''re looking at it the wrong way. We''re just friends. She loves painting and she''s also in BH city. That''s the only reason I asked her to come."


    "Is that true?" The boy got closer to him and whispered in his ear, "I just wanted to say that you have good taste. This woman has a great figure and a kind face. Don''t tell me that you have no feelings for her at all."


    Steven hesitated for a while, but before he could answer, the boy continued to say, "Steven, I know you''re a gentleman so I''m just checking. You see, it so happens that my girlfriend and I have recently broken up. If you have no intentions to date her, then I will court her myself!"


    As soon as the boy finished speaking, he suddenly took a few skips forward and caught up with Carla.


    "Hello, I''m Fred. What''s your name?"


    Carla was walking when Fred started a conversation with her so suddenly. To say that she was taken aback was an understatement.

 Chapter 759 Why Didnt You Tell Me This In Advance

    "¡­¡­ "I am Carla," she introduced herself curtly.


    She kept walking without saying anything else.


    Fred became more interested when he noticed that Carla showed no interest in him. He took it as a challenge as Carla''s indifference aroused his desire to win her attention.


    The autumn wind blew the maple leaves from the trees, leaving a pile of long thin leaves on the ground like a red silk. The sight attracted many visitors to come and take photos.


    Carla was looking for a quiet place to take a perfect maple leaf scene, but Fred followed her all the time. She was annoyed and frustrated to get rid of the strange man.


    Fred grew more and more fascinated in Carla. Knowing Carla was Steven''s friend, Fred become more excited. As Steven''s family was always strict with him, he was only allowed to date girls who were recommended by his father. If Carla was just Steven''s friend, that meant she would only be that. His friend.


    As a result, every time a girl approached Steven, Steven could only watch her being chased by his friends.


    They would get bold and completely ignore Steven''s feelings. They would throw themselves at him and would chase Steven to ask every detail about the new female friend''s background in an overwhelming way. In the end, the girl always failed to resist the temptation of sweet words from rich young men like Fred.


    "Mr. Su, if you really like Carla, you should take the chance to tell her and be honest with your feelings. Otherwise, I am afraid that Fred will take her away from you!"


    Victor reminded Steven with caution.


    For so many years that he served Steven, Victor saw this happen many times in the past.


    Now Carla finally had her freedom, and Steven had made such an effort to invite Carla to a romantic place like this. The timing and the surroundings were all just perfect.


    But Victor noticed that Steven was a little hesitant and did not realize what was going on.


    "Mr. Su, I don''t mean to offend you, but I think a man should be braver and less indecisive," he politely suggested. "Ms. Carla is single now. If you don''t make a move, do you want to give someone else a chance to chase her?" Victor asked.


    His sincere concern for Steven was evident.


    When he saw that Fred kept moving around Carla with imprudent desire written all over his face, Steven put down his brush and walked towards them.


    Victor kept murmuring his last few words, straightened his body and followed Steven''s gaze.


    "That''s right. Men should be less indecisive!"


    Although Carla was a divorced woman, she was mature and experienced. In Victor''s opinion, Steven could learn a lot from her, especially when it came to love. Definitely, for Steven, it would also be a good thing.


    ''Mr. Su now needs an experienced woman to guide him, '' Victor thought in his head.


    Carla closed her eyes and exhaled deeply.


    She tried to ignore the man who kept talking by her side


    and said, "Don''t be so demure. We are all adults. Besides, we live in a modern society now. It''s no big deal to hold hands, right?"


    "Maybe you''re right, but it also depends on the person," Carla slashed him out. Her voice sounded disappointed and unhappy.


    What Fred painted looked just like him. The painting reflected the character of its creator. The red maple on the canvas looked mediocre, almost lifeless.


    "Well, just right. Perhaps you''re a little better than my daughter," she commented blandly.


    "What? Your daughter?"


    Fred almost choked on her unexpected comment. "What did you say?" "You have a daughter?" he asked in surprise.


    "Yes, my daughter is over three years old now," Carla stated as a matter of fact. "Why? What''s the matter?" Carla asked as she gave him a questioning look.


    Fred dazed for a while. He froze there as if cold water was splashed on his whole body. He murmured to himself, ''I thought she was a virgin. It turns out she is a married woman, with a kid!''


    Anger and embarrassment filled his heart. ''Steven! How could he do this to me? He should have told me this!''


    Carla faintly heard the words he said even though Fred tried not to say it out loud.


    She turned pale and walked away.


    When Steven saw that Carla left unhappily, he realized something was not right. He was about to stand up to follow her but he was stopped by Fred.


    "Steven, why didn''t you tell me? She is a married woman. Why should I hang out with her? You know that this is the kind of woman I hate the most. Once I get close to her, I will be in trouble."


    "Fortunately, I didn''t say I love her. If I did, I would be in goddamn trouble..."


    He kept on complaining. He didn''t even give Steven a chance to speak.


    Steven''s face darkened and quickly punched Fred in the face.


    "Fred! Stay the fuck away from me!" He was overwhelmed with rage. "You''re not my friend anymore. You don''t deserve to be my friend!"

 Chapter 760 Steven Confiding in Carla

    Fred staggered backwards, stunned by Steven''s reaction.


    As a man who was usually so calm and collected, Steven was never really the type of person who''d yell or even go on violent outbursts. Some might say he wouldn''t even hurt a fly.


    "Mr. Fred, this way please."


    Victor walked over and motioned over to the door.


    At that point, he resisted the urge of satisfaction as Fred looked up at him, and his eyebrows furrowed in contempt. He had always hated the man, at least now, he''d get a sick sense of reward of seeing him off.


    "What? Are you serious?" Fred gaped, blinking at the two men in the room. There was no doubt about the fact that what he said was foul, but it didn''t warrant such sensitive reactions. However, even then, Steven didn''t back down from his words.


    "Do you have no shame? Miss Carla is a friend invited by Mr. Steven, and you had the guts to disrespect her like that? Do you even know who she is?"


    Victor took over, snapping at him.


    As his words finally settled in, Fred rubbed his face, avoiding their gazes. Without another word, he left. There was no point in staying anyway.


    When he reached down the mountains on his way home, he was blindfolded and beaten right to a pulp. Another way to end his already, blasted day. And the one who beat him up, was no other than Terence.


    At noon, Steven asked Victor to buy a few boxed meals.


    Soon, the extension table was filled with several packed dishes, bowls of soup and rice. It was like a feast fit for soldiers given its quantity.


    "I''m sorry. I wanted to bring you here to do sketches...I didn''t expect him to be so crass..."


    he said apologetically, rubbing the back of his neck.


    To his surprise, Carla merely shrugged. She took her chopsticks to grab some vegetables for her rice. "It really doesn''t matter. These types of men, I know their tricks like the back of my hand. It''s best that I don''t take it too seriously."


    There was silence as Steven added a few pieces of cooked pork into her rice box. "Carla," he hesitated. "I have something to ask you."


    "Go ahead."


    After half a day''s climbing, Carla was starving. She had already wolfed down the food that was in her box and went ahead and took some more from the other bowls.


    "You and Mr. Terence...is it true you''re divorced?"


    Carla coughed at his question, choking at the rice she was eating. She placed down her chopsticks.


    "Who told you that?"


    "Is it true?"


    Steven didn''t bother to answer her.


    Carla sipped a bit of soup with her spoon. At first, she was silent, co


    r than you. Maybe in your eyes, I''m nothing but a child, but can you give me a chance to prove myself?"


    Steven clenched his hands, refusing to look at her in the eyes. He was nervous. That can be said by the beads of sweat trailing down his cheeks.


    "I don''t care about your condition. If I love a person, even if she can''t have a child, I''ll still love her. It can''t be changed. Love runs deeper than that, right?"


    Carla stared blankly at him as he continued to ramble, not sure what to say back.


    "I know I have no right to say this here, but this is just my opinion.


    If I were Mr. Terence, I wouldn''t have agreed to divorce you, even if my father objected or even if the whole world objected! It didn''t matter if they didn''t agree, as long as we love each other, we''ll stick to each other. After several years, everyone would soon get used to your condition anyway so it doesn''t really matter!"


    Steven said, determined.


    "If there''s really nothing we could do...then there''s always adoption. There''s nothing that can''t be solved with a little will...


    I... I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have said that."


    Finally noticing Carla''s bewildered look, Steven lowered his head, knowing that he had stepped out of line.


    Carla cleared her throat and took the chopsticks. "Let''s eat or the food will get cold."


    Steven nodded and began to eat once more.


    Right behind Carla and Steven was a maple forest not far across. What they didn''t notice was the people behind the bushes and trees.


    Through the foliage, Sally was eating chicken drumsticks happily as Rainer held a glass of juice for her.


    Unbeknownst to them, Terence was there squinting at Carla and Steven through a telescope.

 Chapter 761 Going Through The Hanging Bridge (Part One)

    "As a matter of fact, Nathan, Mrs. An has so may pursuers that I have even lost count of them! She has Johnny, Noah, and now even this young man named Steven from the Su family seems to be very fond of her. And he is the son of the mayor of JA City!"


    Rainer said as he handed over the juice to Sally, and added, "Well, that excludes Mrs. An''s first-date lover. I heard that the man is really famous now and is even considered a super star."


    "And do you know why? It''s because men with good taste always share the same preferences when it comes to virtuous women,"


    Nathan replied in a matter-of-fact tone.


    After taking a glance at Terence who was carrying a telescope in front of him, Nathan walked up to him to engage in small talk.


    "Mr. An, don''t worry. Ms. Carla came here just to seek some inspiration for painting. We both know how much she loves to paint! After all, this place has such a lovely and picturesque view."


    Nathan approached Terence as he tried to convince him.


    He had been working for both Terence and Carla for a very long time that he already knew them well enough.


    Terence was the kind of person who had his heart beat for only one woman in his life, and so did Carla.


    "Yes, I know that the view here is just so incredible. And that''s the thing, Nathan. That''s what I''m actually worried about! Right now, Carla is with a strange man. They paint together, and talk about the things they are both interested in. Soon, they''ll find this cozy hotel and check in after having a nice dinner. I... I can''t imagine that happening!" Let me ask you something, Nathan. If your wife were staying alone with another man as we speak, would you be at ease?"


    Terence snapped back at Rainer without he


    t do you think?"


    Steven persuaded Carla who sat next to him.


    "Okay, I guess we could see a couple of other scenic views. But I still have a few maple leaves to paint. We can go after I finish them," said Carla as she nodded her head in agreement. Looking up the tree, she examined the leaves that were high up on the tree as to create a more realistic approach to her painting. Then, her head dropped right on to the canvas where she continued to paint.


    Just as she finished her last stroke, she put down her brush and took a good look at her final product.


    Upon seeing that Carla was already through with her artwork, Steven then walked over to Victor to ask him for assistance in taking away the painting board. "The leaves you''ve painted are all very romantic. Each of them seems different from the others! It''s truly amazing what you did there, Carla!"


    "Are you serious about that? Really?" Curious about her own painting, she also took a closer look at her art. Smiling, she said, "All right. Let''s put it away for now. We don''t want to be too late to see the sights in their most beautiful state! Lead us to the eye-popping sights!"

 Chapter 762 Going Through The Hanging Bridge (Part Two)

    Meanwhile, the two were packing up their art materials when Steven said, "Here. Let me help you with that..."


    He took the paint brush from her hand and then helped her move the paint shelf.


    After collecting all of their painting equipment, Steven looked at Victor and said, "Victor, take the painting boards to the car. We''ll just walk around in front and then we''ll head straight home Don''t worry! It won''t be long."


    "Copy that, Mr. Su!"


    Victor replied with a bright smile on his face.


    But to Victor, Steven''s brief favor included a lot of hidden information. Understanding his boss without having to discuss it, all he knew was that he was happy that Steven finally had the guts to pursue Carla seriously.


    Meanwhile, on a red maple path, Steven and Carla walked side by side as if they were romantic characters in a movie. Walking slowly, they would occasionally see some maple leaves swaying in the breeze. Everything was so romantic that it was such a perfect and beautiful scene.


    But little did they know that Terence was behind them, walking alone with his hands inside his pockets as he secretly tailed them. Nobody could tell what he was thinking, as his face looked so twisted that no one had the right words to describe how he looked.


    "Nathan, this is just too sad. Look at Mr. An. He looks so pitiful. Oh what a tragedy this is,"


    Rainer said to Nathan as he looked at Terence. In Rainer''s arms, Terence''s daughter was holding a lollipop while her eyes sparkled with innocence and purity.


    "Rainer, how about we make a bet?" Nathan said unexpectedly.


    "Okay, but what do you want to bet on?" Rainer asked as he scratched his head in confusion.


    "Let''s tak


    he walked towards her and reached out his hand.


    Still full of hesitation, Carla mindlessly grabbed his hand.


    "Don''t be afraid. Take a step forward. It''s going to be okay. I know that the bridge is shaky, but it''s not dangerous. Just relax and you''ll get used to it!" He tried to convince her as he grabbed her hand and led her forward.


    At the same time.


    There was a man who stood under the bridge, looking up at the two people walking hand in hand above him. With sadness starting to envelope his system, his handsome face became gloomy, just like how the sky was getting dark.


    Nathan silently watched his boss'' figure while the little girl in his arms had already fallen asleep with her head resting on his shoulder.


    To keep her warm, Rainer took his coat off and wrapped it around Sally.


    He could not help but heave a heavy sigh at the sight of Terence''s face turning pale.


    "Well, I guess it is time!"


    "Time for what? What do you mean by that?"


    Rainer asked as he looked at Nathan with surprise on his face.


    Glancing back at him, Nathan replied, "I mean, Mr. Terence is about to take action."

 Chapter 763 The Real Thrill

    At this moment, on the hanging bridge.


    Carla was shaking as she gripped the rope on the sides. She had slight acrophobia, so as much as possible she didn''t dare look down. Her mind was out of control with fear that she just couldn''t think straight.


    Steven smiled and glanced down at their interlaced fingers. Her face was pale as she stared straight ahead, the grip on his hand getting tighter and tighter in the process.


    A sudden gush of wind blew at them, the bridge shaking in response.


    The people standing on the bridge stumbled on each other, gripping the ropes when they were about to fall over.


    With that amount of force, Carla couldn''t help but look down to see what she was dealing with. The scene, however, strengthened her urge to vomit.


    If she had known how high this bridge was, she would''ve gone the same way she came.


    ''Why does the bridge have to be so damn long?'' she thought.


    As quick as he could, Steven circled his arm around her waist to keep her from falling. "Don''t be afraid." His voice was soft and deep, like a lullaby keeping her steady. "We''re almost there."


    Taking a deep breath, Carla grabbed Steven''s clothes cowardly, burying herself into his arms. She kept walking.


    Steven grinned. Suddenly, he wished that the bridge was a little longer and that they could walk through it till night, anything to keep her in his arms a little longer.


    As he felt her warmth pressing on against him and her fragrance wafting around him, Steven felt like he was on top of the world. There was no one like her.


    He was sure of it.


    Finally, they had crossed the hanging bridge.


    Carla sighed in relief as she almost ran out of the bridge and onto safe, solid land. She sat on a piece of rock, taking a break from her already weakened legs. She had had enough scare for the day.


    "Drink some water. I''ll see if there''s a sightseeing bus leading to the parking lot."


    Steven placed a water bottle in her hands before walking off.


    "Okay." Carla followed what he said, trying to calm herself.


    She looked over at Steven who was walking around trying to get the information they needed to get back to the parking lot.


    At this moment, her phone started to buzz. When she glanced at the caller ID, she saw that it was Terence.


    "Hello..."


    "Come here, to the hanging bridge."


    A low voice came from the other end of the line.


    Carla paused at first before standing up and glan


    Terence said lightly as if nothing had happened a few minutes ago. He held Carla''s hand, ready to leave, but he was stopped by Steven.


    "Mr. Terence, Carla did come here with me. Let me take her home,"


    Steven said gently, holding Carla''s other hand. He continued, turning to her. "Carla, your painting board is still in my car. I can send it to your home."


    "Okay,"


    Carla responded as she tried to remove herself from Terence''s grip, but his grip was tightening. "Terence, you can go back first. I still have something to discuss with Steven on the way home."


    They had agreed that they''d compete and see who had better drawing skills on their way home.


    Terence frowned. "You can discuss it tomorrow. It''s already late."


    "Terence..."


    "Mr. Terence, I heard that you and Carla have divorced, so she''s single now. Even if she''s on a date with me, I don''t think you''re qualified to interfere."


    Steven pulled her to his side. "But don''t worry, I''ll send her home safely."


    Carla wanted to say something else, but she closed her mouth. It was rare to see Terence being so defeated, so she was savoring this moment as much as she could.


    "Let''s go, Steven,"


    she said, turning her back to Terence. She still hated the fact that he kissed her without her consent.


    "Okay," he answered, albeit smugly.


    Terence gaped as he watched them leaving.


    After a long time, he finally came to his senses. He shook his head in disbelief at what just happened.


    ''Carla, how dare you! You''re testing me, '' he thought to himself as he walked away.


    ''I''ll teach you a thing or two when you''re back.''

 Chapter 764 Carla Refusing Steven

    On the way home, Steven glanced at Carla who was sitting right next to him. With a bit of hesitation, he said, "Carla, it''s already late. How about we look for a place to eat and just go back after having dinner?"


    Carla didn''t respond right away and simply kept staring at the photos in her hand. They had been printed by Steven himself.


    "No, I don''t want to eat outside. My daughter is waiting for me. How about another day?"


    At that moment, she was thinking that she had been playing outside with Steven all day long. Now, it was time for her to go back and spend time with her daughter.


    Then, Steven came up with an idea and said, "What do you say we go pick Sally up and have dinner together?"


    Hearing Steven''s suggestion, Carla raised her head and looked at him. When she noticed the nervous expression on his face, Carla couldn''t help but chuckle. "Steven, what are you doing?


    You are still so young. Why don''t you just go and have dinner with a young girl? Why do you want to have dinner with a divorced woman who still has to look after her child? Aren''t you worried of what people might say about you?"


    She was thinking that if Grace ever saw this, that woman would probably think that she was robbing the cradle.


    "Carla..."


    "I think it would be better if you call me Sister Carla. After all, I''m six years older than you. Thank you for taking me to see such beautiful maple leaves today. I really appreciate it. I''ll treat you to dinner some other day!"


    Carla told him, wearing a radiant smile on her face. Then, he turned to Victor who was driving the car. "Victor, please pull over at the next intersection."


    Feeling a bit uncertain, Steven looked at her.


    After a while, the car had reached the next intersection.


    Grabbing her things, Carla was ready to get out. However, just as she was about to step out of the car, a hand suddenly pulled her back.


    Because of that, she turned to look at Steven.


    "What''s the matter? Why are you stopping me?"


    As he held her wrist, Steven looked at her with his deep eyes and said, "Carla, please give me a chance, will you?"


    "¡­"


    At such a loss for words, Carla quietly shifted her gaze and sighed. "Steven..."


    The moment she said that, Steven suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer. Wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight, he told her, "Now that you and Mr. An are divorced, you''re free to make any decision. Can''t you at least give me a chance?"


    Carla could smell a weird scent on him, it was something faint like the sunshine, simple and clear. Although she wanted to push him away, she couldn''t do it because of how tightly he was holding her.


    "Steven


    Miss Sally,"


    Rainer went ahead and explained.


    Truth be told, Rainer had been planning to rent a room with Nathan to stay here for a while. But when Terence found out that Carla was also living here, he directly instructed Rainer to buy this entire floor.


    Looking at Terence who was sitting on the sofa with his daughter in his arms, Carla walked over toward them.


    "What are you doing here? Why did you buy all of the rooms? Are you running out of things to spend your money on?"


    If she was being honest, Carla thought that she and her daughter couldn''t possibly live in all of those rooms. And this way, not only would she have to pay for a higher property management fee, but she would also have to handle the cleaning of all of these rooms.


    "Yes, you''re right. I don''t lack money whatsoever." Terence shifted his gaze from the cartoon they were watching to Carla and said, "Besides, all of this is for my daughter. I want to give her everything she needs to make her feel comfortable and happy."


    Meanwhile, Rainer and Nathan were standing on the sidelines. Seeing that Terence and Carla were having an argument, they stood there without saying a word and wiped away the sweat on their foreheads.


    "Miss Sally? Don''t you feel hungry? Come on! Let''s go and eat something delicious!"


    Rainer immediately thought of taking Sally someplace else so that she wouldn''t be able to hear her parents'' argument. At that point, he knew that Terence was probably pissed off because he was worried that the child might end up getting scared.


    "Oh, okay then," Sally answered and went outside with Rainer, leaving only two people in the room, one standing, one sitting.


    And the cartoon titled "Peppa Pig" was still playing on TV, which happened to be Sally''s favorite.

 Chapter 765 The Same Room, Different Beds (Part One)

    For what seemed like forever, Carla remained standing in the living room. She then sighed and earnestly said, "Terence, I think it''s time for you to go back to JA City."


    It was fine having him there for a time. Sally loved being with her father but after a while, Carla had started to wonder, ''How long does he plan to be in BH City?''


    She still believed he shouldn''t have left such a large company and refuse to handle the business. ''He should go back, instead of wasting his time here, '' Carla thought to herself.


    "What''s wrong? Am I getting in the way of your flirtations with another man?"


    Terence asked leisurely while he remained sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed.


    To calm herself down and not be affected by what Terence had just said, Carla closed her eyes and kept silent for a while. Then she looked at him and said, "Yes, I want to have my freedom. Although Steven is young, he is very considerate. Besides, we can talk about a lot of our shared interests. We get along very well."


    As soon as she finished talking, Terence immediately straightened up and put down his legs on the floor. He gave her a cold look and asked, "You only went out with that man once. And you''re telling me that you''re already in a romantic relationship with him?"


    "Yes, after all, we are living in a modern society now. We can be together as long as we like each other. Besides, I don''t like to beat about the bush. What would be the point?"


    Carla confidently stated with her beautiful eyebrows raised.


    With that, Terence involuntarily clenched his fists while a gloomy aura started to descend on his face. "Are you that impatient? We''ve only been apart for a short time. Even if you don''t care about me, how about our daughter?"


    "Of course I care about my da


    Is Terence becoming too forgetful?''


    Terence pressed his thin lips and said, "Anyway, move up and live with me. But even if you don''t, Sally is going to live with me for the next few days."


    "No, you can''t do that! That won''t be possible! Sally must live with me!" Carla argued, raising her voice by then.


    "Is that so? If I fight with you for custody of our daughter, who do you think will have the advantage? Who do you think will win? Do you really want to go down this road, Carla?" With how the conversation was turning out, Terence didn''t mind to threaten her again.


    "How could you?!"


    Carla bit her lip in anger. "Haven''t we already come to an agreement about this? Didn''t you promise me? I don''t want even a single penny of your property but our daughter belongs to me!"


    "I didn''t say that I would take away our daughter from you right now. All I''m asking for is that we live together in here. The apartment that you''re renting downstairs is too small and Sally has been hoping that I could stay with her. Naturally, I don''t have a problem with that at all so I just asked if we could all move into this bigger apartment. Do you think my request is unreasonable?"

 Chapter 766 The Same Room, Different Beds (Part Two)

    Terence candidly stated.


    Carla opened her mouth. She wanted to say something. She wanted to argue with him. She wanted to tell him that yes, he was being unreasonable. How could he think that she would be fine living with him after everything that he had done? However, no matter how much she wanted to, no words came out of her mouth.


    Sally was her weakness. Her daughter would always be her one weak spot. At that moment, she suddenly remembered that there was one time when her daughter had vehemently asked to be with her father. So now, if she forced her daughter to part with Terence, it seemed cruel to the child who just wanted to be with her biological father.


    "Okay fine, but here''s what I want as a compromise. First, the apartment has a lot of rooms so let''s sleep in separate rooms. We can share the same house, but we''ll have different beds. Second, we can only live together temporarily. And third, we''re not going to interfere with each other''s affairs," Carla resolutely stated when it dawned on her that she had no other choice in the matter.


    Hearing Carla''s answer, Terence relaxed his tight brows and said, "Okay. But, I don''t want to let Sally know what''s the true nature of our relationship right now. So, for the sake of our daughter, don''t be too cold towards me in front of the child. Do you understand what I mean?"


    "I know, you don''t need to tell me. Well, I''m going to pack up Sally''s things and also mine."


    Carla rolled her eyes at him, stood up and left without another word.


    Half an hour had passed.


    When Carla had fi


    om to go to. Nathan and Rainer will stay in a room, and another room will be used as storage for our things. This is the only room you can stay in."


    Unlike the Seaview Villa, this apartment did not have a lot of empty rooms.


    Carla paused to think about the situation she was in. If there was no more room for her, why did he even asked her to come and live with him? Then suddenly, an idea came to her.


    "I will just go to sleep with?... "


    "Sally''s bed is for children. Are you sure you want to share that small bed with her?"


    Before she could finish, Terence interrupted her.


    "Carla, do you really want to draw the line between us so blatantly?


    What happened to your eagerness and determination to be with me in the past? Was it not you who told me that you''d stay by my side forever? Did you really forget the promise you made?"


    While she was still in a daze from his words or from thinking about another way out of that situation, Terence pulled her inside the room.


    And then he instantly closed and locked the door.

 Chapter 767 A Wall Of Resolve Crumbled Down

    Carla twinkled her eyes and bit her lips. She then spoke, "Terence, you can blame it on fate or destiny or the universe or even God. But nothing can change the truth. We can''t be together anymore. I''ve tried my best."


    "Try your best? No, you didn''t."


    Terence stated while he pulled her into his arms. With his forehead against hers, he continued, "Carla, I have something to share with you.


    I hypnotized Susan so I could know her unbiased memory of that night. Do you know what I found out?"


    Sighing in her ear, Terence said in a soft voice, "Susan told me that she didn''t have time to do anything that night. The drug that my father made me drink could only make me so pliant. In that case, even if I had any reaction, I wouldn''t have the strength to do anything else."


    While she was listening to him, Carla''s heart was throbbing. She looked up at him and said, "Is that so? That doesn''t prove much, don''t you think so? You couldn''t do anything to her, but she could."


    Carla knew that what Terence had just said was true. When she barged into that room that night, she saw that Terence had no strength at that time.


    But even so, Susan could do anything to him.


    To be frank, as long as he had that important "physical response", Susan could still achieve her goal.


    "You don''t believe me?"


    Terence lifted her chin and nodded. "Okay. I''ll have someone make the same dose of the drug and drink it again. Then we''ll know what really happened that night."


    "What are you actually saying?" Carla asked in confusion.


    "It''s simple. We''re just going to repeat what happened that day. Then we will know whether Susan was telling the truth or not."


    Terence took her hand and said, "Even if the truth can be twisted, my physical reaction can''t!


    Do you still remember what you said before? You said that if I can prove my innocence, you will give us one more chance to be together."


    Carla could only look at his affectionate eyes and blinked.


    "Well, let''s see you prove it first," Carla said.


    "I will, but you must keep your promise once I do."


    Seeing the hesitation on her face, Terence bent over and kissed her on the lips. "You can sleep here tonight. I promise that I won''t touch you."


    Carla was a little stunned with the kiss but she heard so much helplessness in his voice.


    "Of course, if you want, I can satisfy you however you want." Terence smiled again, took her hand and went to bed.


    Carla lay down on the other side of the bed without saying anything more.


    After Carla had fallen asleep that evening, Terence hands couldn''t help but find their way into her waist. She had her back to him as he quietly approached her sle


    most genuine way he could.


    At that moment, Steven was actually inside the car. However, Carla refused him yesterday, so he didn''t have even a bit of courage to face her again.


    When she saw what was on the trunk, Carla was a bit stunned. After she regained her composure, she silently sighed and said, "I''m sorry, Victor. Steven is the best man I have ever met and I don''t deserve him. "


    Victor shook his head and responded, "Miss Carla, you may not understand but it was the first time that Mr. Steven dared to confess his love for someone after all these years.


    I am so worried that he would not have the courage to fall in love again after you refused him like that."


    Carla slowly lowered her head and let out a sigh. "Victor, if I can''t promise him a future, I would never dare to be with him. I don''t want to waste his time and affections. It wouldn''t be right to put someone like him in that kind of position."


    In Carla''s perspective, if she didn''t want to hurt Steven even more deeply, she thought that she''d better not give him any false hopes.


    "He will grow up into an even better man when it comes to romantic relationships. Any girl would be lucky to have him. But unfortunately, I can''t be that girl. It''s just not me that he should take this road with. But I genuinely hope for the best for him, because he really deserves a better woman to love!"


    Carla stared at the unfinished painting in her hand and gave it back to Victor. "Give it to him. I hope he can complete it for me. He can keep it as a remembrance."


    Then she turned around and left.


    Carla had no idea that Steven was in the car. When she was already midway to her building, one of the car''s doors opened all of a sudden.


    Steven came out of the door and quickly ran towards her.

 Chapter 768 Mom, Dont Hit Too Hard

    "Carla!"


    Carla stopped, but she didn''t turn around immediately.


    Steven walked over to her and smiled. "I know what you mean. I''m not as fragile as you think," he started.


    "I will wait for you. I have plenty of time to wait for the day you''ll see me as someone who could be with you. By that time, Terence would already be old and dead.


    You, on the other hand... I''ll still be waiting to be with you in seeing the maple leaves and painting the mountaintops."


    There was something about Steven''s first words that made Carla relax. Finally, it was as if all the puzzle pieces finally fell together for the man, and it was a first step to moving on.


    However, she choked when the last part left his lips. Oh well, progress was still progress.


    "Thank you, Steven, but I really do want to see you happy." Carla broke the long silence.


    She fully turned around this time to face him. He still wasn''t ready to give up on his feelings for her. It was going to be a long way till he''d finally understand what she originally meant with those words.


    The rain was falling this time, roughly slapping onto the pavement. Carla held the umbrella tightly as she looked at Steven.


    Getting drenched by the rain, Steven didn''t look too disgruntled by the situation. Instead, from the look on his face, he was even excited.


    Without another word, Steven took one last look of the woman he loved, turned around, and entered his car.


    Carla sighed as the car finally left.


    At that moment, her phone buzzed.


    ¡ª¡ªI think I have found my own happiness.


    Carla tried to get a hang of what he meant by that short text message, but from the looks of it, it was what it was. She''d only be confused even further if she continued to analyze it.


    ¡ª¡ªWell, then I bless you with all my heart!


    Carla started to think of all the women that he had ignored in the past, even the one who was constantly bullied by Grace. She had always thought that the girl secretly liked him back then.


    Even now, Steven was still as handsome as before. There were still plenty of fishes in the sea that would go for him.


    At the thought, Carla softly smiled, wishing that he''d find his own match in the future and be as happy as she was with hers.


    She couldn''t help but remember Johnny. The man also swore not to give up on her, but in the end, he changed his mind. Now, he had his own family with a gorgeous wife and an army of adorable children.


    When it came to love, it was all about destiny. There were few who were strong to fight against it, even lesser who''d actually stick to that in the end. If i


    ally happy, only lightly hitting him just to play the part, but Sally had no idea.


    Carla''s face flushed in embarrassment as she got off Terence''s back, pulling her daughter off of him as well.


    "Sally, I didn''t really hit your dad. I was just playing around..."


    Terence also stood up from the carpet and pulled his daughter into his arms. "Don''t cry, my princess. Mommy''s just playing around with Daddy to make you smile. I didn''t get hurt at all. Mommy didn''t really hit me. Besides, Mommy loves Daddy right? She wouldn''t hit me."


    "Really, Daddy? You weren''t hurt?"


    Sally sniffled.


    "It doesn''t hurt!" Terence smiled warmly, ruffling her hair.


    His heart warmed at the sight of his daughter trying to protect him.


    "How about this? As a punishment, your mom will be the horse, and I''ll ride her this time. What do you think?"


    After a moment of deliberations, Sally nodded seriously. This seemed fair.


    "Okay, but you shouldn''t be here to see it. How about you go back to your room and I''ll tell you once we are done. What do you say?"


    Terence lowered his voice, winking mischievously at Carla.


    She was lost for words. ''What is that man up to? It''s the afternoon! It''s almost time for them to eat!'' she thought to herself.


    Carla wanted to stop Sally from leaving, but her daughter didn''t seem to mind. She was already in the process of retreating into her room.


    "Okay! I won''t see. I''ll leave now. But Daddy, don''t tire mommy out if you ride on her! You have to be gentle!" She didn''t say anything else as she turned around, and went off the play with her toys.


    Nathan and Rainer, who were eavesdropping in their conversation, turned bright red at Sally''s words and shut the door immediately.

 Chapter 769 Edmunds Visit

    The room was silent now.


    Terence smiled smugly at her, but she didn''t seem fazed by it all. She snorted, "Seriously?"


    He sat on the carpet, with his hands on his knees, waving at her. "Come over."


    "I''m not going to let you ride me." Carla stuck her tongue out before proceeding to keep her distance from him. She even took her shoes off and sat on the sofa, which was at the other end of the room.


    When he saw that she didn''t come over, he chose to approach her instead. He sat on the carpet right beside her feet and looked up. "Of course not, if any of us should be the horse, it''d be me."


    Though he did say to Sally that Carla would be the horse this time around, he wasn''t planning to punish her at all.


    "Carla, come back with me." Terence held her ankle, looking up at her.


    There was no way he''d let his family stay here in BH City without him, not again.


    "And where will we go?"


    She glanced up at him.


    "Back to JA City,"


    he responded, with no hesitation in his voice.


    There was a pause and Carla removed her foot from his palm. She refused to look into his eyes. "Don''t forget, Terence, We... we''re still not... I''m not ready yet."


    Though she was trying, Carla just couldn''t forget about that night. She still needed time, time to accept what had happened and time to move on from it. To be with him now, it was an improvement from the last few times they had met, but she knew they still had a long way to go.


    Terence took her hand and brought it to his chest. "You''re my wife, Carla. If you want to stay here in BH City, all your life, or for the time being, then I say go for it. I''ll give you all the time that you need." "I feel good about BH City. Sally''s studying in a great school. Our house is fully decorated now. I... I intend to stay here,"


    she said.


    Time was truly their greatest ally. It was giving the couple time to adjust and grow in their mistakes. For the two of them, marriage was not a game to handle lightly. It was a porcelain glass that must be taken care of.


    Even if nothing happened that night, it was still a big blow to their marriage. Since the problem was still on the verge of being solved and mended, she couldn''t find herself going back to him just yet.


    "What about me?"


    Terence leaned against her chest and placed his arms around her waist, as if he was a child needing her love. All he wanted to do was hold her close and make everything better with just a snap of his fingers. Sadly, reality wanted otherwise.


    Carla slid her fingers down his jawline, holding his face. "You should go back first. The AJ group can''t survive without you. When Sally''s on her winter holiday, I''ll bring her to you for a visit... "


    "No. I won''t leave as long as you continue to stay here. I will st


    After Carla walked back to her room, he didn''t rush to eat. Instead, he took every second savoring his meal before walking over to Edmund.


    "Is this the so-called divorce? From what I can see, you''re both still together."


    Looking around at the small house, Edmund couldn''t help but feel warm and comfortable even if it wasn''t as grand and luxurious as the Seaview Villa.


    Terence lit up his cigarette, "Why? Here to mess things up again if things aren''t to your favor?


    You have no idea how hard it was to fix this, to fix what you''ve done to both of us."


    Edmund sighed.


    "Of course I know! The company lost 2.4 billion during your absence. I can''t just leave it like that! I can no longer manage the company as I used to."


    Edmund had put a lot of thought into his plan before he placed it into motion. Now, after one small miscalculation, the entirety of the plan backfired. Susan didn''t get pregnant as he expected. The company lost millions.


    And here he was, paying the price.


    "Your brother isn''t capable of running the company. He doesn''t have your mind, your intricacy to detail. He doesn''t know how to play with people, how to use them like you do...he couldn''t maximize the company''s resources."


    Edmund leaned back, rubbing his forehead. After his son left, it felt like the company was just a plantation of disasters. Problem after problem, he felt as if they were an endless field of weeds.


    Terence took a long drag. "It''s not that bad. If the company continues operations, it still has ten years left. Still enough time to find a solution."


    "What? Terence, you have to come back. Stop this nonsense, please,"


    Edmund begged. Though he was a prideful man, he had absolutely no choice. The company and the family couldn''t move forward without Terence. Without him, he might as well be ready for the downfall.

 Chapter 770 Could Kneeling Down Fix Everything

    "No, I won''t. I will only go back once your estranged daughter-in-law agrees to remarry me," Terence stated slowly as he flicked the ash on his cigarette.


    "Haven''t you remarried already?"


    Edmund genuinely asked. Judging from the way Carla and Terence had been interacting, Edmund honestly thought that they had already remarried.


    Terence only rolled his eyes at him.


    Edmund coughed a little and said, "How about this? I will talk to Carla later and I promise you that I will convince her to remarry you. For now, how about you go back to JA city with me?"


    "We''ll talk about it later. Haven''t you hurt her enough?" Terence nonchalantly said.


    Edmund swallowed back the words on the tip of his tongue and sighed. "Terence, I know I have made a reckless decision. But you should know that I only did that with your best interests in mind and for the An family as well.


    Can you just forgive me this time?"


    Terence put out the cigarette and shook his head. "Father, apologizing doesn''t work every single time, especially with what you did. When you made that decision, you have immensely broken Carla''s heart.


    Perhaps, she could put herself in your shoes and try to understand yourself and when you did it the first time. But how can Carla forgive you this time?"


    When Edmund first did that, they had just learned that Carla could not bear any children. It was understandable that he had done something excessive at that time.


    But how about with what he did this last time?


    If it were Terence himself, he wouldn''t forgive his father so easily, let alone Carla.


    "Well, tell me then. What can I do to make Carla forgive me?"


    Edmund finally gave in to the fact that the An family couldn''t thrive without Terence. And conclusively, Terence couldn''t live without Carla.


    Which meant that if Carla wouldn''t come back soon, there was a very high possibility that the AJ Group would go bankrupt, sooner rather than later.


    In the entirety of his life, women had never become a problem for Edmund. So when he saw what Terence did for Carla, it totally blew his mind.


    Clearly, there was nothing more important for Terence other than Carla, not even the AJ Group itself!


    At that time, Carla was sitting on the bed. She heard Edmund''s loud voice from the outside and it startled her a little. She honestly didn''t think that she would hear that voice again.


    After a while, someone knocked on the door.


    "Carla, can you please come out? I have something to talk to you about."


    Carla was stunned as her eyes went wide. She could have never imagined that Edmund would actually come to her.


    After a while of contemplation and calming herself down, she stood up and went to open the door.


    But as soon as she opened the door, Carla, who thought that she couldn''t be any more shocked was overwhelmed with what she saw.


    Edmund was on his knees making a deep vow t


    or you to say that. But now that your Father has knelt down in front of me, how can I reject him?"


    Carla snorted. She pushed his hand away and sat on the bed with a deep sigh.


    "Just ignore him. He deserves it. Don''t be so moved by all of his antics, okay?" Terence sat beside her on the bed and held her hand.


    When she heard this, Carla lifted her beautiful eyebrows and looked at him. "Is that so? If you haven''t been here, he wouldn''t have found me. Therefore, he wouldn''t have come here to beg me to come back. He wouldn''t have disrupted my peaceful life with Sally."


    Of course, Carla was right. Of course, Edmund would not have knelt in front of her if it wasn''t for the company. She knew this perfectly.


    If the AJ Group hadn''t been in danger, Edmund, a man who had never taken women seriously, would never have come to beg her.


    "It doesn''t matter, Carla. The most important thing is that he caved in, didn''t he?"


    Terence held her hand again and patiently continued, "Before, we were very worried that Father will make things difficult for us because of this successor issue, right? But now that he yielded on the matter himself, the problem is solved. We don''t have anything to be worried about."


    Carla shook her head slowly. "Pressure, there''s still pressure on us. And if we''re being honest, most of that pressure falls onto me. We still have a long way to go. Who knows what changes will happen in the future?"


    Carla sighed. She wasn''t waiting for Terence to say anything so she continued, "Anyway, you''d better go back to JA city as soon as possible. Don''t waste your time here anymore. I''ll think about it more and when I finally figure out what I want, you have my word that I''ll reach out as soon as possible."


    Terence was about to say something when


    Nathan suddenly knocked on the door and said, "Mr. Terence, something bad has happened. Your father, he... he passed out on the way back."

 Chapter 771 Go Back With Me (Part One)

    Meanwhile, Terence opened the door and gave Nathan, who was standing behind him, holding his breath.


    "How sure are you that he''s not just pretending to be sick?" with suspicion, Terence asked.


    "Quite frankly, Mr. An, I don''t think so. The butler said that your father had been very exhausted dealing with the mess in the company by himself,"


    Nathan clarified. He tried to imply that Edmund really wanted to see Terence as soon as possible all because he was too weak to maintain his health and deal with the company problems.


    Otherwise, how was he able to kneel down to his daughter-in-law regardless of his health status?


    "Terence, I think that you should not doubt your father anymore. Just go see him. Take a look at how he''s doing. He must be in dire need to see you now! You don''t really want to have any regrets for this, do you?"


    Carla said as she tried to convince Terence to set aside his suspicions about his father. In her opinion, she could not see why Edmund would set up a trap for them this time. And no matter whether his claims were true or not, she found it necessary that Terence at least visit him.


    During that time, there was no visible evidence that Edmund didn''t look very well. And on top of that, he had already risked his credibility the last time he lied to both Carla and Terence. Given that fact, the possibility that he would play the same cheap tactic again was almost slim to none.


    Upon hearing what his estranged wife had just said, Terence looked at her and nodded, "Okay. I guess I could go and check up on him. I will have Rainer stay here."


    "Okay, now that''s better. You''d better go ahead. Don''t worry about Sally and me. We are safe here and we can take good care of ourselves. In fact, you should be the one to t


    calm down for a while.


    "Carla, I can give you one more week to have your own space and time to consider all things, but after that, you will need to come home with me. It''s time to go back to handle the company affairs, and I can''t do it without you! In which case, I''ll come and pick you up in a week, okay?"


    Terence stepped back as he cupped her face with his hands.


    Thinking about his conditions, Carla spoke, "But that''s just a week. Can you just please give me one more month?"


    "No, what I can only spare you is one week." Terence refused to give in to her plea. Raising her chin, he kissed her on the lips and said, "Come on! Carla, you know that without you around me, I would definitely be distracted, and would eventually be unable to deal with anything."


    Terence really had enough of suffering the lonely nights without Carla around him.


    "Half a month, please! I just need time to think this over!"


    Carla insisted once more as she found that one week was not enough to think things through.


    Rubbing her stubborn face, Terence sighed, "Okay, how about giving you ten days. That''s the best I could do. I will personally pick you up after ten days! "

 Chapter 772 Go Back With Me (Part Two)

    Hesitating for a while, she nodded her head and thought, ''Well, ten days couldn''t be that bad. I''ve tried my very best to get as much time as I need.''


    "And, what about you? Are you going to leave now or tomorrow morning?" Carla asked curiously.


    Terence gave her a glance, kissed her lips, and then said, "I''ll go first thing in the morning. It''s a good thing that Nathan is already there. He will be the one to help me control the current condition of the company, for the time being."


    "Carla, are you really certain that you are not going back with me tomorrow?"


    Terence took a shot in asking after taking a deep and nervous breath.


    But as a reply, Carla only shook her head.


    "Why the hell are you so stubborn? Is there really nothing I can do to change your mind? Carla, I miss your body, I miss you... " Terence''s eyes then twinkled meaningfully as he looked at her. Reading what her husband was thinking of, Carla only remained indifferent as she was not that into it. After all, she had been keeping her guard up against him and kept him at a distance, except for that one night.


    Although he had been allowed to sleep in the same bed with her, his behavior had been strictly limited. Many intimate acts were forbidden, along with the fact that he would not be able to touch her body so easily.


    "Why don''t we talk about it once we get married again. What do you think?"


    Curling up her lips, Carla then turned around as she walked into her room.


    There was only this one time when Terence nearly forced her to have sex with him which only happened all because he acted too fast on his desire. Carla didn''t even have enough time to dodge him as she was not that prepared for him.


    If it were really that easy for him to sweep her off her feet again and again, then what is the meaning o


    home to Terence was not an option at that point for she could not yet get past the barrier.


    Was it really because of Susan or Edmund? No, it was because of herself!


    Meanwhile, as soon as Carla got home, Andrea called her.


    "Callie, are you still in BH city?"


    Time passed by so quickly that Andrea had thought to make this call much earlier.


    But Bonnie was back home with her. She came back so suddenly and was working on the processing of the divorce papers with her foreign husband. And that was the reason why Andrea wasn''t able to call her in time.


    Not knowing how to explain her current situation, Carla just took a deep breath and answered, "Yes, Mom..."


    "Great! I''m also in BH city now. Send me your address and I''ll get a taxi to come see you,"


    Andrea suggested.


    Taken aback, Carla replied, "Wait, what did you just say? You''re also here??" she asked


    "Of course. My silly girl, why didn''t you tell me about what had happened between you and Terence. It''s such a big thing and you should have informed me! Now, tell me your address. I''ve already left the airport."


    If Andrea hadn''t asked the An family about Carla''s divorce in person, then she wouldn''t have ever known!

 Chapter 773 Sometimes People Shouldnt Be Too Kind

    Andrea had almost passed out in anger when she heard the news.


    Bonnie getting divorced was fine for her since her foreign husband was an abusive man. It was better for Bonnie to come home than to live further away from her where she wouldn''t be able to protect Bonnie.


    However, Terence and Carla were a different story. They already got their happy ending after so many bumps along the road, but now they were divorced. If glares could kill, the entire household would be ten feet under with Andrea''s wrath.


    "Mom, calm down. It''s really not what you think."


    Carla panicked, almost dropping the phone when she heard the anger in her mother''s voice. She had been extremely careful, keeping everything under wraps, trying to make sure that situations like this wouldn''t happen.


    "It doesn''t matter what I think! What''s your address? I''m in the taxi now," Andrea urged.


    Carla had no choice but to give it to her.


    In less than an hour, the doorbell rang.


    Carla lowered her head and went to open the door, fully knowing that her mother would ask a hundred thousand questions.


    One look at Carla made Andrea sigh. She walked in. "Where''s Sally?"


    "¡­¡­ She went to school,"


    Carla murmured, avoiding her mother''s gaze.


    "Went to school? Do you really plan on staying here for the rest of your life?" Andrea demanded as she looked around the well-arranged house. Though the place was furnished and decorated well, she still couldn''t believe that her daughter would move to another city.


    As she looked around, her gaze paused at a pair of male slippers near the shoe rack.


    Andrea''s jaw dropped and she whirled to Carla, holding her hands. She took Carla to the sofa and asked, "Carla, tell me. Are you living with another man? So soon, dear?"


    "What? Why do you ask that?"


    Carla blinked at such a blunt question before looking to the direction she was staring in. When she caught sight of the slippers, she understood what her mother meant.


    They were Terence''s.


    "Mom, no. What are you talking about? Terence just forgot to place them on the rack when he left this morning."


    Andrea sighed in relief when she heard Carla''s words. "Didn''t you divorce him? Why was he here?"


    "Seriously, mom?" Carla rubbed her forehead, knowing that this was going to be a long conversation.


    On the bright side, at least she believed her when she said they were Terence''s.


    All she needed to handle was the explanation.


    "Tell me, what''s going on between the two of you? Why did you get divorced? There must be a reason."


    Andrea took her hand. She couldn''t believe that Carla would hide this from her. If she hadn''t asked people about it, she would have still been unaware of it by now.


    "Mom, since you already know about our divorce, shouldn''t you have known the reason why we''ve divorced?" Carla frowned sulkily. It seeme


    g else. When she got up to follow her, Andrea waved her hand.


    "You don''t need to do that, dear.


    I''ll show you what I can do."


    Though Andrea rarely cooked at home, that didn''t mean she couldn''t cook. Contrary to what most people would think, she was actually great at cooking.


    Soon, it was time for lunch. "Callie, try this sour and spicy lemon fish. Eating it can warm you up for the cold weather. You''re already so thin..."


    --


    Andrea cooked fish and two other dishes of Carla''s favorite food.


    Looking at the orange fish, Carla felt her stomach grumble. Her mother''s cooking was always something she''d missed. As she tasted the dish, she couldn''t help but groan at the amazing mix of flavors.


    "It''s really good, mom! It''s too bad that Sally isn''t here to get a taste of her grandmother''s cooking," she praised as she rushed to take another bite.


    "It''s not a problem. I''ll cook for her when she comes back. The ingredients and seasoning in the kitchen are all of good quality. Without them, I''m sure I couldn''t have whipped up such a good dish."


    Andrea chuckled.


    Carla chewed the fish and said, "Terence bought them. He''s the one who cooks here."


    Hearing this, Andrea was frozen in shock. "You''re saying Terence was the one who prepared the meals for the both of you?"


    "Yes. What''s wrong about that?"


    She furrowed her eyebrows.


    "I didn''t know that Terence cares for you that much. Your father never pitched in to wash his socks before. He couldn''t even tell the difference between salt and sugar, let alone cooking."


    Andrea snorted.


    Though the kitchen was just small, she could see how attentive Terence was to Carla. She could see how Terence paid attention to each seasoning and spices in the cabinets and how they were designated to each dish.


    Terence was willing to cook for Carla. The dishes he made and created were proof of his love for her.

 Chapter 774 Why Do You Love To Eat Sour Food

    While Andrea was speaking, Carla, who sat in front of her, suddenly picked up a lemon slice. She tasted it as if it were her favorite food.


    "Callie, is it still too sour?"


    Although they had already been stewed, there was still a lot of sourness to it.


    Not eating everything at once, Carla just sucked a mouthful of lemon juice. Smiling, she said, "Not bad. It''s actually quite delicious and crisp. Mom, can you make this again for me tomorrow?"


    Laughing, Andrea replied, "Of course! As long as my dear Callie wants to eat, I will cook for her until she gets tired of eating it."


    "Really? You would do that for me? But what if I never get tired of eating your meals? Will my mom stay in BH City with me for the rest of our lives?" Carla said with a playful giggle.


    "Well, for as long as you don''t feel that I am annoying, I don''t see why not!" Andrea said as she glanced at her with a smile.


    In the afternoon, Sally got home from her day in school. Wanting to cheer her granddaughter up, Andrea played with her for a while.


    Although her father had just taken off again, Sally felt a little bit better that her grandma was there to be with her.


    Meanwhile, the sun shone bright and the day had passed when


    Andrea came back to ask Carla to go to the hospital right after driving Sally to school.


    "Mom, please, I don''t want to go there now. Can I just go there after a few more days?"


    Carla begged her mother for she did not want to go. Right at that time, all she wanted was a quiet couple of minutes to clear her head because she did not want to think about those kinds of things.


    "Callie, you are still very young. You have time. If there is any glimmer of hope, we can''t just give up,"


    Andrea said, heaving a heavy sigh as she could clearly see the reluctance on Carla''s face.


    "Mom, I just don''t want to think about those things these days. Don''t make me do it, please?" Carla suddenly hugged her and pleaded.


    She didn''t want to give herself too much pressure. After all, she just wanted to live a free life.


    All she cared about was living in the moment, and not care about the future.


    "Well, in that case, if you really don''t want to go, then we won''t." Andrea patted Carla''s shoulder and said, "I just think that since you can''t really be separated from Terence, you will continue to live with the An family. I mean, you are still young. Just don''t give up, dear..."


    What they needed was hope for the best and prepare for the worst. After all, she was still too young to draw any conclusion yet.


    And since Carla had been very vocal about not going to th


    changed her tone and said mildly.


    However, she was not as tough as he was.


    "Of course you can. And when you get back to JA City, you can live wherever you like. I promise I won''t interfere with your life," Terence said as he put on a little pout. In his mind, as long as she was in JA City, everything would be fine.


    "But that''s the point! I don''t want to go back to JA city!" Carla suddenly blurted out.


    "And why not?"


    Terence asked as he put his arm around her waist while they lay down on the bed. Pleading, he continued, "Carla, please come home with me. I''ve already made some arrangements for Sally''s school, and she can go straight there after she goes back home."


    "Terence, listen to me. How about we make a deal?"


    Carla asked as she glanced at the man buried under her arms while she brushed her fingers into his hair.


    "What do you propose?"


    Burying his face in her chest, he felt her breath and smelled the familiar fragrance of her body''s essence.


    "I will remarry you under the condition that as we are still divorced, you can''t restrict my freedom in any manner." Carla whispered, "I''ll go back to my old self once I''m done here. I just want some time alone, Terence. Would that be okay for you?"


    Raising his head, Terence squinted his eyes once again.


    "What happens if I don''t agree to your proposal?"


    Shocked to hear what Terence had just said, Carla was taken aback. With all her nerves flared up, she went fuming mad as she pushed him away from her.


    "What do you mean by that? Do you really not want to re-marry anymore? Is that what this is all about?"


    She was stunned at what Terence had meant by his question. What did he mean? Did he... did he not want to marry her again?

 Chapter 775 The Divorce Certificate It Was Fake.

    "Stop acting as if you don''t get what I''m saying. You know what I mean. Of course I want to marry you again,"


    Terence said, holding her tight in his arms. "Carla, there''s no use trying to negotiate with me. Tomorrow morning, I''m going to ask Rainer to go to school to take care of Sally''s records, and then you and Sally are going back with me."


    As she closed her eyes, Carla let out a soft sigh and said, "Terence..."


    "Just give it a rest already. Don''t think that I''ll change my mind just because you called me honey. I''ve made up my mind this time."


    Pinching her cheek, Terence turned down her request.


    The following morning


    "Dad, Mom, are we going home today?"


    Sally asked Terence and Carla who were standing right next to her as she watched their luggage being hauled into the truck.


    "Yes, we are. Does that make you happy, Sally?"


    Lifting her up, Terence carried her to the limo and put her on his lap, rubbing her little face which was filled with excitement.


    "Yes, it does! I miss Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Kaylee, Uncle Sean, Cody and Aunt Violet. I miss everyone!"


    "Once we get back home, you''ll finally be able to see all of them again," Terence said with a great big smile on his face, shooting Carla a glance.


    Looking outside the window, Carla rested her chin on the palm of her hand and couldn''t help but feel so downcast. It had been a month since she started living in BH City, and now they had to leave so soon.


    She originally thought she would be staying here for a while.


    "Try not to look back. If you really want to be with them, I will come here with you after a couple of days..." Terence said as he sat beside her and held her hand.


    Hearing this, Carla breathed out a sigh of relief. Then, she looked at him and asked, "How is Father doing? Is he feeling any better?"


    Nodding his head, Terence replied, "His condition is improving little by little and he''s still under observation in the hospital, but he''s gonna be alright."


    With that, the car gradually drove away from the residential area and headed straight for JA City.


    By the time they arrived at JA City, it was already late in the evening.


    Terence brought Sally straight to her bedroom so she could sleep. It was a good thing that Sophie had already cleaned the room before they arrived.


    After being on the road for the entire day, Carla wanted to go back to her room, feeling so tired.


    That being said, she headed toward Sean''s room instead.


    As soon as they arrived, Carla asked Sophie about him, and she told her that Sean had only come home once this month.


    "Carla?"


    Terence


    the divorce certificate doesn''t even exist." It was only then that Terence was finally able to let out a sigh of relief. He felt a little bit better after the divorce certificate was torn apart.


    Despite knowing full well that the proposal wasn''t real, just the thought of divorcing her was enough to make him feel so uncomfortable.


    Upon hearing Terence''s answer, Carla quickly sprung up from the bed and grasped his shirt. "Terence, what the heck do you mean by that? Say it to me clearly!"


    "It just means that our divorce certificate is fake,"


    Terence said with a wide grin on his face, looking at Carla who seemed to be fuming with anger.


    Be that as it might, he still felt that seeing her angry was much better than seeing her acting so depressed.


    Carla remained silent for a few seconds, wondering how it could have happened.


    No wonder she felt that something seemed to be quite amiss when they went to the Civil Affairs Bureau. She was so confused before. Now everything made perfect sense. The Civil Affairs Bureau they went to was fake. But how could that even be possible?


    In fact, she even remembered seeing a lot of people going through the divorce process too.


    ''Was all of that fake as well?'' Carla was starting to get more and more confused.


    Normal people might not be able to pull something like that off. But Terence was far from normal. So, who could say for sure what he was really capable of?


    He could probably even make his own City Hall if he wanted to and no one would ever get suspicious of him, let alone the Civil Affairs Bureau.


    With this thought running in circles in her mind, Carla suddenly yelled out in anger. Then, she pulled Terence onto the bed, ripped his shirt off and bit him!

 Chapter 776 Vomited After Eating

    Then, seemingly out of the blue, Carla heard Terence groan.


    Terence turned to her and stated in a teasing tone, "Honey, can you choose another spot to bite me?"


    Carla was so angry that she didn''t care where she was biting him. When she finally took a closer look at his broad chest, she found out that there were huge teeth marks in the middle.


    Then, she wiped the saliva from her mouth and pushed him away. "Terence, didn''t you say that you wouldn''t lie to me again?


    How dare you hide such a serious matter from me? How dare you?!" Carla shouted at Terence with so much anger coming out of her.


    Terence grabbed her wrist, looked down at her, and smiled. He then softly said, "Carla, just give it a second thought, okay? How could I possibly agree to divorce you so easily? Did you think about that?


    It was not easy for you to come back to me. It was clear that it would be hard for me to win you back. It''s just impossible for me to let you go."


    Carla glared at him and said, "Are you saying that I''m too naive?"


    "Kind of?"


    Terence said with a smile. His grin just grew wider when he looked at Carla who was certainly pissed off by his words.


    "Te... Terence!!!"


    Carla screamed his name, emphasizing each syllable as she gnawed her teeth. Then, she furiously got up from the bed and walked towards him on tiptoe so she could pinch his neck.


    Terence didn''t dodge. Instead, he just wrapped his arms around her waist. He knew that it was better for her to vent that anger on him.


    She didn''t have the heart to hurt him, of course. But she couldn''t control her rage whenever she would think about how dejected she had been in the past weeks and days. She didn''t expect that she had just been deceived by her own supposed "husband". Even though his intentions were good, she still couldn''t help but feel irritated.


    "Carla, don''t be so upset. It''s very late right now so why don''t we go to sleep for now? If you''re still angry with me tomorrow, I''ll let you do whatever you want to me, okay?"


    Terence gently said while he wiped the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes.


    Carla just continued to glare at him as if she could poke a few holes on his face with her eyes.


    Terence laughed one more time and inched his face closer to hers so he could kiss her gently.


    She avoided his kiss and just continued to glare at him.


    She thought, ''Since I don''t have the heart to strangle him, I can express my anger with my eyes.''


    Terence looked at her face and couldn''t help but laugh because to him, she just looked really cute, trying to be mad at him. He held her face and said, "Don''t look at me like I''m a heinous murderer."


    "Aren''t you? In fact, you''re even more unforgivable than murderers. Most killers would only hurt strangers but you hurt me. Aren''t you supposed to care about me? How could you treat me like this?!"


    Carla exclaimed while she rais


    something wrong with the duck soup I ate yesterday?


    No, it shouldn''t be the case. Any food cooked by Sophie has always been very clean. Besides, I have never eaten anything that she cooked which made my stomach hurt. What is going on this time?''


    "What''s wrong? Are you having a stomachache?"


    Terence walked over and looked at her worriedly. He thought that she must have vomited again.


    "A little bit. I don''t know what''s wrong with me. Yesterday, I vomited while I was full and now, I also want to throw up but I''m hungry." Carla touched her chest and looked up at Terence in the mirror. He was a little stunned.


    "Honey, are you?¡ª"


    Terence started to ask but he couldn''t finish his sentence. He hadn''t thought much about it yesterday because he was too caught up in the idea that she just ate too fast and too much.


    But that morning, she felt uncomfortable again. Was it possible that she was pregnant?


    "Don''t overthink about it. You haven''t touched me recently. Even if I''m pregnant, the baby is not yours," Carla jokingly said. She knew that he was thinking about something ridiculous.


    "You are wrong though. We did have sex recently. It was only one time but it happened."


    Terence said while he raised his eyebrows. He clearly remembered what happened that night.


    "Do you think it''s possible? We''ve had sex so many times before but I failed to get pregnant. We just did it once recently, so it''s not possible, right? I guess what I ate yesterday just doesn''t agree with me,"


    Carla said in a skeptical tone. She thought that it was impossible for her to get pregnant because they only had sex one time recently.


    "No matter what, let''s go to the hospital for a checkup. If you''re not sick, then that would be best!" Terence said to Carla, trying to stop his own imagination from running wild.


    "Go and get changed. I''ll take you to the hospital."


    They''ll know the truth after the examination.

 Chapter 777 Two Lines On The Stick

    "Oh, alright, I''ll go see a doctor. But I want to go to the hospital where father is at so that I can pay him a visit as well,"


    Carla told him. Now that she was back, she thought that she should pay Edmund a visit for Terence''s sake even though she really didn''t want to see him at all.


    After all, he humbled himself and knelt down in front of her, last time.


    If she kept on holding a grudge against him, it would make her seem petty.


    "Okay. You go get changed first while I''ll get everything ready," Terence replied, nodding his head. Just in case something were to happen, he wanted the hospital to be informed in advance. That way, they would be able to get their department of gastroenterology, gynecology and obstetrics ready.


    So that morning, Carla and Terence headed toward the hospital together.


    "What do you say we drop by and say hi to Dad first before getting ourselves checked?"


    Carla suggested the moment they arrived at the hospital. For some reason, she was suddenly feeling much better.


    "No, he''s gonna be just fine. Let''s have a check-up first then we''ll visit him when we''re done." Grabbing Carla''s hand, the two of them headed upstairs. The doctors from different departments were already there awaiting their arrival.


    As she glanced at Terence, Carla cleared her throat before reminding him, "Terence, I don''t want you to get your hopes up. I... I''m not very likely to get pregnant. I''m scared that you might end up disappointed."


    At that moment, she was worried that the higher his expectation was, the more disappointed he would be in the end.


    She was thinking that it might have just been a simple gastroenteritis or something.


    Hearing this, Terence couldn''t help but laugh as he looked down at her. "Carla, you don''t have to worry about me. I can accept whatever the result is. All I want is to make sure that you''re alright. That''s really the only thing that matters to me. If anything else comes up, we''ll just have to deal with it,"


    Terence said, telling her exactly what was on his mind.


    For as long as he could make sure that she was safe and sound and staying in his arms, there wasn''t anything else he could ever ask for. An unexpected surprise was, by no means, more important than her well-being.


    Without saying anything else, Carla simply nodded her head, feeling somewhat relieved. What scared her the most was the possibility of disappointing him after getting his hopes up.


    "Mr. An and Mrs. An, this way, please."


    It was the doctor in charge of this floor himself who escorted them, waiting in front of the elevator.


    "Mrs. An, please feel free to tell me every symptom that you have noticed so that I can give you a proper diagnosis. You don''t need to feel embarrassed whatsoever,"


    the doctor calmly told her.


    After trying to remember all of the things that happened, Carla told him everything about her recent symptoms.


    When he discussed this with Terence over the phone, the doctor originally thought that Carla might just


    the same time, she also felt at ease. Thank God, their efforts had finally paid off.


    She looked up at Terence to check how he was taking all of this.


    But Terence just kept on staring back at her, feeling so surprised and extremely excited. They felt so blessed to be given the chance to have another baby!


    "Terence? Will you please help me up?"


    Seeing the look of surprise on Terence''s face, Carla couldn''t contain her laughter as she reached out her hand to him.


    Terence managed to get a grip somehow. Ever so carefully, he helped her sit up and then wrapped his arms tight around her. "Carla, do you still remember what I said back then? This day will come sooner or later!"


    "Well, aren''t you a bit too excited? It''s not like it''s the first time that I''m having a baby," Carla told him, putting her hand over her belly.


    Then, she glanced at him, looking so pleased.


    "I know that, but I was not there with you when you were pregnant with Sally. This time, I must protect you and our baby at all costs!"


    Terence said, sounding so resolute.


    It was his mistake that caused her to have a miscarriage during her first pregnancy. And that was where everything started going south.


    The second time around, she was unfortunately washed away by the flood, drifting into the mountains a thousand miles away where she gave birth to their daughter.


    This time, he swore to her that we would take good care of her and would not let her go through any more suffering no matter what.


    His dear Carla, she had already been through so much. That should be more than enough.


    Terence was extra careful as he helped her take the medicine and gently told her, "Carla, we should go home right away. The smell of the disinfectant in the hospital is too strong. I''m worried that you might feel sick if you inhale too much of it."


    "I''ll be just fine. Since we''re already here, I want to drop by and pay Dad a visit,"


    Carla said, wearing a great big smile on her face as she gave him a wink.

 Chapter 778 The Second Child

    "You are right. Now that we are here, we should surely take a look,"


    Terence said with a smile. He wanted his father to witness what he had achieved after so much strenuous effort.


    He not only messed up with him and Carla, but also ended up in the hospital himself.


    Inside Edmund''s ward, Rhys and his wife Eunice had come to visit Edmund. A few days earlier, while Terence was absent, Eunice had "helped" a lot in the business.


    But the capabilities of this couple were quite limited. They had intended to take this opportunity to impress everyone with their stunning performance. Unfortunately, they didn''t expect that they would lose quite a lot of money, let alone make any profit.


    In order to prove that she was a virtuous woman and that she was still helpful in other places, Eunice decided to visit Edmund at the hospital every day without fail.


    It was delightful news that Terence and Carla had gotten divorced.


    After the issue related to Lucy and the incident that occurred during the ancestor worship activity, Eunice had been cautious to keep a low profile.


    Now that there was such a good opportunity, she had to exploit it to its utmost to put up a good show.


    "Sir, Mr. and Mrs. Terence An have just arrived to visit..."


    the butler said to Edmund.


    "Really? Let them in, right away."


    When Edmund heard that Terence and Carla were coming, he sorted out his clothes and sat down neatly.


    Eunice stood up and moved to the side.


    At this moment, at the distant end of the doorway.


    "Terence, here you are. When did you return, Carla?"


    Rhys, who was standing at the door, greeted them.


    "You''re also here, brother. I''m delighted. I came back yesterday," Carla replied politely.


    When they entered, Terence said to the butler, "Would you be kind enough to fetch a chair for my wife?"


    The butler nodded and looked around. At last, he took the chair that Eunice had sat on earlier and offered it to Carla.


    Eunice was visibly annoyed by the butler''s actions, but she decided to stay silent about it.


    ''What''s wrong with them? Didn''t they just get divorced? Why did Terence bring her here? Doesn''t she get anyone else to accompany her?'' thought Eunice.


    "Dad, are you feeling better?"


    Carla greeted and sat down.


    "Yes, I''m much better now. The doctor seemed hopeful that I''d be able to leave the hospital after this month. What about you? When did you get ba


    "Thanks, father. I''m fine. You''re the patient here," Carla answered with an awkward smile.


    She was here to visit Edmund. How could she occupy his bed now? Wouldn''t that be too selfish of her?


    "Well, Terence, the work in the company is almost done. What I''ve learnt from your report is that your work is satisfactory. You should spend more time with Carla. A pregnant woman is highly emotionally unstable. Don''t make her angry. She needs constant support.


    By the way, invite all the famous chefs in JA City, especially the top three chefs to the Seaview Villa. Carla, you can ask them to prepare whatever suits your taste. They''ll be at your service at all times.


    One more thing, go and ask the senior nutritionist we had met last time to customize a diet for Carla immediately!"


    standing beside the bed, Edmund commanded excitedly while thinking about what else he could do to help Carla.


    "Okay, I''ll ask someone to take care of everything."


    Terence accepted all of them happily, and his eyes were full of happiness.


    Eunice, who was standing next to him, was stunned. ''How could this be?


    Carla is back and she is pregnant?


    Wasn''t it the rumor of the town that she had difficulty conceiving and might never get pregnant? What the fuck have the doctors done? Didn''t they promise that Carla won''t get pregnant? How is she achieving pregnancy again and again?


    When I was pregnant with Eric, I wasn''t treated this way. They only hired two servants to take care of me and arranged a good hospital. How could Carla be entitled to a preferential treatment now?'' she thought angrily.

 Chapter 779 The Golden Dragon

    "Father, don''t get too excited about it. If the baby turns out to be a girl, then you''re still not going to have the grandson that you''ve been wanting for the longest time, right?"


    Eunice candidly stated. She tried to hide her annoyance but it just poured out from her every word.


    She couldn''t bear to see people around Carla when they took care of her as if she were a priceless treasure. Sure, she got that treatment when she was pregnant but not at this scale.


    "Shut up, Eunice!"


    Rhys shouted at her with a cold voice.


    "Did I say anything wrong? I just don''t want Father to have his hopes up and be disappointed in the end." Eunice said with a shrug.


    Edmund coughed heavily. "It doesn''t matter. Whether it''s a boy or a girl, I''ll be very happy, simply with the fact that Carla is going to give birth to one more child for Terence."


    "Rhys, take your wife home right now. You don''t have to come and see me if you have nothing important to say. I''m fine so just go."


    Eunice''s face turned pale when she heard that. She then glanced at Carla and thought, ''Don''t be so conceited, Carla. It wouldn''t make any difference if you have one more daughter. Sooner or later, daughters would just marry someone else and leave the family. They''re useless to the Ans.''


    "Yes, Father."


    Rhys said and walked towards the door while holding Eunice''s hand.


    After they walked out of the ward, Rhys let go of Eunice and turned to face her. He then said with a straight face, "Can you have at least a little brain in you?


    If you didn''t interfere with the company''s business before, we wouldn''t have lost so much money. To protect you, I didn''t even tell Father about it.


    And look at what you''re doing right now. You know that Father is very happy right now, but you just rained all over his parade. Do you think we don''t have enough troubles right now?"


    Eunice snorted and raised her chin to look at him. "Rhys, don''t you dare sling mud at me. You should blame yourself for your own incompetence. It''s not my fault! As the acting CEO, you have the final say on everything, don''t you?


    Besides, those people didn''t really want to help you because you''re just a vice president. If it weren''t for you, we wouldn''t have lost so much money. Don''t you think you only have yourself to blame?"


    Eunice furiously said and then she cast a glance at the closed door.


    Meanwhile, Rhys just listened to her without saying anything.


    While her eyes were still fixated on the door and imagining what was still happening on the other side, Eunice sighed. She then stated in a calmer voice, "Yes, you''re right. I don''t like Carla. But how could you tell me not to worry about it? If she really has a son, what about our son Eric?"


    It was perfectly clear for Eunice. She continued, "If Terence doesn''t have a son, there''s still a high possibility that Eric might inherit the company in the future. But if Carla really gives birth to a son, and he turns out to be a little better than Eric when the time comes, then Eric would never be able to stand out."


    Eunice suddenly felt pity, not just for th


    e smiled and said, "Don''t worry, honey. You''ll get used to it." Carla could only hope so. She had been pregnant with Sally before but during that time, no one was there to take care of her. She only had herself to rely on.


    Biting the chopsticks, Carla sighed and began to eat again.


    When the afternoon came, Carla called Andrea to tell her the good news.


    "Callie, are you serious? Are you really pregnant now?! That''s so amazing! I''m going to have another grandchild!


    I knew it! When we met the last time, I noticed that you liked eating a lot of sour things. You must have already had the baby at that time. But you still lied to me, didn''t you? Now you can''t hide it anymore, sweetheart.


    Oh, thank God. My Callie is pregnant again. You really made all of those people shut their mouths, didn''t you?"


    Andrea rambled when she heard the great news.


    "Yes, we just went to the hospital this morning. The doctor told me to get good rest for the first three months." Carla couldn''t help but beam when she heard that her mother was so ecstatic.


    "Then you should take the Doctor''s advice and have enough rest. You shouldn''t go out that much and wander around too often. If you really want to walk, you can go somewhere really close. Don''t wear yourself out. But this news is just so great! Congratulations, my daughter!" Andrea couldn''t control her happiness. She then continued, "By the way, I''ve just dreamed of a golden dragon flying down from the sky yesterday. Then, I saw that it came towards you. It turns out that there really is a blessing!" Andrea was getting a little too excited.


    When she heard her Mom''s words, Carla laughed and said, "Mom, you''re getting a little dramatic. This dream has no scientific basis at all."


    "You don''t know that. This kind of a dream is reliable. Callie, after all the sufferings that you went through, maybe this time you''ll finally have a son. I''m so happy for you!"


    Andrea was just swimming in happiness at that point. She couldn''t help but celebrate for her daughter and only think of happy thoughts.

 Chapter 780 She Who Laughs Last, Laughs Best

    "Callie, let''s talk more about your pregnancy when we meet in person. By the way, you should limit your use of electronic devices right now. Electronic radiation is not good for the baby. Take care, my darling. I''ll come and see you tomorrow."


    Andrea said with a chuckle and then hung up the phone.


    At that moment, Carla could only smile as she shook her head. With all of the precautions that people had been telling her since she got pregnant, Carla started to think that maybe she should just be isolated from the outside world.


    Terence had already gone back to the company to deal with some matters. From then on, he would only have a half day''s work on the weekdays. For holidays and weekends, he would be at home with her.


    That same afternoon, Violet came to Carla''s house as soon as she was made aware that Carla had come back. As usual, she brought Cody along.


    Although Violet had already been pregnant for several months, she still looked fit. She didn''t even have any difficulty walking.


    "Carla!"


    Violet exclaimed while she gave Carla a bear hug the moment she saw her!


    "It''s been a month since you left. Do you know how much Cody misses Sally?"


    Violet chuckled as she accused her of being away for so long.


    "Really? You two only missed Sally? You didn''t miss me?" Carla also smiled at her. They hadn''t seen each other for only a month and Violet had already gained some weight. It looked like William had been taking good care of her.


    "Of course, I missed you so much that I even lost some weight." Violet blinked her eyes and continued, "By the way, you did a good job, girl! You must have suffered a lot, but it''s so worth it. Now, you''re going to have this little baby. I bet your father-in-law must be so happy right now."


    Violet said while she reached out and caressed Carla''s flat belly. With her other hand, Violet then touched her own belly. "I hope this one can be a boy. Just like Sally and Cody, Sally can have a little brother to play with."


    "To me, it honestly doesn''t matter. Whether it''s a boy or a girl, I''m happy, simply with the fact that this baby will be born into the world."


    Carla said, smiling with relief. Then she held Violet''s hand and led her inside the house.


    At the same time, Sally had just come back from school. Seeing that Cody was there, the two little kids were immediately excited in each other''s presence. It didn''t take long before they rushed to play and have some fun.


    Looking at their children so happy with each other, Violet and Carla went to the room on the third floor. They had been fond of that room since it had huge glass windows overlooking the sea on the left and the city on the right.


    They comfortably lay on the sofa, looked at the view outside of the windows, ate snacks, drank juice, and talked about so many things.


    "Carla, there''s something that I realized about you and your life. It seems like you have to suffer so much before you can get what you want,"


    Violet briefly stated while she was drinking a cup of fresh juice. Violet found that the saying "She who laughs last, laughs best" seemed very suitable for Carla.


    Not long ago, Carla almost died. Aft


    ntion to giving herself a break before. But now that she knew she was pregnant and that a developing human being was inside her, she knew that should be more careful.


    Besides, since she had gone through so much before this pregnancy, she knew that she should cherish the child more.


    "Sister? Are you there?"


    Sean knocked on the door, still with Sally in his arms.


    "Sean? Is that you? Come on in."


    Hearing her brother''s voice, Carla put down the book in her hand and stood up from the bed.


    Sean entered the room with a huge smile on his face.


    "Mommy!"


    As soon as Sally saw her mother, she got out of Sean''s arms and rushed towards Carla. Then, she held up both of her hands, telling Carla that she wanted to be carried. But Sean immediately stopped the little girl and said, "Sally, you can''t ask your mother to carry you anymore, okay?"


    "Why?"


    Sally asked in confusion, with a huge pout on her face.


    "Because your mother has a baby developing in her belly. Didn''t you always want to have a little brother or sister? Next year, she''ll give birth to this little brother or sister that you have always wished for. When that time comes, you will have another playmate whom you can play with, all day long!"


    Sean patiently explained to her. Rainer drove him home, so he had already told him about the pregnancy while they were on the way.


    "Really? Uncle, you''re not lying to me, right? Auntie Violet''s belly is so big but my mother''s belly is so small. How can there be a little baby in it?"


    When she heard what Sean had just said, Sally walked over to Carla with so much curiosity and poked her mother''s flat belly with her little finger.


    Carla grabbed her little hand and pulled the little girl into her arms. She said with a smile, "That''s because the baby inside Mommy is still small. When the baby grows up a little, Mommy''s belly will be a little bigger, just like Auntie Violet''s."


    Thinking about it for a while, Sally asked again.


    "If the baby grows more and more, will mommy''s belly be broken? How can we take him out of your belly when my little brother grows up?"

 Chapter 781 Im Not Asking You To Pick A Wife. Stop Fighting Over It

    Sally kept pounding one question after another.


    "Of course not, you silly girl. You also came out from your mother''s belly, didn''t you?" Sean rubbed her nose and pulled her closer affectionately.


    Rubbing her little head, she continued, "You are right, but Mommy, how could I get out..."


    "Sally, are you hungry? Grandma Zhang has made you your favorite cookies. Do you want to eat some?"


    Carla immediately changed the topic. This little girl always asked a lot of questions. Moreover, the questions were very uncomfortable at times.


    "I want one! I want one! Uncle, can you carry me downstairs, please?"


    She opened her arms and said like a spoiled child, pouting.


    Sean took her in his arms lovingly. He loved her so much that he would literally say yes to whatever his niece asked whenever she made that face. He simply couldn''t resist any requests from his cute niece.


    "Sister, take good care of yourself..."


    Sean said to Carla as he picked up Sally.


    Although he was only 15 years old, he was to legally become an adult three years later. He knew that it was not easy for his sister to give birth to a child. Now that this child had come, she must safely give birth to it. Both his sister and the baby had to be safe. That was a herculean task in itself.


    Carla waved at him with a delighted smile on her face.


    It was still quite early for dinner. So Carla lay down on the bed and rested for a while. Terence was expected to return from work any moment.


    Meanwhile, inside the AJ Building, things were going through a different route.


    Not so long ago, the company was in a mess because Terence was away. In fact, it was anticipating the imminent collapse and closure of the company. In a short period of time, Rhys had turned a blind eye to Eunice''s behaviors and employed a bunch of people from the Mu family, who went against the talents that Terence had spent years in training.


    So the first thing he did once he took hold of the company again was to fire those who used their illicit influences to get in. Only those employees who got in meritoriously could keep their jobs. The rest of them were to be fired immediately.


    Although the AJ Group belonged to the An family, the employees weren''t entirely drawn from the family. On the contrary, if someone from the family wanted to join the company, they had to possess ample qualifications and experience that was deemed necessary. Even if they were to creep in, they weren''t placed in any significantly important positions.


    In fact, the vast majority of the employe


    elieved that he was more experienced in recruiting and managing bodyguards than Nathan.


    Nathan always held a poker face. It was not until these two years that he became nicer. It was so weird that girls were attracted to his cold face. He was rather jealous about it.


    "Never mind. I''ll go." Nathan added, "What do you know about women anyways, buddy?"


    "What do you mean? Our boss just said that he not only wanted someone who was physically capable and well trained in martial arts, but also wanted someone who knew how to have fun. You always pull a long face. How can you be better than me when it comes to having fun or assessing someone''s character?"


    Rainer patiently explained. Although he had never had a girlfriend, he was better than Nathan in character. He believed that it was a better asset in this regard for him.


    "You think you know how to have fun? Do you know how to make a woman happy? Can you recognize when a woman is unhappy? When and why is she sad? When does she deliberately hide her unhappiness inside her heart? Do you know how to properly talk to a woman, at least?"


    Nathan asked, trying to humiliate Rainer.


    "I..."


    Just then, Terence gave them a cold stare that made them regret their spat. He said, "What are you both doing here? I''m not asking you to pick a wife. Stop fighting over it. You''re making a mockery of yourselves and this company. I''m so ashamed of the both of you."


    He stepped out of the elevator amidst this clamor.


    Nathan and Rainer looked at each other and immediately looked away. They were humiliated and ashamed. But the insults they both traded on each other left wounds that couldn''t be so easily healed.


    "Humph!"


    "Humph!"

 Chapter 782 Join The Army In Advance

    Back at the Seaview Villa, Sean followed Terence into the study right after eating dinner.


    "Hey, Sean. It seems that you have something in your mind. What''s wrong?"


    Seeing that Sean wanted to say something during dinner, Terence had asked him to follow him into the study so that they could talk in private.


    "Oh, it''s nothing. It''s just that I have an idea. Terence, I think I want to join the army before I reach the required age,"


    said Sean as his face bore a serious look. The determination on his face suggested that the idea he had was already well thought of.


    "But can you at least tell me why?"


    Looking at his serious face, Terence asked as he wanted to understand where all the decision came from. In fact, he had already planned to allow him to join the army when he reached the required age. This proposal, however, was something that he did not expect from Sean at all.


    Lowering his head, Sean replied, "Don''t worry about me too much. I can learn a lot of things on my own in my spare time once I serve in the army. Take a look at it this way: I think that it would be such a waste of time if I spend all of my energy and resources in studying now. I want to go there as soon as possible.


    I just want to help you and my sister before anything bad happens!"


    Having met Grandpa Nicholas right before he died, Sean thought that he was no longer the naive and innocent kid that he used to be.


    Back when he was still alive, Grandpa Nicholas had told him something that stuck with him. Although he hadn''t been able to understand what he meant back then, he took the time to reflect on it. And now that he had grown wiser, he thought that he began to understand what Nicholas meant.


    "Only when you become strong can you protect the people you want to protect."


    All he wanted to do was to protect his sister and Sally from any harm in the world. After all, he believed that family was the most stable thing in the world that could keep him grounded.


    "Sean, don''t you think I can protect your sister and my daughter? Don''t you believe in me?"


    Looking at his serious face, Terence realized that Sean was not kidding around when he said that he really wanted to join the army.


    And the main reason for Sean''s eagerness was that he wanted to protect Carla and her family at all costs.


    Shaking his head, Sean then said, "No, you got it all wrong. I believe in you. It''s not what you think!


    Even if many people out there think they know you. They''re wrong. But I know one thing for sure: I know that my brother-in-law is the one who loves my sister most in the world. And besides, what happened before was beyond expectation.


    I also know that you have been trying your best to love and protect my sister. I believe that with time and effort, the two of you will get better in the future."


    Deep in his heart, Sean knew that Terence loved his sister so much, because if he didn''t, then the two would not have ended together.


    Sometimes life was just like a whimsical episode wherein it constantly tortured people in many ways that forgave no one. No stren


    ecisions for him?


    "Carla, if there is nothing else we can do with them, then I will get engaged with Jane. Let''s get them what they want so that they won''t cause you any more trouble," Sean said. After all, he saw it as just a mere engagement. He didn''t think it was a big deal. If he were to be engaged with Jane, then both Uncle James and Auntie Sara wouldn''t disturb them anymore.


    "What in the world are you talking about, Sean? Of course I won''t let it happen! Over my dead body! Do you really think Auntie Cheryl just wants Jane to marry you? Her niece, Jane and this kind of marriage will be nothing but trouble for the rest of your life. Trust me, I know how this goes,"


    Carla said unhappily. As Sean''s sister, she must help Sean see through Auntie Cheryl and know her real agenda.


    Auntie Cheryl and her family would surely be greedier in the future once they agreed to her requirements at this time.


    Sean is the child of the Ji Family, which was a fact that couldn''t be changed. But Uncle James and Auntie Cheryl went too far this time.


    And if by any chance that Sean would fall in love with Jane, then it would be too difficult for Carla to object to their relationship, which was the entire reason why Carla was upset.


    "Well, don''t be so angry. Here, drink some milk."


    Terence took the milk from Sophie and put it in Carla''s hands. Smiling gently, he then said, "Don''t worry about it, honey. I''ll handle it."


    Turning to Sean, he then said, "Sean, if your Uncle James and his family come here tomorrow, receive them like how you normally would. Don''t give them any opportunity to slander us. When they bring up this thing, just cooperate with me and follow my lead according to the situation."


    Understanding what he meant, Sean nodded. He believed that as long as his brother-in-law got involved in the situation, there was nothing that he should worry about.


    What was more, he was going to join the army soon. Once he got enrolled in the program, he would then naturally avoid all the problems and leave them down the drain.

 Chapter 783 The Daughter-In-Law Had Arrived

    When Sean came out of the study, Sally insisted that he tuck her in and tell her a bedtime story.


    Meanwhile, Terence accompanied Carla back to her room.


    Carla slowly changed her clothes and was about to go into the bathroom to take a shower when Terence stopped her.


    "Wait!" Terence exclaimed as he held on to her arm.


    "What?"


    Carla turned around and asked.


    "I''ll go with you. What if you slip and fall?" Terence said, immediately taking off his clothes. In a few seconds, he was ready to join her in the bathroom.


    But then, he saw Carla staring at him with a strange smile on her face. "Why are you so cautious about me all the time? You weren''t this extreme before. You really changed into a completely different person the moment we found out that I''m pregnant."


    "Don''t make it sound like I didn''t care about you in the past," Terence said as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He then squinted. He realized that she was wearing nothing under her pink and white nightgown.


    In the past, he had asked her so many times to a take a bath with him. However, she would refuse him every single time.


    Carla looked down as she adjusted the night robe around her. She poked him in the chest and said softly, "No, thank you. I will be careful. You won''t be much help anyway. And actually, I''m more worried about what you might do during the bath. What if you act on impulse and hurt your father''s grandson? If that happens, I might have to leave again."


    When he heard her satirical statement, Terence grabbed her hands and kissed her. "Nonsense. You underestimate my self-control.


    I''m fully prepared to restrain myself, mentally and physically. Even if you strip all of your clothes and pole dance in front of me, you have my word that I''ll remain calm."


    When she heard his exaggerated claims, Carla took out her hand. She then placed it on top of his chest and drew circles on it. "Oh, really? So you will be able to resist me? Is that what you''re saying?" Carla leaned closer and whispered close to his ears.


    "You really want to challenge me?"


    Terence caught her hand that was crawling on his body, leaned down, and kissed her on the forehead. Then he hugged her and they went into the bathroom together.


    After they finished taking a shower, Carla was comfortably curled up in Terence''s arms, ready to go to sleep.


    "You know what? I think what you said earlier is actually a good idea. You said that... you wanted to prove to me that Susan failed that night, right?"


    Carla blinked her eyes and started the conversation.


    If she were being honest, she was having a hard tim


    e must be grand and luxurious as well. Even though it wouldn''t be as magnificent as the Seaview Villa, they were sure that it would be exquisite as well.


    "That''s right! Jane, the reason why we brought you here today is that I hope you can stay in JA City. Don''t forget us when you become rich!"


    Cheryl said to her niece Jane.


    After Carla and Sean visited them last time, Cheryl and James had been thinking about this idea for a long time. They figured that nothing fruitful would happen if Jane stayed in the countryside all her life.


    They were afraid that if Jane stayed in the countryside for a long time, the gap between her and Sean would only become wider and wider. By then, it might be too late for the two of them to be together.


    ''One should strike while the iron is still hot. It''s a good chance for them to spend some time together and fall deeply in love since he and Jane are still young. Who knows what will happen in the next five years? What if Sean doesn''t like Jane anymore when he grows up?


    Then all of our efforts would be in vain, '' Cheryl thought to herself.


    Jane nodded shyly and then looked back at the luxurious Seaview Villa in front of them.


    At that time, she was still too young to fully understand what they meant. But, who didn''t want a grand lifestyle? If she could live in a place like that in the future, there was no doubt that it would be so much better than marrying a country boy.


    "Mr. and Mrs. Ji, please come in."


    Sophie came out and greeted them with a smile.


    It was the first time for Uncle James to be addressed so politely. He could not help but raise his head and straighten his chest as he walked inside.


    Then, Cheryl grabbed Jane''s hand and followed them to the villa.

 Chapter 784 Do You Really Want To Marry My Uncle Sean

    When the visitors finally came in, Carla was walking down the stairs.


    "Uncle James, Auntie Cheryl, Jane, it''s so good to have you here."


    Carla greeted them with a smile and led them to the living room to have a seat. "Next time, tell me in advance when you''re coming, so I could have the driver pick you up."


    Uncle James laughed a little then said with a smile, "Oh Carla, you don''t need to be so gracious. The transportation system of the city is very convenient now. There are buses everywhere we go." Carla nodded at him. He looked around the house and asked, "Well, where is Sean?"


    "He''s playing basketball with Terence in the back yard. He will be here soon,"


    Carla replied. Then, she called Sophie and asked her to make some tea.


    "Oh, that''s good. That''s good." James said while he sat down. He felt the Italian leather sofa with his palms and curiously looked up at the splendid interiors of the room.


    Meanwhile, Cheryl also took a seat. She patted Jane''s hand to relax her because she noticed that she looked a little nervous. Then she turned to Carla and said, "Carla, we don''t want to waste your time. We know you''re busy so I''ll just go straight to the point. I''ve already told you about this matter on the phone. I hope you can think about it well.


    If Jane comes here to attend school, her parents and I will pay for her school tuition. The only thing we ask of you is to help her get into the same school as Sean. It would be a huge relief for us to know that Jane could have someone in the school that she''s familiar with. She and Sean could look out for each other."


    Just then, Sean had just finished playing basketball and was walking inside with Sally in his arms.


    When Cheryl noticed him, she grinned from ear to ear and exclaimed, "Sean, you''re finally back! And wow, Sally grows really fast!" She waved to Sally, wanting to give her a hug.


    But Sally shook her head and instead, held onto Sean''s neck very tightly.


    "Where is Terence?"


    Carla asked in a low voice when she realized that only Sean and Sally came back to the house.


    "He''s taking a shower upstairs. He''ll come down shortly,"


    Sean replied in a low voice as well.


    Carla nodded. The villa actually had a side gate where they could enter from the court. Perhaps, Terence had entered through that gate. That was why Carla didn''t notice when he came in.


    "Sean, hello..."


    When she saw the young man, Jane stood up and sat down beside him. After a while, she then noticed that Sally was staring at her. Jane held out her arms and said, "Sally, how are you? Would you like a hug?"


    She remembered that she and Sally used to play and have a good time back in the village.


    "Jane, do you really want to marry my Uncle Sean?"


    Ignoring Jane''s request, Sally asked with a brisk voice while she was still in Sean''s arms.


    While they were on their way back from the court, she heard her father say


    Besides, Jane was not his biological daughter. He was not willing to cover that amount, even if it was half of that.


    Cheryl cleared her throat and turned to Sean. "Sean, we consider each other as family, right? Should we not support each other?


    Jane is my niece and could be regarded as your family too. She''s not a stranger to you. You can take good care of her in a lot of aspects. We will shoulder some responsibility and cover part of the costs. What do you think?"


    She thought the An Family was extremely rich that they would not care about that amount of money.


    Sean lowered his head and took a glance at Carla who was sitting beside him. "Auntie Cheryl, it''s fine with me to take care of Jane. But I''m still a student right now and have no money of my own. My sister and brother-in-law are responsible for all my expenses. And I''m very thankful to them because of this. But I can''t ask them for more."


    He was just a high school student, so it was only understandable that he would be unable to help others when it came to financial concerns.


    What was more, he and Jane were in their first year of high school. It was just the beginning for them to spend money on all kinds of things.


    Then, Cheryl turned to look at Carla and said, "Carla, Jane is going to be Sean''s wife. Don''t you think investing in her education a little right now would be beneficial for their future? Please consider it."


    She still believed that it was not a big deal for the An Family to sponsor a high school student since they had a lot of money.


    When Carla heard Auntie Cheryl''s shameless words, Carla said with a smile, "Auntie Cheryl, do you mean to say that the An Family is so wealthy that giving away such an amount of money would be nothing for them?


    How about this instead? You can send your little daughter who is in grade school and your grandsons to JA City for school. And I will take care of them for you. Is that okay?"

 Chapter 785 Solve the Problem Once And For All

    "Really? That''s great... "


    As Cheryl was speaking, Uncle James grabbed her arm abruptly.


    "Uh, I mean, we couldn''t do that. If my family came here, your uncle''s family may not be happy about the situation. We shouldn''t trouble you like this, right?"


    Cheryl let out a sheepish laugh as she hurriedly took back her words.


    Sean couldn''t help but sneer at their hypocritical words. He remembered how cold and indifferent they were when he and Carla approached them for financial aid when their father was seriously ill. Now, it seemed as if the tables had finally turned.


    He wanted to laugh at the irony.


    "Carla, We just want to take Jane here, that''s it. We don''t need anything else."


    Sensing the tension between them, Cheryl spoke again.


    "Auntie, even if we could cover Jane''s expenses up to high school, what about the next step after that? Do you want Jane to go with Sean when he goes to college or study abroad?"


    Instead of becoming angry, Carla laughed much to their surprise.


    "Well, it would be best if the two kids would be together."


    Cheryl glanced at her husband.


    Carla tilted her head as she leaned back in her seat. "Oh, are you saying that we should cover all her expenses in the future?"


    The couple shared a long look, lost for words.


    She had hit the nail on the head.


    Cheryl was rendered speechless.


    If Jane were to study abroad, they''d be unable to cover all the expenses, especially if she''d be choosing to go to another prestigious university.


    Other than that, Jane''s academic performance was not something to be proud of, given her failing marks in subjects like Math and English. She wouldn''t be able to get a scholarship. If they added all that up, the costs would be unimaginable!


    Just then, the elevator door opened.


    "Daddy!" Sally jumped down from Sean''s lap, running up to Terence.


    He laughed, holding his daughter with his left hand as he walked over to Carla.


    "Mr. Terence... "


    James and Cheryl stood up and greeted him.


    "Uncle, auntie, you came," Terence greeted them back politely, before sitting down beside Carla with Sally on his lap.


    "Carla, it''s late. You should rest and take the medicine the doctor prescribed."


    Terence placed his hand on top of Carla''s.


    She glanced at him. For people who didn''t know him very well, it was as if he were a doting husband asking her to rest from a busy day. In reality, however, he was deliberately giving her a chance to leave.


    "I could take it from here, honey. Remember how the doctor said you should take it before every meal?"


    Terence leaned over, lightly pinching her palm, signaling to her that it was time to leave.


    Carla took one long look at him before standing up. "Uncle, Aunt, excuse me for a moment. Let Terence entertain you for


    are still young. You shouldn''t have rushed things. It doesn''t matter whether you send me here or not, because either way, both of us still have a long way to go.


    Don''t you understand? The more you push me towards him, Carla would just look down on me. She must''ve thought I''m that desperate that I''ll lock him by my side in the engagement."


    She lowered her head.


    "I didn''t understand it as a kid, but now...but now... I think it''s best that you let me live my own life!"


    Without another word, Jane walked off.


    Sean was right. Instead of acting as a tool to serve others, Jane should learn her own worth and stand up for herself from time to time.


    Her feelings for Sean was true, but now that her eyes have been opened, it''s time that she wait a little longer. She shouldn''t rush things but use the time to develop her own strengths and abilities by doing what she loved. And if it didn''t work out with him, then maybe it was time to let him go.


    And now, she was tired of being used.


    "You ungrateful brat! I''m doing this all for you, and you''re blaming me instead?"


    Cheryl turned tomato red, but Jane was already walking way ahead.


    "Cheryl, let''s just leave it."


    James sighed.


    He didn''t want to give up before, but now things were different.


    Since Sean was going to join the army, no matter how he pulled some strings for Jane, it would be meaningless. There were just so many variables.


    Back in the Seaview Villa, Carla looked through the window, raising her eyebrows when the three have walked out. She turned around at the handsome man who had just come in.


    "They just left? What did you say to them?"


    She asked curiously, jaw dropping when he retold her the story.


    Many years after, before Sean would be promoted to the position of major general, Aunt Cheryl wouldn''t bother her over this issue ever again.

 Chapter 786 A Recreation Of The Past (Part One)

    "Take a guess."


    Terence stated as he walked inside and held her waist from behind.


    Carla leaned into his shoulder and thought for a while. Then she asked, "Did you just kick them out?"


    "Hey, why is that your first question? Was I really that rude?" Looking at her with a gentle smile, Terence continued, "I told them that Sean would join the army after the Spring Festival."


    With that, Carla was speechless for a few moments. Then she turned around and looked at him in the eyes. "W-what did you just say? Sean is going to join the army next year?"


    When Terence didn''t answer immediately, Carla tried to answer her question. "Oh, I get it! Did you just tell them that so they would stop bothering us?"


    Carla then came to a realization. Sean would only be sixteen years old next year. Even by then, it would still be too early to enter the army. She thought that it must be Terence''s scheme to solve the problem once and for all.


    If Sean joined the army, their plan to send Jane to school in JA City would be useless.


    "No, I wasn''t lying. I was telling them the truth. I actually plan to send Sean to the army base next year so that he can be familiar with the environment there in advance."


    Terence gently said. That was why he asked her to leave the living room earlier. He hadn''t told her yet and it wouldn''t be a good idea to inform her that way.


    "Why? Sean is still young. Why are you in such a hurry sending him to the army?"


    The smile on Carla''s face was replaced with so much worry. She thought, ''What would a sixteen-year-old child do in the army? He hasn''t even come of age yet.''


    "Don''t be so nervous, babe. I''ve already planted some people inside the army. Even if Sean goes in next year, he won''t be alone. Everything''s going to be okay."


    Terence knew that she would be worried. He also knew that in her heart, Sean was the only real family that she had when they were growing up. This was why Sean was a very important person in her life.


    "Carla, I will ask someone to continue tutoring Sean. We''ll try our best so he could balance his academic studies and his efforts in entering the army. And it was actually Sean''s idea as well.


    I think we should respect his decision and support him in any way that we can, don''t you think so?"


    Terence said as he helped Carla tuck her hair behind her ear. "Sean may not be that old in terms of age but if you really look at him, you''ll know that he''s an adult now in terms of his mental and emotional intelligence. He really knows what he wants in life and how to get it, Carla."


    Carla slowly closed her eyes. If


    Rainer helped Carla out of the car. She saw the desolate yard and wondered why he brought her to this place.


    "Mrs. An, you will know very soon. Sir Terence will be here right after he''s done with a meeting with his client. Please wait for a moment."


    Carla stepped into the villa. Apparently, the villa had been cleaned up in advance. It was so neat and organized that even the fridge was full of fresh juices and food.


    "Mrs. An, please follow me."


    At that time, a new maid came over with a smile, and led her upstairs.


    "Be careful, Ma''am. The floor is a little slippery after being cleaned. Let me help you." The maid stated while she carefully helped her upstairs.


    When the maid opened the door for her, Carla was stunned. It seemed like the room looked familiar to her.


    It took her a while, but she finally remembered.


    She smiled as it dawned on her why Terence brought her to this place.


    Every single detail had been the same as before.


    On that day, Edmund had asked Terence to go to the East Yard after having dinner with his clients. Susan might have been in the East Yard at that time.


    What was he doing?


    He was recreating the exact same thing that happened. The only difference by then is that instead of Carla, it was Susan.


    ''But why? What did he want to do?'' Carla asked herself.


    She took her time pondering on the matter when something popped in her head. What if Terence''s actual intention was to make her see the actual effect of the drug on him? The drug that he was unknowingly given, the drug that almost separated them forever. Terence did promise her that he was going to prove to her that nothing happened. ''Are these his efforts in making that happen?'' Carla asked herself.

 Chapter 787 The Same Thing Happened Again (Part Two)

    Nathan tried to convince Terence not to get so worked up because of something like this.


    At the end of the day, it shouldn''t really be that big of a deal for a man to make a mistake¡ªeverybody does.


    Apart from that, the way Nathan saw it, Terence had no intention of doing it whatsoever last time. So, there was no need for him to prove his innocence.


    That being said, Terence kept on insisting that he had been innocent all his life. If his father hadn''t thrown dust into his eyes, he wouldn''t have been covered with this despicable stain, so he had no other choice but to prove it.


    He wanted to get rid of the last bit of discomfort that Carla was feeling in her heart once and for all.


    He wanted to be the perfect husband she had dreamt of in her life despite knowing full well that it was going to be quite difficult for him to do it.


    In the room upstairs...


    Carla looked at her watch to check what time it was. It had already been an hour since she got here. Yet, there was still no sign of Terence arriving any time soon.


    ''Well, I am really wondering...


    if Susan had also been waiting for him in his room for this long?''


    Carla pondered, trying to guess what she would feel if a woman was made to stay in a room and wait for a man, well aware of the fact that he was married.


    Would she be anxious, nervous, or guilty?


    Shaking her head, Carla tried to look at it from a different perspective. She had only met Susan a couple of times, and it gave Carla the impression that she seemed to be quite a capable but sophisticated woman. With that in mind, she thought that she probably wouldn''t be the type of person who would act like that and try to seduce Terence.


    Or, Carla boldly thought, it was also quite possible that Susan had always been raring to do that from the very start. Although she was aware of the fact that Terence was already married, she might''ve found the temptation so hard to resist and still wanted to sleep with him. After all, reeling in a man of Terence''s stature was the dream of many women.


    In any case, Edmund was there to back her up, so no one would ever dare blame her for it that much even if she knew that what she was doing was going to make her lose face as a woman.


    So, what exactly transpired in this room that day? When they brought Terence to this room drugged, what did she do?


    Thinking about it for so long felt so unnerving for Carla. In the end, there could only be two possibilities. First, she could''ve been wracked with guilt and feeling anxious, or second, she might''ve actually been a kind-hearted person who felt too ashamed to do anything to a man who couldn''t even think straight.


    After all, he was still a stranger to her.


    However, there was also a chance that she wasn''t as sophisticated as she seemed. If Susan was an ambitious woman, she would be more than willing to go through lengths to get what she wanted. So, how could she let such a


    ''t able to get any response from him.


    "Mrs. An, is everything alright in there? Do you need any help?"


    Rainer knocked on the door and asked.


    "No, it''s fine. Thank you, Rainer,"


    Carla helplessly looked at the unconscious man lying in the bed. Biting her lower lip, she reached out her hand to touch his face as he slept. Even at that moment, she couldn''t help but adore her precious husband.


    It felt like time was flowing so slowly for her inside that room.


    Carla was completely clueless as to how long the effect of the philter would really last. Even after an hour had passed, Terence still lay motionless on the bed.


    Carla was beginning to be aware of how the philter was affecting Terence''s body. The first thing that the drug did was weaken his ability to move around. After that, it seemed to have directly affected his brain, leaving him unconscious in the end. With that, there was no way for him to be capable of doing anything to anyone who came near him. Meaning to say, he wouldn''t have had the chance to touch Susan at all, let alone sleep with her.


    So, if Susan hadn''t done anything while he was in that state, nothing could''ve happened in the span of an hour. It seemed that Susan had just been so desperate to achieve her goal, and simply decided to do things her own way.


    "¡­ Carla?"


    After another hour had passed, Terence, who was still lying on the bed, finally started to move ever so slightly. He tried to raise his head while still feeling so woozy, and squinted at Carla who was sitting beside him.


    Then, he tried to reach out his hand to touch her, only to find out that he could barely even lift his arm.


    "You''re finally awake?"


    Carla couldn''t contain her excitement as she exclaimed with joy.


    Pulling her into his arms as soon as he managed to grab her hand, he wanted to kiss her lips right away. As she closed her eyes, she could feel that Terence was still weak and trying to catch his breath.

 Chapter 788 The Same Thing Happened Again (Part Three)

    The past few days could not have been any more normal as nothing out of the ordinary happened.


    But during that moment, the slightest thought and memory of the woman who had been with him was like a thorn stabbing into her heart¡ªuncomfortable and painful in every possible way.


    "Terence, wake up. Who am I? Do you know who I am?"


    Carla asked as she wanted to know whether he still remembered things right after he kissed her. Still not answering, she continued to ask him, "Tell me who I am!"


    Pushing her away, Terence squinted his eyes and said, "Carla, of course I recognize you. My sweet, darling Carla..."


    Upon hearing his words, Carla heaved a heavy sigh and pushed his face away which was, at that time, getting closer and closer to her. After getting back to her senses, she realized that what she was thinking of might not be possible at all. In fact, she had also wondered if he had said the same thing to Susan at that time.


    Suddenly, a bright idea had struck her mind. Pulling away from him, she stood up and walked out. "Rainer, call that maid immediately!"


    Wanting to know if Terence would take the maid as any other woman, Carla involved their maid to have a little experiment of her own.


    "Most certainly, Mrs. An. A moment, please,"


    Rainer turned around and then headed on to find the maid while he spoke so as not to waste any more time.


    It was not long before the maid came over and asked, "What can I do for you Mrs. An?"


    Without any explanation, Carla took her hand and led her inside. Then she stated, "Follow me."


    Terence made such an effort to arrange this drama and she would be so sorry for him if she didn''t figure this out on her own.


    "Wait, Mrs. An... What... What are you doing?"


    Frightened by Carla''s behavior, the maid could not help but question her own master.


    "No, you don''t have to be scared. I brought you here just to clarify something. Go over there, stand by his side, and see if he can recognize you."


    At that time, Carla wanted to test Terence''s judgment. However, as soon as the maid approached Terence, she stepped back in fright and said, "Mrs. An, I, I dare not..."


    Despite losing his consciousness, Terence''s brows were still furrowed, which made him look like he was too serious to be approached. With his appearance, nobody dared to get close to him without his permission.


    The maid took several steps back and Carla could only sigh in her heart. After all, she could not blame the maid for not pushing through with her little test. It was difficult for anyone who would attempt to get close to Terence especially at his state.


    Even if it was just Terence''s judgment that she wanted to test, it was still an impossible task for anyone, including her own maid.


    Not losing hope, she turned her eyes to Rainer who


    silly musings. All she did was look at him angrily as he tried to kiss her over and over.


    "Carla, come on top of me..."


    Terence let go of her lips. Now he was too weak to move his body.


    "No, I won''t. Go on top of yourself if you can!" Carla bit her lips and glared at him.


    Pinching her face, Terence then asked, "Hey, baby. What''s wrong?"


    "Get your hands off me. Don''t touch me..."


    Carla said as a stream of bitterness gushed out of her heart. ''Did he really treat other women the same way that night?''


    But since he had already said something like this, what else could he have done?'' Carla got angry as she thought about all the possibilities that could have happened that night.


    "Carla, tell me what happened," Terence asked in a sad and pathetic voice while he wrapped his arms around her shoulders.


    Looking at her watch, it had already been an hour and fifteen minutes. Then, she went on and took off Terence''s clothes.


    It would surely take some time to take off his clothes, wouldn''t it?


    "Slow down. Why are you in such a hurry?" Terence smiled as he helped her undress himself.


    Carla grabbed all of Terence''s clothes with her maximum strength, only to find out that he was really weak at the moment. Even if he wanted to help her, he didn''t even have the strength to loosen the belt himself.


    ''Was Edmund so afraid that he would fight back, that he had used so much drugs that he didn''t even have the strength to take off his clothes?


    If so, then it must have taken Susan a lot of time to take his clothes off. How could she have the chance to do something else?'' She wondered.


    At that moment, Carla didn''t know whether she should hate her father-in-law for what had happened or thank him.


    Suddenly, something occurred to Carla. Eager for an answer, she patted his face and asked, "Terence? Wake up! Answer my question!"

 Chapter 789 The New Female Bodyguard

    Carla patted him on the cheek and attempted to call him. She realized that he should have come to his senses by this time.


    "Terence, wake up. I have a question for you!"


    Terence frowned. He looked at the woman in front of him and asked softly, "What''s wrong?"


    "You really don''t remember what happened at that time? Are you sure?"


    Carla asked anxiously.


    Although it was awkward to ask these questions, she remembered that Terence had worn a shirt when she came into the room on that specific day.


    The scene was so chaotic that she didn''t have much time to ponder over it. If under normal circumstances, how could he possibly wear a decent shirt like that?


    "Tell me, do you still remember whether your clothes were stripped off except for your shirt?


    Carla asked him again, her tone signifying the urgent need for an answer.


    Terence frowned and realized what she meant. He took her hand and slid it across his body. He asked, "You can feel it by yourself. Have I been stripped off?"


    He assumed that the woman was good at giving up halfway because she only took off half of his clothes.


    Carla glared at him and pinched his face furiously. It seemed that he was still in a daze, making him unable to tell what he was actually doing.


    "Ouch, honey, be gentle." Terence pulled her hand away from his face and said, "I remember it now. I didn''t take off all my clothes at that time... "


    "Are... Are you sober now?"


    "Yeah, your excruciatingly painful pinch was ample stimulus for me. I remember. I didn''t get up from my bed to see you at that time because my belt had only been half undone."


    As time went by, Terence regained his strength and spirit. He pressed the colorful button on the wall and said, "Nathan, come in."


    Carla was stunned. "You mean to imply that Susan hadn''t even unbuckled your belt completely? Then why didn''t you dare to take off the quilt and leave the bed immediately?"


    Terence tidied up his clothes, took a deep breath, pulled her by her waist towards him and fixed her messy hair.


    "I hadn''t undone the belt completely. But I looked terrible. I was afraid you would misunderstand me when you saw my clothes in such a disheveled state that time."


    Terence rubbed his fingers between his eyebrows. He quickly recalled some more details of the scene just now.


    "Then why didn''t you explain it to me then and there? Why didn''t you clear my confusion?"


    Carla bit her lips and stared at him attent


    as covered with white frost.


    Carla yawned and tucked herself in. It was so quiet in the mountain that no one woke her up. Eerie silence prevailed all around her.


    Terence had gotten up early to rush for a morning run. He didn''t expect to have the energy after the tiresome work he had done.


    "Ma''am, are you awake?"


    Carla froze for a while. A short-haired woman who seemed to be about 1.7 meters tall came over. She wore light purple sportswear with a slight smile on her face. Her dark eyebrows made her look a bit courageous and bold.


    "I''m sorry. I don''t recognize you. Who are you?"


    Carla clearly had never met this woman before. Even if she did, she didn''t have the slightest recollection of it.


    "Ma''am, I''m Carol, your new bodyguard. I''ve been entrusted to ensure your safety from now on."


    Carol said with a smile. Her heroic eyebrows made her look quite different from any other poise maids of the house.


    Carla suddenly came to realization. She wasn''t expecting her female bodyguard to be reporting to her so soon.


    At this moment, Rainer and Nathan were standing at the door and observing closely.


    Rainer quietly looked at Nathan and asked, "Brother, is this the female bodyguard you chose yesterday? She doesn''t seem like a bad ass."


    At first, he thought Nathan''s eyes in bodyguards was special, but now he found they were nothing unlike the ordinary.


    "What do you mean? You''re looking down upon her?"


    Nathan shot Rainer a cold glance. Before he could answer, Nathan shouted, "Ma''am, Rainer said he wanted to challenge your new bodyguard! He seems to be unsure of her qualifications and skills."

 Chapter 790 Brian Was Gay (Part One)

    "What the hell? When did I ever say anything like that?"


    Rainer furiously said as he stomped on the ground. At that moment, he couldn''t help but wonder why Nathan always acted on his own, completely disregarding how he felt.


    "You still have doubts regarding the new bodyguard''s qualifications, don''t you? Why don''t you go and have a little competition with her? Let''s see who''s actually stronger,"


    Nathan answered, wearing a wry smile on his face.


    For a while now, Rainer had been arguing with Nathan because of the fact that he never bothered asking his opinion about the selection of the new female bodyguard. Once this contest with her was done, Nathan had a feeling that Rainer wouldn''t have anything to complain about anymore.


    Meanwhile, inside the room, Carla glanced at the direction of the door and looked at Carol with a smile on her face. "Carol, do you really think that you can win against Rainer?"


    Pondering for a while, Carol went ahead and humbly replied, "Yes, Mrs. An."


    At that moment, Carol appeared calm and relaxed, as though she had total confidence in winning this battle with Rainer.


    It was already nine in the morning.


    White fog was still hanging in the air. The willows in the distance were dancing in the cold breeze. The weather that day felt rather cold and somewhat gloomy.


    Putting on an overcoat, Carla watched the two of them battle it out in the yard. They had been going at it for a couple of rounds already, and Carol''s performance wasn''t bad at all. Truth be told, it actually seemed to be quite a tight match.


    Despite being a woman, it appeared that Carol was, by no means, inferior to any of the other male bodyguards. She fought gracefully and possessed remarkable strength.


    Eventually, Carol emerged victorious after finding an opening and kicking Rainer in the che


    the studio right away to have a look, but Terence asked her to get some rest and just wait in his office. He told her that she needed to just sit back and relax right now and that there was no need for her to worry about anything.


    Be that as it might, Carla never enjoyed staying at home all day and doing nothing. Despite knowing that she really should get enough rest at home to ensure that she and her child would be healthy, she just couldn''t help herself from trying to find something to do.


    She desperately wanted to find something to do. Otherwise, she might end up dying of boredom.


    Right now, Carla was lounging on the sofa and making herself at home with two cushions behind her back. There was a laptop on the table in front of her. From that, she could see the new orders received from the studio on the computer because she had asked her assistant to send it to her.


    Propping her chin up, she took her time eating the snacks served on the table. At the same time, she was also watching the animated presentation designed by the team members from the company. Every time she noticed anything that seemed improper in the presentation, she would pick up her pen to take note of it in a small notebook.

 Chapter 791 Brian Was Gay (Part Two)

    "Excuse me. I''m looking for Mr. Terence An."


    As she looked up to check who it was, Carla saw an unfamiliar tall man with a handsome face walking toward the office.


    After knocking on the door, he poked his head to take a peek. When he saw Carla inside, he was a bit surprised and asked, "Are you... Are you Mrs. Carla An?"


    To this, Carla sat up straight and politely greeted him, "Yes, I am. Who might you be?"


    "Oh, my name is Brian. I work for Mr. An."


    Brian''s brown eyes suddenly flashed dark after looking at Carla from head to toe. "Since Mr. An is not here at the moment, I''ll just come back later," he told her.


    Watching him leave the room, Carla helplessly shrugged her shoulders and just went on checking over her design drawings.


    After about half an hour, Terence had wrapped up the meeting and came back to his office immediately.


    At the same time, Carla saw the man named Brian walk in with Terence. From the looks of it, he seemed to be reporting something to Terence.


    While listening to Brian''s report, Terence walked up to Carla and took away the snacks from her hand. "Watch what you eat. Too much junk food would be bad for your health. I have already asked your assistant to bring you some desserts. That would be much better. Just wait for a while, honey. This won''t take too long."


    After scolding her a bit, Terence dimply threw away the chips which Carla had actually just opened into the trash bin.


    Because of that, Carla gave him a sharp look. Right now, she just really wanted to eat some snacks. All she had been eating for these past couple of months were nutritious food, so she was sta


    who was sitting in the back seat.


    They were on their way back to the villa.


    Carla was looking through the window, enjoying the view outside. Hearing Carol''s words, she turned to look at her as she took a sip of her yogurt drink. "What? Is there something wrong?" she asked, without a clue as to what she was referring to.


    "I couldn''t help but notice how the man named Brian had been giving Mr. An weird looks the whole time he was in the boss''s office. Didn''t you notice that?" Carol explained. Actually, she had quite a keen eye for detail. From the moment Brian and Terence walked into the office, she was able to notice that right away.


    "What are you trying to say? Are you telling me that Brian is a bad guy?" Carla asked, obviously feeling a bit worried.


    To this, Carol shook her head and replied, "No, that''s not what I meant. I just have this feeling that... that Brian was staring at Mr. Terence with... with... Ugh, I don''t know how to explain it."


    Taking another sip of the yogurt, Carla rolled her eyes and blurted out, "So, you''re implying that Brian is... gay?"

 Chapter 792 I Really Want It

    Carla wasn''t sure whether she had misunderstood her bodyguard or not.


    "I''m not sure. But I have a feeling that the manner in which that Brian guy looked at Mr. An was weird. It wasn''t in a way a subordinate looks at his boss."


    Carol continued to second the point she had earlier made.


    Carla pondered attentively and she almost choked on her yogurt. "Do you mean to convey that Brian could be in love with Terence? How is that even possible?"


    "Mrs. An, I''m merely speculating. Perhaps I am wrong," Carol continued after she gave it a thought.


    Carla thought for a while and she couldn''t help but shiver in disgust. She felt a chill ran down her spine. She had never even considered the possibility of a love sprouting between two men, because she thought it had nothing directly to do with her at the time.


    But when the question involved her own husband, she certainly felt shocked. Though it was only an assumption without any valid proof, every single time she thought of the possibility that a man could have developed feelings for her husband, she felt as if a bunch of sharp needles were pricking all over her body.


    She suddenly realized that it was foolish of her to refuse Terence''s suggestion when he had earlier asked her to go out for dinner together. She should have accepted the invitation and gone out with him.


    But she had just escaped from that commitment, with an alibi that she had already made an appointment with Violet.


    In the evening, Terence didn''t return home until a little after the grandfather clock struck twelve times indicating that it was midnight.


    Carla hadn''t fallen deeply asleep. She shuddered and woke up when she heard a noise erupting from the living room. Then, she heard some footsteps approaching her, slowly but steadily.


    She recognized that it was Terence. He returned a little late, and he soon got into the bedroom. Carla closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep. She was expecting Terence to a quick shower and then retire to bed as soon as possible. But then, contrary to her expectations, Terence stayed beside her for a while, then he got up and left the room.


    Carla could sense that he was extremely drunk and the smell of alcohol was so strong. So, she guessed that he might have gone to the bathroom to take a shower.


    After waiting for a while, since Carla didn''t see Terence return to bed, she couldn''t help but check the time. It was already one o''clock in the morning.


    She put on a coat and walked out hastily. To her surprise, she found that Terence had fallen asleep on the sofa after he came out from the bathroom.


    "Honey?"


    She called out to Terence in a whisper, waiting for his response.


    Terence seemed to be half asleep, but he still kept his diamond-like eyes half open. In a daze, he looked at the woman standing in front of the sofa and pulled her into his arms.


    "Honey, why don''t you go back to the bedroom and sleep?"


    Terence asked in a low and hoarse voice, holding Carla tightly who was lying on the outer edge of the sofa.


    "I''m waiting for you. Why don''t you come back to our bedroom with me? It''s so cold at this hour of the night! Are you going to spend the night on a sofa?" Carla glanced at him and asked affectionately.


    Although the


    lt of her nightgown.


    "Te... Terence, the baby..."


    Carla took a deep breath and tried to push his head away. After many futile attempts, she finally managed to sway him away from her.


    Suddenly, she found that a coquettish hickey was planted on her collar area.


    "Honey, I really want to do it. I can''t control..."


    Terence raised his head, looking at her imploringly with his lustful eyes.


    "No, we can''t. What if the baby gets hurt? Don''t you care about our beloved baby?"


    Carla refused immediately. She didn''t want to take any risks. There was way too many things at stake as far as the baby was concerned.


    "How about we think of another way?"


    Terence said with a frown and pecked her lips, Carla covered his lustful lips with her hand and smiled. "A hand job? How about I ask Nathan to help you with that? I don''t think it''s necessary that I do it...


    Ouch, that hurt!"


    As soon as she finished, he unintentionally pulled her hair.


    Carla rubbed her scalp and glared at him. "What are you doing? What is wrong with you? Calm down and have a little self-control of your own desire! You seem to frequently forget that I''m a pregnant woman!"


    "Honey, I ''m so sorry. " Terence squinted and rubbed her face. Then, he lay his back on the sofa and said, "I guess it''ll be better if I sleep on the sofa tonight."


    He was afraid that he would lose control of himself yet again and do some irreparable damage to their baby.


    Carla couldn''t do anything about it. She detected that Terence had suddenly gotten emotional. She fathomed that perhaps men could get emotional very easily, especially when they were drunk.


    Carla didn''t want to leave Terence there alone on the sofa, but she still decided to go back to the bedroom all alone. For the sake of the child, it was indeed the safest if both of them decided to sleep in separate rooms.


    However...


    At dawn, She noticed something weird when she woke up. She didn''t know whether the man who had promised to sleep outside, was afraid of the cold, or he just woke up from his drunkenness and returned to the bedroom voluntarily. All she knew was that she wasn''t alone in bed when she woke up.

 Chapter 793 Something Happened In The Company

    Carla slept very soundly as the familiar warmth blanketed her, just like how Terence always hugged her from behind.


    Turning over to face him, she enveloped herself under his arms in a tight embrace while she put her hand on his waist.


    Terence gave her a quick peck on the forehead and said, "Hey, get some more sleep. It''s still early."


    Nodding, she adjusted herself in a more comfortable position and continued to enjoy her peaceful slumber.


    In fact, she slept so soundly that she didn''t wake up until dawn.


    She wanted to sleep more, but a mild hunger pang woke her up.


    She gave into her hunger. Recently, her stomach would slightly hurt whenever she went hungry, which was, getting more frequent than usual.


    Just when she was about to head downstairs for breakfast, she heard a loud and clear voice which came from the door.


    "Mommy! Mommy! Look at my painting. Isn''t beautiful?"


    Just before going to school, Sally walked in the dining room showing her latest masterpiece while she held a crayon in one hand.


    Holding her daughter in her arms, Carla then took a look at the picture that Sally just made for her. Seeing four figures in the drawing, Carla asked her, "Sally, is this our family in the picture?"


    "Yes, Mommy! Look, this is Daddy, this is you, this is me with this ponytail, and the little boy next to me is my little baby brother!"


    Sally explained to her while pointing at each character on the picture that she drew.


    Carla smiled as she rubbed her daughter''s pink cheeks out of delight. But when she saw the little boy in the picture, she couldn''t help but ask, "Sally, why did you draw a little brother instead of a little sister?"


    "Well, if it''s a girl, then I can also add a braid on his head, just like how Mommy does my hair!" Sally chuckled and added, "I don''t know, but I think it''s a little boy. I always dream of a little boy every night. He peed on me in my dreams! It was so smelly!"


    Hearing her words, Carla laughed. Kissing her daughter''s face, she asked, "You''re going to be late for school. Have you had your breakfast yet, Sally?"


    "Yes, Daddy made a very delicious sandwich!!" Sally answered in a sweet and charming voice.


    "Really? Did he really make you breakfast?" Carla asked, realizing that it was the reason that Terence was up so early in the


    s face.


    "Honey, do you know that the baby is about this big now, but it continuously grows. It will take a couple days before it forms a body."


    Looking at him, Carla was stunned. She looked at his eyes which were filled with love and gentleness, and absolute warmth.


    "Terence... "


    "Carla, it''s my greatest regret that I was not with you when you brought Sally into this world. And that is why I must make it up to you a thousand times with this little one inside of you,"


    Terence said, bending over to kiss her forehead. He then continued in a low and soft voice, "Don''t worry. It says here that you can walk around after a month. I''m sorry we have to keep you at home during these very crucial months. Once you are stable, I will take you wherever you want to go."


    Touched by what her husband had said, Carla wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him sweetly on the lips.


    Although she might not be able to go anywhere for the sake of the baby, she still felt that everything was worth it when she heard Terence''s words of assurance.


    Meanwhile, Rainer came over in such a rush.


    "Sir Terence, could you please come out for a moment?"


    Terence then put down the book he was reading when he noticed that Rainer seemed to have something very urgent to tell him.


    Carla also got up from his legs and said to him, "I''ll be fine. Go ahead."


    Terence met Rainer at a corner on the third floor


    when Rainer whispered in Terence''s ear, "Sir Terence, I''m sorry to interrupt, but something has happened in the company."

 Chapter 794 The Purchase Plan

    "You weren''t present here in the company earlier and the chairman was too busy to look after everything by himself. Hence, many important documents and projects were handled by the vice president. But he''s not as cautious as you when it comes to serious matters.


    Before you left, the delayed purchase plan didn''t work out because of many unforeseen problems. But right after you left, the vice president decided to proceed with the purchase..."


    Terence squinted his eyes and asked in sheer surprise, "What? What did you just say? Why am I getting to know about this just now?"


    Rainer sighed and continued, "Mr. An, although the whole company has been reorganized after we returned, the AJ Group has so many departments and the vice president has been concealing the truth. So, we haven''t found out the root cause until now. And now, it''s too late..."


    The AJ Group was usually busy with various projects. But with Terence running the office, most of the projects would go smoothly and everything would be under control. Terence was capable of maintaining strict supervision of all projects so that the reputation of the AJ Group would never be compromised.


    And whatever happened this time was purely an accident. The purchase plan had been postponed before, so Terence didn''t properly investigate it after he came back. He was careless about it.


    What''s more, the vice president was in charge then and nobody was aware of such an arrangement. That was how the unfortunate accident occurred.


    The vice president was Terence''s second elder brother after all. Obviously, his subordinates would not think of supervising his work. They trusted their vice president very much but clearly the vice president had betrayed his employees'' trust. He wasn''t worth the trust and respect he was given.


    "How is it going now?"


    Terence asked with a sigh, closing his eyes in utter disappointment.


    Was Rhys trying to make some personal achievements behind his back for his father to see?


    Was that why he had kept it a secret from Terence? Was Rhys afraid that he would steal his thunder if he got to know about it?


    That was so childish of them. They should have definitely prioritized the company''s interests before their own.


    If the plan was so easy, why was it delayed until now? Although the AJ Group was known for its aggressive nature all the time, there were several tough cases that they could not deal with.


    "I don''t know whether the vice president was so aggressive or there was someone else trying to force them to sign the contract. One of the shareholders has jumped ship, leaving the company..."


    "What did you say?" Terence frowned and grabbed Rainer''s clothes, asking.


    Rainer sighed, "As of now, the legal department has begun their investigation. I''m afraid that they will find us soon. What do you think we shou


    AJ Group. How dare you tell me that you didn''t expect it at all! How can you be so irresponsible and incompetent?"


    Edmund was fuming mad. He picked up the pen container on the table and threw it aiming at Rhys.


    Rhys didn''t care to dodge. He stood still and kept his head down in absolute silence.


    Edmund got even angrier noticing Rhys''s seemingly careless attitude. "Even if you didn''t have the ability, why couldn''t you learn it from Terence? Have you ever thought of the possible reasons behind Terence postponing this plan? You thought he was dumb? !"


    Edmund was so angry that he kept banging the table repeatedly. For a moment, it seemed as if he would break open the table in half.


    "Our company is so large that it will obviously attract critics. We''ve made many enemies in the business field over the years. We need to think very carefully before we arrive at a decision, especially in the case of a purchase plan. We won''t even draft a proposal unless we double-check and verify everything is perfect. How could you make such a mess?"


    "Dad, calm down. Take care of yourself..."


    Rhys softened his voice and said, "I''ll find a way to deal with this. There''s nothing that can''t be dealt with in this world. I''ll send people to this family to talk about it. If the thing is settled, they might withdraw the lawsuit at once. We can solve this matter as an out-of-court settlement."


    Then, Rhys turned around and walked out of the office.


    After leaving the office, he exhaled deeply and said to his assistant, "Chris, where is Mrs. An? Didn''t she say that she would be at the company today?"


    Chris walked up and said, "Mr. Vice President, she left hastily when she saw the chairman coming. She asked me to deliver a message to you that she would wait for you in the car outside."


    Rhys walked outside with a sigh. He had no other option but to follow her to the car.

 Chapter 795 Encountered Traps (Part One)

    Meanwhile, at the AJ Group underground parking, a red Porsche came rushing in. Rhys saw the car and found it familiar, as if he had already seen it somewhere.


    "So, Rhys, what did Father say?"


    Eunice asked hastily as she grabbed his arm upon seeing him.


    He pulled away Eunice''s hand and sneered with embarrassment. "What do you think his reaction was? Dad was really angry with me this time."


    After being dazed for a second, Eunice then replied, "How about this, Rhys? We''ll arrange for someone to talk to them and just give them more money to shut up. In fact, the AJ Group has many lawsuit cases every year, and it''s not a big deal to have another one."


    Shaking his head, Rhys then laughed sarcastically, "Do you even know what the enterprise image means? Once it has a stain, it will never come clean, and it will remain stained forever.


    I''ve said this before, and I will say it again. I just want to live a quiet life!" Rhys said with determination. "I don''t want to be promoted or get praises. Just a quiet life. Is that so hard to have? Why do you always push me?


    In fact, I really don''t know why you are so keen on forcing me to do what I don''t want to. You really want me to do the opposite of everything that I want to do! Do you think we are living a bad life right now? "Why do you always force me to be the center of attention? Or if not, just attract any attention in any possible manner? I''m so sick of this! You know I wouldn''t have taken the risk if you hadn''t quarreled with me endlessly!"


    He complained bitterly.


    Back when he just got promoted as the acting CEO of the


    ort while, Rainer came over and said something to him from behind. He then whispered, "Sir Terence, I got the news from the company that your brother, Rhys personally went to that family to have a negotiation, but was kicked out because of reasons that were not disclosed. Apart from that, they also said that they wouldn''t withdraw from the lawsuit no matter what...


    And the president has also asked his friends to help us resolve this matter, hoping that this could help us with some damage control. As for the government, Gary has already stated that this matter must be dealt with in accordance with the law. Otherwise, he would investigate all officials who were involved in this mess.


    So with all things considered... This might be a hard nut to crack,"


    Rainer said while he heaved a heavy sigh.


    But after giving it some thought, Terence, who was gazing at the afterglow of the setting sun on the sea said slowly, "What can I say? It''s just as I expected. Gary has, indeed, been waiting for a chance to find our weak spot and gain an advantage over us.

 Chapter 796 Encountered Traps (Part Two)

    And now that he finally had the chance to do so, he would do everything to get his grip on it. If you were him, you would not let this opportunity slip from you very easily, right?"


    Pausing for a while, Rainer then replied, "The law enforcement authority will send out a special team to investigate the case thoroughly tomorrow.


    And according to the internal information, someone wants to take this opportunity to carry out a thorough investigation directed towards the AJ Group. What is our course of action, Mr. An?"


    Closing his eyes slowly, Terence then replied, "It seems that they have no more scruples right after grandpa passed away.


    And whatever happens, Carla must not know anything about this. Don''t let anyone tell Carla about it. Before I forget, contact Brian for me. Tell him that I need to see him. I''ve got something to tell him."


    Nodding in agreement, Rainer replied, "Right away, Mr. Terence."


    Meanwhile, the nightfall illuminated the beautiful stars in the sky as


    Carla sat beside her daughter and watched her draw after dinner.


    So immersed in drawing on the desk, Sally lowered her head as she concentrated on her artwork.


    Drawing had been her obsession for the past few days and she would draw or paint her pictures the minute she got home from class. Even though she was not that good at drawing yet, she found happiness as soon as she picked up any of her art materials. To her, doing her artwork was all that mattered.


    "Carol, I need you to come over here."


    Waving at Carol, Carla then asked, "I just saw Brian. Do you know what happened?"


    Carol did not speak for a short while. But after gathering


    r them talk about the matter anymore. So then I thought he went to a retreat to guide himself in the face of difficulties. I didn''t know that he dared to do it in private after you came back,"


    Brian said in a helpless tone.


    Agitated, Terence rubbed the space between his eyebrows.


    After learning what Brian knew, it seemed that there were just some problems that he would not be able to get rid of no matter how hard he tried.


    For so many years, the AJ Group had been run and managed so carefully. Despite being run flawlessly, it still was not able to avoid a trap set by their own people.


    "Brian, a special team will arrive at the company to investigate the case tomorrow. Although it looks like they will come only to investigate the case, we should still be careful in case someone from their group takes advantage of the problem and turns it against us. We should still keep our guard up. Take your people to the company now. Make a full self-investigation first. Don''t make any mistakes again and don''t give other people any chance to find any loopholes,"


    Terence instructed.

 Chapter 797 A Collection of Peculiar Jealousy

    Brian nodded and confidently promised, "Terence, you have nothing to worry about. We just need to cooperate with their investigation. But let me reassure you, it wouldn''t be easy for them to find out anything that they don''t need to know."


    "Thank you, you''ve worked hard."


    Terence said while he leaned on the back of the chair.


    Brian chuckled as a response. "Anytime. You don''t need to be so polite with me. Besides, I''ll get my bonus by the end of the year!"


    Terence glanced at him and smiled. "You know so much about money and nothing but money. Did you only work with me because you liked my money?"


    Brian laughed once again before saying, "I wouldn''t deny it. You''re right. If I hadn''t been interested in your identity, I wouldn''t have given up studying abroad and followed you."


    Looking at his deep and bright eyes, Brian was stunned for a while and then faked a cough to cover his feelings. "But then again, Terence, you''d better tell your father that someone must take responsibility for this.


    If this escalated to something that we wouldn''t be able to handle, I''m afraid that Rhys has to be responsible for it. You also have to be prepared."


    Terence''s smile faded. Of course, he perfectly knew that. How could he not? When his familial responsibilities was on the verge of interfering with their business?


    But Marcus was already in jail. If anything happened to Rhys, Terence was worried that Edmund wouldn''t be able to take it.


    "I know. Go ahead with your work. Call me if anything out of the ordinary happens,"


    Terence thoughtfully said.


    Brian nodded, took one more look at him before leaving the room.


    When he passed by the living room, he saw Carla and Carol watching a movie.


    Brian glanced at Carla, gently nodded, and went straight for the door.


    Carla took a sip of the hot milk in front of her and looked at Brian who was leaving through the door. She then looked upstairs where Terence was, even though she couldn''t really see him from where she was sitting.


    Since Carol had mentioned it to her, she had been feeling that there must be something between the two men as if they were having an affair behind her back.


    Although she believed that Terence was completely straight, Brian also looked masculine and didn''t act feminine at all. Perhaps she just hadn''t seen his feminine side or maybe, not all homosexual men were girlish.


    "Ma''am,


    both entered the bedroom.


    Terence''s body stiffened when he heard what she said. He immediately turned to her with eyes that could freeze the entire planet.


    "What did you just say? Say it again!"


    Carla laughed, walked past him, and went to their bed.


    However, she was suddenly carried by Terence. Of course, he was still careful to avoid her belly. He held her waist with one hand and pulled her back into his arms very tightly.


    "Carla Ji, do you want me to teach you a lesson? How dare you talk to me like that? Do you really think that I won''t do anything to you?"


    Carla gazed at him with her bright eyes and held back her laughter. She continued to tease him. "I didn''t say anything wrong. If we really have a son, I''ll definitely love him, just like you love Sally!


    Don''t the elders say that a daughter is her father''s previous lover, and a son is her mother''s lover?"


    Terence''s anger gradually faded away. He thought for a while but resolutely stated, "No way. Even if we have a son, you can''t like him more than you love me."


    "Really? Terence, are you jealous of your own unborn son?" Carla bit her lips and asked with a glare.


    "Absolutely! Even though we have a son, I''m the only man that you should love in this whole world." Terence declared.


    Just like him, no matter how much he loved their daughter, he still loved Carla the most in his heart.


    Carla cleared her throat. Even though she knew they were just joking, it suddenly seemed all too real for her. She pondered to herself, ''Oh, if baby turns out to be a boy, Terence might always be jealous of him.''

 Chapter 798 Dont Spare Anyone

    "You can''t possibly compete with your own kids, honey."


    Stealing a quick glance at him, she smiled and whispered under her breath, "What a silly man."


    Hearing this, Terence pinched her nose, lifted her up and carried her over to the sofa. "Take your clothes off. I''m gonna help you take a bath."


    "What? No, thanks. I can do it myself," Carla flatly replied, turning him down and pushing him away. They may be a couple, but she just couldn''t help but feel a little embarrassed whenever they would take a bath together.


    "Come on, babe. You don''t have to be shy. Just let me give you a hand, okay?" Terence nonchalantly said, still persistently trying to help her take her clothes off.


    "Well, then I guess I don''t need to take a bath."


    After blurting that out, Carla frowned as she stared at him.


    Seeing her cheeks all puffed up, a wry smile crept onto Terence''s face. "Look at you. Do you realize that Sally is exactly like you?"


    Everyone around them kept saying that Sally''s resemblance with Terence was so uncanny. However, aside from her physical appearance, her temper was just like that of Carla''s.


    "So, what? Do you have a problem with that? Of course she takes after me, she''s my daughter after all." Raising her eyebrows, Carla thought that something like that shouldn''t be surprising.


    This made Terence burst into laughter and he gave her a pat on the buttocks. "Alright, you should hurry up. Let''s take a bath so we can go to bed early. I''ll tell you what, honey. I''ll give you a candy after you''re done with your bath. What do you say?"


    Carla let out a soft chuckle after hearing him trying to coax her as if she were a child.


    She couldn''t bring herself to get mad at him at all. And in the end, even though Terence had told her that he would let her take a bath on her own, he still tried to squeeze into the bathroom while she was washing up, claiming that taking a bath at the same time would help them conserve water.


    After they were done, he helped her dry her hair, wrapped his arms around her and gave her a kiss, and then went to sleep.


    ¡ª


    The following morning, In the AJ Building, Brian watched as the investigation team sent by the government was busy collecting evidence of the merger case.


    Although they seemed to be quite approachable, the investigation they were conducting was so intense.


    As it turned out, Terence was right all along. They were well prepared this time around. Bringing in a search warrant, they began to blatantly search the entire AJ Group.


    In order to avoid them, Rhys left the company early as soon as he heard the news. His assistant, Chris, was the one who stayed behind for the interrogation.


    When he was asked about it, Chris insisted that Rhys had his hands full with other things, so he didn''t know much about this issue because it was his subordinates who were the ones dealing with this case.


    Shaking his head, Brian thought it was plain to see that someone deliberately wanted to target the AJ Gr


    ney? How on earth could that possibly solve the problem?


    The third son of the An family is such an arrogant man. Being sent to prison should be a good way to teach him a lesson."


    Upon hearing that, Secretary Liu pondered for a second and mentioned, "Sir, the person in charge of the merger case is not Terence An. It''s actually the second son of the An family, who happens to be the vice president of the AJ Group."


    So, if we really want to hold someone accountable for what happened, it should be the second son of the family. He''s the one who would end up being sentenced to at least one year and a maximum of two years in prison."


    The secretary cleared things up. At the end of the day, it was not an active crime. It was the complicated things happening within these companies which brought the man to jump off the building and take his own life.


    Furthermore, it was only against the business law that the AJ Group had failed to follow its procedures. Meaning to say, there was no need for them to worry about anything whatsoever.


    "One or two years should be plenty. Wait, did you just say that the man in charge of this case is Rhys?"


    Gary asked as he picked up the tea cup and took another sip.


    "Yes, sir,"


    the secretary politely replied.


    With this, Gary put down the tea cup and nodded, "Alright. I understand. Just let them take care of it. And make sure to give the public a fair explanation."


    After giving his secretary the instructions, he picked up the cup of tea and drank it all up.


    "Remember, once this issue is resolved, help me arrange a meeting with Rhys An, I want to speak with him directly."


    Nodding his head, the secretary proceeded to leave the study.


    But just as he was about to leave the courtyard...


    "Mr. Liu..."


    Secretary Liu turned around when he heard a voice calling out to him. Upon seeing the man standing at the door, he smiled politely at him and said, "It''s getting late, sir Steven. Shouldn''t you be in bed right now?"

 Chapter 799 The Cons Of Having A Charming Wife

    "Uncle, thank you so much for coming here. I know you didn''t have to report to work for my father at this hour,"


    Steven said as he stood against the wall with one hand in his pocket. Then, he walked towards Secretary Liu.


    "You don''t have to thank me. It''s my duty to do this,"


    Secretary Liu said with a smile while he waved his hand to dismiss Steven''s passive apology.


    Steven walked up to him a little closer and smiled back. He then said, "I heard that you''re conducting an investigation on the AJ Group. How''s that going so far?"


    Secretary Liu didn''t expect that Steven would ask him about it. He paused for a while before saying, "Sir Steven, I didn''t know that you would be so interested in it."


    "Oh, I just asked because I recently heard about it and I was a little curious. So, is it that serious?"


    Steven immediately explained. He was afraid that Secretary Liu might get suspicious.


    The AJ Group was known to every household in JA City, so the news spread very quickly and easily. In less than a day, everyone was talking about it.


    "In fact, it might actually get serious. But it all depends on what the plaintiff is going to do. You see, we don''t have the complete information yet,"


    Secretary Liu answered, still with a smile on his face.


    The secretary was not a fool, however. He had heard that the wife of the AJ Group''s President had some sort of relationship with Steven. He could only guess that might be the reason why Steven was so concerned about this accident.


    "Well, thank you very much for your help, Uncle," Steven said.


    "If there''s nothing else that you need, I''ll be going. I''m just a call away if you need me again,"


    Secretary Liu said. Then, he nodded at Steven with a smile.


    "Drive safely, Uncle,"


    Steven said as he waved at the man.


    When he saw that Secretary Liu had left the premises, Steven''s smile faded. Then he turned around and went back to his room.


    When he was finally alone in his room, Steven took out his phone and swiped through his contact list while he checked the time. It was pretty early, so he figured that Carla might still be awake.


    After hesitating for a while, he dialed the number.


    Meanwhile, back at the Seaview Villa, it had just turned nine o''clock.


    Carla had just finished washing her face and brushing her teeth, in preparation for bed. These days, she had been used to sleeping


    while she tried to avoid Terence''s stares. In fact, she didn''t have any reason to feel guilty. She didn''t do anything that would be considered as cheating.


    But she just didn''t want to tell him everything. She needed some personal privacy about the matter.


    "Is that so? He gave you the painting and now he wants it back? What the hell was he thinking? Is he just trying to ask you out on purpose?"


    Terence looked at Carla while he analyzed the situation for her. Steven was ten years younger than him. Hence, Steven was indeed way younger than Terence but he seemed like a popular young man that women would have a crush on nowadays.


    But who could Terence blame? His wife was so charming.


    She was already a mother of a beautiful girl with another child on the way, but there was still a young man chasing after her, which proved that he had good taste.


    While Terence was thinking about the situation carefully, Carla remained silent.


    She just stared at his husband. After a while, she said, "If you want me to go, then I''ll go. If you don''t want me to go, then I won''t go. Just tell it to me straight, Terence."


    "Go ahead. I don''t have any objection that you''re going to meet with that man. I guess he doesn''t know that you''re going to remarry me, right? Go and tell him,"


    Terence said. He suddenly seemed fine with this whole thing. He would have been more convincing, however, if he didn''t put emphasis on "that man". He then leaned against the bed, resting his head on his arm.


    "And I''m actually free tomorrow. I''m not sure but maybe we could run into each other."

 Chapter 800 A Rear End Collision

    Carla stared at the man lying on the bed, scrolling through her phone. From the way he glanced up expectantly, it was obvious that he wanted to go with her.


    "Terence, don''t you trust me?"


    She just couldn''t understand why he would get so anxious when it came to her meeting Steven.


    Besides, Carol would be with her.


    "Did I say that? I don''t think I did!" Terence frowned, picking up a book from the side table.


    "You don''t have to," Carla said, pressing her hand on the book he was holding to prevent him from flipping it open.


    Terence took one look at the pale hand resting on his book before grinning sheepishly back at her. "It''s not that I don''t trust you. It''s just that I don''t trust other men.


    Honey, it''s hard to trust people in this society. Many are just wolves dressed in sheep''s clothing ¡ª you just wouldn''t know what they''re planning. What if something happens to you?"


    Terence placed his hand on top of hers.


    "Is it really that bad?


    Fine, if you want to go with me, just do it. It''s no big deal."


    Carla was afraid Terence would get even more anxious if she didn''t let him tag along.


    Besides, it wasn''t as if she and Steven were hiding something from him.


    Terence played with her long fingers, his grin widening when he heard her words. He leaned in closer to nibble on her skin. "I just find it hard to be celibate all the time."


    It was torturous to see her like this and find that he couldn''t do anything about it.


    "You sounded so confident before, and look at you now,"


    Carla snorted as she pinched his big nose deliberately, enjoying the look of frustration that flashed on his face.


    Terence rolled his eyes and pulled her closer to him. He pecked her shoulders and turned off the bedside lamp.


    ''Out of sight, out of mind, '' Terence thought to himself.


    Next morning


    At a themed restaurant called Lighthouse Restaurant in JA City


    As for whether Terence would come or not, Carla didn''t know, but she didn''t really care as she was already accompanied by Carol.


    She saw him leave the house early in the morning, but she had no clue where he went.


    When Carla arrived in the powdered blue private room, Steven was already waiting for them.


    "You''re early,"


    Carla noted as she strode into her seat. Carol had already gotten the painting to her before leaving the room as a lookout.


    "I have nothing else to do, so I came here."


    Steven flashed a bright smile.


    Carl


    eally have to be like this? It''s not as if she went in there alone, and even then, it''s not like..."


    Before he could finish, he slammed over the rear end of another car which was in front of his, causing Brian to stop. He scrolled down the window and looked out.


    He scowled. ''I just started my car and this is what it got me!''


    A rear end collision.


    As a matter of fact, Brian had just dropped by for work when Terence asked him to go check up on Carla. He wasn''t intending to follow Steven around. It was just pure coincidence! A coincidence that landed him into this mess.


    Terence couldn''t come over to check on Carla himself. He would be spotted too easily, by Steven and by Carla. It would just be an awkward experience for all three of them.


    However, he still couldn''t stop himself from worrying over Carla so he just had to ask Brian to check up on her.


    Who would have known that it would land Brian in a car accident?


    "What''s wrong with you? You son of a bitch! Is there a red light ahead or an old lady crossing the road?"


    Although Brian was the one who hit the car, he was just so furious that he had to get out. Just when he was about to lose his temper, he looked over to find that it wasn''t an old man in front of him, but a dog.


    A cute little toy poodle dog accidentally crossed the street.


    "Sorry, it''s all my fault! I will pay for your car repair..."


    Brian stopped all of a sudden, and his words were stuck in his throat.


    It was Steven in a white casual hat. He held up the toy poodle, that he still didn''t know how it had ended up in the road, and smiled apologetically at Brian.

 Chapter 801 Whose Life Is More Important, Yours Or The Dogs

    Right at that moment, Brian squinted his eyes as he thought that an angel was approaching him.


    Just after walking out of the restaurant, he noticed that there was an angelic creature walking towards him. After glancing at the creature, he noticed that he had a toy in his arms. Despite the creature being adorable, he still did not pay so much attention to it.


    Being blessed with such an innocent aura, this boy was so cute that anyone would want to really try to pinch his cheeks.


    Waiting outside, he didn''t see Steven and Carla meeting each other, so he did not have the slightest idea that Steven was the one Carla had a conversation with.


    "Are you just plain stupid? You almost died from a car accident just because of a silly dog. Whose life is more important, huh? Yours or the dog''s?"


    Brian said angrily upon coming back to his senses. Looking at the long queue of cars lined up behind them, he then shouted at them, "Stop honking! Are you blind? Can''t you see that there is a rear-end accident?"


    "I''m deeply sorry, but it''s also a life. I can''t just watch it get killed and do nothing. How about we go to the side and get out of the way so we can talk this over? I mean, just so that we won''t inconvenience other people."


    Nodding at him apologetically, Steven then got into the car as he carried the dog in his arms.


    A while later, two cars were parked at the side of the road, a few meters from the site of the collision.


    "Sir, this is my calling card. Send me the invoice for the cost of the car repair so that I can reimburse you for your expenses," Steven told Brian.


    Taking the card, Brian took a look at it and said, "Steven? You look young. I''m quite surprised that you work in the government. It''s not very common, you know."


    Lowering his head, Steven spoke with embarrassment in his voice, "Sir, I''m really sorry. This is all my fault."


    "Come on, I''m not that narrow-minded, and I understand what had happened. It''s not really a big deal. And besides, can you even afford the repair fee with your salary as a civil servant?"


    Brian took the business card, put it in his pocket and pointed at his luxury car.


    Being Terence''s friend and working for him, he was quite wealthy and could afford an expensive car.


    Looking at the car behind him, Steven apologized again, "I''m really sorry, Sir. I may not know much about cars, but I can''t let you spend that much for the damage. How about this? I can give you my phone number so that you can contact me and I can pay you some money for the repairs."


    Steven said humbly as he took out his phone.


    Steven was so persistent about sharing the


    of this thing against us."


    The man had already died, jumping off the building. Although the AJ Group had already taken part of the responsibility, they had still provided compensation. We thought that the family''s attitude had simmered down, but had changed all too suddenly.


    "According to the present situation, we have no choice but to let Rhys take the responsibility. And with that, we will compensate them more. I guess that this is the only way we can get this thing to be done and over with,"


    Terence said as he heaved a sigh. As a matter of fact, the AJ Group was partly responsible for the tragedy and there was no way that they could get away with it.


    "But Terence, taking responsibility means being behind bars. Our family already has one in prison now, and we can''t let one more inside!"


    Edmund said anxiously.


    "Father, it will be only one or two years at most. It''s different from my eldest brother''s situation. Besides, do you still remember what Grandpa said?"


    Terence reminded him.


    Upon hearing that, Edmund kept silent for a while. With a sigh, he then replied, "It seems that this is the only way to solve this problem. We have already contacted so many friends, but nobody dares to help us because of that bastard''s warning. This is different from the past...


    I''m just worried that Gary is scheming another plot against us with full preparation. I''m afraid you will be his next target after he deals with Rhys.


    If things keep happening like this, then I fear that this would be both our family''s and the AJ Group''s doom."


    As he heard what his father had just said, Terence''s eyes became pitch dark. He then said in a low voice, "Dad, don''t worry. I won''t ever let that happen. Not to us, not to the AJ Group."

 Chapter 802 Throw Terence Under The Bus

    At that moment


    Gary had just arrived in his office.


    "Sir, he''s inside,"


    Secretary Liu said the moment Gary was within earshot. He then opened the door and led Gary inside the room.


    Gary specifically sent his people to take Rhys here, or else it would attract too much attention if he were to go to the police station himself.


    With firm steps, Gary walked inside the room.


    Inside, Rhys was still wondering why they brought him here. What''s more, he had been in the room for a while. No one even came in and explained to him what happened or why he was brought here.


    These had been in his thoughts for a while now. Then, out of nowhere, he heard the main door of the room open. He turned around only to see Gary walking in.


    Rhys looked at the man from head to toe. He looked about the same age as his father. In fact, Rhys hadn''t met Gary in person before, so he was not sure who he was.


    "Mr. Vice President, do you know who I am?"


    Gary asked kindly while he sat across from Rhys.


    Rhys looked at him closely. He then marveled at the interior of the room and realized that it actually looked like a government office. It suddenly occurred to him that he had seen the man in front of him before. He couldn''t remember when or how, but he knew that it was on the television.


    "Are you Mayor Su?"


    He asked with uncertainty written all over his face.


    "Yes, I am. You don''t need to be so formal with me. Please, just call me Gary." After which, Gary turned to his secretary and said, "Make a cup of tea for Mr. An. It''s cold outside. Some tea will help him keep warm."


    "Yes, sir. I''ll be back in a second."


    Secretary Liu bowed to the two men and left the office.


    "Mr. S? ¡ª I mean Gary, may I know why I was brought here?" Rhys was confused. Gary''s last name was Su, but as far as he knew, the man had nothing to do with the An family.


    "Don''t worry. The AJ Group is a giant enterprise in JA City. A huge part of our government''s taxes comes from your company. In that case, I think we''re friends. Don''t you think so?"


    Then, Gary continued with a smile on his face, "I hear that Master Rhys''s wife is the daughter of President Mu? A lot of people might not know about this but President Mu and I have been friends for a long time. And now that you''re his son-in-law, I dare say that we have a lot of things connecting us."


    But Rhys only became more and more confused with what he was hearing.


    Rhys silently thought to himself, ''What the hell are his intentions for taking the initiative in establishing a relationship with me? What does he want? What is he planning to do?''


    "Well, Gary, if you''re trying to say something, I suggest that you make your point right away. What on earth did you want me to come here for?" Rhys asked candidly because he really wanted to find out the answers to his questions and he was honestly getting tired of thinking about it.


    "Young man, please calm down."


    Gary chuckled. At that moment, Secretary Liu came back with a tray containing two cups of tea. Gary gestured to give the first one to Rhys then he took the second


    ould really tell you this. In summary, you shouldn''t take every ounce of that blame. All you need to do is shift the blame to Terence when you testify. Not only can you overcome this problem, but there''s also a high possibility that you can take over the AJ Group.


    You want all of the things that I''ve mentioned, don''t you?"


    A gleam flashed in Gary''s eyes while he continued to look at Rhys.


    Up until that point, Rhys couldn''t fully understand what Gary was hinting at. He knew that he wasn''t stupid, but it took him such a long time to finally comprehend Gary''s message. It was due to the fact that he had never thought of the situation like that.


    "Gary, is this what you''re trying to say? You want me to declare that it was my brother who asked me to take charge of the merger and acquisition. And so, its failure had nothing to do with me, is that correct?"


    Rhys looked up at Gary, who was still holding the cup of warm tea on his hands.


    "Yes, that''s exactly what I was trying to say. As the CEO of the AJ Group, Terence is supposed to be in charge of the company''s every move. But these days, he isn''t even showing up, so to put the blame on him is perfectly reasonable. Now that he threw you under the bus, I don''t see why you need to be kind to him at all."


    Gary''s smile had reached his eyes. He lifted up his glasses and said, "As the heir of the An family, if Terence couldn''t fix this properly, then people shouldn''t trust him anymore. When this happens, your father will do his best to support you in the future.


    In that way, you can start being proud and confident in front of your wife and father-in-law. Naturally, your son will become the successor of the entire An family. He wouldn''t have to face the same fate that you have. Your son wouldn''t have to live in the shadow of his brother."


    The smile on Gary''s face got even wider. He looked at Rhys, who was still lost in his thoughts. Gary then stated, "This opportunity will never come again.


    Mr. Vice President, you''re a smart man. You know what you should do now, don''t you?"

 Chapter 803 Rhyss Conscience

    "Mr. Gary, why do you want to help me?"


    After a short while, Rhys returned to his senses and finally understood what Gary actually meant.


    ''Why does he want to do that? Is it just because I''m the son-in-law of the Mu family?'' Rhys pondered to himself.


    "As I said, Eunice''s father is an old friend of mine, so I''m not just helping you out. I''m doing my old friend a favor. Mr. Vice President, many people are standing by your side right now. If you don''t strive for it, you''ll feel sorry in front of your father-in-law at a later time."


    Gary finished his words, smiling like an amiable elder.


    All of a sudden, a cup of hot tea splashed all over his face.


    "Bah!"


    Rhys sneered and threw the empty tea cup on the floor, shattering to pieces. "Bullshit! What kind of a mayor are you? You''re nothing more than a blatant hypocrite.


    Regardless of how incompetent you think I am, I''m still part of the An family! I''d never help an outsider, against my conscience, hurt my own family! I''m not a traitor!"


    Even if he succeeded in taking over the AJ Group one day in the distant future, the members of the Mu family could definitely use this issue to threaten him and eventually coerce him to merge the AJ Group with theirs.


    Of course, he wasn''t stupid. Rhys could read between the lines. He understood their sinister intentions.


    "You... "


    Gary stared blankly at Rhys, who was going crazy in front of him. Due to the tea that was spilled all over his face, he couldn''t see anything with the blurred glasses.


    "You''ve gone way too far! Mayor Su was so kind to you. Why could you be so ungrateful to him?"


    Secretary Liu heard the noise and barged in immediately. He took out the handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the mess for Gary.


    Gary closed his eyes and took a deep breath, strenuously trying to calm himself down. "Vice President An, I hope you can calm down and think it over.


    Prison or a bright future with a great fortune? It''s up to you. You can make your choice."


    Then, he pushed the secretary away and walked out of the room banging the door closed behind him.


    Secretary Liu took a look at Rhys, shook his head and followed him cordially.


    Watching them leaving the room, Rhys sneered.


    He knew clearly that there were some matters of disagreement between the An family and the Su family. Now, Gary had taken the initiative to talk to him about it. He must be up to something.


    Before long, someone came over and walked him out.


    The driver also talked to him before he got off


    er life.


    And in the end, she just might end up being divorced.


    ¡ª


    Back at the Seaview Villa, the weather was getting colder as days passed by.


    Carla became lazier with every passing week and was reluctant to go out. Fortunately, the room had been brightened up and the scenery was beautiful.


    Even if she didn''t go out, she could still see everything outside and notice the change in the seasons.


    "Mrs. An, the baby is in excellent condition. Your job is to simply maintain a good mood, stay away from stress and take lots of good rest. If you really want to go out for a walk, you can, but don''t wear yourself out, okay? Your health is of prime importance now."


    Cameron, the director of the Obstetrics department had made it a point to come visit his patient at her house in person. She had finished examining Carla.


    "Mr. Director, thank you very much. Carol, help me walk the doctor out,"


    Carla said, waving to Carol.


    Carol came over and guided the doctor out.


    Carla breathed a sigh of relief. She gently rubbed her belly, which was still flat. It had only been two months, and she suddenly felt that it was taking very long.


    However, when the thought of the birthing pains she was going to suffer in about seven months, crossed her mind, she felt a bit frightened.


    Since she had given birth to a baby before, she knew the piercing pain that her body would face when the time came.


    "What''s wrong? Why is your face dull, my dear?"


    Terence entered with a tray of fresh fruit in his hands. He had inquired about her health to the director of the hospital and he knew that Carla was fine. He wondered why she looked so sad instead of being happy.

 Chapter 804 Businessman Cant Rival People in Power (Part One)

    Terence peeled a fresh orange and handed a slice to Carla. The oranges were all extremely juicy as they''d directly been delivered from a farm, as was usual the case. Terence made sure they always ate the freshest of foods. If they couldn''t live in the countryside, they could at least manage to eat well.


    Carla put the entire slice in her mouth, looking at Terence gratefully. But her expression soon turned to a wince.


    "It hurts," she says with a broken voice.


    Her words made Terence get up in an instant. He reached for a tissue and wiped his hands, then held her shoulders, bending down.


    "What''s wrong, honey? What''s hurting? Where does it hurt? Didn''t you tell the doctor? Should I call her back to check on you?"


    His concern warmed Carla''s heart. Not a day went by that she didn''t thank god for having him. Before he could pull himself back and go call the doctor, she held his wrist. He turned and looked at her with surprise. "What I meant was, it hurts to give birth and I''m scared of the pain. What should I do?"


    She''d heard of many women who did not want to give birth to a second child because of the pain they had to go through during the delivery.


    It was true that everyone had different levels of tolerance of pain, but she was really, really scared of pain. She couldn''t even imagine what it would be like this time, having already been through it once.


    Once finding out she wasn''t in pain right now, Terence heaved a sigh of relief. He held her hand between both his palms, and sat down next to her with a smile. "Carla...I will be right next to you when you give birth. You can bite me, curse me, hit me! Anything that helps you tolerat


    said Mayor Su had just talked to your brother, sir Rhys."


    Nathan reported almost urgently. The best thing about him was he knew exactly which matter was important to convey at what time.


    Terence sat down in his chair and put his hand on his mouth, snorting. "I knew it wouldn''t be easy. Gary would never let go of such an opportunity just to deal with me.


    Oh, by the way, I asked you to check on Henry''s background. How is that going?"


    Nathan lowered his head and answered, "We found that he started to work for the Qu family five years ago. The only reason his career has soared is because of their support."


    "The Qu family? Which one is that?"


    It was the first time Terence was hearing this name. He was surprised he wasn''t already aware of them. He needed to know as much about Henry as possible. What could be the reason for it when Terence didn''t even know them?


    "The Qu family is a powerful family in the northwest region. They are acquainted with many influential figures of the city. Two members of the family work in the government. The elder son wanted to run for mayor, but failed."

 Chapter 805 Businessman Cant Rival People in Power (Part Two)

    Terence listened intently. When Nathan realized he wasn''t going to respond, he went on, "We reckon that the Qu family has been feuding with the Su family for years now. In addition, the current mayor of our city is from the Su family, so their animosity has only increased.


    We also found that the Su family has connections with not only legal but also a lot of illegal channels."


    Terence let out a quiet sigh, his hand moving up his face and then rubbing his eye. These people were merciless, like a tough nut to crack. Terence could make out how soon he''d have to face them directly, in order to protect himself, his family and his company.


    Luckily, they were currently targeting the Su family.


    "Nathan..." Terence said gravely and firmly. "Yes, sir?" replied Nathan, realizing the weight of whatever it was he was going to speak next. "Please arrange a meeting for me with the head of the Qu family."


    He looked up at Nathan directly in the eye. Nathan too did the same. Both looked at each other for a few seconds, as if they could see in them what lay ahead for them. Terence knew what Nathan was thinking, and Nathan wasn''t sure whether he should say it out loud or not.


    He opened his mouth once, but all that came out of it was air. The second time, he managed to blurt out some words worriedly, "Mr. An, we really can''t mess with the Qu family. I don''t mean to imply we are weaker than them. But we are extremely vulnerable right now. Maybe you would like to think it through..."


    Terence smiled faintly, a little proud of himself of having already read his mind. He lifted his left arm up in the air, showing him his wedding ring. "You tell me, what is


    hing to prove their loyalty to An family. But power and money had bought them.


    Gary was playing dirty politics with the city as well as in the system, doing everything in his power to make sure An family had no support remaining.


    Being an extremely influential family, it was impossible for them to survive without the government''s support.


    "I will arrange the meeting right away, and will let you know as soon as I get any other news."


    Nathan said firmly, turned around and left.


    Terence slid further in his chair as soon as Nathan left, finally able to relax a little. And then he dialed a number on his phone. "Hello, Bryant. I need you to help me collect information about the Qu family of the northwest region....yes, the more details there are, the better."


    Bryant already had some pointers about them but Nathan knew that was only surface level bullshit. Terence knew Bryant could do much better, and dig deeper than the most trusted spies of the city.


    Even if their chances of getting back at them and toppling them were only about fifty percent, that would be enough to win this battle.

 Chapter 806 Am I Handsome

    In the evening, Carla was lying down on the bed while speaking on the phone. Several days had passed and Andrea still hadn''t bothered to call her yet. So Carla took it upon herself to call her and ask if she was doing alright.


    "Mom, what is keeping you busy recently? I''ve been waiting for you."


    Andrea had offered that she would come to see Carla the other day, but she hadn''t kept her promise so far.


    "Callie, I also wanted to see you, but I really can''t leave with all the things at hand. I will come to see you after these things get settled in a few more days,"


    Andrea said. She was evidently distressed by what had been happening recently.


    Carla sat straight on the bed, switched to speaker mode and asked, "Mom, I wanted to ask you the other day. What''s going on?


    I''ve heard that it had something to do with Tristan''s marriage. What happened exactly?"


    Carla was surprised that the issue hadn''t been settled after so many days.


    "It''s not a big deal, Callie. Take good care of yourself. Don''t worry about us. Let me handle this," Andrea said, avoiding Carla''s question deliberately.


    "Mom, I''m your daughter. I have to know everything about our family. You have to tell me what happened. I have the right to know. Otherwise, I will have to bypass you and ask my brother about it,"


    Carla said. She knew that something must have gone terribly wrong. Andrea''s attempt to hide it from her only made it worse.


    Andrea sighed and said in a resigned tone, "You''re right. It''s about Tristan''s marriage. The family of Tristan''s fianc¨¦e forced him to give us 20% of the shares of the Hua Group as a depiction of his willingness to marry her.


    Then, your brother said he was willing to give 10% of his shares to Tristan. But the share must belong to Tristan. But her family did not agree to that proposal.


    As a result of that, Tristan was so angry that he decided not to go through with the wedding at all. He said it was the best we could do, that your brother was willing to give 10% of the shares to him. If her family insists, then this marriage will be deemed impossible."


    Carla was stunned by her words. She played with her daughter''s toy rabbit and fiddled with its long ears from time to time.


    "Mom, what does his fiancee want now?" Carla asked.


    "Tristan''s fiancee is a woman named Farrell Gu. She is a good girl, but her mother is a tough nut to crack. She insists that half of the twenty percent of the shares must be owned b


    le weight now. It''s a positive sign for you to be plump while you''re pregnant,"


    Andrea grinned from ear to ear. Seeing Carla in such a good mood, Andrea knew that she must be going through good things recently.


    "Grandma!"


    Sally called Andrea in a clear and loud voice.


    The smile on Andrea''s face was even bigger when she heard that. She bent down and held Sally in her arms. "My dear granddaughter, I''ve missed you so much. Have you thought of me these days?"


    "Yes, I have. I didn''t just miss you Grandma, I also missed the shrimp dumplings you make. And the skirt you had sewn for my Barbie Princess is more beautiful than the ones I bought in the store!"


    Sally said in a sweet voice.


    The thoughts of kids were always simple and innocent.


    "My little granddaughter is so sweet and cute!" Andrea laughed and kissed Sally on her cheek.


    At this moment, Tristan walked out of the room and said towards Carla, "Carla, I''m pleased to see you again. Where is Sean? Why didn''t he come with you?"


    "He will come tonight. I''ve already told Sean that Jason will drive him here in the evening and he can return after the weekend."


    Carla looked away from Andrea and Sally as she turned her attention to Tristan.


    Tristan nodded in agreement and walked out after adjusting his clothes.


    "Where are you going?"


    Carla asked again, observing that he was getting ready to go somewhere.


    "I''m going on a date. I''ve promised Mom that I''ll bring her a virtuous daughter-in-law home by the end of this year!"


    Tristan replied while smoothing his hair. He then continued to say with a smile, "How do I look now? Am I handsome?"

 Chapter 807 See Whom I Have Brought Back

    "Yeah, your hair looks nice and your clothes fit you well. But you don''t look as handsome as Sean," Carla scanned him top to bottom many times and deliberately teased him.


    Hearing Carla''s words, Tristan gave her a firm glance and asked, "Why don''t you clearly state that I''m not as handsome as Terence?


    In that case, I will be far more convinced. How old is Sean? Who knows how he will look like when he eventually grows up?"


    "I am sure he is going to be as good looking as he is now."


    "Well, we can''t be certain of it. Sister, Mom, and Sally, bye! I''ll buy you some delicious food when I return!"


    Tristan gave Carla a beaming smile and waved goodbye as he left the room.


    Noticing him leave, Carla turned to Andrea and asked, "Mom, is Tristan..."


    "Well, he came to meet me after I called you yesterday. He also informed me that he had broken up with Farrell, saying that they weren''t compatible with one another. Hence, they shouldn''t be wasting time."


    Andrea shook her head and sighed, "Let him be. He''s an adult, and he is aware of what he''s up to."


    Carla took a quick glance at the door and raised her eyebrows. Although Tristan looked the same as before, he seemed more mature all of a sudden.


    Then, she held Sally''s hand and led her into the house.


    "Mom, where is Bonnie?"


    "She has left for work."


    Andrea continued to talk while walking, "Bonnie has changed a lot since she returned from abroad recently. She offered that she would work in the company if she had nothing to do at home. She''s working in the translation department right now since her English is beyond exemplary. Your brother says she works really hard."


    "Really? That''s good. She has finally learned to do something practical," Carla nodded and said.


    "That''s right. Maybe it''s a blessing in disguise. After all that she has gone through, it''s nice that she has finally learned to cherish herself."


    Andrea shook her head and smiled. She took Sally by her hand and said, "Sally, let''s go inside and see what surprise I have prepared for you."


    Last night, Carla made an unexpected call to Andrea, telling her that she and Sally would come today. So, Andrea made the effort to get up very early this morning and buy a special gift for Sally.


    But to their surprise, that night, Farrell and her mother visited them in person.


    When Carla was playing with Sally in her room upstairs, she heard some noise erupting from downstairs.


    She immediately descended downstairs. She then heard the voice of Farrell''s mother, who sound


    d question.


    "Mrs. Gu, that''s a different situation. How can they be compared?" Andrea asked unhappily.


    Since Terence was the heir of the AJ Group and Carla was the hostess of the An family, it was quite understandable that she was holding the shares.


    "How is it different? I don''t see any difference. I know that Terence is the only son of the An family. Everything else is just the same."


    As soon as Mrs. Gu completed her sentence, Carla opened her mouth.


    "Mrs. Gu, didn''t you just assume that I hold many shares of the AJ Group? I can tell you very clearly that I don''t,"


    Carla parted her lips and uttered.


    In fact, she didn''t know whether she had any share in the company or not, and she had never asked Terence about that either.


    She planned to ask Terence about it one day when she got the time and opportunity for it.


    "Marriage is all about two people living together. If you constantly create a fuss about money and related matters, it''s usually the women who get to suffer,"


    Carla said with a smile.


    Women should not be too domineering in this aspect. If they struggle a little too far for the sake of their man''s properties, it would only result in the reduction of their own value.


    Mrs. Gu was speechless for a moment. She struggled to say something but couldn''t find anything worth uttering.


    The AJ Group was so big and yet Carla didn''t have any share at all. Compared to that, Mrs. Gu now seemed to haggle over every ounce.


    "Mom, sister! I''m back. See who I have brought back..."


    Tristan suddenly came in.


    But when he saw the mother and daughter sitting in the living room, his voice stopped abruptly. He knew something wasn''t right.

 Chapter 808 Call It Fate

    Without saying a word, Tristan quickly turned around and walked out, his eyes falling on Farrell and her mother.


    "Tristan? Tristan, you''re back."


    When Farrell recognized Tristan, she stood up without hesitation and walked towards the door cheerfully.


    However, the beaming smile on her face suddenly froze as she noticed that Tristan was holding another girl''s hand.


    "Who, who is she?"


    Tristan didn''t want Farrell to see her in the first place, so he had decided to walk out of the room as soon as he saw Farrell and her mother. To his surprise, she caught up with him without much delay.


    "My girlfriend."


    Now that they had seen her already, Tristan didn''t intend to hide her anymore. He grabbed the girl''s hand and led her inside confidently.


    He didn''t want to disappoint Farrell. For what it was worth, they had only just broken up. Nevertheless, now that she had seen it, there was nothing to hide.


    "Tristan, what did you just say? If she is your girlfriend, then who the hell am I?" With tearful eyes, Farrell looked at Tristan and felt as if her heart was being cut into a thousand pieces.


    Tristan took a firm look at Farrell''s mother, Carla and Andrea, who all seem stunned.


    Carla knew Tristan was popular among girls, but she didn''t expect him to find a new girlfriend in the blink of an eye. He and Farrell had just broken up. Why did he bring her home so soon?


    "Well Farrell, I have already made myself very clear. I chose you because I wanted to get married. But now both our families don''t appear to reach an agreement and I don''t want to compromise myself either. Let''s just go on our separate ways with a light heart. Merry meet, merry part."


    Tristan finished his words, dragging his new girlfriend inside the room.


    "Mom, sis, let me introduce her to you. This is Isabella. My former high school classmate. I didn''t know that I was going on a date with her today. Mom, do you still remember that I always bullied a girl in high school? And you were even called to school by the teacher because of that?"


    Tristan led Isabella towards Andrea.


    "Oh, it''s her. I remember you had burnt her hair and cut her clothes, right?" It suddenly occurred to Andrea that there was a girl in high school that Tristan always liked to make fun of. She always felt that Tristan had a certain amount of affection for her.


    The naughtiest one in the family was Tristan. He had caused her a lot of trouble during his childhood.


    "Yes, mom. I''m impressed by your memory. I didn''t expect that you would still remember it." Tristan snapped his fingers and answered with a sly smile.


    Looking at them talking so happily, Farrell''s mother suddenly came to her senses and grabbed Tristan''s arm. "Tristan, what are you doing? Tell me, what is it that you want exactly?"


    "Auntie, what do you think I want to do? I''m old enough to get married. Hence, I want to find my mother a suitable daughter-in-law."


    Tristan shrugged his shoulders and said bluntly.


    Terence was the now only the


    ter Farrell and her mother left, the place finally settled down into a scene of eerie silence.


    Andrea shook her head and sighed, looking at Tristan.


    Tristan coughed to conceal his awkwardness before sitting down next to Andrea. "Mom, please don''t be angry. It''s all my fault. I''m sorry for making you unhappy. I''m just afraid that you''ll be pissed off if I have such a mother-in-law like her."


    Andrea took a glance at him and waved at the girl standing beside her.


    "Isabella, right? Come on, sit down. I''m so sorry that you had to witness such a high voltage drama the moment you stepped in to our home."


    Isabella sat down with a smiling face and shook her head. "Auntie, it''s okay. Tristan had already given me some hints about whatever had happened between him and Farrell before we got here. So, it wasn''t much of a surprise for me."


    "Really? Tristan was a naughty boy ever since I can remember. He always caused me a lot of headaches." Andrea looked at her son and sighed helplessly.


    Tristan used to love messing around when he was just a kid. Even when he eventually became a grown-up, he remained a troublemaker.


    "Auntie, it''s okay. I have known him since high school. So, I''m confident that we will get along really well. He is still the same, though so many years have passed between then and now."


    Isabella said, looking at Tristan thoughtfully.


    Tristan often bullied her when they were in school. But she never hated him. She didn''t realize that she had a crush on him until they parted.


    But she couldn''t muster the guts to tell him.


    She hadn''t even imagined that she''d get to meet him again ten years later.


    Carla, who was standing beside them, shook her head and smiled. She then turned around and went upstairs as she quietly hung up the phone that Terence had made.


    She was afraid of interrupting the first meeting between Andrea and her future daughter-in-law.


    ¡ª


    Perhaps it was a destiny''s game that they got to meet each other after all these years.

 Chapter 809 The House of The Qu Family

    Once Carla was back in her room, she called Terence and listened to the phone ring. After all these years, she still felt the same anticipation she felt when they''d first started going out.


    Terence was quite considerate to her these days. Usually he wouldn''t inform her about his whereabouts or ask her much about her own day...but he was now changing and being kinder and sweeter to her.


    The next day, Sean had come home last night. It was a little late when he came back and everyone was already asleep, so he didn''t disturb them.


    In the morning, Sally got up quite early. Carla served breakfast for her before telling her Sean was back. She knew she wouldn''t finish it and directly run to him if she told her. When she was almost done with her bowl of fruit loops, Carla quietly spoke, "By the way, Sally...Sean is here.""He is?" Sally asked instantly, jumping out of her chair.


    Before Carla could say anything more, Sally had already sprinted to his room. He was still sleeping as he had gotten back quite late.


    Half-asleep, he felt something creep up his quilt. The moment he opened his eyes, he was met with Sally''s big, watery eyes, blinking quickly and looking at him with the most innocent adoration.


    "Uncle Sean, why do you have a beard?"


    That was the first thing Sally asked him. She knew her father had a beard and hence thought only fathers could have beards. Sean didn''t have any facial hair before and now that he did...Sally found it fascinating.


    Sean''s mouth broke into a smile at the little one''s curiosity. He got up and pulled her up in his arms, placing her on his lap. "Because I am a man and men grow beards when they grow up."


    "So does it mean only when you have a beard are you a man, uncle?"


    Sally giggled and rolled over in his arms. Her ponytail, that had been tied perfectly by one of the house helps, was now completely disheveled.


    "Not really...don''t you like it? When I grow a little older I will be able to protect you and your mother...maybe in three to five years," said Sean, gently pinching her chubby cheeks, smiling at her lovingly.


    "Really? What else will you do when you grow up?" Sally asked, her eyes wide with curiosi


    eshold.


    "Oh, so far away. That''s okay. I''ll wait for you to come back."


    Carla didn''t inquire much further and hung up the phone.


    ''The northwest region?'' She thought to herself.


    Suddenly, something occurred to her. She turned on her computer and looked something up.


    She then took her phone and called Noah up.


    At the same time, Terence put his phone away, took a look at the figure waiting for him and got out of the car.


    "Here you are, Mr. An. What a surprise! Come on in please!"


    The man wore a suit and vest, he was about forty years old. He walked toward Terence and welcomed him with a smile.


    At the same time, four female helpers came out of the mansion. They were of the same height, very graceful and quite pretty. They bowed to Terence and stood on both sides of the door.


    Nathan and Rainer, who were following Terence, exchanged a glance with each other with a similar thought in mind....''Quadruplets?"


    The Qu family really was eccentric. Even their servants had to fulfill high demands. No wonder they possessed the "supreme power" of the northwest region.


    One of the maids stopped Terence the moment he was about to step in.


    The man in the suit turned around and flashed a genuine smile at him. "I''m sorry, Mr. An, please forgive me for this inconvenience. It''s a routine examination. Please cooperate with us!"


    Then the four maids stepped forward and started searching Terence, Rainer and Nathan thoroughly.

 Chapter 810 King of the Northwest

    As soon as they touched Terence, Nathan and Rainer suddenly stepped forward and blocked the hands of the two maids.


    "Tell your master! If you really want to make a body check on our boss, ask him to come here and do it in person. How can servants like you touch our boss'' body?"


    Nathan said coldly with a straight face. He glared at the two maids who came to search.


    He knew at a glance that these women had soft skin, something a hardened worker wouldn''t have. So he guessed that these maids did not do too much heavy work. But they were kept as maids in the Qu family, so there must be some purpose for them being there.


    Then Nathan looked at the people around them. There was a man in a waistcoat and a white shirt that had attracted his attention. He looked too slick to be a normal person. The man returned Nathan''s stare, his eyes glinting with slyness and cunning before he smiled slowly.


    "Yes, you''re right! They shouldn''t be allowed to touch a distinguished man like Mr. An," The man nodded at Nathan.


    Then he continued, "Get out of the way!"


    The man raised his voice at the two servants. Then, he bent over and smiled at Terence. "Please come in, Mr. An!"


    Terence threw a cold glare before he walked inside.


    Nathan and Rainer were about to follow Terence into the delivery room, but they were also stopped from entering.


    Not wanting to cause a scene, the two brothers looked at each other and then raised their hands in surrender.


    "Girl, you''re welcome to search me all over. I''m not married yet. But be careful not to touch somewhere you wouldn''t want to touch," Nathan teased with a fake smile.


    The two maids who were running the body search on Nathan instantly blushed.


    After making sure that Nathan and Rainer had nothing suspicious or hidden under their clothes, the maids let them in.


    Nathan and Rainer looked around the mansion. After years of working together, they had developed a tacit understanding with each other. Before anything, they tried to get a general familiarity with their surroundings. Then, they quickly followed Terence.


    They came into the living room of the house.


    The house was large and well-constructed. Clearly, the master of the house had spent time and effort with every single detail of the house. The garden was landscaped beautifully. Every inch of the place exuded opulence, pow


    an. Since you have so many things to do every day, I am grateful for you taking the time to see me."


    Terence stood up from his seat and shook Ralph''s hand.


    "Ha-ha, it''s my honor to meet you, Mr. An! Please tell me in advance the next time you pay a visit. I will welcome you myself!"


    "The rumor says that you are the prince of JA city. It must be true, then. My daughter has always said you''re the most handsome man in the world!"


    Ralph''s teasing quip lightened the atmosphere immediately.


    "Mr. Qu must be joking."


    Terence slightly raised his eyebrows and chuckled.


    There were a lot of women who liked him in JA City, but he didn''t know that he also had admirers in the northwest region.


    "Oh, please take a seat. Stephen, where is Chelsea?" Ralph took a seat opposite Terence, as he called out to the man who led Terence to Ralph''s living room.


    "Mr. Qu, your daughter went out to have her hair done this morning. She should be back soon,"


    Stephen walked over and said.


    "Alright, I got it." Ralph waved at Stephen before he turned to Terence. "Mr. An, it''s rare for you to come here. You should stay a little longer."


    Terence smiled and hid the spark in his eyes. He shouldn''t be too lax just because Ralph seemed so kind to him.


    "Mr. Qu, you have already guessed why I came, right?"


    Ralph was a brilliant and cunning man, which was how he was able to take control of this region for so many years. It was how he earned the title, King of the Northwest. How could he not have any idea why Terence paid him a visit, at his house, no less?

 Chapter 811 A Negotiation With Ralph

    Ralph didn''t budge. Instead he exploded into laughter with a gaze as sharp as ever.


    "Mr. An, don''t flatter me. I''m a nobody from the northwest region. How could I possibly affect JA City?


    I know that Gary is arrogant and always assumes an important air. He pretends to be lofty on the surface, but in fact he is a giant hypocrite."


    He sighed exasperatedly. "I may not be a gentleman, Mr. An. In fact, I''m probably not a good man, but at the very least, I don''t pretend to be a good person. Gary, however, he''s different.


    The problem with Gary is that he''s at the top now. It''s not easy to shake him down."


    Terence shrugged, not at all surprised. He knew that Ralph wouldn''t promise something like this that easily.


    Members of the Qu Family would want to watch the two rivaling families fight it out first before jumping into the brawl.


    However, he knew that the Qu family and the Su Family had always been rivals from the very beginning. If there was somebody in the world who would have something on Gary, it was Ralph.


    But even then, Terence knew that Ralph wouldn''t provide that information too easily.


    This was why he''d try his best to convince them to help him.


    Of course, Terence didn''t come empty-handed. The Qu Family was one that would not be messed with. Although they weren''t as rich as the An''s, they were just as influential due to all the information that they had against the others. And he came just with the information that they wanted.


    "You''re being too modest. With you keeping the entire region afloat, you''re competent yourself,"


    Terence complimented, glancing around the courtyard. "Mr. Qu, your family has always been rivals with the Su''s. Supporting me is equivalent to living up to your family legacy.


    Besides, it''s not like I''m coming in empty-handed. You know what the Qu Family needs most at present. If you think about it, I''ll have someone send over a document."


    Ralph''s eyes flashed at the mention of the document, as he licked his bottom lip, considering his offer. A few seconds had passed and he let out a laugh. "I''ll consider your offer." And that was all the confirmation Terence needed.


    At this moment, a fragrance of orange roses wafted over from the doorframe. Having a sensitive nose, Nathan was the first one to notice it, glancing over to the woman who had just entered.


    She wore a bright yellow dress, a white coat, and a beryl hat that matched the color scheme. She glanced up at Terence curiously.


    "Dad, why didn''t you call?"


    Although she was talking to her father, her gaze was still focused on Terence.


    "You''re always too busy, so I didn''t b


    rwards?"


    Rainer asked, furrowing his eyebrows.


    "Ask your brother." Terence didn''t even look up to answer him.


    Without another thought, he made a call to JA City. It had been two days since he went out, so he had no idea what was going on there.


    "Nathan..."


    Rainer smiled sheepishly.


    "Do you think Mr. Qu would accept our request before we went there?"


    Nathan sighed before asking. Rainer was smart, but if there was something he lacked, it was the ability to see through people.


    "I wasn''t sure." Rainer shrugged. Although there was bad blood between the Su and Qu Families, the Qu Family still had no obligation to help them. He mused.


    "Since we don''t know what will happen, it''s better this way. It would be embarrassing if he refused the document right in front of our faces."


    "But isn''t that impossible?" Rainer retorted.


    "No one refuses Terence."


    "You''re right, but there are just some things that need a little more time to develop. We''re the ones asking for assistance, so there was no need to be so arrogant. It''s better this way.


    Plus, they''d take this as a sign of humility,"


    Nathan explained, patting Rainer on the shoulder. "Rainer, you''ve been with our boss for quite a long time now. You should''ve been less oblivious with these types of situations by now.


    No wonder Susan paid no attention to you. If I were you, I would''ve already slept with her a long time ago."


    These two brothers always seemed to get into banters whenever they were around one another.


    Rainer blushed at the mention of her name. He threw a punch.


    "I told you not to mention her anymore!"


    Nathan deflected his fist easily, snorting in laughter. "Well, if you can get the girl to fall in love with you, then I wouldn''t."

 Chapter 812 Break Into The Hotel

    The climate in West River City was colder and the days were shorter. Darkness embraced it sooner than usual.


    That night, in the West River Hotel


    Rainer was waiting outside the hotel room, while Terence was taking a shower. Nathan was done with his shift and it was his turn to take a break. He was therefore, resting in his room.


    A woman walked up to Rainer.


    "Miss Qu, why are you here?"


    Rainer knitted his eyebrows and stood firmly in front of the door to prevent Chelsea from going in.


    "Where is Terence? I''ve come here to heed to my father''s instructions. He has sent me to see if Terence is comfortable here. Please let me in."


    Chelsea was annoyed to see him thwart her attempt to enter Terence''s room. She tried to push him away but he did not budge.


    "Sorry, Miss. Qu, Mr. An is not available now. Please wait for a¡­ Miss. Qu?" Before Rainer could finish his words, Chelsea had tried to squeeze in past him.


    She grew impatient and was adamant about meeting Terence right away.


    She ordered her men to drag Rainer downstairs. It would take time for Rainer to break away from their grip, and Chelsea decided to use the opportunity and get to Terence.


    Before Rainer could stop her, Chelsea had already opened the door with the master key card and entered the room.


    Although Rainer was fast, he couldn''t compete with the swiftness of the key card.


    West River City was under the control of the Qu family and they owned many of its industries. As Chelsea belonged to the most influential family, it was easy for her to get into the hotel room.


    When Chelsea entered the room, she heard the sound of water pouring in the bathroom. She raked her eyes at the shadow, which was moving inside the bathroom.


    She was glad that she had come at the right time.


    Terence''s phone blared loudly, shaking up Chelsea from her train of thought.


    Chelsea bit her lip in hesitation and finally walked over to the desk and glanced at the name on the screen. She took a quick look at the bathroom, raised an eyebrow and a wicked grin spread on her face.


    "Hello, if you are looking for Terrence, he is in the middle of his sh


    of?"


    Carla laughed bitterly.


    Terence, had for a second, believed that Carla was in the hotel. But his face fell into disappointment when he heard Carla''s words. "You called me earlier? Oh, honey, I was taking a shower and I didn''t hear the phone ring. I guess Chelsea answered your call."


    Chelsea was a feisty woman and it seemed like something she was capable of doing.


    "Chelsea? Was she the girl who answered the phone just now? Chelsea¡­ Umm ... Is she the daughter of Ralph?" Carla asked as her mind was spinning with many thoughts.


    Terence was stunned for a while. "Honey, how do you know everything?" He smiled in awe.


    It was Carla''s random guess. She had been reading about the Qu family in the north west region. When she heard Chelsea''s name, her thoughts flitted to the Qu family and she had assumed that it was her.


    "You''re right. I know everything and you must be careful. If you do something to hurt me, I swear, you will never get to see my face again,"


    Carla warned. Men could be lured by temptation when they were all by themselves, far away from their partners.


    It was neither possible for Carla to keep an eye on him at all times, nor prevent other women from seducing him.


    Looks didn''t matter to women when the guy was rich. And a handsome, rich man like Terence was every girl''s dream.


    The only thing she could do was warn him and pray that no unfortunate incident would happen.

 Chapter 813 Find A Partner

    "Honey, don''t be like this! Such a thing will never happen again. Forget Ralph''s daughter. I don''t give a damn, even if she''s the president''s daughter or the princess of the royal family," Terence said sincerely.


    He was afraid that Carla would misunderstand him and leave again.


    "Prove it to me then. Well, I''m going to bed. Talk to you again soon,"


    Carla said, stifling a yawn.


    She was aware that Terence was staying in a place that belonged to the Qu family. Chelsea was Ralph''s daughter and she knew that he had to respect her even if she created trouble.


    Carla trusted her husband and did not make a big deal out of it.


    Terence had traveled all the way to this place and she didn''t want to create trouble and add to his problems. Although Carla didn''t know the reason for his trip, she believed that he wouldn''t go there without a purpose.


    "Carla, trust me at all times," Terence continued in a soft voice, "Sleep well and take care of yourself. I''ll come back to you as soon as I''m done with what I came to do."


    Carla nodded and hung up the phone.


    She was furious that a woman answered her husband''s phone. But deep in her heart, she knew that Terence would never cheat on her. Her nerves seemed to calm down.


    Although Carla and Terence had misunderstandings that needed to be sorted out, she knew that he would never do anything that would hurt her or potentially harm their relationship.


    "Callie, are you asleep?"


    Andrea walked to Carla''s room and knocked on the door.


    "Not yet, mom. Come on in," she answered.


    Carla put down her phone and smiled at Andrea who was standing by the door.


    "Mom, come here and sit with me." She patted on the bed, motioning Andrea to lie down next to her.


    Andrea smiled and lay down next to her daughter. "Why are you still awake? What are you thinking about?"


    Carla tucked her in and leaned on her shoulder. "Nothing. I was just talking with Terence."


    "Callie, it is important for the two of you to respect each other. Terence is busy with his work, so understand that and cut him some slack."


    Andrea gently patted Carla''s hand.


    "I do, Mom. I understand him," Carla pouted. She had listened to Terence''s explanation patiently without accusing him of anything when a woman answer his phone at this hour.


    Carla felt that she had behaved like a mature, understanding wife and did not understand why her mother seemed to advise her on marital issues.


    "That''s good. Callie, life will surprise you and you will discover many things. You should learn to remain calm and keep your anger under control. Don''t react just by looking at something from the surface. Understand its deeper meaning by being patient."


    Andrea didn''t want her daughter


    m late!"


    Carla walked into the CEO''s office, looking guilty for being late. She had been sleeping too much lately.


    "No worries, I have booked us a table at a restaurant. Let''s have lunch." Noah stood up from his chair and cast a gentle smile.


    He knew that Carla would come to meet him today and had already made reservations.


    "Okay, is it just the two of us? Haven''t you called my sister-in-law?"


    Carla asked, squirming on her seat with hesitation.


    "What''s wrong? Are you uncomfortable to have lunch with me? Your sister-in-law is at her ancestral home. Do you want me to call Tristan over?"


    Noah teased as his big, brown eyes were shining with amusement.


    "No, I don''t. I just felt that it would be fun to have more people join us."


    Carla grinned sheepishly.


    "All right, let''s go. I''ve got something to tell you. It won''t be convenient if they joined us." Noah slipped on his coat and walked towards the door.


    But Carla was standing on the same spot, biting her lips in hesitation. "Carla, don''t tell me that you are worried that I''ll do something to you." He smiled.


    Noah was a married man with a son now, and so was Carla. She had a doting husband and a lovely daughter.


    Although Noah could not forget Carla, he would only cherish her in his heart and would never do anything to hurt her again.


    "No, let''s go." Carla breathed a sigh of relief and reprimanded herself for overthinking. She felt that he wanted to talk about the business.


    Moreover, there were things that belonged to the past and they had decided not to mention it again.


    Noah was a smart man and there was not a chance for him to break the current balance.


    The thought of it made Carla''s fear vanish as she walked out of the room.


    Carol, who was standing by the door also followed them to the restaurant.

 Chapter 814 Underestimated Mr. Ans Loyalty To Love

    In a fancy restaurant near the Hua Group headquarters.


    Carla and Noah were discussing the Hua Group''s developments over the years.


    "Wow, Noah, you''ve done a great job in restoring the company''s good image. Compared to what it was four years ago, it really has improved,"


    Carla sighed with relief, thinking of how worried she had been in the past. Noah had truly proven himself this time. Back then, the Hua Group was too conservative with its own traditions, and it hadn''t really broken any records.


    Now, it felt as if the company had been reborn in a new light as it was now open to explorations of different fields under Noah''s leadership.


    "I''ve been too restricted back then," Noah started with a smile, "If it weren''t for you, the company would''ve already been at its breaking point. I just wanted to thank you.


    It was all because of you that the Hua Group is as successful as it is now."


    At present, the Hua Group was one of the few things that belonged to the both of them, only to the both of them.


    Therefore, he wanted to make it stronger than ever, both for himself and for the future of the Hua family.


    "Noah, don''t worry. I''ll transfer all my shares to you in the future."


    Carla lowered her gaze, misunderstanding him.


    Even back in the past, she didn''t contribute much to the company''s growth. Its prosperity would have been just the same even if she hadn''t participated, so it would be unreasonable for her to still hold shares in it.


    However, given that her parents were the ones who bought them, it was difficult for her to just hand it over.


    Noah paused, quickly shaking his head. "Carla, you misunderstood. I didn''t mean it like that. I won''t take them. I mean the Hua Group now... we own it together. It''s just something I want to share with you. That''s all.


    Besides, you are your mom and dad''s only biological daughter. You have every right to have it, and if you don''t want it, you can pass it over to your children."


    Carla''s eyes widened, shocked at what he had to say. "Noah..."


    "Look, I know the Hua Group isn''t as prestigious a


    or him to keep his hands to himself.


    In the private room


    Terence gazed at all the dishes being served to them one by one, filling up the plate. He lifted his gaze only to see Chelsea smiling at him.


    She had dimples on both cheeks which made her even more adorable.


    "I have thought about it for a long time, so I decided to say this outright. Last night, when I visited your room, I answered your phone. I--I may have done it on purpose,"


    she murmured, lowering her head in fake embarrassment. "I don''t know if she is your wife, but if she is, I apologize for the indecency of my actions and trouble I may have caused."


    "You thought way too into this, Miss Qu. I have to thank you for answering the phone. If you hadn''t, she would be too worried. In fact, she would even come here to see me herself if she didn''t know my state,"


    Terence joked, waving his hand dismissively.


    This time, Chelsea paused. "Your wife... she didn''t get angry?"


    "Of course not." He beamed. "She''s different from other women. If you have the time, I''ll take you to meet her." His words were dripping with affection for his wife.


    Rainer who was eavesdropping on their conversation, couldn''t help but be impressed at the way Terence handled the situation.


    Nathan shook his head in disbelief. He truly had underestimated his boss.


    To be more specific, he underestimated Mr. An''s loyalty.

 Chapter 815 She Likes To Snatch Things!

    When Terence mentioned the name of a woman she had never met, a trace of tenderness flashed in his eyes. Chelsea couldn''t take her eyes off him.


    The tenderness was like the first beam of light in the early summer sun, warm but not strong. The light was limited but dazzling, but it was so stingy that it only could light up one side.


    When the sun rose behind the mountains, the dense forest blotted out most of its rays. There were only a few people who could see it.


    And some people, just like the sunshine at noon, shone everywhere.


    "Yes. I must know the woman who can dazzle Mr. Terence so much!"


    Chelsea did not hide the regret on her face. It was unfortunate that the sun''s warm rays would shine on another woman before her.


    After lunch.


    "Do you need me to give any message to my father?"


    Chelsea asked Terence when they came out of the restaurant.


    "No, but thank you for the offer. Miss Qu, we are leaving now. Goodbye." Terence nodded to her gently and turned to get in the car.


    As she watched him leave, Chelsea realized how different Terence was from other men.


    Other men wouldn''t have thought twice to take advantage of her in order for them to get closer to her father. She had met a lot of them before.


    But Terence...


    He didn''t seem like he would take advantage of her.


    Was his lack of interest in her actually disrespectful? Or was he just trying to keep his distance, in case he was cooking up trouble?


    And then they drove away.


    In the car, Nathan took a look at Terence in the rear view mirror. He couldn''t help but ask, "Sir Terence, that girl seems to like you very much. Why didn''t you let her persuade her father?"


    Terence rested his chin on one hand as he watched the scenery around them fly by. "No. I don''t need to resort to that. I''m not the kind of person who will get what he wants by using other women."


    Indeed, he loathed to succumb to such underhanded tactics.


    He knew he could take advantage of Chelsea. There was a high chance she would do his bidding, had he tried. But he wouldn''t do it.


    "Boss Terence is right. You are thinking too small for this. There are people who will do anything to achieve their goals. But do you think he would be one of those pathetic, unimaginative people? Even if he chose to take advantage of someone, that person has to be worthy of Mr. An''s troubles."


    From his place in the passenger seat, Rainer declared his agreement.


    Chelsea might be the daughter of Ralph Qu. But so what?


    "That sounds surprisingly wise of you now, Rainer. Why were you so dumb bef


    and laughed. "Dad, what are you talking about?


    Do you think your daughter would be willing to degrade herself like that so easily?"


    At her teasing response, Ralph nodded with relief. "It''s good that you know it!"


    "Dad, I mean if he gets divorced, will you accept him as your son-in-law?"


    Apparently, Chelsea wasn''t done yet as she continued.


    "Wh... what did you say?" He stammered, choking on his own spit in his shock. He hacked a few times, clearing his throat. Maybe that could clear his ears, too. Surely, he must have misheard his daughter.


    "I said, if Terence divorces, would you still be against your daughter marrying him?"


    Chelsea curled her lips into a smile and tugged at his clothes, appearing cute and cheeky.


    "For god''s sake, my dear daughter, are you sick? Why don''t you ask around about his marriage? How well does Mr. Terence treat his wife? I heard that he had been separated from his wife for four years. Everyone thought that their relationship had already ended. But when she came back, their relationship was restored immediately. The love between them has gotten even better than before!


    It has become a legend in JA City. So why would they get divorced?"


    Ralph explained. He couldn''t bear to see his daughter suffer like this. There were only a few men in the world who stood out from the crowd. And Terence was just one of them.


    "Dad, he is such a good man! How could I just stand by and watch him leave?" Chelsea said, smiling confidently.


    "Dad, this excellent man is worthy of women fighting over him! And you know me. I take pleasure from taking things from others. You''ll see; I will win his heart easily."


    Chelsea''s eyes shone bright with a promise.

 Chapter 816 Mom, Uncle Sean Isnt Talking To Me

    When Ralph saw the serious look on his daughter''s face, he flicked her forehead and asked, "Dear, are you kidding me? Have you ever stopped to think this through? Would it be fair to Mr. An''s wife?"


    "Dad, love is selfish. Every woman in this world wants to get a good man for herself, right? If I can take Terence away from her, it would just mean that the love between him and his wife isn''t strong enough. You can''t blame me for that!"


    Upon saying that, Chelsea shrugged, wrapped her arms around Ralph''s arm and said, "Dad! I''m your daughter, please lend me a hand!"


    "You silly girl, have you actually gone and lost your mind?"


    Never would he have expected that she was going to take this thing so seriously.


    "Dad, when he comes tomorrow, you can tell him that..."


    Then, Chelsea leaned in closer to him and whispered something to his ear.


    When he heard what she said, his eyebrows became deeply knitted and he disapproved, "Chelsea, I think it''s too risky. If he doesn''t agree, our efforts will end up in vain."


    "Dad, if you don''t give it a shot, how will you know whether he will agree or not? Moreover, language can be flexible! You can just underplay it or something. Besides, weren''t you planning to invite him to stay in our home tomorrow night? Isn''t this the best chance to do that?"


    Chelsea said in a firm tone.


    ''I''m not only young and beautiful, but I am also the daughter of the Qu family. Marrying me can be of great to help him given the current situation. I don''t think he won''t be enticed by what I have to offer, '' she pondered.


    "Chelsea, even though our family has some power in both black and white, we can''t afford to get our hands too dirty, especially you. I don''t want you to..."


    "Dad, I know what you''re trying to say! I won''t play any underhanded tricks. I''ll try to win his heart fair and square! I want to have that woman completely beaten by me!"


    Chelsea stated, holding her head high.


    Meanwhile, in HA City.


    Carla, who had just left the Hua Group headquarters, sneezed twice. While rubbing her nose, she couldn''t help wondering, ''Did I catch a cold?


    That doesn''t make any sense. It''s a windless day and I''m wearing warm clothing. How can it be possible for me to catch a cold?''


    "Mrs. An, are you all right?"


    Carol worriedly asked as she was driving the car.


    Shaking her head, Carla simply said, "I''m fine. I don''t know what''s wrong with me. It might just be an allergic reaction to something I smelled."


    "Mrs. An, maybe Mr.


    lly suddenly knocked down Sean''s controller, causing him to lose. And Sean got upset because of that."


    Tristan told Carla the whole story. Indeed, they were both still kids. Although Sean was older than Sally, he was only a fifteen-year-old boy.


    It was quite normal for children of his age to lose their temper.


    Hearing that, Carla put her hands on Sally''s shoulders and gave her a bit of a lecture. "Sally, your uncle takes care of you every day, while you don''t even give him some time for himself to do the things he wants to do. You''re the one at fault. You should apologize to him later, do you understand?"


    Wiping the tears in her eyes, Sally blinked with her eyelashes wet with tears. Then, she pulled a face again and said, "No, it wasn''t my fault. He is my uncle, so he should accompany me and play with me! Besides, I did let him play computer games. But I''ve been waiting for him for too long."


    "Sally, how can you say such a thing? Uncle Sean has his personal time and space. You can''t expect him to spend all his time playing with you,"


    Carla said with a frown. It just dawned on her that Sally seemed to be getting a little too dependent on Sean.


    "Sister, you don''t have to take it too seriously. Sally is still a child. So, she doesn''t know what''s right and wrong yet,"


    Tristan advised. When he was younger, he had fought with his brothers and sisters all the time and argued with them an awful lot. You couldn''t possibly reason with a child on who was right or who was wrong every single time.


    "Tristan, you should stay out of this," Carla said as she proceeded to knock on Sean''s door.


    With that, the door finally opened.

 Chapter 817 Honey, Do You Want To Eat Horse Meat

    As soon as the door was opened, Sally rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Sean''s leg.


    "Uncle Sean, I was scared you wouldn''t want to talk to me anymore."


    She tightly held onto Sean''s leg as she looked up at him, seemingly on the verge of tears.


    Sean bent down and saw her looking teary-eyed. "Sally, I''m not mad at you anymore. Why don''t you go and play by yourself. Your mother and I have something to talk about."


    "Uncle Sean... Are you really not angry anymore?"


    Sally asked, giving him suspicious looks. Then, she poked his forehead with a finger and said, "If so, then why are you still frowning?


    Uncle Sean, you''re still mad at me, right? I''ll apologize right now. I''m sorry, Uncle Sean. I''m so sorry... Please forgive me."


    Sally bowed her cute little head and pouted as she apologized.


    Although she had already told Carla that she had no intention of apologizing, the moment she realized that Sean was still upset, she was willing to apologize first.


    Seeing that, Carla leaned closer and told her, "Sally, Carol is going to take you downstairs, okay?"


    Taking a look at Sean and then at Carla again, she finally walked downstairs together with Carol.


    Inside the room, Sean and Carla were the only ones left.


    "Sean, please don''t be mad at Sally. I know that she''s not very good tempered..."


    Carla said, thinking that Sean really got upset this time. Back when they were younger, she remembered that they had quarreled countless times before, but neither of them really got angry at each other.


    That being said, the two of them were siblings, so it wasn''t that hard for them to make up whenever they argued.


    Indeed, Sally went a bit too far. She always kept on clinging to Sean.


    "Carla, there''s something I have to tell you, but promise me you won''t get mad, okay?"


    Sean said, albeit hesitantly.


    "Why do you seem so hesitant? Is there something that you find hard to say to me?"


    Carla looked straight into his eyes and asked.


    "Carla, do you think that Sally is being a little too clingy to me?" Lowering his head, Sean went ahead and reluctantly asked, "I know that she''s still a kid and I honestly used to think that was just the case, but... She told me several times that she wanted to marry me when she got older."


    Hearing this, Carla was left dumbfounded. Then, she said, sounding really surprised, "Yeah, I''ve also noticed that she is going a little too far. But Sean, please don''t take it seriously."


    "Carla, I think I should probably stay away


    ack and do nothing about it.


    Carla yawned and looked at the clock to check what time it was. "I''ll hang up now. I''m about to have dinner. I''ve been feeling so sleepy as of late. I need to go to bed early, shortly after dinner."


    "Okay. Oh! By the way, don''t you want to try some of the local specialties from here? I''ve heard people say good things about the horse meat here. Would you like me to bring home some of that?" Terence asked, wearing a smile on his face as he waited for her reaction.


    That being said, Carla almost gagged the moment she heard those words.


    "Terence, you''re trying to make me throw up on purpose, aren''t you?"


    She loved horses so much. How could he ask her to eat one?


    The mere thought of eating horse meat was more than enough to make Carla puke.


    "Honey? Honey, is everything all right?" Terence asked in a worried tone when he heard Carla retching.


    Patting herself on the chest to calm herself down, she immediately hung up on him without giving him a response.


    On the other end of the line, Terence stared at his phone and helplessly shook his head. He simply wanted to tease her a little, but he never expected that she''d actually throw up.


    The food in this region was quite good, especially the horse meat, but he was well aware of the fact that Carla wouldn''t like it.


    "Mr. An, the Qu family arranged some people to send us an invitation. They''re asking us to attend a party tomorrow. Apart from that, they also invited us to stay at their mansion that night. It seems that they''re planning to send us off the next day...


    Nathan informed him as he walked in, holding a golden and black invitation card in his hand.

 Chapter 818 Win My Dream Man

    Terence put down his phone and grabbed the invitation card. His eyebrows were knitted as he raked at the card with full concentration. "Nathan, how do you think Ralph will respond to us this time?"


    Nathan pursed his lips, thought for a while and said, "Mr. An, I think he will agree to your invitation if there is no exception. After all, this looks like a good deal.


    Moreover, he hadn''t refused the offer, considering how big the banquet is."


    "What if there is an exception?"


    Terence put the invitation on the table and lit his cigarette with a lighter.


    Nathan was smart. "Exception? There would not be an exception unless someone intervenes. But that''s not likely to happen, unless Miss Qu...


    No-no, that seems impossible,"


    Nathan said almost as if he was considering all the possibilities while fiercely shaking his head.


    He felt that Chelsea was in love with Terence and that she would never create a fuss and cause him trouble.


    "Nathan, although the West River City is under the control of the Qu family, I think we should make arrangements in advance, just in case, you know..." Terence said thoughtfully flicking the ash from his cigarette.


    Ralph had a reputation for turning against people.


    Negotiating with him was an easy task, but Terence would be helpless if he broke their deal. He had no idea about what was going on in Ralph''s mind.


    Terence had to be prepared for everything. It wasn''t JA City. He must expect the unexpected at all times.


    "Yes, Mr. An." Nathan nodded and said hesitantly, "But the Qu Mansion is heavily guarded. I''m afraid that we will be stuck there if anything goes wrong."


    "It''s not that serious. Just ask our people to stand by at all times. This is just to prepare for the worst. Ralph doesn''t have the guts to offend me."


    Terence put out his cigarette, stood up and walked into the bedroom.


    It was sunny the next day.


    In the morning, Chelsea had sent a car to welcome Terence to the Qu Mansion.


    Ralph was waiting at the door of the mansion to welcome Terence in person.


    "Dad, you are making a big fuss about it. You are behaving as if you are waiting for your son-in-law to arrive."


    Chelsea chuckled as she held her father''s arm.


    Ralph smiled in return. "Chelsea, but is it not what you want?" He glanced at his daughter and understood what she had been thinking. Chelsea''s love for Terence was written all over her face. She was never good at hiding her emotions.


    Chelsea took out a piece of paper


    materialistic possessions. Love was a higher power, which united two people.


    "You are still old-school, Mr. An. Don''t let your marriage certificate decide your future. If it helps your business, then why not give it a shot? You''ve got to be practical, Mr. An."


    Ralph smiled sweetly and refilled Terence''s cup.


    Terence lowered his head to hide his annoyance. "I have heard that Mr. Qu is a great courtyard designer. I was in a hurry last time. Do you have the time to show me around now?"


    Ralph let out a fit of cough after hearing Terrence''s words. "Sure. Why not?"


    He stood up and motioned Terrence to the direction of the courtyard.


    As soon as they stood up, Chelsea walked in.


    "Dad, you carry on with your work. I can take Mr. An on a tour around our courtyard."


    Chelsea strutted towards the courtyard without waiting for their response.


    She had dressed up to impress Terrence. Her chestnut hair was curled to perfection. She was wearing a tight, black skirt that perfectly fitted her pert, little waist. A leather jacket teasingly hung on her shoulders and she completed her exquisite look with flat boots.


    "Okay, you guys carry on. Chelsea, don''t forget to take good care of Mr. An."


    Ralph smiled as he cast a knowing glance at his daughter.


    "Oh, don''t worry, Dad. I will take good care of him." Chelsea fluttered her long eyelashes and pouted at Terence, feigning innocence.


    Terence narrowed his eyes and forced a smile. He had attempted to change the topic to shut Ralph''s rambles, but he had fallen into the pit that he had dug himself.


    He was in deep trouble now. He had not expected Chelsea''s announced entrance.

 Chapter 819 Who Is More Beautiful, Me Or Your Wife

    In the courtyard of the Qu Mansion, Chelsea was talking nonstop. At that moment, she kept showing Terence notable things about the courtyard and bringing up topics that he might be interested in.


    Nathan and Rainer, who were close behind him, silently watched as the two of them walked side by side.


    "Nathan, what if she actually has a crush on you and not Mr. An? Well, it''s not like you would ever be bothered by that," Rainer teased in a low voice. In truth, he just couldn''t help feeling sorry for Terence.


    Carla, who was carrying his child, was waiting for him back home. And yet, here was Chelsea, wishing that Terence could get a divorce and leave his family to marry her.


    Shooting a glance at Chelsea, Nathan noticed that she was walking in front of him quite gracefully.


    "Even though I like women a lot, I don''t think I''d like someone like her. There are other much better fish in the sea. I don''t think I''d ever want to give them up just because of her.


    Her type seems to be well behaved indeed, but she has a tendency to become irrational and restless. I''d find that hard to tolerate."


    "Nathan, why would Ralph do something like this? They are well aware that Terence is married. But he still keeps on asking Mr. An to get a divorce so he could marry his daughter. What the hell is he thinking?"


    Rainer whispered under his breath, feeling so agitated.


    "Well, it shouldn''t be that surprising. In the eyes of some people, women are nothing but tools. Whether as a wife or a daughter, they are nothing but some means to acquire more power,"


    Nathan replied, keeping his voice low. Of course, he couldn''t say for sure whether Ralph was one of those people or not, but he knew that Ralph had probably thought about such a possibility.


    If that wasn''t the case, then why wouldn''t he stop his daughter from throwing herself at Terence? Terence was a married man. Wouldn''t doing something so underhanded ruin the Qu family''s reputation?


    With that in mind, it was plain to see that they were doing this because of Mr. An''s power and status.


    All of a sudden, Chelsea wrapped herself onto Terence''s arm and walked forward.


    "Mr. An, take a look at this! When I was young, I often came here to have fun. Back then, this place felt like heaven to me. And because I was so in love with this place, my father moved a small bed here especially for me, because he wanted me to be able to get some rest if I ever got tired after playing here for a long time..."


    After that, she dragged Terence into an artificial cave.


    Terence did his best to avoid her hands. As he looked around, he noticed that people used to draw on the walls. It was dark inside the cave, but they did a good job with the reconstruction.


    From out of the blue, Chelsea pushed a button and the lights were turned on. The da


    and? There''s something I have to tell him,"


    Carla said in a calm manner.


    So, Chelsea handed the phone over to Terence and said, "Your wife wants to talk to you."


    Finally, Terence grabbed the phone from her hand and was about to say something, but as it turned out, Carla had already hung up.


    Terence couldn''t help but frown. What Carla was trying to say was clear as day.


    She was obviously mad at him.


    "Mr. An, what''s the matter? I simply wanted to say hi to your wife. What did you think I was planning to do?" Chelsea pouted and said in an aggrieved tone.


    Be that as it might, Terence simply put away the phone, turned around and walked outside without giving her a response.


    Just as he was about to exit the cave, Chelsea suddenly ran up to him to steal a kiss from his lips without warning.


    But when she was about to kiss him, Terence managed to react quickly and put his hand on her lips.


    "Miss Qu, please get a hold of yourself."


    After saying that, he walked out of the cave and strode forward. As Nathan and Rainer exchanged glances with each other, the two of them quickly followed him.


    "Mr. An? Where are we heading off to?"


    Nathan asked. From the looks of things, it seemed that Terence was upset with Chelsea.


    "We''re going back to JA City,"


    Terence gave a curt response as he walked toward the gate of the mansion.


    Chelsea had gone too far just now, and Carla must be seething with anger at the moment.


    Right now, Carla was in a rather special period, so Terence couldn''t afford to make her angry. If anything happened to Carla, even if he killed himself, Terence wouldn''t be able to forgive himself!


    Just then, two groups of bodyguards appeared from out of the blue, blocking their way.


    "Mr. An, where are you heading off to in such a hurry?"


    Ralph then walked over toward them, wearing a big smile on his face.

 Chapter 820 Please Give Me Some Advice (Part One)

    "Sorry, Mr. Qu, I will have to leave right now! I have something urgent to deal with. Forgive us!"


    said Terence casually, the sense of apology clearly missing from his tone. He stood still, taking a good look at Ralph, who was walking toward him.


    "Oh! Can''t you stay another day?"


    said Ralph with a genuine smile.


    At the same time, Chelsea came over behind him. She looked at Terence in the manner of wanting to say something but gave it a second thought and didn''t.


    Ralph noticed her ambiguous expression and understood everything. He put his arm around her shoulders and spoke sweetly, "Did Chelsea make you angry, Mr. An? My little one is a little spoiled. Please don''t be mad at her..."


    He looked down at her with a smile and asked, "Chelsea, did you do something to anger Mr. An? Now, don''t you want to apologize?


    Maybe this is why he wants to leave so suddenly..."


    Chelsea took a step forward timidly. Her eyes remained low. She was a little ashamed of herself and this was taking a lot of courage to admit. Pouting, she spoke softly, "I''m so sorry, Mr. An. I get too impulsive sometimes. Please forgive me...


    If you want, I''ll come with you and apologize to Mrs. An. Would that be okay?"


    "Ah, yes, Mr. An, please don''t be angry with my girl. I admit, my daughter is a little blunt at times, but she has a good heart," said Ralph quickly, trying to control the situation.


    "How about you explain this to your wife on the phone? Chelsea is a straightforward child. I don''t want Mrs. An to think otherwise and have any reservations against us.


    Chelsea, do you promise not to do that again?" he added. Chelsea looked back at her father nervously. "Yes, Dad," she said quietly.


    Ra


    alled just now. He is at the Qu Mansion regarding some business. When you called, Miss Qu grabbed his phone without his permission. That was why he couldn''t talk to you. He has conveyed genuine apologies, as has Miss Qu,"


    explained Carol, trying to ease Carla''s furious heart.


    What she said seemed like a plausible explanation to Carla, but the fact was that his phone was answered by another woman twice in one day. Any woman would be mad at that, let alone a pregnant wife with hormones messing with her head. These things, clubbed with her mood swings and the discomfort she felt in her body, made her feel horrible.


    "I''m okay. Don''t worry too much about me, you guys," said Carla, waving her hand as she looked into the book. She tried to feign indifference but it was clear that she was bothered. Carol stood there for a while, wondering what to say to make her feel better. At last, she gave up and thought it was best to give her some time to herself. But as she was walking out, she heard Carla call her out, "Carol!" Carol turned around and asked, "Yes, ma''am?" "Get ready. I want to go back to JA City," said Carla firmly.

 Chapter 821 Please Give Me Some Advice (Part Two)

    "Ma''am¡­"


    "Don''t think too much. I think I will be more comfortable staying at home. Besides, Sally has already started her classes. It''s not appropriate for her to ask to be excused this early," said Carla.


    Although Sally was only in kindergarten, it was better for her to be consistent and avoid unnecessary absences.


    Carol heaved a sigh and looked at Carla intently. Her mind was made. There was no way Carla could change it.


    "Okay, Mrs. An. If that''s what you want, I''ll get the car prepared."


    Soon after that, Carla packed the bags for herself and Sally. All of them had lunch and left for JA City.


    As for Sean, he had a lot of homework to do and hence, had already asked the driver to take him there.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Back in the Qu Mansion, in West River City


    Terence dialed Carla''s number as soon as he became free, but she didn''t answer his call.


    Worried, he didn''t give up and kept calling her.


    In the end, Carla had no choice but to answer his call. He had already called her ten times in 2 minutes!


    "Carla, are you all right?"


    asked Terence hurriedly, heaving a sigh of relief when she finally answered.


    Carla was on her way back with Sally and Carol. She leaned against the backseat in the limo with a blanket on her. She felt uncomfortable but she needed to do this!


    Outside, the temperature was dropping continuously. They needed to reach home as soon as possible.


    "Why wouldn''t I be?"


    She was really annoyed by Terence and wanted to turn her phone off. However, it wouldn''t have made any difference as he could still have called Carol.


    And if Carol didn''t answer, he would have called the landline phone at home or Sophie. Oh, there was no winning! How she wished she could just yell at him! She didn''t want


    ight.


    Carla stroked the doll''s hair, trying to keep calm.


    "When you''re dealing with people in the future, especially with women, learn to degrade yourself a little and don''t charm them! If other women see a side of you that''s just like other men, they might not want to steal you immediately!


    You are too nice and too courteous. Just don''t try to be extremely thoughtful! How can you let a woman down and make it clear that you are not available? You shouldn''t be asking that to me! With your intelligence quotient, it should be easy for you to figure it out!"


    That was all Carla could say. Surely, she couldn''t stop women from chasing him.


    He had to learn to drive them away. Perhaps then they wouldn''t dare to come to him again.


    This could only happen if Terence learned to sneak his way out of such uncomfortable situations.


    On the other end of the line, Terence couldn''t help but smile. It was true that Carla was mad at him, but it was too cute when she acted possessively! "Oh yes, honey, you are right..." he said at last. Carla could almost hear him smiling through the words. At last, imagining his face, she couldn''t help but smile herself.

 Chapter 822 Display The Opposite Image (Part one)

    "Thank you for not freaking out on me. I really appreciate that you gave me the idea. Carla, you''re truly one of a kind,"


    Terence sighed, his voice glowing with affection.


    Every time he thought he had her all figured out, she always did things that seemed to surprise him. And all the more, he found himself falling deeper in love with her.


    Carla snorted and replied, "Don''t say that. It''s nothing! I may look like any other woman, but I''m not as frail as you think!


    But even so, I warn you that there are limits to this! If you piss me off, I''ll take Sally and the baby far away from you and cut off all the chances of compromising!"


    Carla said bluntly. She didn''t get angry easily, especially now that she was pregnant. She decided that living a stress-free life was truly a better option for all of them.


    A mother had to be strong, and as a mother of two, she had to be twice that.


    Terence smiled, "You can count on that! I''ll never let you leave me, not again, not ever!"


    Just then as he was about to say something more, Rainer walked up to Terence and whispered, "Mr. An, it''s time for us to leave."


    "Carla..."


    Terence was about to say his farewell when Carla ended the call, as if she already knew what was going to happen.


    He couldn''t help but shake his head in surprise.


    ''Carla, you''re really one of a kind, '' he thought. In his eyes, his wife was truly a wonder. She was an independent woman, and it was getting more and more difficult to predict her next moves.


    However, even then, he should be just as considerate. If Carla had poured her heart out, he''d do his best to listen.


    Maybe he''d been too talkative to other women. Maybe that was why Chelsea was so attracted to him.


    He hadn''t given this much thought before, but now with this happening, maybe it was time to change.


    "Let''s go."


    Shoving his phone back in his pocket, he walked straight to the backyard.


    In the wide racetrack behind the Qu Mansion, Ralph and Chelsea were having a serious conversation.


    "Dad....I wasn''t thinking. I--I just took his phone and..." Chelsea stuttered, lowering her head. She couldn''t believe that she was so reckless that she actually failed to think twice over her actions! She was too ignorant.


    "You think you can do anything you want without consequences!? But


    nd I''m sure many men would fall at the sight of you, but I have a family now. It wouldn''t be appropriate for me to be with you. I''m not suitable for you."


    Although he rejected her, she couldn''t help but be happy.


    Terence still thought she was pretty, and that was all that truly mattered.


    "Who said that? Since the ancient times, men had multiple wives.


    I''m still young. If you don''t think you''re suitable for me now, then there''s still years ahead."


    Chelsea tilted her head upwards.


    Terence cocked his eyebrow. "Do you really like me that much?"


    "You''re the first one to reject my advances, and the first man I''m interested in." Chelsea turned away, not even blushing by her words. If she was anything like her father, it was that she''d say everything that was on her mind. She was too much like an open book.


    "Really? You''d rather be a third party?" Terence said roughly.


    Chelsea''s eyes widened. "Of course not! I''m from the Qu Family, with my own wealth and honor. I won''t settle to being a mistress," she scoffed.


    Terence''s smile widened. "Then you truly don''t understand men. We liked a bit of freshness every now and then, but these things shouldn''t affect family matters, no matter who they hooked up with."


    "You..." Chelsea froze at his reply.


    "I know Miss Qu is an honorable woman, so I kept away from you because you''re not the type I can afford to play with."


    Terence chuckled, before he galloped ahead and


    left her alone.


    Chelsea tugged on her horse, shoulders sagging in disappointment.

 Chapter 823 Display The Opposite Image (Part Two)

    Chelsea believed that Terence was different from other men. In fact, that was exactly why she became so interested in him in the first place.


    But in the end, she came to realize that he was just like all the others.


    It was rather obvious that in Chelsea''s eyes, that she was very disappointed with Terence. She started to think that he was a man who didn''t have any balls. This wasn''t the first time she had encountered a man like him. In fact, there were countless others, and she felt disgusted.


    Nathan and Rainer, who had been following Terence from a distance, also mounted two separate horses as they went after them.


    "Rainer, take a look at Chelsea. Can you see the look of disappointment on her face? Mr. An seems to be trying to ruin his image on purpose,"


    Nathan speculated.


    "Kind of. If Mrs. An were to hear this conversation, there''s no telling what she might do," Rainer remarked, feeling nervous.


    Later that evening, Ralph arranged a big feast for Terence. While they were enjoying the meal, he discussed the business proposal with Terence.


    When the conversation was about to come to an end, Ralph waved his hand and asked the graceful maids to serve Terence some fine wine.


    "Mr. An, please, I would like to propose a toast to this wise project you''ve come up with! You can rest assured this time. As the head of the Qu family, I want you to know that you can rely on me, and I will get the deal we have made, done! You have my word."


    Ralph tapped his own chest as a show of confidence. Truth be told, he had been meaning to give Gary a hard time for so long. That being said, since Gary held such an important position, it would be rash for him to take action all by himself.


    But this time, it was different. With the support of the An family, it would be possible. And there was a good chance that it would succeed.


    Taking the wine which had been served by a maid beside him, Terence took a sip. Then, he came to notice that the maid was dressed rather provocatively. Seeing that, he couldn''t help but frown.


    "Thank you, Mr. Qu. By the way, I must ask, is this wine perhaps homebrewed? If so, what was the secret ingredient you used? I just had a few glasses, yet I''m already feeling a bit lightheaded."


    "This is the special wine of our house. It is only served to VIP guests," Ralph said as a smile crept onto his face, feeling quite satisfied. Then, he went on and added, "A single glass of it is equal to three glasses of common wine. Well, I would be surprised if you didn''t feel lightheaded!"


    "Hey, come over here and help Mr. An back to his room to get some rest!" Ralph ordered as he glanced at the maids.


    After finishing his glass of wine, Terence appeared to have gotten drunk. He kept stumbling back and forth, with his arms over the shoulders of the two maids assisting him.


    As soon as he left, Chelsea walked over to Ralph.


    "Father, why did you have to ask the two maids to take him back to the guestroom?"


    All things considered, Chelsea knew her father quite well. So, how couldn''t she have known what was at the back of Ralph''s mind?


    "Chelsea, you know nothing about men. Terence is simply acting in accordance with what''s happening


    side and leaned against a pillar with his arms crossed over his chest.


    "Mr. An, she''s gone. Can Nathan come out now?"


    Rainer asked, keeping his voice low.


    "What''s the rush? We should at least let them finish what they are doing,"


    Terence said. As he glanced around the room, he began to wonder whether Nathan played the show too hard.


    After some time had passed, Rainer knocked on the door.


    A moment later, Nathan straightened his clothes and walked out, with two hickeys visible on his neck.


    "Where are the two maids?"


    Rainer leaned in a little closer and asked Nathan in a low voice after taking a look at the closed door of the room.


    "They just passed out. Don''t worry. I have fulfilled the mission that Mr. An handed to me quite well, if I may say so myself," Nathan proudly said, feeling so refreshed.


    "Really? Brother, don''t you think you''ve taken things a little too far this time?" Rainer asked in utter disbelief. To be fair, he knew that Nathan liked to go hunting in bars on a daily basis, but he had no idea that he was good at enjoying that kind of entertainment.


    The fact that Nathan slept with two women at the same time really opened up Rainer''s eyes today.


    Amazement and admiration toward his brother filled his head.


    "How could I possibly refuse the delicious meat that''s been served before me? Besides, I had no other choice but to play the show hard to make it believable for Chelsea,"


    Nathan explained as he continued to fix himself up.


    As far as he was concerned, the actual reason why he agreed to do such a thing was to enjoy the pleasure of having sex with two beautiful women.


    Rainer turned to look at Terence, who was smiling but not saying anything, and then glared at Nathan, "But, you should be extra careful when you fool around with strangers, for your health!"


    Hearing that, Nathan took out a small square condom wrap from his pocket and tossed it over to Rainer.


    "Brother, do you know what this is?"


    Taking a look at the condom wrap at the palm of his hand, Rainer''s face flushed with embarrassment. In an instant, his face turned as red as pork liver.

 Chapter 824 Go Back Home

    When Rainer opened his hand, he saw what Nathan gave him. Hastily, he threw it back to Nathan. It was a condom.


    Terence, who was standing beside him, watched their antics with amusement. Just then, his phone rang.


    He raised his eyebrows when he saw the name on the screen. He didn''t expect that Chelsea would really tell what happened last night to Carla.


    "Hey, honey, it''s so late. Why are you still awake?"


    Entering the next room, Terence smiled as he answered the call in a soft voice.


    "I was asleep, but Chelsea called me and woke me up. What have you done to her? She has been ranting about you during the whole call."


    He could hear the sleepy smile on Carla''s voice through the phone.


    Carla thought, ''It seems like my plan worked. Chelsea''s accusation against Terence was disappointing and filled with contempt.


    I still think that it would take some time, but I don''t expect Terence to take action so quickly.''


    "Thank you for your brilliance, honey. Otherwise, I would still be under the claws of that woman," Terence said with a smile. He knew that the display last night would ruin his image if others knew about it.


    But he didn''t care about it at all. He was married. He didn''t have a need to protect himself against such accusations.


    Carla nodded and asked, "So who was in that room last night?"


    "How about you guess it?"


    Terence gave a glance at the door and asked with a smile.


    Carla was silent for a while on the other end. "Was it Nathan?"


    "Well, he isn''t married. And his world view is completely different from ours. He was willing to take my place and make love with those women. Why not make him happy?"


    Terence said, curling up his lips. It was so dark in the room last night that they couldn''t see a thing. It was rather easy for Nathan to complete the whole thing.


    In fact, men like Nathan were great. He didn''t care about love and enjoyed playing with all kinds of women. He would never be hurt by love with this mindset.


    "Really? I really doubt if Rainer and he were really biological brothers. How could they be so different from each other?" Carla said with a sneer.


    Rainer may be a little insensitive when it came to love, but he was a good man. Nathan was smart and knew women well. But he was way too liberal when it came to matters of the heart.


    Carla had been mulling over this topic


    it could grow worse. If he did not, her crush on him could lead him into more trouble.


    Chelsea looked at Terence with disappointment. Suddenly, she took a step forward and grabbed his collar. "Really? Since you appreciate other women so much, why don''t you take one more look at me?"


    Terence lifted her chin and looked at her pretty face, "Who said that I didn''t pay more attention to you? If you are not your father''s daughter, it might have been you who slept on my bed last night."


    Chelsea slapped his hand away. She felt disgusted and sick at the thought that he had touched two women at the same time last night.


    "Go! Get out of our house! I don''t want to see you anymore!"


    Then she turned around and stomped away in anger.


    After she left, Rainer came in. He looked at the direction Chelsea went and said, "Sir Terence, Miss Chelsea is a good girl."


    Although she had done some terrible things impulsively, she is still a good girl who has a sharp instinct for right and wrong.


    In Rainer''s eyes, Chelsea was this kind of woman who would have the courage to confess her love if she liked a man. If she didn''t, she would also show her contempt towards that man.


    Terence took a deep breath and said, "Yes, she is a good girl. So I can''t hurt her. Every good girl in the world deserves a good man''s love."


    And of course, Terence had already met his good girl.


    "Is everything ready?" He looked at his perfect reflection in the mirror and asked with a smile.


    "Yes, sir Terence. Everything is ready. We can get going right away," Rainer replied.

 Chapter 825 Daddy, You Are So Biased!

    "Okay, let''s go,"


    announced Terence.


    Then, he turned around and walked towards the door.


    At the entrance of the Qu Mansion, Ralph came to send them off.


    It was only after they drove out of West River City that they allowed themselves to let out a sigh of relief.


    "Sir Terence, Ralph has complied with our terms. If everything goes as per our plan then it will come to effect in three days."


    Rainer, who was sitting in the passenger''s seat, said. This was a piece of fresh news that he had received from their colleagues.


    Ralph did what he said and began to move.


    Terence nodded and put a laptop on his lap. "In that case, our efforts won''t be in vain."


    The car ran at a constant speed on the highway. It was already late afternoon when they finally arrived at JA City.


    Terence immediately went home to Seaview Villa.


    " Daddy!


    Daddy, you''re back!"


    As soon as Sally got out of the car and saw Terence, she ran towards him excitedly.


    "Sally, come here. Let me see if you have gained some weight."


    Terence held her in his arms and placed a soft kiss on her chubby cheeks. The sight of his baby girl made him so happy. He walked into the villa with her in his arms.


    "Daddy, you have no idea how much I missed you. I haven''t seen you in a long time!"


    Sally said, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. In an adorable manner, she rubbed her cheeks against his.


    Terence gave her a doting smile and took her hand. "I know honey, I missed you more. I will make up for it. Tomorrow, I have to go to my office to deal with something important. However, the day after tomorrow you can skip your kindergarten. I too will take a break from all office work. Together, we will have lots of fun. I promise to give you all my attention, okay? "


    "Hee hee! Really? Daddy, I want to learn swimming. Can you teach me that?"


    "Of course!"


    Sally kissed Terence''s handsome face and continued to ask, "Daddy, can I sleep with you and Mommy tonight?"


    Terence smiled and frowned. He kissed his daughter''s little hand and went upstairs. "Sally, I miss your mommy too. Let me be with your mommy to


    days? Is the baby troubling you? "


    Carla smiled at him and gently put his hand on her stomach. "I''m doing fine. Although I retch a lot every morning. Apart from that, I am in perfect health."


    Compared to those pregnant women who seemed sick and tired all the time, she was lucky.


    "I''m glad to hear that. I''m willing to do anything to make you feel better," Terence looked at her belly gently.


    Then he took something out of his pocket.


    "This is for you. It is nothing special. Just something I saw someone wear in the hotel. I thought it looked good, so I went out and bought it for you."


    Then he placed a wooden pendant in her hand.


    Carla took it and a smile crept onto her beautiful face.


    It was a little horse galloping in the air carved on red wood, its red and black mane flying freely and wantonly. The small bronze bells on its neck also looked real.


    Horses had always been her favorite animal. She thought they were loyal and powerful. Naturally, she didn''t look at a horse as an animal, instead, for her it was a spirit and a belief.


    Looking at Carla who couldn''t hide her love for his gift, Terence was elated. He gently touched her hair and said, "Carla, if you like it, I''ll bring more stuff that is related to horses. That way, you can start your collection.


    I wish to buy another racehorse. When our kids get older, I''ll buy two more. Together, we''ll teach them to ride..."

 Chapter 826 Happiness And Sorrow

    Thinking about the picture of a whole family having the time of their lives on a vast meadow, riding horses and having fun, made Terence''s heart swell.


    Carla put away the carved wooden horse and looked at Terence. In his eyes, tenderness and affection overflowed. She reached out and affectionately rubbed his cheek against her palm.


    "Honey, let''s stay in the moment for now. I''m hungry..."


    Terence broke free of his fantasies and began to feed her red grapes. He smiled and said, "Okay. Tell me what you want to eat. I''ll cook for you."


    Two days later.


    In the study of the Su Mansion.


    "Calm down, sir!"


    A loud crash echoed through the place as soon as the words left Secretary Liu''s lips.


    "Unbelievable! I thought the An family had honor. How dared they collude with the Qu family against me?"


    Gary took off his glasses angrily. Kicking over the chair beside him, he continued his angry tirade. "Didn''t they claim they would never set foot in the underworld? But that''s what the Qu family has been known for! The damn underworld! They''ve done a variety of unspeakable things there. It''s a slap in the face for the An family!


    They''ve gone so far as to scheme with the Qu family and they dare accuse me of abusing my power and the public''s trust? Those sons of bitches!" Gary was livid.


    He continued wreaking havoc as he paced and ranted. A cup he had been using for two years did not even survive his war path. "Now, see what I got. The superiors asked me to reflect and turn a blind eye to the An family whatever happens.


    What did they mean when they said I''ve been deliberately finding fault with the An family? The An family made a slip up which killed someone. It was obvious that these leaders are trying to protect the An family!


    Is it because they are powerful and influential, and Nicholas used to be an important national officer."


    Gary was so mad and he kicked over a chair. "He''s already dead! Nothing''s stopping these superiors anymore! I really don''t understand what these people were thinking."


    "Calm down, sir! The leaders must be thinking carefully about the situation since Nicholas had just passed away. After all, many of them were his subordinates."


    Secretary Liu went up and said, "Sir, don''t get too worked up. The An family''s power had been strong these past few years. It''s not the best time for us to challenge this. We''ll have a better chance in the future!"


    At Secretary Liu''s wo


    to the door. "Get out!"


    Steven heaved a tired sigh before he turned around and left the room.


    After leaving the study, Steven felt the emotional toil of his conversation with his father. On one hand, his father did give him permission to quit his job and follow his dreams. But Steven was still upset.


    He hoped he could persuade his father to give up his dirty schemes and obsession against the An family.


    Just then, his phone rang. An unknown number was calling him.


    "Hello, is this Steven? I''m at the garage. The car has been fixed. You can come over now."


    It was Brian on the other end of the line.


    "Okay, I see. I''m coming now."


    Steven glanced at his watch. It was four o''clock in the afternoon. Good, it wasn''t too late.


    That night.


    At the East Yard of the An Manor.


    Gary was right. The An family was throwing a wild party, celebrating for getting out of trouble.


    Different from that of the Su family, the atmosphere here was harmonious and joyful.


    "Terence, here''s to you!"


    Edmund raised his glass and clinked it with Terence''s. "Thanks to the Qu family, your second elder brother was freed from prison and our family can get through these difficult times."


    If there was one thing to be learned from this situation, it was how important connections were in solving problems.


    Otherwise, the An family wouldn''t have had an evidence against Gary.


    The Qu family had always had a bad relationship with Gary for a long time. Besides, they had a lot of resources and channels. They had a good fighting chance against Gary.


    This incident would be enough to silence Gary for a while.

 Chapter 827 Rhys Was Going To Divorce

    In this world, nothing is what it is.


    To put it in another perspective, nothing is good or bad. Everything lies in between.


    In this case, the only thing Terence wanted was to free himself from all the trouble.


    "Terence, I''d like to give you a toast!"


    Rhys clinked his glass with Terence, grinning.


    "Dad, Rhys, we''re all family. You don''t have to be so polite,"


    Terence said, waving them off while his other hand slipped around Carla''s. "Dad, all I hope is that you won''t badger Carla whatever the outcome of the child. That''s all I ask for."


    Terence only had one wife and one father. He didn''t want them to fight over simple things.


    "Rest assured that I won''t make the same mistake twice. I''ve already made it clear. Whether Carla has a girl or a boy, I''ll be happy."


    Edmund chuckled, remembering all the antics that he had tried pulling, only for all of them to backfire right in his face.


    Back then, he was too reluctant in giving up on his hopes of having a grandson.


    Although he was still hoping that Carla would give birth to a boy, if she were to give them another girl, he would still be fine with it.


    Besides, it wouldn''t be that bad to have two granddaughters. At least, that was the thing that he was trying to convince himself of.


    "Rhys, you''ll still be the vice president of the company. However, I''ll arrange for you to meet with someone who can show you the ropes. Hopefully, you could learn a thing or two from him,"


    Terence said, drumming his fingers on the glass.


    Rhys flushed in embarrassment. "Terence, I won''t make the same mistake anymore."


    "Rhys, your intentions were good, so¡­ if you have any new ideas, you can tell me and we could put it up for discussion in next week''s meetings.


    Besides, we''re brothers. We got each other''s back ¡ª no need for secrets."


    Terence smiled, clasping his shoulder.


    Rhys lowered his head even more, clenching his fists. He knew Terence''s temper. As long as he treated him sincerely, Terence wouldn''t rage at him that much.


    Not to mention the fact that they were brothers.


    After a while, Rhys gathered up the courage and turned to Edmund. "Dad, I need to talk to you."


    ppers.


    Rhys took a long look at Eunice who was too busy insisting that he changed his shoes. It was like she was a completely different person, however, he wasn''t convinced. "Have you thought of the divorce?"


    She was always like this.


    Every time she would do something wrong, she would act like the most virtuous woman he had ever met, as if that would make him forget.


    She seemed so convinced that no matter what mistakes she had committed, a few words could salvage whatever relationship she damaged.


    Normally, she wasn''t like this, not even close.


    "The water''s getting cold. Go take a shower."


    Eunice avoided his gaze.


    Knowing that this would lead to another fight, Rhys decided to head to the bathroom.


    He might as well prepare himself for what seemed to be an all-out war with his wife.


    If there was something he knew about her, the arrogant woman she was, Eunice wouldn''t accept such an idea as getting a divorce.


    Once the bathroom door was pulled shut, the smile on Eunice''s face dropped.


    ''He wanted a divorce?


    The hell I''ll give it to him!''


    She had spent five years with him, wasted most of her life with him. She even gave him a son! And now he wanted a divorce?


    When she wanted a divorce due to him having a mistress, he had refused!


    And now that he wanted the same thing, she was supposed to say yes? What kind of ridiculousness was that? She wouldn''t go down without a fight. That was for sure!

 Chapter 828 A Woman Or A Man

    That night.


    Steven and Brian were at a flamboyant bar, with blaring with music from every corner and neon lights dancing in perfect synchrony with the music.


    This was a place where everyone sought solace - from lonely single people to those trying to cope with a heartbreak. The bar was a piece of heaven, with the power to take their minds off their troubles.


    But there was a special person here tonight, who was dragged and brought under the compulsion of another.


    Steven seldom went to crowded places like these. He watched the people swaying their bodies in rhythm with the music, attempting to release all their tension and vigor.


    All these people here, shaking their bodies like maniacs, had no inhibitions from facing one another under the neon lights. No matter how different they all were, leading different lives of their own, they were all just the same here, under one roof.


    "Why are you looking at me like that? Have you never been to a bar before?" Brain grabbed a cocktail from the waiter and looked at the innocent man standing before him, staring in disbelief.


    "Here you go! Thank you for paying a third of the repair costs. This is my way of expressing my gratitude. I bet, you have never come across a kind victim like me before."


    Brian smiled and picked a glass of wine for Steven and handed it to him.


    Steven glanced at Brian who was swaying to the music, grabbed the glass from him and smiled gratefully.


    He hated to be in the midst of the crowd and noise but he was dragged to this place forcibly, Steven wanted to ease up and relieve his tense nerves today, but not like this. He felt claustrophobic and suffocated in the bar. He wondered how people relaxed here.


    Brian was patiently waiting for Steven to finish his drink. He took a swig of his drink, put the glass down and motioned him to the dance floor. "Come on, let''s dance."


    "Mr. Shao, I''m sorry. I''ve finished my drink and I''m leaving now."


    Steven wriggled his hand from Brian''s wrist. Brian stopped him when he turned around to leave.


    "Steven, behave like a man. Stop acting like a pussy. We are already here, so let''s make the most of it. Afterwards, we are going to go back to our routine lives, whether we like it or not."


    Brian peered into his innocent eyes. He was always shocked


    buried his feelings, deep into his heart, safe from others. He was drunk tonight and his secrets were spilling out of his mouth without knowing it.


    Soon, they arrived at Brian''s home.


    Steven walked him into the house. He blew out a loud breath and said, "Mr. Shao, I should go now. Good night, sleep well."


    Brian grabbed his hand when he turned around to leave. "Don''t go. I haven''t said enough yet. Please allow me to pour my heart to you."


    Brian never got the chance to share his feelings with someone. He was too drunk to worry about Steven bringing his secret to light. He wanted to get rid of his thoughts, feelings and insecurities that were weighing his heart down.


    Steven looked at Brian''s pleading eyes and couldn''t refuse. He frowned and agreed, "Okay, fine."


    It was already late and he decided to go back to the Su Mansion the next morning.


    Brian was lying on his stomach, hugging his pillow.


    Steven watched Brian talk and finally asked with hesitation, "Umm ... the person you are in love with... Err... Is it a man or a woman?"


    It did not look like a mistake to Steven. The more Brian began to describe, the more it seemed like a man to him.


    Brian burped loudly and smirked.


    Before he could answer to Steven''s question, the two of them had fallen asleep.


    The next morning.


    "What ... What the hell did you do to me?" Brian let out a piercing scream.


    Brian, with his arms over his chest, looked at Steven with disbelief. He panicked at the sight of Steven lying on the bed next to him.

 Chapter 829 I Dont Want You To Laugh Too Much

    Steven woke up in a daze, looking innocently at Brian, who was shouting out loud with panic.


    "You drank too much last night and ended up vomiting on yourself! I helped you take off your clothes. What''s wrong? Why are you yelling?" asked Steven.


    Brian looked at his own body and asked doubtfully, "Are you... are you sure you did nothing except help me take my clothes off?"


    "Mr. Shao, we are two straight men. What else could I have done?" answered Steven matter-of-factly. Rubbing his eyes, he lifted the quilt off himself and got out of bed.


    Bryan looked at him picking up his clothes from the floor and tidying them up. For a while, he kept quiet, then spoke, "Well, I''m sorry. I didn''t mean it like that."


    But his awkward attempt to explain his words merely added insult to injury.


    Brian scratched his head. If anything had happened between them, he was sure it would have been him who would have taken advantage of Steven, not the other way round.


    Steven was a much more innocent man than him and actually didn''t harbor any ulterior motives.


    "Mr. Shao, I''m leaving now..."


    spoke Steven politely and went inside the bathroom to freshen up. Brian still sat on the bed dazed, trying to recall what had happened the previous night.


    Brian sat on the bed wrapped in a quilt. Seeing how casually Steven left, he remained at a loss for some time. It wasn''t until his phone, which had fallen to the floor, rang that he came back to his senses.


    "Terence?" he answered, trying not to sound groggy.


    "Why haven''t you come to work? Did you get drunk last night?"


    asked Terence from the other end. He was waiting for Brian since he had arrived at the company office, but it turned out he never showed up.


    Brian cleared his throat and went on nervously, "I drank a little last night, yes. I''m just getting dressed. Will be there in a while!"


    "Well, you need to check on the cooperation project we settled last time. I''m not going to be here this afternoon. It''s your job to handle it," said Terence.


    At the AJ Headquarters Terence hung up the phone without another word. Brian did have a habit of lapsing and being a little irregular at times, but he was a man Terence could trust with some responsibilities.


    At this point, Rainer entered the office.


    "Mr. An, Mrs. An and Mrs. Qi have a lunch appointment at WH restaurant. From there they are going to watch a play. She asked me to inform you of this and that you needn''t worry about her."


    Terence looked up at Rainer and shook his head. "I see," he said, pursing his lips. "Can you reschedule tomorrow''s meeting? I want to have it today."


    He was thinking about joining Carla this afternoon for lunch, but it turned out she was already having company. He was a little disappointed but he decided to shrug the feeling off and focus on work.


    "Yes, Mr. An."


    Rainer nodded and lef


    ay, you''re getting more and more beautiful!"


    "Oh, really? And you are getting more and more smooth-tongued, aren''t you?" Carla said, narrowing her eyes and smiling coyly. First she held his face in her hands, and then suddenly pinched his cheeks hard.


    Just as she was leaning in to kiss him, the bedroom door suddenly opened.


    With her eyes red, Sally ran toward them and wrapped her arms around their legs.


    "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy..."


    "Hey, honey! What''s wrong?" asked Carla, hurriedly letting go of Terence and crouching down to hug her daughter.


    "Mommy, Uncle¡­ he doesn''t want to see me."


    Sally was crying so hard that she couldn''t catch her own breath. Sean hadn''t come back last week. She had just called him to say she missed him.


    However, to her surprise, Sean only spoke a few words to her in response and then hung up. She was convinced he no longer loved her.


    In the past, they talked on the phone for hours.


    Hearing what Sally said, Terence crouched down and picked her up in his arms, while also helping Carla to stand up again.


    "Hey, don''t cry. Maybe your uncle is too busy with his studies! He will come back when he has another holiday, next time."


    Terence rubbed his little girl''s face and calmed her down softly.


    With wet eyes, she looked at him and said, "But, Daddy, Uncle doesn''t like me anymore, since I interrupted him from playing games last time."


    Children nowadays are extremely smart.


    She was so little, and yet she could feel Sean behaving differently since she interrupted his game.


    Carla sighed looking at her cry endlessly.


    "How could that be? Sally, honey, you think too much," Carla said. Terence nodded at her, then started distracting her by asking her to play the jigsaw puzzle game on the computer.


    After a while, Sophie came in with the soup.


    Finally calm, Sally drank a full bowl of soup and went back to her bedroom to sleep.

 Chapter 830 Edmunds Ecstasy

    After Sally left, Carla drank the delicious winter melon soup. While she was enjoying it, her mind wandered and fixated on a thought.


    ''My dear Sally would be devastated if Sean actually cast a cold eye toward her!''


    "What''s wrong? What are you thinking about?"


    Terence asked as soon as he came out of the bathroom. He noticed the skeptical look on her face. The spoon was empty yet it was inside her mouth.


    Carla came back to her senses and shook her head. She pointed at the soup bowl on the table and said, "Nothing. Come and have it with me. It''s very delicious."


    "No, I had a heavy dinner so I am full," Terence said while he jokingly caressed his belly. He sat beside her and poked her nose. "Why are you looking at me like that?"


    "I don''t care if you are full! You should eat too."


    Carla took the bowl that Sophie had prepared earlier and raised it in front of him.


    "Carla, please! My stomach is too full to have anything."


    Terence looked at the woman who put the bowl in his hand, frowning and smiling. ''Why is she forcing me to eat? Why am I supposed to have it?'' he thought while trying his best to hide his frustration.


    "Look, my stomach is so big! I hate being fat alone so I need your company. I want you to eat as much as I do, so we can grow fat together. I can''t bear to look like a fat pig while you are still in good shape," Carla said angrily and poured some soup in his bowl.


    Terence couldn''t help laughing. He took a sip of the soup and said, "Okay, let''s grow fat together."


    "Yes! From tomorrow, you are not allowed to go running, nor are you allowed to exercise in the evening!"


    Carla ordered as she took another sip of the soup.


    She wanted to cut off any chance that might get Terence back in shape. If he was allowed to exercise, then her attempts at making him fat would just be in vain.


    Terence smiled but didn''t utter a word. He lifted her chin and kissed her on the lips before saying, "Honey, don''t worry. Even if you become a 100-kilogram butterball, I can still carry you.


    Also, put your mind at ease. I will be fat to keep you company."


    Terence smiled softly and filled her bowl again.


    Carla had been really fond of eating lately. So, hearing Terence''s words, she began to eat without any scruples.


    In truth, she had the kind of body that wouldn''t gain weight easily. The only time when she gained some weight was when she was pregnant in the BT Village, but she recovered soon after she gave birth to Sally.


    Therefore, she really didn''t believe she would grow fat even if she kept a carel


    herself.


    She had read so many maternity books. Of course she knew how to judge the gender of the baby from the check-up result, but the gender had little value to her. She was happy as long as her baby was healthy and safe.


    "Okay, if that''s how you want it to be then I can''t force you," Violet replied and let out a defeated sigh. Slowly, she got up from the bed and adjusted her clothes.


    In a matter of seconds, they were out of the office.


    The doctor that had just done Carla''s examination was talking on the phone quietly.


    "Yes, sir Edmund. Mrs. An was here for a check-up. The baby is all right. Don''t worry.


    "Well, ... sir Edmund, if I''m right, this time you should rest assured,"


    The doctor said in a low voice.


    "Yes, almost 80% sure. Please rest assured. When Mrs. An comes for another examination, I will get a more sure answer. And then, I am going to report it to you."


    He has been a doctor for nearly 20 years. And with this much experience, he was affirmative that his hunch was right.


    Hearing the doctor''s words, Edmund felt excited. Then he said, "Okay, okay. Thank you very much!"


    After hanging up the phone, Edmund felt a sense of relief that he had never felt before.


    "Great! Finally, there will be a successor in our family. Race, ask the chef to prepare delicious dishes tonight. And don''t forget to invite Terence and Carla for dinner!"


    "By the way, call Kaylee over, too. She hasn''t been over in a long time,"


    Edmund said, his heart brimming with happiness.


    He had been waiting for this day for a long time. It''s a pity that Terence''s grandfather was gone and could no longer witness it. Otherwise, he would have been delighted with the good news.

 Chapter 831 The Heir Of The Family

    It was already dusk.


    Terence picked up Carla and drove to the East Yard.


    "Terence, do you know why Dad wants to see us all of a sudden?"


    Carla knitted her brows in confusion.


    "I don''t know. Maybe he just wants to see us." Terence smiled.


    He did not know the reason either, but it did not seem like a big deal to him. They had been traveling back and forth very often these days.


    Moreover, Rhys and his wife were getting a divorce. Eunice was creating trouble as she had neither agreed to the divorce, nor allowed Rhys to move out. There had been a lot of rifts and conflicts, which had been bothering his father.


    Perhaps Edmund just wanted to see Carla and Terence to distract himself from all the problems.


    The Mu family was not a bunch of pushovers. They would not agree to a divorce unless they got something out of it.


    Carla nodded. The car stopped at the East Yard and Carla felt that it was the right time, and therefore, took the picture the doctor had given her today and showed it to Terence.


    "Do you know what this is?"


    Terence parked the car, peered at the two pictures and took them from Carla''s hands. He couldn''t stop smiling at the hazy picture. His heart swelled with happiness.


    "Oh my gosh! That''s our baby!"


    "Yep. Cute, isn''t it?"


    Carla''s eyes prickled with tears not only at the sight of her baby, but also at the priceless reaction of her husband.


    "Of course. You know, I have always been curious about how a baby looks when it has just come out of its mother''s belly. I have only had the chance to see Kyle''s child."


    Terence couldn''t control his emotions at the sight of the precious pictures. He immediately felt remorseful for not being there for Sally when she was born.


    Everything was new and special to him.


    His stomach was bubbling with happiness and excitement.


    "Mr. and Mrs. An, Master Edmund is waiting for you inside,"


    Race said.


    Terence and Carla stepped out of the car.


    He carefully placed the pictures into his pocket and held out his hand to help Carla climb the stairs.


    As soon as they entered the room, Kaylee ran towards Carla and hugged her.


    "Carla, it has been a long time since we saw each other. Did you miss me?"


    Kaylee smiled.


    "Oh, Auntie Kaylee, you''re here!" Carla was surprised by Kaylee''s presence. She had not heard from her in a long time and had almost thought that she had broken up with Edmund. "Of course! I missed you. I had been thinking about seeing you, but I was afraid that you would be busy during the end of the year, and did not want to disturb you!"


    Kaylee smiled and waved at Terence. "Terence, I need to have a private chat with Carla. Why don''t you go and talk with your dad?"


    Kaylee said, dragging Carla into one of the rooms.


    "What''s wrong, Aunt Kaylee? What''s with all the mystery?" Carla smiled in confusion.


    Carla had not seen Kaylee after Edmund set her up and almost made her divorce Terence.


    Kaylee took Carla''s hand and sighed, "After what happened with you and Terence last time, I had a big fight with your father. I lost my temper and said some nasty things to him. He stopped talking with me and had not contacted me for a long time."


    Kaylee was a sensibl


    hewed her lips nervously. "If I end up giving birth to a girl again, will Dad get you married to another woman? He wouldn''t stop until he has a grandson, would he?"


    Terrence''s heart broke at the sight of his wife looking scared and worried. "He won''t do anything like that. Dad has promised me never to make the same mistake again." he smiled reassuringly. "He said that he would be totally fine even if you gave birth to a girl. He was initially hoping to have a grandson who could expand our family and business. Don''t worry too much.


    Ask your mom, if you want. She would also tell the same thing. Trust me."


    Carla felt a little relieved by the intensity in Terence''s voice. "Terence, even if Father is still biased in the future, you should not be like him. It will be unfair to Sally."


    Many parents favored the younger child, which hurt the older one.


    Carla didn''t want Sally to suffer the same fate.


    "Honey, you are overthinking it. No matter how many kids we have, you will always be my first baby and I will love you the most. Children will be with us only till they need our help. Once, they are old enough they will have a life of their own.


    Although we can offer a comfortable life for our children, love is the only thing that will truly nurture them.


    Love has no bounds and I''m sure we can love them equally without being biased."


    Terence cupped her cheeks and stared into her eyes.


    The love that parents have for their children is always immeasurable.


    But one should never stop loving their partner.


    Children won''t be with parents forever. They leave their parents and have families of their own, but only their partner will be there for them till the end.


    Carla knew that he was right.


    She was sure that he was going to be a great dad.


    "Well, honey, don''t think too much. Sally will always be our beloved daughter, I promise you."


    Terence caressed her cheeks, kissed her lips softly and smiled at .her


    Sally was his little princess and he would spoil her with all the love in the world.


    He would always protect her and no one in all of JA City would dare to bully his dear daughter.

 Chapter 832 Eunice Had A Car Accident

    Terence comforted Carla and helped her calm down. After a while, she didn''t feel too angry anymore.


    Although it was not a big deal for Edmund to play such tricks, it affected Carla deeply.


    She was aware that Edmund was also distressed. Yet, there was a huge difference between him and Terence that she could not ignore.


    Carla and Terence spent the night in the East Yard.


    The next day.


    As Carla went down the stairs, Eunice''s voice filled her ears.


    "Dad, can you help me persuade Rhys?"


    Eunice urged Edmund. Carla was seeing Eunice after a long time. Carla could not help but reflect on how lean Eunice looked! She had become much gaunter.


    "Dad, I don''t know what''s wrong with Rhys. All of a sudden, he has decided to divorce me? It''s unfair to me and to Eric as well!"


    Eunice wiped her tears and continued in a choked voice, "I know that we had a lot of differences from the very beginning. It has never been easy for Rhys and me to get on well with each other. He has made many mistakes earlier and I forgave him every time. But this time, he is asking for a divorce all of a sudden! I just can''t understand it. Could you please help me and talk some sense into him?"


    Edmund, who was sitting on the sofa, shook his head and sighed, "Eunice, although I''m your father-in-law, it does not look good if I interfere in your marriage.


    You and Rhys came together to form a family and it''s you who run it. So you should try to solve the problems by yourself. I''m sorry I don''t find it proper to intervene between a husband and his wife."


    Edmund thought Rhys was stimulated for some reason and just mentioned divorce in the heat of the moment. Edmund didn''t expect that he could be serious.


    Eunice shook her head, sat up beside him, held his hand and emphasized, "No, Dad! He will listen to you! You''re his father.


    Even if you don''t care about me, please think about Eric. What fault did he have? After all, Eric is your grandson.


    Do you really want to see him grow up without a father?"


    Eunice''s face was full of tears. Even though she was a tough woman, she knew that a divorce would wreak havoc in her life.


    Moreover, even if she had been quarreling with Rhys and cursing him all the time, she still had feelings for him. They had been married for five years. It was unthinkable for Eunice to break up with him like this.


    "Eunice, calm down. I''ll t


    st in her thoughts, Eunice could hardly see what lay in front of her on the road. Her vision was blurred with tears pooling her eyes and her mind was in a mess. All of a sudden, the deafening sound of a car horn came from the opposite direction, followed by a loud crash!


    The two cars bumped into each other. Eunice''s head got knocked hard against the steering wheel and she passed out.


    In the East Yard.


    After breakfast, Terence and Carla were about to go out when they saw Race rushing in.


    "Mr. Edmund, something really bad happened!


    Just now, one of our men reported that Mrs. Eunice was met with a car accident on the road close to the East Yard. The man who saw it happen in front of his eyes said that it was a serious accident."


    Edmund almost sprang up from the sofa saying, "What did you say? Eunice was met with a car accident? Did you call the ambulance? Come on, take me there! Hurry up"


    Carla and Terence, who were still standing at the door, looked at each other.


    "Terence, shall we go with them?" Carla said with concern. After all, Eunice did not divorce Rhys yet. Hence, she was still of Terence''s sister-in-law.


    At this unfortunate moment, it was their duty to stand by her as a family.


    But Terence held her hand and said, "You don''t have to go there. You are pregnant now. You shouldn''t go to that kind of place.


    How about this? I''ll ask Carol to take you to the new suburb now. And then I''ll meet you there after I am done with these things here."


    Carla nodded at Terence''s suggestion. That was the only option for them for the time being.

 Chapter 833 Lets Go to the Lantern Show

    Terence followed Edmund to the scene of the accident, which was near the East Yard.


    On the way, Terence informed Rhys while Edmund called Eunice''s family.


    When Rhys received Terence''s call, he rushed to the spot.


    Although he had already made up his mind to divorce Eunice, he still couldn''t help but worry about her. When Terence told him that his wife''s life was in danger, something awoke inside Rhys.


    After bringing Eunice to the hospital, Rhys kept pacing back and forth outside the operating room, full of remorse.


    "It''s all my fault. If only I could hold it in a little longer."


    Rhys couldn''t help but blame himself. When he had seen Eunice''s bleeding head, he was stunned.


    He had been tired of Eunice''s dominant character. But even so, he had never imagined she could be so weak, lying on the operating table lifelessly one day. Eunice was a stubborn woman. She would always force him to try to do something he didn''t like. But she still gave him and the An Family a son. Rhys could still remember how proud Edmund was when his wife brought their little boy to the family.


    "Brother, don''t be like this. It has already happened. It''s useless to blame yourself," Terence stood beside him and comforted him softly, "This tragedy has nothing to do with you wanting a divorce. Even if you think you can bear with it this time, can you still say the same next time? You''ve already made up your mind. You can''t put your happiness on hold just because this accident happened."


    Rhys sighed deeply and closed his eyes.


    Yes, he had been trying to put up with Eunice for many years. Even if he could tolerate her this time, what about the next time?


    He would still ask for a divorce anyway.


    "But Terence, I''m also responsible for this terrible accident. I should have postponed asking for a divorce. I could have waited for a better time to talk to her. Then maybe this wouldn''t have happened to her!"


    Rhys said with remorse, his fist clenched at his sides.


    "That''s all right, Brother. Sure, that could happen. But we can''t change the past. What happened has already happened. Now let''s find a way to help Eunice get through this first," Terence said, comforting Rhys.


    A long time passed.


    The door of the operating room opened.


    The doctor came out and said gravely, "There is fracture somewhere in the patient''s skull. It''s a not very serious injury to her head. But, the bleeding inside her brain has caused a hematoma. This is out


    ul lanterns hanging over their heads, Terence and Carla enjoyed the romantic and relaxed mood.


    "Carla, come here. Let me take a picture of you."


    Terence saw a group of lanterns lined up in the shape of a blue dolphin in front of him. It looked very magnificent, so he took out a camera to take pictures for her.


    At a distance, Nathan cast a glance at Carol, who was walking in front of him. Then he went to a roadside lantern shop to buy a small lotus lantern before quickly catching up to her.


    But before he could give his gift to Carol, he was surprised.


    In front of him, Carol already had a small chrysanthemum lantern. He didn''t know where she even bought the thing, but it didn''t matter now. Not when she was holding it in front of Rainer, offering it to him.


    "Rainer, is this beautiful?"


    Rainer''s eyes carefully observed the surrounding environment before he took in the lantern in her hand. "It''s beautiful. Sally would like it."


    "Sally has one already. It''s a rabbit-shaped lantern. This one is for you."


    While speaking, she shoved the lantern into Rainer''s hand. Then she ran away with a blushing face.


    Rainer looked at Carol who was running away and then looked back at the lantern in his hand. Distracted, he shook his head. He had nearly forgotten his own duty. Quickly, he followed Terence and Carla in front.


    Nathan, who was standing behind Rainer, watched the whole scene happen between Rainer and Carol. Then he sank into silence.


    He also received the same lantern from Carol. After a short pause, he threw the lantern into a nearby trash can.


    He then walked forward and caught up with Terence.

 Chapter 834 Looking At It Is Far From Being Enough

    They''d seen all the lights the Lantern Festival had offered with Carla in Terence''s arms.


    Eventually, Carla tired out. She wanted to see the rest of the festival but the venue was too big and cars couldn''t pass through most areas. So Terence had carried her for the most part.


    Terence stayed with her until she got her fill of the brilliant lights.


    "Honey, you must be tired from carrying me for so long. Let me give you a kiss as a reward."


    Carla wrapped her arms around his neck and smacked his thin lips with hers.


    "Is that all?"


    Terence raised his eyebrows, discontented with a fleeting smack. Carla gave him a kiss that could barely be called one and of course, that was not enough for him. That would never be enough.


    Seeing his grumpy face, Carla pouted and kissed him again.


    "How about this time?"


    Terence raised his eyebrows, lifted her chin and kissed her properly.


    "Honey, since we''re both grown-ups here, I think you can kiss me any way you want, unlike elementary students sneaking off. Remember, the next time you want to thank me, just do it this way!"


    He tried to close the gap between them again and kiss her, but he was stopped by a slap.


    Carla caressed her swollen lips. "Terence, you should know that primary school students know what the word ''insatiable'' means. How come you don''t seem to understand it?"


    ''This man is getting more and more brazen, '' she thought.


    "Who says I don''t understand? Didn''t I behave properly?" Terence blinked and glanced at her collar. He whispered in her ear, "My dear wife, I have one thing I don''t understand. Why do you think your pregnancy increased your boobs'' size?"


    Carla glared at him. Embarrassed, she squealed, "Shut up!"


    It was normal for women to get pregnant and get bigger breasts as they carried their child to full term.


    Terence chuckled and put his arm around her shoulder, "Okay, I''ll shut up now. I will study it when we get home, though."


    After a while, they had arrived at the Seaview Villa.


    After taking a bath, Carla sat comfortably on the sofa. Behind her, Terence was helping her dry her hair.


    Time passed by.


    Carla noticed that Terence was taking longer in drying her hair. She looked up and found Terence watching her, enjoying the scene in front of him.


    The corners of her lips slightly twitched. Her bright eyes sparkled mischievously. Then she started to pull her clothes off slowly.


    ''Well,


    do at the hospital?


    "Well, Terence, I don''t know how to tell you. But when Eunice woke up this morning, she kept saying she wanted to see you. I have no choice but to agree."


    Rhys said reluctantly!


    Terence squinted his eyes and asked, "What do you mean? Why would she want to see me?"


    "Terence, whether you can come or not, please consider it as my request as your brother, okay?"


    Rhys said helplessly.


    Terence rubbed the skin between his eyebrows and sighed, "All right. I''ll go there, but I won''t stay long. I really have a meeting later."


    "All right, all you need to do is come here."


    Rhys sighed with relief.


    After hanging up the phone, Terence frowned in confusion and turned back to their bedroom.


    Carla, like a cat that had just woken up, stretched lazily and asked, "Why did you get up so early? Won''t the meeting start at ten o''clock?"


    "Rhys asked me if I could go to the hospital first. After that, I will go to the company," Terence looked back at her as he put on his clothes.


    "Carla, I will go downstairs and ask Sophie to bring you breakfast. If you want to sleep some more, eat first."


    Carla nodded. She propped her chin up with one hand and looked at him, "Rhys asked you to go to the hospital? Is there something wrong with Eunice?"


    "I guess so. I don''t know the full situation yet. Let me go and have a look."


    After putting on his clothes, Terence walked up to her and said, "I''m going ahead, okay? If I''m not busy this afternoon, I will come back earlier."


    Then he bent down and pressed a kiss to her forehead.


    Carla waved at him and went back to bed.

 Chapter 835 It Has Nothing To Do With Me!

    In the hospital, when Terence arrived, he saw Rhys pacing up and down, nervously outside the ward.


    As soon as Rhys saw Terence, his eyes softened and he grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the ward. He peered the surroundings to check if anyone was listening to him. "Terence, I have an important thing to tell you. I want you to listen carefully, without freaking out.


    I don''t know how to tell this to you ... Err ... Even the doctor doesn''t understand what is going on." He rubbed his neck nervously.


    Terence frowned as he could not understand a word he was saying.


    "What happened?" asked Terence.


    Rhys took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and exhaled loudly. "Something is wrong with Eunice. I don''t understand what is going on. She seems a little weird ever since she woke up this morning. Umm... She has been telling that..." he trailed off, looking painful.


    "Well, she has been telling that she is married to you and that you are her husband. She thinks that the two of you are living a happy life."


    Terence''s mouth opened and closed for a couple of times as he tried to comprehend his brother''s words. He looked at Rhys with disbelief as he did not know what to say.


    He ran his fingers through his hair and finally said, "I think you should work on finding the problem and treating her illness. I don''t understand why you have called me when there is nothing I can do to help you."


    Terence could not help but wonder what could have possibly happened to Eunice that had made her delusional.


    "But, Terence, the doctor says that she is in a critical condition. He has asked us not to say or do anything that could worry her. Her condition may worsen if she witnesses something that could potentially shock her."


    Rhys rubbed his forehead, looking helpless. "Terence, we all know that the Mu family originally wanted Eunice to get married to you. But you didn''t like her, so I had to replace you.


    I have clearly not given her the life that she wanted. We never got along well, which has perhaps killed her happiness and affected her brain. She has been rambling that you are her husband and that Carla is... Carla is my wife.


    The doctors are not able to diagnose her in a short period. They said that the only thing they could do was to offer psychotherapy to determine how she is coping."


    Rhys let out a long sigh.


    He shook his head as he did not know what he should do to make her feel better. He felt that he was stuck in a maze that had no way out.


    she began to picture the tribe¡ªhow they looked and what kind of clothes they wore.


    "No, not really. They look just like us and you will not be able to differentiate them from us. Oh, I have also heard that the women in the YH Tribe love to ride horses; they considered it as a means to enjoy their freedom. Although, we have become modern and changed our ways, some of their traditions are still much alive," Carol smiled.


    Carol had once trained as a bodyguard and had a colleague who belonged to the YH Tribe. And therefore, Carol was familiar with their customs.


    Carla was intrigued by the place, and started liking it more and more, when Carol provided interesting information about the people. It was perhaps because she loved to ride horses too.


    But Carla also thought that loving horses was normal. People rode horses everywhere during the ancient times and developed a special connection with them. Since ancient times, some people would treat horses like a member of their family.


    "Carol, Mr. An is back. You can leave now."


    Nathan walked in and said curtly.


    He did not care about interrupting their conversation.


    Carol glanced at Nathan''s droopy face. "Alright. Where is Rainer, is he here?"


    Carol looked around to see if Rainer was somewhere close by.


    "No, he has got something to attend to. He will be back soon,"


    Nathan said curtly.


    "Oh." Carol looked at him before she turned around and walked off.


    Later, Nathan saw Terence walk in. He gave him a terse nod, and walked off, leaving Terence and Carla to themselves.


    Terence wanted to spend time with his wife, so he had instructed Nathan to tell Carol to leave.

 Chapter 836 Eunice Had An Illusion That She Was Terences Wife

    "Why are you standing there all by yourself?"


    Terence asked as he walked over, looking at Carla who was staring blankly at the sea.


    Hearing this, Carla finally came to her senses and looked at him. "You''re back? How is Eunice doing?"


    Walking up toward her, Terence casually put his arm around her shoulder. Then, he snorted with such disdain and answered, "I guess she has a screw loose."


    "What?"


    Carla asked, feeling quite surprised, "What do you mean? Did she get brain damage? Has she gone insane?"


    "More or less. She doesn''t even know Rhys, so you tell me how silly that is!" Terence lightly blurted out. As he glanced at his watch, he went on and added, "By the way, I have made an appointment with Brian and Kyle later this evening. What do you say? Shall we ask them to come to the villa or should we just go out?"


    "Let''s just ask them to come over. It''s boring to stay at home all the time, and that way, I can also get myself busy for once. Wait, what did you just say? You said that Eunice didn''t know who Rhys was?"


    Carla couldn''t get the previous topic out of her head. What did it mean? Had Eunice lost her mind?


    Could it really be that serious?


    "That''s exactly what I was thinking. It has been quiet around the house for some time now, so it''s about time we had a party," Terence said as a smile crept onto his face. The reason why he asked was because he wanted to get her opinion. In truth, he was worried that she might prefer to have some peace and quiet. And if that was the case, then he would have to think of some other way.


    "I''m asking you," Carla nudged him.


    "Honey, everyone has his or her own life to live. Whether she has actually gone insane or not has nothing to do with us."


    Terence said, completely apathetic about it. As a matter of fact, Eunice almost burst out laughing when she found out that Carla''s life had been in danger. Not once had she ever been concerned about Carla, so Terence couldn''t care less about her at all.


    Letting out a soft sigh, Carla didn''t bother prying too much into it anymore. "I''ll ask Sophie to prepare the dinner. You should ask them to come earlier so we can all have dinner together!"


    But just as she was about to stand up from the bench, Terence suddenly pulled her into his arms and said, "Carla, you don''t have to worry about anything. If you have the time, I want you to think carefully about what you want to have for dinner and where you want to go. Tell me, I will help you realize them one at a time..."


    Terence softly said, trying to give her a sense of assurance as he ran his fingers through her hair.


    When she noticed the tears welling up in his eyes, Carla leane


    words, Eunice''s head starting aching, and it hurt so much that she couldn''t hold back her groans.


    "Eunice, what''s the matter?"


    Rhys turned around as soon as he heard her and walked over to the bed to check up on her.


    "Rhys, please... Just go and find my sister-in-law. I don''t ever want to see you again.. I beg you!" Eunice rubbed her forehead in pain, feeling like it was about to explode. All she could do was struggle, but the pain wouldn''t subside at all.


    Pausing for a moment, Rhys heaved a heavy sigh. He couldn''t help himself from saying, "Eunice, what the hell do you want? Even if I want us to get a divorce, there''s no need for you to act like this just to get back at me."


    As Rhys said this, he forced a cough and shot his son a glance. Then, he ordered the nanny who followed Eric here, "Take Eric with you and go outside to get something to eat."


    Now, there was only the two of them left in the ward.


    "Rhys, what on earth are you talking about? Don''t tell me you''re seriously planning to divorce Eunice. Although I also believe that Eunice is only acting, you have a child together. So, if the two of you are getting divorced like this, isn''t it a bit too..."


    However, Rhys couldn''t help crying out again before she could finish what she was trying to say.


    "Eunice! Please! I beg you! Can you drop the act? I''ve heard that people could get brain damage, become stupid and lose their memories, but I''ve never heard anything about people becoming like this!"


    Rhys blurted out, with his fists clenched tightly. It might have only been a day, but it was already driving him insane.


    ''How could my wife fantasize that she is the woman of my younger brother? If word got out about this, I will be the laughing stock!'' Rhys thought, feeling infuriated.

 Chapter 837 The Vague Relationship Between Rainer and Carol

    Eunice''s headache worsened as she heard Rhys ramble, over and over again.


    Wilma walked in at the right time and stood in front of Eunice to shield her from the tantrums Rhys was throwing. "What the hell do you want, Rhys?


    You are solely responsible for my daughter''s condition. Why are you yelling at her?"


    She grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him aside and stared into his eyes. "Rhys, Eunice is sick; she is mentally ill. I don''t want you to trigger her, please," she whispered.


    "Get used to the fact that she is not OK. Don''t push her off her limits; I don''t want her overthinking. Do you understand? I am sure that she will get better in a couple of days. Please be patient till then; try to empathize with her."


    Rhys closed his eyes and gritted his teeth in annoyance. He couldn''t take it anymore. "Mom, aren''t you afraid that she will remain like this forever?"


    "That''s impossible! She belongs to the Mu family and she is healthy as a horse. It is unfortunate that something like this has happened to her, but she will get better, trust me," Wilma said fiercely. "Rhys, I''m warning you again; don''t make things worse for Eunice by provoking her."


    Wilma quickly rearranged her expression, plastered a smile on her face and walked towards Eunice.


    "Honey, are you feeling better? Does your head still hurt? Want me to call the doctor for you?"


    "Mom, Terence ... I want to see Terence,"


    Eunice cried as she held her head with her hands.


    "Shh ... Shh... Terence is busy now. He will come and see you soon, OK?" Wilma rubbed her daughter''s back to comfort her.


    Rhys looked back and forth at Wilma and Eunice, lifted his hands in exasperation, turned around and walked out.


    ¡ª¡ª


    In the evening.


    At the Seaview Villa.


    "Brian, Kyle, I''m happy to introduce my darling wife, Carla Ji,"


    Terence grinned proudly as he wrapped his arm on Carla''s waist.


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you."


    Carla smiled and reached out her hands.


    Terence pulled her back before her hands rested on theirs. "Sit down. Dinner will be ready soon."


    Brian and Kyle looked at Terence and Carla in bewilderment.


    Carla rolled her eyes at Terence and looked away.


    "Terence, why have you turned into a possessive husband? Won''t let your woman touch another man, huh?" Kyle arched an eyebrow teasingly.


    Terence sat down and shook his head. "Do you think I would have called you guys home if I wer


    right behind them, watching them silently.


    He saw the two of them gushing and flirting back and forth. He shook his head and walked towards Terence.


    "Mr. An, Bryant is on the phone. Can you spare some time to go to the study? He''s waiting for you to answer the video call," Nathan whispered into Terence''s ears.


    "Okay, yeah."


    Terence put down his glass. "Honey, I''ll be back in a minute," he whispered into Carla''s ears.


    He smiled at Brian and Kyle. "Guys, enjoy your food. I''ll be back soon."


    Terence strutted to his room.


    Carla nodded and watched Terence leave. She turned back and continued talking with Brian and Kyle.


    She had an effortless conversation with Kyle as he was a married man with children. She felt more comfortable as they shared something in common.


    Carla noticed Brian stealing a few glances at Terence from time to time and her thoughts flitted to what Carol had reminded her of.


    She was fidgeting with her hands nervously and was hoping to prompt Carol to keep a watchful eye on Brian.


    When she turned towards Carol''s direction, she saw her staring into Rainer''s eyes and immediately understood what it meant.


    However, Rainer glanced at Carla and understood what she had been thinking. He could read her helpless eyes and cast a reassuring smile. He was about to take a step forward when Carla shook her head, gesturing him to stay back.


    She had not noticed it before, but the sparks of love between Rainer and Carol seemed evident now and she did not want to ruin the moment for them. She looked at them in adoration, trying to suppress her goofy grin.

 Chapter 838 You Are So Stupid

    In the study, Bryant was waiting for Terence for a video call, a cunning smile inching its way into his lips. He had slanted eyes, so when he smiled, his eyes would quint even more till they could barely be seen through his glasses.


    "What''s the matter?"


    Terence asked, sitting across Bryant who had been snickering the entire time. One look at Terence''s face rendered him silent.


    He cleared his throat and placed an old black-and-white photograph into the screen. "Look carefully, sir." He motioned to the screen, tilting his seat just a bit so they''d get a better view. "Don''t you think the person in the picture looks familiar?"


    As he was speaking, Bryant zoomed in the picture for Terence to get a better look. In the swarm of many different people, someone caught his eye¨Ca woman.


    "Who''s this?" he asked, peering closer. ''She looks so much like Carla, '' he thought.


    However, given how worn the photograph looked, there was no way this woman was her. She''d have to be seventy by now if that was her.


    "Who do you think? I mean, she looks so much like your wife, doesn''t she?" The first time Bryant laid eyes on the photo, he noticed how the lady in picture looked so similar with Carla. He remembered asking more of his people to investigate on the source of the image that had alerted him.


    Although, he was expecting to find something. He didn''t think that the secrets would be all be spilled by just one photograph.


    "Where did you get this photo?" He leaned back, drumming his fingers on the table intently. "What about the rest? Who are these people?"


    Bryant placed the photo away, the same cunning smile appearing on his lips. "You''re incredibly smart, Mr. An. You can take a guess."


    Terence stroke his chin with one hand, narrowing his gaze at the screen. His eyes glinted.


    "Is she my mother-in-law then?"


    That was the only possibility that he could think of. There was no way they''d look so similar yet not be related to one another.


    Bryant snapped his fingers almost immediately. "Bingo!"


    He cocked up an eyebrow at the ''revelation''. "That''s all? That''s the reason why you asked me to come here? I still have a guest at home. If you''d like, we can talk about this later."


    Seeing as there was nothing important about the information, Terence stood up, readying to leave. Bryant staggered upwards, raising a hand to stop him.


    "Mr. An, give me a minute to explain. This matter has something to do with your wife, Carla. Otherwise I wouldn''t invite you this v


    aused. "No...I haven''t, Mrs. An," she stammered, her cheeks flushing a bright red tinge.


    "Really?"


    Carla raised her eyebrows, knowing fully well that the woman was hiding something from her.


    "Yes. I promise." She shook her head repeatedly.


    Carla nodded thoughtfully. "I see. I''ve told Terence repeatedly how much I''d like to introduce Rainer and Nathan to two lovely women. Although I''m not as worried for Nathan, it''s Rainer I keep thinking about.


    He''s a careful man, calm and passive. However, he does get angry when things get personal.


    He once fell in love with Susan, but it didn''t take long for that to fall apart."


    While listening to Carla, Carol rubbed her shoulders absentmindedly, nodding at her words. "He doesn''t really have a way with women," she found herself saying.


    "Right? That''s why if a girl''s interested in him, she should just say it outright or else he wouldn''t be able to catch it. Am I right?"


    Carla slowed her words to emphasize her point, this time staring up at Carol.


    Carol flushed, feeling her cheeks getting redder and redder. "Of course, that''s right. Mrs. An, have a good rest. I''ll be leaving now."


    She hurriedly dashed out the room.


    Finally out of the room, Carol breathed a sigh of relief. However, just before she''d return back to her own room, she saw Rainer walking towards her.


    He gave her a once over. "You okay? You don''t look so good," he pointed out bluntly


    before making his way to the study to talk with Terence.


    Just when she was about to reply, he had already upped and left. Her hands balled into fists, as she gritted her teeth.


    ''You''re so insensitive, Rainer!'' she cursed.

 Chapter 839 Can I Go To Bed Now

    It was already deep in the night.


    Only once in a blue moon did Kyle and Brian visit JA City. Because of this, they stayed up late hanging out with Terence.


    There was an entertainment system on the third floor that had been set up for the men so that they could have a nice time without having to leave the villa.


    By now, Terence was a little drunk. When he went back to the bedroom, he found that Carla had already fallen asleep.


    When she felt a slight movement that he made on the bed, Carla turned and moved closer to him, nestling her head in his arms like a cat.


    Terence looked at Carla who was rubbing her head against his chest. Once she found a comfortable position, she remained still. Watching her do this, a smile crept onto his face.


    He observed that she had one hand on her belly.


    Ever since she knew that she was carrying a baby, she would instinctively do these protective actions. Her house was a safe place but it didn''t stop her from worrying.


    Terence reached out his hand and stroked her cheek gently. For a long time, he stared at her delicate face.


    Although her face hadn''t changed much since he met her, a lot of subtle changes had become noticeable.


    "Terence¡­ why aren''t you sleeping yet?"


    Carla asked when she caught sight of him staring at her.


    Instead of replying, he looked at her and smiled.


    "Well, I''ve got a little buzz from the wine, so I don''t feel sleepy. Why are you still awake?"


    Terence made up an excuse. He was afraid that if he admitted that he couldn''t fall asleep because of her, she would taunt him.


    To be completely in love with her was romantic. But if she came to know about his obsession, it might put pressure on her.


    Under this circumstance, his only choice was to disguise his passion every now and then.


    "I have to go to the bathroom," Carla said. She lifted the quilt, got up, put on her slippers and went to the bathroom.


    When she came back, she found that Terence was still waiting for her with his eyes wide open.


    As soon as she came to bed, Terence held her in his arms again and asked gently, "Carla, you have been away from your mother for so long. Do you know why?"


    Carla didn''t understand why he had brought up such a question in the middle of the nig


    ad.


    Carla, who was about to sleep, suddenly looked up and asked, "What if you were already married at that time?"


    Terence smiled bitterly. He touched her head and said, "Forget it and go to sleep, Carla."


    Carla was a smart girl. Every now and then, she would come up with sharp questions that would leave him speechless.


    And this was one of the reasons why he loved her so much. But now, Carla looked up and blinked her eyes, waiting for an answer.


    In any case, he had brought up the topic.


    Seeing her fluttering eyelashes, Terence frowned, kissed her lips and gave her a gentle bite.


    "Stop asking me such questions. I love you and I will always love you. If I sink, I will sink with you. Even if I''m going to hell, I will make sure I take you with me."


    "If you are with me, I wouldn''t mind going to hell!"


    Carla replied with her eyes closed. Slowly, she placed a warm kiss on his lips. Her deft tongue brushed his clean teeth.


    Thinking about all of it, Terence was thankful that he was single when he met her.


    Otherwise life wouldn''t have been this good. He was lucky that he could love her without any worries.


    It was dawn when Carla fell asleep.


    When she woke up, it was already ten o''clock in the morning.


    "Mrs. An, you woke up." Carol had been waiting outside the door. When she heard some movement inside, she came in and said, "Your phone rang a while ago and I answered it. It was your mother."


    Carla stretched herself and said, "Really? What did she say?"

 Chapter 840 Even If It Is Just Pretending

    "Mrs. An, your mother called to inform you that Tristan''s wedding had been fixed. It will be held next week. Her call was to invite you to the wedding,"


    Carol said with a smile.


    This news filled Carla with excitement. She couldn''t believe her ears. "Really?" She asked.


    "Yes, it will be next Saturday!" Carol said as she nodded her head.


    Carla let out a long sigh of relief. Tristan''s marriage was something she had been looking forward to. However, something or the other would get in the way. But now she was glad that everything would finally be settled.


    She immediately called Andrea and asked her to fill her in with more information.


    It turned out that Isabella''s family was very decisive and didn''t wish to take any advantage of the Hua family''s wealth. Truth be told, as long as their daughter was happy, they were also happy, and content.


    And they were convinced that the Hua family wouldn''t treat Isabella unfairly.


    Listening to this, Carla became happier than she had ever been. It felt good receiving such good news early in the morning.


    In the afternoon, Carla asked Carol to accompany her to the mall.


    Since Tristan was going to get married, as his sister, she had to prepare a special gift. It took Carla hours to finally settle on a present.


    In the hospital, Eunice''s mother was talking to Rhys in a pleading tone, "Rhys, you have to figure out a way. See how Eunice has turned out!"


    In the past two days, Eunice''s mother''s hair had turned grey with worry so she felt compelled to discuss it with Rhys.


    "Mom, what can I do? I''m sorry but this is crazy! We can''t just say yes to whatever she asks for,"


    Rhys said bitterly.


    Eunice''s mother cast a glance at her daughter, who had been bawling her eyes out. Slowly, her gaze shifted back to Rhys. "Rhys, you and Eunice haven''t divorced yet. We are still a family.


    Can you go and talk to Terence? Eunice is seriously ill. Don''t you think we are supposed to help her?"


    Eunice was upset all day which is not good for her recovery.


    "Mom, I..."


    "Rhys! How about this? Since you seem adamant on breaking things to my daughter, I will give you my word that I will convince her to divorce you. But if you want me to do that then you have to help her get through this. What do you think of this deal?


    refore, she is still family. All experts in the hospital have checked on her and they don''t think there is much they can do to help improve her situation.


    The only solution at present is to comfort her. When she gradually calms down, we will run further checks. This will tell us if there are any other possible mental treatments,"


    Rhys said with his head down, feeling ashamed to look up at Terence.


    "Terence, I know this may sound a little ridiculous, but there''s nothing we can do. She only recognizes you now. Is there any possibility that you can¡­"


    Terence slammed the documents on the table. He raised his handsome face and looked at Rhys. "Rhys, she is your wife. How could you say that?"


    "Terence..."


    "Rhys, she has lost her mind! Are you crazy too?"


    Terence gave out a cold hum and continued, "I still have a lot of important work to finish. I thought you were here for something important. Would you please go out and let me do my job?"


    "Terence, I just want you to come to the hospital and see her. Could you please come there once and pretend? We will figure out a way to deal with the rest. Do you think this is too much to ask?" Rhys asked nervously, swallowing his saliva.


    Terence''s brows knitted tighter and tighter. He said coldly, "Rhys, you should know that Carla has gone through a lot to finally get pregnant. I don''t want to do anything that would sadden her, even if it is for someone else''s benefit."


    "Terence..."


    "Rainer, see him out!"


    Terence looked down and ordered coldly.

 Chapter 841 An Encounter

    Rainer immediately came in and led Rhys to the door. "I''m sorry sir Rhys. This way, please."


    Rhys glanced at Terence and sighed helplessly. Without saying anything else, he turned around and walked out of the CEO''s office.


    Rhys'' request was far outside of Terence''s power. If he could, Terence would have said yes. But this time, it was a little ridiculous.


    How could Terence allow himself to do such a humiliating thing? He just didn''t have the self-esteem to survive it.


    But still, he should have anticipated that.


    After Rhys left, in the CEO''s office.


    Terence could feel a headache coming. He massaged his forehead without breaking his concentration on the paperwork laid out before him.


    A moment later, the phone on the table rang.


    "Terence, are you busy right now?" Carla''s familiar voice came from the other end of the line.


    "No, I''m not. What''s up, Honey?" Terence said gently. Hearing her voice immediately calmed his mind. It was like Carla''s voice was the cure to his headache.


    "Tristan is getting married next week. I''ve been looking for a gift for a long time now but I can''t find the perfect gift. I don''t know what I should buy for him and his wife. Do you have any ideas?"


    Carla felt like she had turned half of JA City upside down looking for a gift to no avail. She thought she''d know it once she saw it, but so far, she wasn''t so lucky.


    That was why she called Terence for help.


    "Really? Tristan is getting married?" Terence chuckled. "That''s great to hear! Having trouble with the gift? That''s a piece of cake. Don''t worry. Let me decide on it."


    Carla paused and asked, "So, you have an idea? What do you think is a suitable gift?"


    "A nice car! I just ordered a limited edition sports car last month. It should arrive soon. It''s the perfect timing. I''ll just give him the car as our wedding present for him!"


    Terence grinned, even though Carla couldn''t see it.


    Carla cleared her throat. "You idiot! Don''t be so reckless with your purchases. You''d never know when you''d be needing money for more important things!"


    If she were the Carla from before, she would have screamed his ear off. Although Tristan was family, giving him a sports car was just too much.


    But after so many years of living together with Terence, she got used to the way the man did things. Her view towards many things had begun to change as well.


    After all, she and Terence were rich.


    "Don''t worry, Carla. When


    his annoying lady?"


    Steven turned around the moment he heard her. When he saw her, his face beamed with delight.


    The middle-aged woman glared at Carla.


    Although she was mad at the interruption, once she heard that the young man was the mayor''s son, she did not dare to do anything more and turned away in disappointment.


    "No, it''s my fault. I wanted to draw a painting to show the beauty of this street, so I chose this one. But you''re right. It''s a little hard to stay focused. It''s always bustling around here."


    Steven said with a smile.


    Seeing his serious face, Carla couldn''t help but curl her lips. Steven seemed to be really serious with his art. He chose to paint at a busy street to improve his skills.


    "So, you seem to enjoy this kind of life so much. I didn''t know you are a great painter! You hide things as good as a spy,"


    Carla said with a smirk.


    Carol looked at her watch and whispered to her, "Mrs. An, it''s late. Should we go home now?"


    "Okay, I understand," said Carla as she looked at Steven. "Mr. Su, I''m leaving now!


    Anyway, I just stopped by to help you drive away that shameless woman. Good luck with your painting, then!"


    Seeing her leaving in a hurry, Steven hesitated for a while before calling out after her, "Thanks! Take care along the way."


    Carla waved at him from a distance before she turned around and left.


    Watching her leave, Steven came to his senses. After a while, he noticed it was time for him to go back to rest. He started to pack up his stuff.


    But when he stood up and raised his head, he saw a man standing in front of his easel, blocking his way.

 Chapter 842 Birds Of A Feather Flock Together

    Brian crossed his arms over his chest, looking questioningly at Steven.


    His eyes were squinted. This could turn out to be an awkward conversation, so he was trying his best to sound casual, even though he was feeling a little uncomfortable himself.


    "What''s your relationship with that woman?"


    he asked in an almost accusatory tone.


    Steven was folding a T-shirt before Brian shot this question at him. With a wicked smile, he looked up and said almost condescendingly, "I don''t think it''s necessary for me to explain everything to you! Also, excuse me? I''m busy packing my stuff right now. This isn''t a great time for this conversation," he added.


    Since the night he''d gotten drunk and spent the night at Steven''s place, Brian had been visiting him frequently.


    "Just answer my question. What''s your relationship with her?"


    Brian asked again, blocking his way as he was going to the other side of the room. Impulsively and in the heat of the moment, he even grabbed his wrist.


    Steven tilted his head and frowned. Retorting, and wrenching his hand free, he said, "Brian, do I need to tell you every time I meet a friend?"


    "A friend? Is Terence''s wife your friend?"


    Brian couldn''t believe what he had just heard. When he visited Terence at his home last night, he had observed that Terence was madly in love with his wife and even showed some tendencies of controlling her. If that was the case, how could she be friends with other men like Steven?


    Steven was taken aback. He took a step back and creased his eyebrows in surprise. "How do you know her?"


    "Her husband is my boss and my friend!" Brian blurted out without meaning to. He immediately regretted it. He shouldn''t have let it slip.


    However, it was too late now.


    Steven was surprised even further. He remembered Brian saying the person he liked was his boss. So was it Terence that he secretly had feelings for?


    "I see. So, is there a chance that the person you are in love with is Mr. Terence An, CEO of the AJ Group? Or am I misreading the situation?"


    Steven was startled. Of course, he knew a lot of gay people around him.


    Their sexual orientation was different from others, but perhaps societal notions forced them to hide it.


    He looked at Brian quizzically, a suspicious look painted all over his face. This was the moment of confrontation they''d both been avo


    ossing the line and it had started to anger him now. He jerked his hand away from his grip again and asked in a rather cold manner, "What do you mean?"


    Brian was stunned by his manner of speaking. He thought it would be best to stop dragging the matter.


    "I was just kidding," Brian said, trying to lighten up the mood.


    He realized that Steven''s anger had a special power on him.


    "Then step out of the way..." Steven said coldly and walked away.


    Looking at him walking out of the room made Brian sigh out loud. Why did he care so much about Steven''s feelings? He didn''t have an answer himself.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Carla returned to Seaview Villa tired and exhausted.


    She decided to take a shower and go to bed early.


    She stretched herself with a yawn and went to the study.


    She had gotten used to reading before sleeping every night. She thought that it was a much better way to learn than scrolling mindlessly on the phone.


    She went over a lot of titles and ended up picking three or four books to ponder upon. Eventually, she picked one and decided to take it to bed.


    When she was about to leave the room, she heard some sound coming from the printer.


    She turned back to check it out. The printer, which was also a fax machine, was receiving some information and was printing it out.


    She pulled a chair over, propping her chin up, staring at the paper sliding out of the machine little by little.


    What was that and who was sending it? Who would use the fax machine when they can easily just send a mail?


    Finally, the whole sheet of paper was out.

 Chapter 843 The Yu Family

    ''What are these? Yu Sea City? Family history? What are these?''


    Carla muttered almost to herself. She held the papers in her hand and skimmed through the contents of one of the papers that she had picked randomly. She felt a strange familiarity as she read them, even though she could not understand a word in it.


    When she tried to take a closer look at the paper, the door of the study suddenly opened.


    "Carla, what are you doing?"


    Terence asked, trying to read Carla''s expression. His heart was hammering in his chest when he saw Carla standing behind his desk, peering at something intently. He swallowed his fear and walked up to her side. "What are you looking at?"


    Carla quickly put down the papers and smiled at him. "Well, you''re back!" She looked at the papers she had placed on the desk and said, "Well, it''s nothing. I saw these papers coming out of the fax machine and decided to take a look at them. What is it about?"


    She was rummaging through the papers and her eyes settled on one which had a picture on it. "Oh, why does this paper contain a photograph?"


    "Carla, these papers contain important information someone has compiled for me. It is about a business project that I am going to be working on later." Terence took the file from her hand and neatly arranged it before putting it back on the desk.


    "It looks like you don''t want me to see it. Why, what''s in it?"


    Carla arched an eyebrow and stood up to get the file. But Terence pulled her into his arms, stared into her eyes and whispered, "Honey, we have just returned and Sally says that she misses swimming. It is already half-past seven. Why don''t we go out and spend some time together? How about a nice, relaxing spa treatment?"


    "Now? I have already showered and I''m about to go to bed."


    She looked confused as she stroked the pajamas she was wearing.


    "Oh, that''s not a big deal. Why don''t you go to your room and get changed so that we can leave right away? You must be knackered after spending the whole afternoon shopping. A bath won''t be enough to soothe your tired muscles; soak yourself at a nice spa and get a massage. Come on, let''s go with Sally."


    Terence wrapped his arms on Carla''s shoulders and nudged her towards her room.


    "Okay, I''ll go change now," Carla groaned. She was not in the mood to go out but she did not want to deny her daughter''s wishes.


    Carla strutted towards her room to get changed.


    Terence let out a sigh of relief. He quickly put the documents into the drawer and locked it. He clenched his jaw and called Bryant. Bryant had almost gotten him into trouble. "Bryant, why didn''t you find a better time to send the documents to me?"


    "Mr. An, Nathan had instructed me to compile all the information and send them to you tonight.


    I have only followed his instructions. It''s already evening and that''s why I have sent them to you. What mistake have I done?"


    Terence let out a loud breath and rubbed his eyebrows. "Yeah, right! But you are an idiot. Why have you faxed, when you could have just mailed them to me?"


    Terence did not want Carla to find out about the documents. He was


    re the wit of an old woman, taking care of a big family, all by herself.


    "Bryant, do you think that the Yu family is still waiting for Andrea and Carla to go back home to them?" The thought of it made Terence uncomfortable.


    "Well, that''s possible. Maybe they are waiting for them to return or have entirely given up their hopes and have accepted the reality," Bryant rambled his guesses.


    "Oh, cut the crap already! Just admit that you don''t know." Terence grew impatient.


    "Err ... I''m sorry. I was wondering why the Yu family hadn''t tried to reach out to Andrea all these years,"


    Bryant mumbled.


    Bryant was right. It actually made sense. He rubbed his eyebrows in confusion and asked, "How do you know that they haven''t contacted her? She perhaps, does not want to go back and has kept it a secret from Carla. I guess it''s better if Carla does not find out about this."


    "Well, that''s possible. But I feel the Yu family has given up on Andrea. The woman in charge is almost in her eighties; I don''t think she would have the patience to wait for Andrea to return. Otherwise, she would have contacted Carla a long time ago,"


    Bryant said thoughtfully.


    "Alright, if you find any more clues or information about this, don''t forget to inform me at once. It''s late. You should go to bed now."


    Terence hung up the call and sank deep into a pool of his thoughts.


    A frown tugged on his forehead, which gradually faded away. His eyes settled on the picture in the file and he smiled bitterly.


    ''Carla, what else do I not know about you?'' Terence thought.


    The Yu family was an enigma that had a strong influence around the Yu Sea City.


    It had its deepest, darkest secrets just like the An family.


    Terence sighed loudly and put the materials safely in his drawer and locked them.


    Just when he stood up to leave, the woman who was standing outside the study moved further away, to conceal herself from Terence''s sight.


    When she heard Terence lock the drawer, she tiptoed back into her room and slipped back under the covers, pretending to be fast asleep.

 Chapter 844 You Are Mine In This Life!

    At the moment.


    Terence opened the door of his study and returned to his bedroom.


    When he looked at the little beauty snuggled up under the bedcovers, the corners of his lips inched up. She looked like an angel. He bent over and pecked her on the forehead before going out again to change his clothes.


    When he left, Carla slowly opened her eyes.


    When they were talking back in the study, she knew something was wrong. She wasn''t that gullible. There was a reason why Terence sent her away, but she wasn''t panning on asking him about it, at least, just yet.


    A moment earlier, she had heard him mention her and her mother''s name.


    It was about the Yu family, that was as much as she could assume.


    As she couldn''t hear Bryant clearly, Carla could only guess a few things from Terence''s words.


    However, she could tell from his urgent wordings that her mother was hiding something from her, and it had to do with the Yu Family. ''What could it be about?'' she wondered.


    Soon enough, Terence returned in his pajamas.


    "Carla, no matter who you are, you''re still my woman," Terence murmured as he snuggled beside her, letting her strands of hair scatter across his face, but he didn''t really mind.


    He kissed her cheeks lightly before turning the light off.


    A few days later.


    Carla had been resting in the villa. She was three months along now, so she didn''t experience morning sickness as much as she did previously.


    Given her appetite, the nutritionist had given her an extensive diet plan that included meat and vegetables, making sure that she got enough protein and vitamins to last her throughout the pregnancy.


    Violet would give birth in a month, so she''d come to Carla''s home from time to time to enjoy the delicious meals being served to her.


    As Violet was popped a grape in her mouth, she turned to Carla. "I heard your brother, from the Hua Family, is getting married soon? When will it be?"


    "The day after tomorrow. I''ll be going there the next day."


    Carla plucked a fresh grape from the bowl before turning another page of her book.


    "It must be nice to have such a big family," Violet sighed.


    "I mean I have a brother, but he''s already married with kids. We rarely talk m


    already forgotten of the fresh grapes lying on the bowl, Carla turned her attention back to Wilma. "Mrs. Mu, is there anything I could help with?"


    That was the exact question Wilma was waiting for.


    "There is one thing," she uttered after hesitating. "It''s a shameful thing, but...we''re family, right?


    Eunice is... You know how hard it must''ve been on her because of the divorce. What''s worse is that her brain refused to improve. In fact, she doesn''t even know her husband anymore!"


    Wilma shook her head, bringing out a handkerchief to wipe her cheeks. "We''ve tried so many techniques to cure her, but there''s nothing we could do. The doctor said that if we couldn''t ''wake'' her, her brain might not be able to recover.


    But, even with all of this... she still believes Terence is her husband.


    All she''s asking for is him, when he''ll visit her, when he''ll speak to her. It''s a huge mess in the making. Mrs. An, is there a chance you could ask Terence to play husband for her for the sake of this family? Just enough time to get her out of this critical state?"


    Carla''s eyes widened at that question.


    Hearing what she had to say, Violet almost choked on the grapes she''d been eating.


    ''What did she just say?


    Carla''s sister-in-law went insane so that she thought Terence was her husband?


    So Wilma went all over here to ask her if they could borrow her husband?


    Am I even getting this right?'' Violet thought in disbelief, turning away. This was a mess!

 Chapter 845 Can I Borrow Your Husband

    It took Carla a while to get herself together.


    "Auntie Wilma, what did you just say? Why would Eunice think Terence is her husband after she hurt her head? And why Terence? Aren''t there other men out there?"


    Violet, who was standing beside her, secretly gave Carla a thumbs up as she heard her question Eunice''s mother.


    That was exactly the question she wanted her to ask!


    "It''s... It''s a long story... something to do with their past. I hope you''re not taking it personally, Carla," said Wilma with a sigh, like she was preparing herself to tell them the truth. Carla was on edge. Initially she had thought this was all a misunderstanding, but turned out this went deeper than she had imagined.


    "Before they got married, the person whom Eunice was going to meet for the blind date wasn''t Rhys. It was Terence. They ended up dating and things were going well in the beginning. But as soon as Terence met you, he suddenly stopped seeing Eunice."


    Carla was just letting everything sink in with her mouth pursed. Wilma looked at her for an instant and quickly lowered her eyes again. "Perhaps your father-in-law felt guilty, so he arranged for Rhys and Eunice to see each other and that''s how they got married," she added with some hesitation.


    If Carla hadn''t heard Terence''s explanation, she would have thought it was her who had torn Eunice and Terence apart.


    But she remembered clearly that Terence had told her before that Eunice would get married after Carla met Terence. That was to say, Terence had fallen in love with Carla at the time and hence had refused to marry Eunice.


    Why did it sound like she was the one who was the mistress when she heard what Wilma said?


    "But who knew Rhys would be so immoral after they got married! He never stopped seeing other women. Poor Eunice. She has suffered too much in the past in the hands of an immature and irresponsible man,"


    Wilma spoke with sorrow and regret, beating her own chest with guilt. "It''s all my fault. If I had stopped them at the time, this wouldn''t have happened!


    Eunice too, might be regretting marrying Rhys, which is why she thinks she married Terence after she got hurt. It''s her wishful thinking surfacing.


    Mrs. An, I''m sorry you have to deal with this. But she''s your sister-in-law, a


    now that the matter had gone out hand, she thought she needed to intervene.


    "Please don''t get angry, Auntie. This is just how Violet is... she is extremely frank. You''re an elder. Be kind and don''t be mad at her,"


    Carla replied skillfully, effortlessly covering Violet''s demeanor.


    Stroking her chest, Wilma glared at Violet and then turned to Carla.


    "Mrs. An, I really don''t want to cause a scene."


    "Yes, I know. I also know you care about your daughter very much. But it isn''t I who can help you. You need Terence''s help. Even if I agree, it would be useless if Terence refuses to help.


    stated Carla in a calm tone.


    "Well, as long as you agree, I think Terence will agree too!" said Wilma with a little hope again, loosening her hand from her chest.


    "Auntie Wilma, please don''t say that. Terence is a man of his own accord. That he listens to me is only a rumor!"


    Carla smiled at her and then continued, "I have an idea. I''ll talk to Terence about this when he comes home and let him make the decision by himself. Would that be okay?"


    "Err... "


    Wilma faltered. She knew Terence was unwilling to help her. This was why she had come to Carla in the first place.


    If the decision was still up to Terence, then spending the whole day here asking Carla for help was a complete waste of time.


    She had assumed Carla would be softhearted and would agree to help readily.


    But not only was her friend super mean, she too was a very shrewd woman.


    It turned out, she had underestimated Carla.

 Chapter 846 Dad, I Want To See My Little Brother As Soon As Possible

    "Mrs. An, try to empathize with Eunice. After all, you are also the daughter-in-law of the An family,"


    Wilma pleaded as she bowed down in front of Carla.


    "My daughter is a tough girl and she is not willing to give in. It is entirely my fault. I have spoiled her. Blame me for everything, but please help Eunice get through this."


    Carla let out a loud sigh when she saw Wilma begging her for help.


    Violet, who was standing next to Carla, cast a sly glance at Wilma. She immediately reached out her hand to tug Carla''s clothes. "Carla, don''t be too sympathetic," she whispered into Carla''s ears.


    "Aunt Wilma, you better go back home now. Terence and I will come and visit Eunice as soon as he is free."


    "Carla..."


    Violet yelped in exasperation. She didn''t understand why Carla had agreed.


    Carla turned towards her and gave a reassuring smile.


    "Thank you, Mrs. An." Wilma nodded gratefully as the worry in her face seemed to fade away in an instant. "I will leave, then. I don''t want to bother you anymore."


    "Carol, please see Mrs. Mu off."


    Carla motioned Carol to accompany Wilma.


    As soon as Wilma was out of their sight, Violet walked in front of Carla and arched an eyebrow in reprimand. "Carla, why do you have to be so kind? Don''t you understand what she is trying to do?"


    "I do." Carla patted Violet on Violet''s arms and smiled. "Calm down. Didn''t you hear what I just said? I will be going with Terence, so there is no need to worry about anything.


    Moreover, Eunice''s mother has come all the way here to meet me and has been constantly pressing on the fact that we are family. If I''m still reluctant to help her, people will say that I''m heartless. I don''t want anyone to speak ill of Terence and the An family because of me."


    JA City was a big place where news spread like wildfire. While the Mu family was one of the prestigious families, both the An and Mu families would be in trouble if things grew awkward between them.


    Moreover, Rhys had not divorced Eunice yet. Technically, she was still Terenc


    gets bigger, right?"


    Sally lifted her head and her big, innocent eyes stared into Carla''s.


    Carla couldn''t help but smile at her daughter. "You''re right, honey. The baby will come out once my belly grows bigger."


    "But, Mommy, how long will it take for your belly to get bigger? I can''t wait!" she pouted.


    Suddenly her big eyes began to shine with excitement. "I have an idea! Why don''t I ask Daddy to blow your belly so that my brother will come out sooner?"


    Carla burst into a fit of laughter. "Sally, did you think that my belly is a balloon? What if it gets too big and bursts?" She asked faking horror.


    Sally touched her chin and thought for some time. "Oh, you are right. That''s a bad idea. Let Mommy''s belly grow slowly. I will wait." she pouted


    Terence walked in and saw the two of them giggling.


    A contented smile stretched across his face when he saw their happy faces.


    "What''s so funny? What are you guys laughing at?"


    Terence asked lifting Sally into his arms, ruffling her hair.


    "Daddy, do you have any idea to make the baby come out soon so that I don''t get bored?" Sally asked with expectant eyes.


    Terence chuckled. "Honey, you know that I''m more excited to see your little brother. But we have no other choice but to wait for him to come out on his own."


    Terence turned towards Carla and cast a meaningful glance.

 Chapter 847 Visit Eunice Mu

    Terence looked at Carla and his eyes were gleaming with excitement.


    Carla''s cheeks turned pink at the intensity of his gaze. She quickly cleared her throat and said, "Have you eaten anything yet?"


    "Yeah, I heard that you were having hot pot with Violet, so I ate outside,"


    Terence said, letting go of Sally.


    Terence wanted Carla and Violet to enjoy their time together and had deliberately come late.


    "Ok, now that you have already had dinner, come upstairs. I''ve got something to tell you." Carla turned to Sally and smiled. "Sally, draw your pictures here for a while and ask Carol to take you to your room once you are finished, OK honey?"


    Sally nodded. "I know, Mommy."


    Terence followed Carla as she stepped into the elevator. He couldn''t contain his excitement and walked inside with a happy grin.


    Once the door of the elevator closed, Terence smirked and stepped closer to Carla.


    "Err... What are you doing?"


    Carla swallowed loudly when she saw Terence''s mysterious eyes piercing into hers. She subconsciously took a step back and leaned against the elevator wall.


    "Carla, don''t you have the patience to wait longer?"


    Terence grinned and stepped closer to her. "I''ve just come home and you are rushing me to the bedroom already. What do you want to do, honey?"


    "What is going on in that beast mind of yours?"


    Carla arched an eyebrow as she stared into his sensual eyes that were gleaming with lust. "Whose idea was it to abstain from sex for a whole year? It hasn''t been a year yet." She pinched his chin, looking aloof.


    Carla was the only woman who could restrain Terence''s intense gaze.


    Other women threw themselves at him when he slipped on his effortless charm.


    Carla chuckled and tiptoed to look straight into Terence''s sparkling eyes, Terence couldn''t help but smile at her. He always loved it when she teased him. "Is it that obvious?"


    No other woman but Carla had the power to make him swoon at the very sight of her.


    "All right. Be serious. Eunice''s mother had come to see me today. If you are free tomorrow, can we go and see Eunice at the hospital?"


    Carla aske


    n. Shall we leave? I have a meeting to attend and I don''t want to be late."


    Terence held Carla''s shoulders and turned around to leave.


    "That''s enough, Mom. It''s nice of Terence and Carla to heed to our request and visit Eunice. I don''t think it''s fair to ask them for more." Rhys turned around to look at Carla.


    "Carla, Eunice is completely out of her mind. Please, don''t get affected by her words. And I promise you, this is just a temporary condition and you don''t have to worry about anything. I apologize on behalf of Eunice, in case she says something that upsets you."


    Rhys smiled apologetically.


    Eunice grew agitated in the ward.


    She was fighting to get out of her bed as the nurse was trying to calm her down.


    Wilma had told her that Terence would be coming to see her. She couldn''t wait anymore.


    Eunice tore herself from the nurse''s hold and stepped out of the ward. She looked around and she cried in excitement when her eyes settled on Terence. "Terence, you are here!"


    Rhys spun around and froze on the spot when he saw Eunice standing there, grinning like a maniac.


    He blew out a loud sigh, for the hundredth time, when he heard his wife speak. He turned away as he didn''t have the energy to look at her.


    Eunice''s condition was an ugly reminder of his failure. He had failed as a husband.


    His wife fantasized and dreamed of other men over him. How unfortunate could he be?

 Chapter 848 Carla, I Hate You!

    ''A marriage involves two parties. If I had just improved on myself or at least resisted the temptation from outside, I wouldn''t have hurt Eunice, '' he couldn''t help but think.


    If only he had actively put Eunice up in his family to make others consider her as his equal, nothing more, nothing less, then maybe things wouldn''t have ended up like this.


    It was at these moments, when Eunice called passionately for Terence''s name, that Rhys couldn''t help but become anxious over his standing.


    It was also at these moments, where he couldn''t help but regret all that he had done to push the woman away.


    He was so powerless that he just asked Terence''s help so that she could keep herself together!


    ''How stupid can you be, Rhys?'' he scolded himself.


    In the ward.


    Although Eunice was sick, she didn''t look the part. She was clothed in all her expensive but comfortable clothing as she greeted Carla and Terence.


    Carla couldn''t help but feel sorry for her.


    Eunice was just deceiving herself at this point.


    Was she really that sick in the head or was she that resistant in trying to avoid a failed marriage?


    Watching the pathetic scene in front of her, Carla slowly shook her head. The woman might as well be stabbing her own chest right in front of them if she kept pushing it.


    "Terence, our son is so great! Look at the drawing he gave me! Oh, I almost forgot. Here are the roses he made for me during class," she said, her voice glowing with pride.


    She pulled out her drawer to display the gifts that her son had showered her with. They were delightful, and Eunice felt so appreciative of her little boy.


    Terence watched her as she showed the stuff that she was given, one object at a time. Her makeup was already smudged from her exasperated expressions. He glanced Carla''s way, who was standing aside quietly.


    "Terence, what''s wrong? Why are you so quiet? Is it because I shaved my head? Am I ugly? I swear¨CI swear they''ll grow back soon!"


    Eunice placed a hand over her head, eyeing him nervously.


    Since the accident, Eunice had to apply the ointment the doctor had given her on the wound.


    as you do? You... you bitch!"


    Carla stood, unmoving, letting her words slap her right in the face. Terence''s hold tightened, and


    he turned around.


    "Eunice, if I would''ve married you that day, I would''ve already divorced you a week after."


    What did she take him for?


    Did she really think he was like this to treat any woman?


    "No, that''s not true," she pushed.


    "You''re so good to her¨C the best. If I would''ve married you, then it would just be the same."


    Terence snorted.


    "You know why I treat her well?


    Huh? It''s because she''s worth it. She''d run through the dark just to find me. She stood against all the hatred she had to face when she gave me a daughter. She''d give her whole life up for me. Everything she did¨C it''s not because I''m a solider or who I am. In her eyes, I''m just ordinary."


    Eunice furrowed her eyebrows. What had she done for Rhys?


    Both parties needed to sacrifice to maintain a relationship. However, both of their egos were too big to back down.


    "In her eyes, I''m not perfect, I''m not good at everything. I''m just one of the thousands of people in the world she got to meet.


    And you''re asking me why I''m so kind to her? I will not only be just that! I''ll make her the happiest woman alive!"


    Terence said firmly.


    Carla, who was taking all of his words in, blinked back a few tears.


    She raised her head slowly, just to take a better look at her love.

 Chapter 849 This Is So Cool!

    Carla felt her heart surge in her chest, her eyes watering at his words.


    She stared up at the man, without blinking. This was the man she loved. This was the man who had defended her again and again. As she looked up at him, it felt like she was falling for him all over again.


    "Are you crying?"


    Terence''s eyes widened, taken aback when he saw Carla staring at him with tears welling up in her eyes.


    "Don''t cry. What if our baby grows up a crier?"


    he teased, wiping away the tears that ran down her cheeks with his thumb. Without another word to her, he wrapped his arms around her shoulder and brought her outside.


    Carla could feel the sincerity oozing from his words, and that made it all the more amazing.


    Terence stared at her. He always felt at peace whenever he was around her. With her, it felt like he could share absolutely anything. He''d never experienced these feelings for twenty-eight years. It was only when he met her that he realized how sweet love could be.


    "I''ve only said a few things about you, but look at you! Your eyes are now swollen red. If I continued, what else could''ve happened to your face?"


    Terence teased gently as he led her to the car.


    When they finally got inside the car, Carla finally calmed down. She looked up at him, eyes shining with gratefulness. "You''re so sweet." With a sniffle, she continued, "What else do you have to say?"


    Terence couldn''t help but burst into laughter. He pinched the bridge of her nose. "Forget it," he snorted. "With the look on your face, you''ll burst into tears if I say another word, and we''re about to see your family. They might think I''m mistreating you."


    "I still want to hear it. Please?"


    Carla pouted her lips. It was rare for Terence to speak like this.


    They had been together for such a long time yet he''d never spoken to her like this.


    "Can you at least promise me you wouldn''t cry?" Terence sighed, finding it extremely hard to refuse her request. She looked just like Sally when she was asking for more candies.


    "Yes! Come on, please? If you don''t, I''ll tell my mom you''ve been abusing me, so I''ll be staying in the Hua family instead


    I''ve missed you both."


    She held her granddaughter in her arms and kissed her on the forehead before turning to Carla. "I''m working now, so don''t worry about anything. I know you had quite a trip so you should go get some rest."


    "I''m fine, mom. How about I ask Carol to come over and help you?" She gestured for Carol to come over.


    There must be something she could do to at least lift some of the burden off her mom.


    "There''s no need, dear. I''m fine. No need to worry,"


    she insisted. "Callie, we have many relatives coming over today, so don''t forget to greet everyone. There''s really no need to worry about me."


    Seeing as she was not taking ''no'' for an answer, Carla nodded.


    Andrea motioned one of her assistants to bring down a plate filled with candies. "Come here, Sally. You know how your uncle Tristan''s getting married tomorrow, so here are some lovely sweets for you to enjoy and celebrate!"


    The moment she saw those candies, Sally''s eyes lit up. However, before she took them, she hesitated, glancing at her mother.


    "Mommy doesn''t want me to eat candies. She said that they''re bad for my teeth."


    "Take it. It''s an exception." Seeing how obedient Sally was, Carla couldn''t help but nod her head, ruffling her daughter''s hair.


    Sally''s smile widened as she took two candies from the plate and placed them inside her pockets. She might as well save some for later, in case her mother changed her mind.

 Chapter 850 Eat on a Three Million-Dollar Plate

    Glancing at her daughter''s sweet smile, Carla held her hand and went upstairs.


    "Congratulations," Carol said to Andrea before following them upstairs.


    As soon as they settled in their room, Sally happily ate some sweets.


    It wasn''t long after Carla had taken fallen asleep for a short nap when someone knocked on the door. Careful not to wake Carla, Carol went to get the door.


    It turned out it was Bonnie.


    "Carol, it''s okay. Let her in,"


    Carla said to Carol as she sat up.


    Bonnie walked into the room nervously. When she saw Sally playing on the floor, she asked, "Is this your daughter?"


    She hadn''t met Sally ever since she came back from overseas.


    "Sally, come over here, honey. Say hello to your Aunt Bonnie."


    Carla called out to Sally and told her to greet Bonnie.


    With a doll in her hand, Sally walked closer to them. "Hello, Auntie Bonnie!" she greeted politely.


    Bonnie carefully looked at Sally from head to toe. The young kid bore a striking resemblance to her father.


    "Carla, your daughter is so beautiful. She''ll be breaking hearts when she grows up."


    "Thank you, Auntie. You''re beautiful too. But you''re not as beautiful as my mommy."


    "Sally, manners." Carla gently reminded her. Her little girl was getting more and more eloquent as the days went by. For a four-year old, Sally could speak quite well for her age.


    Bonnie smiled as she lowered her eyes. To hide her shaking hands, she placed her hands in front in a gesture asking Carla to calm down. "It''s okay. Sally''s right.


    Besides, it has been so many years. I''ve already moved on.


    I''ve always wanted to thank you since I came back. Thank you for forgiving me and pulling me back from death."


    Her time in Z country was like living in hell.


    If she continued taking drugs and kept living with that horrible man, she would have been dead by now.


    Even when she had decided to change her life for the better, she couldn''t make it with Jackson''s constant spying on her. She would have never been able to come back home without Carla''s help.


    And even then, it would have been impossible for her to sta


    l be there."


    Despite her misgivings, Carla was a little tempted. She nodded and said, "Okay. Let me just change my clothes. Sally? Sweetheart? Where is Sally?"


    She said, looking for her daughter who was just around her a moment ago.


    "Mommy, I''m here!"


    Sally replied. The little toddler was standing in a corner. In her two little hands, she held an antique white jade plate, clearly swiped from the shelf.


    The interior design and style within the Hua family household was quite oriental so the room was well decorated with antiques.


    "Mommy, this plate looks so pretty. Can I have dinner on this plate?"


    Sally asked on a whim. The color of the plate was so beautiful. Most importantly, it was a little smaller and would suit a child like her.


    When Carla saw the jade plate in her hand, she was about to say something, but Terence got ahead of her.


    "Sure, sweetie. You can take it with you downstairs. But remember to ask the maid to clean it up and disinfect it first before you use it,"


    Terence said without even looking at the plate.


    "Terence, are you sure you want our daughter to have dinner on a plate worth three million?"


    Carla raised her eyebrows and asked him. All the things in her room were valuable. Perhaps it was how her parents thought to make up for treating her before. It was as if all the good things would be enough for Carla and for them to feel less guilty.

 Chapter 851 A Mysterious Gift

    "Honey, our daughter can afford to eat on a plate that is worth thirty million dollars. Three million dollars is no big deal. Nothing is more worthy than our daughter''s happiness. She only deserves the best."


    Terence shrugged casually as he smiled at Sally who was holding a plate in her hand, eager to play with it. He would do anything to keep that smile on his daughter''s face.


    Sally was still a little kid who was oblivious to the power and money her father had. She felt that everything in her house belonged to her, and she could play with them, and eat with any plate, regardless of its worth.


    "Daddy, aren''t we supposed to keep plates in the kitchen? Why do they keep this in the bedroom?"


    Sally asked, cocking her head to her side, looking like a curious puppy.


    "Well, that''s because, this plate is an antique piece, honey," Terence explained as he grabbed Sally and hoisted her on his lap.


    "Antique? What''s an antique, Daddy?"


    Sally asked, playing with the plate in her hand.


    Terence smiled. "Antiques are objects that belong to the ancient time. They are very old. This plate was found when people dug it out from the ground?"


    "What?"


    Sally''s eyes grew bigger and she scrunched up her nose in distaste. "So this plate is very dirty?"


    She was appalled by the fact that the plate was under the ground for a long time before it was discovered.


    Terence shook his head and laughed at his daughter''s horrified face. "Well, you are right. That''s why I asked you to wash and disinfect it before using it."


    Before he could say more, Sally gave the plate back to him. "Eww... I don''t want it. It''s dirty."


    She disliked the idea of playing with something that was buried under the ground for many years.


    Terence broke into a fit of laughter.


    "If you want, I will ask someone to make some tableware for you. They will be brand new and you can play with them, OK?" He smiled and wrapped his arms around her knees.


    Sally nodded and smiled in return.


    Carla watched the two of them talk, shook her head and went to her room to change her clothes.


    She went downstairs to find Andrea, who was still busy with her work and ushered her to a private room for dinner.


    Andrea and Noah were packed with work and had no time for anything else. This was the last wedding in their family and they were busy arranging it, making sure everythi


    were engulfing her. She didn''t have the strength to read any further, so she closed the box and pushed it aside.


    These words had been haunting her all these years.


    What did it mean to go back?


    No one knew the answer better than her.


    In the bedroom, upstairs


    Carla was still wrapped in Terence''s firm embrace, while her mind was in a jumble of thoughts.


    It was late at night but she couldn''t fall asleep.


    "What''s wrong? What are you thinking about?"


    Terence asked gently as he felt her heavy breath brushing his body. He looked up at her and found that she was still awake.


    "Terence, what do you think is in that box?"


    Carla finally asked. She had noticed the gradual transformation in her mother''s demeanor. Did the box contain her mother''s deepest, darkest secrets, which she had locked safely?


    "How would I know? Why don''t you ask your mother tomorrow if you''re curious to find out?" Terence said, rubbing Carla''s shoulders.


    Carla blew out a loud breath. "Do you think my mother is hiding something from me? I think she is."


    Her thoughts flitted to the times her mother almost said something and quickly changed the subject.


    "Carla, all parents have something going on in their minds that they don''t want to share with us. Perhaps we don''t have to know, or they are waiting for the right time to tell it. Don''t trouble your brain with unnecessary thoughts. You need to rest,"


    Terence said, kissing the top of Carla''s head


    Carla nodded and nestled her head into his arms and whispered, "What about you? Are you hiding something from me?"

 Chapter 852 Two Brides In The Wedding

    Terence remained silent. Carla looked at him in a speculative manner. Carla tried to read his face to gauge what was going on in his mind.


    Carla had a very strong intuition that Terence was hiding something from her. A few nights ago, she clearly heard him talking with Bryant in the study.


    She didn''t have any clue about what they had been discussing.


    But she realized that Terence was hiding the truth from her on purpose.


    "Carla, what is it that you wanted to ask?" Terence stared into her eyes trying to figure out what was at the back of her mind.


    "I want to know..."


    Carla blurted out in an impulse but she paused midway before completing her words. Then she bit her lips and opened her mouth again to ask, "I''m asking you. Are you hiding something from me?"


    Terence did not expect Carla to say that. He got choked for a while, and then he said, "Why do you say that?"


    "Just answer me," Carla said in a point-blank manner while staring at him with a grim expression.


    Seeing that she was getting worked up, Terence slowly moved close to her, held her waist and kissed her pink lips and smiled, "Well, what should I tell you, umm..."


    "Just be honest with me, Terence!" Carla said with conviction. She was confident that Terence was indeed keeping something from her.


    Terence smiled again and heaved a sigh. He knew that he couldn''t hide it from Carla this time. Anyway, he didn''t plan to hide it for long. After all, how long could he keep it a secret from Carla?


    Although Terence was yet to get into the depth of the matter, he wasn''t even sure how Carla would feel if she got to know the truth. Yet, he believed Carla was much stronger than he thought and was able to bear the truth.


    "Go on! I''m waiting."


    Carla poked him in the chest, waiting for him to speak up.


    "Carla, I just came to know that your grandparents might still be alive." After hesitating for a while, Terence spoke it out. He then gently touched her hair and sighed.


    Carla was dumbfounded for a moment. She pulled his hand away and looked at him in shock.


    "What did you just say?"


    Terence pulled her back into his arms. He caressed her cheek and said gently, "Carla, calm down. Yes, I mean your grandparents could still be alive. Maybe there was some kind of discord between your mother and your grandparents, hence she never mentioned them to you."


    The shock on Carla''s face was gradually transformed into surprise. She held Terence tightly and asked nervously, "Terence, are you saying that my grandpa and grandma are still alive?


    Re


    usely as she was blocked at one end of the red carpet. With tears rolling down her cheek, she stared at Tristan, who was holding his bride''s hand.


    Hearing it seemed that someone was crying behind him, Tristan turned around and looked back. He was stunned to see Farrell in a wedding dress.


    "Tristan! Are you sure you want to marry her? Will you really not regret it? Are you sure of what you are doing?"


    Farrell shouted at Tristan.


    Isabella squinted and let go of Tristan''s hand. She turned to him and said, "Tristan, since she has come here, why don''t you tell her the truth? I think it is important that you end everything between the two of you before you start your life with me."


    "I think you are right, Isabella!"


    "Go ahead! I have faith in you,"


    Isabella said with a reassuring smile.


    Tristan nodded at her and walked to Farrell.


    As soon as Tristan came close to Farrell, she rushed to him and clung on to him with all her strength. It seemed that she wanted to hold him and keep him by her side!


    Tristan felt embarrassed as he looked around to see all the eyes in the wedding hall fixed on him and Farrell. Tristan patted Farrell on the shoulder and said, "Please don''t create a scene here. People are watching."


    "No, I don''t care. I beg you to think over carefully. Please. Marriage is a lifetime of commitment. You can''t make a rash decision!" she shook his arm, and urged with an imploring look.


    Farrell believed that he was angry at her and still hasn''t forgiven her. She was convinced that she would be able to win his heart back if she apologized to him. That was why she showed up today. She had a strong faith that she was the one that Tristan truly loved.

 Chapter 853 Sallys Outburst Of Sadness (Part One)

    "Farrell, I''m serious this time. Isabella is a good girl. I don''t want to break her heart!"


    said Tristan, heaving a loud sigh and pulling himself out of her arms. But Farrell held him tighter than before, unwilling to let go of him. "Farrell...talk to me and I will hear you out, but let me go. You are embarrassing yourself and making everyone here uncomfortable."


    Farrell shook her head wildly, her vision blurry with tears. "Nonsense! This is all nonsense," said she, choking up on her own voice. You and I have been together for months now. You''ve only been going out with her for a few days...I don''t think you love her more than you love me. I just don''t believe it, no matter what you say!


    I know you are only trying to punish me. Please forgive me. Please don''t make me suffer! My mother was wrong. Don''t forget our love just because my mother made a mistake, okay?


    I have thought about this a lot, and decided to go against my mother. It''s you who will live with me for the rest of our lives after all, not my mother! Please don''t do this... Please stop the wedding!"


    Tristan pushed Farrell''s hand away from his arm. With eyes shut and lips pursed, he took a pause. Between that small while before he spoke, Farrell''s heart stopped beating. What would she do if he still did not want her? "I am already calm. I''ve thought about it and I now know we aren''t meant for each other. Please listen to me. We need to let go... don''t make this difficult for me."


    Farrell was shaking, unable to control her tears. She reached for his hands and held them tightly. "Tristan, I love you...I love you...


    What would I do without you? What would I do?"


    What Terence meant was that a smart woman knew how to tolerate a man but at the same time keep an eye on him.


    "Wow, I sure am surprised. I never knew you had such a sharp eye to read women, huh?" Carla looked at him keenly, wondering where he had kept this talent hidden!


    With a childish, coy smile, Terence put an arm around her waist and said, "Thanks to you, I have learned a lot about how to read a woman''s heart. You know, you might not realize it but I have done a lot of work to know your heart better, which has helped me develop an ability to read women better!" He gently flicked her cheek.


    "My goodness...you are unbelievable!"


    said Carla, chuckling out loud at just how smooth-tongued he was. They stood closer together and looked at the bride and groom on the stage admiringly.


    From a little distance, a gaze remained fixed on Terence and Carla.


    Noah was happy to see the two of them laughing and talking so happily.


    ''Oh, Carla! You''re living a happy life.


    I''m so happy for you.''


    In the evening, Carla stayed in Andrea''s house and left with Terence the next morning.

 Chapter 854 Sallys Outburst Of Sadness (Part Two)

    Carla and Terence waved goodbye to Andrea and got into the car.


    Sean had come to attend the wedding too. He wanted to go back to JA City with them.


    To his surprise, as soon as he entered the car, Sally''s face darkened.


    Sally was purposely showing her discontent toward him, thinking he would offer to apologize, as she thought he ought to. But to her dismay, Sean ignored her.


    "Carla, the last date for being admitted into the army has been decided. It will be after the new year, so that''s when I intend to leave."


    Sean didn''t even glance at Sally and continued to speak only with Carla. Hearing his words, Sally stirred in her seat. Her heart seemed to pound in her chest, but she just closed her hands in two tight fists and controlled the urge to speak with him.


    "So soon? Can''t you wait a little longer?"


    said Carla in a daze. She had made peace with Sean joining the army when he grew older, but he was already talking about it two years before the due time. How could she be happy with it?


    Sean shook his head with a sheepish smile on his handsome face. "Carla, don''t worry. Terence has arranged two men about my age to accompany me. Plus, they''re already there. If I have any difficulty, they can help me, so don''t worry!"


    "I know, but you will have to endure a lot of hardships when you go there. Sean, you''re only sixteen. You are too young for that kind of life! I''m not sure your mind can withstand it, let alone your body!"


    Carla was still worried about him. Although Terence had talked to her before about this, at this point, she wasn''t mentally prepared to have him leave.


    S


    s like her."


    Carla felt sorry for her daughter. After all, Sean was the only uncle who cared for her this much. If he left, she would lose a person who loved her unconditionally. It was natural that the little girl would be heart broken.


    Kids are so innocent. For them being loved and cared for was the only thing that mattered. Only upon growing up would she learn about being ignored and distanced from people who loved her!


    Sean looked at Sally, who was crying and peeking at him coyly. Wiping his own tears away, he burst out laughing. Finally, he slid closer to her and lifted her up, planting her on his lap.


    "Yes, Sally! Your uncle was almost eaten by a wolf, but I survived and beat the wolf!"


    Hearing his words, Sally, who was still sobbing, put her little hand on his face as if she was making sure he was okay and in good shape.


    She stared at him for a while, and then poked him all over his face. At last, she pressed her face against his nose, forgetting all about how sad she was a while ago.


    "It is you! You''re the same uncle! My Uncle Sean!"

 Chapter 855 Why Draw So Much Blood This Time

    With a runny nose and tears on her cheeks, Sally rubbed her cute face against Sean''s chest. Looking at the little girl silently, he realized the neglect she had suffered and felt a little guilty.


    "Uncle Sean."


    "Yes?"


    "Please stay beside my bed and tell stories until I fall asleep every night!"


    "Okay."


    "You are not allowed to sleep if I am not satisfied with your story!"


    "¡­¡­"


    Time flew so fast.


    Another month had passed.


    Violet had been bothering Carla these days.


    She was due to give birth very soon. These days, she was very nervous and uneasy. Every time she called Carla to confide about her emotions getting out of whack, the conversation over the phone always lasted at least half an hour.


    One morning, Violet''s call awoke Carla.


    "Carla, what should we do? Last night, I dreamed I was already giving birth and it was a boy. I was so angry in my dream, I almost threw my baby to the ground." Violet sounded annoyed. Since she discovered she was pregnant, she had been praying for a baby girl.


    Carla was still lying on bed. Putting her phone on loudspeaker, she stretched a little before she yawned. "Don''t be afraid. You can still get pregnant after that one. A fifty percent chance for each try, right? After all, Mr. Qi can afford to raise them all."


    "Of course he can support as many children as he wants. But I''m the one who has to suffer all of this, from pregnancy to giving birth. I''m not a rabbit!"


    Violet woke up too early that morning and was unable to sleep again. Calling Carla was a great way to get herself out of bed, and sharing her concerns helped ease her anxiety.


    She remembered when she gave birth to Cody, she suffered a lot. She labored for two days and that experience almost killed her.


    Whenever she thought of the pain, she felt scared.


    Carla smiled and said lazily, "The baby is about to be born. Wait and see. You have to accept whichever sex it will be, right? How about this? If you give birth to a boy, you can give him to me. I have no problem adding another son to my family!"


    "Please don''t. That''s not good. My Cody will marry your daughter and will be your son-in-law in the future. If this little one that I''m carrying becomes a part of your family, then that would be weird and messy."


    ''How could Carla come up with such a suggestion?'' Violet thought.


    "How about this? Carla, if I give birth to a daughter and you give birth to a boy, then they can be engaged when they grow up."


    "Stop!"


    Carla stop


    er. He frowned and asked, "Why do you need to draw so much blood?"


    The nurse shivered in fear hearing the irritation in Terence''s voice. The poor nurse stammered, "Sir, three tubes are needed this time because we need to do more tests on your wife."


    "Really? You have taken too much! Are you sure that you won''t waste even a single drop of blood?"


    Terence asked with a serious face.


    "What, what I... I..."


    The nurse was tongue-tied by his question.


    Carla turned and tugged at his sleeve. "Relax. I have plenty of blood in my body. It''s okay to draw a little more."


    "No, blood is precious for you, especially at this critical moment. It''s not just you now. You also have to support our baby. How can you waste so much blood?"


    Terence''s frown deepened as he glanced again at the nurse. The nurse hurriedly put away the little vial that hadn''t been filled, pulled out the needle from under Carla''s skin and said, "Okay, okay...


    This is enough."


    After the blood drawing, Carla pressed on the swab and stood up.


    Terence went outside to make a phone call.


    "Auntie Diane, Carla and I will go to your place to have lunch at noon. Umm, make some duck blood soup. Carla needs that. It will be good for her."


    Carla was amused by his concern. She didn''t realize Terence would still remember how she praised Diane''s cooking from before.


    She had eaten at least three or four times in Diane''s house recently.


    After finishing the entire battery of tests, Carla was ready to leave the hospital. She made her way to the elevators.


    As she got there, the elevator doors opened.


    Inside was William, soaked in sweat with Violet in his arms.

 Chapter 856 Violets In Labor

    "Violet?"


    Carla was shocked to see both William and Violet. But more than that, it was jarring to see Violet in pain.


    William looked terrified, his forehead covered in sweat. In a panicked voice, he asked everyone he passed by for directions.


    "Delivery room? Where is it? !"


    Terence pulled Carla aside, making room for them before he pointed them to the direction of the delivery room.


    William didn''t stop and rushed to the left, Violet still in his arms.


    "Where do you think you''re going?"


    Terence asked, raising his eyebrows. Carla was about to follow William but before she could, he managed to grasp her hand.


    "Violet''s in labor. The baby is coming! I am going to have a look. We can''t just leave her like this, can we?"


    Carla pulled away from his hold and headed to the delivery room.


    His wife looked determined and arguing with her would be pointless. So he just followed her.


    Violet immediately was carried into the delivery room.


    William, out of breath, leaned a hand on the wall outside the room where his wife was. He loosened his collar and stared at the doors without moving.


    He could hear Violet''s screams of pain coming from the room. For several instances, William tried to get in but the nurse who was stationed outside the delivery room kept him from entering.


    "Mr. Qi, please calm down. The doctor is doing his best inside, and there is nothing you can do to help!"


    William could still hear Violet''s groans. Every sound went straight to his heart. Mad that he was being kept away from his wife who was suffering so much, William grabbed the nurse''s clothes and snarled, "I need to be in there with my wife while she''s giving birth. She''s in so much pain. She needs me. Let me in! I want to go in and hold her hand."


    "Mr. Qi, please calm down. It is not easy for a woman to give birth to a baby. And it''s normal to feel pain. Please trust your wife. She got this. She''ll give birth to your baby safely."


    The nurse tried to reason out.


    By then, Carla also came over and tried to persuade William, "Mr. Qi, don''t worry. This is Violet''s second time. It will be easier for her than the last time. Try not to worry too much."


    It was still a shock to Carla. She was just urging Violet to go to the hospital this morning and now the emergency she told her about had just occurred.


    William heaved a deep breath and stopped his attempts to get in. Instead, he started to pace around the waiting area


    you to be nervous?"


    Terence could take a guess at what was on Carla''s mind. His wife had just seen Violet give birth. Surely, she must be affected by the experience.


    This was also the reason why he didn''t want her to stay there.


    Carla leaned her head against Terence''s shoulder. Rubbing her swollen belly, she said, "Seeing William hold Violet tightly after she gave birth... Violet must have felt satisfied after everything she went through."


    After Violet gave her husband another child, she received such tender care and love from him. Carla was sure that Violet was feeling warm and content in her heart. And in her eyes, that was what people called true love.


    Hearing her words, Terence smiled and asked, "Carla, what do you mean?"


    "Nothing. I''m just a too excited. I am happy for them. By the way, as you know, Sean has joined the army. Have you heard any news from him?" Carla changed the topic.


    Time flew so fast. Sean had been in the army for a couple of days and nobody knew whether he was adapting well or not.


    Terence held her hands and said with a smile, "Don''t worry. It''s been less than a week. I have arranged for someone to take care of him. If anything happens to him, I will know immediately."


    Carla sighed, still listless. There had been an emptiness in her heart ever since her brother left for the army.


    "Carla, don''t be like that." Terence continued to hold her other hand as he slung his other arm around her shoulder, whispering, "You''ve always wanted to take a walk by the beach, right? I''ll take you there tomorrow to relax. Stop with the long face, okay? It doesn''t look good on you."

 Chapter 857 Whats Wrong With You

    Carla stared at Terence''s nervous face. His eyes narrowed when he saw Carla frown. His heart broke every time she became upset.


    Not wanting to upset him anymore, Carla smiled and rubbed his eyebrows, straightening the frown that had lined his forehead.


    "Okay, I won''t be sad anymore. By the way, didn''t you say that we were going to Auntie Diane''s house for dinner? We are running late; let''s hurry up. We shouldn''t let her wait for us for too long."


    "Okay, let''s go."


    Terence breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Carla smile and instructed Nathan to take them to Rose Garden.


    Terence empathized with Carla as he understood that she was going through a sensitive period. Moreover, her beloved brother Sean suddenly left to join the army. Carla had too much on her plate and was bound to have mood swings.


    After dinner in Rose Garden, Terence took Carla to the movies to cheer her up.


    They watched a comedy and Carla''s spirits seemed to lift up in an instant.


    Carla was having a great time with Terence and was not in the mood to go back home.


    She dragged him to the game hall and they ended up playing until late at night.


    Although Carla was exhausted after playing for a long time, she walked out of the game hall with a big smile on her face. All her worries and troubles seemed to have faded away.


    As soon as she got home, Carla soaked herself in a hot, relaxing bath, and headed straight to the bedroom.


    Terence went to his study to finish some unfinished work.


    Once Terence was done, he walked up to his bedroom. On the way, he cast a sly glance at Nathan who was looking grumpy. "Nathan, what''s wrong with you? Why have you been looking annoyed lately?"


    Terence sensed that something had been bothering Nathan for the past few days.


    Nathan was standing vigilantly by the door. "It''s nothing, Mr. An, I''m fine," he said curtly.


    "Are you sure?"


    "Of course."


    Terence cast a meaningful glance and walked to his bedroom without saying a word.


    Nathan was standing by the door with an impalpable expression.


    When Terence walked into the room, he saw that Carla was curled up on the bed, waiting for him.


    She swept Terence into a tight hug when he walked in


    ner in the face.


    He punched him so hard that Rainer fell backwards to the floor.


    "Nathan! Are you crazy?"


    Rainer was taken aback by Nathan''s sudden move. But Nathan continued to stare at him, while clenching his fists.


    He touched his nose and saw blood dripping from it. Rainer quickly sprang up to his feet and punched Nathan back with full force.


    Nathan was quick enough to dodge his attempt by twisting Rainer''s arm behind his back.


    Rainer was not as strong as Nathan, and couldn''t keep up with him.


    But Rainer was not ready to accept defeat. He seized Nathan''s hand and attacked him fiercely. The two of them were eager to defeat the other.


    "Guys, That''s enough. Stop it!"


    Carol whispered under her breath, attempting to stop their fight.


    Rainer grew angrier when Nathan dodged all his punches and blows effortlessly. He continued to try and hit the crap out of Nathan and was surprised when Carol put herself between them.


    Carol, who was oblivious to Rainer''s move, was stunned when a punch landed on her face.


    Nathan grew tense and quickly pulled Carol into a protective embrace.


    But Rainer couldn''t suppress his rage and continued to punch Nathan''s head, over and over again.


    The commotion was too loud and the bedroom door sprang open.


    Terence walked out in his night robe and stared at the three of them with a quizzical expression on his face.


    "What the hell are you guys doing?


    It''s late! What are you guys up to?"

 Chapter 858 Carols Resignation

    Nathan shook his head and quickly loosened his grip on Carol, who was lying in his arms with a shy expression on her face.


    Stunned for a second, Carol immediately came back to her senses. She leaped away from him and stood aside, lowering her head.


    "I''m sorry, Mr. An. It''s all my fault!"


    Nathan lowered his head and apologized.


    "Really? Nathan. It seems that you still have a lot of energy to burn even when it''s so late at night. Since you are so energetic, why don''t you go out and run around the villa for 50 laps?"


    Terence frowned and glared at Nathan. He shifted his gaze toward Rainer whose nose was still bleeding.


    Rainer came over and said, "Mr. An, I was wrong too. I should also be punished just as heavily as Nathan. I''ll take 50 laps as well."


    "Really? Now that you''re feeling affectionate with each other again, care to tell me why you had boxing match just now? Whatever. Just go now! I want you two to run until there is no energy left in both of you!" Terence took one final look at them before he went back to his bedroom.


    Carol was clueless about everything that had just happened. ''What''s wrong with them today?'' She felt so sorry and blamed herself. She had a feeling that she had something to do with this fight.


    In the bedroom.


    When Carla saw Terence walk in with a pale face, she quickly asked, "What on earth is wrong? What happened outside?"


    Terence took a sip of water and sat on their bed. Letting out a sigh, he said, "Nothing serious. Just a fight between two men over a woman."


    "What?"


    Carla looked dazed for a while. And then she realized what he meant.


    "Do you mean Nathan and Rainer had a fight over Carol?"


    Terence leaned against the headboard. His good mood was completely ruined by these two brothers. He snorted, "If I had known earlier, then I would have dismissed the suggestion to hire a female bodyguard."


    Who would have thought that the two brothers would be fighting because of a female bodyguard?


    Carla noticed his darkened mood and said slowly, "Don''t say that. Love comes out of the blue. There''s no sure thing in love."


    "Anyway, it is indeed troublesome to know that the two brothers have fallen in love with the same woman."


    She thought there was something brewing up between Carol and Rainer, but it turned out that Nathan liked her too.


    "I never thought the two brothers, with completely different characters, would share the same taste in girls."


    Carla mumbled to herself. Terence pulled her into his arms and patted her on the shoulder. "D


    . I hope you can treat me as your friend, too."


    Carla watched her lower her head further and knew that she was embarrassed.


    Carol slowly raised her head and said guiltily, "Mrs. An, Nathan and Rainer have been working for your husband for such a long time. If it weren''t for me, they wouldn''t have had a fight like this.


    I... I don''t want to ruin their closeness brothers. If I stay, they will bear grudges against each other, so... please, allow me to leave."


    Carla was not surprised to hear that. Just as she thought, Carol wanted to resign because of the two brothers.


    "Well, I''ll give you a week''s holiday. Think about this more carefully and come back. At the same time, it could also give Nathan and Rainer some time to calm down, so that they could come to an agreement. After that, we will talk if you still want to resign, okay?"


    There must be a solution. In Carla''s opinion, the best way to settle this was for one of them to give up and let the other one be with Carol. Quitting and running away would never solve the problem.


    Carol nodded and said, "Okay, Mrs. An. I''ll leave for a couple of days. Please take care of yourself. Call me any time."


    "Okay,"


    Carol stood up and bowed in front of Carla before turning around and leaving.


    Watching her leaving, Carla sighed. She felt for her and for the two bodyguard brothers.


    ''I intended to get Susan and Rainer together. If that happened, things would be easier for Carol and Nathan, '' she thought.


    However, things always went against any plan. She just didn''t pay attention to it.


    A few minutes later, Nathan came over.


    "Mrs. An, The yacht is ready. Mr. An sent me to tell you. Please get ready."

 Chapter 859 I Want To Go To Yu Sea City

    The day before, Terence was just saying how he was going take Carla out to relax. And it seemed that the fates had listened to him. Today, the weather was as great as it could be.


    Carla yawned as she walked out of the bedroom, glancing up at Nathan. For a man who had been working all night, she didn''t expect him to look so energetic.


    "Got it,"


    she said, walking towards the elevator.


    Nathan followed her, lowering his voice into a whisper. "Mrs. An, please tell me. What did Carol say to you just now?"


    She cocked up an eyebrow once they were in the elevator, chuckling at the way he was fidgeting in his sneakers. "Why are you so nervous?" She shrugged.


    "She wanted to resign and I agreed."


    Nathan kept silent for a while.


    "Mrs. An, please think it over. Rainer''s shy, and you know how he is around girls. Now that he finally meets someone who likes him, it''ll be a pity if she just leaves like this."


    Carla leaned in, interested in what he had to say. "What about you?


    Don''t you like her?"


    Nathan shrugged. "I was mad, I admit. But after last night... I figured I''ve had my own fair share of women. Rainer... he''s just different..."


    As much as he hated to admit it, both of them weren''t as young as they used to be anymore. It was about time they settled down.


    The Lei Family needed another successor for the next generation to continue.


    "I heard you were quite a man in the northwest area. I thought you wouldn''t settle down for just one woman." Carla lightly smiled. "I guess you just haven''t found the right one yet."


    The elevator opened, so she walked over to the little girl who was having breakfast.


    Nathan followed her out.


    It was a school holiday today, so Carla took Sally out sailing on a yacht.


    "Mommy! I love being on a ship! It''s so much better than just staying here at home,"


    Sally squealed out. The moment that she found out they were going on a yacht, she was ecstatic. It was a nice change of scenery from staying at the villa all day.


    Plus, Sally had always been fond of the sea. Just knowing that she was just inches from the water, made her feel all the more happy.


    "Sally, be careful. stay close to me," Carla reminded.


    .


    Terence knitted his eyebrows, before sighing, grabbing her by the chin and kissing her once again.


    "As if I could say no to you," he said, sighing.


    "Fine! But remember, we''re looking only from afar, okay?"


    It seemed he had no other choice. He just couldn''t find it in himself to refuse her.


    Carla nodded repeatedly. "Yes, promise! I know I''m pregnant, so I''ll do it from a distance. Besides, I don''t know where they are, and I can''t find them even if I go there."


    "Carla, you..." What was she thinking?


    "No, no, no. Don''t get me wrong. I just want to take a look. Besides, I''m five months pregnant. What if something happens to them? It would be a shame if I didn''t pay them a visit, right?"


    Carla tugged on his arms.


    They were both eighty years old. That kind of age brought a lot more unforeseen circumstances, so she might as well go to the place they were said to live in.


    Hearing her words, Terence was starting to regret agreeing to her request.


    If Carla put her mind on something, it was impossible to stop her.


    But not this time, if she even tried to get off the boat, he would carry her back if he had to.


    "Why are you looking at me like that?"


    She raised her three fingers up in the air, waving at him. "Mr. An, didn''t you say that once I''m three months pregnant, you would do anything I want, go where I want to go?


    It''s not like I''m asking for the moon here. Can you at least grant your wife one small request?"

 Chapter 860 Honey, How Can You Break Your Word

    Terence looked at her beautiful face. Her bright eyes made him feel as if he was drowning.


    "Okay. But you have to promise me now that you won''t get off the boat, okay? If you break your promise... Well, to make sure it won''t happen, how about we make a deal? If you break it, there will be a punishment for you."


    "What? Seriously? Are you going to punish me hard? Go away! Don''t take advantage of me!"


    Carla gave him a playful push, her smile getting bigger and bigger.


    Looking at Carla''s smiling face, Terence started to regret setting this sea excursion.


    Carla was in a good mood during breakfast. She watched as seagulls passed over the water at a distance. An early spring breeze blew over the sea. It was a little cold but her good mood kept her spirits high.


    "Come inside. You''ll catch a cold out here. If you get sick, you can''t go anywhere."


    Terence walked over and put a coat on her. Seeing her in a good mood made him feel happy.


    Carla leaned against his shoulder and wormed her hands into his clothes to feel his warm body. Then she asked, "Why? It seems like you don''t want me to go to Yu Sea City at all. Am I right?"


    "No. I just want you to stay by my side and be safe. I don''t want anything unexpected to happen to you."


    Terence held her shoulders while he gazed at the blue sea in the distance.


    "How could that be? I just want to visit my relatives. Don''t you think you are being a little overprotective?"


    Carla raised her head and directly looked at him. She still couldn''t understand why Terence didn''t approve of her visit to the Yu Sea City.


    Terence looked at her tenderly.


    "You are my most precious person in this world. We can be happy today but who knows what will happen next. Being cautious and taking care of my wife is my job, right?"


    Carla returned his gaze, looking into his deep eyes. She stood on tiptoe and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I don''t agree. We make our fate in our hands. We can decide what we want to happen in the future."


    Terence wrapped his arms around her waist, careful not to hurt her growing belly. He gently laid his hand on her cheek which was getting a little red because o


    me."


    Terence''s cold voice cut through as he stood behind her.


    Carla was stunned by his sudden words. After a short while, she regained her composure and said with an embarrassed smile, "Well, sure. I did. But we''ve reached the gates to paradise. It seems like a waste if we''ve come this far but not go ashore."


    "Really? Carla, do you think I''m gullible?"


    Terence gave her a cunning smile. He could see right through his little wife.


    He continued, "Suggesting this cruise is just an excuse. I knew you only wanted to see Yu Sea City. That''s your true intention. You lied to me when you promised you wouldn''t go ashore! What do you intend to do once we set foot on the ground?"


    Carla blinked her bright black eyes and retorted, "Of course not! Am I a liar?


    We''ve been on this boat for so long. And now we see this beautiful piece of land a few miles from us. It will be such a shame if we just turn around and leave, right?"


    Terence remained silent and narrowed his eyes at her. This time, he decided not to be persuaded no matter what the woman tried to say to him.


    "Honey, look at this beautiful city. Since we''re already here, why not show Sally around?"


    Carla said while pointing at the buildings in the distance. She shook his arm and looked at him with big puppy eyes that went straight to his heart.


    Terence chuckled and pinched her chin.


    "Nathan, tell the captain to take the ship back to port immediately!"

 Chapter 861 They Had A Fight

    "Yes, Mr. Terence,"


    Nathan replied and immediately turned around to pass on his orders.


    "Wait!"


    Carla stopped Nathan. She continued to face Terence while speaking to Terence, "Nathan, please stop the boat. I want to go ashore!"


    "What?"


    Nathan looked at Carla awkwardly and then at Terence. "Mrs. An, Yu Sea City is a special area. We will need a pass to dock, and we didn''t prepare for one before coming..."


    "Really? Can''t we just apply for one from here?" asked Carla, turning back to look at him.


    She thought there might be a special procedure to follow in times like this. Since they had come all the way, she thought it was best to push a little and do whatever was needed to make it happen.


    Nathan looked at Terence again, implying that he was the only one who could do something about Carla''s request.


    With Terence''s status, he could make a phone call with a government official and they could go through without a pass.


    That was the only way to make this happen.


    Carla looked at Terence expectantly but the truth was Terence didn''t want her to go there.


    "Well, honey. I''m not God. My reach in only limited to JA City, I can''t get you ashore without a pass," Terence said, shrugging his shoulders. He looked into Carla''s dark eyes. He didn''t like lying to her but he had to this time, since Carla had a tendency to get into trouble every now and then. Sometimes, he wondered how she could be so reckless as a grown woman.


    "Then let''s figure it out after we disembark. As the saying goes, you can only cross the bridge when you get to it. I mean it really doesn''t hurt to have a look,"


    Carla said, while looking up at Terence with one of her eyebrows raised. Carla wasn''t someone who got convinced against her desires easily.


    "Oh, honey. You are too optimistic! Yu Sea City is quite a violent society, and the people there have some really weird customs. For the sake of your own safety, let''s just leave!"


    said Terence, trying to talk Carla out of her wish patiently.


    "Well, what if I insist on going?" said Carla, taking a step forward and looking up at him since he was much taller than her. Every time they talked, she would end up with a sore neck. Usually, he would either sit down or she would stand up on something. But this time he made no such effort.


    Soon, Carla got tired of straining her neck.


    "You can''t. Nobody dares to go ashore unless I allow them," Terence spoke calmly, without sounding too authoritative.


    Carla stamped her foot in anger and glared at him angrily. Terence stepped closer to her and put his hands on her shoulder.


    "You won''t stop the boat?" !"


    "No!"


    he answered firmly but gently. Carla almost jumped in her place,


    some difficulty and held both her hands.


    "I''m fine, Sally. Don''t worry. Keep playing, honey."


    Then Carla looked away. Although Sally was her daughter, she didn''t want to see her right now. Or for that matter, anything that reminded her of him!


    "No, Mommy. You are not happy, I want to be with you!" Sally didn''t want to go. She was more sensitive than most adults. As Carla walked to the sofa to rest, she followed her with her little steps. She wrapped her arms around Carla''s knees, refusing to let go of her.


    Surely she couldn''t drive the child away, but she could prevent seeing Terence''s face. Carla got up and locked the door so that Terence couldn''t come in.


    "Mommy, did you have a fight with daddy?"


    She remembered seeing her parents talking on the deck a while ago. She even wanted to join them, but Uncle Rainer stopped her.


    "¡­¡­ No, honey. Daddy and mommy were just discussing something. We didn''t fight. Don''t worry about it, okay?" Carla held Sally''s shoulders and coaxed her with a slight sigh. She felt exhausted already, but this was part of being a parent.


    As soon as she finished speaking, there was a knock on the door.


    "Carla, open the door..."


    Carla clenched her teeth and twisted her mouth, staring at the door. She lowered her head and saw how Sally was eyeing her with her pearl-like eyes.


    "Mommy, did you really not fight with Daddy? Then why don''t you open the door?"


    Sally asked, raising her head to meet her mother''s eyes in confusion.


    Carla rolled her eyes. How innocent was this child, and yet how smart! She cleared her throat and stood up reluctantly, finally deciding to open the door.


    "What? What do you want?"


    she asked through a small gap between the door and the frame, trying her best to see as little of Terence''s face as possible.

 Chapter 862 The Child is Kicking Me

    Terence leaned against the door frame, smiling at his wife''s antics. Carla refused to open the door for him. "Carla, it''s already noon. It''s time for you to come out for lunch!"


    "Go ahead and eat lunch if you are hungry. You don''t need to worry about me. I''ll let the servant bring the food in later. I''ll eat here in the room."


    Carla was ready to push the door closed, but Terence stopped her.


    "What? Are you still mad at me?"


    Terence pushed his way into the room and saw his daughter sitting on the sofa. He turned to look at Carla and said, "Honey, let''s have lunch first, okay? You can be mad at me later."


    Carla looked at him before she turned to her daughter, "Sally, let''s go. You''re eating lunch with Mommy, okay?"


    Sally immediately pushed herself off the sofa and reached out her little hand to Carla.


    The family finished their lunch in a "harmonious" atmosphere.


    Sally got full easily and went back to her own room after lunch. Terence and Carla remained at the table, and their cold feud continued.


    Carla immediately put down her chopsticks and stood up after Sally left.


    Seeing her get up, Terence also put his chopsticks down and followed her.


    In the living room, Rainer and Nathan looked at each other and then looked away silently.


    "Rainer, I''ll stay here to watch. You should go and find Carol,"


    Nathan said suddenly.


    Rainer looked at him and said, "I told you. I don''t like Carol that way. If you want to go, go by yourself!"


    Nathan glanced at him coldly. "Are you a fool? The chances of meeting a girl who is so into you is slim to none. You can''t miss your chance with her or you will regret it forever!"


    He had been noticing how well Carol had treated Rainer these days.


    As the older brother, Nathan didn''t want his kid brother to miss such a good opportunity.


    "Who is the silly man here? You love her. Why don''t you go after her?"


    Rainer fired back and looked away stubbornly. "Nathan, I know that Carol is a good girl. But I really don''t have any feelings for her. But you love her. So you should be the one to pursue her."


    "You..."


    Rainer was too stubborn. Nathan was so angry that he gritted his teeth


    dy with excitement and happiness.


    "What? Really?" Terence looked at her belly. Suddenly, he realized something. He squatted and placed his cheek against her belly.


    After feeling the slight movement inside, Terence''s eyes lit up. He looked up at her and put his arms around her waist.


    "Honey, the baby is kicking indeed!"


    It was his first time to feel it. His handsome face was bright with surprise. He looked at her with a brilliant smile. "Honey, do you think it is because he felt his mother was unhappy?"


    Carla, who was seething in anger moments ago, didn''t know where her anger went.


    When the baby stopped moving, Terence guessed that the little one must have tired himself out. He then stood up and held Carla''s shoulders, saying, "Carla, look. Even the kid is trying to tell you not to remain angry at me. Let''s stop arguing with each other, okay?


    Let''s go back to where we used to be. I promise it won''t happen again. You can go wherever you want and I''ll not oppose you, okay?"


    Terence sighed softly and smiled at her.


    At his sincere words, Carla raised his chin with one hand and said, "I''ll remember your promise today, okay?"


    "Of course. I''ll promise you more things except the trip to Yu Sea City..." Terence repeated.


    He planned for her to relax with this trip. But he didn''t expect that everything would backfire and make her unhappy.


    This entire fiasco could have been avoided and he was the one to blame.

 Chapter 863 An Experience Class

    "Are you serious? Do you really mean it? Will you listen to all my decisions in the future without opposing me?" Carla arched an eyebrow.


    "Are you sure that you won''t regret the promise you''ve made today?" A smile tugged on the corners of her lips.


    "Yeah, of course, I''m very sure. I''m not one to break promises." Terence looked at her intently. "Like I promised, I will do everything I can to make you happy."


    Terence held Carla''s hands and smiled at her, his eyes staring into hers, revealing the intensity of his promise.


    "But, hey, why does it have to be so serious between us? Do you want me to swear on something to prove it to you?" Terence teased. Carla glanced at him and picked her phone. She had recently joined a yoga course, which was exclusively for pregnant women.


    Suddenly, an idea came to mind. She had recently come across an experience class, and she had been thinking of enrolling. It required couples to participate together.


    The experience class seemed new to her and she had wanted to go in person to find out about it. Now, she felt that it was the perfect opportunity to find out whether Terence would keep his promise or not.


    Carla quickly made an appointment with the coach. She bit her lips to suppress her laughter when she cast a glance at Terence. "I''m going to take you somewhere."


    Terence knitted his eyebrows when he saw the mysterious look on Carla''s face. He went with her without saying a word.


    When they arrived at the club, Terence saw that people were busy doing something that he couldn''t comprehend. His gaze settled on a man who was clumsily changing diapers on a baby doll.


    A frown had lined on his forehead. When he turned towards Carla, he saw that she was grinning, looking pleased with herself.


    "Honey, do you think we must join the class?" When he saw Carla raise an eyebrow, he quickly changed his choice of words. "Well, alright, is it necessary for me to join the class? I''m smart and I don''t think that I would need to attend classes to learn the basics,"


    Terence groaned as he did not understand why Carla brought him to a strange place like this. He felt that she was overdoing things. Even if Terence couldn''t take care of the baby, they had servants who would cater to all his needs, from feeding the baby to changing diapers.


    "You need to understand the basics. You didn''t have a chance to take care of Sally when she was an infant. You''ve no idea how difficult it is to take care of a newborn baby. And I think that''s exactly why you should join this class. Look, there are many inexperienced dads like you and there''s no need for you to feel embarrassed about it,"


    Carla said, looking intently at Terence as she pictured how he would look when he d


    Terence frowned and was hesitant to take a bite. Just when he was about to refuse, Carla arched an eyebrow, which made him immediately heed her request.


    Terence usually disliked anything sweet or sour, but to his surprise, he actually enjoyed it.


    Carla was having a great time and her face settled into a happy grin. They were wandering on the streets and Carla immediately stopped when she walked past an open-air restaurant.


    Her gaze settled on a table where two men were sitting opposite each other, discussing something animatedly.


    An uncomfortable feeling formed in the pit of her stomach when she saw them.


    "What''s up, Honey? What are you looking at?" Terence asked when he saw Carla staring at something. When he followed her gaze, he saw the two men in the restaurant.


    He frowned and wondered how Brian knew Steven.


    Terence stepped forward to greet his friend, but Carla quickly grabbed his hand and stopped him. "Where are you going?"


    "What? I''m going to go over to say hi to my friend. By the way, aren''t you tired? Don''t you want to go over and talk to them?" Terence held her hand, ushering her into the restaurant.


    "No, we should not interrupt them. They''re in the middle of a conversation and it will be inappropriate to disturb them," Carla said.


    Terence was confused. He couldn''t understand why Carla stopped him when he just wanted to say hi to them. It was the polite thing to do and did not know why Carla considered it as an interruption.


    He finally sighed and cast a meaningful glance at his wife.


    "Oh, I get it. It is because of Steven, isn''t it? I found you very resistant to my talking to him." Terence smiled and continued to walk in the opposite direction.


    Carla knitted her brows.


    She hesitated for a moment and finally grabbed Terence''s hand and stopped him.

 Chapter 864 Two Love Rivals

    But Terence insisted. They were already there and it was only right to go over and say hi.


    "Shall we go?"


    Carla held Terence''s hand as they walked towards the restaurant across the street. She was tired after her shopping spree and decided to take a short rest, but Terence had already made his way over.


    At that same moment, Under a black sunshade outside an open-air restaurant, the two men sat across each other.


    Steven was busy looking at a painting book in his hands. Across him, Brian took a look at Steven before turning his attention to his cellphone.


    In order to change Steven''s impression of him, Brian had tried every means. Of course, Steven had to see the change by himself. This was the reason why Brian had changed the way he asked him out every time.


    However, Steven remained unmoved every time they met.


    Whenever Brian opened a topic for discussion, Steven would politely reply with a few words but hold himself back. He didn''t go deep into the conversation. After he spoke, the atmosphere around them would become cold.


    "Isn''t that Carla?"


    At Brian''s question, Steven lifted his head up from his book to look around.


    When his eyes caught Brian smiling at him in a mischievous way, Steven stopped looking for Carla. "Steven, you''ve always said that she''s only a friend. If she''s truly just a friend, why did you slightly panic just at the sound of her name?


    Okay, stop looking. I was just kidding."


    With these words, Brian straightened his legs out.


    Just then, Steven stood up and looked at the direction behind him. "Mr. An and Mrs. An, what a coincidence!"


    As soon as Steven finished his words, Brian burst into laughter. He pointed at Steven and said, "Really? You''re playing this game now? I didn''t know you''ve suddenly acquired humor, Steven.


    Why would my boss come to such a crowded place? You''re really¡­"


    "Ahem."


    Before Brian could finish his words, there was a familiar clearing of throat from behind him.


    Brian froze mid-laugh. His smile disappeared. He turned around and looked at where the voice came from.


    He almost fell down from his chair!


    d the hostility towards Carla implied something obvious.


    Some kind of information was involved.


    If it was someone else, he certainly wouldn''t care much about it. But it was Brian, his excellent assistant. He had been assisting Terence for so many years now and he didn''t want him to get trapped in the wrong relationship.


    Brian was not stupid. When he realized what Terence was trying to say, he was stunned for a while. He thought he had discovered something and looked around in a panic.


    "Really? So, many beauties will come? Then, I''ll have to think about it," Brian changed the subject, smiling awkwardly.


    Meanwhile, Steven and Carla were still talking about the art exhibition.


    Finally, Steven couldn''t help but stand up again. "Mrs. An, if you have time, you and Mr. An are welcome to visit my art exhibition. I really have to leave now."


    It was just a short while and Steven was already very uncomfortable. He couldn''t help but feel the sharp, heated gaze coming from Terence.


    He didn''t want to cause any misunderstanding between Carla and Terence.


    As Steven prepared to leave, Brian stood up as well.


    Seeing them leave together, Carla sighed deeply, mourning silently in her heart, ''Isn''t it a pity that a good boy like Steven chose to be with Brian?''


    Terence looked at her with his arms crossed. His eyes glinted knowingly.


    "Honey, do you know something that I don''t?"

 Chapter 865 Who Misled Who

    Carla was left at such a loss, thinking that her husband might have found something out. So, she lowered her head and stumbled over her words.


    "N-no, I didn''t. What do you mean by that?"


    Seeing the way Carla was reacting, Terence grew even more suspicious and asked, "Honey, when did you find out about it? And why didn''t you tell me anything?"


    Hearing this, Carla''s eyes glimmered. ''Oh, my God! Terence finally found out.''


    "I, I just did, not too long ago. It''s not that I didn''t want to tell you. It''s just that I was afraid it was going to affect your relationship with Brian."


    In any case, it wasn''t that easy for a woman to accept the fact that a man liked her husband. How was she supposed to tell Terence? Not to mention that Brian was like a brother to him.


    Although it was actually making her feel uncomfortable, Terence never seemed to notice. So, for the sake of the harmonious relationship they shared, all she could do was pretend she didn''t know.


    That being said, Terence finally found out about it.


    "Really? Does that mean you have known about it for some time now?" Terence asked, looking straight into her eyes.


    Could it be that Carla was aware of Steven''s sexual orientation as well?


    Hearing this, Carla forced a cough to hide her awkwardness. "Terence, try not to think too much about it. Just act like you don''t know anything.


    I have to admit that it was shocking at first, but love is love. In the end, it''s impossible to control whom you love.


    Besides, you are such a great guy. So much so that you attract both men and women."


    Not wanting to keep her thoughts to herself anymore, Carla came clean since Terence already knew everything.


    Be that as it might, Terence was left completely dumbfounded for a while. Then, with a surprised look on his face, he glanced at her and said, "Carla, what on earth are you talking about? You''re not making any sense."


    "What? I''m not making any sense? Haven''t, haven''t you found out that Brian is in love with you?"


    As soon as she said that, Carla quickly covered her mouth. ''Oh, my God! Oh, my God! He wasn''t talking about that?''


    At that moment, there was a somber look on Terence''s face and his eyes became as dark as dark clouds.


    Carla''s heart


    and he will come with Kaylee later this evening," Terence replied as he handed over to her a glass of warm milk. "When Dad and Kaylee get here, let''s have dinner together. I have asked the servants to prepare something for you in case you''re already feeling hungry right now."


    "No, I''m not feeling hungry yet. Terence, why is Dad so insistent on seeing us tonight? I feel like it''s about something important," Carla remarked as she took a sip of the milk. After all, she just had something to eat, so she wasn''t hungry.


    "Don''t worry. I''m sure it isn''t anything bad."


    Terence smiled at her as he wiped the milk stains off of her lips.


    Recently, it had been quite peaceful around JA City. After Gary was reported, he decided to keep a low profile and not show too much power instead.


    Nodding her head, Carla looked at Rainer who was standing outside. "By the way, Carol told me that she wanted to resign, but I didn''t want to let her.


    To be honest, I''m really fond of her. She''s been by my side for so long, and I don''t want her to leave just like that."


    ''Carol has been working for me for a while now. It''s just so hard to say goodbye to her and start building the trust we have with someone new, '' she thought to herself.


    Thinking about it for a while, Terence let out a soft chuckle. "Honey, I think it''s time we get rid of all the other single men around us. What do you say?"


    Hearing his words, Carla blinked as a smile crept onto her face. "What do you mean by that?"

 Chapter 866 If You Can Beat Me!

    "Nathan and Rainer are in a conflict because they fell in love with the same woman. As their boss, I was unable to solve their problem for them. Now my friend, Brian, seems to be dating someone he is interested in. I must do my best to help him.


    As long as I can help, I will do so without hesitating."


    Terence said. The memory of Rainier and Nathan turning against each other for a woman played in his head every time. As their boss, he felt like he was responsible for helping them resolve their issues.


    He thought that if he had done something back then, he could have made a difference. Things wouldn''t turn out as awfully as they had.


    "Terence, I am so surprised to hear that. It''s rare to see you involving yourself in other people''s business so sincerely!"


    Carla moved closer to him and smiled wickedly, "I didn''t expect that my Terence would be so considerate to his subordinates. I''m really impressed."


    Terence glanced at Carla. He didn''t know whether she was mocking him or not. He reached out and playfully pinched her cheek. "Do you think I only care about myself and not about the welfare of those around me?"


    "Of course not. You know I don''t mock or tease about things like this. I was truly, sincerely praising you."


    Carla also stretched out her hand and pinched his handsome face back playfully.


    Terence didn''t stop her. He held her waist to keep her from falling down from the sofa.


    After a while, Sally happily rushed in from outside.


    "Daddy! Mommy! Grandpa and Kaylee are here!"


    Following the little girl''s voice, Kaylee came over into the house and quickly took Sally in her arms. "Sally, did you miss me?"


    "Of course! I missed you so much. You are the most thoughtful and beautiful woman I''ve ever seen!" Sally replied. The little one was such a warm ball of sunshine. She was always full of compliments.


    "Haha. My dear cute Sally, you are also the most sensible, beautiful and sweetest girl I have ever seen!"


    Kaylee tapped Sally on her nose, smiling.


    At dinner.


    "Terence, Carla, I''ve come to a decision. I wanted to let you know..." Edmund said as he took a look at Kaylee and took her hand.


    "I''ve decided to marry Kaylee."


    He had made the decision after careful consideration.


    At his age, he had still hoped he would find a person who could keep him company him for the rest of his life. Since Kaylee had stayed around him for so many years, he had begun to develop some affection towards her. He thought it was high time to label their relationship and give her a commitment.


    "Really? That''s great news! Congratulations, Dad and Auntie Kaylee!" Carla was so happy to hear Edmund''s news. She knew Kaylee was a kind and


    k a step closer and pulled Carol in front of him.


    Carol lowered her head, averting her eyes from his.


    "There is one more thing. You think too much." Nathan frowned and continued in a low voice, "You and Rainer might have misunderstood me. The reason why I said that to Rainer was to push his feelings for you out in the open.


    My brother is slow on the uptake about a girl''s heart. If I didn''t help him realize it, he would never know."


    Carol looked up and gazed at him. She studied his eyes carefully.


    "Are you being serious and honest right now?"


    Nathan looked at her surprised face and suddenly pushed her towards the wall. He looked at her intently and said, "Would that make you happy?"


    Carol blinked her eyes, bashful. "Of course. I like Rainer because he is an honest man. I''ve heard a lot about your affairs. Yes, I''m a bodyguard. But I''m also a woman. Men like you..."


    She slowly dropped her head and continued, "Anyway, I feel lucky that you''re not the one I fell in love with. You and your brother look the same, but so different from one another."


    Nathan''s face darkened. He let go of her shoulder and stepped back. "That''s good!


    If you really like him, don''t give up easily. Mr. An will be busy these days. I hope you can go back to your duty as soon as possible."


    After saying that, Nathan took one last look at her before he turned around and walked towards the door.


    Carol took a deep breath. Before Nathan made it out of her door, she grabbed a glove and threw it at Nathan.


    Nathan reacted quickly. He grabbed her hand and asked, "What are you doing?"


    "Don''t you want me to go back to work? Well, if you can beat me tonight, I will report for duty tomorrow morning!"


    Carol said, raising her chin and throwing the other boxing glove to him.

 Chapter 867 I Dont Hit Women

    Carol then turned around and fetched a pair of boxing gloves for herself. She put them on and prepared for a fight with Nathan.


    However, Nathan tossed the gloves away and said with disdain, "I don''t hit women."


    "So you think you''re stronger than me?"


    At Nathan''s misgiving, Carol raised her eyebrows and stared at him with puzzlement.


    Nathan glanced at her and said, "No, you''re overthinking this. If I thought you''re weaker than me, then I won''t have chosen you to work with us."


    With that, he turned around to open the door.


    "Are you afraid to lose?" Carol looked at him as he opened the door and shouted loudly, "I thought you were a man of courage. Now I know you''re not as manly as Rainer!"


    Nathan slammed the door shut. Then he turned around to look at her.


    Apparently, Nathan was provoked by Carol''s words. Seeing his angry expression, Carol curled up her lips into a small smile. Then, she also took off the gloves on her hand and strode in front of him.


    They stared at each other for a while. The energy around them crackled. Flurry of action from both of them as they matched each other caused a ruckus around the room. The pages of the calendar hanging on the wall rustled with the wind.


    After several rounds, Carol waved her hands and took a few steps back, breathing heavily.


    She thought that Nathan was not much better than Rainer. But now it seemed that she had underestimated him.


    Comparing him with Rainer, Nathan was much more decisive and agile.


    "Would you like to have one more round?" Nathan asked, withdrawing his fists.


    With a defiant look in her eyes, Carol took a step forward and punched Nathan in the chest.


    This time, Nathan didn''t dodge. Instead, he stood there and received the heavy blow.


    Carol was startled. She looked up and asked with puzzlement, "Hey! Why didn''t you dodge?"


    "It doesn''t matter. Do you think that you can really hurt me with your small fists?" Nathan glanced at her with a scornful expression. Carol was indeed a good bodyguard. But as a fighter, she was still no match for him.


    Carol looked at her fists. She was so angry that her eyes were full of burning fire. Just then, she lifted her leg to kick his crotch.


    Nathan''s face turned red. He didn''t expect that Carol would kick him in his private parts.


    "Holy shit! Carol, are you out of your mind? How can you be so outrageous?"


    Nathan resisted the urge to cover his groin with his hands. Instead, he choked down his whimper and glared at her.


    "You are too weak! We are fighting each other now. Why blame me for attacking on an opening when you are unprepared?" Carol said, glaring at him.


    Nathan grew more furious after hearing Carla''s words. He reached out his hand and tried to grasp her shoulder.


    Carol tried to move out of his control. But Nathan didn''t let up. Carol intended to kick Nathan''s chest, but he q


    the exhibition with her.


    Carla was surprised when they arrived at the venue. She didn''t expect that there would be so many people attending the exhibition on its first day.


    Although Steven was still a pretty new and young painter, he was still Gary''s son. Everyone knew that Gary was very influential and he had a wide array of connections. He would certainly ask his friends to attend his son''s exhibition. It was just logical to expect so many attendees for this exhibition.


    "Mrs. An, shall I ask the usher to inform Mr. Steven of our arrival?" Carol asked.


    She was wondering whether it was necessary to inform Steven of their arrival. After all, Mrs. An was a distinguished guest and she should receive VIP treatment.


    "Not now. I''m sure he''s very busy. Let''s go inside and have a look," Carla peered inside and said.


    Hearing this, Carol hurriedly followed Carla inside. Carla was already five months pregnant and she needed to be extremely careful to ensure her safety.


    After entering the gate, Carla saw several paintings in the main hall. She stopped to appreciate each artwork.


    It had only been a few months since he did the paintings in BH City, but Carla didn''t expect that he had improved so quickly.


    She had to admit that he was really talented in art.


    Carla believed that with his achievements and status in the art world, Steven would definitely become a famous artist.


    Carla was attentively enjoying Steven''s paintings hanging on the wall.


    She didn''t notice that a female worker of the gallery had passed by her side and stopped to look at her.


    The woman in a suit that looked like a uniform studied Carla''s form up and down. Soon, she recognized who she was.


    After confirming Carla''s identity, she couldn''t help but sneer.


    ''Well, what a small world it is, '' thought the female worker.


    She didn''t expect to see Carla in this gallery after more than five years.

 Chapter 868 An Encounter Between Enemies

    Even if the woman turned into ash, Trina could still recognize her.


    Some years ago, Carla had broken her trophy, ruined her art exhibit and put pressure on her in every possible way, making it impossible for her to gain a foothold in the art circles.


    Her big plan slowly collapsed. She was now doing the backstage work in exhibitions. Trina could never hold her own art exhibition now.


    Carla, who was walking ahead, suddenly felt a prickling sensation at the back of her neck.


    When she turned around, she found nothing suspicious in the bustling gallery.


    "Ma''am, what''s wrong?"


    Carol asked Carla.


    "Nothing. I thought I felt something but maybe I was wrong." Carla withdrew her gaze and continued to walk forward in a trance.


    She continued to appreciate the paintings on the wall, taking in each and every one of them. Every painting had a theme, which would transition to the next theme, echoing a whole big theme. Steven had obviously put a lot of effort in setting the stage for his exhibit.


    Such an arrangement wasn''t hard to find out.


    "Watch out, Mrs. An!"


    While Carla was enjoying herself with each painting, Carol quickly pulled her to the side to avoid being run into by some people.


    They were almost hit by a female staff in uniform who then walked away. Carol glanced at the staff''s back and said, "Can you please be more careful when you walk? Didn''t you see we were here?"


    Everyone could see how heavily pregnant Carla was, unless they were blind. People could see her figure from ten steps away and would sidestep around her to avoid bumping into her. Couldn''t this woman figure it out?


    "I''m so sorry. They are Steven''s classmates, invited to visit this exhibition. I didn''t see you because I have been entertaining them all this time. I''m so sorry!"


    After saying that, the lady took a look at Carla and uttered in surprise, "Hey, isn''t this Carla, Noah''s fianc¨¦e?"


    "Long time no see! Do you still remember me?"


    Being reminded about her past, Carla frowned unconsciously. Then she looked at the lady for a long time and she suddenly remembered.


    ly realized why everything was so familiar.


    She remembered how Trina laughed at her arrogantly in front of Noah.


    She guessed this was karma.


    Even though she was a bit reckless and impulsive in her actions then, she still thought that such an arrogant person did not deserve to be called an artist and become popular.


    "Trina, did you misunderstand something?"


    Steven asked. It didn''t sit well with him how Trina was treating Carla so disrespectfully.


    "Steven, I didn''t misunderstand anything! She ruined me. She not only smashed my trophy, but also burned my painting in front of everyone. She looked down on me and ruined my reputation until no one dared to ask for my paintings ever again!"


    Trina continued to point at Carla, snarling as if she wanted to bite her to death.


    "Yes, she was right. I smashed the trophy. I burned the painting. But why don''t you tell everyone here the reason, Trina? Why did I break your trophy and burn your painting?"


    Carla took a step forward and waved at Carol to calm down.


    Back in HA City, Trina couldn''t do anything to her. And she dared do this here at JA City.


    "Don''t confuse what''s right and wrong here! We just met for the first time then. What could I do to you? Just because you were Noah''s fianc¨¦e at that time, you took advantage of your power to bully others. !"


    Trina said loudly, as her eyes began to burn with rage.

 Chapter 869 Please Go Out!

    Trina just couldn''t let the chance go. Her career would have been better if it weren''t for Carla''s meddling.


    Many years had passed, but the pain was still there and could never be healed. She only had one chance in life and everything was already ruined.


    "Really? Ms. Zhuo, have you forgotten after so many years? Did you forget what you have said and done?"


    Carla said in a deceptively calm tone.


    "Nonsense. What did I do to you? Did I hurt you or something?" Hearing this, Trina''s face turned red in anger.


    "Oh, really? Do you still remember what I was like at that time?"


    Carla blinked her eyes and smiled softly. "I hurt my leg that time, so I was limping when I had seen your art exhibition. But the pain of it was nothing to the hurt your words against me had caused. You had a way of hurting me when I was at my lowest and took advantage of me.


    Do you think you are pathetic now?


    Do you know how the old saying goes, ''There must be a reason why the poor are to be despised?''"


    Trina paled. Carla snorted and continued, "After all these years, you still believe that you were right, don''t you?"


    "Even if I had an argument with you at that time, you couldn''t just ruin my career or my life like that! You are a vicious woman. How can you be a mother?


    Huh! Look at you, so pregnant right now. I don''t know whose bastard it is that you''re carrying..."


    Before Trina could finish her words, Carol slapped her.


    Carol withdrew her hand and stood straight in front of Trina. She sneered, "Ms. Zhuo, I pity you for fighting against Mrs. An.


    But now you''re acting like a child. You deserve it!"


    Trina covered her stinging cheek with one hand. Biting her lips, she was furious and glared at Carla.


    "Watch your mouth from now on. Everyone in JA City knows that Mr. Terence An is the father of this baby. I''ll forgive you this time. But if you make any rude remarks and slander Mrs. An again, you''ll get more than just a slapping in your face. And don''t say I didn''t warn you."


    With that, Carol took a step back and stood beside Carla.


    Trina deflated after being slapped.


    Clearly, Carla was a different person now, someone to be approached careful


    another topic. "Why are you here alone? Where is Mr. An? I thought he would be coming with you."


    "He is busy," Carla said with a smile. Fortunately, Terence was not here today. If he was, God knows what would have happened to Trina.


    Back then, Terence had destroyed Trina''s reputation in the painting circle. Carla couldn''t imagine what Terence would do to Trina now after that confrontation.


    When she was about to drink her glass of juice, Carol surprised her by taking the glass.


    Carol turned around and fidgeted with the glass before giving it back to Carla.


    "I have tested the temperature. It''s safe. You can drink it if you want,"


    Carol said before leaving.


    Carla gave a little cough. Well, that was a little embarrassing.


    Steven could see Carla''s embarrassment. "No matter what happened, I was wrong. I trusted the wrong person. Now that you''re pregnant, don''t take it personally."


    "I know. I''m not worried. I know what''s good for me and the baby. I won''t take it seriously," Carla said indifferently as she took another sip of juice.


    Besides, Trina wouldn''t get anything out of her. She had no reason to take it seriously.


    "Anyway, there''s one thing I''ve been meaning to ask you. What''s the relationship between you and Brian?"


    Carla already knew that Brian was gay, so she was a little worried about Steven''s sexual orientation.


    After all, he was a good man. It would be a waste if he decided to be with Brian.

 Chapter 870 Lover Island

    Steven looked at Carla with a peculiar look. "Brian? We are just friends. Is something wrong? Why do you ask?"


    "No, it''s nothing," Carla rolled her eyes and answered hesitantly. She kept quiet for some time. Steven didn''t ask anything again, continuing to look at the painting that was in front of him. But Carla couldn''t keep it in anymore! "Well, I was wondering..." she spoke at last. Steven looked up at her, waiting for her to go on.


    But Carla realized she shouldn''t have started talking about this at all. Even if Brian and Steven were a couple, that was their private business! She was in no place to interfere.


    Noticing the queer look on Carla''s face, Steven blinked confusedly and asked, "Yeah, go on. Why did you mention him? You think there''s something between him and me, right?"


    "No, No. You''re overthinking it,"


    Carla said sheepishly, letting out a faint smile. The smile disappeared as soon as it appeared, as she decided to continue further, "I know Brian is Terence''s friend. I was only wondering how you and Brian met. That''s it!"


    Noticing her twinkling eyes, Steven lowered his eyes, smiled cutely and said, "Really? I thought you had started to care about me and were worried I might be ''going astray''."


    Fidgeting with nervousness, Carla sipped her juice. She hadn''t expected Steven to say that. She started coughing with embarrassment, then looked up at him and asked, "So, you know that Brian is..." She trailed off.


    "Yes, I know. You must know too, why else would you ask me this question. Am I right?"


    asked Steven boldly. He wasn''t the kind who could get nervous with such questions. People around him were still learning to wrap their heads around homosexuality, but not him. At the same time, a tiny part of him got excited. ''Is she worrying about me?'' he wondered.


    Carla put the cup down from her hand, rolled her eyes and answered hesitantly, "Yes, you are right. Honestly, this is why I was worried about you."


    Steven smiled gently. In fact, he was almost blushing. "Don''t worry about me. I know who I like..." he said, leaning back in his chair and stretching himself.


    Carla felt even more embarrassed now. She coughed again, trying to stifle the awkwardness.


    "Are you all right?" asked Steven, tilting his head and looking at her coyly. Part of him enjoyed making her feel uncomfortable like this. Many times, the boy could act like such a tease!


    Carla waved her hand and answered with a smile, seeing that he was enjoying messing with her. "Don''t worry, I''m okay. And it''s also good that you are so clear about your choices. After all, you are your father''s only son."


    Before he could even respond, she got up and started to walk out of the cafe adjacent to the art gallery. It was an outdoorsy place with a lot of green all around.


    The sunlight through the trees had lit up the entire place rather aesthetically. Walking through the patches of sun, Carla looked even more beautiful than usual.


    "Wait a minute!" he said, fishing in his bag for something. Carla stopped and turned around. "Yes?" she said, her golden brown hair glistening under the sunlight. Steven walked to her with a small gift in his hands. "Carla, I''m so happy you came to attend m


    mile, Brian responded, "You know him since you met him last time. It''s my friend, Steven."


    "Steven? No way!"


    Terence''s lips trembled. He rejected the idea the moment Brian spoke the name.


    Terence had actually planned to introduce Brian to a girl. How could he lapse back into his liking for Steven? It was never going to work!


    And if the two of them were left alone. Only God knew what would happen!


    "Why not? If I''m guessing right, all the attendees from the company are those who are single, right? The point is for them to come across a suitable partner. Since that is the goal, why can''t Steven and I be together?"


    Brian bargained. ''If Steven doesn''t go with me, what is the point of me joining this show?'' he thought to himself.


    Terence paused for a while, massaging his head. He was thinking about how he could talk him out of this.


    Brian''s stubbornness was getting on his nerve. At last, he got so angry that he actually hit his fist on the table. If Brian was in front of him right now, he would''ve actually punched him right in his face so he could come back to his senses!


    There were so many beautiful young women in the world, and all he could manage to do was to be attracted to a man!


    That would have been fine too, but to force a straight man to be him? He did not even have enough courage to admit he was gay, let alone confront his feelings for Steven. How could he expect Steven to play along in this charade?


    "Okay!"


    Terence ground his teeth and sneered. Although Steven was Gary''s son, he knew he couldn''t hate the young man just because of that. He wanted to help Brian find a partner, and somehow make him give up, trying to be with Steven.


    This, in a way, was like contributing to charity.


    "Okay, it''s a deal. We''ll be there next week then!"


    said Brian before Terence could say anything else and made his way toward Steven. His hands were sweating as he wondered how to bring it up to Steven, especially because of the exchange they just had a while ago.


    ''How can I persuade him to go with me?'' Brian wondered restlessly, progressing closer to Steven''s stunning face little by little.

 Chapter 871 I Can Change His Mind

    Time passed and the gallery was about to close.


    Brian was still waiting for Steven at the gate.


    "Why are you still here?"


    Seeing that the man wasn''t going to leave as he had thought, Steven walked over to him, frowning.


    With the things he was given from the gallery in one hand, Brian placed his other hand inside his pockets, leaning against the wall. "I''m waiting for you," he said, looking amused. "Isn''t it obvious?"


    Hearing those words, Steven thought back to Carla questioning him that morning, about his relationship with Brian. It was as if she could feel that something was going on between them.


    He couldn''t really fault her for that, because he could feel the tension too.


    Although Brian was protesting how he had done nothing wrong, the more he acted like this, the more his actions revealed his true self.


    "Spit it out," Steven snapped.


    Brian placed the gift bag on his back and wrapped an arm around Steven''s shoulder, leaning in closer. "Let''s have dinner together. I have something to tell you."


    Steven shrugged off Brian''s hand. "I have an appointment with the gallery staff tonight. If you have something to say, you can say it now."


    Brian''s ears turned red as he let out a cough. "Fine.


    How many days are you holding the exhibition?"


    Steven hesitated for a moment. "The original plan was a week, but it really just depends on the situation. A lot of paintings were sold today, so if the numbers are consistent for the next few days, the exhibit can only last four to five days at most."


    He hadn''t really prepared a lot of works for the exhibit, so if they were all sold out, there was no need to keep it open.


    "Well today''s Tuesday, and if what you''re saying is right, then are you free next week?"


    "Why?" Steven leaned back on the paved wall.


    "There''ll be an event next week on an island. The scenery is breathtakingly beautiful, and you can meet lots of people to appreciate your work. It will be boring to go there alone, so I suggest we both go. What do you say?" Brian suggested.


    "Take this time to let loose."


    Steven''s eyebrows shot into the air. From the way it looked, it seemed


    ate each other towards their goals.


    "Carla? Why do you want to paint again?"


    Terence had just walked out of the shower in his night robe, tilting his head. "I heard you went to Steven''s art exhibit today?" he questioned.


    Just when she was about to draw, he came.


    It had happened plenty of times before.


    "Is there a problem?"


    Carla sighed, setting down the brush. It seemed that she wouldn''t be getting any painting done tonight.


    If Terence set his mind on disturbing her, she wouldn''t be able to get anything done.


    "Nothing. I''ll introduce you to more people in the art circles when I''m free. If you don''t have anything important to do, you can spend more time with them,"


    Terence uttered, smiling. Carla didn''t know many people in the arts circle, so he understood her yearning to meet more friends.


    Carla was only ever interested in horse riding and painting.


    Because of her pregnancy, it had become impossible for her to go horseback riding, so she concentrated more on painting.


    "By the way, Carla, I have something to tell you," Terence said, pulling up a chair beside her.


    "The media company of the AJ Group is holding a daily show in Lover Island. I decided to make it an internal activity for our company. I can use this to get Brian there."


    "Really? What about Nathan, Rainer and Carol? Will they go too?"


    Carla wrapped her arms around his neck and looked at him with sparkling eyes.

 Chapter 872 Let Them Be The Protagonists

    "What do you say?"


    Terence stared at her, eyes glinting.


    "Of course I''m going! But, how should we tell them?" Carla hesitated. If they told the three directly, it would just be too obvious.


    If they told them it was a vacation, Rainer and Nathan would adamantly refuse to go, being too responsible over their jobs. They would be too busy trying to protect Terence that they wouldn''t even be able to appreciate the sights.


    "Of course we wouldn''t tell them as it is." Terence winked. He went through large efforts to prepare the surprise for both his loyal men.


    They had been with him for years, working day and night. They cared too much for their jobs that they seemed to disregard anything else.


    He had to give them a well-deserved day off.


    "So we''ll go then, take this as an opportunity as a getaway."


    Terence held Carla''s waist, continuing. "Babe, they''ve been here with us for so long. Don''t you think it''s time for them to cool down? Be the boss for once?"


    Carla snorted in laughter at his word choice, lightly slapping his shoulders. "I think I should be the one asking the question, don''t you think?"


    His question made her seem all the more narrow minded.


    "Fine, let''s rehearse it again."


    Terence laughed, clearing his throat.


    Carla raised his chin, looking at him in the eyes as if she were the boss of the household. "Babe, they''ve been here with us for so long. Don''t you think it''s time for them to cool down? Be the boss for once?"


    Terence squinted in reply, patting her hips.


    "Call me hubby," he teased making her roll her eyes.


    "Fine, let''s do this again." She flipped her hair to the side. Hubby, they''ve been here with us for so long. Don''t you think it''s time for them to cool down? Be the boss for once? This time, it''s our job to make them happy."


    Carla improvised, stroking his arms and fluttering her bright eyes.


    As soon as she finished, Terence pulled her into a passionate kiss.


    "Of course, b


    eally care.


    "You really think so?" She narrowed her eyes. Something still didn''t seem right.


    "Of course! What else?" Brian said.


    There was a moment of silence before she finally responded. "Then why did you call me? It''s not as if he would listen to me."


    "He''s your friend. Of course he will," he insisted, smiling. "You guys are great friends. And besides, this trip would be good for him. If you''re a really good friend, you''d want him to go, right?"


    Carla would understand the meaning behind his words, that he was sure of.


    It would be best if Steven finally moved on.


    "Fine, I''ll give it a try." Carla straightened her back, knowing fully well what he meant¨Cwhat she knew about them. Even if Steven had confessed to her, he was still her friend. And she wanted him to be happy.


    "I can''t say he''ll listen to me though."


    Among all the men she knew, Steven was the one with the purest of souls.


    He was just too kind.


    Unlike Noah, he was witty and innocent. Johnny was also far different from him. Steven was like a kid to her, and she only wanted what was best for him.


    "That''s fine. Thanks, I appreciate it." Brian hung up the phone, leaving Carla to her thoughts.


    After a few minutes of thinking about it, with the phone still in her hand, Carla dialed Steven''s number.

 Chapter 873 Have A Fling On The Trip

    The phone rang on the other end. A few seconds after, Steven picked up.


    "Hello, Steven?"


    Carla came to her senses and stood up, walking around her room.


    "Excuse me, who''s this?"


    A womanly voice answered from the other end of the line.


    Carla glanced at her phone, surprised, hovering to see if she called the right person. Seeing as she did, she brought the speaker back to her ear.


    "Hi! I''m Steven''s friend. Can I talk to him?"


    The lady covered the phone, casting a glance at Steven who was busy at the other end of the room. She unplugged the charger and walked towards him.


    She lowered her voice, turning back. "If you have anything to tell Steven, you can tell me. I''ll tell him for you."


    "Can''t he come talk on the phone now?" Carla raised an eyebrow, trying to guess what relationship the woman had with Steven.


    She didn''t have the slightest clue if Steven was seeing someone now. If he was, then there was no need to invite him on a trip to Lover Island.


    Plus, it would be completely inappropriate for her to invite him.


    "He''s busy." She crossed her arms impatiently, glancing to where her father and Steven''s father were discussing their engagement. If everything were to go well, she would be Steven''s wife very, very soon. The corners of her lips quirked up at the thought before she returned to the call, "I could deliver the message for you."


    "Hmm, do you mind if I ask what relationship you have with Steven?" Judging from the way the woman spoke, Carla had an inkling that the two of them were already very close.


    "I''m his soon to be fianc¨¦e!" she said proudly.


    Carla nodded, eyes widening in surprise. It seemed she guessed right.


    In that case, there really was no need to invite Steven to the island.


    "Oh! Congratulations. On another thought, I don''t have anything important to tell him. Sorry for bothering you,"


    she briefly apologized before hanging up.


    After putting down


    ersation with Brian several times back.


    Though the man was stubborn, he didn''t expect Brian to try and talk Carla into calling and inviting him.


    "It''s fine if you don''t want to go,"


    she quickly said, noticing his hesitation.


    There was another round of silence before Steven replied, "Brian got you into this, didn''t he?"


    "It''s not like I could hide that from you, couldn''t I? He did. I think it''s a great idea though. I mean, the island''s a beautiful place. You''re sure to get a lot of inspiration from there,"


    Carla insisted. If there was something Steven was, it was that he was smart. She couldn''t hide such an obvious thing from him even if she tried.


    "What about you? Do you want me to go with you?"


    Steven smiled.


    "Of course! With you there, I can actually get some painting done," Carla said without hesitation, chuckling.


    Steven laughed with her. "Okay, I''ll be there."


    Even if it was Brian''s idea, he just couldn''t find it in him to refuse her.


    "It''s a deal," Carla teased, smirking. "Hopefully, you could get a nice fling there so Brian could stop bothering the both of us."


    Once Steven hung up the phone, Carla finally relaxed back on her bed


    only to see Terence standing near the door frame with his arms crossed, squinting over at her.

 Chapter 874 At Lover Island

    "You finished showering? Why didn''t you call me in?" Carla touched her own face and thought, ''Why is he looking at me like that? Is there anything on my face?'' Nevertheless, she tied her robe and rested on the bed. Terence too, lay down in front of her. Terence stared at her as she brushed her hair, thinking of how he could bring up what he wanted to say.


    At last, he squinted his eyes and said, "Honey, do you remember what you told me in the northwest?"


    Carla rolled her eyes, thinking carefully about what he meant. "What do you mean?"


    "Honey... I think sometimes people aren''t very kind. I mean I can sense your kindness, but others cannot..."


    he said, looking down at his own hands.


    He didn''t really care about other things, but when it came to matters of relationships, Carla was a very giving person. She cared too much about all the people she interacted with, whether they were her close friends or not. Indeed, sometimes it could lead to misunderstandings, and eventually some trouble.


    A man of great wisdom generally appeared slow-witted. A wise man would rather choose to stay out of all drama and mind his own business.


    Carla grinned, her tiny eyes squinting. "I don''t get it! Are you praising me for how amiable I am or condemning me for it?"


    Terence chuckled too, sliding closer to her and pulling her cheeks with a loving smile. Teasingly, he said, "See Carla, I am a man whose wife is extremely attractive. Any man, old or young, could be attracted to you.


    I mean my taste might be too good. Look who I married! But it''s such a curse, since I have to constantly be on edge thinking someone will steal you from me!"


    Terence let his thumb brush her lips slightly, while his other hand played with her hair. Every day he thought about how she was a diamond in the rough and he was lucky to have found her.


    "Mr. Terence An, am I sensing a hint of jealousy?" said Carla. Her eyes suddenly narrowed with suspicion and the smile on her face slowly faded away.


    Terence''s own face became tense as well. He knew this was no longer a funny conversation. He let go of her face and folded his arms against his chest. "Do you want to hear the truth or a lie?"


    "The truth, of course. But a little lie wouldn''t hurt either."


    Carla put a cushion behind her back and rested her body on one of her elbows. Her posture, even though it looked relaxed, spoke of restlessness. She stared at his face, ears propped to listen carefully.


    Terence looked away. His head rested on one of his arms. Without meeting her eyes, he spoke, "I know you have nothing to do with Steven, and I know you''re only friends...


    And I really think he has a great personality and a good temperament. You guys have common hobbies and I''m sure you have a lot to talk about. So if you met occasionally and talked, I wouldn''t really mind."


    Terence raised his eyes and finally looked at her. Carla''s expression was the same as before, as if she was thinking this entire conversation was pointless. Was he really thinking he could stop her from hanging out with her friends?


    But he also couldn''t stop other men from being attracted to his wife.


    All he could do was keep an eye on th


    d Terence with a beaming smile, pulling out a chair for himself to sit beside her on the bed. He was happy with how things had turned out. His crew had gotten everything ready in just a week''s time! He produced some files from his bag and put them on the desk next to the bed.


    The entertainment media branch of AJ Group was quite famous in China. They had hosted many reality shows like this before, usually revolving around blind dates. This was the first time they were trying something with a long term commitment in mind.


    He was given two files to go through.


    One had all the information about the male participants and the other about all the female ones.


    Carla was lost looking at the screens. Only when Terence started to go through the files did her attention get diverted.


    "What''s this?"


    she asked, casually picking up one of the files and skimming through it. Before Terence could answer, she guessed, "Are these all the female guests?"


    This was so surreal!


    Some of them were even famous stars, and some overseas returnees. Each had their own specialties and were all very well educated. Besides, all of them were very pretty and charming!


    "Yeah, this is a TV program, after all. We have to keep our audience rating in mind, or who will pay us for seven days?"


    Terence looked at her with a smile.


    "Oh..." mouthed Carla sheepishly, thinking how naive she was. Suddenly, she noticed some of the files were marked with a red pen.


    "What do these red marks mean, Terence?"


    Terence looked where she was pointing and explained, "They are picked specifically for someone. For example, this one is specially chosen for Brian. We picked her as per what qualities Brian seeks in a woman. Statistics show she and Brian are an 80% match!"


    "Oh, wow! That''s impressive. I didn''t know you could do that! But then, what about Steven? Have you picked someone for him as well?"


    Carla asked curiously.


    Terence glanced up at her. His very name got on his nerve! He knew she would ask that question.


    In fact, he wanted her to. Quietly, he flipped through the pages and pointed at a woman after.

 Chapter 875 The Trip To Lover Island (Part One)

    "I knew you were going to ask me about it. Here, this is the woman I handpicked for Steven,"


    Terence said as he clicked on a thumbnail on the screen.


    He had put an insane amount of effort on choosing a woman for Steven. On one hand, he wanted Steven to stay away from Carla for good. And on the other, he simply wanted to help the young man move on from his single life.


    For these two reasons, in order to pull that off in one go, he had gone through such lengths to achieve his goal.


    As Carla looked at the picture of the woman on the screen, she began to read the information about her. Then, she looked at Terence in surprise and said, "Do you think Steven is going to like this woman? I never would''ve guessed that you could be this considerate.


    But is it really going to work? Because at the end of the day, we can''t force Steven to love her, or anyone else for that matter. Are you sure this is going to work?"


    With a curious smile on his face, Terence said, "You don''t trust me, do you? If there''s something we want to achieve, we must put all of our efforts into it. And once we do that, the probability of success would be higher than 90%."


    "How can you be so sure? Even if the matchmaker does it himself, there''s still a 50% chance of ending in a divorce. So, you can''t go bragging here."


    Giving him a suspicious look, Carla wasn''t fully convinced. After all, he was a businessman, not an expert in love.


    "You seriously don''t believe it''s going to work, do you? Let''s say you leave a man and a woman alone for 24 hours, can you imagine what''s going to happen in that time?"


    Terence answered, putting down the tablet computer and discussing the matter with her.


    With her beautiful eyebrows raised, Carla was in deep thought for a while. Then, she said, "Isn''t it going to be awkward? After all, they are total strangers."


    "That''s the point. They are indeed perfect strangers and that''s the reason why they may start getting curious about each other. During that time, they may want to get to know each other better. If they were to stay together for an entire day, there is a 70% to 80% chance that they will end up having unclear feelings for each other,"


    Terence said with a straight face.


    Then he went on and added, "And that''s just the first 24 hours. Have you ever wondered how much their relationship will develop within a week?"


    Not to mention the fact that they were living in quite a fast-paced society.


    Right then, Carla honestly believed that his words made sense. A week should be more than enough for two people to fall in love with each other.


    "More importantly, we also have a special psychiatrist who happens to specialize in choosin


    y, several white sailboats were making their way past the vast sea.


    In such a place, anyone would certainly feel relaxed and excited even if they just came here for a vacation!


    Furthermore, there were members of the opposite sex present.


    "You''re here."


    Brian greeted Steven as soon as he saw him.


    Casting a sidelong glance, Steven simply nodded his head politely at Brian. Then, he went straight to the front desk to pick up his number and his clothes.


    Since they were on the island, they had no choice but to follow the rules here.


    Seeing this, Brian also grabbed his coat and quickly followed Steven into the changing room. Then, they entered the men''s changing room together.


    "Sir. Brian, your number is 19, so your cabinet should be on the other side. And here, we have cabinets number 30 through 40,"


    Steven reminded Brian politely.


    With the clothes in his hand, Brian leaned against the wardrobe''s door nearby and replied with a smile on his face, "Don''t worry. I just want to tell you something. If you don''t have plans after the party, would you like to join us later and have some fun?"


    As Steven took his clothes off, he glanced at Brian with his brown eyes and answered, "Sir. Brian, I''m a bit tired today, and I already have plans for tonight."


    "Don''t turn me down, please," Brian pleaded, feeling dejected.


    Without bothering to give him a response, Steven proceeded to take his coat off and put on the clothes he had been assigned to wear. Then, he pinned the name and number plate on his shirt as well.


    Right after he was done, he locked the cabinet door and left, completely ignoring Brian.


    This left Brian utterly dumbfounded.


    When he finally came to his senses, he glanced at his watch to look at the time and rushed toward his cabinet.

 Chapter 876 The Trip to Lover Island (Part Two)

    Everyone gathered after they all had changed their clothes.


    The host announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, we will officially start our trip to Lover Island! Now, please note your own numbers and look for your other halves."


    The crowd tittered, excited and hyped to try. Once the announcement was done, they quickly flitted around, looking for their partners who had the same number as them.


    Brian looked at his own blue card with 19 written on it before he looked over Steven''s card pinned on his shirt. He had a blue 32 card.


    Brian would love to change his number to 32 just so he could be the match for Steven.


    But he knew that was impossible.


    It was very kind of Carla to help him invite Steven.


    "While you''re looking around, I''m here to announce the rules you''ll need to follow!"


    The host on the stage said as he saw people talking among each other.


    "First, please be informed we are recording this event as a program. Please follow the rules of the game and abide by the contract we all signed before the event started.


    And please respect each other. If there is anything wrong, please let the staff know immediately! Anything against the contract is forbidden. No coercing the other party to do anything against their will. Anyone who violates the contract will be liable to any legal consequences.


    Everyone present here will only have one chance to change partners within seven days. Please consider this carefully before doing so!"


    The host finished. Instead of joining the fray, Brian leaned against a coconut tree on the sidelines and watched the 50 pairs of men and women busily looking for their partners.


    ''I''ll take it easy and wait. When everyone has found their partners, I''ll see who my partner is.''


    "Hey, Blue 19! What are you doing? I''ve been looking for you everywhere. Why are standing over there?"


    The girl''s number 19 card flipped around. She thought Brian was looking for her. But in truth, he was enjoying watching how things played out from out here.


    In a daze, Brian pointed at the woman with the number 19 card. She was wearing a pink shirt, just like him. He thought for a long time before he said, "Aren''t you... Aren''t you that... What''s the name again?


    Debra!


    Right! You''re Debra Sheng. You played in that TV series¡­"


    Debra rolled her eyes at Brian


    only disabled person among the fifty pairs of people?"


    "That''s right,"


    Terence said with a smile. There was no point denying it.


    "But why did you set her up with Steven? You did it on purpose, didn''t you?" Carla cried out.


    Objectively, Steven was young and outstanding. At first glance, people would say he deserved better.


    Did Terence have other reasons to treat Steven like this?


    "What? Do you feel sorry for him?"


    Terence looked at her with a smile and reached out to hold her shoulder. "Carla, I know Steven looks very gentle and polite. He is also pure and innocent.


    And certainly, people will think that a man like him is easy to pursue. But actually, he is not. People like him are the most difficult ones to deal with.


    He has been polite to everyone. And he seldom gets angry no matter what. People often take advantage of his sympathy as they deal with him."


    Carla listened as she looked at him and said, "Sounds like you know Steven very well, huh?"


    It seemed that he had been well prepared.


    "I never do things I''m not sure of. Since Brian insisted on Steven coming, I have to do my homework."


    Terence smiled and kissed her. "Honey, I know you think I''m being unfair to him.


    But he has the right to make a decision for himself. We could only give him a chance. We won''t and we can''t force him to do anything."


    Carla looked at him with a smile. She narrowed her eyes and asked, "Do you like putting everything in order?


    What about me? Did you do your homework, too, when you chased after me?"

 Chapter 877 The Trip To Lover Island (Part Three)

    Terence faked a cough, trying to stray from the topic. He stood up and held out a hand. "Babe, let''s go out for a walk. We''ve been sitting here for a long time. It''s time to get those legs working again," he teased but to no avail.


    Carla was still sitting there, staring up at him.


    "Sit down. You haven''t answered my question yet," she stated blandly, motioning him back to his seat.


    Terence smiled sheepishly before following her orders. He shouldn''t have talked too much. If he didn''t, maybe he wouldn''t be in this situation.


    "Tell me, how did you set me up that time?"


    Carla crossed her arms, frowning.


    "Honey, don''t put it that way. Besides, it''ll make no sense if I bring it up now. You can''t get emotional. You''re pregnant, remember?"


    Terence tried to convince her, turning to the servant. "Is the chef finished? Bring out the desserts and fruit salad."


    However, his sweet words did nothing on her. Her glare seemed even fiercer.


    "You''re still avoiding my question."


    "Carla, you''re thinking way too much into this. We have to make a plan if we want to reach the show."


    Terence held her hands tightly, smiling at her. "At that time, something came up. It''s not as if I planned it. It just happened. Why would I set you up?"


    "Fine. It may have been an accident before we met, but what about after? What happened after?"


    Carla urged. He could have fooled thousands of people, but it wouldn''t be easy to fool her now. She knew him like the back of her hand.


    "Carla..." Terence hesitated.


    She was unamused, arching up an eyebrow. "Are you going to tell me or not?"


    Knowing that there was no way out of this, Terence gave a defeated sigh. "Fine.


    You were right. Back when I was sure I liked you, I asked my men to do s


    Carla lightly hit his chest playfully. "If you say so."


    Terence lifted her head, kissing her gently.


    They''ve already been with each other for six years.


    However, she''d been missing for four.


    With the several months she''d been with the Hua Family, he only got to spend a year with her.


    Now that she was five months pregnant, he realized that he hadn''t bedded her for half a year now.


    It had been so long already.


    How could he let anything interrupt them still?


    Before Carla could speak up, they heard a cough from the doorway. It was his assistant.


    "Mr. An, Mrs. An, Sorry to bother you."


    The assistant rushed in carrying the bowls of fruit salad and desserts. He placed them on the table nearby.


    Seeing the delicious food, Carla got out of Terence''s arms at once. "I''m going to wash my hands."


    When she came back, she saw that Terence was staring at the big screen, trying desperately to hold back his laughter. "Carla, come sit down and have a look."


    Carla picked up a plate of fruit salad, and watched with him.


    On the screen, Nathan was strolling on the soft sand with a coconut shell on his head. His face was shadowed by the dark.

 Chapter 878 The Trip To Lover Island (Part Four)

    Glancing at Nathan''s partner, Carla couldn''t help but think she was the worst player ever. Apart from her well-maintained figure, everything else was just average about her.


    In contrast, Rainer and Carol made a much better pair.


    When one threw the ball, the other caught it without missing it. This was only possible because both of them were fit, making them well adept for the game. Their agility was commendable.


    At this moment, Nathan was mentally cursing himself. ''Didn''t I have anything better to do?


    How dumb was I to take part in such a childish game?''


    Soon, the game was over and they spent their time getting to know each other.


    As night fell, the coast of Lover Island gradually grew calm. After the hectic day and the activities it contained, the night felt especially quiet.


    But there was someone who was pretty excited at the moment.


    It was Brian.


    Knowing his purpose for this trip, Brian went back to his room, took a shower and changed his clothes. With a bright smile, he went to Steven''s room.


    When Steven opened the door, Brian was about to say something but suddenly found that there was another person in the room.


    Cindy stood up and grabbed the two books on the table. She smiled at them and said, "Steven, I''m going back to my room. I''ll leave you guys alone... "


    When she chatted with Steven today, she learned he had brought several books with him. Wanting to kill time, she had gotten his permission to borrow two of his books.


    "Let me walk you out."


    Steven followed her out of the house.


    "No need. I can just take the elevator. Thank you." Cindy said, not wanting to bother him. Then she turned around and left.


    Brian glanced at her left leg and then turned to Steven, "Was she your partner today? How come I didn''t hear that there was a disabled woman? Why did they fix you guys up?"


    Steven was annoyed by these questions. Cutting to the chase, he simply said, "Brain, what can I do for you?"


    "Nothing, I''m just bored, so I came over here, expecting to have some fun." Brian shrugged his shoulders and smiled while looking around his room. The whole Lover Island had been reserved by the AJ Group. There were plenty of beautiful rooms so every person could enjoy in their own room without leavin


    he went to the other side of the room to turn on the lights.


    But before she could reach the switch, she tripped on something and was about to fall to the floor.


    The house was so dark that she couldn''t see what was going on. She thought she would end up injuring herself.


    Luckily, Brian, who was standing beside her, quickly caught her and wrapped his arms around her waist to steady her.


    His hand caressed the smooth material of her pajamas and the waft of her perfume hit his nose. For a second, Brian stood intoxicated by it.


    For the fear that she might fall down, Debra put her hand around his neck and clung onto him. With a charming smile, she said, "What? Do you want to sleep with me even though we barely know each other?


    With your leg, you made me fall just so you could save me. And with the help of this romantic atmosphere, you wish to coax me to sleep with you. Am I right?"


    Sir, you''re really good at flirting with women!"


    Listening to her taunts, Brian was annoyed. He didn''t want to hold her any longer hence he let her go.


    "¡­ Ouch!"


    As soon as he let go of her, she fell to the floor with a thud.


    He went forward and switched on the light.


    Without any embarrassment, Brian looked at Debra lying on the carpet awkwardly, "Superstar, this posture truly suits you. Maybe I should take a photo right now. I could make a fortune by selling this photo to the paparazzi."


    Debra glared at him, then immediately got up and slammed the door of the bathroom behind her.

 Chapter 879 The Trip To Lover Island (Part Five)

    Meanwhile, In the presidential suite on the top floor


    Terence''s assistant came over, leaned in closer and whispered to him, "Sir, everything is going exactly as planned."


    However, Terence simply raised his hand slightly, telling her that he was already aware of it.


    A week wasn''t really that long. The guests weren''t able to get enough interactions during the day, so they had to make the most of the time they had at night.


    Carla suddenly entered the suite, shooting Terence''s assistant a quick glance. Then, she handed over the phone over to Terence and told him, "Here, she said she wanted to speak to you."


    "Is it Sally?"


    Terence softly said, looking at the cell phone she was holding.


    "Yes, she said she missed you so much and she wanted to hear your voice," Carla said as she handed the phone over.


    When he heard that it was his daughter who was on the phone, a great big smile crept onto Terence''s face. He quickly grabbed the phone and sprung up from his seat.


    As she watched the man exit the room to answer the phone, Carla discreetly picked up the well-hidden file under his book.


    The moment she saw its contents, which happened to be the program for the show, she was taken aback.


    Everything was going exactly as Terence had thought it would. From the looks of it, all the other guests seemed to be following a set script.


    In there, she found out that other than Nathan and Rainer, Brian and Debra, and Steven and Cindy, almost everyone had a script.


    ''Are Debra and Cindy just following a script too?'' Carla couldn''t help wondering.


    Otherwise, how else could such an event go so well and happen exactly as the program said?


    When she turned to the page where Steven and Cindy were, Carla was so disappointed. In contrast with Brian and Debra''s situation, Steven''s wasn''t going that smoothly.


    Even from the very beginning, Carla had always thought that Terence was prejudiced against Steven and favored Brian more. And what she saw just now was proof of that. Terence had paired Brian with a famous star, while for Steven, he arranged him to be with Cindy, who was disabled.


    He wasn''t being fair.


    When she heard Terence coming back, Carla immediately closed the script and put it back under the book.


    "What did Sally tell you? I tried asking her so many times, but she wouldn''t tell me no matter what."


    Terence walked in and handed the phone back to Carla. Then, he put his


    and very considerate girl. She might have a physical limitation, but she had such a beautiful heart and was so kind as well.


    In just a moment, Cindy came over to Steven''s side.


    "Steven, is she a friend of yours? Would you like to introduce us?"


    Cindy walked over and stood next to Steven, smiling at Carla.


    "Carla, I would like you to meet Cindy Chen. She''s my partner on the show." Then, he looked at Cindy and said, "Cindy, this is my friend Carla."


    "It''s nice to meet you!"


    Cindy exclaimed as she reached out her hand and shook Carla''s. Then, she turned around, straightened up Steven''s wrinkled clothes and said, "Shall we go? The next round is about to start."


    "All right." With that, Steven looked at Carla and said, "Carla, we''ll be leaving first."


    "Okay, then. Goodbye. I''ll be rooting for you! I hope you can win the first prize."


    Carla waved at them as they left.


    Cindy walked to the venue side by side with Steven, linking arms with him. As they walked down the stairs, Steven tightly held onto Cindy''s arm to make sure she got down safely. At that moment, they looked like a real couple.


    As the two of them left, Carla turned around and looked outside. There was still a heavy downpour.


    She suddenly realized that asking Steven to come here was the right decision after all. If he could really find true love here, wouldn''t this trip be worth it in the end?


    However, what she couldn''t see was the way Steven turned around to steal one final glance at her as she turned around and walked away.


    The smile on his face had disappeared, and his deep eyes were lost in thought.

 Chapter 880 The Trip To Lover Island (Part Six)

    Carla could never know what Steven was thinking.


    He would always remember every meeting and interaction with her. Each little detail as well as the bigger ones. Everything was seared in his memory.


    These precious times would always be in his mind and comfort him when he missed her on lonely nights.


    Steven withdrew his gaze and came back to his senses. He continued to focus on the game.


    He knew that sometimes, people couldn''t be with the ones they loved.


    He didn''t know how long it should take for him to move on, but for the moment, he just couldn''t let go.


    And he also didn''t want to force himself to do so.


    Everyone had the right to choose the one they loved. Something that no one should be able to take away from anyone.


    While keeping up with Debra, Brian''s focus was fixed on Steven. He watched as he talked with Carla before coming back to the game. There was no detail on Steven''s face that Brian missed.


    "Hey, what are you looking at?"


    Debra Sheng waved a finger in front of Brian.


    She followed the direction of Brian''s gaze and said, "Seriously? You don''t like me, a charming beauty, but you''re interested in that innocent girl?"


    Debra thought Brian was looking at Cindy. She would never figure out that he was actually staring at the man beside the girl.


    Brian withdrew his gaze from Steven and turned his attention to his partner. "Debra, when did you become so interested in gossip about other people? I think you''ve already had enough things to worry about."


    "You don''t understand. In our industry, as long as it doesn''t affect anyone, the more gossip flows around, the better."


    Debra stood up and stretched. She glanced at Brian and said, "Hey, you need to play better this time! We can''t lose this game anymore. The twins win every time. I don''t want to be a loser for a whole week!"


    Otherwise, her fans would be disappointed when they see the show.


    Brian also stood up to stretch his body. He glanced at Rainer and Carol and shook his head.


    It seemed that Terence arranged for all these single staff to get together and solve their ''single'' problem once and for all.


    What a pity.


    Brian looked at Debra, who only cared about her personal image. He muttered to himself, "I really don''t know what Terence was thinking. Why did I get a woman like her?"


    ¡ª


    Carol drew her gaze back from Nathan. Nathan''s partner was a cute girl with a nice rack. The woman seemed like she knew nothing but to act cute.


    Annoyingly, Nathan looked very patient even though the woman kept holding him back.


    It was obvious that he liked women with curvy body figures.


    "Carol, I have something to discuss with you." Rainer looked at Carol like there


    oom. She doesn''t feel comfortable about her leg. Maybe she wants to take some rest."


    No one asked again after that.


    When they finished their meal, everyone went back to their own rooms.


    While everyone prepared to go to bed, a sudden blare of an alarm cut through the peace of the night.


    "What happened?"


    "I don''t know. I heard that someone accidentally slid down the hill. Now the security team had sent people out to look for her."


    "Someone slid down the hill? Who is it?"


    I heard that it was a girl named Cindy. She slipped and fell down the hill while she was going for a walk. They said she couldn''t sleep."


    Steven, who was going out to check what happened, heard what the man said. He immediately went back to his room to put on his shoes and went out with his coat.


    Meanwhile, Carla was resting in their suite when they heard the alarm. She got up from bed immediately and asked Terence, who was just coming into the room.


    "Terence, what happened out there?"


    Terence was just notified about what happened. Someone called him to let him know about the accident. He frowned and said, "Cindy slipped down the hill. I''ve asked Nathan to get a rescue team to look for her."


    Carla froze and asked with concern, "How did it happen?"


    Then she looked at Terence worriedly.


    "Did you arrange for this to happen?"


    Terence couldn''t help but laugh, "Honey, what are you thinking?! We''ve designed games with trivial pursuits. Do you think I''d risk someone''s life for just a game?"


    At his explanation, Carla stood up. She really hoped what her husband was saying was true. It would mean nothing if something happened to Cindy.


    They were in a beautiful island, sure. But danger still lurked at every corner. She could only hope that nothing bad had happened to Cindy.

 Chapter 881 The Trip To Lover Island (Part 7)

    A lot of places around Lover Island became slippery after the heavy rain.


    It was already late and the presence of fog made it hard for people to see their surroundings. The place was filled with plants and the crew had a tough time walking without stumbling.


    Catching their partner''s hands, the team carefully walked down the hill. Their flashlights helped them see through this difficult terrain.


    "Cindy Chen!"


    With a flashlight in his hand, Steven called out for his partner. By now, guilt had overtaken him. He realized he should have checked on her as soon as she disappeared.


    But he had told himself she must have gone back to her room to rest. In fact, some people didn''t show up for the picnic tonight, tired from the event in the daytime. Steven assumed Cindy was one of them.


    "Cindy?


    Cindy¡­"


    Just when he was about to move forward, something made him come to a halt. He stood there and directed the torch towards the ground. Then he noticed that there was a hole in the ground, almost fully covered with bushes.


    Steven parted a bush and asked, "Cindy? Are you there? Cindy, are you there? Please answer me!"


    "¡­¡­ St¡­ Steven?"


    Suddenly, Steven heard a faint voice.


    Hearing Cindy''s words, Steven immediately pulled himself together and held his breath! "Cindy, are you okay?"


    "¡­¡­ Steven, my, my artificial limb is damaged. I can''t get up..." Cindy pressed her hands on her leg and shouted with her might.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll be right there."


    As he spoke, Steven shifted the light forward and made a signal.


    Then he bit the flashlight and found a strong vine to slowly climb down the hole. It turned out to be a small cave.


    "Steven¡­ Be careful!"


    Cindy reminded him in a trembling voice.


    She had been trapped in the cave for quite a while, and no one heard her shout for help. Her mobile phone was lost and her artificial limb was broken, putting her in a miserable state. She was tired of shouting and almost decided to give up. That was when Steven found her.


    Her despair was instantly replaced by hope.


    When she heard Steven calling her name, her heart lit up all of a sudden.


    Steven came down safely. He took the flashlight away from his mouth and walked towards Cindy. He asked, "Cindy, are you okay?"


    Cindy was sitting down as she couldn''t stand up. Seeing this, Steven felt awful. Her artificial lim


    oking at Steven.


    "Thank God! I was dead worried. When he heard that you were gone, Steven was very anxious. He is your partner which makes it his duty to find you and save you," Carla said, looking at Steven with a bright smile.


    All the people here were strangers to each other. Hence the closest bond they shared was with their partners.


    Hearing Carla''s words, Cindy looked at Steven with soft eyes. She couldn''t help but smile as she replied, "Really? I don''t think he was concerned because I was his partner. He is a nice man who would have helped anyone."


    Cindy evidently looked shy when she spoke. Goosebumps ran all over her body. Watching this, Carla realized Cindy needed to spend some alone time with Steven. She thought, ''I''d better leave them alone.''


    So Carla said to Cindy, "Cindy, have a good rest. A helicopter will take you to the hospital for a further check-up tomorrow. And the program will pay for all the expenses. Don''t worry."


    Then she turned to Steven and walked to him. "You stay here and keep her company. I gotta go," she said in a low voice.


    After saying that, Carla took a look at him and went outside.


    Steven remained silent for a few seconds. But once Carla was out of their sight, Steven turned to face Cindy and said, "I''m leaving too. Have a good night, Cindy."


    Without giving her a chance to respond, Steven left.


    Watching his receding figure, disappointment coursed through Cindy.


    When Carla came out of the emergency room, she was ready to take the elevator.


    But to her utter shock, someone grabbed her arm.

 Chapter 882 The Trip To Lover Island (Part Eight)

    Carla was startled and spun around to see who it was. Her racing heart began to slow down when she saw Steven. She breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Steven, what''s wrong?"


    Steven looked down at his hand still holding Carla''s and finally let go of her. "Are you free tomorrow morning? I''m planning to do a photo shoot here. The island is picturesque and breathtaking. I''m thinking of making it the theme of my next art exhibit."


    Carla pursed her lips and thought for a while before replying, "Well, I''m free tomorrow. I''ll give you a call, if that''s okay."


    Although Carla was ready to go along with Steven, she didn''t want to agree before talking to Terence about it.


    "Umm... Yeah. Okay."


    Steven smiled and stepped forward, pressing the button of the elevator. "I''m going down. Do you want to come along?" he asked.


    Carla nodded and followed him into the elevator.


    "Steven, I''m sorry about Cindy."


    Carla had been guilty and wanted to apologize to him. She felt that Steven deserved better. Despite Terence''s beliefs and intentions she felt that she had played a big role in it and it was fairly her fault as well.


    "Was it Terence''s idea? Setting me up with Cindy?"


    Steven smiled. He understood what was going on but chose to remain silent about it.


    "So, you know then?"


    Carla was taken aback. She didn''t understand how he was calm and hadn''t complained about it when he had known everything all this while.


    "I don''t care. It doesn''t matter." Steven shrugged casually and looked at her with his tranquil eyes. Nothing mattered to him as long as he could spend more time with her.


    He didn''t have the right to blame others when his feelings were not genuine.


    "Oh, you don''t have to blame Mr. An for it. He is right. Brian can''t be so stubborn anymore. It would be great if we could persuade him to have a new start."


    Carla''s respect for Steven grew when she heard those words.


    She had always regarded him as a naive, innocent man but she was surprised to see another side of him, which was filled with wisdom and empathy.


    He was a brilliant man who came across as an innocent, clueless, man-child.


    The elevator came to a halt and the door opened.


    When Carla was about to get out of the elevator, she saw Terence leaning against the wall, with a hand on his pocket.


    Terence narrowed his eyes when he saw Steven standing beside her. He reached out his hand towards Carla and asked, "Carla, it is time to go."


    Carla took a step forward, interlinked her hand with Terence''s and turned around to smile at Steven. "Steven, we''re leaving now. Good night!"


    "Okay, good night."


    Steven smiled in return and left.


    As soon as Steven was out of their sight, Terence tugged


    she saw the camera.


    Terence smiled, motioning Carla to take the camera. "Take a look and you''ll know what''s in it."


    Carla cast a quizzical glance before taking the camera from him. She scrolled through the photos one after the other, and took a glimpse of his face.


    Unfortunately, Terence was wearing sunglasses and Carla couldn''t make out his expression.


    "Pass the iPad to me,"


    Carla instructed her assistant. Once she got the iPad, she transferred the photos to it and with a better view, inspected them one after the other.


    "Mr. An has been waking up early every day to take these pictures. He took the shots himself. The view in every corner of the island is incredible,"


    The assistant said proudly. Carla was pregnant and it was impossible for her to go hiking up the mountain and admire the beauty of the island from the summit.


    Therefore, Terence decided to capture its breathtaking views through photographs, so that Carla would not only get to admire them, but also make use of them for her paintings in the future.


    Carla looked at the pictures in awe. The sunrise, the sunset, the rain, every picture seemed perfect.


    Carla had taken pictures before and she knew that it would not have been easy for Terence to capture them. Perfect timing, weather and angle played an important role in taking a good picture.


    Carla''s breath caught in her throat when she saw the last picture.


    It was a picture of her staring at the beach with a small smile on her lips. It looked like it was taken just recently.


    Happiness and love that were bubbling inside her gushed out like the waves on the beach.


    She was moved by Terence''s thoughtfulness.


    The blazing sun and the surging waves made her happier.


    She looked up at the man beside her with eyes gleaming with pure love.

 Chapter 883 Late Pregnancy

    "Terence..."


    Carla stood up, walking over to hug the man sitting on the chair next to her. She squinted her eyes, touched by his gesture. "No wonder I didn''t see you much the last few days. And you went to take photos for me?"


    Terence took off his sunglasses, stroking her face. "You''re my wife. I''d do anything for you." The corners of his lips quirked up into a sheepish smile.


    "I don''t know much about painting, but I know a thing or two in photography. At least I get to help you with something."


    If it was what Carla loved, then he''d do everything he could to support it.


    Since her dream was to hold an art exhibition, he''d do his best to help her set it up, even if it was just to take a few pictures.


    If you love someone, you''d do everything without asking for anything in return.


    However, even then, the one you love will eventually see your kindness. In this way, the love in your hearts would last a lifetime.


    Carla blinked back the tears, kissing him softly on the lips.


    She wanted to kiss him deeper, more passionately, however Terence pulled away. He coughed, signaling her to look behind them.


    There were two people walking towards them.


    It was Brian and he brought Debra with him.


    "Mr. An, it''s been a while,"


    Debra greeted.


    Brian raised his eyebrows. From the look they gave each other, it seemed as if they knew each other way before today. "Have you two already met?"


    "Ms. Sheng is one of the AJ Group''s spokespersons," Terence replied flatly, motioning them to the chairs adjacent to them. "Take a seat. Order anything you like."


    Brian''s eyes widened momentarily. He wasn''t that involved in that sector of the group, so he wasn''t informed of all the ropes.


    No wonder they could invite Debra Sheng so easily.


    "Mrs. An, I''ve heard a lot about you. I''m Debra Sheng."


    Debra extended her hand out, a polite smile flashed in her face.


    "Ms. Sheng, I believe I''m the one who heard more about you." She shook her hand. "I love your TV series! I watch it every night."


    Debra''s eyes brightened. "Really? It''s an honor, Mrs. An. Please, just call me Debra. I h


    ed back the tears, pushing him away. "I don''t need you. I get it. I''m just your one night stand. You don''t have to feel sorry for me."


    "Carol, please, you''re different." Nathan stood up, trying to stop her as she quickly put her clothes on.


    Carol glared. "I''ll quit the show. You can participate with whomever you like."


    Without another word, she stomped out of the room.


    Nathan blinked, giving a frustrated yell. He just couldn''t remember what happened! Thinking back to the blood on the sheets, he clenched his fists.


    Had he really done such a stupid thing?


    ¡ª¡ª


    Seven days passed quickly.


    To Carla''s surprise, besides Steven, Carol and Nathan quit the show.


    However, in those seven days, Terence had achieved his own goal.


    Debra and Brian''s relationship had developed quite nicely in his opinion.


    During the week, Terence always had so many tricks up his sleeves to bring the two together more, plus he gave them all the time in the world to spend with each other.


    They spent so much time together, that once the whole trip was over, they''d miss one another.


    At least that was the plan. Finally, they returned to the Seaview Villa.


    In the following days, Carla was already going through her last term of pregnancy, so she wasn''t risking walking around outside the house.


    She''d be in labor soon, so it was best she stayed in bed until it was time for the baby to come out.

 Chapter 884 A Story About Paper Boat

    Time passed in a flash.


    In the blink of an eye, Carla was already nine months pregnant.


    It was her due date the following week and everyone was getting excited with every passing day.


    Everyone in the Seaview Villa was counting the days to embrace the new member of the family. Sophie and the servants also had a permanent grin etched on their faces.


    Even Sally would talk to Carla''s belly every day after she got back home from school. She would always ask her mother when her little brother would come out of her belly.


    Carla was like a national treasure that was safeguarded with utmost care. Everyone was following her at all times to protect her from all sorts of complications.


    Carla could hardly go anywhere because she had to be cautious during this phase. She would only wander in the yard or inside her house.


    Carla had not gained a lot of weight, but her belly was protruding out of her petite body, as if she was carrying twins. If the doctors had not confirmed, everyone would have believed that she was going to give birth to two babies.


    "Aunt Carla, where is Sally? Where is Sally?"


    Cody ran up to Carla and asked, jumping up and down in excitement.


    "Hi, Cody! I didn''t realize that you had come, honey. Sally is upstairs. Where is your mother?"


    Carla gushed happily. Violet would often come to spend time with Carla as she was due to give birth to her child.


    "Mommy is coming behind me, holding my sister. I ran quickly before them," Cody said, skipping up the stairs eagerly to meet Sally.


    Violet walked into the villa, holding her baby in her arms. Carla turned around as she heard the babble of a little child.


    "Violet, come and sit here!"


    Violet walked carefully, holding her five-month-old daughter and sat clumsily next to Carla. "Carla, when are you going to the hospital?"


    She was balancing her baby girl to lay her in a comfortable position. Violet remembered how painful her labor was. Just when she was thinking that everything was ok, her water broke before the due date and William was horrified and helpless at the sight of it. Because of this, Violet urged Carla to go to the hospital before the due date.


    "I''m going to the hospital tomorrow. I still have about a week''s time before my due date." Carla carefully picked up the baby from Violet''s arms and began to play with her by making funny faces. The baby was amused by Carla and let out a chuckle, making Carla and Violet laugh.


    Sally hopped downstairs along with Cody, waiting to hold her little sister.


    r.


    "Hey, look... "


    Sally picked up the paper boat and held it in front of Cody. "Cody, this is beautiful, especially the sail. I like how you have folded the paper. I know you have put a lot of effort into making this."


    Sally''s moods were erratic but she was never unreasonable. She regretted hurting Cody''s feelings.


    Her mother was right. She had gone too far.


    Cody seemed to feel better when he saw Sally pick up the boat. He firmly held his tiny finger wrapped in band aid and pouted.


    "You don''t have to take it if you don''t like it. Don''t force yourself."


    Sally understood that Cody was still mad at her. She grabbed the paper boat and placed it in front of him. "I''m sorry, Cody. Please don''t be mad at me," she pleaded staring into his innocent eyes.


    "You don''t have to apologize to me. You are right. Your father has made a real boat for you. How will you like a paper boat?"


    Cody said, staring at the paper boat. He knew that his uncle Terence could fulfil all her wishes and his gift for Sally was insignificant compared to his real boat.


    Although the Qi family was famous in JA City, they were nothing compared to the An family. There was still a huge gap between the two families.


    Sally looked defeated. She stood up from the stairs and walked to the garden.


    "Cody! I''ve learned a new dance in my dance class. I''ll apologize to you by dancing. Forgive me, please?"


    She looked at Cody''s sad face and bent over to take his hand.


    Carla and Violet walked out and witnessed the adorable scene.


    They watched Sally dance from a distance and couldn''t keep the smile off their faces when Sally sauntered around the garden like a little butterfly.

 Chapter 885 Babe, I Have A Condition

    Cody couldn''t help but fix his gaze on Sally who was twirling around the yard.


    Since she was still young, her body was still small, making it even harder for her to do all the harder moves.


    She wore a pale pink princess dress with a large bow wrapped around her waist. As she was dancing, her long black hair swayed past her shoulders, looking like a fairy that came from an enchanted forest.


    She danced dexterously with brisk steps.


    Cody''s eyes widened.


    He''d seen many girls dance in his class, but he''d never seen someone dance as well as she did.


    "My son''s obsessed with your girl."


    Violet, who was carrying her daughter, looked at her son with a wide grin.


    Carla shook her head, thinking of how fast she''d grown. It seemed like it was just yesterday when she was born in BT Village. Now, she''s grown into a beautiful girl who shared an affinity for singing and dancing.


    "Okay, Sally, stop! You''ll get dizzy. I''m not angry with you anymore!"


    Cody waved his hand excessively to make her stop.


    As much as he loved seeing her spin around like the angel she was, he was worried that she''d faint or fall down, especially with the stray twigs scattered across the grass.


    Sally broke into a smile, running towards him. "You aren''t mad at me?"


    "No, I''m not."


    Cody shook his head to prove a point. Sally danced so well, so he thought that he might as well make more effort into folding a paper boat.


    It was his fault this time around.


    ''I''ll just do whatever she likes next time. I just can''t be angry with her, ''


    Cody thought, shoving his hands into his pockets.


    "Thank you, Cody!" Sally threw her arms around him, giving a sloppy kiss on his cheek. "You''re the best."


    Cody blushed the moment she did so, trying to avoid her gaze.


    In an instant, his hand held his cheek. He could still feel her lips grazing over his skin, and it just made him even redder.


    Just when he was about to look for his mother, he saw that she and Auntie Carla were going towards them, grinning widely.


    "Carla, look! My boy blushed!"


    Violet pinched his cheeks, laughing. "Honey, last time the girl next door kissed you, you looked so unaffected. What happened now?"


    If it was possible, Cody darkened into a shade similar to


    very and C-Section for the past few days.


    There was just so many variables when it came to natural labor. If Carla were to go through it, he was afraid that it might be too painful, given her age and condition.


    She smiled, placing her hand on top of his. "I''ve told you not to worry about it. I''ve asked the doctor and he said that the baby''s position is completely normal. Trust me on this, okay?"


    Sometimes, she felt that Terence was getting more anxious than her.


    Given how many books he read on labor and how many doctors he had spoken to, it was natural for him to become even more nervous than he already was.


    "Are you sure?" He frowned. "What about the pain?" Even if there was such a thing as having a painless labor, those anesthetics wouldn''t numb the pain completely. They just wouldn''t feel the pain within a certain period.


    She still had to bear it in the end.


    Looking at how nervous he was, Carla couldn''t help but laugh, pinching him on the nose.


    "Honey, trust me and our baby on this, okay?"


    This was her second child, and she knew the process. She hadn''t experienced any difficult labor back when she was giving birth to her daughter, so she wasn''t really worried.


    Terence was so nervous it almost seemed as if he were the one about to give birth. She laughed at the thought.


    "Fine, I''ll respect your decision... Well... on one condition,"


    he stated, wrapping his arms around her waist.


    "What is it?"


    Carla couldn''t help but chuckle at the sight.

 Chapter 886 Waiting For The Delivery

    "I will be with you all the time during your delivery."


    Terence looked at Carla with concern and said determinedly.


    Carla was not surprised at what he said. She looked at him tenderly and curved her lips. "Honey, you really don''t need to worry about me. Trust me I can do it, okay? And besides, the doctor will help me. Don''t worry!" Carla said with assurance.


    "No way. This is my call. I will decide whether I will stay with you during the delivery or not."


    They had discussed this earlier. But every time Terence mentioned his willingness to be with her during the delivery, Carla declined.


    "Terence, why can''t you trust me just for once?" Carla looked at him helplessly.


    "This has nothing to do with trusting or not trusting you. I will be anxious about you throughout. I can make my mind be at ease only if you are in front of me." Terence said resolutely. This was the time when he began to understand what William had been going through at the time when Violet was giving birth.


    Terence did not want to be in his shoes at any cost. He wouldn''t sit outside the delivery room and panic all the time.


    He couldn''t rest assured until he had Carla right in front of his eyes while the baby was being born.


    "Honey..."


    Carla started but Terence stopped her at once. "Okay, it''s settled then. We don''t need to talk about it anymore."


    "I..." Carla was trying to say something else but Terence cut her off once again and changed the topic.


    "What do you want for dinner? I''ll tell the maid to make it for you. You should go to bed early today, baby. We''ll have to leave for the hospital tomorrow morning."


    Terence knew that getting into a discussion with Carla about the delivery would lead to more arguments. Hence he deviated from the point purposefully. Although Carla was confident about going through the delivery all by herself Terence was far from being calm. Carla was carrying the baby. But Terence, being a father was the caregiver. That was all he could do for the mother and the child.


    As resolute as Terence was, even Carla was not ready to let go so easily. She said, "I thought Sean would be back by tomorrow. Shall we wait for him? Can''t I go to the hospital the day after tomorrow?"


    Carla held Terence''s hand and urged. Sean had been away for almost half a year. She badly wanted to see him.


    Terence stroked her head tenderly and smiled as he said, "Don''t worry. I will ask Sean to go to the hospital directly when he comes back. We can''t delay it anymore. We must go to the hospital tomorrow."


    Terence pulled Carla close to his heart and held her in a warm embrace.


    Carla opened her mouth to speak but finally decided to hold it back.


    If Terence had made up his mind, it was indeed next to impossible to change his mind.


    Carla remembered the time when she was just about to get into Yu Sea City, but he just stopped her anyway.


    e to train hard. Army training is not all that easy on the body. Every day, you have to sweat it out under the sun all day long. The skin gets exposed to the heat of the sun as well as dust.


    "I understand, but... What happened to your hands?" Being a sister, Carla couldn''t help but worry about him. Her eyes tirelessly roved on Sean to make sure of his well-being. Suddenly, she felt something wrong as she pulled up his arm. As soon as she saw it, her face darkened and she looked at him in shock.


    Sean pulled his hands back immediately, batted his eyelids and said, "Sister, it is just a scratch. I had an accidental fall while I was training."


    "A scratch? You call this only a scratch?"


    Carla stared at him with her jaw dropped, wondering why his wound was bound so tightly.


    This young lad would never be able to fool her.


    "Sean...


    Since we are in the hospital, I suggest you''d better go to the doctor and have a thorough examination."


    Carla said, and then she gestured Carol to go out and get a doctor for him.


    "Sis, I really don''t need it! The military surgeon at the Army base has taken good care of my wound. He has bandaged it. Besides, Terence has specially arranged someone to take care of me in the army. I''m really fine.


    Won''t he tell you if anything happened to me?"


    Sean stopped her immediately. He didn''t want her to make a big deal out of it.


    "Carla, I''m here to visit you. You''re about to give birth very soon. I''m afraid that I won''t be able to come to see you after you give birth. Let me just stay with you for a moment, okay?" Sean explained.


    Carla shook her head and said, "I know. But if the doctor says you''re fine, I will be relieved at the time of my delivery."


    Sean realized that he had to rest his case in the face of constant insistence from his sister. Failing to persuade Carla, he finally agreed to see the doctor and get a re-examining of his wound done.

 Chapter 887 The Nagging Mother and Daughter

    The doctor had come to check on Sean and took another X-ray of him to carefully inspect his condition.


    Carla was relieved when the doctor told her that Sean was doing ok and there was no need to worry. But being the protective sister she was, Carla couldn''t stop worrying.


    It had only been six months since he had joined the army and he was already in a mess. The possibilities of him getting hurt were painful for Carla to imagine.


    "Carla, it''s not a big deal. Everyone in our class gets injured. It''s normal," Sean said, looking at Carla''s worried face.


    Injuries were inevitable during training and Sean didn''t know what to do to make his sister feel better.


    Carla let out a loud sigh and finally said, "Sean, I know that it''s pointless to tell anything now. I just want you to be safe. Please take care of yourself."


    Sean was the only son of the Ji family and Carla''s dearest brother. She couldn''t even begin to imagine what she would do if something happened to him. She would never be able to forgive herself.


    "Okay! I promise I''ll be more careful from now on."


    Sean smiled.


    His sister''s concern was only making him weak.


    Sean felt that he would be able to take responsibility only if he became stronger, both physically and mentally.


    Sally, who was standing next to Carla, shifted her glances from her mother to her uncle. Once Sean was free, she walked over to him.


    "What''s wrong, Sally? What do you want to tell me?"


    Sean asked, lifting her in his arms.


    Sally wrapped her arms around his neck and pouted. "Uncle is a naughty boy! You promised me that you wouldn''t get hurt. Look at you now. You have broken your promise."


    Sean shook his head and laughed at her words. He pinched her cheeks and said, "Fine. I lost the game. What do you want me to do?"


    "I''m going to punish Uncle Sean!"


    Sally said thoughtfully.


    "All right, how are you going to punish me?" Sean groaned in defeat. He realized that Sally and Carla were his invincible opponents. He had no choice but to accept his destiny.


    Carla had


    lm down when he realized that he was tricked by a four-year-old. "Sally, if I don''t get a girlfriend before thirty, you shouldn''t mention about marrying me again. Do you understand?"


    "Okay, fine. I agree." Sally cast a sly smile.


    Sean had only taken a day off and had to return to his troop.


    Sally watched Sean leave with teary eyes. Her cries grew louder with every step Sean took forward.


    Sean was perturbed by Sally''s loud cry.


    He stopped for a second, mustered the strength and hurried out of the hospital.


    "Don''t cry, honey!" Carla wiped away the tears that were streaming down Sally''s cheeks. She couldn''t stand the sight of her wailing daughter. It made her cry too.


    "Mommy, I don''t want my uncle to leave."


    Sally continued to cry.


    Carla was heavy and couldn''t squat down next to her daughter. So she took Sally''s hand and sat on the sofa.


    "Sweetie, he''ll be back when he gets a chance," Carla gushed, trying to comfort her daughter. "I want you to study hard, eat well and grow up. When uncle comes next time, you will be a smart, tall kid and he will be proud of you."


    Sally wiped her tears with the back of her hand and took a deep breath. "Yes, I need to grow up quickly. Only then will uncle keep his promise when he returns."


    Carla sighed and patted her daughter''s trembling shoulders.


    Shortly after, Terence walked in.

 Chapter 888 Is The Baby Coming

    Terence asked Rainer to drive Sally back home, since he had to stay at the hospital and keep Carla company.


    A lot of people were coming in to meet her. Exhausted as she was, she couldn''t deal with them by herself.


    As soon as Terence arrived, he permitted the helpers on duty to leave. As long as he was there, they didn''t need anyone else. Besides, they needed to spend some quiet time together.


    "Carla, what are you doing?"


    asked Terence upon entering her room, seeing that she was walking back and forth in the room with her big belly.


    "I''m exercising. I can''t keep sitting all the time! Walking is good for the delivery," answered Carla. She was continuing to walk around in the spacious sitting area of the room.


    She couldn''t walk too far away because of her condition, so she kept circling in the same place.


    Terence sprinted and reached her immediately, holding her hands. "What''s the point of wandering around in the room? Let''s go downstairs, so you can also get some fresh air."


    "That''s even better!" she said, keeping her hand on Terence''s shoulder. She didn''t want to admit it but she was already tired. Together, they walked slowly to the lift and got downstairs.


    The hospital she was admitted in was a private one for women and children.


    The facilities were first class, and naturally, quite expensive. The women admitted here were from the richest families of JA City and some of them simply came here due to its popularity. Everyone wanted to be associated with a reputed name, even if it was a hospital!


    Downstairs, they saw a man handing some flowers to a woman who was being pulled out of the delivery room on a stretcher.


    The woman looked pale and lifeless after giving birth, but she put on a sweet smile anyway.


    Carla looked at them with an empathetic expression. "There are still some good men in the world...."


    It was truly the most difficult experience in a woman''s life to give birth. Carla could feel how important other people''s support was throughout the process.


    "Really? If you found out he had three mistresses and a baby with each one of them, would you still think he is a good man?" said Terence coldly.


    He then put his arm around her waist and led her toward the garden.


    Carla was stunned hearing this. She turned around and looked back at them.


    She took a closer look at the woman''s face and saw that she was actually quite young. Then her eyes darted to the man and she realized he was at least fifteen years older than her.


    But nowadays, a large gap in age was not a big problem.


    "How do you know?" She murmured as they entered the garden.


    "This is JA City. I know mostly everyone and everything that happens here." said Terence flatly, shrugging his shoulders. He held her hand


    sn''t a surprise that he cared so much for him. Their relationship went beyond their professional life.


    Carla was right. Terence admitted by letting out a small chuckle and then shut up obediently without further trying to defend him.


    "Oh!"


    Suddenly, Carla felt a pain shoot up in her lower abdomen. She crouched down, holding her stomach.


    Terence''s smile faded as he bent down to see her face. "Carla, what''s wrong?"


    "Nothing, it''s okay..." Carla waved her hand and continued walking with one hand on her back. It hurt for an instant, then she felt okay again.


    "Babe, maybe we should go back. You should rest. Don''t wear yourself out," Terence said, feeling sorry for her. She had been walking for quite a while.


    Carla didn''t disagree. She nodded and started walking back inside.


    After a few steps, she stopped again. The pain came back even more intense than before.


    This time, Terence got completely panicked.


    "Carla, has your water broken?"


    The coolness swept off from Terence''s handsome face. His heart started to beat faster as he looked at her nervously, holding her with both hands.


    Carla touched her belly and felt it get taut. She could feel the baby move inside, and every time it did, she had convulsions in her abdomen.


    This was different than when she had given birth to Sally.


    "I don''t know...I just feel a little uncomfortable. I can''t tell whether it''s time or not,"


    Terence lost all calm. He helped her sit on a bench and bent down to face her. He was sweating nervously but was trying his best to hide it.


    "Okay, honey...stay put. I''ll get a wheelchair from inside then we can call a doctor to your room. Stay here, don''t move," said Terence, and ran inside. They had prepared a lot for this moment. As Terence ran, he thought about how intense the next few hours were going to be.

 Chapter 889 The Baby is Coming

    "Really?! Let''s go back and let the doctor have a look!"


    Terence said as he bent over to lift Carla. At the last minute, Carla grabbed his arm to stop him.


    "Don''t worry, honey. I''m fine. I can walk back by myself. Besides, I don''t think the baby''s going to come right now. Even if it''s already our second child, it will take longer for our baby to come out than you''d think."


    Carla explained as she watched her husband fret.


    "No. We must see the doctor right away!" Terence immediately took out his phone to call the doctor and told Carla to wait for them in the room.


    They went back to the ward as soon as they were told.


    The obstetrician immediately examined Carla, leaving Terence out of the examination room.


    Terence, meanwhile, remained worried as he stood guard at the door. As soon as the doctor came out of the room, he rushed over to her. "How is she, doctor?"


    "Mr. An, don''t worry. It seems that your wife has finally gone into labor,"


    The doctor took off her mask and calmly explained to Terence.


    "Now, while she still has some strength, give her something to eat. I think the baby will be born later tonight."


    Their second baby was coming sooner than they expected. Carla''s suture had already loosen. At this rate, she was sure to give birth by evening.


    People who had experience in delivery knew that there was a certain extent of suture that was necessary for delivery.


    "What? So fast?"


    Terence was surprised.


    "Mr. An, don''t worry too much. Mrs. An is ready. And it''s best that we aim for a normal delivery." The obstetrician looked at him and comforted him with a smile.


    Many women gave birth days after their due date. In these cases, they were required to get a shot of oxytocin or worse, have a cesarean section. If all these complications could be prevented, then it would be better.


    Terence walked past the doctor and strode into the room.


    Carla tried to sit up on the bed. She was already starting to feel the mild but steadily increasing labor pains. But for now, she could still handle it.


    She wasn''t expecting to deliver the baby so soon. She thought they had a few more days before she was due.


    But it seemed like the contractions she felt when she was in the garden before were real and signs of the baby coming.


    "Carla? Are you okay?"


    Carla looked at Terence as she sat on the bed. Her husband looked more nervous than she was. She took a deep breath and pretended to be relaxed and calm. "I don''t know. You tell me if I''m okay."


    Seeing how Carla could still tease him, Terenc


    arla.


    Terence didn''t go out this time. He held Carla''s hand tightly in his and stayed with her.


    The obstetrician checked Carla again and said, "Mrs. An, you''re making good progress now. If you hold on a little longer, the baby will come out soon."


    It would be their second baby now, so she had to go through the pain much earlier than other mothers. Some experts said that some women took two days to give birth.


    "Why is it taking so long? Is there any other way? Do you have any painless method?" Terence growled.


    His dear wife was in pain. And now, they were being asked to wait longer.


    "Yes, we do. But we don''t think it''s necessary to administer the anesthesia to her now. And there''s a risk in using anesthesia, too."


    The doctor said with hesitation. Other hospitals might be willing to give their patients anesthesia without briefing them about the risks. After all, they got to charge more for that. But Mrs. An was not an ordinary woman.


    Some pregnant women wanted to preserve their strength. Those who were in too much pain and couldn''t hold on any longer would have more physical strength for the final delivery. However, there were some side effects.


    Carla held Terence''s hand and shook her head. "Terence, trust me. I can do this. Although it still hurts a lot, it''s easier than when I gave birth to Sally."


    After all, she already knew what to expect in terms of pain level. She could endure it better this time.


    Terence''s face darkened after hearing her words.


    It was the first time he had seen her give birth and in so much pain. Knowing that she had already experienced this before without him was even more painful for him.


    God knows how much he owed her! !

 Chapter 890 A Prince Was Born

    Nobody could understand Terence''s mood. Regret and self-reproach made him restless.


    Carla knew how torn he was feeling right now, but her own pain made her unable to think of anything else. Heartbroken, she buried her face under her quilt.


    "Mr. An, would you like to go out for a bit? Let me keep Mrs. Carla company, okay?"


    the doctor said, looking at Terence.


    No one could help Carla as she faced the pain she was feeling. Even Terence''s presence couldn''t make her feel better.


    "No. I want to stay with my wife. You may leave us if you wish and come back later," Terence said in a low voice, staring forlornly at Carla who was burying her face in the quilt.


    "Well, okay then."


    The doctor nodded and said to Carla, "Stay strong, Mrs. An. Remember the trick I taught you to help reduce the pain. I''ll come back later."


    Then the doctor went out.


    Lying on the bed, Carla took a deep breath, trying to reduce the pain.


    It was a lie when she said that she didn''t feel any pain. Experience and expectation did not help her this time around. It was true that she already knew it was going to be painful. But actually feeling how intense it could be was so different than merely thinking about it.


    Suddenly, a pair of warm hands wrapped around Carla and gently embraced her. "Carla, if you feel pain, you can let it out. Don''t hold it in."


    Carla felt his familiar warmth. His soothing voice helped her feel ever so slightly at ease. She took a deep breath and surprisingly, the pain faded a little.


    Terence put his lips on her forehead, soft as a feather, and trailed kisses from the middle of her eyebrows, to her eyes, to her nose, and then to her lips.


    "Well..."


    After a moment of peace, Carla cried out in pain. But soon enough, the pain in her voice was swallowed up by his kiss.


    The pain hurt so much that she couldn''t help but bite Terence''s lips.


    Terence slightly raised his eyebrows but didn''t stop kissing her. He kissed her tenderly. Affection rolled off them like waves on the beach. Tenderness sprung between them as if it was tiny buds of flowers waking up after the cold of winter. His kiss brought to life her withering soul. It was touching. It was healing.


    It was a deep and intense kiss.


    It was a kiss that could made them leave everything behind.


    Carla was stunned. The magic of his kiss, like a pain reliever, miraculously calmed her pain.


    Altho


    She must be in such a pain that she raised her head.


    Terence clenched his fists, his eyes reddening. He continued watching Carla, who was suffering great pain. But one would have to be blind not to see the strength his wife, as she powered through each of the midwife''s instructions.


    Seeing how much in pain Carla was, Terence felt his body weaken. His knees buckled under the weight of his guilt. When was their baby coming out and why was it taking so long? "


    Nathan! Where are the doctors in the hospital? How dare they call themselves as the best maternity hospital in JA City? Damn it!"


    Terence couldn''t help exclaiming at Nathan who was waiting outside.


    "Go ask for the director of this hospital! If my wife can''t give birth to our baby in ten minutes, I will tear this hospital down!"


    Nervous, Nathan wiped his sweat silently and looked around.


    "... Mr. Terence, the director is waiting at the door."


    Hearing that, Terence opened the door and walked out. He grabbed the director''s collar and asked, "What the hell are you doing? Why hasn''t my wife given birth to our baby yet? She has been in so much pain since hours ago!


    Let me tell you something. If anything bad happens to my wife, I''ll hold everyone in this hospitable accountable! Especially you!"


    "Mr. An, please calm down," the director said in a trembling voice. "Your wife has just been in the operating room for an hour. Can you please wait a little longer?"


    Just when Terence was about to lose his temper, he heard the sweetest voice in the world.


    A baby''s loud cry pierced through the chaos of the room.

 Chapter 891 My Wife Came First

    The baby''s loud cry saved the entire operating room team. They had never heard a sweeter sound in their life.


    The director of the hospital breathed a sigh of relief. Thank God! Mrs. An finally gave birth to her child, safe and sound.


    Otherwise, who knew what would happen to their fate in the hospital?


    When Terence heard the baby''s cry, the anger on his face immediately disappeared. He pushed the director away and barged into the delivery room.


    "Mr. An! Congratulations!"


    The nurse was about to tell Terence the good news with the baby in her arms. But before she could finish her words, he rushed into the ward without taking a look at her and the baby.


    "Carla? !"


    Terence looked for Carla, who was then about to get out of the bed. Seeing her safe and sound, Terence could finally let out a sigh of relief.


    Thank God she was all right.


    "Get out of the way!"


    Terence said as he pushed aside the doctor. He lifted Carla from the bed and put her on the rollaway bed. "Carla, how are you feeling? Are you still in pain? Do you feel better now?"


    Carla shook her head. She was a little weak but everything was fine. "No, it doesn''t hurt anymore. Where is the baby? Did you see him?"


    "He''s with the nurse. I can see him later," Terence said indifferently. In his eyes, his wife came first before the baby.


    Carla couldn''t help but laugh.


    "He is your son. How could you not want to take a look at him?"


    As soon as she finished her words, Terence kissed her lips and said, "Carla, for me, you are the most important. You mean everything to me."


    Terence cared about their child, too. But he would definitely choose Carla over the baby if anything happened.


    Before her delivery, he had only one request to the doctor.


    If anything were to happen, the doctor''s priority was to keep Carla alive, even at the expense of the child.


    Terence did not check on his newborn baby right away.


    But he was sure someone else did.


    Outside the delivery room


    When Edmund learned that Carla gave birth to her baby, he and Kaylee hurried over to the hospital even in the middle of the night. When the baby was taken out of the delivery room, he was the first person to hold him in his arms.


    "Ha-ha!"


    As soon as Edmund held his grandson in his arms,


    ''s happening outside? Why is it so noisy?"


    Terence held her hand in his and wiped her sweat with the other. He said with a smile, "Your mom is here. She''s helping you vent your anger."


    "What?!"


    Carla was stunned.


    "Don''t worry. It''s Dad''s fault, too. The birth of our son is like a slap to his face,"


    Terence said indifferently. But no matter what he said, Edmund was still happy.


    There could be nothing happier for Edmund than seeing his grandson in person and seeing the future heir of the AJ Group.


    "Terence, please push me out. I want to see our son."


    Carla begged, halting his hand that was brushing her hair. With all the commotion inside the delivery room earlier, she was only able to take a peek. She wanted to take a closer look now.


    Terence pinched her palm and said, "No need to be in a rush, okay? There will be plenty of chances for you to see him. Here, put on a hat. I don''t want you to catch a cold."


    Carla put on the hat obediently, shaking his arm anxiously.


    "Mr. and Mrs. An, it''s about time. You can go back to your ward now. We''ll still keep an eye on you. Don''t worry."


    The doctor heaved a sigh of relief. Carla''s delivery wasn''t even challenging but the pressure from Terence was more stressful than any case he had handled before.


    "Did you hear that? Hurry up! I want to see my son!" Carla insisted as she held Terence''s hand in hers.


    Childbirth took out a lot from her but the prospect of seeing her son energized her. She couldn''t wait to meet her new baby!

 Chapter 892 Being Partial

    For nine months, she had carried this bundle of joy and now, she just had the honor of meeting him for the first time. If she could, she wanted to see him longer.


    "Okay, let me take you there now."


    Terence smiled helplessly and began to wheel her out of the delivery room.


    "Carla? Are you okay?"


    As soon as Carla came out, Andrea closed in on her and asked.


    "¡­ Mom, you are here?"


    Carla held Andrea''s hands and smiled at her.


    "You''re my daughter. Of course, I had to come! But I''m glad that you''re both safe and sound." Andrea felt relieved when she saw Carla was in good spirits after giving birth.


    They knew how dangerous giving birth could be. There was always a chance for things to go awry. She could only pray for her daughter to come through the entire process safely.


    "Carla, thanks for your hard work."


    This time, it was Kaylee who greeted her. She held the baby out to his mother and said, "Look at our little master. Look at how good looking he is!"


    When Carla looked at the baby in the blue swaddle, she couldn''t help but feel emotional. Her hand caressed the baby''s face gently. Her heart was filled with a soft and fuzzy warmth.


    After she got back to the ward, Andrea went back home to make soup for Carla. Although they had a chef who would cook for her, she was still concerned and insisted on cooking for her daughter personally.


    In the ward, Carla stared intently at the little boy in her arms, as if she couldn''t see enough of him.


    Terence poured her a glass of honey water and passed it to her. "Haven''t you held him enough? I haven''t seen you pay as much attention to me before."


    Carla rested her head on one hand and looked at their little boy. He opened his eyes as a sweet smile appeared on his face. "That''s not the same. He''s my son. I waited for so long to see him. Of course, I should take a good look at him."


    "Drink some water, honey."


    Terence passed the glass of water to Carla and picked up the little guy. He said, "Let''s see. I can''t believe you suffered that much for this little guy."


    He regretted getting her pregnant at the thought of her severe pain during the childbirth.


    Then, he playfully pinched the baby''s cheek.


    Suddenly, the little baby burst into tears.


    "What are you doing?"


    Carla put the gl


    and turned around. She continued to lift her clothes and started to feed the baby. "You are obviously partial to Sally, aren''t you?"


    How could he treat his children so differently? Their new baby was also his biological child.


    "I don''t mean that. If you are busy breastfeeding the baby, you won''t have a good rest at night. You have to get up and breastfeed him several times at night. How can your body withstand it?"


    Terence looked at his son in Carla''s arms. It was his flesh and blood. Of course, he cared about him.


    But Carla didn''t have a good rest when she was in confinement in the BT Village. He didn''t want her to go through that again.


    "It will be better if you get used to it. I have to breastfeed our baby for at least half a year. And then we can maybe consider changing to milk powder. Maybe," Carla said, patting the baby''s swaddle gently.


    It was not easy to be a mother. How could she even think of her own comfort before her baby''s needs?


    "Carla..." Terence frowned at her stubbornness and sat down on her other side to force her to look at him. "It''s okay to drink milk powder. Studies have shown it''s completely acceptable for the baby''s health and safety. I''m really worried about you not getting enough rest."


    It isn''t just for a day or two. It would take another half a year.


    How could she have a good rest if she breastfed the baby?


    "Well, Terence. Didn''t you say Edmund had given our child a good name? What''s the name?"


    Carla ignored his words and deftly changed the topic.

 Chapter 893 Excellent Genes

    "Adonis An,"


    Terence said, looking at Carla and the baby who had begun suckling at his mom.


    "Adonis? How do you spell it?" Carla asked Terence.


    "A-d-o-n-i-s," he replied.


    "Are you sure about the name?" Carla frowned. She didn''t think it was a good name.


    "Yes, I am sure. Adonis will be our son''s name. It will grow on you, for sure."


    After explaining it, Terence went straight to the point. "Carla, listen to me, okay?"


    Carla took a look at the little boy. The milk was not good at the moment. Even if he had some milk right now, it wouldn''t be enough for him. She guessed that she had to reconstitute powdered milk by adding water for him later.


    "Whatever. Anyway, I don''t have the final say in our family," she said in a sour tone.


    She lay the sleeping little boy on the bed and planned to feed him again when he woke up. "He is also your son. You are the one to decide."


    Hearing her teasing tone, Terence felt safe to put his arm around her shoulder. "Carla, how about giving it a try for a few days. If breastfeeding the kid at night gets you tired, we can consider another solution. What do you think?"


    Carla nodded. She leaned against his chest and said, "Honey, I know you care about me very much. Don''t worry. I''ll take care of myself. I won''t be too tired."


    Terence gently caressed her face, still looking distressed. "Are you hungry? I''ll have someone bring you something to eat."


    "I''m not very hungry. I''ll wait for Mom to come here. Please stay with me for a little longer..."


    Carla closed her eyes and put her arms around his waist quietly.


    She dozed off for a while.


    She didn''t know how long she had slept.


    But when she regained consciousness, there was a piercing delicious aroma that surrounded her being.


    "Carla, are you awake?"


    After filling a bowl of stewed pig''s trotter soup, Andrea was about to wake Carla up. But there was no need for her to do so now that her daughter had already stirred awake.


    Carla looked around the room and didn''t find Terence. She didn''t even notice when he had left.


    "Terence stepped out for a bit. He will be back soon," Andrea said as she passed the soup to Carla before she went to open the curtains.


    It was only then that Carla realized it was already dawn outside. She stretched herself and looked at the sleeping baby near her tenderly. A small and soft smile appeared on her face.


    Violet was right. It was a lot satisfying to have both a son and a daughter.


    "Stop thinking. Let''s eat while


    More than half a day had passed. It seemed like the entire An Family came to visit Carla in an endless stream. The ward was packed with gifts they brought with them.


    That afternoon, Carla finally had the much needed respite she had been craving for.


    For a few minutes, Carla was able to rest her eyes. That was, until someone knocked on the door again.


    "Come in."


    Carla sat up and exhaled deeply. Then she saw Brian come in, followed by Debra.


    "Ohhh, I''m so happy to see you two!" Carla was surprised to see them. She said, "Come and sit here."


    Brian and Debra walked in one behind the other.


    "Congratulations, Carla!" Debra pushed Brian away who was walking in front of her and rushed to see the baby. Looking at the baby in the crib, she crooned, "Wow, so handsome! I wonder if you will be interested in the entertainment industry when you grow up."


    "Stop it. He is Terence''s son. Do you think he would need to make money by acting?"


    Brian, still smarting from being pushed earlier, added coldly. Hearing Brian''s snappy reply, Debra''s face suddenly turned cold and muttered, "What do you mean?"


    Brian smoothed his clothes, walked to Carla and said, "Kyle and I prepared the gift for the baby. Kyle is abroad, so he asked me to bring the gift here."


    "Thank you,"


    Carla replied with a polite smile. There was no reason for her to refuse it, so she accepted the gift. "Brian, Kyle''s child is in kindergarten. This baby is my second child. How about you?


    When will you and Debra get married?"


    Both Brian and Debra were startled at her question.


    Their faces changed dramatically. They looked at each other and quickly looked away.

 Chapter 894 Lovers Quarrel

    "Married? Come on! We are just friends. How could we get married?"


    Brian said while slightly choking on his own spit.


    Debra was not content with Brian''s answer. So she gave out a snort and said, "Who does he think he is? I''m now one of the most popular stars in the entertainment industry. And look at him, nothing but an ordinary dude. He''s not good enough for me."


    "Right, I don''t deserve you. Can you stop visiting me every time you come to JA City, then?" Brian replied in a cold voice.


    "You ungrateful lowlife! Every time I come visit you, I have to escape from hordes and hordes of reporters and paparazzi. Do you know how hard that is for me?"


    She glared at him.


    "Ha-ha. That''s interesting. Did I even invite you to visit me? You always come over at midnight. Do you know how your visits seriously affect my health?"


    Brian raised his eyebrows at her. She was afraid that there would be too many paparazzi hot on her heels during the day, so she always came to visit him in the dead of night.


    Therefore, Brian was always surprised and bothered by her sudden appearance.


    "What did you say? So, am I interrupting your sweet life? Ha-ha. You don''t know how many wealthy businessmen are salivating for a chance to have a meal with me. So you should cherish this special treatment rather than claiming that I''m interrupting your life. Do you understand?"


    Debra pointed at herself and stepped forward while saying this.


    "Come on! I''d rather you look down on me than keep pestering me!" Brian said sourly.


    He was clear that there would be no benefit if he married a celebrity.


    From now on, he would be hounded by the paparazzi and reporters. And no matter where he went and what he did, he had to behave himself. If that were the case, he would lose his freedom completely.


    The biggest difference between a celebrity and an ordinary person was that no one would care about what an ordinary person did. But a celebrity''s life would be monitored by the media 24/7.


    Even if he weren''t a famous star, it would be difficult for him to live a happy life if he married Debra.


    "Are you kidding me? Do you think I like visiting you? Well, from now on, don''t expect me to come and visit you anymore. If you want to see me next time, you can wait in line to buy tickets!"


    Debra was nearly out of breath as she screamed at him.


    Meanwhile, Carla stood beside the arguing couple and ignored their fight.


    They glared at each other. It seemed like they were a quarrelsome couple. ''Have they been quarreling like this for months?'' Carla wondered.


    She knew Brian well enough. If it were any other woman and not Debra, Brian would have cut contact a long time ago.


    But with Debra, it was different.


    "Promise? Don''t knock on my door again in the middle of the night.


    pect her feelings more," Steven said with a soft sigh. Then he asked, "How about you and Debra? Haven''t you entered a new level yet?"


    Brian cleared his throat and answered, "Stop joking, please. She is a popular superstar. How can an ordinary man like me be match for her?"


    "Okay, just forget it. Where are you now? How about having a drink with me tonight?"


    The person on the other end of the phone paused for a while before he burst into a laughter of relief.


    "No, thanks. I''m afraid that you might talk more nonsense after getting drunk. Besides... I''m in Yu Sea City right now. I''ve received a new order about a painting exhibition last month. It''s specifically about the landscapes of the village in this area. It''s estimated that it''ll take me a year and a half,"


    Steven said. He felt lucky that he was not in JA City now. Getting too close was not a good thing for the both of them. So they should keep staying at a safe distance.


    What''s more, he loved his life now.


    He could travel to different places and enjoy many different and beautiful sceneries.


    He could slowly make his way along this path while appreciating the beautiful views, painting his favorite works, experiencing the local customs and making many friends.


    This was the life he had been longing for.


    "Is that so? What a pity. I heard that there is a very special local custom in Yu Sea City. They said that men are required to stay at home to take care of their children and they are never allowed to show up in public places. I''ve also heard that one woman could have several husbands in many families in the YH Tribe. It''s just so fascinating!"


    "Be careful! You are a handsome man. Don''t let any old woman take you home to be her concubine,"


    Brian teased.


    Steven was a good-looking guy. In a feminist community, Brian thought, Steven must be a knockout.

 Chapter 895 Disabled I Will Support You

    Steven shook his head and said with a smile, "Don''t worry. It''s just a local custom. I''m an outsider. I''m sure they respect me very much."


    Would they take any visitors to their house?


    Records showed that a few local people would take some men to their homes. But these were men who were willing to go.


    "Really? That''s good, then! I hope I can see you again next time, preferably before you settle down there and take care of your child at home."


    Brian teased in a bright tone. After chatting with Steven for a few more minutes, he hung up the phone.


    When he was about to start the engine, he saw the light of a car flashing from the opposite direction.


    Brian briefly saw the number on the license plate. Hurriedly, he stalled the car.


    He wanted to let the driver go first.


    He didn''t want to go out of the parking lot with her at the same time. Otherwise, that would be another juicy piece of gossip fodder for the reporters to latch on in their campaign to prove how they were truly lovers.


    He hadn''t expected he would run into her here.


    Debra had also noticed Brian''s presence but she acted as if she hadn''t seen him. She stepped on the accelerator and drove away.


    Watching her leave, Brian knew that she was still angry at him. He stared at the direction she went to for a long time before he started his car.


    Brian wasn''t expecting that their argument that day would last coldly for a long time.


    And Debra truly ignored him for a whole month.


    She would come to bother him at least once a week before, but now she didn''t knock at his door in the middle of the night anymore. Just when he had started getting used to it.


    Every night when he couldn''t fall asleep fast enough, he would find himself opening the door to see if there was someone outside.


    It was his morning habit to read the news on his cellphone after he woke up.


    This morning, after he got up, he did the same thing as usual. He blinked away the last fog of his sleep when jolting awake at the news headline.


    The news reported that the famous female star, Debra Sheng, accidentally fell down from a building during shooting and that she was in danger. She was in danger!


    Brian couldn''t have bolted up from his bed fast enough.


    In a hurry, he looked for Debra''s phone number in his contact list and called her as he hastily pulled on his clothes.


    How


    be as rich as you, but I can still afford to support you," said Brian. He was the manager of the AJ group now. His salary was good.


    It was too good to be true for Debra. She felt something was wrong.


    "I mean, focus on getting enough rest. If you really can''t be an actress anymore, I''ll be here for you." After saying it, Brian wanted to slap himself again.


    After Debra heard his words, her face softened. "I didn''t expect you to be so affectionate. You are still willing to marry me even though I''m in such a horrible situation now. What did I say before? You love me! And don''t you dare try to deny it!"


    Hearing that, Brian lowered his head in silence.


    "You misunderstood me. I don''t want to marry you. I just want to support you."


    At this, Debra suddenly sat up.


    She grabbed the closest pillow her hands could pick and threw it at Brian, shouting, "Get out! Why would you support me but not marry me? I don''t need you to do that!"


    Even if she would be disabled for the rest of her life, she could still support herself with the money she had earned throughout her career.


    "Are... Are you all right?"


    Seeing her sit up, Brian asked in surprise and concern.


    Debra quickly lay down again before Brian could find out about it. She silently turned her face away and said, "I can''t move myself. I was just spurred by my anger with you just now."


    "Are you sure?"


    Brian said, reached out his hand and pinched her leg.


    Instinctively, she kicked his hand away.


    ''Damn it! Was she truly injured?''


    He felt like his head was going to explode!

 Chapter 896 Are You Jealous of Your Own Son

    "Are you insane? Why did you pinch me?"


    Debra abruptly sat up and rubbed her smarting leg.


    Brian smiled coolly and rubbed his chest.


    "Are you sure you''re going to be disabled? You kicked me so hard. I think you are quite fine!"


    At this, Debra finally realized that he was testing her on purpose.


    "I am not fine. It''s just not as serious as the media has reported," Debra said, lowering her head.


    Truth be told, she was the one who spread the rumor and deliberately asked the media to say that she was seriously ill. She wanted to lure Brian to the hospital to see her and it did work.


    Brian did not contact her for about a month, so she needed to do something to improve the situation.


    "Since you''re fine after all, what I have said just now naturally does not count. I should go now," said Brian.


    He stood up to leave. Since she was fine, he didn''t need to worry about her anymore.


    But before he could move away, Debra gripped him by his shirt. She looked at him as if she wanted to say something. But she hesitated for a while. Then she said, "What are you doing? Sure, I lied about how serious my injuries were, but I really did get hurt. The rope that hung the wire somehow snapped. Look!"


    Debra uncovered the quilt and removed the bandage.


    A serious bruise appeared in front of Brian.


    "The doctor said that I needed to take good care of my body. If it gets infected, they might need to cut my leg off," said Debra in an aggrieved tone.


    She lowered her head dejectedly.


    Brian looked at her wound and sighed. He sat down again and said, "Take good care of yourself and stop filming for a while."


    "Yes." Debra grabbed his hand and said, "But I don''t want to go home yet. Can I leave the hospital and stay in your house for a couple of days?"


    "¡­"


    Brian should have known this was what she was angling for.


    In short, she wanted to stay with him.


    "Come on! Just say yes or no!"


    Debra looked at him with expectant eyes.


    Brian cleared his throat and pulled his hand out from her grip. "Okay, but you have to pay for the accommodation, the meal, and the nanny."


    "What do you mean?" Debra was stunned.


    "Do you think you can live and eat for free at my house? And look at you, I have to hire a housekeeper for you," Brian said. He wasn''t a philanthropist after all. "Hey, why are you pinching me?" He said after she suddenly p


    I want Adonis to have some water,"


    Carla said without raising her head.


    Terence grabbed the bottle from the table and gave it to her. He then wrapped his arms around her from behind.


    "Honey, let our son sleep here tonight. Go back to our room."


    He shouldn''t have agreed to let Adonis drink breast milk. His son was unable to leave Carla day and night.


    He had planned to let his son drink powdered milk, but it was a little troublesome for him to get his wife to agree. Adonis only had milk twice at night, so Terence failed to find a good reason to let his son have powdered milk instead of breast milk.


    Thus, he put off his plan.


    "How about tomorrow? He''s going to be one month old tomorrow. I will sleep in our room tomorrow,"


    Carla said with her eyes focused on her son.


    She stayed in this room so she could feed the baby at night. It was also convenient for her to take care of their baby while in the same room as him. So she didn''t go back to the master bedroom.


    Terence''s face darkened when he heard her refusal. He grasped her hand with one hand, and raised her chin with another hand.


    "Carla, how long haven''t you seen me with affection? Every time I come back home, you are busy taking care of our son. What about me? When will you spare me some time?"


    Carla was shocked by his accusation. He still had her hand with the feeding bottle held up in the air awkwardly.


    Looking at Terence who was surprisingly mad at her for once, Carla suddenly rose on her tiptoes and kissed him.


    Then she said with a smile, "Are you jealous of your own son?"

 Chapter 897 Hes Lucky

    "Yes, I admit it. I''m jealous. I used to sleep with you every night, and now you are holding and sleeping with him not just at night, but all day too! How can I not be jealous?"


    Terence answered honestly.


    As soon as she heard what he said, Carla smiled. "But he is your son. Most people like their sons more. It doesn''t seem like that with you at all. I wonder why that is."


    "Don''t I?" Terence raised his eyebrows and said almost daringly.


    How could he not feel jealous his own son? The little man already had a team of nannies, maids and not to mention Carla to serve him every day and night.


    There was nothing more he could do for him.


    "Really? Well, here''s your chance to prove it then. Help me give Adonis a bath. You haven''t tried giving a baby a bath before, haven''t you? Don''t you want to give it a try?"


    Carla asked him with a beguiling smile.


    Terence smiled wickedly. "Of course I do. Do you want me to help give you a bath as well?"


    "Stop flirting. Go ahead and help our son."


    Rolling her eyes, Carla pushed her husband to go and get ready.


    Terence took off his coat and rolled up his sleeves. After he adjusted the water temperature and dried his hands, he went to pick up Adonis from the crib.


    It was his first time to help his son take a bath. Worried, Carla followed behind and tested the water temperature he had just adjusted.


    And sure enough, it was just the right temperature. She had to hand it over to her husband. That was a great first step.


    It seemed that he still remembered what he had learned in class.


    Terence glanced at Carla, who seemed to be worried about his skills. Then, he put the naked baby in the small tub, one big hand positioned carefully behind his son''s tiny head.


    The way Terence held his baby might not be perfect, but he had previous experience and knowledge on how to give a bath to a baby.


    After Terence had successfully given baby Adonis a bath, Carla helped him prepare the baby''s clothes.


    While his wife was preparing the baby''s clothes, Terence looked at the fussing baby in his arms.


    Unconsciously, he gazed at him. A soft smile formed on his lips.


    At once, he placed him on the cot and started to put the baby clothes on Adonis.


    Sally bent over the crib a little more.


    Looking at her children, Carla suddenly remembered the past years with Sean as he was growing up.


    When her parents had Sean, she was also very happy and excited. She finally had no reason to envy others for having siblings.


    That evening...


    Terence was finally able to take Carla to the master bedroom.


    "Don''t forget that you are still in confinement. You shouldn''t tire yourself out too much."


    Lying in his arms, Carla said, "I know. I still haven''t left the house. And it isn''t too cold outside. It would be okay for me to wander around, but maybe not too far from the house."


    She seldom worked and often had nannies to take care of the baby. She didn''t have to do anything for the baby except feed him.


    "Are you ready for tomorrow?"


    Carla asked.


    The following day, they would be celebrating Adonis''s first month. As the heir and grandson of the An family, the news that their baby was turning one month old was a momentous event. A lot of their family and friends would be visiting to celebrate with them.


    "Yes. You don''t need to do anything, just stay upstairs." Terence said as he put his arm around her shoulder. He hadn''t held her for several days.


    "If there are some special guests, I will inform you in advance and let them come upstairs instead.


    Just get some sleep and don''t worry about it."


    Carla nodded before finding a comfortable position in his arms. She fell asleep feeling warm and content.

 Chapter 898 The Babys First Month Party

    The second day


    It had been rainy since the beginning of the month. But fortunately, the sun greeted them today with its warmth and bright rays.


    Sophie said it was a good omen. She said the newborn baby was blessed by God. He couldn''t bear to see the first month party held in such bleak and dreary mood.


    They held the party at Seaview Villa.


    It was all smiles and laughter at the villa today.


    Sophie and the other servants were busy. Even Nathan and Rainer were busy with their own tasks while Carol was in charge of everything on the second floor.


    "Hey, is the chicken soup ready?"


    Sophie peered at her watch. It was time for Carla to have dinner.


    "In a minute!" One of the servants answered from the kitchen.


    "Hurry up. Mrs. An needs to have her meal on time!"


    Sophie urged the servant. During her confinement period, Carla was advised to have small meals but eat frequently throughout the day. This was the reason why all the servants coordinated to have her meals served on time.


    Terence had also made sure that they understood that Carla was recuperating. The confinement period should last for at least one hundred days.


    In the meantime, Edmund and Kaylee welcomed every guest, grinning from ear to ear.


    Inside, an assistant was responsible for collecting gifts.


    Guests were directed to the third and top floors to participate in the banquet that the family had prepared. The second floor was kept quiet and peaceful, as it was where Carla rested.


    There were security personnel on each floor that made sure everything was in order.


    Apart from relatives, some friends were also invited by the family. There were some VIPs who wanted to be invited and get a glimpse of the famous family, so security was really tightened. Everyone had to be cleared, had their identities checked before they could enter the villa.


    Even though the house was practically teeming with guests, the second floor remained calm and quiet. They didn''t want to disturb Carla and the baby.


    Later in the day, someone would pick the children from Carla and go to see the guests.


    "Ma''am, the chicken soup is ready. Please eat it while it is warm."


    Carol served a bowl of steaming soup to Carla.


    "Thank you, Carol. Where is Terence?"


    Carla looked at the kid who was still sleeping and walked to the table.


    "Mr. An is downstairs. Do you want me to call


    on someone else''s private conversation.


    He listened intently.


    The voice coming from outside was not loud, but it was enough for Terence and Theo to hear.


    "Mrs. Zheng, where did you hear this? This is insane!"


    A woman in a black designer dress sat on a chair. She asked the lady sitting opposite her in disbelief.


    Mrs. Zheng crossed her legs, took out a cosmetic case and started to refine her make-up. "Where there''s smoke, there''s fire. In fact, there are a lot of dark secrets in rich families.


    A few days ago, I heard that the daughter-in-law of Director Wang of Z Company gave birth to two sons, but none of them was from her husband. It is said that his daughter-in-law kept a boy toy on the side.


    Mr. Wang didn''t believe it at first, of course. But after he got the DNA test results, he was so angry that he passed out and was sent to the hospital."


    The woman in black dress gasped in disbelief. "Is that true? Why didn''t I hear anything about that?"


    "Well, nobody airs out their dirty laundry in public. I would be surprised if you heard about it," Mrs. Zheng said.


    Terence, who heard everything the ladies were talking about, glared at Theo.


    "This is what you want me to hear?"


    At that, he turned around and was about to leave when was stopped by Theo. Theo scratched his head and said, "I heard they were talking about you just now. If you wait a little longer, they will certainly talk about you again."


    But Terence had already lost his patience. He shook off Theo''s hand, ready to leave.


    But then, he heard the woman begin talking again.

 Chapter 899 Like Father, Like Son

    "But that''s impossible! You can''t compare Terence to the son of the Wang family,"


    the lady in black said.


    There was no denying that the son of the Wang family was rich. But he had grown up to be a fat, wicked man at such a young age. He was not smart at all, either. Rumors had it that his wife made a fool out of him before she eventually left him.


    "If Mrs. An was really innocent then, why would anyone want to spread bad things about her?"


    "Back then, anyone could tell that the marriage of Mr. An and his wife was on the rocks. They weren''t even together. And then, someone saw that Mrs. An and Steven Su were especially close. Too close, one would say."


    "And the dates match up too. The baby was conceived around the time Mrs. An and Steven Su were together. There''s a chance that the grandson of the An family is actually Steven''s child."


    Mrs. Zheng gloated. With a snap, she closed her makeup box and placed it into her handbag.


    "I still don''t think it''s possible. Mr. An is not just some ordinary person. If the child isn''t his, why would he host such an important event for the child?"


    The woman in black countered in disbelief.


    "That''s because you haven''t seen Steven Su before. He is as handsome as a Greek god! His temperament is so smooth and considerate. No woman is immune to his charms, let alone Mr. An''s wife."


    Jealousy dripped from Mrs. Zheng''s malicious words.


    "Really? Everyone knows that Mr. An is the most gorgeous man in JA City. There''s no way that pretty boy Steven Su can compete with him."


    The woman in black shook her head in defiance. She didn''t know any of them, but she had met Terence.


    And he didn''t disappoint her at all. He was even more handsome than how people described him.


    She didn''t believe there was a man who could be more handsome than Terence.


    "No matter what, rumors like that couldn''t just come up from nowhere. Terence might have been cuckolded and he''s raising someone else''s son!"


    Mrs. Zheng insisted.


    Behind the wall...


    Teren


    moment later...


    The small family went downstairs to greet what remained of their guests. Terence held Sally''s hand while Carla carried their son in her arms.


    "Carla, come and bring the baby here. Let everyone have a look at this little prince!"


    Kaylee waved at Carla as soon as the older woman saw her emerge from the stairs.


    Carla moved towards Kaylee. On her way, she greeted all the people she knew.


    "Wow! He is just one month old and he is already as handsome as Mr. An!"


    Two women who peered at the baby in Carla''s arms began to exclaim, "You''re right. He does take after Mr. An. Look at how good he looks!"


    Kaylee said with a smile, "Of course! Like father, like son. There''s no mistaking that he is the son of Terence and Carla."


    Carla was chatting with a relative who was about the same age with her. She was too engrossed with her conversation that she didn''t notice two women not far away from them.


    Terence could have asked these ladies who were talking behind Carla''s back to leave directly. But he didn''t.


    He hated to hear the rumors. He really wanted to take advantage of such a good opportunity. After all, it was his son''s one month birthday party.


    Theo was right.


    Even though he didn''t care about the rumors, he couldn''t ignore the pain the rumor would bring to Carla once she found out about it.

 Chapter 900 Watch Your Mouth

    "See? I told you this gossip didn''t just come out of nowhere."


    A lady in black dress whispered to Mrs. Zheng.


    Mrs. Zheng spared her a glance before she walked closer to the baby. She wanted to see if there was any resemblance between this child and Terence as many had claimed.


    Unfortunately, there were too many people surrounding Carla. The only thing that she could see from a distance were the clothes of the baby.


    "How could you tell? He''s just a one-month-old baby. How could he already look like someone? These people are not telling the truth because they are afraid of the An family."


    "It''s hard to say who the father is!"


    Mrs. Zheng murmured, taking a glance at the baby.


    Just then, Violet heard what Mrs. Zheng said.


    Violet decided to come around this time, thinking the crowd would be less. But she didn''t expect to hear such malicious insinuations just as she arrived.


    "Hey, don''t push me. Didn''t you see there are so many people in front?"


    Mad, Mrs. Zheng yelled at Violet who accidentally jostled the older woman as she tried to squeeze into the crowd, "Shame on you! Do you think you are buying food in an open market? Look at where you''re going!"


    "I''m so sorry. I didn''t see you just now, Auntie. Are you all right?"


    Violet suddenly raised her voice so people around them could hear her less-than-enthusiastic attempt at an apology.


    "Auntie?! Look at me, young lady! Do I look like an auntie to you? Look carefully and think before you call someone else old!"


    Mrs. Zheng berated Violet, smoothing her hair and adjusting her clothes after her outburst.


    "Oh, there is indeed something wrong with my eyes. I didn''t look carefully. I''m really sorry, old lady..."


    Violet''s tone of mocked sincerity and her smile was a touch too fake to actually look guilty.


    "¡­ Are you really calling me an old lady? Look at me! Do I look like I''m that old?" Mrs. Zheng was boiling with rage. Her son was just twelve years old! How on earth could she be an old lady?!


    "No, it wasn''t a mistake. The wrinkles on your face could scare anyone. And look at your dress. My grandma wears more fashionable clothes than you do."


    Violet said, pretending to be confused.


    "You''re so rude! Who do you think you are? Are you here to insult me on purpose?"


    Mrs. Zheng narrowed her eyes at Violet and inspected her from head to toe. She didn''t recognize who Violet was. How dare this upstart, young lady be so rude?


    "She''s my wife."


    A voice cut in. Just then, William came to stand beside Violet. "This is my wife, Mrs. Zheng. Plea


    n''t help but laugh. She had only seen the set lights on TV before. This was the first time she saw them in actual use. Everything around her was so surreal. She didn''t expect the vast difference between what she saw on TV and the acting on set.


    In the tea house, Carol took off the outer layer of her clothes to cool off. Debra ordered ice cream for herself.


    "I didn''t know there were lots of uncomfortable things involved when you''re acting. Are you free after your shoot? How about you come to my house for a brief spell?"


    Carla said with a smile, declining the desserts Debra offered her.


    She was breastfeeding the baby so she couldn''t eat anything too cold.


    "Well, Brian will pick me up to see a movie later. Why don''t you come and watch with us?" Debra suggested.


    "Forget it. I don''t want to be a third wheel." Carla smiled at her as she said this. "But it seems like things are doing great between you two, right?"


    Debra touched her hair and thought for a while. "I think so. He didn''t say it out loud, but our relationship is indeed in a much better place than before."


    "By the way, Carla, do you remember there was another couple when we went to the Lover Island? What were their names? Oh, Steven and... The girl, oh, I forgot her name."


    "Cindy Chen? Carla remembered.


    "Yes! That''s right. It''s Cindy!" It wasn''t until then that the name came to her mind. It was too common for her to remember.


    She remembered Steven because he stood out. He was handsome and had a good temper. He was also good at painting.


    "What about them? Did you hear anything about them?"


    Carla took a sip of her juice and asked.


    It had been a long time. She had no idea how the two were doing.

 Chapter 901 Steven Was Kidnapped by a Girl

    Terence had put in a lot of effort to find Cindy. Although the main goal to keep Steven away from Carla still remained, one of the other goals was to also help Brian forget about Steven.


    With the way things were unfolding, it seemed like these goals have almost been fulfilled.


    Now they wondered whether Cindy and Steven were actually together.


    "Didn''t we make a WeChat group while we were on Lover Island? They were just the topic of our group chat a few days ago."


    Debra shared as she ate her ice cream, "I heard that Cindy made quite an effort to be with Steven. Not only did Cindy try to learn how to paint seriously, but she also suffered the pains of undergoing an artificial limb surgery. She wanted to be a good match for Steven.


    Poor Cindy. I feel sorry for her."


    Hearing what Debra said, Carla put her juice down and said, "So, you are saying that Steven doesn''t even like Cindy?"


    "I think so. People think Steven is way out of her league." Debra shook her head and continued, "Out of the fifty men in Lover Island, Steven was the most popular yet the most aloof.


    My dear Brian is only the second most popular."


    Carla bristled at Debra''s statement. Steven was her friend so she tried to stand up for him. "Don''t say that. Maybe Steven just hasn''t met someone he really loves."


    "Really? I think Cindy made a mistake this time. She really fell hard for this cold man."


    It seemed like Debra had a solid opinion against Steven. "In my opinion, Steven is like the sun. His brightness makes people feel warm towards him. But actually, the closer people get to him, the more people find out that they can''t get close to him after all."


    At Debra''s realization, Carla hesitated before she followed up with a smile, "Why did you think of him all of a sudden?"


    "Oh, believe me, I didn''t want to. But I heard that he went to the YH Tribe on business the other day. They said he was being held by the eldest granddaughter of a local matriarch. He couldn''t leave."


    "Ahem¡ª What did you just say?"


    Carla choked at this.


    Despite her celebrity status, Debra was still an ordinary woman. There were some things that still sparked her interest like a normal civilian.


    "Have you heard of Yu Sea City? You can check it online. Rumor has it that many women in that place have two or three hus


    the phone abruptly. He squinted at the door.


    "Ma''am, you''re here."


    He heard the doorkeeper''s voice from the closed door.


    A woman wearing a black and golden cap appeared behind the door.


    "My handsome boy, have you made up your mind yet?"


    The woman said affectionately as she walked closer to Steven.


    Steven frowned. "Miss, haven''t you had enough? Can you please let me go now?"


    "Enough? What are you talking about?"


    The woman laughed out loudly at Steven''s request.


    "Please ma''am. Don''t forget that a modern set of laws is in place to protect citizens. Detaining me illegally like this is a gross violation of the law. If you don''t want to make it worse, you''d better let me go as soon as possible."


    Steven was sitting on the carpet with one hand curled over his knees.


    He didn''t expect this.


    What Brian said before had become a reality.


    "Oh, really? Did I break a law? Don''t forget this is Yu Sea City. This is just the way things are here. If a woman meets a boy she likes, she can bring him home first. Any girl from a local family can do this. Especially me, the granddaughter of the matriarch."


    The woman said as she played with the fringes on her black and golden hat. Her eyes, malicious and obsessive, was intent on Steven''s handsome face.


    "Even if your father the mayor comes here to intercede for you, it''s useless. After all... My grandmother is the matriarch of this city. If I want, any man will have to be my man!"


    To punctuate her declaration, she bent over and kissed him on the cheek.

 Chapter 902 The Lady of The YH Tribe

    Hearing the woman''s words, Steven frowned and turned his face away.


    As a man, his ego was sorely hurt, being held in the house against his will, by a woman. He had to think of a way to get around this.


    So he dodged her kisses.


    The woman held his chin and said, "Don''t be stupid, Steven. I''ll give you a few more days. If you still don''t agree to marry me... I will ask some of the ugliest women in Yu Sea City to sleep with you."


    With that, the woman stood up and left the room. Her evil laughter trailed after her.


    "See you, my lady."


    The woman got as far as the courtyard before someone stopped her.


    A middle-aged woman approached her.


    "Lucia, do you still keep that man in your room?"


    "Oh, Mom..."


    Lucia moved closer to the middle-aged woman and took her hand. "You know me so well. It''s not easy for me to let go of a man I like. So just let me do what I want to do, okay?"


    The middle-aged woman shook her head. Affectionately, she said, "If your grandmother knew about this, she would get very angry.


    You know her well. If you provoke her, what do you think will happen to you? Besides, you should take our situation into consideration. Your grandmother is waiting for your aunt. If she really comes back, do you know what will happen to us?


    You will no longer be the lady of our tribe."


    Lucia shrugged her shoulders and said, "She won''t be coming back. She''s been gone for so many years now. Do you think she would come back just like that?


    In our tribe, skills come first. If she comes back, we''ll test her out. Why don''t we have a competition in public? If she can defeat me, I will gladly give up my position!"


    Lucia''s mother shook her head. Staring at the distance, she walked forward. The gears in her mind turned.


    "Shut up, Lucia.


    re if someone has made that story up to hurt you."


    Carla closed her eyes at this and took a deep breath. "What else have you heard?"


    Holding the tea cup in her hand, Debra fidgeted uncomfortably. "They are saying that you and Steven love each other and that you two often paint together. But that was just an excuse so you two could have a tryst.


    They also made up a story that when you didn''t get along well with Terence, you and Steven often met with each other in BH city. And it was at that time that you got pregnant.


    So they all guessed that..."


    Debra didn''t want to say anything more. She was an actress and had a lot of connections with many people. So she had been hearing a lot of things, far too many for her own liking.


    "I also heard that it was a female staff who once worked with Steven who had been spreading these rumors.


    I don''t know who it can be."


    Carla was surprised to hear Debra''s confession.


    She had been hiding in the Seaview Villa for a long time. She had no idea what was happening outside, let alone the rumors about her!


    Wait! What did Debra just say?


    Did the rumor start from a female staff working for Steven?


    Who could it be?

 Chapter 903 But You Can

    Carla was so confused. Who on earth would spread such a rumor?


    Suddenly, an idea flashed in her mind.


    Could it be... Trina Zhuo?!


    Yes, it must be her!


    When they were at Steven''s art exhibit, Trina saw her and Steven. He even stood up for her when Trina started to attack her. She guessed that the rumor was Trina''s way of avenging herself.


    With this thought in mind, Carla stood up.


    "Debra, Brian, I have to go now."


    Carla bid them goodbye and made her way out of the tea house.


    "Mrs. An, where are you going?" Carol asked as she saw Carla rush out of the tea house.


    After getting in the car, Carla called Terence.


    "Terence, I need to investigate on a person. Her name is Trina Zhuo. She used to be a painter. Now, she is helping people hold their art exhibitions."


    On the other side of the line, Terence paused before he admitted, "I have already sent people to investigate on her. But Trina seems to have known that we are looking for her. She has been hiding ever since. But luckily, we were able to trace her."


    "So you knew about the rumors?"


    Carla realized that she was talking nonsense. Of course, Terence would know.


    "Yes. Trina has been using her own connections to spread rumors around JA City. I''ve already filed a case against her for intentional slander and malicious defamation,"


    Terence answered slowly. It seemed like he knew everything and that he was on top of them, too.


    But rumors had a way of exaggerating themselves. Try as he might to keep them from spreading, Terence knew he could only do so much to contain the rumors.


    "Terence, do you trust me?" Carla was silent on the other line for a while, thinking over Terence''s revelations.


    "Yes. I trust you,"


    Terence replied without hesitation.


    Even if he didn''t know the situation, he wouldn''t suspect her of such a thing. He trusted her unconditionally.


    But more than that, he knew everything about Carla.


    Carla had only been out with Steven in BH City once. He knew because he followed her that one time. And for the rest, he had sent people to secretly protect her. So he knew better than anyone what she had been doing and who she was with.


    Carla looked out at the street. Traffic had begun to pile up. The world went on spinning. And here she was with her husband, discussing her alleged affair with a friend. With a bitter smile, she asked, "What if I ask you to help Steven? Would you help him?"


    She knew she had to keep Steven at arm''s length, especially given the situation they were in.


    But she couldn''t just stand aside and let


    years."


    "We don''t know that. Accidents happen all the time.


    Mom, what are you afraid of? It has been so many years since you left. Yu Sea City is your hometown. You never talk about it to anyone. Have you really never thought of it all these years?"


    Carla visited her mother to find out the truth.


    It had been a long time since she came back and her mother had never given her any explanation.


    Things had obviously come to a fever pitch that it could not be kept a secret anymore.


    "Callie, you must be hungry. Let me make you something..." Andrea placed her sleeping grandson on the bed and walked out without looking up.


    Every time Carla came for a visit, Andrea would cook for her.


    Carla sighed. Her mother was avoiding the question again.


    It seemed like it would take some time to persuade her.


    Meanwhile


    In Yu Sea City, thousands of miles away from HA City


    The door could be locked from outside and someone just opened it.


    "Hey, you. You know how to paint, don''t you? Our lady has asked you to paint for her! She said she would allow you to walk around if she was satisfied with your painting.


    You should take the opportunity to paint something beautiful!"


    A maid came in and said to Steven who was sitting on the blanket.


    A ray of sunlight pierced through Steven''s amber eyes. He raised his head to look at the maid and asked, "Did she say anything about the painting?"


    "No. Just go ahead and do it. Anyway, what other options do you have?" The maid walked over him, crossing her arms.


    "Take your tools and come with me,"


    She said, pointing to the courtyard outside.


    Steven stood up. He prepared his paint set and tools before he followed the maid out.

 Chapter 904 King of Yu Sea City

    Steven walked out the house. His eyes went straight to the rooftop. There were white and blue fringes hanging over the roof.


    Further up, there were a few geese streaking through the clear blue sky.


    Before he came here, he thought it was a good place for him to stay. But after everything that happened, maybe it wasn''t as good of a place as he thought it would be. Instead his dream place, it quickly turned into his personal nightmare.


    No wonder strangers found it difficult to fit in.


    Men who were most likely trapped here, lost their dignity.


    "Go ahead. Ms. Lucia is waiting for you."


    A maid led him away and stopped in front of a house.


    Steven paused at the closed door, contemplating at it for a long time.


    Then, he opened the door and walked in slowly.


    As soon as he entered, the door was immediately shut from the outside.


    Steven looked at the closed door. Something did not feel right about this whole situation. He looked around and found that there were two parts to the room: an outer and an inner room.


    "Come in. I''m inside."


    Lucia''s voice floated to where he was standing.


    Steven observed the furnishings that adorned the outer room. A purple and gold long whip hung on the wall. Even though it was just a harmless weapon, it represented the tyranny of its owner.


    "What''s taking you so long?"


    Lucia asked, annoyed.


    Steven moved as if his shoes were filled with lead.


    Ahead of him, there was an exquisitely engraved curtain. He furrowed his sharp eyebrows. This was obviously Lucia''s bedroom.


    "Miss Yu, what do you want me to draw?"


    He made it to her door but didn''t take another step.


    "What do you usually draw? I''d prefer you draw me, of course."


    As she spoke, Lucia parted the bed curtain loudly and showed her graceful figure.


    "You''re good at drawing. I''m sure you can draw anything. Please do sit down and start. If I''m satisfied with you


    uld do to him, anything she wanted. She could ruin him and his reputation. She just needed to say the word. .


    "Let me be, please."


    Steven said coldly. He kept walking towards the door.


    "You..."


    Lucia''s eyes widened. How dare he ignore her?


    She clenched her fists and thought, ''Fine, if I don''t give him a hard time, he''ll consider me a weak opponent!''


    ¡ª¡ª


    In HA City...


    Back in the Hua family house...


    Carla stayed in the Hua family for a couple more days. Every day, she tried to talk Andrea into persuading her to go back to Yu Sea City.


    But every time, Andrea would ask her to wait and wouldn''t talk to her anymore.


    "Mrs. An, someone has come and is looking for you."


    A servant informed Carla who was on the sofa with her son in her arms.


    "Who is it?"


    Carla asked, handing her son over to Carol.


    "She said her surname is Chen and she has something important to tell you." The servant reported.


    When Carla went downstairs, she didn''t see anyone in the living room. From a distance, she saw a strange woman standing in the yard, her back to the window.


    "¡­ Hello, may I help you?"


    Carla asked as she walked out of the house and closer to the strange lady.


    The woman turned around and asked, "Mrs. An, do you remember me?"

 Chapter 905 You Owe Him!

    Carla looked at the woman in front of her and was a little surprised. How did she find her here?


    "Cindy? What are you doing here?"


    She asked Cindy in surprise. She hadn''t seen her in a long time.


    They had only met once or twice on Lover Island. It had been half a year since but it felt like the program was held just yesterday.


    "Mrs. An, I have something to tell you,"


    Cindy repeated in a serious tone.


    "Well, come in. Don''t just stand outside!" Carla invited Cindy inside their house. But before Cindy could step in, she continued, "Mrs. An, is there anything you can do to help Steven?"


    Cindy whispered, her voice pleading.


    "Steven is trapped in Yu Sea City right now. I heard that the AJ Group is the only company that could set up a branch in Yu Sea City. The An family must have some connections there, right?"


    Cindy said as she took a step forward. "Can you ask Mr. An to help him?"


    Carla was not surprised with Cindy''s request. She had an inkling as to why Cindy suddenly turned up at their house.


    She heard from Debra about Cindy''s feelings for Steven.


    "You should try Steven''s father, not me. Steven is the only child of the Su family. His father must be more worried about him, don''t you think?"


    Carla sighed. Even Brian wanted her to help Steven. But what could she do?


    She hadn''t even been to Yu Sea City. And if her mother continued to have her way, Carla wouldn''t have met her grandmother. What was the point of going there? Nobody knew who she was in that city.


    What could she possibly do there?


    "Mrs. An, things are not as simple as we think! Steven''s father has already exhausted all connections he has but the YH tribe still wouldn''t give in. People in the Yu Sea City are totally unreasonable and barbaric. I really can''t figure it out. I have no choice but to ask you for help."


    Carla didn''t know what to say. After keeping silent for a few moments, Cindy continued, "Mrs. An, I know you and Steven are friends. I know you wouldn''t just sit and do nothing, right?"


    Carla closed her eyes as she shook her head slowly.


    "Cindy, I''m sorry but you overestimate what I can do. If it were really so simple, I would help him without any hesitation. But the problem is his situation is actually very complicated."


    Hearing Carla''s words, Cindy moved forward to get closer and grab Carla''s arm.


    "So what? Steven is our friend! Mrs


    is feelings.


    She thought she could live a peaceful life after giving birth to Adonis.


    She didn''t expect that such an incident would happen.


    "Rainer, please arrange a boat for me. I need to go to Yu Sea City,"


    Carla asked Rainer after she had mulled over things in her head.


    Since Andrea didn''t want to go with her, she would go by herself.


    "Yes, ma''am. When do you plan to set out?" Rainer replied. He remembered that Terence had promised his wife that he would let her go to Yu Sea City after she had given birth.


    He figured since Carla proposed it now, Terence wouldn''t say anything.


    "Tomorrow morning. Carol and I should be back in the afternoon. The children are staying at home."


    Carla thought for a while before she heaved a sigh.


    It would be unrealistic to take her newborn child so far. It would be better if she went by herself.


    "Yes, ma''am. Mr. An told us to arrange a private plane for you if you decide to go back to JA City," Rainer said. This way, they could cut the distance she would need to travel. It would be a lot easier for her.


    "Really? Then could you arrange that plane to take me to Yu Sea City as well, please?" Carla asked.


    "Um, Mrs. An. Airplanes are not allowed to land on that city. The local people there think it is ominous. Only cruise ships are allowed," Rainer explained.


    The YH tribe had many strange rules.


    "Got it."


    Carla didn''t say anything more and hung up.


    After hanging up the phone, she turned around and saw Andrea walking towards her with Adonis in her arms. She stopped at the door and looked at her.

 Chapter 906 Do You Have To Go

    "Hi, Mom. Is Adonis awake?"


    Carla put the phone down and walked over to Andrea get her son.


    Andrea looked at her in surprise. "Callie, what did I hear you just say?"


    Carla knew that Andrea heard her plans loud and clear. There was no point denying, so she replied, "I want to go to Yu Sea City. What''s wrong, Mom? Is there any reason why I can''t go there?"


    Just then, she noticed her baby began fussing. With the way he was chomping down on his fist, the little one was probably hungry. She took her baby from her mother''s arms and began to pat him gently. Then, she sat on the bed to feed the baby.


    "Callie, listen to me. Don''t be hasty, okay?"


    Andrea shook her head and continued, "You are not familiar with Yu Sea City. You don''t even know what''s going on there. It''s too dangerous for you. Don''t you understand?"


    Carla lifted her head and looked at Andrea. Her son continued to squirm in her arms. "Mom, is it really that serious? I''ll be back in a couple of days. Don''t get too worried, please."


    Andrea narrowed her eyes at Carla and raised her voice, "Callie, how dare you not listen to me?


    Is that what''s happening here?"


    Her voice was too loud that the two-month-old baby in Carla''s arms began to get agitated.


    Seeing this, Andrea lowered her voice and said, "Callie, listen to me. We don''t know much about the current situation in Yu Sea City. You can''t just go there!"


    "Mom, if you''re so worried about me, why don''t you come with me?"


    Carla said in a low voice. She gently patted Adonis'' shoulders, calming the baby down.


    Andrea shook her head violently. With a grim face, she answered, "Callie, what else could I say to make you understand? You know what? Lucia''s mother, my younger sister, is currently in power in Yu Sea City. If she finds out that you are my daughter, do you think she will let you come back here?"


    She hadn''t been back to Yu Sea City in more than thirty years. And now, that place was full of people held against their will. Under such circumstances, how could she let Callie go back alone?


    Carla waited until her son was full and had eventually fallen asleep. When he was already deep in his slumber, she placed him on the bed gently and went to the next room with Andrea.


    "Wait, wait, wait... Did I hear you right? You just said you have a younger sister?"


    Carla asked in surpris


    erself.


    "Really? That''s why you''re so eager to go to Yu Sea City?" Hearing Carla''s explanation, Andrea breathed a heavy sigh. She nodded at her and said, "Well then, wait for a moment!"


    Andrea stood up and took out a card from the cabinet.


    "Callie, take this with you. Once you get there, find a woman around my age. Her name is Carrie. She is an old friend. She still contacts me from time to time. You can ask her for help."


    Andrea handed the card to her. "This is a local wooden card which can confirm your identity. It has rarely been used the past years, but Carrie would recognize it.


    I will call her later to let her know. With this card, she will definitely help you."


    Although they hadn''t seen each other for a long time, she was confident that Carrie would help Carla, for the sake of their friendship.


    "Okay, Mom."


    Carla looked at the wooden card in her hand and smiled.


    Andrea continued to look at Carla, who seemed relieved. She couldn''t help but feel uneasy for giving in too easily.


    In the afternoon...


    Although Andrea was unwilling to let Carla go, she had to accept it. She reminded Carla again and again to be careful and to keep her identity hidden. She shouldn''t overestimate her abilities while she was there.


    She could try to save her friend. But if it got too dicey, she should not force herself to do anything.


    They were so engrossed in their conversation that they almost didn''t hear the knock on the door.


    Carol swung the door open and came in.


    "Mrs. An, Mr. An has sent a private plane to pick you up."

 Chapter 907 How Could I Bear To Leave You

    Carla had promised to take Adonis back to JA City today.


    And it was about time for them to leave. The plane Terence had arranged for them had arrived.


    "Callie, remember what I told you. Don''t work yourself so hard¡­"


    Andrea said, patting Carla on the back of her hand. She understood that Carla would keep feeling guilty until she could go and do something to help Steven. Andrea knew that she couldn''t stop her from going. Yet, it was her duty to caution her to take care of herself.


    "Carol, you must keep an eye on Carla, do you understand? Make sure to be with her all the time. Okay?"


    Andrea reminded Carol.


    "Don''t worry. I am here to take good care of Mrs. An. I promise to bring her back, safe and sound!"


    Carol said with a smile. She had volunteered to extend her contract with Carla to another three years.


    "Callie..."


    "Well, Mom, I know. I swear that I won''t push myself too hard, okay?"


    Carla embraced Andrea and patted on her shoulder. It was natural for Andrea to be concerned about Carla, who was a nursing mother. Carla assured Andrea with a smile, "Mom, I know what you are thinking. I will always be a child in your eyes and you will always be worried about me.


    But please believe that your daughter is not as fragile as you think.


    Think of all that your daughter has already gone through.


    What doesn''t kill you makes you stronger, right?"


    A satisfied smile appeared on Andrea''s face and she patted on Carla''s back before letting go of her. "You''re right. I know, my Callie is blessed by God. But you have to promise me that your priority is safety when you leave today."


    The very idea of Carla leaving for Yu Sea City alone could not leave Andrea at peace. After all, everything seemed to be pre-destined and everything seemed to be coming around, almost to the point where it all started. A mother''s heart was hard to be assured of her child''s safety.


    Especially, the very mention of Yu Sea City made Andrea''s heart tremble with fear. It was the same city where Carla had gone missing after she was born. And now she was going back to that same place.


    "Mom, I know,"


    Carla said as she looked at Andrea''s worried eyes. Then she turned around and took Adonis from the servant who was holding him.


    While Carla and Andrea were busy talking, Carol had finished packing their luggage and loading them in the car.


    When it was time to go, Andrea saw Carla and Adonis off in person, waving to them as the car rounded the bend on its way to JA City.


    Later in the day, Carla arrived at the Seaview Villa with Adonis. As soon as she stepped out of the car, the first thing that came to mind was Terence''s whereabouts. Just as she picked up her phone to call him, she heard Carol''s voice from outside.


    ed voice, his bright eyes staring at her.


    Keeping her gaze fixed into Terence''s eyes, Carla said, "I promise. JA City is my home. I have you, Sally and Adonis. I have my entire family over here. I promise I won''t go anywhere!"


    Terence nodded and held her closer in his arms.


    The next day


    She produce as much breast milk as she could and stored it in the fridge. The only thing that bothered her was that she didn''t know when she would come back. Thinking of this, she suddenly felt reluctant to leave.


    Her heart became heavier as the time of departure came closer. She didn''t want to leave Adonis, Sally, and Terence.


    "Ma''am, the boat is ready,"


    Carol reminded Carla, ready to go.


    Carla gazed her sleeping son and kissed him on the cheek. Then she walked over to hug Sally and kissed her. "Honey, I will take you to the countryside when I come back. Didn''t you always want to have some roasted fish?"


    After all, Sally was a little older and hence more sensible. Although she didn''t want Carla to leave, she didn''t cry.


    "Okay, Mommy. But aren''t you going to visit grandma? Next time, please take Adonis and me with you, okay?"


    Carla looked at her daughter with tears in her eyes and rubbed her little pink face. "Of course!"


    Then she turned around and immediately went the dock where the boat was waiting.


    As the boat went on its way, with Carla and her team on board, , she saw the Seaview Villa getting smaller as the boat sped farther and farther away, Carla took a deep breath. She found that this feeling of being away from home was really not a good one.


    Slowly, she turned around and went back to the cabin.


    As Carla entered the cabin and raised her head, she saw a handsome man standing there.


    Finding him there, Carla''s face changed instantly.


    She ran towards him with a radiant smile!

 Chapter 908 Kill His Self-esteem

    "Why are you here?"


    Carla wrapped her arms around Terence''s waist as her eyes gleamed with excitement. She thought that she wouldn''t be able to see him again until she returned. But her heart skipped a beat to see her husband standing in front of her.


    "Well, your man always keeps his words." Terence grinned and kissed Carla on the forehead. "Don''t you remember, I told you that I would go to the Yu Sea City with you?"


    Terence smiled and stroked her hair.


    "But I''m worried about you. It has only been two months since you gave birth to Adonis." Terence narrowed his eyes full of concern. "Although you have almost recovered, Yu Sea City is quite the opposite of JA City. I''m afraid that you will end up having a very hard time there."


    Terence had planned to wait until had Carla recuperated fully before allowing her to even set foot on Yu Sea City.


    He thought a hundred days of rest would ensure her full recovery but things just didn''t work out the way he wanted them to.


    Carla smiled contentedly when she felt the warmth of his body seep into hers. "Don''t worry. I''m sure I can manage. I have almost recovered in these two months."


    "Let''s go inside. It''s windy here."


    Terence wrapped his arms around Carla''s shoulders and ushered her into the cabin.


    "You still have to be careful, Honey. Your pregnancy has drained almost all your energy. Although you are better now, you still need an ample amount of time to get back to optimum condition."


    Carla couldn''t help but smile at how protective her husband was.


    The delicious aroma of food wafted in the air when Carla walked inside. She glanced at the kitchen and saw that the cook was busy preparing lunch for them.


    "As long as you are with me, I''ll be there to take care of you."


    Terence smiled tenderly as he grabbed Carla''s hand and walked towards the bedroom.


    Carla was beaming with joy when she gazed at Terence''s handsome face. Her gaze flitted to their hands that were clasped in his strong fingers and an involuntary smile crept on her lips. She always felt special, like she was the only girl in the world when she was around him.


    She could feel how much Terence loved her when he held her in his arms.


    The intensity of his gaze and his tender smile would make butterflies flutter in her stomach. Carla would forget everything when she was with Terence and she felt lucky to be loved and respected by him. He didn''t have to say


    ands into fists, shaking with fury.


    She couldn''t believe that the man was unafraid despite all her taunts.


    "Err... Are... Are you sure that you want to strip him naked?" The woman''s eyes widened with shock and she swallowed loudly.


    "Yes!


    We can''t be too nice to him. I want to see him squirm in shame when everyone sees him without anything on."


    Pamela''s evil laughter cachinnated loudly.


    "Okay, okay, I''ll do it right now!"


    The woman nodded politely and left at once.


    Part of her was excited to undress a handsome man.


    Her hands were itching to do the task.


    The next morning, the ship finally landed on the shore.


    Terence had arranged everything in advance. Someone would come to pick them up.


    "The ship will stay here. You can come back anytime if you feel the need to return, OK?"


    Terence caressed Carla''s cheek. "Moreover, I have asked Nathan to stay with you at all times. He will protect you. Just be careful," he said, resting his forehead against Carla''s.


    He had planned to ask someone else to do the job but he was too worried to trust anyone else. Therefore, he had temporarily ordered Nathan and Carol to be there for Carla.


    "I know. Stop behaving like I''m going to the battlefield. I will return as soon as I finish my task. Adonis and Sally are waiting for me."


    Carla smiled and kissed Terence''s cheek.


    "Okay. If you need anything, call me. I will come for you." Terence whispered.


    Carla waved goodbye and turned to leave.


    She looked at the mysterious Yu Sea City in front of her, roaring with the waves crashing on the shore.


    She was finally here.

 Chapter 909 Men Need To Be Protected

    "Ma''am, I''ve found the whereabouts of Carrie."


    Nathan walked up to Carla and said intently, "Carrie is the deputy chief of this place. I''ve already found her address."


    Carol''s mouth popped open in shock. "Deputy chief? Ma''am, I think she is a powerful person here. Why don''t we ask her about Steven?"


    Carla pursed her lips and thought for a while. "That''s a good idea but I need to visit her first," she said and turned to look at Nathan.


    "Nathan, can you take this to her and ask her to meet me?"


    It was apparent that they did not belong here and they would unnecessarily attract people''s attention if they directly went to Carrie''s house. She thought that it would better to meet her at a different location.


    "Okay, I''ll ask someone to do it." Nathan nodded and turned to look at Carol. "Take care of Mrs. An, Carol."


    "Of course. By the way, we''re in Yu Sea City. Men are the ones who need to be safe here." She smiled mischievously.


    Nathan frowned and glanced at the men on the road. They were strangely wrapped in tight clothing, covering every inch of their body.


    On the contrary, the women here were vivacious.


    "Nathan, don''t worry about me. We''ll wait for you here. We''ll go to the Yu family residence once you return,"


    Carla said.


    Her eyes wandered toward the white house at the end of the winding street. It was an ancient building with a classical touch. Although there may be many modern facilities, it was not very evident from the outside.


    Carla and Carol killed time by sauntering across the street, waiting for Nathan to return.


    Once Nathan was back, they set off for the Yu family villa.


    Yu Village was like the capital of Yu Sea City. Commoners were not allowed to go anywhere close to the village and was guarded from all sides. No one could enter without the local pass, which was like the identity card.


    Nathan had gotten the pass from Carrie and it was not an issue for them to walk in and out of the village.


    At a local tea house on a high cliff.


    "So, you are Andrea''s daughter?"


    Carrie was dressed in an elegant outfit and she raked her wide eyes at Carla from head to foot.


    "Yes, I''m Carla Hua. Nice to meet you, Auntie Carrie."


    Carla smiled politely. Carrie had the same complexion as that of the local women and there were freckles all over her face. Her distinct features were different from that of Andrea''s.


    If Carla had not met the locals, she would never have believed that her mother w


    men often taught men harsh lessons in the form of cruel punishments if they misbehaved.


    "Where is he? Take me to him!"


    Carla stood up and her body was shaking with rage.


    To an extent, she had guessed that he might have been held captive, but not even in her worst nightmare had Carla thought that Steven would be humiliated like this.


    "Little Callie, control your anger. He is Lucia''s man. You can''t take him back with you even if you manage to go to her place," Carrie said as her face was filled with concern.


    Everyone in Yu Sea City dreaded Lucia. She was in charge of this place. Anyone who dared to go against her was digging her own grave.


    "Bullshit! Steven doesn''t belong to this city. How could he be her man? She''s abusing her power by bullying the innocent for her personal gain."


    Carla bellowed.


    Steven was a gentleman and did not deserve to be treated like this. Carla couldn''t take this anymore. She needed to find him and take him back with her.


    "You are right, Honey. You think the people are not aware of that? She''s too powerful and no one dares to upset her. No one is brave enough to stop her. You can''t do anything. Even if you think about complaining to the authorities, Lucia''s mother would interfere in the matter and turn things to their advantage. Err... where is she?"


    Carrie took a sip of her tea and tried to persuade Carla to think about her decision.


    But Carla had stormed off even before she could finish her words.


    "Hey! Little Callie, where are you going?"


    Carrie roughly placed the teacup on the table to follow Carla as she sensed that her new-found niece might stir up trouble.

 Chapter 910 A Portrait For Love.

    After reaching Yu Sea City, it wasn''t so hard to find Pamela.


    All it took was a little inquiry and looking around the crowd. Carla followed the crowd and reached a place where a lot of people had gathered.


    "Mrs. A¡­ Be careful, Carla!"


    Carol cried out anxiously. And right after that, she realized that it was quite abrupt for her to address Carla in this way in Yu Sea City. Hence she immediately changed it.


    The streets in Yu Sea City were prosperous. Whether it was day or night, they were always bustling and teeming with life.


    Carla tried to squeeze into the crowd so that she could get closer to the center and find out the reason behind the gathering of a lot of women in that part of the street. All of a sudden, someone from behind covered Carol''s eyes.


    "What are you doing, Nathan?" Carol exclaimed.


    "You don''t want to look at that. Trust me,"


    Nathan said while pushing away Carol''s hand which was trying to get his hand off her face.


    "What are you talking about?" Carol said, trying harder to get rid of Nathan''s hand that was completely blocking her vision.


    "Are you going to cover your own eyes if you were going to save someone?" She asked.


    "For me it''s different. Mr. An is not here and I can''t do this to him. But you¡­ I''m doing this for your own good," Nathan smirked.


    Carla had her eyes fixed at what she saw in front.


    With a mix of pain and disbelief in her eyes, Carla kept staring at the man who was locked up in the cage. Her eyes welled up to find Steven in that state. She was in utter disbelief and wondered what had happened to him.


    Steven was stark naked. He was leaning against the cage, quiet and lifeless. It seemed that he was not affected by the crowd around the cage who were laughing at and making fun of him.


    "Get out of the way."


    Carla cried as she tried to push the people who were blocking her way. But just as she was about to get to the front of the cage, she was stopped by Carol.


    "Ma''am, wait! Remember what Mr. An told us? Don''t rush. Steven does not mind these people laughing at him because they are strangers. But I believe that the last person he wants to see when he is in this condition is you. If he finds out that you have seen him in this state, it will hurt his dignity."


    Carol had been Carla''s assistant for quite a while now, and she was aware of how much Steven loved Carla.


    "How about this? We first go inside and talk to Pamela. Let''s see if we can do something so he can put his clothes back on before we see him. What do you think?"


    Carol''s rational approach to the situation just reinforced the old proverb ¨C ''The bystander is always clear-minded.''


    Hearing Carol''s suggestion, Carla calmed down a little. Slowly, she turned around from the cage and walked towards the wide building in front of them.


    Just then...


    Carrie had already entered the building. She had her hands folded to her chest as she begged in front of Pamela to release Steven, "Pamela, she is my best friend''s daughter and the man inside the cage


    wnstairs and walked over to the cage. But as she walked closer, she couldn''t help but frown and turn to Pamela, asking, "Can you let him out, first? Painting needs the mind to be relaxed and peaceful. How can you expect an artist to bring out his creativity in such an environment?"


    "Why are you here?"


    Steven said in a feeble voice, looking at her with mixed feelings.


    Carla turned around and squatted down. She looked at Steven and said, "Don''t think too much. Cindy and Brian asked me to come and help you. If you return safe and sound, do go visit them and thank them, especially Cindy."


    "And here you are."


    Steven looked at Carla and finally, his face broke into a smile.


    At this moment, someone came over and opened the cage.


    "Can you draw now?"


    Pamela cast an angry glance at both Carla and Steven and said, "Stop the chitchat now. Once he finishes the painting, you two will have plenty of time to talk about anything. Let''s get started now, okay?"


    Seeing that Pamela urged them to go out, Steven walked out and said to Carla, "Carla?"


    "What''s wrong? Is it so difficult for you to draw a picture for me?"


    Carla raised her eyebrows and looked at him in surprise. She took a step forward and whispered, "I''ve put in a lot of effort to make Pamela agree to this. I won''t say anything even if you draw my portrait like a wild cat. At least in this way, I can help you figure out a way to get out of this mess,"


    As she spoke, she dragged his sleeve.


    Steven looked at Carla with hope. Then he continued in a low voice, "I have sworn to myself long ago that I would only paint the portrait of one woman for the rest of my life."


    ''Who is he talking about? This woman must be the love of his life.''


    At the very thought, Carla''s heart jolted when she heard his words.


    His indication was so obvious.


    No wonder Steven wouldn''t draw a portrait for anyone else.


    ''So, is that the reason?'' Carla thought to herself.


    Then Steven looked at Pamela and said, "Okay, I will do it!"

 Chapter 911 Blood Painting

    Carla grabbed his arm and looked at him worriedly. "Steven, we can find another way.


    It''s all my fault. I didn''t know about it before. If it is really important to you, then don''t ... "


    Carla trailed off. She thought that Steven did not like being forced by others.


    "Do you think I still have the luxury to say no?"


    Steven smiled without a trace of fear. As a matter of fact, he seemed to be very relaxed.


    He sat in front of the easel and began to draw. Just then, a deafening sound reverberated in the attic across the street.


    "Who is she? Find out who she is!"


    Lucia was watching everything that was happening in the opposite building.


    She had tried to force him several times to draw her a picture but he had refused despite all her threats. Who was this woman? She seemed to have cast a spell that made him heed her request instantly. This was unacceptable for Lucia.


    "Yes, Miss Lucia. Pamela says that the woman is the daughter of Carrie''s friend, but she doesn''t know anything more than that,"


    said Carlota.


    "Really? Carrie''s friend?" Lucia asked in shock as she raked her eyes across Carla''s face, trying to guess her identity.


    "Umm ... She doesn''t look like a native of Yu Sea City. It looks like she knows Steven. Probably ..."


    Lucia''s eyes suddenly widened with shock as she banged the table, making it rattle by the force of it. "No wonder he refused to paint for me. I never expected that his heart would belong to someone else."


    Rage rose from the bottom of Lucia''s stomach when she saw Steven look at Carla with tender eyes.


    "Send someone to keep an eye on them. Is he in love with that woman? I will deal with her later. I want to find out what''s so great about her that she has captivated Steven''s heart."


    Lucia glared at Carla with murderous eyes.


    "But, my lady, our leaders are already dissatisfied with us for arresting him. Don''t you think taking Carla away might cause unrest among them?" Carlota asked worriedly.


    Steven''s arrest had become a hot topic in Yu Sea City. Although Lucia had managed to keep him here, it had caused speculations and disapproval among the people.


    "You just do what I say. I''ll deal with the consequences!"


    Lucia said, taking a sip of tea, without taking her eyes off Carla.


    She


    be going through and decided not to probe further. "We''ll do something to get away from Yu Sea City. They won''t be able to do anything to you once you leave this place.


    Lucia''s power is only limited to Yu Sea City. We don''t have to care about her once we get out of here."


    "Carla, thank you." Steven smiled gratefully.


    He knew that it had only been two months since Carla had given birth to her child. She had come all the way here just to rescue him.


    "Does Mr. An know that you are here?"


    Steven narrowed his eyes that were glinting with worry. He did not want to be the reason for their misunderstanding.


    "You worry too much. He has sent me here to save you." Carla smiled reassuringly.


    Terence was an understanding husband who would never restrain Carla.


    "Really? That''s very kind of him. I owe a lot to you and Mr. An."


    Steven''s heart swelled with happiness.


    "You don''t have to thank me. What are friends for?" Carla shrugged casually. "Oh, by the way don''t think too much about the painting, okay. I think it was an accident."


    Carla was married and did not want to sow unnecessary desire in Steven''s heart.


    A frown lined on Steven''s forehead as he smiled bitterly. "Yeah, I understand," he said, swallowing loudly. ''Didn''t the painting reveal my feelings for you?''


    He thought.


    Carla was irreplaceable and would always occupy a permanent position in Steven''s heart. She could be a married woman with 2 kids but nothing would stop him from loving her. Love had no boundaries.

 Chapter 912 Who Allowed You To Protect Her

    "Ahem."


    Carla coughed, rolling her eyes. After a pause, she said, "No, I didn''t see anything. Because of the angle from my periphery, you were completely out of my scope vision so don''t worry, Steven. Don''t take it to heart so much, Steven. I know it is difficult. But I''m sure you can move on sooner or later."


    The best part was that communication in Yu Sea City was not as developed as they thought. Hence, people outside the city knew nothing about what had happened here.


    Steven lowered his head and smiled bitterly. An inexplicable pain spread all over his face.


    From last night to now, what he had gone through was an unimaginably dreadful catastrophe that left a deep scar in his heart and could never be healed.


    Steven''s heart wrenched at the very thought of it. He had never done anything to hurt anyone in his entire life. Yet this was what he got in return!


    His heart was bitter and filled with hatred. He hated why he was fated to go through this- being naked all night and exposed to the public as an animal. The humiliation and shame that he had gone through could never be expressed through words. How could he ever get over this in his lifetime? It was a nightmare that he would have to live with for the rest of his life.


    However, when he saw Carla and when he painted for her, he somehow felt that everything happened for a reason.


    "I don''t care what people think of me. All I want is to have a clear conscience,"


    Steven said a calm and feeble voice.


    At the very beginning, he was angry and frustrated. But now, he felt calm in his heart. As if what happened in the past few days only made him better and stronger. Probably having Carla beside him at this time also helped him a lot. He was now able to face everything calmly.


    "Steven, you have to learn to keep your head down. What I mean to say is that not all situations are the same. Not all the people we meet in the course of our lives are the same. Sometimes you need to make compromises depending on the situation and the people you are dealing with. Yes. Your dignity is important, but it is not as important as your life,"


    Carla looked at him compassionately and whispered to him.


    Steven had a very strong mind. He even held his craft with high respect. Had it been someone else, that person would have given in to Pamela long before in order to save his own life.


    But a person like Steven could not stoop that low in that manner.


    "I know. If it was for something else, I might have said yes. But Lucia wants me to marry her and settle down here in Yu Sea City forever. And Pamela asked me to sell my dignity and paint for her guests. How could I make a choice? Both are the things that I value the most. And they show no respect for art,"


    Steven said and let out a heavy sigh.


    "If I could do what Pamela demanded me to do, I don''t know if I could use my paint brush ever again..."


    Passion for one''s craft and their commitment towards it is built over a long time. These values become so much ingrained in the soul that they define the entire course of one''s life.


    If thes


    ''ve ever heard!"


    Lucia laughed aloud till there were tears in her eyes. Then all of a sudden, she lifted the whip and hurled it at Carla and screamed in a domineering manner.


    "Who do you think you are? How dare you talk to me like that? !"


    As the whip was about to hit Carla, she did not even have time to dodge it.


    Steven rushed to Carla immediately and covered her with his body. The whip landed on his back.


    "Steven!"


    Carla shouted holding his arms that he used to shield her from Lucia.


    "I''m fine."


    Then he let go of her and said, "Please just leave. Leave me here. Please. I''m begging you!"


    The longer Carla stayed here, the worse it would be for both Carla and Steven. Lucia would make use of her against him. Once Lucia realized that Carla was his weakness, he would have no other option than to give in to the whims of Lucia in order to protect Carla.


    "Steven, who asked you to protect her? !"


    Although Lucia was mad at Steven, she didn''t want to hurt him at all. But here he was. Ready to be whipped by her in order to save another woman?


    Jealousy and anger started seething in Lucia''s heart. Her eyes turned red and her face looked grim.


    Unable to contain her anger, Lucia suddenly stepped forward, grabbed Steven''s shoulder, pulled him back and pushed him to the wall. "Answer me! Who asked you to protect her? Tell me! Who told you, you could do that?"


    Steven remained calm and didn''t resist when Lucia grabbed his collar. Then he said slowly, "She came here to save me. If she gets hurt again because of me, I will owe her more."


    Lucia looked into Steven''s eyes breathing heavily. But his reply seemed to pacify her to some extent. However, the next moment her face changed. "Really? So you mean that you don''t love her at all. You only did all this just for friendship?" Lucia asked, raising one of her eyebrows.


    "I¡­¡­ I guess so," Steven replied


    After hearing Steven, Lucia looked up and laughed. She pinched his chin and said, "Really? Then prove it to me!"


    Saying this, she suddenly kissed his lips.

 Chapter 913 Bitten By A Wolf

    Lucia''s kiss was aggressive as she possessively claimed him. She let out a growl while rummaging Steven''s mouth with hers.


    The rough, animalistic kiss seemed like she was declaring him as her guy. No one could lay a finger on him. He was her man, no one could take him away from Lucia.


    Steven frowned and scrunched his nose up in distaste. He wanted to push her away but failed miserably. He did not want her to deepen the kiss but Lucia was not willing to let go of him.


    She wanted more. She ripped off his clothes and shoved him on the chair next to her as if she wanted to have sex with him right away, right there, in front of everyone.


    "Wow, aren''t you shameless, Lucia? How dare you force a man to sleep with you when he''s clearly not interested? You are too desperate, aren''t you? Is there no other man in Yu Sea City?" Carla asked, glaring at Lucia with disgust.


    "Oh, it would sound better if I put it this way: No man is interested in you, that''s why you''ve got to force yourself to get into a man''s pants. It''s such a pity."


    Carla sneered at Lucia disdainfully.


    Lucia''s eyes snapped at Carla as she let go of Steven and stood up to face her. Carla''s words had provoked her. "Nobody likes me? You''ve got to be fucking kidding me!" Lucia growled as a crooked grin stretched on her lips. "Men are waiting in line to get married to me.


    You say that I''m forcing him. It''s hilarious! Do I even need to force him?"


    Lucia turned around to look at Steven with her lustful eyes. She stretched her fingers and intertwined with his.


    "Steven, come over here and kiss me already!" Lucia held fistfuls of Steven''s hair and snarled hungrily.


    Carla almost choked at Lucia''s words. The mere sight of her made her sick in the stomach. She had never seen anyone as needy and shameless as Lucia was.


    She felt ashamed to admit that this woman was her cousin.


    Carla had not paid much attention to her mother when she told about her relatives before. Now, she could see what kind of people they were. Lucia was the oldest daughter of her mother''s younger sister, and Carla had nothing but anger and hatred for her.


    "Come here! If you want me to let her go, you''ve got to do what I say! I''ll listen to you if you listen to me."


    Lucia pulled her dress up and placed her leg on the chair. She waved a finger, motioning Steven to come over.


    Steven glanced at Carla, closed his eyes and blew a loud breath before walking towards Lucia.


    "Stop right there, Steven!"


    Carla bellowed. She did not want him to sacrifice his dignity just to set her free.


    "You don''t have to do this. I have made up my mind. I''m staying here in Yu Sea City. I can manage to live anywhere in the world," Carla said and was shaking with rage.


    But Steven continued to walk towards Lucia without looking back at her. He stepped forward and wrapped his arm around Lucia''s waist. "I''m glad that Lucia is interested in me."


    "Steven!" Carla shouted again, trying to stop him from


    for him.


    "You are not as strong as Lucia is. You will fail even if you summon all your strength. I think the only way to save Mr. Su is by bringing your mother back.


    You will stand a chance if Andrea returns. She is the eldest daughter of the Yu family and even Lucia''s mother is left with no choice but to respect her."


    Carla listened to her intently. Carrie was right, she would fail miserably if she got into a fight with Lucia.


    A smile graced Carrie''s lips. "Only then can you officially take Steven from Lucia. Considering your status, it would be no big deal for you to get married to him.''''


    Carrie thought that Carla was in love with Steven. She didn''t see any other reason for Carla to go out of her way to save him.


    They made a beautiful couple.


    Carla almost choked on her tea.


    She cleared her throat and shook her head fiercely. "Don''t get me wrong, Auntie Carrie. I have a husband. Steven is just a friend!"


    "So what? You belong to Yu Sea City. You can marry how many ever men you want. Although girls don''t get married to as many people as before, it''s no harm to have two or three husbands, you know? Look at me. I have two husbands and in fact, they get along very well. I have already given birth to six children and we continue to be a happy family,"


    Carrie said, puffing her chest proudly.


    "Carrie, I''m fine with just one. My husband is too possessive. He will eat me alive if he thinks I''m interested in another man."


    The mere thought of it made Carla tremble. Although Terence was a loving husband, he had a mad temper.


    Perhaps it was the culture and tradition of the Yu Sea City that had driven Andrea away.


    "Look at you! You are such a coward. The women of Yu Sea City are never afraid of men. You''ve got to strip them of everything and kick them out until they learn their lesson.


    I know some of the best ways to have men under your control. I can teach you some of them, if you like," Carrie said, pounding on the table.

 Chapter 914 Glad That You Didnt Forget Me!

    "That''s very kind of you, Carrie. But I''m fine."


    Carrie smiled bitterly.


    She had a doting husband whom she loved with all her heart. She did not want to think about anyone else.


    Carla stood up and sauntered towards the window. She closed her eyes and blew a loud breath.


    "Mrs. An, what do we do about Mr. Su?"


    Carol asked worriedly.


    Carla opened her eyes and turned around to look at her. "After what''s happened, we have to think twice before making our next move. Moreover, Lucia will be on her toes at all times."


    Carla looked at Carrie.


    "Auntie Carrie, I want to see my grandparents. Can you please arrange a meeting with them?"


    Although Carla had come to Yu Sea City to rescue Steven, she was helpless at the moment. She had to be cautious before doing anything else.


    Carla thought that she could at least see her family.


    "Umm... I''m afraid that it might not be possible to meet your grandmother. But I can arrange a meeting with your grandfather," Carrie said, knitting her eyebrows.


    "Really? That would be great! I will be forever thankful to you if you help me meet one of my grandparents. I don''t want to go back home empty-handed."


    Carla sat down and clasped Carrie''s hand.


    Carrie nodded with understanding.


    "Callie, why don''t you stay here for a couple more days? I''ll think about what to do when the situation gets better. What do you say?"


    Carrie patted on the back of Carla''s hand and smiled kindly. "But I promise you that I can help you meet your grandfather."


    Carrie knew that Pamela would inform Lucia if she found out that she was going to take Carla to her grandparents. She did not want Lucia to question her.


    They would be safe only if they remained low-key.


    "I''m sorry that I got you in trouble." Carla smiled apologetically.


    "Don''t be silly. Your mother has entrusted me with the task of taking care of you. You''re my responsibility." Carol smiled.


    "Callie, if you really want to thank me, persuade your mother to return home. Your father is no longer alive and you are an adult now. It''s time for her to come back.


    She has a lot of unfinished business here. Even if she does not think about herself, I thi


    lly nodded as Terence took the baby from her arms.


    "What happened, baby? Do you miss mommy?"


    Terence hushed the baby as he rocked him gently. The baby''s face had turned red as fresh burst of tears streamed down his chubby cheeks.


    "Don''t you want to be a strong man like daddy? Shh... Don''t cry, baby. Mommy will come back soon.''''


    Adonis''s loud wails seemed to gradually calm down as he stared at Terence''s face with big eyes.


    Rainer walked in at that moment.


    "Mr. An, we heard that Carla couldn''t rescue Steven but don''t worry. She''s safe and sound."


    Terence turned around to look at him as he continued to rock his son in his arms. "Yeah, I heard that. Ask Nathan to be vigilant at all times and take care of Carla."


    "Yes, Mr. An!"


    Rainer nodded politely and left.


    Terence looked at Adonis who seemed to become relaxed in his arms. He strode towards the window and peeked out.


    It was pitch dark outside and silence prevailed everywhere, except for the sound of the waves lapping on the shore. His gaze flitted to the lonely moon that was staring down at him. The moon reminded him of Carla who was somewhere far away. The lonely night made his heart yearn for her.


    The sound of his phone ringing broke the silence.


    Terence pulled out the phone from his pocket.


    The name flashing on the phone lifted his spirits in an instant as an ecstatic smile crept onto his lips.


    "Phew! I''m glad that you haven''t forgotten me."

 Chapter 915 Our Son Is Missing His Mommy

    "Hello? Honey, how''s Adonis doing today? Did he cry tonight?"


    Looking at the time, Carla assumed that Adonis had already fallen asleep. Hence, she called Terence at that time with caution so as not to disturb his sleep with the loud ringtone.


    "You can listen to him yourself."


    Terence put his phone next to his son. He had stopped crying, but all of a sudden he started crying again.


    Adonis''s tender voice reached Carla''s ears and tugged at her heartstrings. Carla''s eyes moistened immediately as soon as she heard Adonis crying.


    Terence then put his phone on the table, turned on the speaker, and coaxed his son who was otherwise so cooperative.


    "Don''t cry, son. Your mother will come back soon. She will never leave us. Right?"


    He said in a dramatic tone as he lifted his son on his shoulder and patted him on his back.


    Carla felt a sharp sting in her heart as she heard Terence speaking like that. Although she knew that Terence was just joking, still she could not help feeling bad. "Why is he crying all the time? Is he hungry? Did you change his diaper?" Carla could not control her motherly concerns anymore.


    "No, he is just missing his mommy."


    Terence gazed at Adonis in his arms and said with a smile while swinging him back and forth in his arms.


    Their house was filled with so many helpers and attendants. They were on their toes at Adonis'' service at all times to make sure that there wasn''t a single moment of discomfort for him. However, he was too young to be away from his mother for this long.


    "Come on, turn on the video chat. I want to see our son."


    Carla missed Adonis so much. Her heart ached for him every moment of the day.


    How Carla missed carrying him in her arms! She wanted to feel his soft cheeks and see his vibrant smile.


    Carla waited with bated breath as Terence then hung up the phone. Terence then took Adonis to the bedroom. He turned on the TV and connected his phone so that he could see Carla more clearly.


    When he got through and looked at Carla on the large screen, his face changed. He narrowed his eyes and there was a trace of sadness on his face.


    Carla was dressed in a strange outfit. She wore a dark blue dress with some orange flowers embroidered on it. And she wore her hair in braids with some colorful hair bands.


    Carla''s skin was fair, much more delicate compared to that of the local girls in Yu Sea City. Along with her alluring glow, she was a sight to behold.


    The moment she turned on the camera, Terrence was at a loss for words.


    Terence''s eyes grew darker as he kept staring at her for a few more moments. Carla looked back at him and remained silent as well. It was as if she could r


    Is she asleep?"


    "Yes. She went to sleep shortly after I came back." Terence took a deep drag and then squinted at the screen. The woman on the screen seemed so real, but at the same time, she was also so distant that he couldn''t touch her.


    Carla nodded. Every moment she was dealing with a strong sense of guilt for being away from her children.


    They gazed at each other silently for a while.


    Carla''s mind was filled with so many things that she wanted to share with him. But she didn''t know how to say them.


    "Okay. Go to bed now. I''m hanging up,"


    Carla said after a while before touching the screen for the last time before disconnecting.


    Terence stared at the phone screen blankly for a while and then, he put out the cigarette. He walked to the window and looked straight into the distance.


    It was a dark night with some dark clouds.


    At Yu Village, time went by really fast.


    At night, Carrie came come into the palace with Carla and Carol. They were dressed like the locals.


    It was a well-constructed palace that was looked after by a caretaker and his family who also stayed there.


    But going by the rule of the land, only the chief and the legitimate successor could live in that palace. Therefore, no matter how powerful Lucia was, even she had to look for a place to live, somewhere else in Yu Village.


    There was a bonfire feast that was held every month.


    Only at that time, other members of the family and those holding powerful positions in the village were invited to the palace.


    Carrie was the deputy chief of the Yu Village. As she worked here, it was easy for her to take this opportunity to get inside the palace.


    That night, Carrie took Carla to the feast with her at a time when she was tasked to guarantee the safety of the palace.

 Chapter 916 How Many Grandfathers Do I Have

    Carla was helping Carrie guard the palace. "Callie, I''ll make sure to find a position where you don''t have to work in shifts. I''ll arrange a meeting with your grandfather as soon as possible. I''m just waiting for the right time."


    Carrie ushered Carla to a quiet corner, looked around to check if they were by themselves, and whispered in her ear.


    "In Yu Sea City, there is no difference between maternal and paternal grandfathers. We just call them grandpa. Moreover, your mom''s mother had three husbands. Your biological grandfather, Arthur, is her legal husband. So don''t get confused, OK?"


    Carla''s eyes widened with shock as Carrie''s words were a little hard for her to digest. She took deep breaths and tried to calm down. ''''Err ... You mean I have three grandfathers?"


    Carla was taken aback. She was not aware of having three grandfathers. Yu Sea City was indeed a strange place. Carrie knitted her eyebrows, trying to read Carla''s expression.


    "Oh, it''s a little strange for you. Isn''t it? Your grandmother is the chief of Yu Sea City. It''s normal for her to have many husbands." she said, shrugging casually. "Your grandmother''s other two husbands didn''t have children with her. So you don''t have to worry about them,"


    Carrie said like it was the most common thing in the world, as if she did not have to explain to Carla about it.


    Yu Sea City was no different from other parts of the world where wealthy men had several spouses.


    Women were equal to men here and they had several husbands.


    Carla was pretty shaken up and had to pull herself together. Perhaps it was her culture and education preaching monogamy that made it hard for her to accept. Although Carla was aware of the local customs in several places where people had several spouses, they were merely gossip and entertainment to her.


    It was a hard pill to swallow.


    No wonder that Terence was worried about Carla when she decided to come here.


    He was perhaps worried that she would pick up the customs and traditions of this place.


    "I get it, Auntie Carrie. Would it be possible for you to arrange my position near the banquet? I want to know more about the powerful people here,"


    Carla said. She wanted to make the most of this opportunity to meet the people of Yu Sea City.


    "That won''t be a problem. But I don''t think your grandmother will be joining us today. She is getting older, and she has never been fond of boisterous parties."


    "What about my grandfather? Are you sure he will come?"


    Carla asked worriedly.


    "Of course. I have informed him that you are his granddaughter and that


    is clearly annoyed. Mother would definitely be upset to see him like this."


    Lori frowned as she glanced at Steven.


    Lucia smiled, trying to swallow her embarrassment. She cleared her throat and whispered to Steven, "Steven, I have brought you here because I want you to meet my family. Please cut the attitude and show some respect, please."


    Steven looked at her and unpacked his bag without saying a word.


    Steven was in no mood to interact with the people and therefore, had brought his art supplies to kill time.


    Lucia was annoyed that Steven was constantly ignoring her. "Don''t forget, that woman is still in Yu Sea City," she grunted. "I will find her and throw her in the ocean for the sharks to eat."


    She was seething with anger and couldn''t understand why the man was completely uninterested in her.


    Steven paused for a second, looked at Lucia, and continued to draw.


    Steven was not afraid of Lucia''s threats anymore. If she could find Carla, she would have ended her life a long time ago. But Lucia was merely threatening him to get things done.


    It had been days since Carla had left and Steven was not that stupid to let Lucia have her way with everything.


    Lori, who was sitting in the back seat, listening to their conversation, was controlling her laughter. It was funny to see her sister under the mercy of this man.


    Lucia was a powerful woman who could have everything with just a snap of a finger. Lori couldn''t stop laughing at her struggling to keep Steven under control.


    Just then, a loud voice resonated through the crowd.


    "Grandpa Arthur is here. Get up all of you!"


    The younger children stood up politely, thumped their chest, and bowed down to pay their respects to Arthur.

 Chapter 917 Shameless Sisters

    Carla''s eyes were gleaming with excitement as she couldn''t wait to see her grandfather.


    An old man entered the hall with brisk steps. He was dressed in a floral print outfit and was wearing a white cap that matched his milky beard. His serene eyes twinkled when he turned around to smile at his guests.


    People around bowed respectfully to greet him.


    The man seemed to look younger than Carla''s grandfather but he was not as majestic and sophisticated as her grandfather was.


    Carla''s wide eyes were fixed on him, her mouth agape with awe. Although she was seeing him for the first time, she could sense an inexplicable connection.


    Carla finally understood the saying ''blood is thicker than water.'' Her heart was racing in her chest. She had goosebumps all over her body.


    "You two, stop gawking and start helping. Can''t you see that we''re running out of help? Come and help me distribute the wine!"


    One of the guests waved at Carla and Carol with a disgruntled expression.


    Carla and Carol looked at each other and walked towards the table. Just when they were about to pour a glass of wine for the guest, she stopped them. "Gosh, don''t pour it into my glass. Don''t you see that Lori is the one in need of more wine? Go there first!" she said, rolling her eyes.


    Carla paused for a second and walked towards Lori with the wine bottle in her hand.


    Lori hated that Lucia was getting all the attention. She tried her best to hide her jealousy.


    But Carla could sense Lori''s disappointment when she came to refill her glass.


    "Wait!"


    Lori stopped Carla and snatched the bottle from her. She looked around and quickly threw a pill into it, shook the bottle, and returned it to Carla.


    "Go and pour this in Mr. Su''s glass!"


    Lori said, grinning wickedly.


    Carla pursed her lips and tried her best to resist the urge to punch her. Lori was just like her sister, if not worse.


    Carla wondered how she was going to give this to Steven. She knew that Lori had spiked the drink but she would be easily caught if she failed to obey Lori.


    What was Lori up to?


    "What the hell are you staring at me for? Do you want me to give


    e had downed more than several glasses of wine.


    Lori was adept at flattering her sister. Lucia would sometimes lose her mind and scream at Lori but she could never be mad at her for a long time.


    Lori happily skipped out of Lucia''s room and sneaked to the back hall.


    A wicked smile stretched across her lips when her eyes settled on a room illuminated by lights. She quickly walked over and knocked the door.


    "Who is it?"


    Steven mumbled. He was feeling queasy and uncomfortable.


    "Mr. Su, I''m here to give you the antidote. Can you please open the door?"


    Lori''s voice made him sick in the stomach. He groaned and opened the door. Lori was leaning against the doorframe with a seductive smile.


    "Antidote? So you did this to me, didn''t you?"


    Steven knitted his eyebrows and stared at her with confusion. His mouth had become dry and sweat had beaded on his forehead.


    He was aware that his drink was drugged. But he had decided to drink it as he wanted to save Carla from any trouble.


    Lori grinned happily and walked in. "I''ve come to give you the antidote. Don''t you want it, Mr. Su?"


    She unbuttoned her clothes and plopped on the bed. Her smile widened as she raked her eyes slowly across Steven''s body.


    "Mr. Su, I am the antidote for you tonight," she said, sweeping her tongue across her lips.


    Steven scrunched his nose with distaste and sneered at her.


    Lori was as shameless as her sister.

 Chapter 918 Carlas Grandfather

    Steven stood at the door for a while before closing it. In order to relax himself a little, he walked toward the dining table and poured himself a cup of tea from the kettle. It had already gone cold, but he had no will to heat it again. Right now, he was already too exhausted.


    "Lori, I think you know your sister has feelings for me. Don''t you think your actions will break her heart?"


    Steven said, as he gulped the cold tea in one go. It tasted quite bad, but it helped calm the heat in his belly.


    The effect of the drug was strong, but not as strong as the one he had taken last time.


    "I''m not afraid of her! I know you don''t want to be with her, and if you want to be with me, what say does she have? We can get married so that our relationship will be legal..."


    Lori spoke somberly as she fiddled with her pitch black hair. She twined her fingers in the locks of her hair, looking at him seductively.


    Steven took a seat next to her. Her sultry moves had no effect on him. He poured himself another cup of tea nonchalantly, refusing to meet her gaze.


    "Lori, you think too highly of yourself. Your sister is the future chief of this place. If you were me, why would you marry anyone else but her?"


    Steven said sarcastically.


    He had never expected he would end up in a situation like this.


    It wasn''t that he hadn''t foreseen this, but he never wanted to be involved in a triangle. This was the first time he was addressing what was logical for him to do.


    Was it because it was the harsh reality, and he couldn''t ignore it anymore? Or had he truly changed?


    Lori sprang to her feet. She hated being compared to Lucia ever since they were both little.


    Society always wanted everyone to respect their elders. Just because she was born two years after Lucia, she was always considered inferior to her older sister. Wasn''t that unfair?


    "It''s too early to say that! Who told you she is the one who will inherit the position as chief?"


    Lori adjusted her clothes, raised her chin and said, "Maybe you don''t know yet. Actually, my grandma doesn''t like my mom and my sister.


    Otherwise, why would she keep delaying choosing a new chief for so many years? She doesn''t like my sister!"


    Steven toyed with the teacup in his hand. He raised his eyebrows and said skeptically, "Oh yeah? And who does she like, you?"


    "Not really. My grandmother is a weird woman. The only one she is concerned with is my aunt who ran away from home a long time ago. There have been talks of her returning soon. There is a


    of her mother was a woman, wearing a golden crown. Her very posture spoke of royalty. This immaculate woman was Carla''s grandmother.


    Carla was tracing the photograph with her hand with a smile on her face when she heard someone''s footsteps approaching.


    "Thirty two years, my child, you are finally back..."


    Carla put down the photo and ran to the door, smiling brightly.


    "Grandfather? Grandfather!"


    She looked at him lovingly then hugged him tightly.


    The gray-haired man hugged her back with tears in his eyes.


    "It''s been more than thirty years! Andrea''s daughter has grown up! I almost thought you were Andrea...


    How''s your mother, my child?"


    His trembling voice and lips brought tears to Carla''s eyes. "She is fine, grandpa! In fact, she wants to come back...but for some reasons, she can''t come to see you," Carla replied.


    She felt so wonderful to meet her grandfather. Life was full of beautiful surprises!


    There was once a time when she thought she lost her parents. With God''s grace and some effort, she had not only found her mother, was also now, meeting her grandmother.


    "Kid, I know your mother well. She''s still angry with your grandmother. Your grandmother always said that Andrea resembled me the most because she was so gentle and kind-hearted and didn''t have any of her characteristics. But she was wrong!"


    He looked at the photo with one hand holding Carla''s and sighed, reminiscing the olden times.


    "Truth is, she resembles Andrea, especially on her best days. Even today, once she makes up her mind about something, she can give up on everything until she got it!


    How else would she have ignored her father for so many years?"

 Chapter 919 A Knock At The Window

    The past was still vivid in Arthur''s mind.


    Andrea got into a nasty fight with her mother when she was young. Her mother was used to ordering everyone around and would never take no for an answer. Andrea was like the moon and her mother was like the sun; they were always at odds.


    Although Andrea was a kind person, she had inherited her mother''s stubbornness. Nothing could change her mind once it is already made up.


    Andrea''s mother, Eleanor Yu, was the chief of Yu Sea City. She was a headstrong woman and a feminist who believed that women were not below men. She hoped that her daughter would take over the position after her and lead the city one day.


    But Andrea had met Allen, who was an ambitious young man who had strong male pride.


    Allen had persuaded Andrea to leave everything behind and leave the city with him. He promised that he would take care of her.


    Andrea''s decision made Eleanor furious. Her daughter was born to be a queen. How could she spend the rest of her life performing the duties of a doting wife?


    But Andrea had made up her mind. She was ready to risk anything just to be with Allen.


    When Andrea was left with the choice to either be with her mother or Allen, she chose to be with Allen without thinking twice.


    Therefore, she had to cut all ties with Eleanor and their relationship just fell apart.


    As Carla listened to Arthur telling her about her mother''s past, she was able to imagine what he must have gone through.


    His only daughter had chosen to leave him for a man and had not contacted him for over thirty years. It must have hurt him so much to live a life without his daughter.


    "Oh, I almost forgot."


    Carla tapped her head and pulled out a small photo album from her pocket. Carla had collected all the pictures of her mother and decided to give it to her grandfather. He would be happy to see how his daughter had been living all these years.


    "Grandpa, this a collection of the pictures of my mother and our family. This is for you." she said, giving the photo album to him.


    Arthur''s eyes widened in surprise and a small smile tugged on the corners of his lips.


    "That''s very thoughtful, my child! Thank you."


    Arthur smiled gratefully and slowly clasped the photo album with his trembling hands. He eagerly opened it and began to skim the photographs, one after the other, taking in every tiny littl


    l ask Carol to guard the door.


    I''ll give her clear instructions about the way out. So when you decide to leave, you can go back with her."


    Carrie winked and slipped something into Carla''s pocket.


    "Callie, you might need this. One has to be prepared at all times, you know?"


    She knocked on the window before quickly leaving.


    Carla was standing on the spot with her mouth hanging open in shock.


    Before she could see what Carrie had given her, she saw the window open.


    Steven froze when he saw Carla standing by the window.


    "What are you doing here?" he asked.


    Carla shoved her hand in her pocket and frowned. "Are you all right?"


    Steven sank into silence.


    "You can come in and see if I''m okay."


    He closed the window and opened the door.


    The room was dimly lit and Carla nearly knocked down a shelf as she entered. She quickly rushed forward and held it upright, preventing it from falling.


    "I''m not coming inside. You look like you''re fine. I''ll leave now."


    Carla bit her lips nervously and stopped in front of the door. She did not want to arouse any suspicion by visiting a man late at night.


    The dim light bounced on Steven''s face.


    He was looking dull and his usual bright face had lost its charm. "What''s wrong with your hand?"


    Carla frowned as she noticed that his hand was wrapped in thick gauze.


    "I''m fine. You said you wanted to leave. I think you should go,"


    Steven hissed through his teeth as he clenched his hand tightly.


    The room was dark and Carla did not notice the beads of sweat that had formed on his forehead.

 Chapter 920 Behaving Like A Wolf.

    Carla felt that Steven was being unusually cold. She came up closer to him and examined him from head to toe.


    "Steven, are you sure you are okay?" Carla asked in a concerned tone. "What kind of drug did Lori give you? Should I look for an antidote for you?" Carla asked again when she found that Steven did not answer.


    Steven closed his eyes and let out a slow, deep breath. His chest moved up and down.


    "What do you think, Carla?" Steven asked.


    Then all of a sudden, he opened his eyes and sprang up to stand right in front of Carla. He pulled Carla into his arms and held her tight so that she could feel the heat from his body. Unexpectedly, Carla found herself much too close to Steven for comfort, downright inappropriate.


    "What do you expect from Lori considering she is Lucia''s sister?"


    Steven said in a hoarse voice looking down at her. His warm breath spread over her forehead.


    Carla''s heart jolted at this sudden and unanticipated gesture by Steven. For a moment she was too shocked to even react to it. Then she tried to push away his hand and asked, "Do you mean she put the same drug in your drink again?" She helped Lori drug him earlier.


    Carla struggled hard to free herself from his grasp.


    "I''m afraid there''s nothing I can do for you, Steven. Now let me go, please. It''s time for me to leave."


    Carla said trying with all her might to get rid of his hands around her waist but failed. Steven''s fingers almost dug into her skin making it difficult for her to even make a slight movement.


    "Callie, I can''t take this anymore. What should I do?"


    Steven whispered into her ear. He suddenly remembered hearing someone calling her Callie. He felt it was a rather cute name for her.


    Carla gave him a perplexed look and retorted, "What should you do? You should know how to solve it by yourself! You are a grown-up man. By now, you should''ve learned how to please yourself."


    Carla said in a stern and indifferent tone, just like she used to talk to him earlier.


    Steven had his eyes fixed on her as he marked the usual detached attitude that Carla always used to keep him away. He felt the same sting in his heart that he had always been hiding behind his noble smile. Now, he was tired of it. A smile spread on his face. And then he lifted Carla and carried her to the bed. He wrapped her with a quilt, and then pressed her on the bed.


    "Steven! What are you doing? Stop it!"


    Carla didn''t see it coming and was completely taken aback. She stared at him in utter disbelief and anger.


    Steven turned a deaf ear to her protest and even avoided making eye contact with her. Instead, he picked up a long bandage and wrapped Carla along with the quilt.


    He had a strong urge to tie her up directly, but he wa


    on her shoes without even trying to get the socks. Then she walked towards the door, snorting, "No, I''m afraid you would be suffocated by the smell!"


    Seeing her leave, Steven looked at the socks in his hand and chuckled.


    At the door, Carol was pacing up and down anxiously. She let out a sigh of relief as soon as she saw Carla coming out of Steven''s room.


    "¡­ Oh, Ma''am, you scared the hell out of me!"


    Looking at the closed door of Steven''s room Carol had almost believed that Carla was really going to stay there for the night. And if she had to return to JA City alone, how could she explain this to Terence?


    "What? Don''t you have faith in me?"


    Carla asked, adjusting her clothes.


    "It''s not that I don''t have faith you. I''m just afraid that you won''t be able to resist the temptation from Mr. Su."


    Carol forced a smiled on her otherwise petrified face and wiped the sweat that had formed on her forehead. Indeed, it was hard for women to be able to resist a handsome man like Steven.


    Carla took brisk strides ahead and asked, "Carol, who according to you is more attractive, Terence or Steven?"


    "Err..." Carol paused for a while and said, "Unquestionably, Ma''am, Mr. An is very handsome. And not only that, he is also intelligent and wealthy. Most of all, he loves you deeply. I think he is truly unmatched in every aspect.


    As for Mr. Su, although he doesn''t have a rich and powerful background, even he is very talented, bright and charming. There must be so many women swooning over him."


    "There is no room for any comparison between the two of them. Each brilliant in his way." Carol added.


    Carla stopped and turned to look at Carol. "But for me, they are poles apart from each other. The difference indeed is too big."


    "Oh? Really, ma''am? What''s the difference?"


    Carol asked curiously.

 Chapter 921 Who Dares To Hurt My Elder Granddaughter

    "Terence is the father of my children. Do you see the difference?"


    Carla clarified, raising her eyebrows. At this, she continued to walk.


    It was true that these two handsome men had different personalities. But Terence had always been her man. They had already gone through so many ups and downs. How could such an insignificant episode affect their relationship?


    If Carol really thought that their relationship would be affected by it, then she must have underestimated both Terence''s charm and Carla''s willpower.


    Carol giggled. "Really? That''s all? Haven''t you ever had a crush on him?"


    The moonlight casted an eerie glow around them. Suddenly, Carla stopped walking. Carol didn''t know it then, but it wasn''t because of her teasing words.


    Carla touched her pocket unconsciously and wondered why something wasn''t there.


    Before she left, she was sure she placed something in her pocket. She hadn''t even had a moment to check it yet. How could she have lost it already?


    "What''s wrong, Mrs. An? Did you lose something?"


    Carol helped Carla search through all the pockets of her clothes. They even turned around, their eyes on the ground in case it fell. But they still couldn''t find it.


    Carla looked back and slapped her own head. She must have forgotten it in Steven''s room.


    ''Well, forget it.


    I don''t even know what it is. There''s no need for me to go back to find it, '' she thought.


    "No, nothing. Forget about it. Let''s just go."


    "Okay," Carol said as she tried to catch up with her. "Mrs. An, what should we do next? Aren''t we going to save Mr. Su?"


    "No, not anymore. We''re going home!"


    Carla said angrily. She thought that Steven was having a good time with Lucia and her sister Lori anyway. It didn''t look like he appreciated their help at all. What was worse, he disrespected her over and over again.


    ''Why would I even bother saving him if he''s acting like an ass?


    Let him rot here!'' she thought.


    Back in the room, Steven curled up, hugging the quilt he wrapped Carla with.


    After hearing the sound of footsteps moving away from his room, he returned to the bed. Her fragrance still lingered on the quilt. Faintly, he smiled at the memories it brought back.


    He had thought of leaving with Carla. But then, he would be home with a bruised ego and slighted dignity.


    He was a man. He should find ways to get himself out of this situation instead of relying on a woman''s help.


    No matter how bad the situation was, he had to find a way to go back home by himself.


    It was the last thing he could do to keep his dignity.


    Just as he pulled the quilt over, something fell out.


    He caught it before it tumbled off the bed and saw it was something folded into two squares.


    Steven was dumbstruck for a while. His thumb slid across the small circles embossed on the small square. Recognition flashed through his dark eyes.


    After a while, he clenched the thing in his


    he price! Start thinking of ways to save yourself before you try to save others."


    With that, Lucia pushed Carla off her and let the servants take her away.


    She was not in a hurry to punish Carla. She could think of ways to torture her later.


    "How dare you, Miss Lucia? Do you really think you can kill me?" Carla asked in a loud voice as she watched her walk towards Carrie again.


    No one knew her real identity yet but she was still the mistress of the An family. No matter how powerful Lucia thought she was right now, she was just a small fish from the small pond of Yu Sea City.


    If she knew what was good for her, Lucia should consider the consequences of her actions before doing anything against Carla.


    Hearing Carla''s words, Lucia suddenly stopped. She hated it when others try to threaten her. Holding the whip in her hand more tightly, she looked back at Carla.


    "What did you say? You underestimate me. Ha-ha..."


    Lucia looked up and laughed at Carla''s arrogance. "Are you kidding me?! I don''t even care about your mayor. Who do you think you are?


    Let me tell you, I don''t care who you are. I will kill you today!"


    Lucia threatened between clenched teeth.


    She bent the whip in her hand into a circle and walked towards Carla slowly, like a predator stalking its prey.


    It seemed like Carla was asking for her death. Lucia wouldn''t mind helping her at all.


    Carol glanced at the whip in Lucia''s hand anxiously, sweat dripping from her forehead. She had tried to transmit their rescue signal several times but there was still no feedback.


    She wanted to protect Carla, but she was also outnumbered.


    Nathan was left outside. As a man, he was not allowed to come in. He could have been of great help now.


    Just as Lucia was about to strike Carla with her whip, a low and hoarse voice pierced through the thick tension from behind them.


    "Stop it!


    Who dared to accuse my elder granddaughter of thievery?"

 Chapter 922 Youre A Rascal

    Lucia froze when she saw Arthur enter. Her hand was dangling in mid-air as she was about whip Carla.


    "Grandpa Arthur, what are you doing here? And what are you talking about? I''m your eldest granddaughter. How could it be her?"


    Lucia asked, blinking in shock. The oldest ones always were the most respected ones in Yu Sea City. Arthur could not just call some random woman as his granddaughter.


    Arthur''s cape billowed in the air as he walked downstairs with the help of his servant. "Lucia, you think I''m too old to recognize my granddaughter?


    It was I who asked Carrie to arrange a meeting with Callie. How dare you call her an outsider?"


    An ecstatic grin stretched across Carla''s face when she heard Arthur''s words. "Grandfather!"


    "My child, I''m sorry you''ve suffered a lot."


    Arthur frowned and motioned the people to let go of her. He was not ready to reveal Carla''s identity yet, but he was left with no other choice.


    He would be a horrible grandfather if he could not save his own granddaughter from danger.


    Lucia was stunned and looked at him incredulously. How could he do this to her? She couldn''t believe that he was adoring the woman whom she despised the most.


    "No, that''s impossible! Grandfather, it must be a mistake," Lori said, shaking her head fiercely. "Isn''t my sister your eldest granddaughter? Why are you calling some random woman your granddaughter?"


    she asked, knitting her eyebrows.


    Arthur turned towards Carla and clasped her hands. His eyes were soft and tender.


    "Callie''s mother is Andrea, my biological daughter who has not come back to see me all these years. Callie here is the only granddaughter I have," he said, stroking the side of Carla''s face. "Moreover, she is a year older than your sister. So naturally, she is the eldest granddaughter of this family. Do you get it now?''''


    Arthur said sternly. Andrea was Arthur''s only child and her daughter would naturally be Arthur''s eldest granddaughter.


    Lucia fluttered her eyelashes and regained her composure.


    She never expected Andrea''s daughter to come back so soon.


    Lucia''s mother''s twenty-year-long plan was crumbling to pieces.


    Lucia could not easily accept it. It was a difficult pill to swallow.


    She had enjoyed the status of being Arthur''s eldest granddaughter for so long. She had everything with just a snap of her fingers


    "Yes, you''re right. I should wait until I go back home to see them."


    "Ma''am, Mr. Su is waiting outside. He wants to see you."


    A servant walked in and reported.


    A moment later, Steven walked in.


    "Why are you here?"


    Carla asked as she instructed the servant to make a cup of tea for him.


    "I''ve come to return something."


    Steven smiled wickedly and sat next to her.


    "Return something? What is it?" Carla knitted her eyebrows in confusion. She did not remember leaving anything at his place.


    Steven pulled out a box from his pocket, which was wrapped in a handkerchief and placed it on the table in front of her.


    Carla frowned and grabbed the box from the table. Her breathing faltered when she unwrapped the handkerchief. It was a box of condoms.


    "You rascal!" she sneered in disgust.


    "Oh! You''re the rascal." Steven nodded and snickered.


    Carla threw the box at Steven and glared at him. "Why the hell are you giving this to me? It''s not mine."


    "Oh really? Then who slept on my bed and left it on the quilt last night?" Steven asked pursing his lips, pretending to think.


    He wrapped the box with the handkerchief and smiled. "Callie, who don''t you admit the truth? Didn''t you have other plans when you walked into my room with a condom last night?"


    Carla''s cheeks had turned red. She feigned a cough to cover her embarrassment.


    That was when it dawned on her. The little box that Carrie had shoved into her pocket last night was a box of condoms.


    She had carried it with her and had accidentally dropped it on Steven''s bed.

 Chapter 923 You Are Mine Tonight

    Carla cleared her throat. "It''s a mistake, a terrible mistake."


    Her cheeks were flaming with embarrassment as she glanced at the condom beside Steven. She wanted to throw it into the trash box.


    Carrie was way too open-minded for her age.


    Carla thought that Carrie would definitely be capable of helping her mother find a partner to spend the rest of her life with if she returned to Yu Sea City.


    The thought of it brought a smile to her face.


    "Callie, why don''t you just admit the truth? Are you afraid that I will despise you for revealing your true feelings for me?"


    Steven smiled as he walked forward and grabbed Carla''s hand. "What if I say that I have been thinking about it for a long time?


    Callie, fate has brought us together too many times. We hardly knew each other before, but look at us now. Don''t you see how close we have become?


    I thought it was impossible for us to be together and tried distancing myself. I tried really hard to forget you and move on. But this is destiny, Callie. No matter how far I move away from you, fate just brings us closer than ever before."


    Steven tightened his grip as Carla wriggled to break away. He smiled at her with tender eyes. "Callie, I never understood why God was cruel to me before. But he has done everything only to bring me closer to you."


    Carla was squirming on the spot, trying to withdraw her hand. But Steven was too strong and held her tighter. She immediately stomped on Steven''s feet and pulled her hand back. Steven was surprised and had to let go.


    "Steven, I said it was a mistake. Why are you not listening to me?"


    Carla shook her head angrily as she rubbed her wrists that had turned red because of Steven''s intense grip. "This is Yu Sea City, this is not where we belong. We have to return to JA City sooner or later.


    I''m a married woman with children. I will not betray them.


    I think you are getting obsessed with the customs here. This is temporary and it''s better if you snap out of this little fantasy as soon as possible,"


    Carla said, glaring at him.


    Steven seemed to have lost his mind and continued to stare at Carla with lustful eyes.


    "I''ve told you that I don''t care."


    Steven''s smile was wiped off in an instant as he dropped his gaze to the teacup and frowned. "I don''t


    please pull your head out of the clouds? I don''t belong here. I''m not from Yu Sea City. You have insulted me and treated me like shit. Have you ever considered me as a fellow human being?"


    Lucia laughed loudly as she grabbed fistfuls of his shirt.


    "What''s with this sudden change? How dare you talk to me like that? Is it because your woman has come for you?


    Let me tell you something, Steven Su. I''ll give you one last chance. Apologize to me and I''ll forgive you. Moreover, you are out of your luck. She is a married woman and her husband is the successor of the AJ Group.


    You don''t stand a chance next to him.


    Steven frowned and pushed her away.


    "Lucia, I don''t think you understand. It has nothing to do with Carla or anyone else. I will never marry you because I don''t like you.


    It''s as simple as that."


    Lucia sneered at Carla before turning to look at Steven. "Nonsense! You''re talking like that because she''s here!" She lunged forward, grabbed Steven''s arm and dragged him out of the house. "We are going to go home and get married right away. You''re going to sleep with me tonight!"


    Lucia stared at Steven who was standing on the spot, unaffected by her words. "Come on! Take him home."


    She bellowed and four strong women rushed into the room. They surrounded Steven and dragged him out of the door.


    Carla was standing in a corner, witnessing the scene silently.


    Steven knitted his eyebrows and turned to Carla, silently begging for help.


    Carla averted her gaze and shrugged innocently.

 Chapter 924 Mr. An Arrives In Advance

    "Wait!"


    Steven shouted suddenly, "You''re too late! Your grandfather has agreed to my marriage to Callie. Why don''t you talk to him about this?"


    Seeing that Carla was at a loss of words, he figured he needed to find a way to save himself from the mess that lay ahead of him. Thankfully, he was a quick-witted man.


    "What did you say?"


    Lucia stopped pacing and said in astonishment, "That''s impossible! How could grandfather intervene in this issue?


    He has stayed out of it for so many years! He never cared about the affairs of the younger people!"


    "Callie is his granddaughter, so it isn''t surprising. If you don''t believe it, you can go ask him,"


    answered Steven, looking up at Carla with a rather nervous expression.


    Carla was still stunned, not knowing what to say. But then again, she was in no hurry to explain.


    She wanted to see how Steven would play this game and convince Lucia without her help.


    After a while, Arthur entered the room.


    "Lucia, why don''t you go back to Yu Village? What are you still doing here?"


    Arthur asked as he stroked his white beard and sat in the chair that a servant had prepared for him.


    "Grandfather."


    "Grandfather."


    Both Lucia and Carla greeted Arthur with a bow.


    Lucia looked at Carla from the corner of her eye, coughed a little and asked, "Grandfather, did you really agree to Steven''s¡­ marriage with Callie?"


    Another servant brought a cup of tea for Arthur. Arthur looked at Steven as soon as he heard Lucia''s question. His eyes then shifted to Carla, who stood silently with her eyes down.


    Even though he was old, he was well aware of the happenings in Yu Sea City.


    Carrie had told him everything about Carla when she reached out to him.


    His eyes sparkled with love, just looking at his eldest granddaughter.


    For a while, he didn''t say anything. The air in the room was thick with anticipation. He took a sip from his cup quietly, ruffled his beard and spoke somberly, "Is that all this is about?


    Lucia, Mr. Su and Callie are already acquainted with each other. They love each other very much. Why should we separate them?"


    The news that Steven had drawn a portrait for Carla had spread in the entire village and had reached Arthur as well.


    He appreciated Steven''s deep love and devotion for his granddaughter. Indeed, Callie deserved to spend her life with an intelligent and loving man like him.


    Lucia clenched her fists tightly, furious at his words. Obviously, Arthur was on Carla''s side. Once again, she felt left out.


    Carla stood confused, unable to understand what was going on. She was about to say something but Steven stepped forward.


    "Thank you for your approval, sir Arthur. I just had a tiny fight with Callie, and she splashed water all over me. I''m afraid she is still mad at me..."


    Steven looked at Carla and spoke in a rather affectionate tone.


    "That is not true! Steven, your mouth is full of sh-"


    Carla didn''t get


    her to be loved and taken care of by two men.


    But sometimes, it was just hard to change someone''s perspective.


    A moment later, Steven came over and sat beside Carla. He took the teapot and poured tea for all three of them. Then, he handed a cup to Arthur with a smile. He did the same to Carla, but she refused to meet his eyes or smile back at him.


    "Thank you, Arthur! I''m so grateful for all your help!"


    Steven spoke as he raised his own cup to toast him.


    Arthur raised his cup with a warm smile, while internally understanding the dilemma he was in.


    It wasn''t a good idea, but he had no choice as Carla had refused to help him.


    "Haha, you are a smart man! I''ve heard about what happened to you before. But Lucia has gone too far this time. You are Mayor Su''s son. She not only acted impulsively, but also embarrassed our family!"


    Arthur sipped from his cup and then continued further with a few creases on his old face.


    "Mr. Su is quite sensible. I hope he is able to understand you once you go back. Lucia is young and impulsive. Please don''t take her actions to heart."


    Lucia had always thought she was the most powerful person in this world. But there was always someone stronger. It was time for her to learn a lesson.


    The reason she had gotten away with it last time was because Mayor Su didn''t want to make a scene.


    "Don''t worry, Arthur. I''ve called my father and informed him I''m fine. He won''t make a big deal out of this. He simply has no time for it!"


    Steven assured Arthur respectfully, looking at Carla from the corner of his eye. She had a far-off look on her face, like she wasn''t mentally present there.


    Her fingers fiddled absentmindedly with the nuts on the table, her mind drifting somewhere far away.


    Suddenly, she heard Carol call her from a distance, "Mrs. An!"


    "What''s the matter?" Carla asked when Carol came closer.


    "Mrs. An, Mr. An is arriving shortly!" Carol whispered quietly in Carla''s ear.

 Chapter 925 Marry Me

    "Really? So soon?"


    Carla came back to her senses, and her mood brightened at this news.


    "Mr. An was worried you''d get yourself in trouble. So he took the earliest flight out last night. He''s on his way here now," Carol reported.


    Terence was so worried that he didn''t think twice pulling some strings to get himself to Yu Sea City at the earliest time possible.


    Normally, flying into Yu Sea City was prohibited. There was no airport, so the plane had to be amphibious and had to land on sea.


    "Then what are you waiting for? Let''s go and pick him up!"


    Carla stood up, excited to see Terence. Just when she was about to leave, a thought occurred to her. She turned around and said to Arthur, "Grandpa, Terence is here. I''m going to pick him up and bring him here to see you later!"


    "I look forward to it."


    Arthur waved at her. After she left, he looked at Steven who was being ignored by them.


    "Mr. Su, why don''t you go with Carla?"


    Fidgeting with the camera in his hand, Steven lowered his head and smiled wanly. "She hasn''t seen her husband in quite a while. My presence would just bother their reunion."


    "Ha-ha! That''s true. But according to a rule here in Yu Sea City''s rule, you should go and welcome your friend."


    Arthur said with a smile as he played with his beard.


    Hearing the weird custom, Steven was momentarily stunned. He stood up and bowed to him, "OK fine, sir Arthur, I''ll go then."


    ¡ª¡ª


    The royal palace was situated on top of a high mountain. There were no carriages to bring people to it and back to the village located at the foot of the mountain.


    But that didn''t stop Carla. She rushed all the way to the village on foot.


    She arrived so early that Terence wasn''t even there yet.


    Steven followed Carla just a few steps from behind. When he looked at her as she anxiously waited for her husband, a tinge of jealousy and desperation appeared on his face.


    "Carla, are you anxious to see him?"


    "I am. He is my husband, after all. Who else would I be eager to see if not him?"


    Carla replied without thinking. Her thoughts and worry had started to race through her mind. ''Why are you so late? Didn''t you say that you were already here?''


    "What about me? When he comes, will you totally ignore me?" Steven said with a bitter smil


    rla jumped into his arms, her arms and legs wrapped around him like a koala bear. In the safety of his arms, she searched his face. She had dreamed of this reunion a thousand times in the last few nights.


    "Let me have a look. Have you lost weight because you were missing me?"


    Terence wrapped his arms tighter on the woman who made his heart grew triple in size just by the sheer intensity of her excitement to see him. He slightly raised an eyebrow at her and pinched her face.


    "Look at you, you look so healthy. Do you know how much I''ve been worried about you all this time?"


    The moment he heard how she had an accident, he dropped everything and rushed to see her.


    Carla nodded and kissed him on the lips. As she pulled away, she explained, "It was just a false alarm. Fortunately, grandfather saved my life. I''m fine now. More importantly, it made you come and be with me."


    If he hadn''t known that she was in trouble, would he have flown here just as soon as he did now?


    Terence looked at Carla who was beaming like a child and kissed her lips. His deep longing for her in the past few days made their kiss hotter and more intense.


    "¡­ Steven? !"


    The newly reunited couple pulled apart reluctantly.


    Behind them, Cindy Chen got off the car and shouted at Steven!


    Steven was preoccupied by a maelstrom of emotions at the sight of Terence and Carla when a familiar figure came to him.


    "Cindy? What are you doing here?"


    Startled, Steven looked at Cindy in confusion as he held her in his arms.

 Chapter 926 Lets Exchange Partners

    "I requested Mr. An to bring me along. Steven, do you have any idea how worried I was? I couldn''t stop thinking about you. I was so worried and it was driving me crazy. I was scared to death, Steven. I couldn''t sleep. I have been getting nightmares about all sorts of horrible things happening to you."


    Cindy pulled Steven into a tight embrace as a line of tears streaked her cheeks. "Steven, you scared me to death. Please, please, don''t ever come to Yu Sea City again, okay?


    Come back with us to JA City. We don''t have to return to this barbaric place again!"


    It is the 21st century and people have come a long way. Men and women are equal but the traditions in Yu Sea City had been strictly preserved. They were still living their lives following age old customs.


    Steven had almost lost his virginity to a local woman but Cindy would never believe that.


    Not far away from Steven and Cindy, Carla and Terence were still hugging each other and happy tears were rolling down Carla''s cheeks. Every minute seemed like an eternity when they were apart. Carla was glad to be back in his safe embrace. How much she had missed it.


    Carla wanted to get down from her locked embrace with Terence but he was holding her with all his strength, almost as if he was afraid that she might disappear if he let her down. "Don''t you have any plans of letting me down?" Carla asked, chuckling. "All right, let''s see if you can carry me all the way to that place!"


    she said, arching an eyebrow as her finger pointed at the palace, atop the mountain.


    ''''You''re doubting my strength, huh? I can easily carry you there." Terence kissed her lips and smiled softly. It was such a relief for him to finally hold her in his arms.


    Carla''s gaze flitted to Cindy and Steven who were also hugging each other. She was too busy kissing her husband and did not realize that Cindy'' had also come.


    "Terence, is that Cindy? I didn''t know that she came along with you,"


    Carla snapped her head to look at Terence and asked curiously.


    Terence glanced at Carla and Steven. "Yeah, she called me and was very insistent about coming along with me. I could see that she was crazy about Steven and was dying to see him. So I brought her along with me."


    But Terence had a bigger motive.


    He was aware of what had happened in Yu Sea City. Steven had been in love with Carla for a very long time. He thought that Cindy''s arrival would distract him and make him forget Carla.


    Carla nodded and pulled herself from his arms.


    "Put me down. I want to talk to her."


    Terence smiled and dropped her down but his fingers were gently cla


    Carla''s mouth became dry and she broke into a cold sweat. Lucia was always a pain in the neck. She should have left early. What was she still doing here?


    It was a waking nightmare for Carla. It wouldn''t be long before Terence found out everything.


    "Hey, what''s your name? Are you married?"


    Lucia sauntered up to Terence and a seductive smile stretched across her lips.


    "Fuck off!"


    Terence said coldly and his jaw tightened with disgust.


    Nathan and Rainer formed a shield in front of Terence, protecting him from Lucia.


    Carla cleared her throat awkwardly. "Lucia, this is your brother-in-law."


    Carla knew that Lucia was a horny beast. Men and sex were all that mattered to her. She couldn''t wait to ravage handsome men. Carla wondered if other women in Yu Sea City were also like her.


    "What? Brother-in-law?"


    Lucia''s mouth dropped open in shock as she stared at him with wide eyes.


    "What? What do you mean?" she muttered as her brows furrowed with confusion.


    Lucia remembered her mother advising her not to offend the An family in JA City. Therefore, she could not make a move at Terence and piss him off.


    A long time ago, Nicholas from the An family had fought along with his troops to suppress the riots in Yu Sea City. He had played a major role in restoring peace in the city. The people of Yu Sea City were forever indebted and grateful to the An family because of this.


    Therefore, the JA group was the only company that had the power to establish a branch in Yu Sea City.


    Lucia shuddered and gulped loudly before turning to look at Steven. She dared not to disrespect Terence anymore.


    "Steven, let''s go down the mountain together," she mumbled and her cheeks were flaming with embarrassment.

 Chapter 927 Get Even

    Before Carla could open her mouth, Cindy''s loud voice reverberated across the hall.


    She was seething with anger and quickly stepped in front of Steven. "Who are you? Why do you want Steven to go down the mountain with you?"


    "Who the hell are you? How dare you, an outsider, question me? I don''t owe you a fucking explanation!"


    Lucia said, venomously. She was not used to being questioned by people, let alone a stranger.


    Her lips twitched with a playful smile when she turned to look at Steven. "Steven, Carla''s man is here. Do you still think that you stand a chance?''''


    Lucia asked, arching an eyebrow.


    Lucia was aware of the traditions of JA City. They only had one partner at a time, and having many was infidelity. It could potentially break powerful relationships. How could Terence and his family accept that he had to share his wife with another man?


    Time seemed to stand still and everyone froze on the spot as Lucia''s words hit them like a ton of bricks.


    "Enough, Lucia!"


    Carla finally bellowed. Lucia found new ways to ruin things for Carla and she couldn''t stand her anymore.


    "It''s never enough. I won''t stop until you give Steven to me. Until then, you have no choice but to put up with me."


    Lucia''s sharp eyes pierced Carla.


    Lucia had never been this crazy before. She always had a weakness for men but Terence seemed to evoke something in her. He brought out the animalistic side, which she was not aware of. She had lost control of her mind and body ever since she laid her eyes on him.


    Lucia''s hatred for Carla hit another level. Why did she always have to get the best things in the world?


    It was unfair and Lucia could never get over it. She at least had to have Steven.


    "Lucia, I don''t think you understand. Steven does not belong to Yu Sea City. Only he has the right to decide where he wants to be and who he wants to be with."


    Carla laughed stonily. She still couldn''t believe that Lucia would stoop so low and create a scene in front of Terence.


    "It''s up to me to decide. You''re mine, Steven. You cannot go anywhere. I will come after you and bring you back with me."


    Lucia growled and stormed off.


    "Steven?"


    Cindy grabbed Steven''s hand and looked at him worriedly. The woman was psychotic and would go to any extent to have him.


    "Don''t worry. She''s a bully who thinks that the world spins because of her. Just forget it." Steven sighed loudly and rubbed his forehead. He was tired of putting up with Lucia.


    "Terence..."


    Carla yelped as he grabbed her possessively and lifted her in his arms.


    "Carol, show me the way," he growled and walked with heavy strides, without looking back.


    Carla shuddered. Terence''s angry face made her queasy. She wondered what


    et grandfather later," she said in a voice thick with lust.


    "Yes, I know..." Terence mumbled.


    Outside the door


    Steven''s amber eyes were unusually calm when he heard their conversation.


    He sighed in relief. He was afraid that Terence and Carla might end up quarreling with each other. It was comforting for him to see that they were back to normal.


    As soon as Steven left, Rainer and Nathan returned to guard the door.


    "I feel sorry for Steven, Nathan."


    Rainer frowned sympathetically.


    He was a wonderful guy who could have any woman he wanted. Of all the women in the world, he fell in love with Carla.


    The heart always yearns for what it cannot have.


    A frown lined on Nathan''s forehead when he watched Steven leave. He crossed his arms across his chest. "I remember telling Mr. An that Steven was different from the rest.


    He''s a tough guy. He has gone through a lot in Yu Sea City,"


    he said thoughtfully.


    Nathan had witnessed every torture Steven had been through. Others would have drowned in shame if they were stripped naked but Steven was incredibly strong.


    Steven was like an angel on earth, undeterred by the torture and humiliation.


    He had not lost his cool despite all the suffering he had endured.


    Nothing could potentially crush his self-esteem. But everything seemed to crumble when he saw Carla. He loved her with all his heart.


    "Really? So you think that he''s is a threat?"


    Rainer was shocked. He had never seen Nathan praise anyone before.


    The two of them had been with Terence for too long. They had seen all kinds of people and been in all kinds of situations. They had come a long way together.


    "That''s right. He is smart."


    Nathan pursed his lips thoughtfully.


    "He is gentle and kind. But if he puts his mind to something, nothing will stop him."

 Chapter 928 Drunk Carla

    Nathan explained intently. The past couple of days in Yu Sea City had made him understand who Steven was.


    Terence had met his true opponent this time.


    "So what? I''m sure he''ll give up sooner or later,"


    Rainer said, rolling his eyes.


    Carla and Terence were meant to be together. No one could separate them. Johnny and Noah had tried before to separate Carla from Terence but they never succeeded.


    Steven was no exception.


    But Terence was an enigma. No one could understand what he was thinking or what his next move would be.


    It was yet another battle for Terence, and Rainer was looking forward to seeing if he could beat his opponent this time.


    Although Carla had constantly reminded Terence about meeting her grandfather, Terence refused to let her out of bed until night came.


    Arthur knew that Terence would be coming and had prepared a scrumptious feast for him.


    Hospitality was the paramount quality of the Yu family. Arthur believed that the Yu family had to take care of their guests even if they were not connected to the An family in any way. But the An family had been incredibly kind. They have extended their help to support the Yu family in several ways.


    "Grandpa, where is Grandma? When can I see her?"


    The party was bustling and Carla sat beside Arthur, sipping her glass of wine. Her eyes scanned through the crowd, eagerly expecting her grandmother.


    It had been a couple of days since she had arrived at Yu Sea City but she never got the chance to meet her grandmother.


    Arthur held Carla''s shoulder reassuringly. "Don''t worry, child. Your grandmother is a stubborn woman. Nothing will change her mind. She will meet you only when she feels like it."


    "What?" Carla''s heart sank with disappointment. She grabbed his arm and whined, "Grandpa, I want to see her. Can you secretly take me to her? Just one time, please?"


    Arthur patted Carla''s shoulder, shook his head, and smiled. "You don''t know her well yet. She''s a stubborn woman. Don''t even think about sneaking into her room. Just be patient and give her some time. She will come to you when she is ready."


    Arthur was aware of his wife''s temper. He knew that Carla would only worsen things if she tried meeting her withou


    .


    "Carol, where is Mr. An?"


    "Mr. An is still talking with Arthur. He is not back yet,"


    Carol said as she helped Carla sit down on a chair.


    "Go to the kitchen and ask the servant to make some soup for Mrs. An. I think that will help her sober up." Steven poured a glass of water and held it to Carla.


    "Okay. Mr. Su, please take care of her."


    Carol nodded and headed to the kitchen.


    Carla leaned on the chair in a daze, feeling as if the room was spinning. Everything was dull and gloomy. Her vision was unclear.


    "Here, drink some water."


    Steven reached out and helped her sit up.


    Carla clumsily stretched her hand and fumbled with Steven''s head for support. "Honey, why is your hair wet? Is... is it raining?"


    Steven groaned in pain as Carla grasped fistfuls of his hair.


    "No, it isn''t. I''ve just stepped out after taking a shower."


    Steven couldn''t help but smile at how adorable Carla was when she was drunk. He took her hand and pressed the glass on her lips. "Come on, drink some water first."


    "You took a shower? Why are you always in a hurry? What are you going to do after taking a shower? You can never get satisfied, can you?"


    Carla mumbled, completely ignoring the glass of water.


    Steven frowned and made her gulp down the water.


    "You will feel better once you have some soup," he said.


    Carla shifted uncomfortably on the chair and pouted.


    "Terence please take me back to the bed. This is too small for me to rest my head."

 Chapter 929 Getting Drunk

    Steven couldn''t control his laughter. Carla was incredibly cute when she was drunk.


    "No, I don''t think you can sleep on my bed. You''ll regret your decision once you sober up."


    Steven was right. Terence would be furious at her if he found out that she had spent even a second in Steven''s room, let alone the entire night. The best thing to do was to send Carla back to her own room when Carol returned with the soup.


    But to Steven''s surprise, Carla broke into a fit of laughter.


    "I can''t sleep on your bed? You''re unusually funny today, Terence. Are you also drunk?"


    Carla''s laughter was infectious and Steven couldn''t help but laugh at how funny she was. A lingering grin was etched on his handsome face as he picked Carla up and carried her to the couch in the living room.


    "Rest here while I bring a blanket."


    Steven dropped her on the couch and before he could lift his head, Carla''s arms snaked around his neck. She brought his body impossibly close to hers.


    Steven''s heart was drumming loudly in his chest and his face turned red.


    "Your arms are warm and comfortable. I don''t need a blanket, ''''


    Carla mumbled and ruffled his hair.


    Steven gulped loudly at Carla''s response. He was in deep trouble because Carla had mistaken him for Terence. Her sweet scent enveloped his body, making his mouth water. His body temperature spiked in an instant and he had to summon every ounce of his strength to resist his urges.


    Steven snapped from his little fantasy when he heard someone clear her throat.


    When he turned his head, he saw Carol standing by the door.


    Steven clumsily freed himself from Carla''s hold and stood up.


    "Err... I''ve asked the servant to make some hangover soup for Mrs. An. She will bring it here later," Carol said, glancing at the ground. "Mr. Su, can you please help me take Mrs. An back to her room?"


    Carol frowned as she glanced at Carla who had passed out on the couch.


    "Yeah, sure."


    Steven effortlessly picked her up and walked towards the door.


    Surprisingly, Carla did not protest or create a ruckus. She clung onto him tightly almost as if she was afraid of falling. "Let''s go. Take me to the bedroom!'''' She burped loudly.


    Her face was flustered because of alcohol, which made her look prettier.


    He couldn''t take his eyes off her beautiful


    playing with the water.


    Afraid that Carla might catch a cold, Terence added some hot water into the bathtub. He removed his clothes, which were completely soaked.


    He stood in front of the shower and let the water flow down his body.


    Carla''s eyes widened when she saw the water ripple down his chiseled torso.


    Several minutes later, Terence wrapped a towel on his waist and stepped out. He shuddered when his gaze settled on Carla.


    Carla was looking like a drunk kitten as a thin streak of blood dribbled from her nose. She was staring at him with hungry eyes.


    Terence lunged forward, grabbed a piece of tissue and pressed it against her nose. He blew a loud breath and pulled her out of the water.


    Once the bleeding had stopped, Terence quickly wrapped her in a towel and carried her to the bedroom.


    He placed her on the bed and walked to the mirror to dry his hair, which was dripping with water.


    When he returned to the bed, he saw Carla sprawled on the bed, almost completely naked. His eyes wandered across the room, scanning for her clothes. But he couldn''t find them anywhere.


    Terence frowned at Carla who was resting on the bed with a small smile on her face.


    "Carla? Don''t you feel cold?"


    he asked.


    "No, I''m not. I have you to warm me up." Carla effortlessly discarded her final piece of clothing and smiled at him seductively.


    Terence was aroused by Carla''s move. She was a horny little cat, waiting to pounce on him.


    He closed his eyes and promised himself never to get her drunk, ever again.

 Chapter 930 You Are Beautiful

    ¡ª


    Even if she wanted to drink in his absence, she never did.


    She could only drink with him because no one else could be trusted with her childlike behavior once she got drunk. Terence found it rather cute and charming, but only he could handle it.


    Terence collected the clothes she had thrown around the entire room and hung them neatly on a rack nearby. He then walked toward Carla, who was lying down on the bed, almost naked, looking at him rather expectantly.


    The next morning, Carla woke up with a mild headache. She had a vague recollection of what had happened the night before. She poked Terence with a moan, rubbing her forehead.


    "Terence?"


    Terence opened his sleepy eyes and took a glance at her, pulling her closer into his arms.


    "Let''s get some more sleep... "


    Both of them had engaged in lovemaking all night. Terence had barely slept. Naturally, he found it incredibly difficult to open his eyes.


    Carla buried her face in his chest. She spotted a large bruise, extending from his neck to his chest.


    "Terence, what happened last night? Did you get into a fight with someone?"


    She couldn''t help but ask, tracing the wound with her thin, long fingers. She sat up and took a look at the rest of his body. A gasp escaped her mouth as she saw more wounds on his arms and back. "Oh my! How did you get all these bruises? Does it hurt?"


    "Humph..." Terence shut his eyes and looked the other way, smiling cockily.


    "A cat attacked me last night!" he said at last, rubbing his eyes with that smile pasted on his face.


    Things had gone a little out of control last night. She had started biting and licking his body. And she finally stopped after she had bitten on a lemon and sobered down.


    Carla could tell from his tone what he was implying. She held her face in her hands, embarrassed by what she had done. She tried hard to concentrate and recall how things had panned out but only had vague visions in her head.


    Why couldn''t she remember anything?


    The wine Arthur had given her was very powerful. Usually, drinking a glass or two did not have a major effect on her. But last night, she had lost all control!


    She lay down on the bed for a while, confused and sick. At last, she got up, thinking some water would help her feel better.


    She fumbled around for her clothes but couldn''t see them anywhere on the bed.


    She covered herself with the quilt, then spotted Terence''s shirt on the bedside table.


    She put it on and walked out of the room. Terence looked at her walking away with her ruffled hair and that oversized shirt, thinking how cute she looked.


    Carla rubbed her sore throat and poured herself a glass of water.


    She gulped down two glasses of water back to back. Her head felt much better but had no luck recalling the events of the previous night.


    She picked


    ! They were so elegant and noble!


    Once both of them had groomed themselves, Carla led Terence outside to enjoy the palace landscape.


    At the same time, in Lucia''s mansion in Yu Village, she had spent the past two days fidgeting. Everything had changed since Carla came to their city. Everyone''s attitude toward Lucia had changed completely.


    "Mother? Here you are! Finally, you came back!"


    she suddenly exclaimed as her eyes fell upon the middle-aged woman standing at the door of her room.


    Lucia then said with a sad face. She perpetually looked like someone devoid of energy. "What should we do, Mother? If Aunt Andrea comes back too, there will be no room for us as rulers of Yu Sea City anymore."


    Her mother was no one but Dorothy, Andrea''s younger sister.


    Dorothy and Andrea were Eleanor''s daughters.


    They were the only two heirs of the royal family at the time. After Andrea left, Dorothy remained the only daughter in Yu Sea City and had birthed two daughters of her own, Lucia and Lori.


    Dorothy also has two sons but they weren''t eligible to inherit the power and take control of the village, so they weren''t given much attention.


    "Calm down, Lucia. Everything is happening too suddenly, but it''s not entirely harmful for us."


    Dorothy sat down, took her daughter''s hand and said slowly, "Do you remember why your aunt left Yu Sea City?


    For all we know, her daughter might repeat the same mistake as her. As far as I can tell, the show is just around the corner, we just have to sit and watch!"


    She had also heard that the successor of the An family had come to the city.


    Her guess was he had come to take Carla back to JA City.


    It didn''t matter if Arthur recognized her as his granddaughter or not.


    Moreover, Eleanor hadn''t shown up yet.


    Without the approval of the chief, Arthur''s claim that Carla belonged to the family was of no use.

 Chapter 931 Terence VS Steven

    "But Mom, Carla is from a powerful family. She is not only the daughter-in-law of the An family but also the eldest granddaughter of Yu Sea City. And Yu Sea City has always revered the An family.


    If we get into an argument, I''m afraid, we won''t stand a chance against her,"


    Lucia said nervously. Carla was more powerful than she was in every aspect. Lucia knew that she had no chance of winning if they fought for Steven in marriage.


    Dorothy stood up and walked to the window with her hands behind her back.


    "I never expected Carla to be the fortunate one. If I had found out who she really was, then I would have been kind to her and treated her well."


    Dorothy gritted her teeth and banged on the table in annoyance.


    "What do you mean?" Lucia narrowed her eyes and walked towards her mother.


    Dorothy snapped from her reverie. "Nothing, Lucia." She turned around and smiled softly. "You''ve got be very careful from now on. I don''t want you to offend anyone anymore. You know, it''s always better to have one good friend who always has your back. We''ve got to be patient now. I''m sure the situation will get better if we give it some time. Do you understand?"


    Lucia pursed her lips and spoke hesitantly, "I know.


    But I will not let go of Steven. I want him. I''m ready to give up anything for him. Please help me. I have to marry him."


    "Yu Sea City is flooded with men. You can marry anyone you point your finger at. Why are you so crazy about Steven?"


    "Mom, don''t talk like that if you never seen him. I''m sure you''ll be as surprised as I am. Men in Yu Sea City are nothing compared to him."


    Lucia tugged Dorothy''s arm and bounced up and down like a little kid. She had been fighting for Steven for a very long time and everyone in Yu Sea City was aware of her obsession for him. She was not ready to give up.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll find out a way once things settle down." Dorothy smiled and stroked Lucia''s hair comfortingly.


    "Having many partners is normal here. But Mr. An is Carla''s husband. From what I''ve heard, he is like the king of JA City. Their family is the most prestigious family in JA City. He will never agree to sharing his wife with another man.


    So you don''t have to worry about it. We have to think it over many times before making our next move. Patience is the key."


    Lucia nodded in response. Her mother was right. She would ruin everything if she did not learn to be patient.


    She knew that her grand


    ns?"


    "No, I don''t care about your future. I want to know if you''re going to stay here in Yu Sea City or not."


    Terence leaned back on his chair and flicked the ash.


    Steven took a sip of his tea and sighed loudly.


    "What if I say yes?"


    Terence''s grip on the cigarette became stronger as he almost squeezed it. "So you don''t intend to give up on my wife, ''''


    he said coldly.


    Steven could understand Terence''s concern.


    Carla had finally found out about the truth of her past and she was sure to visit Yu Sea City often. Therefore, it was easy for Terence to guess why Steven insisted on staying.


    "Would you believe me if I told you that I''m doing all this to help you out?"


    Steven asked in a calm voice.


    Terence narrowed his eyes and cast a quizzical glance at him.


    Steven rubbed his temples and sighed.


    "I know that the An family is quite powerful but I don''t think you can cut all ties with the Yu family. Your father wouldn''t want that. Doesn''t he always want to expand his business?


    According to the custom of Yu Sea City, once a mother gives up her power, she cannot regain her position even if she wants to. The only choice is to let the eldest daughter take over, which means, Andrea doesn''t stand a chance. But Carla does.


    If she gives up now, she will never be able to rise to power. By that, I mean even Sally would not be able to inherit the power when she grows up.


    But if... Err..."


    Steven stammered as he was nervous about what he was going to say. His palm became sweaty and his stomach churned with anxiety.


    He was sure that his decision was going to knock Terence''s socks off.

 Chapter 932 Flower Festival

    "If... if you allow me...


    I''ll help her become the chief of this place. She doesn''t have to stay in Yu Sea City all the time. She can go back to JA City from time to time to stay with you and the children."


    Steven could feel Terence beginning to boil with rage.


    "As the chief''s husband, I''ll have the right to assist her. And if you trust me, I''m sure the Yu family will be able to support the An family in more ways than one. It will be a very beneficial partnership. I will even help prepare for your daughter, Sally''s role in this family."


    Beside Terence, Rainer was starting to break out in cold sweat.


    How dare he say that!


    Terence clenched his fist so hard the veins under his skin threatened to pop out.


    He snorted, "Do you think I care whether they can support my family or not?"


    --


    "Mr. An, I know you are a capable man. But you also own an enormous business empire. You''ll need to maintain complicated relationships over at JA City.


    And being in Yu Sea City does not help you at all. Besides, it takes a lot of effort and time to be the clan''s chief,"


    Steven said after he took a deep breath.


    People around them would probably think he was being brash, reckless and obnoxious. That he was overestimating himself.


    But in truth, he would be losing a lot more in this bargain. He would be sacrificing his whole life for this role.


    It was not a year or even just half. This deal would mean he was going to stay here in Yu Sea City for the rest of his life.


    "I''m not asking to marry Carla for real. It will just be in name only, that''s it.


    Don''t worry, Mr. An. I just want to do something for her. I would never expect her to do anything for me."


    Then he slowly closed his eyes.


    "You don''t have to answer me right now, Mr. An. I will prove to you that I am capable. If I can''t, I promise I won''t darken your doorstep and I''ll never show up in front of you and Mrs. An again."


    Steven opened his eyes and gave Terence an intense look.


    He took one last sip of his tea before he left.


    After Steven left, Rainer stepped forward and began carefully, "Mr. An, don''t be angry. The situation in Yu Sea City is very complicated. Even if Steven wants to save the situation, there are some things he won''t be able to change. And besides, he was just suggesting. You don''t have to agree with it now or even like it."


    Terence began to loosen his grip. There were so many thoughts and feelings swimming around in his mind right now. If he wasn''t careful, he might drown in them.


    "Rainer, if you were in his position, would you sacrifice


    and.


    ¡ª


    They had agreed to go out at the same time, and lived on the same street. How could they miss each other?


    "Callie?"


    Before Carla could even take a step, a man wearing a mask suddenly grabbed her arm.


    He took off his mask and revealed himself. It was just Steven.


    He looked at her with a big smile and carefully handed a garland to her. "Carla... "


    "Wow, you made this? It''s so pretty!"


    Before he could finish his words, Carla reached for the garland. After looking at it quickly, she gave it back to him.


    "You should hurry! Cindy had gone in that direction to look for you. Can you see her? Go now!"


    Carla gave the garland back to him and pointed to the direction where Cindy had gone. For an added measure, she patted him good-naturedly on his shoulders.


    Before Steven could say anything else, Carla swiftly left and disappeared into the crowd.


    He stood there, dumbfounded at the quick turn of events and looked at the garland for a long time.


    He smiled bitterly. He realized what Carla just did.


    Before he started to look for Cindy, he thought to himself it was still a good thing he and Carla found each other in the crowd. That she was able to see his garland. She may not have taken it with her, but she had received it.


    It would have to be enough for now.


    Carla looked for Terence all over the place. Just as she was about to take a turn, she bumped into a hard chest. Looking up, she found a familiar handsome face in front of her.


    "Silly girl, I''ve been here waiting for you for a long time. What are you looking for?"


    Terence laughed. He took a pink garland from Nathan and put it on her head.


    "I was told I have to give you this, as tradition dictates."

 Chapter 933 Back To JA City

    Carla burst into a fit of laughter. She pulled the brooch out of the box and tiptoed. She carefully placed it on Terence''s head. Once she was satisfied with how it looked on him, she buckled her knees and was back on her feet.


    "Now that you have my brooch, you''re going to live with me for the next three lifetimes," she said, grinning happily.


    Terence chuckled and pulled her towards him. "Hold onto me. There are too many people here. I don''t want to lose you again."


    "Okay. But I don''t want to go yet. I have spent the entire time searching for you and hardly got the chance to admire these beautiful flowers,"


    Carla pouted. This was a rare chance and she did not want to miss the breathtaking scenery.


    Satisfied after witnessing the flower show, the two of them returned to their room.


    Carla walked to Cindy''s room to see if she was back.


    She frowned when she heard the muffled sound of Cindy crying. It sounded like she had been weeping for quite a while.


    "What happened? Did anyone upset you?" Carla sat next to Cindy and touched her arm.


    Cindy''s eyes were bloodshot and swollen.


    She shook her head and sniffled loudly. "I''m all right. It''s just ... err ... I couldn''t find Steven."


    "You haven''t found him yet? How come? I saw ..."


    Carla trailed off, swallowing the rest of her words.


    She decided not to tell Cindy about it and upset her even more.


    "Cindy, don''t worry. He will be back soon. I guess he''s having a good time at the flower show." Carla rubbed Cindy''s back to comfort her.


    "Moreover, we are not locals who belong here. Perhaps these rules apply only for the people from Yu Sea City."


    Cindy wiped her tears and nodded. "Yeah, you''re right. The god here does not protect us because we''re not locals.


    Carla, I want to go back. Have you asked Mr. An when we''ll be returning home?"


    Cindy grabbed Carla''s hand and asked expectantly.


    "We are leaving tomorrow," Carla replied.


    That was her plan. She had decided to leave as soon as the flower show was over.


    Cindy''s face seemed to light up. She quickly rose from the bed and packed her things. Carla left the room, thinking she needed to leave Cindy on her own.


    When Carla walked past Steven''s house


    said, kissing her neck.


    "Well, I want the same too," Carla smiled and looked up at him.


    Terence bent his head and kissed her on the lips. A wave of pleasure washed over him. "I thought the trip would change you," he said sheepishly.


    Carla was the eldest granddaughter of the head of Yu Sea City. Terence was afraid that she would be lured by power and would choose to stay there. Power and money are two things that men cannot resist. However, Carla was different.


    "Is that how much you trust me?''''


    Carla nudged him on the ribs with her elbow and gently placed the baby back in the crib.


    "Oh, by the way, I forgot to ask. What was grandpa telling you the other day?"


    Carla asked as she walked towards the bedroom.


    She remembered Arthur looking for Terence. But she did not know why he was searching for him.


    "Nothing. He just asked a couple of questions about my family. Did you know that Grandpa Nicholas has some sort of connection with Yu Sea City? Apparently, he had met your grandfather when they were young." Terence shrugged nonchalantly.


    "Did he say anything else?"


    Carla asked curiously.


    "What do you think we were talking about?" Terence arched his eyebrow in suspicion.


    Carla pursed her lips and silently breathed a sigh of relief.


    Terence could see that she was hiding something. He placed his forehead under her chin and lifted it, guiding her eyes to look at him.


    "Carla, tell me. Are you still hiding something from me?"

 Chapter 934 Honey, You Smell Good

    Carla shook her head and blinked. "No. I was just afraid. He was too drunk the other night and I thought he blabbered something that you wouldn''t want to hear.''''


    People of Yu Sea City were different from them and Carla did not want Terence''s mind to be tainted with their ideas.


    Terence smiled with relief. "Well, your grandfather is a good man and he respects us. Don''t worry. He didn''t say anything weird."


    Carla leaned on his arms and yawned. "Okay. I am a little tired after the long flight. I want to rest."


    "Okay, take a nap. I will call you when the food is ready,"


    Terence said, kissing the side of her head.


    "Mr. An, the Chairman is on the phone."


    Nathan held out the phone to Terence as soon as he walked out of the bedroom.


    Terence took the phone and walked to the study.


    "Terence, is Carla back?"


    Edmund asked.


    Terence plopped on the leather chair and closed his eyes. Edmund had come to visit his grandson two days ago. Since Carla was not home, Terence could not hide the truth anymore.


    "Yeah, just now."


    "I heard that Andrea belongs to the Yu family of Yu Sea City. Did Carla visit her family there?" Edmund asked curiously.


    "Yes," Terence replied faintly.


    Edmund nodded and did not want to probe further. "Well, Kaylee has been missing Carla terribly. Why don''t you bring her and the kids over when you''re free?"


    "Sure. Let her rest first. We will visit you tomorrow or the day after," Terence said. Now that Carla was back, it was time to visit his father.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Meanwhile, Steven bade goodbye to Cindy and returned to his father''s house.


    Gary''s face brightened with relief when he saw that his son was safe and sound. After several days of trepidation, his heart seemed to finally rest.


    "Thank God you''re back, Steven. You have no idea how worried I was,"


    Gary said, hugging his son. He ordered the servants to make dinner as he wanted to have a couple of drinks with him first.


    "I''m sorry, Dad. It''s my fault. I didn''t mean to worry you."


    Steven smiled apologetically.


    Gary was beaming with joy and he downed the entire contents of the glass in one gulp. He placed the glass on the table with a loud thud


    ht time to broach the topic.


    Andrea had left Yu Sea City for a reason. Returning home would be a traumatic experience for her.


    "You are back!"


    Carla was wearing an apron, showing off her culinary skills in the kitchen.


    She rolled her sleeves up and smiled at Terence who was leaning against the kitchen door.


    "Yes. What brings you to the kitchen today?"


    "I want to prove to you that I am a good wife and a wonderful mother, '''' she said, sticking her tongue out.


    "Here you go! It''s my new recipe. It''s a little spicy but delicious." She closed her eyes and swept her tongue across her lips.


    Carla grabbed the chopsticks and picked up a piece of spicy chicken for Terence.


    "Wow! It tastes fantastic! You learn new recipes every time you go to a new place, don''t you?" Terence mumbled with his mouthful.


    "I''m glad you like it. I learned it from a local farmer in Yu Sea City. But his chicken was a little spicy so I have altered the recipe."


    Carla clapped her hands and grinned proudly.


    Terence hugged her and inhaled the delicious aroma of food along with the intoxicating scent of Carla''s sweat. "Honey, you smell good," he said, biting her lightly.


    Carla rolled her eyes and chuckled. Terence has become more flirtatious after his visit to Yu Sea City.


    "Well, Mr. Terence An, I have asked Brian and Debra to have dinner with us tonight. Could you please help me take the dishes out?" she asked with a seductive smile.

 Chapter 935 Were In This Together

    "Yes, ma''am," Terence laughed.


    He rolled up the sleeves of his crisp white shirt, revealing his toned forearms and carried the dishes out with her.


    The two caught up about the events of the week, and soon the day outside turned into night.


    Brian and Debra arrived at the villa shortly before dinner time.


    As usual, they entered the house quarreling with each other.


    "I don''t want to go out with you anymore! You behave like a prisoner who has committed a crime and is constantly trying to escape! We should have arrived here in half an hour! But it took us two hours!" complained Brian.


    Brian was extremely annoyed because they had driven a few more miles than usual and changed their route many times to avoid the paparazzi.


    "I didn''t want to do that either, but my new movie is coming out soon! The agents have strictly told me to stay out of news and avoid any gossip!" Debra stated as she took off her sunglasses and mask.


    "No gossip, huh? Don''t act like you don''t know what people are saying about you and that actor! It''s all over the news. You two even had a secret meeting in the middle of the night and traveled together after that!" Brian said, his voice raising as a frown took over his face.


    He had refrained from talking about it to her earlier but he couldn''t keep it in, in the heat of the argument.


    "He is the movie''s leading man. The rumors were created by our company to hype up the movie. It''s not a true story,"


    Debra retorted, taking off her coat.


    "Really? I don''t understand why they have to spread such a rumor just for a film! What will happen when you get married? Will they still spread rumors like these?"


    It was clear that Brian was disturbed by all these rumors.


    Carla had just changed into her night clothes and was now walking down the stairs. When she saw the two of them at the door arguing with each other, she hastily went closer and pulled Debra away, urging her to sit down and relax. "What''s going on? Why did you guys start quarreling the moment you stepped in the house?


    Stop it! I just got back! I''m not here to hear you two lovebirds quarreling!"


    She also asked Brian to sit down. "Here, have a seat both of you. Brian, Debra is a public figure, sometimes things aren''t within her control! She has her own difficulties! You should be more considerate of her situation!"


    "Yes. I don''t want to do those things either! But as a public figure, I have no choice," Debra murmured, shooting a glance at Brian.


    ¡ª


    Brian sat down in front of her, crossed his legs and spoke in a confrontational manner, "Alright, but when will this come to an end? If we marry, I don''t want to hide away with you as my wife, that you can''t meet even my friends and relatives. If that happens, it would almost be like having an invisible wife."


    "I didn''t say that we have to keep doing this forever. I''ve planned to ask for a leave next year... " Debra refuted again, trying to make him understand her situation.


    ¡ª


    The two of them k


    e so selfish.


    Just like Allen, he wanted Andrea to abandon her family and hometown, which was what resulted in the current situation.


    "Terence? Do you really think so?"


    Carla looked at him with a surprised look. She had assumed he would be strongly against it.


    "Sally is still too young, but we can''t rush to make a decision for her. If she chooses to give up to be the chief in the future, we don''t owe her anything, right?"


    Terence continued in a soft and low voice, "Carla, now that fate has decided that we have to take this responsibility, we have to face it bravely and try our best to find a way to solve the problem!"


    "Of course, I also did it for myself. Adonis would be the successor of the family business and conglomerate. Sally would also have the support of Yu Sea City. Plus, Sean was in the army. With their help, as the heir to the An family, I have the right to carry the family forward."


    Every heir of the An family had the responsibility to hold up the family name.


    Although the children had to make their own choices in the future no matter how hard it would be for them, he was responsible for creating more opportunities for them.


    Carla nodded and took a deep breath. "Honey, no matter what decision we make, we''re in this together, so I''m not afraid of anything!"


    Terence gently tucked Carla''s hair behind her ear and said with a smile, "Carla, no matter what happens, I''m your man. It''s my duty to protect you from the troubles of the world."


    Carla was so touched, she planted a passionate kiss on his lips.


    Her heart felt warm and comforted knowing he would always be there for her.


    "Oh, is Adonis crying? I''ll go check on him!"


    Terence was about to lift her up and carry her to bed, but Carla pushed him back and ran to check on Adonis.


    Terence shook his head with a bitter smile, folding his arms against his chest.


    Already, they didn''t get a lot of time together. Now, there was another little rival to compete for her attention.

 Chapter 936 Stevens Treat

    "Daddy, I can''t sleep. Can you read a story for me? I want to hear the story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves."


    Sally urged Terence in her sweet and innocent voice as she came and stood at the door holding a doll in her arms. Sally was in her nightdress, her hair neatly tied into a braid, and her bright eyes awake as ever.


    "Of course, sweetheart, let''s go."


    Terence smiled gently and carried his daughter in his arms.


    He was lucky to have his little "sweetheart".


    The day after, Carla and Terence took the kids back to the East Yard to stay there for one night.


    Once he dropped them off, Terence left for work at the AJ Group.


    The day unfolded as usual. Carla dropped Sally at her school and went to the club with Adonis to meet up with Violet.


    Even Violet finally had some spare time after she drove Cody to school. So she took her naughty little girl to have some fun at the club.


    It was a famous luxury club in JA City, that offered child care facilities for members. The staff would take care of the children so that their parents could drink tea, chat and enjoy themselves in a relaxing environment.


    The club also offered several recreational facilities suitable for both adults and children.


    However, despite all the upgraded facilities and assured safety for children, Carla was unwilling to let go of Adonis. She sat on the sofa with her son and looked at Violet''s daughter playing with a ball. Violet made herself comfortable on the sofa supervising her daughter. She let out a smile as she was watching the little girl play joyfully in front of her.


    "Carla, why don''t you let them take care of Adonis for you for a while? Aren''t you tired of carrying him all the time?"


    Violet said while taking a sip of the juice.


    "It''s okay. My son is still too small to be left alone with strangers. He still needs to be on his mother''s lap to feel safe and comfortable. Besides, I have Carol to help me," Carla said as she looked at little Adonis who was looking around curiously.


    It was not because she didn''t trust the staff who worked in that club, but she had just come back a few days earlier. Only she knew how difficult it was for her to be away from her newborn child. So she wanted to make up for it. Carla wanted to spend as much time as possible with her son. How could she hand him over to someone else?


    Being a mother herself, Violet could understand Carla''s feelings. She suggested, "Carla, how about hanging out with me and leaving the kids at home?"


    "Where do you want to go?" Carla said while helping Adonis drink water from a glass tumbler. Suddenly, her phone rang. "Sorry, I have to take this call," said Carla.


    It was Cindy on the other side.


    "Carla, are you available this afternoon? Do you remember that Steven said he wanted to treat all of us to dinner or something? It would be great if you and Mr. An could come?


    Cindy said over the phone.


    The very mention of Steven made her feel


    ok the two bottles and saved a bottle for Debra in case she took his drink later.


    "Hello, handsome. I''m Violet Bai. May I have your name?"


    Violet greeted Steven enthusiastically. Now that they were going to spend the afternoon together, Violet thought that they must at least know how to address each other.


    "¡­ Hi, I''m Steven Su."


    Steven said with a polite smile while shaking hands with Violet.


    "The name sounds a bit familiar."


    Violet frowned and tried to recall when and where she had heard this name before but she failed.


    Violet and Steven had never been introduced. They had only heard each other''s names. So it was normal that they didn''t really know each other.


    "It''s getting late, Steven. Let''s get inside now,"


    Cindy said as she held his arm and blocked Violet from him.


    "Are they a couple?" Violet muttered as she saw the two of them walking away. And one thing that preoccupied her mind was where she could have heard Steven''s name?


    "Carla, why does Steven''s name sound so familiar? Have I heard it somewhere before?"


    Violet racked her brain as they started walking inside.


    However, before Carla could remind her, Violet snapped her fingers and asked, "Is he the same person with whom you got involved in a gossip just a few weeks back?"


    "Yes. We''re just friends. It was fake news, deliberately made up by someone," Carla explained as she glanced at Brian, Steven, and Cindy.


    Steven seemed to have moved on already. Although he still cared about Carla, it seemed more like a friendly concern than anything else.


    "Girl, I have to say. You''re so lucky. Even the man you get involved in gossip with is so handsome!"


    Carla rolled her eyes at Violet. Looking at Carla''s face, Violet let out a cough and then pointed towards the front, saying, "This is a fun place. I saw the promotional video of this place just a few days ago. It was said that it has introduced the latest in entertainment. It is super exciting... "

 Chapter 937 The Experience Hall

    Soon they were joined by Debra. It seemed as if she did not want to grab too much attention. She was casually dressed and donned a baseball hat. She just came over and invited Brian to go on a roller coaster ride with her.


    Cindy followed Steven closely wherever he went. Lover Island was a show for several couples who met each other for the first time on the island of the same name. Many of the participants were now in a committed relationship.


    Many people came in pairs. Today''s lunch party was sort of a reunion for them.


    Hearing about the roller coaster, Violet let out a little scream then laughed. She wasn''t really an adventurous person and after she became a mother, she became sort of laid back. Roller coasters weren''t really her thing. She would rather go for rides that were less exciting and not at all dangerous.


    "Such things are meant for younger couples. I''m way too old for these thrill rides!"


    Violet reluctantly looked at the roller coaster from the corner of her eyes. Just looking at it gave her goose bumps. As she turned around, she was surprised to see Carla walking away from her. She called out to her, "Hey! Carla, where are you going?"


    "Hello, ladies!" Greeted a park attendant. "Would you like to try our latest jungle adventure?


    It is equipped with the latest version of the ''three hundred and sixty degrees full screen''. When you put on these VR glasses, you will feel like you''re in an actual jungle.


    We are doing a promotion right now. Buy one ride and you can get another one for free. Here are some samples of the scenes that you can take a look at."


    Hearing the exciting introduction of the park, Carla went to take a look at the items and waved at Violet saying, "Violet, do you want to try this?"


    "Yeah! Sure, why not? It''s just virtual reality, isn''t it? As long as it is not real, I''m fine!"


    Violet said with a confident smile.


    "Great, let''s do it then." Carla went to buy tickets and was ready to enter with Violet. Although she had already bought an all-pass ticket, this adventure required separate purchases.


    "Carla, Violet!"


    Standing in the line, Cindy and Steven saw the two and walked towards them. They were closely followed by Brian and Debra.


    "Are you done with the roller coaster? Would you like to join us?" Carla smiled at them and asked. It seemed that now she needed more than the three tickets she bought for Violet, Carol and herself.


    "What do you think, Steven?"


    Cindy aske


    e realistic," he said.


    "Really? No wonder, I don''t remember seeing such walls in this place when we entered."


    Carla touched the wall behind her. And then it seemed that she had fallen into a cave. At every moment and every turn there was a new twist in the situation.


    "Where are the other people?"


    Carla panicked for a moment as she suddenly realized that Violet and Carol were no longer with her.


    "No idea. But don''t worry. We will see them when this is over," Steven said as he felt his way around to distinguish the imaginary setting from reality.


    Carla gingerly stepped on the stairs. To her surprise, it turned out to be a real set of stairs. It felt as if a new step was formed every time she moved forward. It was like the stage she saw on TV.


    "I''m fine, Steven. Cindy must be very scared now. You should go and find her,"


    Carla said to Steven, worried about Cindy.


    "Don''t worry. It''s just virtual reality. Even if she is scared, she won''t get hurt. Let''s go downstairs and have a look,"


    Steven said in a cool voice. He looked at the steps below. Since they had chosen a jungle set up, they found themselves in the middle of old trees and vines. It was getting scarier with every passing moment.


    Carla could hear the trees swaying and feel the wind blow over her face. Everything just seemed so real.


    Even she started to be more worried now. She wondered how Cindy was doing.


    "Steven, I''m really fine. You''d better go and find Cindy," Carla repeated before taking a step down.


    But as she started going down the stairs, Carla turned around once again, only to find that Steven had come down as well.

 Chapter 938 How Many Times Have You Spilled Water On Me

    Steven entered the dimensional illusion with Carla. With calm steps, he said. "It is better this way. She needs to get used to it. She needs to realize that she has to do things by herself." Steven looked around, inspecting the surroundings.


    Steven''s gaze landed on wooden benches with tables not far from his location. It was one of the few things that could be touched inside the virtual reality experience. He casually took a seat.


    "What do you mean by that? Is it not great that she relies on you, that she trusts you? It means that she needs you." Carla frowned at him, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She sat beside Steven, inspecting the materials on the bench table. She realized that none of the teacups were real. They were simply illusions created by the virtual reality projections. They could be seen but could not be touched.


    In this place, only three-dimensional objects were real, the rest were simply illusions.


    "I am not her boyfriend. It is clearly wrong to lead her on like this." Steven glanced at Carla and realized she did not bring water with her. He brought out a bottle, twisted its cap open then handed it to her.


    "Here, you can have this. Rest assured. It is clean."


    Carla realized that she was actually thirsty. After giving Steven a glance, she accepted the bottle, drinking the water in it.


    Quenching her thirst, she reached for the bottle cap Steven placed between them. From the corner of her eye, she saw something that made her heart leap from her chest.


    Behind them was a ghost dressed in a ragged white dress splattered with blood. Her eyes were covered with a red cloth. She wore a terrifying grin with her abnormally wide lips, revealing her jagged white teeth. The ghost slowly crept towards them.


    Carla froze in her seat briefly before grabbing Steven''s arm. She pulled him back abruptly.


    Carla never tore her eyes from the ghost, her hand grasping Steven''s arm in panic. Confused, Steven followed her gaze and was alarmed but calmed down after. He decided to approach it, extending his arm in front of him. His hand met a smooth screen.


    "Calm down. Nothing to worry about. It is just a screen." He tapped the screen with his knuckles.


    The screen was large and so close that it felt too realistic.


    Carla let out a breath of relief, crossing her arms over her chest.


    It was terrifying when the image appeared out of nowhere. They did not even notice that there was a screen behind them.


    Steven looked down, examining his clothes. They got wet thanks to the water from the bottle Carla was holding earlier. "How many times have you spilled water on me?" Steven brushed the spilled water off with his hands.


    She jogged her memory. If it served her right, this was the third time she had spilled water on Steven.


    "I deeply apologize. That thing really scared me." Carla looked at him apologetically, using her own handkerchief to help him dry himself.


    She looked up only to see him smiling at her sheepishly. She felt heat rise to her chee


    hing she could do anymore. She had to let Carla go. "Fine, but promise me we''d hang out again sometime soon."


    Carla nodded, smiling at her friend. She bid the others farewell then approached Cindy and Steven. "You guys have fun. I have to go now," she told them.


    Cindy didn''t speak but she waved her hand.


    Steven, on the other hand, watched her leave, a strange expression plastered on his face.


    Soon, the sun went down from the sky, leaving the stars to twinkle in the night.


    The group insisted on staying until it was late.


    Steven decided to drive Cindy home.


    "Hey, Steven, would you like to come in? You''ve driven me home before but you never entered the house..."


    Cindy said, exiting Steven''s car.


    Steven paused, staring at the steering wheel.


    "Okay." His reply took Cindy aback.


    She blinked repeatedly, afraid she heard him wrong. She snapped out of her thoughts and nodded enthusiastically.


    They entered the house. It was immaculately clean, no dirt or dust in sight. Books are placed neatly placed on the shelves by the wall, most of them about art.


    He could tell that some books were recently bought. They were still covered in plastic and barely touched, the edges did not have creases either.


    An art easel stood beside the desk. Its structure seemed familiar. It might be the same brand he used for his work. The other art materials in the room were of his preferred brands too¡ªfrom pigments to drawing papers.


    "Take a seat, Steven." Cindy gestured the chair by the study table.


    Cindy handed him a glass of water she got from the kitchen. She glanced at the incomplete painting on the easel, smiling shyly. "I''m still teaching myself how to paint. I''ve read books but I obviously lack practice. Would you mind giving me some tips later?" she asked.


    Steven did not bother to even glance at her paintings, accepting the glass of water from her.


    With a deep breath, he met Cindy''s twinkling eyes. "Cindy," he started. "There is something you have to know."

 Chapter 939 I Have Been Thirsty For You.

    Cindy was still lost, appreciating her own painting when Steven''s words reached her ears. In an instant, she was pulled out of her reverie. She shifted her gaze from the painting to Steven and asked, "Why are you so serious?"


    Steven looked at Cindy with grim eyes. Then he put the glass on the table and said, "Cindy, I know what you are trying to do. But we can''t be together. We don''t belong to each other. And I now that you know that as well. So it is time for us to accept the reality and move on."


    He spoke in one breath and let out a sigh after finishing his words.


    If he hadn''t been to Yu Sea City, he might have chosen to give in to the pressures of this cynical world and married a girl he didn''t love.


    But now, things were different.


    He didn''t want to spend the rest of his life in pain. He wanted to follow his heart and live for himself.


    "I know, Steven. We are nothing more than friends. I''m not really asking you for anything more," Cindy said as she lowered her head. The resolute look on Steven''s face was as discreet as his words. And it felt like a hard blow to Cindy''s heart.


    Steven turned around and looked at her. There were a lot of things related to him in the room. He said, "Cindy, you are a good girl.


    But it''s not the right time. Very soon I will leave this city and go for work in some other place. It will take a long time for me to come back. I don''t think it''s fair for you to wait for me. So, take good care of yourself.


    I hope that next time we meet, you will have already found your happiness,"


    Steven said as he walked towards the door.


    Cindy could hardly control herself as she watched Steven walk away from her. "Is it because of her that you can''t accept me?"


    she demanded with a trembling voice. Her voice was almost choked as she added, "I believed that she would not be the barrier between us. She doesn''t even belong to the same world as us.


    More importantly, she is happy with Mr. An. Why can''t you let her go once and for all?


    No matter how much you insist, you can''t get anything that you are not destined for. You just can''t get it! Why don''t you just learn to accept it?"


    Cindy pressed on as she walked closer to him slowly.


    Steven didn''t respond but stood still where he was standing, not looking back at Cindy.


    t half-past seven.


    Terence led a disciplined life as opposed to Carla who could stay up till midnight and watch TV and then sleep until noon the following day.


    "Like father, like son,"


    Terence''s voice came from behind. He knew that Carla would be in Adonis''s room.


    Terence wrapped his arm around Carla''s waist. "Carla, I get today off from work. Do you think we should enjoy some private time together?"


    Carla smiled while fixing her eyes on her son who had almost finished his meal. Carla put the feeding bottle aside and turned to Terence.


    "Okay, tell me, how do you want to spend the day?"


    Terence chuckled and rested his head on her shoulder. His hands slid into her pajamas. "Come with me to a private room, turn off your phone and cut off all contact with the outside world. Do something that only the two of us can do."


    Carla rubbed his handsome face and turned around to lean on his shoulders. With a chuckle, she said, "Okay. Let''s go to the third floor to play games. Or I can draw a picture of you.


    There are so many things we can do together."


    Terence pinched her chin and said, "I just want to do something in bed.


    You don''t know how I feel. I''ve been thirsty for you from the time you were pregnant with Adonis."


    Carla snorted and poked him in the chest. "Nonsense. Who came to bed so late last night?"


    "Hmmm. That was not enough. I''ve only consumed one-tenth of my energy." Terence pouted and planted a kiss on her lips.


    "All right. Let them take care of Adonis and come with me."

 Chapter 940 Kill Her.

    In a small villa in the suburb, Carla sat cross-legged in front of the window, wearing a fine semi-transparent dress that was loosely draped around her body. As she took a bite of the cake, she took a glance at Terence who had just walked out of the bathroom after taking a shower.


    With only a bath towel wrapped around his waist and water dripping from his wet hair working its way down his sculpted chest and back, he walked slowly to the counter. He opened a bottle of wine and then walked back to her.


    "Babe, why don''t you have a drink with me?"


    Carla took a bite of the cake with a fork and then pulled over the shirt, which slightly slid down from her shoulder. "What''s wrong with you? You know that I get out of control when I get drunk. Why are you even suggesting that?"


    Hearing Carla''s words, Terence chuckled and then sat down beside her. He poured the red wine into the decanter first and reached out to hold her shoulder.


    "It''s okay if you get drunk with me. To be honest, I like seeing you behave like a wild cat when you get drunk."


    Carla reached out her index finger to get some cream from the corner of her mouth and wiped it on Terence''s chiseled cheek. "Wild cat? Well, right now you''re like a male cat in the peak of his arousal yourself! Aren''t you?"


    Terence squinted his eyes and looked at her with a mischievous smile. He pinched her chin and rubbed the cream from his cheek to her face again.


    "Well... Yes. I''m crazy for you and I want to make love to you,"


    Terence said in a low voice as he leaned in closer to her and licked the cream from her cheek. "Honey, let''s play a game. If you lose, you will have to have a drink. Okay?"


    "Ah, play a game? With you? You are an old hand at playing games. It would be nearly impossible for me to win," Carla responded immediately.


    Carla was aware that Terence had a high IQ, so her chances of winning games against him was rather bleak.


    "Well, in that case, I give you a free hand with it. You can choose any game you''d like to play with me. Also, you are also allowed to cheat. But the only condition is that you have to make me happy." Terence looked at her affectionately and wiped the cream from her face with a tissue.


    Carla rolled her eyes and lifted her legs with a mischievous smile. "Okay. Then, let''s compete who has more leg hair. The one who has more leg hair will lose the game. And the loser will have to drink a glass of wine as punishment. How about that?"


    With that, she touched her leg under the bath towel. ''Well, it feels good!'' she thought to herself.


    Seeing this, Terence couldn''t help laughing. He swirled the wine decanter and poured a glass of wine for Carla. "Well Babe, I guess that the next game you''ll suggest is to compare hair lengths or breast sizes with me.


    Or, maybe who has thicker arms? Or... Who is heavier? Am I guessing right?"


    Carla slapped her thigh and said, "Come on! Why haven''t I thought of that before? You are so smart!


    with his plan to stay in Yu Sea City for a long time.


    Now it was clear to him that the reason why Steven went to there was because of Carla.


    At the same time, he was also aware that Steven was throwing himself into eternal uncertainty by insisting on going to back to that place.


    "Secretary Liu, if you really don''t know what to do..."


    Gary stopped all of a sudden. There was a desperate look on his face. Steven was his one and only beloved son. And he wanted to protect him at any cost. At this time, he didn''t have the luxury to worry about other things.


    "If Steven can''t forget about Carla, I have to completely cut off his hopes for her. Secretary Liu, life goes on even after we lose someone. The absence of a person does not stop the sun from rising every morning. Am I right?"


    Secretary Liu was initially at a loss of words when he heard Gary''s words. Then with widened eyes, he asked, "Sir, what do you mean?"


    "Since Carla is the root cause of all the distress in Steven''s life, then we have to find out a way to get rid of her."


    Gary closed his eyes, heaved a deep sigh and said, "If she dies, my son would let go of the past more quicky. He will finally be able to move on with his life."


    "But Mr. Su, She is Mr. An''s wife. How can we even think of doing that to her? First, it would be impossible to even get a chance to do that. What''s more, if we kill her, have you even thought of the consequences we might have to face? Will we be able to afford it?"


    Secretary Liu tried to persuade Gary to reconsider the decision. He found Gary''s decision to be rather reckless.


    "I''ll take all the responsibility for that. No matter what consequence we face, I can''t let Steven ruin his life for a girl. He has a promising future," Gary said with a firm voice.


    How could he allow his only son to sacrifice his life and his career for a woman?


    No! Never!


    Secretary Liu hesitated for a while and said, "Okay, I''ll get on the job right away..."

 Chapter 941 A Land Of Warmth

    In a suburban villa, Terence was having a hard time figuring out exactly how much he had drunk.


    He didn''t expect her to say as much as she did. He realized now that maybe he had underestimated her after all.


    "That''s enough, Babe. You have to stop now."


    Terence put down the glass of wine in his hand. Then he took her into his arms and said, "Have you ever wondered about who would suffer if I got drunk?"


    Carla suddenly came to her senses and realized her mistake. Up until now, her focus had been on getting him to drink more. She had completely forgotten about the consequences it could bring.


    "Honey, are you drunk? Don''t have too much wine. I''m telling you, if you get drunk, I will leave you alone and go back downstairs,"


    Carla said as she caressed Terence''s cheek.


    Terence held her hand tightly and kissed her fingertips. "No way. I am not letting you go anywhere today. Stay here with me."


    Carla was slightly relieved to see that he was still conscious. To make up for what she had done, she filled her glass with more wine and said, "Honey, I made you drink so much. To make up for it, I will down three glasses as punishment. Then we''ll call it even, OK?"


    Upon hearing Carla''s apologetic tone, Terence chuckled and said, "Good. I''m glad to know that you can admit your fault. But there is no need for you to punish yourself. I don''t like you drinking too much, so you don''t have to force yourself."


    With that, he stopped Carla from drinking any more wine, taking the glass form her hand.


    Carla then leaned forward, and kissed his thin lips. "Honey, why do I feel like you''re getting even more handsome?"


    Terence flashed her an even bigger smile and said, "Really?"


    "Of course. Your eyelashes are even longer than mine. Your mesmerizing eyes, coupled with your alluring smile, speaks of seduction,"


    Carla said while she gently touched his eyelashes with her fingers. But in her heart, she felt a little troubled and jealous.


    "No matter how handsome I am, I only have eyes for you. I belong only to you. We have a lifetime to spend with each other. Are you still afraid that it will not be long enough?"


    Without hesitation, Terence held her tightly and pressed his nose against hers. Slowly, he lowered his head, and kissed her on the lips.


    As the orange rays of the sun shone through the window, the warm sunshine fell on their silhouettes. The scene looked picture perfect, so beautiful and breathtaking.


    With a passion that he could not contain, Terence kissed


    able to persuade his father and actually goes there?"


    Nathan asked, still unsure.


    Terence could not hide his dismay and his smile froze. "If he is really willing to give up everything and he has to make amends and improve the situation, then I cannot do anything but give him a chance."


    "Mr. Terence, are you sure? What do you mean? !"


    Nathan said nervously, unable to control his emotions.


    "Nathan, do you know what I have realized just today? Nothing on this earth is permanent. The future is uncertain and no one can guarantee a person''s health and safety at all times,"


    Terence said slowly with a sad face.


    "If I cannot stay by Carla''s side and grow old with her, I would at least know that there is another man who will love and cherish her as much as I do. He will stay by her side and protect her at all costs."


    Nathan could not believe what he was hearing from his boss and shook his head. "You must be kidding, Mr. An! Both you and Mrs. An are still young and will definitely have a long life together!"


    "Nathan, why are you so anxious about it? Of course I have a long life ahead of me. I am just making a hypothetical situation. If Steven really loves Carla and is willing to fight for her with courage and determination, I won''t stop him and will let him do as he wishes,"


    Terence said while looking far in the distance, contemplating hard.


    "But for that to ever happen, he has to outlive me. Otherwise, he will just be waiting in vain and will never have the chance to be with Carla!"


    ''It seems I need to take care of myself more and cherish my life. I can''t stand the thought of Carla being another man''s wife, '' Terence thought.

 Chapter 942 Friends Turn Into Foes

    In the Seaview Villa


    Carla was still scared and couldn''t shake off from her mind what just happened on the road earlier.


    Although Terence had informed her that it was a minor accident because the driver was knackered, Carla still couldn''t feel better about it. She would distracted and stare into nothing, thinking about what could have happened to them.


    "Mrs. An, Sean had called yesterday. He said that you and Mr. An have not responded to his call and was worried about you. Would you like to call him back?"


    Sophie asked politely. Sean had called their residence as neither of them had answered on their mobile phones. Terence and Carla had never ignored his calls before and he panicked when he did not hear from them.


    "Thanks Sophie. He would be in the middle of his training now. I will talk to him in the evening." Carla glanced at the clock and nodded. Evening would be the perfect time to call Sean. Even Sally would get to talk to her uncle.


    Before Carla went up the stairs, she turned around and said, "Sophie, prepare some more for lunch. Mom will be joining us too."


    "OK, Mrs. An."


    Sophie nodded and turned around towards the kitchen.


    About an hour later, there was a commotion downstairs. Carla smiled and quickly climbed down the stairs, thinking it was her mother.


    "Mom..."


    Carla''s smile was wiped off from her face when she saw who it was. A frown lined on her forehead.


    "Cindy, what brings you here? You could have called me first."


    Cindy didn''t look well. Her eyes were puffy, covered with dark circles. It was obvious that she had not slept well.


    "Mrs. An, I need to talk with you,"


    Cindy said coldly. She was not her usual, friendly self and Carla wondered what had caused the sudden change in her behavior.


    "Yeah, sure. Let''s go upstairs and have a chat."


    Carla turned to leave.


    "Mrs. An, can we talk in a cafe instead?"


    Cindy said and turned to leave without waiting for Carla''s answer.


    Carla closed her eyes and sighed. She knew that Cindy was upset because of Steven.


    Carol drove Cindy and Carla to the cafe that Cindy had picked.


    The coffee shop was quiet with only a few people, which made it a perfect place to have a nice conversation.


    "What is this all about? Are you OK?"


    Carla asked. Her brain was whirling with all probabilities. Everything seemed unusual and she couldn''t help but wonder why Cindy wanted to have this discussion outside her house.


    Cindy finally turned to look at Carla. Her gaze was intense and jaw tightened. "Will you do something for me?"


    "What is it? You''re scaring me."


    Carla swallowed loudly and knitted her brows in confusion.


    Cindy clenched her fists so hard that her knuckles had turned white and her nails dug into her palm, formi


    .


    "Cindy, have you forgotten everything? It is you who cried to me, and begged me to go to Yu Sea City to save Steven.


    I would not have gone there if you had not pleaded for me to rescue him. It was your idea. You brought me closer to him. It is your fault that his feelings for me has intensified.


    Now you blame me? Don''t you think it''s unfair to blame me for everything?"


    Carla was hurt by Cindy''s harsh words. She glanced at her dress. The water was seeping into her skin, making her feel cold and uncomfortable.


    She was trying hard to remain patient and make Cindy understand the truth.


    But she had completely lost her cool when Cindy splashed water on her. There was no point in talking to her.


    Cindy''s mouth opened and her face turned pale when she heard Carla''s words.


    She was right. Cindy had been worried about Steven. She wanted him back and did not think before sending Carla to rescue him. But if she had known that she was giving Steven an opportunity to get closer with Carla, she would have never made the mistake of sending her there.


    Steven had changed completely after returning from Yu Sea City.


    "Even if that was the case, you still can''t justify your filthy behavior. You are a married woman with two children! God, can''t you stop luring men?"


    Cindy glared at Carla.


    "You are a shameless woman just like your mom. Do you really think you can marry as many people as you want? Fuck the traditions of Yu Sea City and fuck you! You and your family are disgusting!"


    Carla averted her eyes and smiled bitterly at Cindy''s acid remarks.


    Carla did not want to stoop low and hurt her in return.


    Cindy was her true friend and Carla valued friendship more than anything else in the world.


    Even if Cindy had pierced her heart with her venomous words, Carla would never think of hurting her.

 Chapter 943 I Am Facing Curses Because Of You.

    "Cindy, I thought we were friends. Why are you hell-bent on making the situation ugly?"


    Carla looked at Cindy and asked. She thought she was on fairly good terms with Cindy even a few days ago, but now it seemed that they were enemies rather than friends.


    The rabid remarks by Cindy made Carla feel sour and very disappointed.


    "Ha-ha. You feel embarrassed? Well, then it seems that you know the basic etiquette that a woman should have. And if that''s the case, then just stop seducing Steven. Okay?" Cindy hurled yet another hurtful remark at Carla. This time she got straight to the point.


    By this time, Cindy''s heart was filled with hatred for Carla.


    Cindy had a strong suspicion that Carla was in a relationship with Steven.


    ''Carla must be seducing Steven. Otherwise, why would he still miss her? If she wasn''t in any relationship with Steven, then why would he treat me so indifferently?'' Cindy thought to herself.


    "Cindy, I''ve told you several times that Steven and I are just friends. Why don''t you trust me?" Carla asked, furrowing her brows.


    Slowly Carla started to realize that it was difficult for her to make Cindy see things rationally. Once suspicion and misunderstanding occupied the mind, all explanations were bound to go down the drain.


    "Carla, don''t you feel tired? Why are you still pretending to be innocent? You are acting as if you haven''t done anything wrong. Why?"


    Cindy sneered at Carla.


    Cindy was trying her best to agitate Carla. Indeed her actual purpose behind meeting Carla was not just to blame her. She had something else in mind.


    Steven''s father had sent someone to talk to Cindy yesterday. He wanted her to dissuade Steven from going to Yu Sea City.


    That was when Cindy came to know that Steven wanted to go there because of Carla. This made her furious.


    Cindy''s objective behind meeting Carla was to drive a wedge between Carla and Steven. She assumed that if Cindy could make Carla and Steven turn against each other, it would be easier to stop Steven from going back to Yu Sea City.


    Cindy and Gary were on the same page on this matter. Neither of them wanted Steven to go there ever again.


    Therefore, they wanted to stop Steven by all means.


    Just then, Steven rushed in.


    "Ste...


    Steven, you are finally here!"


    Just as Cindy was about to say something, Carla spoke up.


    Carla had finally figured out the whole thing. She understood the reason behind Cindy''s changed disposition all of a sudden. Cindy liked Steven. But since she chose to misunderstand Carla to the point that she was not ready to listen to anything at all, Carla thought that she would rather not explain anything to Cindy any further. She didn''t care about what others thought about her.


    --


    "Are you all right?"


    Steven looked at Carla who was wet all over and had a flabbergasted look on her face. Then he turned to Cindy and his eyes fell on the empty glass on


    o of the thoughts that had been weighing her down. She then walked over to Andrea and gave her a hug. Fortunately, her dress had dried during the ride home.


    "Callie, my baby. Be careful not to hurt Adonis," Andrea smiled and said.


    Carla let go of her mother and looked at her from head to toe carefully. "Mom, it has been only a few days since we saw each other last. Why do you look so haggard?


    Andrea handed Adonis over to the nanny. Then she sat down and said, "Don''t worry about me. Maybe I didn''t get proper sleep in the last few days."


    Carla had no idea about her mother''s state of mind. Andrea had been having sleepless nights ever since Carla left for Yu Sea City. She was afraid that Carla would be bullied by Lucia and her mother. She was also afraid that her mother might not even recognize Carla.


    "Why? Aren''t you getting proper rest? That means there is something that''s bothering you. Tell me, what is it?"


    Carla sat beside her and asked anxiously.


    Andrea looked at Carla tenderly, patted her hair and said, "Your grandfather has sent his people three times, to persuade me to return to Yu Sea City.


    He said that he wanted me to go back and prove your identity so that you could inherit the leadership position.


    Callie, what do you think about it?"


    Carla leaned her head against her mother''s shoulder and said, "Mom, do we have any other option?"


    After a moment of silence, Carla said, "I think maybe we can give all that up. No matter what, you''re still Mrs. Hua, and I''m Mrs. An. What do you think?"


    Andrea was aware that if Carla was unwilling to go back, then nobody could do anything to force her to go.


    Hearing Carla''s words, Andrea lowered her head. After a while, she sighed and said, "Callie, you''ve been wondering why you left me that year, haven''t you?"


    Hearing this, Carla looked up at her, with joy and anticipation in her eyes.


    "Mom! Are you really willing to tell me about that?"

 Chapter 944 Unveiling The Secret

    Andrea nodded and sighed loudly. She closed her eyes as the burden of her past continued to taunt her. "Well, it''s time, '''' she said, opening her eyes. "I have kept this secret for so many years. It''s the price I need to pay for my departure from Yu Sea City.


    Your grandmother and I got into a fight and I promised her that I would never return to Yu Sea City. Twenty years have now passed in the blink of an eye." she smiled sadly.


    Carla listened to her mother intently.


    "I gave birth to you, and I must say, it was the happiest moment of my life. But according to the tradition of Yu Sea City, I should have informed our family about it. I wanted to make your grandparents happy, so I decided to tell them about their adorable granddaughter. I didn''t think it through.


    Little did I know that I was pushing you to the brink of danger."


    Andrea fell silent and swallowed loudly. Her mind had transported her back to the cold winter night of December, which was vivid in her mind even today.


    Carla was Allen and Andrea''s first child. Allen was extremely happy even though Andrea had given birth to a baby girl. Many people had gathered to celebrate their joy on the eve of the full moon.


    People from Yu Sea City had also come to congratulate the couple.


    Allen and Andrea were too happy to keep track of their guests. They were oblivious to the presence of a spy amongst them. He was sent by Andrea''s second sister to kidnap Carla.


    The spy was able to Carla away on the pretext of holding the baby. It did not seem like an unusual request then because everyone adored Carla and wanted to hold her. Time passed and Carla was nowhere to be found.


    Allen and Andrea spent the rest of the night looking for their daughter. They were shattered as all their efforts were in vain.


    After hours of weeping, Andrea''s mind seemed to finally rest. That was when a thought occurred in her mind: The one who had taken Carla must have been someone from her family. Carla''s birth must have posed a threat to their position and power, and they perhaps wanted to get rid of her.


    Andrea decided to sneak into Yu Sea City to find her daughter. Her suspicions led her to Dorothy. When she threatened her in order to admit the truth, Dorothy said that she would never think of kidnapping Carla.


    Andrea was left with no choice but to travel around the world in search of her daughter. She had spent every minute of every day thinking about her. Then just like that, twenty years had passed.


    "Mom, do you mean that Lucia''s mother was the one who took me away?''''


    Carla was seething with anger as she listened to the story of her past.


    Andrea nodded, her eyes were glistening with tears. She was both sad and angry. Fate had been unkind to her. "Yes but she would never admit it. It wasn''t hard to find the truth.'''' She smiled bitterly. "Dorothy gave birth to Lucia the


    harder."


    "I know, Mom.''''


    Carla was well aware that Lucia was physically stronger than she was. She was not a person to be messed with.


    In the evening


    Andrea returned to HA City.


    Together with the rest of her children, she had lived there for many years and she had many things to attend to before leaving. Although part of her was reluctant to go to her place of birth, she knew that she had to muster the strength for her daughter.


    Andrea did not know when she would return, but deep in her heart she knew that she was doing the right thing.


    After Andrea left, Carla had a video call with Sean.


    "Sean, stand up! Let me have a look at you, ''''


    Carla said as she took a bite of a banana.


    The last time Sean was around, he was terribly injured. Carla had been worried about him since then. She wanted to see if he was doing okay.


    "Sister, stop embarrassing me. I''ve just had a shower. I don''t want to do it.'''' Sean''s face flustered with embarrassment. His sister sometimes forgot that he had grown up. He did not want to reveal his bare body to Carla anymore.


    "Oh, come on. I have changed your diaper when you were little. Stop whining like a girl and stand up." Carla threw the banana peel into the trash can and clapped her hands. "Anyway, you are wearing your pants. There is nothing to be ashamed of."


    Sean knew that he was left with no choice. He groaned and stood up. He turned around for Carla to take a good look at him.


    "Wait! Don''t move! Turn around! What happened to your back?"


    Carla''s eyes widened when her eyes settled on the red scratches on his back. She came closer to the screen to have a closer look at it.


    Was he injured again?


    It had only been three days since Sean started his duty as a soldier and he was already injured. Carla couldn''t help but worry. She was afraid that he would be covered with bruises by the time he got discharged from the army.

 Chapter 945 Waiting For Your Good News

    "Well, I accidentally fell and got wounded during field training last month. Don''t worry about it. Besides, it''s already healing,"


    Sean explained in a nonchalant tone as he sat down.


    However, what Sean didn''t tell Carla was the truth that it was not really an accident. He was trying to save his comrade who would have fallen off a cliff without his help. Back then, he didn''t have any time to think, let alone check his surroundings and make sure if there was anything that would back fire on him. He just let his training and instincts kick in.


    "Sean, do you still remember what I''ve told you? You have to be more careful. Don''t overestimate your ability,"


    Carla reminded him. She would always be protective of her younger brother. Growing up together, his pain had been her pain, too. All the wounds and tears growing up had strengthened their bond as siblings. There was no one who loved Sean more than her.


    When he was nine, he had a fight with one of his classmates. He was beaten black and blue. He even lost a tooth. After hearing what happened, she was so angry that she wanted to find his classmate and teach him a lesson.


    Luckily, Sean''s milk tooth was about to fall off even before the fight. If it weren''t the case, Carla would have gone to find that boy and hit him back.


    "I can''t avoid injuries while I''m in the army. Stop fussing over me. I''ll be more careful next time,"


    Sean said. Every time he got hurt, he worried about how he should explain his injuries to Carla.


    She was the only one who cared about him, and the only person who could worry whether his injuries healed properly or not.


    Last time when Sean got hurt, Carla had asked Terence if he could persuade Sean to take a leave from the army so he could recuperate properly. Sean remembered clearly that Adonis still wasn''t born at that time. After taking a week''s rest, Carla finally allowed Sean to go back to his training.


    "By the way, where is Adonis? I haven''t seen him yet,"


    Sean asked. He had only seen Adonis in pictures.


    The army had been very strict in letting their trainees contact their families. In fact, it had been a long time since he had seen Carla.


    "Okay. Wait a minute. Let me bring him here," Carla stood up and went to the next room.


    Right after Carla left, a small figure sneaked into the room.


    She angrily threw her bag on the table and glared at the screen of the


    her from behind.


    "Yes. Didn''t you tell me not to run away from my problems? Are you regretting saying that to me now?" At his sigh, Carla looked up at him with a puzzled look.


    Terence caressed her face. "No, I don''t regret it. I just don''t want you to leave me again."


    Carla turned around in his arms and held him tighter. "Don''t worry. If you miss me, you can fly there and look for me. The head of Yu Sea City is my grandmother. You can come whenever you want."


    "It will be more difficult this time. I am just worried about you."


    Terence continued to look at her, his eyes filled with worry. Last time she was there, her real identity was kept a secret. This time, the situation would be different.


    The reason for her return this time was very clear. She might gain more enemies.


    And besides, she didn''t grow up in Yu Sea City. She had more disadvantages than advantages.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll surely settle everything this time. When the right time comes, I will marry you. You''ll become Yu Sea City''s matriarch consort!"


    Carla said with a proud smile as she patted his chest.


    It wasn''t going to be easy. But what other choice did she have?


    Carla would definitely try her best to overcome all the difficulties with courage. She had overcome so many challenges before. This was nothing compared to everything she had already gone through.


    The corner of Terence''s lips lifted in a small smile before he laughed out loud. He looked up at the sky above them and held her closer.


    "Okay, I''ll wait. I am willing to warm your bed when you become the matriarch of Yu Sea City."

 Chapter 946 He Is Grounded

    The next day, at four o''clock in the morning


    "Victor, have you packed everything?"


    Steven had woken up early because his ship was set to sail at 6 am.


    "Yes, young master. The car is already waiting for you outside," Victor muttered under his breath, carrying the luggage.


    Steven nodded, took some bags from Victor to lessen his burden, and walked towards the gate.


    Just when he arrived at the gate, the light was flicked on. Steven squinted his eyes and covered them with his hand, trying to adjust to the blinding light. When he looked around to see who it was, he heard a voice reverberating across the yard.


    "Good morning, Steven. What makes you leave so early? Where are you going?''''


    Gary asked, leaning against the doorframe with his hands inside the pockets of his coat. Gary was usually sleeping at this hour but had woken up to the sound of Steven leaving.


    "Father? Didn''t I tell you yesterday that I''d be leaving this morning?" Steven turned around. He was uncomfortable with his father''s interrogation.


    "Where? Where are you going?"


    Gary asked, arching an eyebrow. He was aware of his son''s departure but he wanted to hear it from him.


    Steven''s amber eyes narrowed in confusion. He understood that his father was up to something. "Yu Sea City, '''' he said.


    "I know! Gosh! Are you really going to do this, Steven? Yu Sea City? Are you going to tell me the real purpose of your visit or not?"


    Gary glared at him.


    Steven placed the suitcase on the ground and lowered his eyes. "Dad, I''ve already discussed everything with the gallery and we''ve come to an agreement. I''ll seal the deal by signing the contract when I reach Yu Sea City. Didn''t I tell you this before?"


    "Steven, I''m asking you to tell the truth, not some stupid story that you''ve crafted to fool your father. I''m your father, Steven. I deserve to know the truth. Are you going to marry her and become her second husband?"


    A sense of shame washed over Gary when the words escaped from his mouth. He had spent the last few days studying the customs and traditions of Yu Sea City.


    He was aware of the purpose of his son''s visit to Yu Sea City.


    Steven fell silent before a small smile formed on his lips. "Dad, what are you talking about? I''m going there to work. You can check my suitcase if you want. There is nothing but paintings, art supplies, and documents in there.


    You said that you would respect and support my decision. I don''t want to be stuck in one place, Dad. I''d like to travel all over the world, experience new things, and capture the moments and memories in my paintings. It was you who said that a man should


    es I want to go to and things I want to do. But a life without love is empty, Dad.


    I''m not leaving anything and I''m certainly not leaving you. I just want to take control of my life.''''


    Steven had already planned this and was confident that he could work things out.


    Gary closed his eyes and sighed.


    "Take Steven back to his room."


    "Father! Please give me a chance. This is my decision. At least allow me to give it a try. If I don''t make it, I promise I''ll return before you ask me to.''''


    Steven pleaded, "Dad, I''m begging you. One chance is all I ask."


    Steven kowtowed to his father.


    Gary''s eyes widened with shock. His heart softened at the sight of his son. He never expected Steven to be a sentimental fool.


    "Steven, I''m warning you! If you don''t go back to your room now, you will hear the news that she is dead. I don''t think you will have any reason to go to Yu Sea City if that happens.''''


    Steven snapped his head to look at his father. Plain fear was written across his face. "What? What are you going to do?"


    An evil smile stretched across Gary''s face.


    "That bitch has my son wrapped around her finger. Do you think I will just do nothing?


    She was fortunate to escape the truck accident last time. But this time I will make sure she is dead. I''m sorry. You have left me with no choice. That is the only way to make you forget her.''''


    Steven was appalled by his father''s words. "No, Dad! You can''t do that. You cannot hurt her. I will not let anyone harm her.''''


    "Why are you all standing still? Take Steven back to his room. He cannot leave the room without my consent."


    Gary waved at his men and walked away, ignoring Steven who was screaming at the top of his lungs, struggling to escape from the burly men.

 Chapter 947 Poor Carla

    The sun started peeking out in the sky, indicating the break of dawn.


    Meanwhile, Carla had charted the perfect schedule before going to bed.


    She had woken up early and had already asked Carol to go jogging with her.


    Carol could also teach her some moves on the way. Although Carla had trained before, it was a long time ago and she had almost forgotten the basics.


    When Carla arrived at the park, she realized that everyone was already up and ready. She had been the lazy one all this while.


    Everything seemed new to her as she had never woken up at this time of day before.


    Rainer, Nathan and Carol were used to getting up early every day to work out. Terence was an early riser too.


    Once Carla finished jogging, she decided to spend the next hour swimming.


    Yu Sea City was a coastal community and Carla felt that she needed to learn swimming to survive there. She had also planned to take taekwondo lessons in the afternoon.


    During the swimming lesson, an unusual feeling crept in her heart when she walked out of the pool. She felt that someone was following her.


    "Watch out, Mrs. An!"


    Carol shouted, and swiftly kicked a man who had lunged forward to attack them.


    Everything was happening too fast and even before Carla could realize what was going on, she saw four masked men approaching them from the opposite direction.


    Carla took a step back. Her eyes widened when one of the masked men threw a knife at her.


    She dodged the knife, grabbed a billboard, and threw it towards the man.


    Carol was busy fighting two other men who were attacking her from either side. Carla understood that Carol was all she had and that she needed to protect herself. She turned back to seek help. But when she turned around, two more masked men appeared from nowhere and sprinted towards her.


    Her heart jumped to her throat as she was surrounded by men from all sides. She was sweating profusely and thought that it was the end for her.


    Just then, a black van came to a halt gracefully in front of her.


    Carla''s bodyguards dashed out of the van with iron sticks in their hands and surrounded the masked men.


    Carla breathed a great sigh of relief when she saw their familiar faces.


    In a matter of minutes, the expert bodyguards defeated the attackers who were sent running, with their tails between their legs.


    "Mrs. An, are you okay?"


    "Yes..."


    Carla was panting for breath and took a minute to calm down. "I want you to find out who is behind all this and why they are after


    y and passed the sugar to Carla.


    "I will get used to it. Moreover, I think it''s good for me." Carla smiled reassuringly. "You know I''ve put on weight during my pregnancy with Adonis.


    I can get rid of the fat and at the same time become stronger. I will turn into a strong, sexy wife. It sounds great, right?'''' She waggled her eyebrows playfully.


    Terence couldn''t help but chuckle at how adorable Carla was. "Oh, you are already my strong, sexy wife, honey. You don''t have to do this."


    Carla took a sip of coffee and moaned in appreciation. The strong sizzling cup of coffee seemed to soothe her muscles.


    "I''m a lazy bum myself. Don''t ruin things for me by talking like this.''''


    Carla took another sip of coffee. "Wow! This is amazing. It tastes much better than instant coffee, ''''


    she said, sticking her tongue out. Carla knew that her husband always made the best coffee in the world but she loved to tease him.


    "I can arrange for someone to send it to you every day if you like it so much.'''' Terence smiled at her tenderly. "I heard that you have registered for driving lessons as well. Do you think you can handle it? I mean, your schedule is already jammed.''''


    "Well, that was an impulsive decision. I think I''ll take up the class after I come back.''''


    Carla smiled sheepishly. She needed to concentrate on other important defensive tactics. Moreover, she had Carol and a driver.


    They could drive her if she wanted to go out.


    Carla took the last sip of coffee and stood up to resume her practice.


    Terence stood up too.


    He took off his coat and gave it to Nathan. "Nathan, cancel my meeting this afternoon. I am staying here with my wife."

 Chapter 948 Time To Make The Next Move

    Carla stopped and turned around to look at Terence hearing what he just said.


    "But I have Carol. I think you should go back to work.''''


    Terence ignored her and slipped his hands into the boxing gloves. "It''s OK, I''m staying. It''s been a long time since I have worked out anyway. I will practice with Nathan and you can train with Carol.''''


    Carla nodded and walked towards the training area with Terence.


    Carla tried to master every move with Carol''s guidance. The two of them decided to take a break when they were completely drained.


    Carla and Carol sat down to watch Terence and Nathan who were fighting fiercely.


    Their moves were effortless as they have had adequate and professional training. They soon got bored of the basic moves and got into a more intensive fight.


    The rush of adrenaline had made them aggressive and they seemed to enjoy the fight more and more.


    Carla and Carol couldn''t take their eyes off them.


    "Wow! Awesome moves!"


    Carla clapped her hands excitedly when they were done with the first round. Seeing them fight was like a dose of motivation that pushed Carla to work harder.


    Meanwhile


    In the Su mansion


    "Victor, how is she doing? Is she alright?"


    Steven asked Victor who had come to give him food. Steven was grounded and had no means of contact with the outside world. He was worried about Carla as his father had threatened to have her killed.


    "She''s fine. I heard that Mr. Su''s men were fended off by Mrs. An''s bodyguards. So it''s all good. Moreover, Mr. An has already sent his men to warn Mr. Su. I don''t think your father would think of harming her again because he knows that Mr. An would completely crush him if he did.''''


    Victor said as he placed the dishes, one after the other, on the table, "Err... Sir Steven, I know it''s not my place to tell you this but I think you should stop chasing Mrs. An.


    She is already married to Mr. An. He is powerful and would go to any extent to keep her safe and happy. I don''t think it''s necessary for you to go to Yu Sea City. There''s not much you can do and so many other places to go to.'''' Victor smiled sadly.


    Steven was sitting on the sofa with one hand on his knee. He looked out the window and let his eyes wander across the yard, which was covered with beautiful trees and flowers. He closed his eyes and sighed. "You know what? I have always regretted not meeting her earlier in my life. I wish I


    a keeper of secrets and it was hard to pull the truth out of his mouth. This could not have been an impulsive plan. Carla would have already made up her mind and discussed with him a couple of days ago.


    Dorothy who was taking a sip of tea, stopped, and turned to look at her daughter. It was a shocking news indeed. "What? You mean Andrea and her daughter are returning to Yu Sea City?"


    "Yes, Mom!" Lucia plopped down next to her mother. The news of Carla''s arrival had almost given her a panic attack. She didn''t expect them to return so soon.


    "I think they are coming back to fight for their right to inherit the leadership.


    Mom, we can''t sit still and wait for death. We must make our next move.''''


    Dorothy put down her tea cup. She was equally perplexed. "Don''t worry, Lucia. It was Andrea''s decision to give up her power and identity. No one forced her to do that. She can''t leave then just return whenever she wants. Even if we don''t oppose it, I''m sure that people would be against it.''''


    "What do you mean, Mom?"


    Lucia asked curiously.


    "Listen, Andrea had promised your grandmother that she would never set foot in Yu Sea City again. She has broken her promise now. You know your grandmother''s temper. Do you think she will accept Andrea?''''


    Dorothy stood up and blew out a loud breath. "Lucia, go to your room and get changed. I think it''s time for us to go to the Wang Village.


    We should not let your grandmother find out the news of my sister''s arrival.''''


    Lucia''s eyes glimmered with joy as a sly smile tugged on the corners of her lips. "Yes, I will be ready in a minute!"

 Chapter 949 Not Welcome

    The ancient Phoenix Palace majestically stood on the top of Wang Village. Its presence with impressive beauty and scale seemed to reach the clouds. It was such a grandeur to behold.


    "Lucia, you know what I have dreamed of all my life? That one day, I can live in the Phoenix Palace.


    But sadly, my dream will never come true. It is such a pity. So you are my hope now, understand?"


    Dorothy confided with an air of melancholy surrounding her. She fixed her gaze at the two vivid sculptures of phoenixes adorning the palace.


    "I know, Mom. I understand. I promise that we will not lose this time! Trust me!" Lucia assured her mother as she darted her eyes at the lofty Phoenix Palace. She fully knew that this grand residence represented the supreme power of the Yu Clan.


    In no time, the mother and daughter arrived at the foot of the Phoenix Palace. As expected, a maid marched towards them.


    "Greetings. I am Dorothy and this is my daughter Lucia. Is our Queen available? We would like to visit her and request her presence," Dorothy inquired.


    "Wait a moment, please. I''ll go and relay it to our Queen,"


    replied the maid. Then she bowed before quickly turning around and eased her way back towards the palace.


    A moment later, they saw the maid walk towards them again.


    "Madam Dorothy, the Queen is available, but she will see only you."


    Hearing this, Lucia cast a glance at Dorothy. Her face showed a confused expression.


    Dorothy hastily waved her hand at Lucia as if dismissing her thoughts. Then she gently prompted, "Wait for me here."


    Lucia had no choice but to nod absent-mindedly. As her doubts engulfed her again, she glanced back at the Phoenix Palace and thought, ''Did I offend her?


    She didn''t like me since I was a child!''


    Dorothy inched her way up to the Phoenix Palace. When they reached the top, she felt her hands tremble as they paused for a while to wait.


    Soon, she heard a faint sound, and the door slowly opened.


    "My Queen, it is such an honor to see you. How have you been? I hope that you have been well."


    With one hand placed on her chest, Dorothy bowed politely.


    "Come in,"


    an old but energetic female voice resonated coming from the palace.


    Dorothy couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief. She entered the palace carefully. Although the woman in front of her was her mother, her fear of seeing her still dominated her reasoning.


    "What brought you here to come see me?"


    The woman asked in a casual tone with her back faced towards Dorothy. Her hair was all white, but she still managed to look grand and noble.


    She wore a simple yet elegant silver crown on her head with her hair delicately coiled up, framing her beautiful face. She was dressed in a broad blue and purple robe that made her all th


    looked at him.


    Stunned with her words, Arthur turned to look at her and softly insisted, "Don''t forget it. You are also her mother."


    Lifting her chin slowly to meet his eyes, Eleanor looked dignified. She stated, "Don''t blame me, Arthur. Yu Sea City is not a place where she can come and go at will!


    No matter who she is, even if she is my daughter, I won''t change my mind."


    Arthur sighed gloomily. After settling himself down comfortably, he confided, "It''s me. I asked her to bring Carla back. I want to see my daughter and granddaughter before I die. If you are angry about it, just blame me."


    Hearing this, Eleanor stared at him directly, seemingly confused and surprised. She couldn''t believe her ears.


    As if he didn''t see her questioning eyes, Arthur, who was lost in a daze, coughed a little. And when he spoke, he had a faraway look in his eyes, "Last month, I dreamed of God."


    Eleanor froze for a moment as her heart pounded wildly. Coming back to her senses, she then hurriedly made her way towards him. With her fingers slightly trembling, she raised her wrinkled hand and tenderly caressed his face.


    "Nonsense. You are two years younger than me. How could you dream about that? You must have made a mistake..."


    Arthur took her hand, cutting her words off. He held her gaze and said with a gentle smile, "Eleanor, this is just as I have expected. My wish is to go to heaven before you. I will prepare things well there. So that when it is your time, I will be there waiting for you, and you won''t have to be afraid!"


    He had dreamed of God!


    It was well-known in Yu Sea City that if someone dreamed of God, it meant that he or she would go to heaven soon.


    People in other places may not have heard about it.


    But in Yu Sea City, it was almost certain! Death might be upon Arthur and they were running out of time.

 Chapter 950 Carlas Mission

    In JA City, Carla glanced at her watch. It was already six o''clock in the morning. She shifted in bed, trying to get up. Terence pulled her back, making her fall on him heavily.


    He wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed the back of her neck.


    "Let go of me. I need to get up.''''


    Carla shoved his hand and struggled to get up.


    "You can get up later. Stay with me now.'''' Terence''s voice was thick with lust. He nestled his face in the crook of her neck. He did not want to let her go.


    Carla couldn''t help but smile as the stubble on his chin tickled her. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "You never get satisfied these days, do you?'''' she asked arching an eyebrow.


    They made love every day but Terence always got excited and wanted more.


    Terence chuckled and rubbed his cheek against hers. "Nope, '''' he said, popping his tongue out. "Every day is different and I want to end it on a happy note by making love to you. Making love to you is as important as inhaling oxygen to survive.''''


    "Gosh! You''re comparing breathing with making love. You can be unreasonable at times you know.''''


    Carla laughed. Terence was becoming more experimental in this regard. He sometimes forgot that he was a father of two children and behaved like a teenager who was hopelessly in love.


    Terence rubbed his nose against hers and bit it slightly. "It''s a compliment. It means that I cannot resist your charm. You''ve got to be so proud of yourself. I like to ravage your body with my expert mouth and listen to you moan my name. Don''t tell me that you don''t enjoy it as much as I do.''''


    Carla snickered and nudged him with her elbow. "It''s time to be serious. The rumor about our visit has already spread all over Yu Sea City. Do you think it''s the right time for us to go there?"


    Carla asked, cocking her head to the side.


    Terence had passed some false news that Carla and Andrea were already in Yu Sea City. He knew that the rumor would spread quickly and would soon reach Lucia and Dorothy''s ears.


    Carla wanted to know when it would be safe for her and her mother to go there.


    Terence patiently smoothed her dry locks.


    "Don''t worry. Your aunt Dorothy and Lucia would be looking for you everywhere. They have stationed guards in every port of Yu Sea City, waiting to capture you.''''


    Carla pursed her lips and thought for a while. "So that means I should wait for the right time. I can go there when they get tired and stop looking for me. Is that right?"


    Terence tucked a strand of hair behind Carla''s ears. "You''re almost right. But I don''t think you can leave for Yu Sea City casually. You''ve got to be prepared.


    I have carefully curated things that you might need to take with you. People from the AJ Group will send the materials to you via ship every month. They won''t be careful


    will come to save you. Don''t worry, we are just preparing for the worst.'''' Carol smiled and squeezed her hand reassuringly.


    "Oh, is it necessary? You will be there with me.''''


    Carla frowned at the bracelet that Carol had slipped on her wrist. It looked simple and no one would be able to find out its true function.


    "Like I said, we''ve got to prepare ourselves for the worst. Anything can happen. Mr. An is worried about your safety and he wants you to be armored before entering the mysterious Yu Sea City, ''''


    Carla took the bigger bracelet and put it on Carla''s other hand.


    "And what''s this? Is it a watch?"


    Carla looked at the dial and thought that it was some kind of a fancy watch.


    "This one is for self-defense. It can be used both as a watch as well as a compass. Do you see those buttons there?"


    Carol asked, pointing at the tiny little dials on either side of the watch. "When you click this, the dagger will pop out. If you press it again, the dagger will retract.'''' Carla watched the entire thing with her mouth open. "It''s a very thin needle, which can hardly be detected. It will push people into a temporary state of coma. There was a total of fifty needles in it.''''


    Carla was fascinated by the gadgets and tested them a couple of times.


    "Mrs. An I don''t doubt your skills but Mr. An is being extra cautious. We don''t know what awaits us.


    Please don''t take them lightly. Wear them at all times. Even if you remove it while bathing, don''t forget to put them back.''''


    Carol said.


    Carla looked at the her hand and smiled. "Okay, I understand.''''


    They looked subtle, not wanting to draw any attention. People would think that she was wearing a simple bracelet and a watch. Carla decided to wear them at all times for the sake of her husband.


    Andrea walked in.


    "Carla, Are you ready? We have to transfer to a smaller boat.''''

 Chapter 951 Enter Yu Sea City

    "Okay, Mom."


    Carla nodded before she turned to Carol and said, "How about we also get a set of self-defense equipment for my mother?"


    Carol nodded. She was about to take out what she had already prepared beforehand when Andrea spoke, "Callie, I don''t need it. They wouldn''t dare touch me. Just keep a set for yourself."


    She had already given up on her inheritance, so it would be useless for them to harm her.


    Right now, Callie was their target.


    "Alright. Don''t waste any more time. We have to take a smaller boat in case anyone looks for us," Andrea continued.


    Carla nodded and turned to Carol. "Be prepared. We are leaving now."


    After that, they quickly prepared for their transfer that night.


    The three of them got on a fishing boat and went to a village on one side of Yu Sea City.


    Meanwhile...


    "Did you all check carefully? There is still no sign of them!"


    Lucia yelled at her people. They had already wasted several days looking for Carla and her mother, but to no avail. It seemed like they had disappeared without a trace.


    "My lady, we''ve checked all the ports, but they are nowhere to be found. Is it possible that we got the wrong information?"


    One of his men said carefully.


    "Impossible! My source couldn''t have been wrong. Could it be... Did they take another route to get in?"


    Lucia murmured and turned to Carlota behind her. "Is there any boat that you missed checking?"


    "My lady, these are the fishing boats. They are only used around the area. There should be nothing wrong with them, hence no need to check. And... And there are the supply ships of the AJ Group."


    Carlota thought for a while and said, "The supply ships of the AJ Group come routinely every month. For this month, they are there to transport supplies today."


    Upon hearing that, Lucia realized something and cursed, "Shit! They must have come through the supply ships! Guys, come with me!"


    Just then...


    Carla and Andrea got off the fishing boat and saw many people already waiting for them.


    "Andrea!"


    As soon as Andrea got off the boat, Carrie ran up to her and hugged her tightly.


    s do you have for me?"


    "Young master, we did everything according to your plan. Your father was indeed invited by the Zhang clan. The guard outside has become a little relaxed these days. At midnight, the guards will switch. One of them will take a nap."


    Victor walked over and continued in a low voice, "By then, I will find a way to distract the remaining guard''s attention. Then, you can sneak out of here soon as possible."


    Steven took a couple of sips of water and ate a few bites. "Thank you, Victor."


    "Young Master, you don''t have to thank me. Even though your father, Mayor Su is stubborn and opinionated, I still figured it out. If you died here, then there would be no more point in all of this."


    Victor sighed. Since Steven still wanted to do it, he would just let him go.


    If Steven could be happy with it, then he would be happy as well.


    Steven lost no time to recover his strength. He had been on a hunger strike but he didn''t completely stop eating. He just tried to appear thinner in front of his father.


    Otherwise, how could he have the strength when an opportunity to escape came up?


    In the dead of the night, Steven knew that the Zhang Family liked playing cards and chatting over tea. His father would stay with them late, every time they came over.


    He got ready in his room, waiting for the signal from Victor outside.


    --


    Just then, someone knocked on his door.

 Chapter 952 Hiding From Place to Place

    When he heard the sound, Steven raised his heels and put his weight on his toes as his feet moved slowly towards the door.


    He turned the door knob carefully without making any sound. As an extra measure, he peeked through the slightly open door and made sure that no one was outside. This seemed like a good opportunity for him to leave, but he decided to bide for his time. Instead, he walked back inside.


    Once he was inside the bathroom, he climbed the bathtub, balanced his weight on its edge, and took a small screw knife from his pocket. After that, he proceeded to quietly remove the ventilator window using the knife. His forehead was beaded with sweat by the time he finished. Smirking triumphantly, he put his packed backpack on the space where the ventilator window was originally placed.


    At that very moment, Steven heard the front door open. As he listened intently, someone was walking towards the direction of his room.


    Gary was determined to return home immediately. He was worried sick about his son, and he wanted to check up on him as soon as possible. Once he arrived, he went straight to Steven''s room.


    Upon noticing that no one was guarding outside Steven''s room, he flew into a rage. Feeling panicked, he shouted for help, "Where is security? Where is everybody? !"


    Gary continued to yell for help as he rushed towards Steven''s room. He threw the door open and ran inside quickly.


    "Steven?"


    Gary frantically scanned the room. When he saw Steven sitting on the bed, he breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Father, did you think I still had the strength to escape, weak as I am?" Steven said in a low voice as he gazed at him feebly.


    "Steven, don''t be so stubborn. You know me. No one can change my decision once I have made up my mind," Gary replied in a firm voice.


    Confident that Steven wouldn''t be able to leave, Gary turned around and walked out of the room.


    Watching his father''s receding figure, Steven was finally able to breathe more easily.


    That night, time passed by slowly for Steven as he waited for the perfect opportunity to accomplish his plan.


    The next morning


    "Mr. Su!" One of the servants cried frantically as he ran towards this master. "Mr. Su! Bad news!" The servant panted heavily as he informed Gary of his discovery. "Both Steven and Victor are gone!"


    Gary just got up from bed. When he heard the servant''s report, he ran to Steven''s bedroom without even changing from his night clothes.


    When he saw the empty room, he suddenly had trouble breathing properly. Dizzy from shock, he almost fell forward. Fortunately, a servant caught him.


    "Mr. Su, please sit here. I''ll send someone to look for Steven!" The servant said hurriedly and was about to leave.


    ''This was strange'', the servant thought to himself. Last night, he clearly saw Steven in his room. How could he disappear all of a sudden?


    Gary waved his hand to stop the servant from leaving. He looke


    erred from one place to another last night, so naturally they got wet in the rain.


    Carla and Carol were younger and in good health, but Andrea was much older. Moreover, she was used to a comfortable and luxurious life. Surely, this was too much for her.


    On their way to Yu Sea City, they had stayed on a ship for a whole day and one night. Right after they disembarked, they had to transfer from place to place amidst the never ending rain. The accumulated fatigue and cumbersome weather made Andrea catch a cold.


    At first, Andrea didn''t want Carla to know about her cold. Although she tried her best to put up with the symptoms, her condition was found out eventually when she almost passed out while moving to another place.


    "No, I can''t let it go on like this. When will this end?"


    Carla clenched her fists in anger. Her grandmother had specifically forbidden them from entering the city and even asked Lucia to take charge of this.


    So she had no choice but to hide herself and try to find a chance to enter the palace.


    "Mrs. An, calm down. You know that Lucia is out there to get your head. I''m afraid that she is taking advantage of her position to take revenge on you."


    Carol tried to comfort Carla even if she was worried as well. If it was another person in charge, Carol wouldn''t be worried at all. However, considering the previous conflict between Carla and Lucia, it was very likely that Lucia would make a big fuss.


    "But we can''t just stay here. My mother has never suffered like this. She''s already sick. I don''t know how much longer she can hold on like this,"


    Carla bit her lips to stop her tears from coming out.


    Andrea had left Yu Sea City more than 30 years ago. Unlike Carrie, she wasn''t used to the climate here anymore.


    If it went on like this, her body would surely be unable to bear it.


    "Carol, I''m going to see my grandfather!"


    Carla said firmly. Her eyes were shining bright with determination.

 Chapter 953 Entering The Village In Disguise

    Carla couldn''t delay it any longer. She had to go and see his grandfather so that he could take her to see her grandmother, the queen, as soon as possible.


    Because the only way she and her mother could stop hiding was if the ban against them was lifted.


    And no matter how deep the hatred was between Andrea and Queen Eleanor, they were still mother and daughter, and that had to count for something.


    However, if her grandmother was keen on not forgiving Andrea, then she could take it out on Carla.


    "But Mrs. An, it''s already late. Are you sure you want to go there right now?" Carol asked.


    Carla looked out the window and saw that it had become very dark. More than that, it was also raining heavily.


    "The checkpoints are more strict during daytime. Besides, I think the security outside will be much more lax than usual, thanks to the rain,"


    Carla said without a tinge of hesitation in her voice. Then, she went into her room and hurriedly changed her clothes.


    When she came out, Carol was ready with everything she needed. "Mrs. An, this is a map of Yu Village. We will take the shortest route to get there. Once we get there, we will ask Carrie to meet us."


    "Okay, got it," Carla responded. Then she said hesitantly, "How about you stay here, Carol? Someone needs to stay here and take care of my mom. I don''t see any problem going there by myself."


    Upon hearing Carla''s words, Carol fiercely shook her head. "Mrs. An, what are you even saying? I''m sorry but I can''t let you do that. It''s already late. How can you go there alone?"


    "I know, I know. But I''m really worried about my mom. I want you to stay here and take care of her,"


    Carla said before staring into the distance. "Even though Carrie has arranged for someone to take care of us, we are still outsiders after all, and I will only feel confident about the situation if you stay here."


    Carol firmly shook her head again and said, "I''m sorry Mrs. An. If you don''t let me come with you, then you''re not leaving this room tonight. No one is leaving tonight!"


    She stretched out her hands to block the door.


    "Carol...


    She is right."


    At that moment, Andrea came out from her room and said, "Callie, this place is not as peaceful and safe as ours. If you really want to go, let Carol go with you. Otherwise, you should not go anywhere."


    "Mom..."


    Carla immediately approached her and helped her take a seat. "But I am worried about you. You are too old to handle things on your own."


    Andrea felt a tinge of guilt at her daughter''s words, but she shook her head and said, "Yes, I''m used to living in a comfortable environment. But I''ll get better in a couple of days. After all, I grew up in this place, so I know what I need to do. Don''t worry about me.


    Callie, how about we wait a little longer instead? I believe that your grandfather is also trying to find a way..."


    photos another good, hard look before standing up to get her bag. Even though she was not the best at applying makeup, she thought she would give it a try.


    "Take a seat, Carol!"


    She waved at Carol.


    Carol looked at the photo on the pass again, and sat down with a cough.


    About an hour later, Carla and Carol finally stepped out of the small hotel that they checked into for a short while. It was safe to say that they were now the ugliest women in the village.


    "Carol, we don''t have to go in together. Let''s go in randomly and mixed with other people.


    It might raise suspicions if we go in at the same time,"


    Carla said as she patted Carol on the shoulder. She was just about to go in, but she was stopped by Carol.


    "Mrs. An, then let me go in first." With that, Carol smoothed her clothes and pressed the mole into her face to make sure that it wouldn''t fall.


    "Okay then, you go first. Be careful." Carla decided not to argue with her. Her bodyguard could be too willful at times.


    Carol took a deep breath and walked forward.


    Carla wandered in front of a stall near the gate and waited for Carol to go through the checkpoint. To facilitate a smoother entrance and exit of people, the checkpoint had at least three entrances. After a while, she went to an entrance different from where Carol went through and waited in line as well.


    At that moment, she did not notice that two people had also come to line up behind her.


    "¡­¡­ Be careful, Sir,"


    Victor said as he purposely stepped outside to protect his master from a few local women. They were deliberately trying to take advantage of his young master.


    The women of Yu Sea City were too lewd and shameless. In fact, they would try to get their hands on any handsome man they saw. They were even more disgusting than some perverts back in the outside world!


    "I''m fine, Victor."


    Steven lowered his head and pulled down his hat.

 Chapter 954 This Woman Was So Rude

    Victor was waiting in line right after Steven on purpose, just in case the women behind Steven squeezed in and molested the young master at any point.


    "Young Master, this is so confusing. Have you seen this number of women before? There are so many!"


    He took note and realized that none of these women looked good at all.


    "It''s is really easy to understand what you see. In the androcentric society where we come from, people prefer men to women. Families preferred boys to girls. Naturally the number of males is higher compared to females. But here the preference is the opposite, therefore resulting in a higher number of women compared to men,"


    Steven explained patiently in a soft voice. It was undeniable that the traditional mindset was not easily changed.


    "Hey, watch out! Don''t push me!"


    Feeling the crowd pushing forward, Victor quickly tried to protect his master.


    The crowd kept on pushing forward and naturally the people right behind Carla shoved onto her.


    Carla''s eyes were focused on the other line of people beside her. Her complete attention was glued on them. When she realized that Carol was at the head of the other line and up next, she immediately broke into cold sweat.


    Right then she was forcefully pushed forward by the crowd behind her once again.


    She was evidently upset about this unprecedented hustle that happened and the ''birthmark'' on her face looked somewhat distorted.


    "Don''t you dare push me! Okay?!" Carla looked angry as she hissed.


    She fully showed the typical toughness of the girls in Yu Sea City, glaring fiercely at the person who wore a hat behind her and was pushing her.


    "I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to do that,"


    Steven was quick with his apology. He was uncomfortable with the lack of physical distance and wanted to step back a little, but there were so many people behind him that he couldn''t even move an inch.


    "She is inexplicably rude. Can''t she see the line herself? It''s not our fault that we are hovering on each other,"


    Victor ranted and found this woman to be extremely ill-mannered. He found it detestable that this woman would behave in such an impolite manner. Any other woman would faint and die just for Steven to come in such physical proximity.


    "¡­¡­ Victor."


    Steven quickly shook his head at Victor to shut him up before he said anything rude and tried to keep a safe distance from Carla in order to avoid any unpleasant situation.


    When Carla saw that Carol had passed the check without any hassle, she heaved a sigh of relief. S


    w, next month is her 80th birthday. If I''m delayed by any means, I don''t think anybody will be able to bear the consequences,"


    Steven said calmly as he pulled out the pass that would allow him to enter the Wang Village without any hassle.


    Carlota''s face turned white as a ghost the moment she saw it.


    She thought she would take him back to Lucia, but it seemed that it was not going to happen.


    "Let him through, quick! Move aside,"


    Carlota said reluctantly and made way for him.


    Since Steven got the pass from Arthur, he did not need a thorough check. He simply walked past the checkpoint.


    "Madam, let''s go! What are you waiting for?"


    Carol pulled Carla who was still looking straight in the direction of Steven, transfixed and afraid that they would be recognized since there were so many people coming in and out of the gate. She was getting nervous by the minute.


    When they got to a safe place, Carla couldn''t help but ask, "What was he thinking?


    "It''s not easy for him to escape the last time. What did he come back here for?"


    ''So, all of my efforts to save him before have just gone to waste.'' Carla thought.


    Carol raised her eyebrows and whispered tauntingly, "Well, he still has a lot of affection for you."


    "What did you say?"


    "Well, nothing at all. Let''s get going Ma''am. Don''t worry about all this now. Didn''t you hear that he is here to draw for the clan leader? Therefore no one will even have the courage to hurt him. But enough of that, let''s get down to business,"


    Carol said and pulled Carla towards the street.


    They had made an appointment with Carrie to meet at a shop up ahead.


    Carrie was probably waiting for them already.

 Chapter 955 The Lover Bay

    "Mrs. An, is this the shop?"


    Carol glanced at the paper in her hand and then looked up at the signage of the establishment. It was exactly the store they were looking for. However, it was quite different from what she had imagined.


    Considering the name of the shop, Lover Bay, one would easily assume that it was a hotel, but it wasn''t. By the looks of it, they had come to an adult store.


    While Carol was still hesitating, Carla had already gone inside.


    "Well... Mrs. An?"


    The moment Carla pushed the door open and walked in the store, Carol promptly ran after her.


    Carla figured she''d have some answers if she went in.


    All kinds of sex toys were displayed in the shop. Upon seeing all of this, Carol''s face was all flushed as she averted her gaze from all the products that ranged from suggestive to downright indecent. She lowered her head and stared at her feet.


    "Hello. Is anyone here?"


    Carla called.


    A short man then came out from behind the curtain, a huge smile pasted on his face.


    "Nice to see you, ladies! May I know what I can do for you?"


    Carla eyed him carefully. Instead of asking him where Carrie was, she looked around and pointed to a shelf. She asked, "How much is that one?"


    "You have good taste! This is actually our latest product. It can lengthen and shorten automatically with its hypersensitive auto-sensors. It can also warm itself up to 42 degrees. It can be used all year round. It includes a 6 months free after-sales service,"


    the short man explained enthusiastically.


    Meanwhile, Carol''s face was about as red as a beet root.


    Carla coughed and said, "By the way, do you know the deputy commander here?"


    Hearing this, the short man carefully sized her up.


    "Why are you looking for our deputy commander?"


    Carla looked at him and replied, "We actually have an appointment with her. A lot of important things need to be discussed, so could you please tell me where she is?"


    She wasn''t sure whether this man was on Carrie''s side or not, so she kept extra cautious.


    At this time, the short man walked to the door and looked carefully outside. He then turned to them and said, "Well, the commander has been waiting for you. This way, please!"


    As they spoke, the short man led Carla into the yard. They didn''t even know there was a yard until they walk


    repare tea for them.


    "I''ve already made up my mind. I''m not budging," Steven said in a soft but determined voice.


    Stroking his beard, Arthur smiled at him, "Steven, do you know why I like you?"


    Steven shook his head and looked at Arthur, confused.


    "Because when I was young, I made the same choice as you!


    I was born here in Yu Sea City, where men were considered inferior to women. No matter what I did, how hard I worked, or how talented I was, I couldn''t get ahead in life. I didn''t know what to do then and I even considered leaving."


    There was a faint smile that played on Arthur''s lips.


    "I didn''t realize it until I met Callie''s grandmother. I gave her everything I had and shared her burdens and stresses. All these made me feel satisfied and happy."


    Perhaps one will truly understand everything when he meets his true love.


    Only then will he be willing to go above and beyond what''s possible, for his true love.


    Upon hearing this, Steven lowered his head and said with a smile, "Sir Arthur, you''re so lucky because you are the queen''s only love. No matter what happens, you''ll be the only man in her heart for eternity."


    Unfortunately, for Steven, that wasn''t the case. Carla loved only her husband, Terence, destroying any chance he had with her.


    "Steven, I know that the traditions and beliefs in Yu Sea City are quite different from yours. If you choose this path, you''re bound to give up almost everything. Are you really willing to do that?"


    Arthur asked, turning to Steven, who was sitting next to him.

 Chapter 956 Five Years

    It seemed like an endless road filled with loneliness. He needed to think his decision over.


    Steven looked at his hands that were subconsciously balled into fists. His knuckles had almost turned white.


    "Sir Arthur, I think you know what my heart yearns for. I''m worried about what might happen if she doesn''t agree. If I follow my heart, and do things my way, will she think that I''m forcing her to choose?"


    All Steven wanted was a clear response from her.


    Even an empty promise would give him abundant strength.


    Arthur nodded and poured a cup of tea for Steven.


    Steven picked up the cup and took a sip of his tea.


    Arthur observed Steven carefully.


    "Steven, what if she resents you instead of being grateful for what you are going to do? Have you ever thought about that?"


    An involuntary smile crept on Steven''s lips. "It would not be new to me. She always gets upset at me for everything. She has even said that she doesn''t want to see my face for the rest of her life. I''ve reached the pinnacle of pain. I don''t think anything can hurt me anymore.''''


    Arthur was impressed by Steven''s relentless love and care for Carla.


    Steven was patient and understanding even when Carla was rude to him. He wondered if Victor was right. Was he crazy about Carla irrespective of her decisions?


    "Steven, don''t lose hope. People change. Even if she doesn''t love you back, I''m sure, she will feel and acknowledge your love if you continue to express it.''''


    Arthur took a sip of tea and sighed loudly. ''''God is cruel. He loves to play with people''s feelings. Just when we meet the love of our lives, he will snatch them away, making our heart crave for them. He never gives us what we want.


    You have a chance now, Steven. But I cannot promise anything. Women''s hearts are unfathomable, you''ll never know what they are thinking.''''


    Steven nodded. "I understand. I wish you could give me five years.''''


    Steven was clinging on to his last bit of hope. He believed that time could change his future.


    He did not know whether he should wait for her or move on. Five years was a long time and anything could happen within that period.


    He decided to take his time to introspect about his future with Carla.


    "Okay, Steven, take your time. But I want you to make the right decision. We all deserve a second chance and I don''t want you to decide in haste.''''


    Arthur placed the teacup on the table and took out something from his pocket. ''''I will give you permission to live here for the time being. You are free to travel anywhere in Yu S


    ?"


    Arthur almost choked at her words. He cleared his throat and glanced at the secret door. "Well, your grandma''s second husband had come to chat with me but he has already left.''''


    "Oh, I see. Grandpa, can you somehow help me meet Grandma? I really need to see her and ask her to lift the ban on me and my mother.''''


    Carla pleaded. She would go to any extent to bring her mother back to Yu Village.


    Arthur closed his eyes and sighed. "Callie, I don''t think you understand your grandmother''s anger. She can hold a grudge for several years and it takes a lot of time for her to forgive people. Your mother and grandmother have been on bad terms for a very long time. She is not one to give in nor admit defeat. Give her some time and she will warm up to you.''''


    "What? But what do we do? We can''t keep hiding in the shadows forever.''''


    Carla poured hot tea into a clean cup and took a sip of it.


    "Why don''t you take me to her and I''ll fall on her feet and beg for mercy until she accepts us.''''


    Arthur laughed and patted her head affectionately. "Silly girl, nothing can melt her heart of stone. You have to think of another way.


    Now that you are here, stay here for the night. I''ll try my best to arrange a meeting with your grandmother tomorrow. Does that sound good to you?''''


    "Yes. Thank you Grandpa," Carla nodded.


    She was left with no other choice.


    But Carla had to think of the perfect plan to win her grandmother''s heart.


    Suddenly, the sound of some movement coming from Carla''s right side, caught her attention. She stood up and stared at it with curiosity.


    "Grandpa, do you have a cat in your room?"


    she asked and walked towards the door to the secret room.

 Chapter 957 Why Cant I Be The One

    "Wow! You really kept one! What a lovely little black cat!"


    Carla walked over and saw the little black cat curling up near the secret door and licking its claws.


    She took the cat out of the flowerpot and smoothed its hair. Then she turned to look at her grandfather and said, "Grandpa, it''s late now. You''d better go to bed."


    "Callie, stay here at Grandpa''s house for tonight. I will have someone get a room ready for you,"


    Arthur said. Even though she was only here for one night, Arthur still wanted to make sure Carla was safe.


    "Okay, Grandpa. And please have someone get a room ready for Carol too,"


    Carla said as she put down the cat. Then she walked towards the door. She turned around halfway and said, "Grandpa, if Steven comes to see you, no matter what he says, please don''t promise him anything."


    A gentle smile appeared on Arthur''s kind face when he heard what Carla said. "Child, why would you say that?"


    Carla took a step back and answered with a sigh, "Grandpa, you know what''s going on with me. Even if I really end up inheriting the position as the clan leader, I won''t change anything, especially with my marital arrangements.


    If I need help in the future, I will find a reliable person to help me. But no matter what, that person will never be Steven."


    As soon as she finished speaking, Steven, who had been hiding in the other room and listening to the conversation outside, clenched his hands into fists, his amber eyes growing colder by the second.


    Carla had been feeling uneasy ever since she saw Steven again in Yu Sea City.


    She feared that Steven would do something stupid so she decided to warn Arthur in advance just in case Steven attempted to do something ridiculous.


    She knew that love was the hardest thing to repay in this world. She had already hurt his feelings and she couldn''t allow herself to owe him anything more.


    "Don''t worry. He''s become quite a famous painter here in Yu Sea City. I commissioned him for a painting I wanted to give your grandmother,"


    Arthur said with a resigned smile as he turned his gaze to the door that led to the secret room.


    Carla nodded. "


    ven said. He knew her situation well and he knew it better than anyone else.


    The night was thick with silence.


    Soon, it was raining again.


    As they stood in front of each other, they stared back into each other''s eyes in utter silence.


    After a while, Carla looked away and said, "No."


    "You''re lying. Look into my eyes. Say it again."


    Steven closed in the gap between them and raised her face with his fingers, making her look at him. "Callie, feelings and love and emotions, all of these are complicated. No one falls in love just once in their entire lives.


    We''re human, not robots. There''s nothing to be ashamed about, when you have feelings."


    Carla looked at him helplessly. "Steven, can you stop being so sentimental?


    Well, since you want to know so bad, I''ll tell you! I don''t like men who are younger than me. I don''t like men who keep badgering me, especially men who force me to do something I don''t want to!


    You''re right. People fall in love more than once in their lives. If I had feelings for you, I''d love it if you stayed in Yu Sea City. If I can find someone who loves me and is willing to be there for me then I''ll accept it with open arms.


    Unfortunately, you''re not the one."


    Upon hearing this, a tinge of sadness flashed across his eyes. He loosened his grip on her chin and slowly clenched his fists, trembling.


    "Callie, did you really mean that? Is this what you really think?"

 Chapter 958 First Meet-up With Grandmother (Part One)

    Carla caught a glimpse of the sadness in his eyes and gritted her teeth. Then, she said, "Yes. Yes it is... Hmmp!"


    Before she could even get another word out, Steven suddenly covered her mouth with his hand.


    "Please don''t say what you were going to say. I beg you."


    Steven frowned and closed his eyes. "Callie, the only reason I am here is to draw the portrait for Arthur. It is my thanks for the kindness he has shown me. I will leave the moment I finish it."


    Then, he opened his eyes and slowly bent down until his forehead was gently touching hers.


    "Callie, can you promise me one last thing?"


    Carla grunted as she pointed at his hand on her face.


    How did he expect her to answer his question when he was still covering her mouth like that?


    "Hear me out,"


    Steven said, lowering his eyes to look at her. "While I am here in Yu Sea City, could you stop rejecting me and hiding from me? Let''s try to get along, okay?"


    "Hmm..."


    Carla tried to say something, but Steven''s hand on her mouth was too tight.


    "Before I give up for real, let me try one last time. In that case, I''d be able to think that we really did get along with each other. The only problem is, we didn''t meet at the right time. At the very least, just please give me a chance to bury my feelings. For closure. Is that okay?"


    Once he finished talking, he finally took his hand away from her mouth.


    "During this period, I will try my best to focus on all of your shortcomings and make myself hate you. Can you at least give me this chance?"


    Hearing the pleading tone in his voice, Carla carefully considered his proposition and said, "Okay, fine. I promise."


    If she could take this opportunity to make him give up on her completely and return to normal, then it would all be for the best.


    ''This is much better than him spending his entire life thinking about me, '' Carla thought


    loser to them he stood up and said, "Callie, this is your grandmother.


    Eleanor, this is Callie, the daughter of Andrea. She''s our granddaughter!"


    Arthur introduced the two.


    Carla came over and bowed to Eleanor.


    "Hello, Grandma, Grandpa. It''s such a pleasure to meet you."


    After a moment''s silence, Eleanor gave a flick of her sleeve, stood up, and walked up to Carla. "What did just you call me?


    How dare you call me Grandma?"


    Eleanor said in a hoarse and strong voice.


    Carla felt a little dejected, and started subconsciously biting her lips.


    "Although I''m getting old, I have not started losing my memory. I only have two granddaughters. One is Lucia, and the other one is Lori. Who do you think you are?"


    Eleanor said with a sneer as she went back to her seat.


    "My apologies. I didn''t mean to step out of my bounds." Carla sighed in her heart, but she still knelt and said, "Please¡­ I hope you would be kind enough to withdraw your ban on my mother and me."


    At that moment, Arthur coughed and said, "Eleanor, Andrea and Callie have traveled thousands of miles to visit you and me. They have suffered a lot in the past couple of days. I also heard that Andrea is ill. Please, don''t make things difficult for them, okay?"

 Chapter 959 First Meet-up With Grandmother (Part Two)

    When she returned to her seat, Eleanor raised her tea cup and slowly took a sip.


    "I only have two daughters. One has broken off her relationship with me and has left this city forever. As for the other one, even though she has no special skills and no achievements whatsoever, she is still here with me.


    The one who abandoned me is no longer a member of the Yu family. Why would her descendant have anything to do with me?"


    Eleanor said loudly before glancing at Carla''s pale face.


    Carla''s heart sank. No wonder everyone said that her grandmother was not an easy person to deal with. Now that she had seen her in person, she realized that her grandmother really was a tough woman.


    "Grandma... no, Queen Eleanor. Does that mean only members of the Yu family are allowed to enter Yu Sea City?


    I know, for one, that it isn''t the case. Besides, the AJ group also has a branch company here. I came here with my mother for a vacation. Do you think that chasing us away and kicking us out of the city would be the right thing to do?"


    Carla raised her head and looked at the woman in front of her. She spoke in a tone that was neither humble nor pushy.


    The woman in front of her was the person who made her mother feel daunted and ashamed her entire life, and yet she still could not dare to disrespect her.


    Her grandpa was right. Her grandmother could not be persuaded by mere reason.


    Eleanor took a glance at Carla and said, "Save it! You''re not in JA City. I don''t care about the An Family or that you are their daughter in-law.


    I know what you are trying to say. Yes, the An family has helped Yu Sea City a lot, and I will always be grateful for that. I will never forget what they have done for us. I also know that I vowed to always treat the An family as distinguished guests."


    Eleanor put down her cup of tea and looked at Carl


    e. Could you help me feed her this medicine?"


    Carol, who was standing on the other side of the room, was just about to say something.


    But Arthur waved at her and stopped her, saying, "Carol, come with me."


    Carol nodded at him and said, "Sir Arthur, I''m afraid it would be inappropriate for Steven to do that. I think it would be better for me to feed her the medicine."


    "Carla, you are in Yu Sea City, not JA City. Besides, if Terence was really worried about her, he never would have let her come here."


    With that, he turned and left the room.


    Inside the room, Carla had finally come back to her senses. She rubbed her temple and looked at everything in front of her with confusion in her eyes. After a while, she remembered where she was.


    "Hey, you''re awake! Here you go. Take your medicine."


    Steven blew on the medicine. Yu Sea City was full of herbs and medicinal plants, so in most cases, doctors would use them to cure diseases. They only used pills in special situations that made pills necessary.


    Carla looked at the black, smelly soup in his hand and rolled her eyes immediately, covering her nose with her hand.


    If there was one thing she hated the most, it was taking traditional Chinese medicine.

 Chapter 960 Loyal Dog (Part One)

    "Callie?" Steven asked, trying hard to keep his voice normal.


    Carla continued to feign unconsciousness. He was so amused to see her "pass out" again that he started laughing out loud. "Carla, stop pretending to be knocked out! You need to take this medicine while it''s still hot. The herbs won''t be effective if they''ve already gone cold."


    When she heard his words, Carla knew that she couldn''t pretend anymore. She finally opened her eyes and peered at him.


    "Where''s Carol?"


    All she could think at the moment was, ''Where is Carol? Why is he the one here with me?''


    "She''s just outside. Now, don''t forget what you promised me yesterday," he reminded her as he placed the bowl of medicine in front of her. He knew what was running through her mind and wanted to make sure she couldn''t pretend that she couldn''t recall what had happened the day before.


    "Cough cough!


    My throat is killing me. I need to cough out this phlegm."


    Carla knew exactly what Steven was talking about. She coughed again deliberately while carefully rubbing her throat.


    She was trying to figure out how to destroy her image in front of him and make him give up on her completely. Was it even possible? Oh well, it was worth trying.


    Steven gently pulled out two pieces of tissue and handed them to her.


    Carla took them from him and proceeded to cough loudly, making as many horrible noises as she could. She coughed so hard that she felt as though she might cough her own tonsils out.


    Steven looked at her and asked, "Do you have enough tissue?"


    Without waiting for her answer, he quickly passed the whole tissue box to her.


    She didn''t say anything but just waved her hand at him to indicate that she was fine. Then she took a good look at the bowl of medicinal herbs in front of her and couldn''t stop her brows from c


    could buy herself a few more days.


    "Don''t worry. Arthur has sent someone to take care of your mother. The only problem right now is that she can''t be brought back here because of your grandmother,"


    Steven reassured her, knowing that she was worried about her mother.


    "For now, try not to worry about anything or anyone else. Just focus on getting better first. Their row has been going on for more than thirty years, there''s no way it''s going be to resolved in such a short period. So let''s just take it one step at a time, okay?"


    Even though Carla had just swallowed the medicine less than 5 minutes ago, she could already feel the effects kicking in. Her body was starting to feel warm and covered in a light sweat. Without saying a word, she wrapped herself in the quilt and lay down again.


    Steven knew that it was time for her to get some more rest, so he picked up the bowl and left the room.


    Carla had only just dozed off and was in a semiconscious state when a vibration on her wrist startled her awake.


    She had nearly forgotten that the smart watch on her wrist had a telephone function. The small screen on her wrist displayed Terence''s name, filling her with happiness and excitement.

 Chapter 961 Loyal Dog (Part Two)

    Eagerly, she pressed the button to accept the call and was greeted by Terence''s anxious voice.


    "¡­¡­ Carla?"


    Hearing his warm, familiar voice overwhelmed Carla and she had to fight the impulse to cry. The combination of her emotions and her weakened state made her feel like crying in his arms until she felt better.


    Perhaps it was because she was used to having him by her side whenever she fell ill. She had allowed herself to become accustomed to relying on him, and now that they were miles apart, she felt as though a part of her was missing.


    "Yes, I''m here,"


    She answered, after taking a deep breath to calm down the wave of emotions.


    "How are you feeling? Why is your body temperature so high? Are you sick?" Even through the tiny speakers of the smart watch, Terence''s voice still sounded so familiar and full of concern.


    She had forgotten that the gadget also monitored her physical condition and sent updates directly to Terence''s phone. It must have alerted him when her temperature had spiked higher than normal.


    "I''m fine, just having a little cold. I took some medicine just now and covered myself in a quilt so I can sweat it out. That''s probably why my body temperature is higher than normal," she reassured him, though she couldn''t help her voice from quivering slightly.


    "Are you feeling better? Should I come over now to see you for a while?" It made Terence''s heart ache to hear her weak voice and he hated that he couldn''t be there taking care of her.


    Carla took a deep breath and said with a smile, "Don''t worry about me dear, it''s just a cold. Anyway, I''m at Grandpa''s place, I''ll be fine. I just need to take a few more rounds of medicine and I shoul


    be here soon."


    Carla reached up to wipe the sweat off her cool forehead and took a deep breath in an attempt to slow down her racing heart. Then she asked him, "Where''s my grandpa?"


    "He went out for a while, but he told me to take care of you while he''s gone,"


    Steven answered as he walked to the table to pour a glass of water for her.


    Just then, there was a commotion outside the door. They heard Carol''s voice saying, "Miss Lucia, you can''t go in there!"


    "Get out of my way! Wang Village is a part of Yu Sea City and I''m in charge here. You can''t tell me where I can and can''t go,"


    Lucia responded scornfully.


    "If you want to enter, you''ll have to go through me first!"


    Carol said insistently as she planted herself in front of the door.


    "Awww, what a loyal dog!


    Do you really think you can stop me? Carlota, give this dog a taste of Yu Sea City whips. I want her to know how we discipline disobedient dogs here!"


    Lucia sneered and waved her hand to call Carlota over.


    Lucia thought Carol was a nobody, and wasn''t worthy of being disciplined by her own hands. So she let someone else do it.

 Chapter 962 No Way To Escape

    Carla sat up and pulled the bed cover aside when she overheard what Lucia was saying to Carol.


    Little did she expect that Steven would stop her as she was about to stand up.


    "You shouldn''t move too much Carla, you''re still very sick. Don''t worry, I''ll see what''s going on."


    Steven turned around and went outside after he let her lay down in bed.


    When he opened the door, Carol was fighting with Carlota while Lucia just stood aside watching them.


    When Lucia saw that Steven had come out, she forgot about the other two women and immediately walked to him with a smile.


    "Steven! I''m so glad to see you."


    Steven closed the door behind him and turned to Lucia. "Lucia, you know very well that this is your grandfather''s house, not yours. The fact that you''ve brought people here to make trouble is quite insensitive and callous. Tell me that I''m wrong."


    As Lucia heard his words, she easily concluded that Carla was in the house.


    Lucia''s joy turned into frustration as she thought about it. "You are trying to defend her again, aren''t you?


    You surely can remember what I told you once. Feel free to remind her to start being careful. I can''t even believe that she''s challenging me for the throne. She''s noting but the daughter of the family traitor.


    You''re wise, Steven. You still have an opportunity to clear your head and change your mind. Smart people will follow the right leader. Carla''s undoubtedly going to be crushed by me. Your only reasonable move is to choose to be on my side."


    Lucy walked towards him and lay her hand on his shoulder. "You still have time to make up your mind. And when you do, just let me know and get back to me quickly before I change my mind. And do it quickly."


    She had never had him by her side and he had never shown any interest in her. That''s why she wanted him like crazy.


    Steven moved her hand away from him as he looked straight at her. "I''ve never felt the need of having someone else as my backup. As a proud man, I need no woman to support me.


    I urge you to stop Carlota. She''s making a mess and a fool of herself. This place is under the charge of Sir Arthur. The last thing he wants is to have people fighting in his house. He doesn''t like displays of misbehavior like this at all.


    If she causes more trouble, you shouldn''t assume that she will get away with it."


    Second only to the clan chief, Carla''s grandfather was the most respected person in Yu Sea City.


    If Arthur was ever displeased, it would also affect the clan leader, who also happened to be Carla''s grandmother.


    "Hah! You shouldn''t even try to intimidate me with my grandfather''s well known reputation. He''s not


    arol was ready to defend herself, but Lucia jumped in to break her speech.


    "Carla! Stop the bullshit and stand in front of me right now! Don''t be a coward! If you won''t even land a finger on me, then leave Yu Sea City at once! Fight me now, bitch! One way or another!"


    Carla wasn''t at her best condition since she had just taken her medicine which made her weak and drowsy. However, she gave a furious look at Lucia and stepped forward and pushed Carol away. "You mustn''t worry too much about me, Carol. I can handle this."


    "You''re in no condition to fight, Mrs. An."


    Carol anxiously insisted. It was her job to prevent Carla from hurting herself. She wanted to stand in front of Lucia.


    "Hold your horses, Carla. Please think it over."


    Steven was hesitant and tried to stop Carla as well.


    Carla was ill-prepared for any fight, with nothing but a thin white T-shirt and a pair of jeans. She had handed her coat to Carol.


    Carla wasn''t a fan of wearing the clothes that they usually wore in Yu Sea City. Although she could wear those types of clothes, she would still choose to wear more comfortable outfits.


    "Carla, Let everybody know that they''re not allowed to interfere in this fight. The outcome shall be as it is fated to be."


    As she gave Carlota the order, Lucia was sure of herself, that she would beat Carla with ease.


    Lucia took her huge coat off and gave it to Carlota. Then, she started to warm up by loosening up her shoulders and shaking both of her wrists as she stared at Carla with fierce eyes.


    "Once the fight starts, there''s no escape. That is the main rule of fighting here in Yu Sea City. You''re not even allowed to complain if I hurt you badly since you agreed to face me."


    Smirking, Lucia felt truly confident in herself.

 Chapter 963 A Fair Battle

    Carla met Lucia''s gaze. Lucia had an air of confidence as she looked back at Carla full of contempt.


    "Ma''am, be careful,"


    Carol warned her and clasped her hands with concern when Carla stepped forward.


    In the empty yard, there were two rows of beautiful blossoming camellias planted on both sides.


    They were blooming one by one, seemingly eager to watch the upcoming battle.


    Lucia smiled triumphantly. One moment she was watching Carla come closer, and the next, she looked at Steven.


    Today, she would prove to him that the woman he cherished was a pathetic loser.


    Lucia''s smile suddenly fell, and she clenched her fists. The moment Carla was close enough, she nimbly kicked the woman from JA City.


    With her hand, Carla blocked the blow and stepped back untouched. However, she hadn''t expected Lucia to attack so fast.


    "Loser,"


    Lucia snorted, throwing a punch at Carla.


    She had already made up her mind. She would beat Carla up until she had crushed the pride of this woman who dared to captivate her man and compete with her for the position of clan leader!


    Vigilant, Carla dodged the punch. Even so, Lucia had great kicking skills and had one ready to hit her rival on the calf.


    Since the fight was still just beginning, it was hard to foresee Lucia''s tactics. Therefore Carla could only defend herself for now.


    She raised her leg to skirt the kick and then bent her elbow, hitting Lucia''s armpit and blocking another punch from her.


    Lucia stepped back.


    Although she felt the pain, she didn''t show it or take her hand to the affected area. Instead, she patted the imaginary dust off her clothes to mask her discomfort. Then, she narrowed her eyes at Carla.


    She was starting to realize she had underestimated this outsider who was also her cousin.


    It had been a while since Carla had trained in close combat, and she also didn''t have any fancy skills. But what she had learned, she would always take it with her.


    In addition with the special training she had got a few day


    get chopped.


    Lucia whipped with no success. And then she did it again.


    Carla kept dodging it as she took every opportunity to move a little closer to Lucia.


    She knew Carla wanted to close the gap between them, but there was nothing she could do with the whip to stop that from happening. So, she had to keep the distance somehow.


    Gradually, Lucia''s movements were getting more and more restricted.


    Noticing that the gaps between each lash were getting wider, Carla quickly stepped forward and managed to grab the whip in the air. She wielded her dagger and then cut it.


    Carla dumped the broken whip mercilessly.


    "You..."


    Lucia was really pissed off when she saw her beloved whip cut in half.


    Furious, she disposed of the other half she was holding and rushed towards Carla to get her with her bare hands.


    Yet Carla didn''t take advantage of her. She threw the dagger aside and faced Lucia''s punches one after the other.


    Lucia had lost her momentum, and she wasn''t a match for Carla now. She could fight all she wanted, but she wouldn''t hold on much longer.


    Tired of stretching that fight, Carla gave Lucia a hard kick before the latter could come at her again.


    The kick landed on Lucia''s chest.


    "Oh, I''m sorry. It seems you''re an A-cup,"


    Carla joked, raising her eyebrows while staring at her flat breasts.

 Chapter 964 Carla Pretended To Pass Out

    Lucia hastily pushed her foot away, dusted off the gray footprint on her chest, and glared at Carla.


    "Throw her off the cliff! I don''t want to see her anymore!"


    Lucia growled.


    Waves of shame and anger engulfed her. She wanted to tear Carla apart.


    "Yes, my lady!"


    Carlota gestured her men to capture Carla. The purpose of Lucia''s visit was to chuck Carla out.


    Lucia had intended to win Steven''s heart by defeating Carla in close combat.


    But she never expected Carla to effortlessly take her down.


    "Wait. Are you going to break your promise?


    Lucia, stop making a fool of yourself! Being a woman of Yu Sea City, it''s necessary for you to maintain a cordial relationship and honor. You don''t deserve to be the granddaughter of the matriarch,"


    Carla grunted.


    "You have no fucking right to determine whether I''m qualified or not.''''


    Lucia sneered and gritted her teeth, "Guards! What are you waiting for? Throw her off the cliff and feed her to the wolves.''''


    "Lucia, don''t you dare lay a finger on me. For God''s sake, I''m your elder cousin! You''ve got to respect me, ''''


    Carla warned. The most religious custom of Yu Sea City includes its people respecting their elders. Lucia was blatantly ignoring the clan rules.


    "Elder sister, my ass! Your mother had broken all her ties with my grandmother.


    She doesn''t belong to the clan anymore and you''re not my fucking cousin!"


    Lucia scoffed and stepped forward, encroaching on Carla''s personal space. ''''Carla, don''t try to fool me. You have no chance to rise above me.''''


    She turned around to look at the guards.


    "Are you deaf? I said, get rid of her! I will face the consequences just do what I say.''''


    But Lucia''s men were too terrified to heed her command.


    "Who has the audacity to touch my granddaughter?"


    Arthur''s resonant voice boomed from a distance as he walked in.


    Arthur rushed over as soon as he heard the news of Lucia threatening to kill Carla. It was fortunate that he had arrived on time.


    Lucia''s eyes widened when she saw Arthur walking towards her. She bowed her head respectfully. "Grandpa, you''re ba


    leep and was oblivious to the vibration.


    It was dark outside and a gust of cold wind swept into the room through the half opened window.


    Steven quickly closed the window and walked back to the bed. The bracelet was still vibrating in a steady rhythm. He inched forward and pressed a button, trying to turn it off. But he had accidentally pressed the answer button.


    "Carla!" Terence''s nervous voice reverberated from the bracelet.


    Carla''s bracelet had sent a signal to Terence about the steady rise in her body temperature. Terence became worried and called her immediately.


    After a short pause, Steven answered, "It''s me, Mr. An. Err ... Carla is sleeping. She is not feeling well, ''''


    Steven said.


    An ominous silence filled the air.


    After a long while, Terence cleared his throat.


    "Take good care of her for me. I''ll consider it as an act of atonement for your father''s crimes.''''


    Terence''s voice was low and emotionless. Steven couldn''t make out whether he was mad at him or not.


    The bracelet flashed and became silent as Terence disconnected the call. Steven sighed and tucked Carla''s bracelet laden hand back under the quilt.


    Carla was blissfully sleeping, unaware of her husband''s call.


    Steven decided not to wake her up.


    He glanced at his watch. It was still early and he thought he would wait until Carla woke up. It would take time to prepare the medicines anyway.

 Chapter 965 He Missed Her

    Meanwhile, in JA City.


    --


    Terence disconnected the call and stared at the blank screen. He stood up and walked towards the window. The neon lights outside the AJ Building were blinding his vision.


    The entire city was still bustling with traffic at night. It was the peak hour and the blaring sound of the honking vehicles filled the air.


    Without Carla around, the place seemed eerily quiet.


    "Mr. An, are you worried about Mrs. An? Do you want to go to Yu Sea City and see how she is doing?"


    Nathan asked.


    Even Nathan was worried about Carla at the moment. Yu Sea City was a strange place and he was concerned about Carla''s safety. Nathan wondered if Terence was thinking the same.


    Terence gazed out of the window with a hand in his pocket. He took a cigarette and began to mindlessly fidget with it. His deep eyes carried an unfathomable expression.


    "No, that won''t be necessary. She''ll be well taken care of,"


    he said casually. Nathan couldn''t comprehend Terence''s emotions but he understood what he meant.


    Nathan heard that Steven had managed to escape detention from his father. He would have definitely gone to Yu Sea City.


    "Are you sure about that, sir?"


    Nathan asked.


    Terence had turned into an emotionless wreck after Carla''s departure. He had stopped smiling and laughing. He was engrossed in his work and went home only to spend time with his children. Carla had taken Terence''s heart along with her.


    He hardly took part in social activities, and even if he did, he continued to remain dull and morose.


    Terence was utterly and hopelessly in love with Carla. He could not even think of another woman.


    "Now is not the time to worry about my fears and worries. It doesn''t matter now. Yu Sea City is where she belongs. It''s her world now. She has her new family and friends there. There are people who are willing to do anything for her."


    Terence leaned against the wall and continued to stare out of the window. He was indeed feeling lonely but his wife''s wishes were more important to him.


    "She is a charming woman who is capable of captivating the hearts of people. All I can do is be there for her and support her success," Terence said.


    If Carla was an ordinary woman, things would have been different. He would have showered her with wealth and happiness.


    But she was not and Terence had to accept that.


    He wanted Carla to understand her true potential and make her reach greater heights.


    "But aren''t you afraid of losing h


    e man of my dreams. How can I fall asleep when he is far away from me?"


    Carla sent, chuckling at her choice of words.


    She burst into a fit of laughter when she read Terence''s reply. "I''m impressed. But I know that you aren''t able to fall asleep now because you slept too much early in the evening."


    As Carla was happily chatting with her husband, there was a soft knock on the door.


    Thinking that it was Carol who had come to give her the medicine, Carla answered without turning to see who it was.


    "Come in."


    Her eyes were fixed on the phone screen as she continued to type her message.


    Steven walked in with the bowl of medicine that was specially prepared for Carla. He saw Carla grinning happily when he accidentally got a glimpse of her message.


    "Drink the medicine before it gets cold and sleep well."


    Carla jerked up when she heard Steven''s voice. She looked at him and pulled the quilt closer to her body.


    She was about to ask him about Carol but swallowed her words when she remembered her promise.


    She quickly typed a message saying she needed to take her medicine and go to bed. She put down the phone after sending the message to Terence.


    Carla sighed loudly and picked the bowl.


    She was relieved to see the sugar cubes on the table.


    She drank the medicine in one gulp.


    She scrunched her nose and tossed a sugar cube into her mouth.


    Steven placed his hand on Carla''s forehead to check her temperature.


    "You still have a fever, but your body has cooled down a bit."


    Steven withdrew his hand and smiled at her.


    "I''ll stay tonight. You might need me in case your temperature spikes up again tonight."

 Chapter 966 A Nightmare

    Hearing Steven''s words, Carla nearly choked, almost swallowing the whole cube of sugar in her mouth. She couldn''t help feeling awkward.


    So she scolded herself inwardly to calm down. Then she racked her brain to think of discreet ways to discourage Steven from staying in her room.


    "That''s not a good idea, Steven. Actually, I always snore pretty loud when I''m in deep sleep. I don''t want you to laugh at me. It is best that you go back to your room,"


    Carla began, casually saying it to him. She could only think that her reason for exposing her shortcomings to Steven was the perfect yet discreet way to dissuade him.


    At any rate, Carla was telling the truth. Whenever she went to bed tired, she did occasionally snore.


    "I know that,"


    Steven countered as he gently waved his hand, completely dismissing her words. He then calmly made his way to the other side of the room before settling himself down on a soft chair.


    Carla was astounded by his resolute response. She squeezed out a cough, feeling quite embarrassed. Her gaze followed his every move, then abruptly she demanded, "You know? When? When did I snore?"


    "When you were sleeping in the daytime. But it wasn''t that loud,"


    Steven replied rather offhandedly, not even looking up to meet her gaze. He merely busied himself reaching out for a book and soon began reading it leisurely, seemingly unconcerned about the whole snoring thing.


    Carla cleared her throat. Thinking that her excellent image was now tainted with imperfection. She wished she could dig a hole in a snap of a finger and swiftly jump into it. However, she felt slightly better, knowing that Steven seemed not to mind it. Otherwise, he wouldn''t insist on staying in the room.


    She quickly rubbed her nose as she rolled her eyes at him, trying to shake off that uncomfortable feeling. Then she continued staring at his relaxed demeanor.


    Subconsciously, she remembered that Violet had told her of several types of women that men hated the most. But she couldn''t remember them one by one anymore.


    "Hey, Steven, come here and look at Sally''s photo. She is so adorable! You remember my daughter, Sally?"


    Carla called out to him after a moment''s reflection. She sat cross-legged on the bed while browsing through the photos in the phone that she was holding.


    Steven purposely put down the book in his hand before helping himself out of the chair and casually walked over to her. "Of course I remember her! Sally is getting more and more beautiful. Her eyes look just like yours, and she has grown much taller.


    Where is Adonis''s photo? Let me have a look at his photo, too."


    Carla was stunned for a brief moment before she regained her composure. She opted not to think much, but she swiftly searched for her son''s photo and promptly tapped on it.


    Suddenly, Steven directly took the phone from her hand instead and stared at the screen.


    "I think Adonis looks more like Mr. An. He is handsome and strong. Judging from his appearance, people can tell that he comes from a noble family," Steven remarked approvingly a


    inst the white sheet, soiling the bed. However, he seemed not to be surprised nor frightened. He merely gazed at the photo in his hand as if nothing happened.


    Once again, she stepped forward to get a closer at him, but she couldn''t move. She forced to lift her feet, but all her attempts turned futile. It seemed that there was something invisible between her and Steven, and she could only watch him anxiously from outside.


    It was not until he couldn''t bear the hacking cough anymore, and he began to gasp violently that the photo in his hand fell.


    Long before the photo reached the ground, it turned to face her, giving her a moment to realize it was her.


    Her heart pounded wildly as she frantically rushed to him!


    She ached so much to see him, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn''t break the invisible barrier.


    Steven, who was lying on the white bed, gradually ceased moving his body.


    Right at this time, thick snowflakes started to drift down from the sky and slowly covered the man on the bed!


    Not long after, the world gradually became icy, white, and dazzling.


    The snow fell on her face, but she was sad that she couldn''t feel its coldness. When she raised her hand to touch her face, she felt something. She carefully wiped it off and brought her hand in front of her face to see what it was. She felt numbed that she didn''t know if it was the melting snow or her tears.


    Then her mind whirled, and the white world in front of her slowly disappeared.


    "Mrs. An? Mrs. An?"


    Carol firmly shook Carla, who was still having a nightmare.


    Carla finally stirred from her sleep and flew her eyes open all of a sudden. She instantly realized that her face was streaming with hot tears. Unbeknownst to her, Steven had already left, and it was dawn outside.


    "Mrs. An, did you have a nightmare?"


    Carol asked while gingerly handing her a piece of tissue paper.


    Carla exhaled a sigh of relief. Though her heart still felt a little heavy, her mind was already at ease, knowing it turned out only to be a dream.

 Chapter 967 Let Him Be

    Carla''s heart was still in pain as she raised her hand to wipe the tears that were streaming down her face.


    "Do you know where Steven might be?"


    She knew that Steven was in the room the night before.


    "I believe that your grandfather needed to talk to Mr. Su to discuss important matters. Anyway, Sir Arthur asked me to let you know that you must be careful while he tries to find a proper solution to your mother''s situation."


    Carol replied as she poured a glass of water and handed it to Carla.


    After Carla received the glass of water, Carol noticed that there was someone at the entrance.


    She walked towards the door to see who was standing outside the house.


    "You won''t have to wait any longer, Madam. Mr. Su is back."


    Carol nodded at Steven as she notified Carla about his arrival.


    With breakfast in his hands, Steven made his way to the nearby table as he looked at Carol with a smirk.


    "I thought that you''d be awake by now, so I decided to bring you something to eat."


    When he turned to Carla, he could sense that there was concern on her face after he put the food on the table.


    "Are you alright, Carla? I can tell by the look in your eyes that something is wrong"


    The way that Carla was looking at Steven set off a bit of worry in him.


    "Do you feel anything weird? Are you hurt?"


    Carla asked. She still couldn''t get the dream that she just had out of her head. The details of everything that happened to Steven in the dream were still vivid in her memory. She landed her eyes on him in a weird way.


    He quickly answered her question as he smiled at her with surprise. "As far as I know, I''m in perfect physical condition. My father asked me to have a thorough medical examination when I was back in JA City and the results were great. I''m totally fine, Carla. Why should I be hurt or something?"


    "Just forget about it. I just needed to know if you are okay."


    Carla took a deep breath and heaved a sigh of relief. After all, it was only a bad dream.


    After Steven reassured her that there was nothing to be worried about, she thought to herself that neither dreams were real in any sense nor could they mean something important.


    Just then, he moved closer and stared at her just when she looked up at him. "Maybe the only one here that isn''t feeling okay is you, Carla. Are you alright?"


    There was an exchange of looks with Steven watching her attentively while she stole glances at him.


    Carla had never seen such bright eyes that they almost looked like two shooting stars. It was not the first time for her to have Steven that close in front of her. However, with the narrowed distance between them, she realize that there was a hint of sadness in his eyes.


    It wasn''t very noticeable. But the closer she looked into his eyes, the deeper she


    "Wow! My stomach is making rumbling noises. I think I''ll have breakfast now."


    Carla pushed a smiling Steven to move him away so she could begin her morning routine. Started by eating the food on the table that had gotten cold.


    She felt great after the decision that she had made.


    After all, there would always be a moment when she would need someone to help her out. To that end, she chose to let him stay.


    Carla said to herself. "I can''t be his only love forever, can I? There are plenty of strong and beautiful women around here. I''m sure he will find the right one sooner or later."


    Carla was convinced that Steven would eventually live a happy life one day.


    It took Steven quite a while to recover from what Carla said. He couldn''t help walking over to her and hugged her tight. "I will forever be grateful for this. Carla! Thank you very much!"


    He didn''t care if she hugged him back or if she was even sincere about it.


    It was enough that she allowed him to stay.


    "Alright, don''t get too excited! I still have a long way to become the clan leader.


    It''s kind of funny that there might be plenty of men who would also want to hug me once I assume the position."


    Carla said jokingly as she looked at him with raised eyebrows. The fact that many handsome men would start sticking around for her was a tempting thought.


    "But in the end, I''ll be the only man to hug you."


    Steven said these words with such confidence as he smirked and opened his arms to let her go.


    Carla shook her head from left to right as she looked at his wide smile. Steven left afterwards. She then finished her breakfast and proceeded to get dressed.


    She remembered that she had matters to discuss with Arthur regarding her grandmother.


    She didn''t want to waste any more time doing nothing even though she hadn''t fully recovered from her illness yet.

 Chapter 968 Adrian

    "Hello, Mrs. An, I have been waiting for your arrival. It''s really nice to see you."


    "Hello! It''s nice to see you too. Do you know where my grandpa is?"


    Carla stepped into Arthur''s room only to find one of the servants cleaning it.


    "Yes Mrs. An, I do know where he is. Sir Adrian and Sir Arthur are playing chess near the western garden. I''d be glad to take you to them if you''d like." Arthur''s young male servant came closer to Carla and bowed to her.


    "Wait, did you say ''Sir Adrian''? Isn''t he Lucia''s grandfather?"


    Carla couldn''t help but ask in confusion.


    "Indeed, you are correct, Mrs. An. And he visited your grandfather for a round of chess." The servant looked up at Carla as he nodded.


    Carla raised her hand to indicate the servant to stop bowing and stand up straight. "Yes please. Could you guide me to them? I need to talk to my grandpa."


    Although she needed to have a word with Arthur, she wanted to see what Adrian looked like since she had never seen him in person.


    It didn''t take Carla more than five minutes to figure out Adrian''s purpose for coming, mainly because these were tense times for all of them.


    The atmosphere in the western garden was fully surrounded by an intense and vibrant aroma that came from the Osmanthus flowers.


    "I can''t believe that you still use the same moves after all these years. Ha-ha!"


    The wind carried the bouts of laughter all around the garden. "And I thought that I was terrible at this game. The years are getting heavy on you brother!"


    A rook was being held in the hand of another elderly man whom Carla assumed was Adrian. He and Arthur were chatting and playing with such enthusiasm.


    Arthur reached out to rub his grey beard as he sighed with a smirk on his face while sitting opposite Adrian. "You''re just five years younger than me. What are you talking about!"


    "You''ve heard the saying my brother, every dog has its day. And today is mine." There wasn''t a moment that Adrian wasn''t smiling.


    Arthur still played along by moving his chess piece with determination as he smiled.


    Although Adrian was five years younger than Arthur, his appearance could trick anybody with ease. His hair was dark like a thirty-year-old man and he was used to wearing outfits that only the youth would put on.


    "Tell me something brother. I know for a fact that by any means, you''ve had no intentions of getting involved in the household tasks in Yu Sea City. Am I right? I don''t quite understand the reason why you''ve suddenly changed your mind about it."


    Adrian needed to understand Arthur''s motives as he kept moving his chess pieces. But he instantly landed his eyes on Arthur looking cheerful and content.


    Arthur went on with his game plan and didn''t take his eyes off his chess pieces. "You said it,


    draw a painting myself and give it to grandma?


    I believe that it would be fair not only to me but for her as well. What do you think?"


    Arthur accidentally choked on his tea as he heard his granddaughter''s suggestion. He couldn''t help but raise both of his hands towards his chest. "Wow! My dear Carla. I totally agree with you. However, your grandma has seen many paintings throughout her life. She won''t go easy on you even if you''re her own granddaughter. Steven is the best and wisest option for you to take right now. Your only obligation now is to take care of your health and get a lot of rest."


    "Alright! You don''t need to care too much about my health condition. I''ll be fine grandpa."


    "That''s good to hear, my granddaughter. Now come with me. Let''s appreciate some wonderful flowers that I have growing."


    Arthur decided to interrupt her talking as he stood up from his chair.


    Carla had little experience with drawing paintings, even before she arrived at Yu Sea City. Arthur was completely right. The smart thing to do, as in chess, was to approach Steven.


    Her eyebrows began to shiver as she thought about it. She clearly had in mind that Steven''s work couldn''t be compared to anyone else''s. Nevertheless, she still felt confident with her painting skills.


    Steven''s talent in painting was on a different and higher level than any other painter in Yu Sea City.


    "My dearest Carla, you shouldn''t even give it a second thought. Just ask Steven for help and that''s it. Now look at the beauty outside. Have you seen flowers like these before? Oh! You know what, I''ll also take you to the Treasure House of Wang Village. You will be blown away!"


    Arthur waved his hand from up and down in front of Carla''s eyes since he noticed that she was lost in thought.


    Carla quickly woke up from her thoughts and came back to the present.

 Chapter 969 Treasure House

    Meanwhile, Adrian had just left the western garden and made his way to his own house.


    "Grandpa, is that you?"


    As soon as Lucia saw Adrian, she hurried to him. "Grandpa, what should I do? I was humiliated yesterday! If word about it spreads out, no one will take me seriously in the future, even if I become the clan leader."


    Adrian patted the back of her hand and comforted her, "Don''t worry about it one bit. Winning and losing is part of a military routine. As a future leader, you won''t be defined by a single defeat."


    To Adrian, his granddaughter wasn''t below Arthur.


    Looking at them, Dorothy added, "Slow down, Lucia. Sit with your grandfather and discuss it calmly."


    With a nod, Lucia finally let go of Adrian''s arm and helped him as they sat down. "Grandpa, please, we need to find a way to fix this. Since Carla''s arrival at Wang Village, I can''t help thinking that Auntie Andrea is just lurking somewhere near and will be back soon!


    If they''re both here, will there be any place for us?"


    At first, she thought Carla was weak. But after what happened the day before, she realized she was wrong. No wonder that woman dared to anger her.


    "Lucia, look at how anxious you are. You''ve been way too spoiled, and now you get mad or upset at the slightest sign of trouble. Your grandmother hasn''t recognized Carla and her mother in our family."


    Dorothy shook her head, annoyed with Lucia''s behavior. The girl had always gotten what she wanted and hardly ever had "no" for an answer. Now she was unable to properly handle pressure and defeat.


    Adrian didn''t have the heart to stand still while his granddaughter was criticized. He said, "Dorothy, please don''t blame Lucia. It''s reasonable that she''s worried.


    I''ve been with your mother for so many years that I''ve gotten to know her intimately. In her heart, she only recognizes Arthur as her true husband. Your third uncle and I are just tools in exchange for power and influence.


    Although your mother is mad at them now, she still cares about Carla. It might seem like she''s only allowed them to stay at Wang Village to regain her health for Arthur''s sake, but I know she actually did it because she loves Carla,"


    Adrian confessed with a long sigh.


    He had only played chess with Arthur earlier


    he turned around and left for Wang Village.


    Meanwhile, at the top of Wang Village, Carla looked at each precious item at the Treasure House as if she had just walked into a museum of antiquities. The only difference that she could point out in Yu Sea City''s unique treasures was that they were really well preserved, even after thousands of years.


    "Grandpa, the things in this house must be incredibly valuable."


    Every piece in the Treasure House was well preserved and intact. So different from those seen in museums, which were dragged out of the soil. These objects here seemed really worthwhile.


    "Callie, our family is a very ancient one in Yu Sea City. Our ancestors go back for over a thousand years. They''ve left us with a large number of heirlooms."


    Arthur smiled as he walked forward. "Come with me. I''ll show you what''s over there in that room."


    Carla looked up at the shelves filled with antiques on both sides. She wanted to take one of them, but she resisted the temptation. If she became the leader of the family one day, every object in this house would belong to her.


    "Grandpa, what''s this?"


    She was following him until he came to a sudden stop in front of a box made of rosewood. The object was delicately carved, looking both mysterious and solemn, while it was settled in the middle of the room.


    Analyzing the pattern on it, she thought it looked familiar.


    Arthur''s features hardened.


    "Callie, I have a question for you. Please, take your time to think before you answer."

 Chapter 970 Always Ready

    Arthur wasn''t smiling, so Carla assumed that her grandfather was being serious this time.


    "Go ahead,"


    Arthur stood in front of the box with his hands behind his back. "Callie, do you understand the path that is in front of you now?" he asked after a moment of silence.


    Carla slowly looked down and remained silent.


    "The future of the Yu Clan depends on you now," Arthur continued. He looked around him and slightly glanced at the sky as he spoke.


    "Once you take on this responsibility, you will no longer live for yourself or as merely another daughter-in-law of the An family. You will never be just another ordinary woman ever again. The future of this clan and of Yu Sea City shall rest on your shoulders.


    Do you understand this, Callie?"


    Arthur spoke slowly to stress the importance of what he was saying. He then turned slowly towards her to see if she truly understood the gravity of his words.


    Arthur''s words overwhelmed Carla that her heart started to pound faster. "Grandpa, can I just be the heir of the family and not of the clan? I don''t want to be the heir of the clan."


    Her main purpose was to find her grandparents and reunite with them. She never planned to be the heir of the Yu Clan.


    "Callie, be serious. Being the heir of the family means being the heir of the clan as well. You become responsible for both at the same time. There is no way to separate the two,"


    Arthur explained patiently with a slight smile on his face. He broke into a mild laughter after he finished speaking. Her question felt refreshing and amusing to him at the same time.


    "But Grandma hasn''t even accepted me yet. Don''t you think it might be too early to talk about this?"


    Carla asked with an embarrassed smile. What Arthur said suddenly made her feel an unseen weight that slowly pressed down on her.


    "She will accept you soon enough. I understand how your grandmother feels. There hasn''t been a new matriarch in Yu Sea City in a long time. It would be pointless for her not to accept you and your mother." Arthur explained patiently with a sigh, "Callie, please promise me this. Be sincere and strong for the trials ahead. It will be a tough road ahead for you."


    "Is that going to be enough? Grandfather, I''m afraid that I might not be good enough. I was not raised in Yu Sea City. And some things can''t be learned overnight..."


    Carla voiced her concerns. Her words gave Arthur a glimpse of the fears that she had inside her. Everything was overwhelming for her and he understood.


    "Callie, always remember that as long as you put your mind to it, you can achieve anything. I have arranged everything for you. Grandpa loves you. Carrie, Steven, and many others are always here to help you,"


    Arthur pointed out to her in a gentle tone as he held her shoulders tightly to comfort her. He spoke slowly to help her take everything in and not overwhelm her even further.


    "So now, tell Grandpa," Arthur said as he held her shoulders firmly with his hands. He then bent down until hi


    ou enjoyed listening to me play when we were younger. And I wanted to surprise you by playing it again for you on your birthday party!"


    Arthur replied with a playful smile. He never let go of her hands as he spoke.


    "You just can''t admit that you''re aging, can you? I haven''t heard you play in a very long time! Would you like to play a song for me right now, dear?" Eleanor replied as she and Arthur stepped forward. Arthur supported her as they walked slowly. She never liked it when others helped her walk, except for Arthur.


    Whenever she was with him, she would always rely on him and wouldn''t mind showing him her weak and vulnerable side.


    "But Eleanor..."


    Adrian started to say something but stopped when he noticed that Eleanor was not paying attention to him anymore. He walked deeper into the chamber to look for Carla, but to his disappointment, Carla was nowhere to be found inside the chamber.


    Ultimately, he had to admit defeat and left.


    After they all have left, a large inconspicuous box in a corner opened quietly.


    Carla stepped out of the box and then sighed in relief. She closed the box then dusted herself carefully.


    She silently walked towards the door of the treasure chamber and then stopped just as she was about to reach it. She turned and curiously looked at the purple sandalwood box that her grandfather showed her earlier.


    She hesitated for a while then walked towards it. Her pace was quiet but determined. She thought that her grandfather would not have taken the great risk of taking her there for no reason. Unfortunately, they were interrupted before he could explain everything to her.


    Meanwhile, Eleanor and Arthur returned to the Phoenix Palace directly from the treasure chamber.


    As soon as the large doors were closed behind them and they were alone once more, Eleanor shook off Arthur''s hands.


    She went straight to her soft chair and sat on it comfortably. Her face became colder than it was before.


    "Arthur, what are you trying to do?"

 Chapter 971 A New Chance

    Arthur sat down and poured a cup of hot tea for Eleanor. He was glad that she wasn''t angry after what had happened. "So, you know it then?" he smiled.


    "Of course, I do. You know I can''t hide anything from you. No matter what I do, you always see right through me.''''


    Eleanor leaned on the chair and looked at Arthur who was smiling at her. "You took her to the treasure house to find out if she''s the true heir of the Yu Clan. Am I right?


    What would you do if you found out that she was indeed your granddaughter? Would you make her the head of the clan without any second thoughts?'''' she asked.


    Andrea was separated from Carla for more than twenty years. When Carla returned to Yu Sea City, claiming that she was Andrea''s daughter, people grew suspicious of her true identity.


    Arthur smiled sheepishly and took a sip of his tea. "I just wanted to test the stone. Does it really possess magic powers?" he asked, cocking his head to the side.


    Yu Sea City had a long history. Just like other clans in the world, it also had its own mysterious legends.


    One of the biggest mysteries of the Yu Clan was the black stone in the Treasure House, which was passed down from the ancestors of the clan to each generation until the present. The stone was of a rare kind and it was said to have possessed magical powers.


    There was a phase in the history of the Yu Clan where witches flourished. Since then, the black gold stone was nourished and safeguarded by the blood of the royal families for hundreds of years.


    Before the advancement of technology, the royal families of the Yu Clan identified their ancestors with the help of the special stone.


    "Stop being presumptuous. That girl is too young to become the leader of this clan. Being Andrea''s biological daughter is not the only qualification to lead Yu Sea City, ''''


    Eleanor said as she took a sip of tea.


    "Don''t say that. You''ve only met her once. How can you judge that she doesn''t possess enough skills to become the leader of the clan?" Arthur smiled fondly and added, "She is incredibly lucky to have found her way back to Andrea despite all the problems she had endured. Moreover, she ha


    faith in me. I won''t let you down.''''


    When Carla was about to finish dinner, another plan lit up in her mind.


    "Steven, have you brought your art supplies? If you don''t mind, can I borrow them?"


    she asked biting her lip. Carla decided to paint a beautiful picture during her free time to impress her grandmother.


    "Yeah, you can come with me to the art studio and grab whatever you want.'''' Steven answered with a smile.


    Arthur frowned when he heard that Carla was going to paint. "Kid, don''t let your mind wander. You should only focus on the big day. Moreover, it''s hard to draw in a short time. So, forget about it and concentrate on your training.


    We already have Steven, he is an amazing painter. Leave the job to him.''''


    Carla opened her mouth to say something but decided against it.


    Steven looked at the two of them and smiled without saying a word.


    After dinner, Carla went to the art studio with Steven and grabbed some art supplies. She was determined more than ever to prove her skills, not only to her grandmother, but to her grandfather as well.


    In the following days, Carla spent the day practicing horse riding and drew intensively in the evening, during her spare time. Steven was busy too. He was either busy drawing or disappeared somewhere.


    Carla was glad that her mother was accompanying her.


    Time passed in the blink of an eye. In no time, the day of the horse riding competition had arrived.

 Chapter 972 The Competition Has Begun

    "Mrs. An, are you ready?"


    Carol asked Carla who was still getting changed in her room.


    Carla stood in front of the mirror, adjusted her clothes one last time, and tightened her hair band.


    "Is the horse ready, Carol?" Carla said as she let out a sigh.


    "Sir Arthur has checked everything, Ma''am. Everything is okay now,"


    Carol replied. Arthur had asked his people to make sure that everything had been double-checked, including their back-up horse, just in case someone attempted to play some dirty tricks.


    "Okay, let''s go."


    Carla picked up her knee pads from the table and walked outside.


    "Ma''am, for the sake of your safety, I asked for Sir Arthur''s permission to let me take part in the competition, too," Carol said as she followed Carla out. She made the decision to take part in the competition because only candidates were allowed to go in, and this was the only way she could stay close to Carla.


    She also asked Terence for a favor. In order to avoid any accidents, she asked him to use the satellite monitoring system to protect his wife all throughout the competition.


    It was clear that Lucia was at an advantage in this competition. After all, this competition wasn''t just about horse racing.


    Apart from horse racing, they also had to climb all the way to the top of the mountain to get a certain flag.


    The road to the top of the mountain was relatively complicated, and, unlike Lucia, Carla was unfamiliar with the environment. Thus, Carol thought it would be best for Carla to have someone around her during the game.


    By the time Carla and Carol arrived at the site of the competition, Lucia and Lori were already there. Aside from the two of them, there were also many other children from the Yu Clan that they had never met before. Apparently, a lot of people had decided to participate.


    Lucia shot Carla a glance from a distance. Then, she turned to Lori and said, "Are you ready, Lori?"


    Lori nodded. She squinted as she answered Lucia, "Don''t worry, sister. I have prepared everything. We have all of our people on our side this time. I promise you that she will be gone by the end of this competition."


    "Well, you take care. I''ll ask Carlota to help you,"


    Lucia encouraged her sister. The route of the race included a cliff and a steep mountain road, so they all had to pay more attention.


    "Sister, I''ve been going through this road for several years. I''m pretty sure I can even go through it with both of my eyes closed. You and mother can just wait for my good news!"


    Lori smiled with confid


    Lori whipped her horse and picked up even more speed. The road in front of them could only accommodate two horses at a time, so as long as the people in the first and second places could maintain their standing in this zone, success was only a step away.


    Carla hurriedly whipped her own horse to catch up with Lori.


    It was not difficult to see that Lori wanted to get rid of Carla in this zone. In addition, she was already familiar with this area that she was able to widen the gap between herself and Carla in no time at all.


    "Slow down, Mrs. An! The road is difficult to navigate. It will be dangerous if you go too fast,"


    Carol reminded Carla as she finally caught up to her.


    The road was very slippery. It would be difficult to stop in her tracks if she went too fast.


    "No, if we don''t catch up with Lori, there will be a very slim chance for us to win. If that happens, the ban won''t be lifted, and that is not the result I want."


    Carla thought about what to do for a quick while before going after Lori with zero hesitation.


    "Mrs. An!"


    Carol frowned to herself and followed her at once.


    Ahead of them, Lori looked at Carla who was falling behind, farther and farther behind, and smiled proudly. However, just as she was about to enter the second round, she suddenly saw a brown horse in front of her, with its head buried in the grass.


    The owner of the horse was taking numerous photos of the splendid scenery with his camera.


    "Mr. Su?"


    Upon realizing that it was Steven in front of her, Lori immediately rode up to him. Then, she pulled the reins of her horse, got down and walked the rest of the way.


    "Mr. Su, why are you here? Have you been waiting for me?"

 Chapter 973 Push Her Down To Feed The Wolves!

    Lori asked, smiling happily, as she walked closer to Steven.


    After taking a picture, Steven looked at his camera to look at the photo then he looked back at Lori and said, "Hi, Lori, I haven''t seen you in a while."


    Lori walked to him and put her hand on his shoulder. She said with a smile, "Mr. Su, do you still remember what you said to me last time? I haven''t been able to get it off my mind. Do you still remember?"


    Steven selected some photos from the camera and deleted the bad ones he had taken. Then he said to Lori with a smile, "Yes, I do. Otherwise, why would I come back here after I made such an effort to leave?"


    Hearing his words, Lori asked in surprise, eyes wide open, "Didn''t you come back for Carla?"


    Steven looked up at her and answered, "Mrs. An has been kind to me. Everyone in Yu Sea City knows that. It''s understandable that I would want to help her but after I''m done repaying her kindness, I have no more business with her."


    Lori was happy to hear that. Indeed, he was a man who valued friendship.


    "Steven..."


    She thought he had come back for Carla and she didn''t expect that he would still have a place for her in his heart, which both surprised and excited her.


    Steven lowered his head and his amber eyes dimmed a little. Then he looked up again, raised his camera and took another photo.


    "Lori, you should go back to your game. If you lose then you''re losing to both Mrs. An and your sister,"


    he said calmly as he continued to take more photos.


    For a while, Lori''s gaze lingered on him before she finally spoke, "You''re right, Steven. I can''t lose!"


    She had been losing to her sister since the day she was born. Just because she was younger, she never had any say in family issues. Everyone in the family wouldn''t take her opinions seriously. So she couldn''t afford to lose this game as this was her only chance to prove herself.


    Lori hoisted herself up back on her horse and glanced at Carla who was just about to catch up with her. She then hurried forward. Even if by some sheer stroke


    er hand was already cut in half.


    Given the current situation, she wouldn''t be able to get the flag even if she did reach the top.


    Carla looked down at her feet. No wonder Lori seemed so chill. She must have planned all of this.


    The rope couldn''t be used anymore so Carla had to climb using just her bare hands.


    When she finally reached the top, she cursed. There weren''t just two men in black waiting for her, there were more!


    "Are you going down by yourself or do you want us to push you?"


    Leading the group of people was Carlota.


    Carla slowly clenched her fists as she looked at the group of people standing in front of her. She was outnumbered. Sighing, she dusted off her clothes in resignation.


    "All right, all right. I''m going down right now, okay?"


    She raised her eyebrows as she was just about to leave.


    She could take down two or three of them but she couldn''t be sure that she could deal with all of them.


    "Wait. I mean, do you jump down from here or do I push you?" Carlota pointed at the cliff and crossed her arms.


    Carla clenched her teeth and thought to herself, ''Damn it! They really want to kill me.


    Fine.


    Then we''re all going down together!''


    "Well, if you don''t want to cooperate with us, then don''t blame me,"


    Carlota said smugly.


    "Guys! Push her down the cliff and let the wolves feast on her!"

 Chapter 974 Carla Fell Off The Cliff

    Outnumbered by the enemy, Carla twisted her wrist strap. Lucia''s people were approaching her, one after the other. She did not want to waste her poison needles. Therefore, she waited until they were closer enough.


    The poisonous needles were fine and were not visible to the naked eye.


    "Don''t move! I won''t show any mercy, ''''


    Carla screamed.


    The people underestimated Carla and ignored her taunts. They continued to walk towards her from all directions, trying to take her down.


    "Carlota, are you sure about what you are going to do? I''m the granddaughter of the patriarch. If something happens to me, they will find you and hunt you down. Think before you make your next move, ''''


    Carla grunted.


    Carlota laughed. "I don''t give a shit. Yu Sea City is not like JA City. We don''t have cameras everywhere. I will tell everyone that you fell off the cliff because you were not careful enough. No one will find out that it was I who pushed you.''''


    Just then, the people advancing towards Carla seemed to fall to the ground in succession.


    "¡­¡­ What are you looking at? Take her!"


    Carlota ordered her people who seemed terrified to attack Carla.


    When they stepped towards Carla, they fell heavily on the ground without making a noise.


    Carla stepped over the bodies of the women, grabbed the flag effortlessly, and shoved it inside her bag.


    "What the hell? What did you do to them?"


    Carlota''s mouth was hanging open in shock when she saw her subordinates collapse to the ground even though Carla had done nothing to them. Carlota was scared out of her wits.


    Her face turned pale as she stepped back, afraid of what Carla might do to her. She didn''t know what was happening.


    "Let me tell you a secret. I''m a witch. Do you want me to cast a spell on you as well?''''


    Carla asked, smirking at her. Carlota wrapped her arms around her head and screamed in fear.


    Carla knew that people of Yu Sea City were firm believers of witchcraft. Therefore, it was easy for her to fool Carlota.


    "No! Please don''t!" Carlota pleaded as she lost her balance and tripped down.


    Just when Carla decided to let her go, there was a sharp pain on the back of her head.


    She yelped in pain and turned around slowly.


    Lori was standing in front of her, gasping for breath, with a stick in her hand.


    Carla''s vision blurred, her knees gave way, and she passed out.


    Fortunately, she landed on the bodies of the unconscious people on the ground.


    "Carlota, what are yo


    had blacked out when Lori hit her, but she regained consciousness in a couple of minutes.


    Luckily, the thin rope wrapped around her waist was strong enough to support her from falling.


    The rope was connected to the automatic device. Carla had planned on pressing the button, but even before she did, the rope had shot out on its own.


    She finally understood why Terence forced her to wear it at all times.


    Carla blew a loud breath and looked at the top and bottom of the mountain, trying to estimate the distance.


    She found it impossible to go up the mountain, so she decided to climb down.


    When Carla took a tentative step down, she realized that the rope was maneuvering her. It guided her safely to the bottom of the mountain.


    Steven climbed up and looked around for Carla. But she was nowhere to be found. His heart was about to explode in his chest.


    "Callie! Where are you?


    Callie!"


    He ran aimlessly, shouting desperately.


    Carol followed him, puffing and panting for breath.


    "Mr. Su, have you found her? Where is she?''''


    Steven shouted, "Carol! ask Arthur to send his people to look for Callie. We have to send our people to look for her before Lucia makes her next move."


    Carol nodded and hurried anxiously.


    Once Carol left, Steven looked around. His eyes settled on the slope in the opposite direction. He climbed down the slope without hesitation.


    Suddenly, some movement towards his right caught Steven''s attention. He saw something slowly descending the mountain. Although his vision was blurry, he still felt a glimmer of hope.


    ''Callie is be fine. Nothing will happen to her, '' he thought to himself.

 Chapter 975 Stuck At The Bottom Of The Cliff

    Meanwhile, Carla finally reached the bottom of the cliff, her legs still trembling from exhaustion and fear.


    One wrong move and she could die.


    In her head, She had already cursed Lucia and her sister Lori a thousand times. She thought to herself, ''Once I get out of this, I''ll make sure to get back at them for everything they''ve done to me!''


    Carla rubbed her knees, took a deep breath, and looked around.


    She glanced at her communication device only to find that it couldn''t get any signal.


    Fortunately, she had a compass with her, so that she wouldn''t get lost.


    As time passed by, Carla felt her legs go numb. She finally stopped when she really couldn''t walk anymore.


    She had planned to get out by morning but now that seemed nearly impossible.


    She was too far away from home and she was only going on foot so it was more difficult.


    Feeling as if her legs had turned to jelly, Carla found a place to rest for the night since it was already getting dark. The wind was starting to get chilly as well.


    Carla rubbed her quivering arms and prayed in her heart, ''No wolves, please.''


    She could stand the cold, but wolves? She wouldn''t know what to do with them.


    "Who''s out there?" Carla shouted.


    She had caught a glimpse of a shadow just when she was thinking about wolves. Needless to say, she was really scared.


    "Callie, it''s me!"


    Then she saw Steven walking towards her from the darkness.


    Carla patted her chest and let out a long breath of relief. "Oh my God, I was scared to death."


    Then she was pulled into a warm embrace.


    Steven suddenly hugged her tightly, his relief evident. "Callie, thank God you''re all right!"


    To his surprise, Carla didn''t push him away. It was because she was cold.


    When she felt his warmth, she had no time to think about other things right now, she was on the survival mode.


    "Callie?"


    Steven released her and looked down at her when she didn''t respond.


    Carla shivered and sniffled. She looked at him with pitiful eyes and sa


    en that day came, she would lose a part of her.


    Still, she''d be happier than anything.


    "Wow, now you have the energy to start lecturing me again."


    Steven pinched her shoulder slightly and said with a sigh, "Callie, why can''t you be a little selfish and just keep me around?


    I''m ten years younger than Terence. I can take better care of you in the future."


    Carla broke away from his embrace and looked at him with her eyebrows raised. "So you''re just going to waste your entire life for that tiny possibility?"


    "It wouldn''t be wasting my life if I''m happy to do it. I have the right to choose how I live my own life like everyone is free to do so,"


    Steven said with a smile, looking into the distance.


    "It''s up to you. You young people always do things on impulse. You''ll change your mind sometime into the future,"


    Carla said, shaking her head. She held the backpack against her body in an attempt to keep warm.


    Steven turned to look at her and pulled her into his arms again. "You''re right. I will leave when I want to.


    You don''t have to do anything. Just be yourself."


    Time passed by.


    After a while, Carla grew sleepy. Just as she was about drift off, she heard footsteps approaching.


    "Hush..."


    Steven heard the footsteps too. He placed his finger against his mouth, signaling her to stay quiet.

 Chapter 976 A Goddess From Heaven

    Hiding behind the rock with Steven, Carla''s ears pricked up the moment she heard the sound of footsteps getting closer.


    "Mrs. An! My lady!"


    When she heard them calling out to her, Carla instinctively wanted to respond, but before she could even say anything, Steven stopped her at once.


    "¡­¡­ Be quiet. Lucia and her sister, Lori, have also been looking for you everywhere. We cannot let them see us before we are absolutely sure that they are our people,"


    Steven said in a low voice as he covered her mouth with his hand.


    They heard the footsteps getting closer and closer to where they were.


    Carla felt her heart leap. Meanwhile, Steven pulled her even closer into his arms as they both listened carefully to the voices within earshot.


    "It looks like she''s not here. Do you think it''s possible that she''s already dead and her body has been taken away or eaten by wolves?"


    "I truly hope you''re right, but if that''s the case, then there should be some blood around, and I don''t see any sign of blood here." We can cut our mission short without being punished by Lucia and Lori if we take back a stone with blood on it."


    "Let''s check elsewhere. Let''s go around this boulder and have a look."


    Upon hearing what they said, Carla couldn''t help but feel both angry and afraid. ''Damn! Lori really wants me dead, '' she thought.


    Carla was so agitated that she accidentally kicked a stone under her feet and made a slight noise.


    "What was that? Is someone there?"


    Upon hearing the sound, the people who were just about to leave immediately stopped in their tracks and said, "Everyone, gather here and search around! We should check to see if she is nearby!"


    As they heard the footsteps getting closer and closer to their hiding place, Steven frowned and shot a quick glance at Carla in his arms.


    "Callie, don''t move. I''ll go out and distract them."


    The Yu Clan was mainly led by women, so the people that were sent out to search for Carla were also mostly women.


    Carla grabbed his hand at once and shook her head. The last thing she wanted was for him to risk his life for her.


    Not missing the fact that Carla was worried about him, Steven smiled and whispered, "So you don''t want me to leave, huh? Good, that means I still hold a special place in your heart."


    Carla did not know how to respond, thinking, '' What was he talking about?''


    "Callie..."


    Then, without another word, he stood up, picked up his backpack, and walked out.


    Carla could only look at his back as he left without hesitation. She couldn''t gauge how sad she was feeling right then, but she really didn''t have much time to be sentimental at the moment. All she could do was listen to the sounds on the other side of her hiding place and hold her breath.


    "Are you here for me? I was so tired that I fell asleep. Were you sent by Arthur?"


    As soon as they caught sight of Steven, the attention


    up pregnant.


    But the women of Yu Sea City seemed like they were not afraid at all.


    "If the women of Yu Sea City didn''t want kids, they can just eat a kind of herb which works as a birth control all year round. That particular herb prevents them from getting pregnant, but the side effect is that their bodies get fatter and their skin gets darker the more they take it,"


    Steven said while sitting up and patting the dust off his knees. He had been in the city for a long time, so he had heard about that herb.


    "Really? They say that men are animals that think with their reproductive organs, and because of this, they can just close their eyes when doing it. I thought you men didn''t care whether the women were beautiful or not,"


    Carla joked as she extended her hand out to him to help him get up.


    Steven raised his head to look at her with a smile. "What I want is sex with someone I love. If not, then I''d rather not have sex for the rest of my life."


    Carla, who was just about to pull him up suddenly felt uncomfortable under his gaze.


    "Don''t look at me like that."


    Steven managed to stand up on his feet, then he grimaced and smiled bitterly. If his guess was right, his body was bruised all over because he had fallen too many times.


    "Callie, whether men think about it or not is one thing and whether they do it or not is another. I admit I have thought about it more than once..."


    "Hmm!"


    As soon as Carla heard what he said, he was kicked by her where it hurt the most. All he could do was muffle his scream of pain with his hand while grimacing and smiling at her. "Kick me as much as you like. If you won''t give me a chance, I won''t have any reason to launch it. It will be useless to keep it!"


    Carla glared at him. He was getting naughtier and naughtier.


    Then, at that moment, they suddenly heard more noises ahead of them.


    "Madam! Madam!


    "Mr. Su! Where are you?"


    It was Carol.

 Chapter 977 Came Back Safe And Sound

    "Mrs. An? Mr. Su?"


    As soon as Carol learned that it was Carla and Steven, she ran towards them happily while discreetly speaking to her earphone, "Mr. An, We found her! She is safe!"


    "Mrs. An, Are you okay?"


    Carol excitedly gushed as she rushed over to them, almost out of breath.


    "I''m fine, Carol," Carla assured her as she was pulled close by Carol for a thorough check.


    Seeing that she was in indeed all right and not hurt, Carol could only heave a sigh of relief, "Mrs. An, we have been so worried about you!"


    Victor, on the other hand, dashed over to Steven as well.


    "Young master, are you all right? Why are your clothes torn to shreds like that?"


    Noticing the hideous damage on Steven''s clothes, Victor immediately draped him with an overcoat.


    "I''m fine. It was nothing serious. My shirt got ripped when I tried to pull myself off a branch on the way,"


    Steven calmly countered while hastily taking the coat off. And without thinking further, he then inched closer to Carla and put it gently on her shoulders as if it was the most natural thing for him to do.


    "Thank you. But you should wear it!"


    Carla blurted out as she quickly turned to face him the moment she felt the warmth seeping in her cold, stiff body.


    Carol, who was fully aware of the situation, quickly interjected, "She is right, Mr. Su, you should use it. I also prepared an overcoat for Mrs. An!"


    "It doesn''t matter. Since it is quite cold, she should dress in layers,"


    Steven plainly insisted before casually walking away.


    Seeing that Steven only had his ripped shirt on, Victor hurriedly took off his own coat and chased after him, "Young master, would you like to wear mine?"


    "No, thanks. I''m good!"


    Steven replied curtly. Soon after, they went on to complete the last leg of their journey and headed back to Wang Village in Yu Sea City.


    After a long and exhausting day and walking almost all night, it was almost dawn when they finally arrived at their destination.


    Only now did she realize how physically drained she was. Although she could barely move her body, she still forced herself to do the important things first. With her last ounce of energy, she resorted to finding her grandmother at that very hour holding the flag firmly in her hand, instead of heading to a room to take some much needed rest.


    Luck was not on her side, because at that time, her grandmother was still in a slumber. But that didn''t deter her fighting spirit, despite her sorry state. She firmly decided to stay and wait outside the Phoenix Palace until the Queen finally woke up.


    While she lowered herself to take a bow, she tried to calm her racing thoughts. She must ask her grandmother to drop the ban as soon as possible. Only in this way could her mother get away from any suffering, and she could also return to Wang Village with her dignity intact!


    In the Phoenix Palace, Arthur busied himself, assisting Eleanor to don her royal gown for the day. He found himself smiling as an indescribable feeling swept over him every time he doted on his wife. But when he cast a glance outside for the second time, his eyes


    and your mother, only one person can freely enter or leave Yu Sea City. Make a choice now."


    As she finished her words, Eleanor reached for her cup of tea and casually took another sip.


    Arthur felt a pang of unease in his heart. He was about to open his mouth to utter something, but Eleanor slightly waved her palm, seemingly gesturing him to stop.


    "Grandmother, I choose my mother,"


    Carla suddenly declared. Her face showed neither a trace of hesitation nor regret.


    "Okay, then you must leave this city right away. Carla, have you completely made up your mind?" Eleanor squinted at Carla, trying to gauge her reaction. She didn''t want to miss it.


    "Yes, I have. Grandma, you are so kind. I came all the way here with my mother to see both of you and grandpa. Now that I''ve met you, I''m satisfied..."


    As Carla spoke from her heart, she looked directly at Eleanor and Arthur, before bowing to show her utmost courtesy to them.


    "But grandmother, although my mother has been away from Yu Sea City for a long time, she is still your daughter. She was also impulsive when she was young. But at any rate, she has already paid for it. She is your daughter, so please find it in your heart to forgive her," said Carla in a soft pleading tone.


    Lifting her head, she trained her eyes back at Arthur. The moment they held each other''s gaze, she suddenly felt her lips quiver. She had to bite it hard before she could manage to say, "Grandpa, I''m sorry that I let you down."


    She could feel that Arthur had a lot of expectations of her. After all, who didn''t want his grandchild to be successful?


    "Please take care of yourself. If it is possible, then I still hope there will be another chance for me to take care of you."


    Carla bowed deeply towards Arthur and then got up and faced Eleanor.


    "Grandma, I''m leaving right now."


    And without another word, she turned around and left. She quickened her pace to get out of the Phoenix Palace as soon as possible.


    But as Carla was about to cross the threshold, Eleanor, who had caught up behind her, called out, "Wait."

 Chapter 978 Terence Came

    Shaking her head, Eleanor looked at Arthur who was on the verge of tears. She felt her heart soften at the sight of this. "Well, since you''re family, I''ll allow you and your mother to enter and exit Yu Sea City as you please."


    Carla was surprised to hear this as she turned her head to look at her grandmother.


    "Thank you for your kindness, Grandma!"


    "But... you will just be an ordinary citizen of Yu Sea City, so will your mother. Since she chose to give up her identity long ago, she waived her rights to enjoy any privileges she may have gotten as a daughter of the royal family,"


    Eleanor added.


    Carla nodded. It was already a good start for her grandmother to make such a concession.


    "Okay, I''m leaving Wang Village right now! Grandma, my mother came all the way and went through so much just to get here. Could you at least meet her?"


    Carla begged as she got on her knees.


    Arthur looked at Eleanor and nodded at her.


    Eleanor stood up and walked to the inner hall. She announced loudly, "Andrea will come to the palace tomorrow. She can enter the Phoenix Palace after she successfully performs the set of ancient etiquette of the clan of Yu Sea City."


    Carla, who was kneeling on the ground, breathed a sigh of relief.


    However, Arthur still looked grim.


    After Eleanor left, Carla stood up and walked towards him.


    "What''s the matter? Grandma agreed to see my mother. Isn''t that a good thing? Why do you still look unhappy?"


    Arthur sighed, shook his head and said, "Well, there''s a lot you don''t know. The ancient etiquette of the clan of Yu Sea City is quite rigorous. You have to be kneeling with every step you make from the foot of the mountain. Your mother isn''t exactly at her healthiest. I''m just worried about her."


    "What?! That''s so cruel!"


    Carla exclaimed.


    She had thought that the etiquette would be formal. The clan of Yu Sea City was very traditional and it made sense that they would have their own.


    That was not what she had expected.


    No wonder her grandma suddenly became so kind and straightforward. The etiquette was cruel!


    "No, I have to ask Grandma to cancel this o


    smart Steven was, he still had to protect himself especially if it came to people who were brutally strong.


    "I will. Callie, I''ll be stronger and soon, you''ll be seeing me differently,"


    Steven said with a smile as he gazed into her eyes.


    When they stepped out of the room, Victor came over and whispered in Steven''s ear, "Sir, the man we''ve been trying to meet finally agreed to see us. Do you want to strike while the iron is hot? We can plan something right away."


    Steven''s eyes lit up when he heard this. He turned and handed the bag to Carol.


    "Callie, I need to deal with something right now. When I get the chance, I''ll visit you at Carrie''s house."


    Then he turned around and left.


    Carla looked at him then turned to Carol who seemed relieved. She asked, "What''s the matter? You seem to know something."


    "Nothing, Mrs. An. I wanted to tell you something but Mr. Su was here so I kept my mouth shut," Carol said with a sigh of relief.


    "What''s that?"


    Carla asked in confusion.


    Carol grinned before speaking, "Mrs. An, Sir Terence is here! He''s waiting for you on the ship right now!"


    Terence was so worried about Carla especially after what had happened. He came early that day but Carla had gone to see the queen, so he wasn''t able to see her right away.


    Carla began trembling and smiled widely when she heard this. Excited, she rushed down the mountain immediately, wasting no time.

 Chapter 979 Miss You

    An extravagant white yacht was docked near the shores of Yu Sea City''s boundless sea.


    A man in a dark grey overcoat stood by the bow of the yacht, peering through a telescope, inspecting the vast mountain ranges beyond the city''s coastal area.


    Just when he lowered his telescope and let out a satisfied sigh


    as he saw a slender figure scurrying towards him.


    "Mrs. An, be careful!"


    Carol said as she saw Carla jump out of the car even before it had come to a halt. She ran at full pelt without listening. Carol ran after her but couldn''t keep up with her pace.


    "Mrs. An, Watch your step!"


    Carol shouted


    but it was too late.


    Carla twisted her ankle when she set foot on the narrow bridge.


    She never got the chance to rest in the last few days. She had been busy, and to top it all off, she had spent the early hours at the Phoenix Palace kneeling on the ground waiting to speak with the queen. Her already tired feet finally gave way when she ran towards the yacht.


    Carla was on the verge of falling into the deep sea.


    But right then, a pair of strong hands pulled her back and a familiar scent filled her nostrils.


    "Watch out! God, why are you careless all the time?"


    Carla''s heart flipped and her stomach fluttered when she heard the resonant voice that she had been longing to hear.


    It was not an illusion, it was indeed the man whom she had missed dearly. She could feel his breath blowing across her face, his strong arms safely wrapped around her waist.


    When Carla''s life was dangling in midair the previous day, her mind was swarming with the thoughts of him. She had recalled every second she had spent with him, every time they made love, quarreled, laughed together. She wished to see him for one last time before leaving this world.


    It was during that time Carla realized the intensity of her love for her husband. She couldn''t imagine a life without him. She was terrified that the rope would give away and she would die before seeing him.


    Almost as if the angels in heaven had heard her prayers, the love of her life was standing before her.


    Carla looked at the man in front of her, raking her eyes across every inch of his face. His chiseled jaw, deep narrow eyes, his soft lips made her heart beat frantically. She felt as if she was in heaven.


    Unable to resist the temptation any longer, she tiptoed, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him hun


    right away. ''''


    Sally nodded and left the room hesitantly.


    "Terence, where is Adonis?"


    Carla asked


    "Adonis is with Dad now. Dad and Aunt Kaylee have been constantly asking about him. So I agreed to let them have him for a couple of days.''''


    Terence sat on the sofa and pulled her into his arms.


    Carla leaned on his chest and let his manly scent engulf her nostrils. "Has Dad found out? He knows everything about me now, doesn''t he?"


    "Well, yes. But you don''t have to worry about anything. Father cares about our family and is only happy that you belong to the Yu Clan. He feels that marrying you was a wise decision.''''


    Terence chuckled and bit her shoulder slightly. "Anyway, how''s everything going?"


    Carla sighed loudly and furrowed her brows. "Don''t ask me. Grandma has kicked me out of Wang Village. We can roam Yu Sea City but Wang Village is off limits. But the upside is she has agreed to meet my mother!"


    Terence nodded.


    "Well, everything will be hard in the beginning. It will get better with every step you take forward. Don''t worry.''''


    Terence lifted her chin and looked into her haggard eyes. "I have planned to stay in Yu Sea City for the next two days so that you can spend some time with me as well."


    Carla''s eyes were gleaming with excitement and she nodded eagerly.


    Ever since she came to Yu Sea City, Carla had been nervous. She did not know what to do or say and panicked every time she had to meet her grandmother. The anxiety was almost killing her.


    It felt nice to be at ease after a long time.


    Terence was her safe haven. He made her life better.

 Chapter 980 Terence Belongs To You Only

    Meanwhile


    In Yu Village


    "Young Master, we have arrived,"


    Victor said as he pointed at the local tea house in front of them. This was where they had agreed to meet someone.


    Steven looked at the tea house which was somewhat of a hidden gem in this busy city. Compared to the other bustling stores around, it wasn''t really eye-catching. Steven paused for a moment to take in his surroundings before going inside.


    After a while, Steven arrived at the third floor of the tea house.


    "Mr. Su, I''ve heard so much about you. Come and take a seat!"


    A middle-aged woman said, motioning Steven to sit down the moment she saw him walking towards them.


    "Jasmine, thanks for the warm welcome. It''s my honor to meet you here." Steven flashed her a charming smile as he sat down.


    "Oh, Mr. Su, you are being so modest. Sir Arthur has assigned you to a very important position. We will have to rely on you more in the Western District in the future."


    This middle-aged woman was the minister of the Western District of Yu Sea City.


    Yu Sea City had four districts: the North District, the South District, the West District, and the East District--all of which were aptly named after their locations. Both Yu Village and Wang Village were located right in the center of the city, so despite their names, they were considered as municipalities.


    In the past, everyone favored Lucia, the eldest daughter of Dorothy. But recently, the political climate in the city had undergone some changes.


    Andrea had finally brought Carla back, and just recently, Carla was able to make a name for herself not only by defeating Lucia, but also by winning the horse-riding competition. It resulted to convincing the matriarch, Queen Eleanor, to lift the ban on her and her mother at last.


    Although Eleanor hadn''t formally admitted Carla into the clan, everyone knew that it was just a matter of time.


    Now the four districts were ready for action. Moreover, since Arthur had already offered Steven a position, it was obvious that they wanted to cooperate with him.


    "We will have a good partnership for sure. Even though I am not a native member of Yu Sea City, I will be spending most of my time here, so if you need any help at all, please let me know,"


    Steven said with a smile as he motioned for Victor to take the book out.


    Since she had already agreed to meet, there was no need for him to beat about t


    At the sound of the softness and calmness in his voice, Carla''s heart started to beat faster.


    No wonder he refused to take her to Yu Sea City every time she begged him before.


    ''He must have anticipated that all of this will happen, '' she thought.


    "Carla, don''t blame yourself for anything. Only when you lose something will you know just how precious it is.


    Maybe that''s the reason why I cherish every moment I have with you so much now."


    Terrence noticed the guilt in her eyes and comforted her with a soft smile.


    A lot of couples would get divorced because of spending so much time together that they would eventually get tired of each other.


    And as the saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder.


    So as long as she was fine, he didn''t care how long he had to wait to spend time with her.


    Terence gently touched her face and saw tears welling up in her eyes. With a frown, he asked, "What''s wrong? I only wanted you to get up and watch the sunrise. Why are you crying?"


    Carla took a deep breath and looked at him with tears in her eyes. "Honey, I''m so lucky to have you as my husband. Did you know that?"


    At that very moment, she felt like all the hardships she had faced before were all worth it.


    She had always complained that he was a jinx that always brought her all kinds of trouble.


    But now, she knew, more than ever, that she was immensely blessed to have met and married Terence.


    "Well, it''s my pleasure. There might be a lot of good men in the world, but...


    I, Terence An, belong to nobody but you."


    Terence looked at her with the sweetest smile.

 Chapter 981 Thanks To Sally

    What he said was a play on words as it had a double meaning.


    He was smart and often let his actions speak for him. Gentleness and silence was his usual demeanor and he often spoke with few words.


    Looking at him, Carla suddenly burst into laughter. She wiped away her tears and wrapped her arms around his neck. "All right, you''re so unique and irreplaceable. I could never find anyone else like you.


    My mother is going to Wang Village to comply to an etiquette ritual of Yu Sea City. I want to go there and see it for myself..."


    Terence nodded and said, "Okay, I''ll go with you."


    Although he wanted to tell Carla that they really couldn''t do anything to help her mother, he decided not to as he knew that no matter what he said, Carla would still want to go.


    However when they finally arrived at Wang Village, they realized that they were already too late.


    Andrea had left long before dawn to perform the etiquette ritual. Before Carla could even get there, Andrea had already gone halfway.


    "Mom! Mom!"


    "Carla, don''t get too close."


    Terence grabbed Carla''s hand and pulled her back into his arms. "It''s useless for you to go after her. Your grandmother gave her this punishment for a reason. She can use this opportunity to atone for her sins."


    Nobody could help her and nobody could do it for her.


    Carla watched Andrea walk up step by step. Even though she was exhausted, she didn''t give up.


    Then Carla looked at the tall and white palace at the top of the steps. She figured that her grandmother must be somewhere in the palace.


    She wondered if the queen would even be concerned or bothered if she saw her daughter like this. She wondered if her grandmother was truly heartless.


    At this moment, on the top of the mountain.


    Someone else was just as worried about Andrea as Carla.


    Arthur stood inside the tall tower and looked down at Andrea, who was coming up step by step. His eyes were filled with tears.


    No one could understand the pain he was feeling in his heart as a father.


    He wanted to take his daughter''s pain and make it his own. He hadn''t seen her in over 30 years and this was his first time seeing her again since then¡ªbeing tortured.


    Eleanor stood next


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    earing this, Arthur lit up. With such urgency, he ordered, "Hurry! Go and bring them here! Let them come up right away!"


    He heaved a sigh of relief. Despite not having met Sally yet, he could already tell that he was going to like her very much.


    Thanks to Sally, Andrea didn''t need to suffer anymore.


    At the foot of the mountain, Carla was looking through her telescope when she saw a figure approach her mother and daughter. Needless to say, she was overjoyed.


    "Terence! Look! Grandma finally showed some mercy!"


    Upon noticing this, Terence beamed. "Well, blood is thicker than water. After all, that''s her daughter and great granddaughter. I bet she didn''t have the heart to see them suffer like that."


    Carla turned to him and said, "Wait, so this is because of Sally?"


    "Of course! Sally definitely helped a lot. Her great grandmother had her servant let them come up to the mountain directly, not long after Sally joined Mom,"


    Terence said with a smile, raising his eyebrows. Putting his arm around Carla''s shoulders, he added, "Let''s go. The next thing is going to be among the elders. We should enjoy the view while we can."


    "But Sally..."


    Carla said with concern.


    "Don''t worry. Her grandma and great grandma will take care of her."


    Terence seemed unfazed. He held Carla in his arms as they got in the car.


    Sometimes, it was the young ones who could help the most. Maybe Sally could help them resolve their long-standing issues as well.

 Chapter 982 What Would Come, Would Come

    In Wang Village


    Andrea held Sally''s hand as they walked along the corridors of the Phoenix Palace.


    Walking through those familiar halls brought many childhood memories. Her mind drifted to the times she had spent here when she was a very young. It was nostalgic.


    "Grandma, are you okay?"


    Sally asked, tugging Andrea''s arms as she lifted her head to look at her.


    Andrea sniffed loudly and bent down to look at Sally, her eyes brimming with tears. "This used to be my home. I have come back to this place after a long time, so I''m a bit emotional.''''


    "Don''t be sad, Grandma. We are back now. You should be happy.''''


    Sally winked at Andrea and stopped when she saw an old man walking towards them.


    Andrea also stopped. Her eyes widened with shock and her heart began to beat frantically.


    She froze on the spot when she saw Arthur staring at her.


    Arthur was swept by a wave of emotions. He was overwhelmed to finally meet his daughter and his eyes welled up with tears.


    He stood there staring at her with his mouth open. Andrea was a young lady when she left, but she had become an old woman now. She had strings of gray hair and there were wrinkles in the corners of her eyes. Arthur was fascinated to see the woman standing in front of him.


    No matter how old Andrea was, she would always be his little princess.


    "Andrea..." Arthur''s voice was quivering with emotion.


    "Andrea, Andrea..."


    He remembered the times he had woken up in the middle of the night, shouting her name, over and over again. He was ready to do anything to see her again.


    But it had taken all these years to finally meet her.


    The tears that welled up in Andrea''s eyes, tumbled down when she heard her father calling her name. His voice had stirred all the emotions that she had buried deep in her heart. She knelt down and continued to sob uncontrollably.


    "Father, I¡­ I''m home."


    Arthur stepped forward and cupped Andrea''s cheeks. He had spent every single day of his life, waiting to hear these words. "It''s so good to see you again. I''m happy to have you back.


    My prayers have final


    ret my decision."


    Andrea tried to defend herself when she saw that Eleanor had lost her temper again.


    "I don''t regret my decision because good or bad, I''m solely responsible for the outcomes of my decision.


    I don''t blame you for any of it. If you had forced and restrained me, I would have despised you.


    I would have hated you for not letting me pursue my happiness. I would have blamed you for shackling my life with your power. But now, I only have unconditional love and respect for you and Dad.''''


    Eleanor''s anger faded away as Andrea''s words touched her heart.


    "When you say that you don''t regret your decisions, why don''t you leave with your daughter right away?"


    Eleanor arched an eyebrow as she took a sip of tea.


    "I have come back because you wanted me to, ''''


    Andrea finally lifted her head to look at Eleanor.


    "What do you mean? When did I ask you to come back?" Eleanor asked.


    Andrea took a moment to compose herself. "Mom, I know you very well. Although Yu Sea City practices monarchy and the oldest child becomes the successor of the throne, you still would have had the option of choosing a successor. But after all these years, you still haven''t picked one.


    I know that''s because you want Callie to become the successor of the throne if you think she is qualified. Am I right, Mom?''''


    Eleanor''s eyes widened as she was dumbfounded by Andrea''s words.

 Chapter 983 An Unexpected Concern

    Eleanor slowly closed her eyes.


    It couldn''t be denied that Andrea already knew what she was thinking.


    Lucia was the best option out of all of them. Despite being Eleanor''s granddaughter, she still didn''t have much potential.


    Eleanor wouldn''t mind training Lucia if she had some sort of aptitude. Unfortunately, Dorothy had spoiled her rotten. All Lucia knew was to take advantage of her power. She didn''t know a thing about management and merely took everything for granted. Needless to say, Eleanor was quite disappointed in her.


    With that, Eleanor refused to appoint Lucia as the successor.


    "I know Callie didn''t grow up in Yu Sea City but she''s very talented and seems to have a lot of potential. I''m sure she can lead the clan as long as you give her a chance."


    Andrea sighed and lowered her head before she continued, "Mom, this is all my fault. I escaped my responsibilities to this family and you''re suffering because of it. You shouldn''t be watching over the family at your age. You''re the one we''re supposed to be taking care of. I''m really sorry for all that I''ve done in the past. But Callie is your granddaughter after all which means she''s still a citizen of Yu Sea City.


    If you believe in her, give her a chance. If she doesn''t pull through, I''ll send her back to JA City right away. It''s up to you,"


    Andrea said bluntly.


    Despite Eleanor''s old age, she was still sharp as ever.


    After giving it much thought, Eleanor decided that it would be best if she made Carla and Lucia compete for it. This was the only fair way.


    Slowly opening her eyes, she raised her hand and rubbed her forehead. "Andrea, Callie''s a good kid. I have no doubts about that. However, she doesn''t have much influence and prestige in Yu Sea City. Being a family leader is no joke, you know.


    Besides, there''s one more thing..."


    She heaved a deep sigh before continuing, "She''s the daughter-in-law of the An family. The An family is extremely powerful. They''re not just any ordinary family. If she inherits the position of the matriarch, eventually, the An family could take over Yu Sea City as well. Don''t you think so?"


    Even though Nicholas had once helped the Yu family and she was extremely grateful to him for that, she couldn''t confuse this with her decision on the succession.


    If


    ent for you."


    Eleanor walked to her chair and sat down, waving her hand to her servant to leave. "I know it''s a hard choice so I will give her some time. When you go back, your job then is to convince her."


    Andrea was just about to open her mouth to say something but eventually, she decided against it.


    She knew there were just some things that she could never escape from.


    She realized that Eleanor had been planning this ever since Carla first visited Yu Sea City.


    Perhaps that was the reason why Eleanor didn''t show herself to Callie when she came to visit then and asked Arthur to meet Callie in her stead.


    Meanwhile, outside the Phoenix Palace.


    In fear that Andrea and Eleanor would get into a fight again, Arthur immediately returned to the palace after buying Sally a present.


    When she heard the door open, Sally rushed to Andrea''s arms. "Grandma, you''re finally out!


    Where''s my great grandma?"


    Sally turned her head and upon seeing Eleanor, she immediately ran to her. Excitedly, she called, "Great grandma!"


    Seeing the little girl running to her, Eleanor''s serious face suddenly softened. She stretched out her hand and said, "Little girl, how do you know I''m your great grandma?"


    Sally rolled her eyes and pouted. "Because mommy told me that I could recognize you right away since you''re so intimidating."


    Eleanor let out a chuckle. She took Sally''s hand and said, "Really? Do you think so?"


    Eleanor didn''t know what to make of Carla introducing her to her granddaughter in such a way.

 Chapter 984 Women Were In Charge

    Sally, being the smart girl that she was, smiled immediately.


    "Not at all! You smiled at me, which means you like me. And I love you too, Great-grandma.''''


    Eleanor shook her head and laughed at Sally. She bent forward and hugged her tightly.


    "You''re a clever girl. You are right, I do like you, ''''


    she said.


    "You are very kind, Great-grandma.'''' Sally grinned happily.


    Eleanor looked at Sally with tender eyes. Sally had easily won her heart with her innocence and sweet smile.


    It had been a long time since Eleanor had seen children inside the palace and having Sally around her made her happy.


    Eleanor decided to let Sally stay to keep her company.


    Andrea went back with Arthur to his yard.


    "So, how did it go?"


    he asked curiously.


    "Father, I think we have made a mistake.''''


    Andrea closed her eyes and sighed loudly. When she opened her eyes, she saw that the room hadn''t changed much since she had left.


    "Why do you say that?" Arthur asked, knitting his eyebrows in confusion.


    Andrea stood up and ran her fingers across the wooden cabinet. Although it was an old one, Andrea could still smell the faint scent of sandalwood.


    "I thought that the An Family would help Callie.


    Moreover, they have extended their hands to support Yu Sea City in the past. So, I thought their marriage would benefit all of us.''''


    Andrea frowned and sat down. Times have changed and so have people. It''s hard to predict what people think.


    "Mom is suspicious of the An Family. She is afraid of Yu Sea City being controlled by the An Family in the future. She feels that they are here with a hidden agenda. So she wants Callie to break up with Terence and live in Yu Sea City for the rest of her life.''''


    "What?"


    Arthur was taken aback. After all these years, he still couldn''t guess what was going on in his wife''s complicated mind.


    "Father, it''s hard to predict the future. I think our plan will end up being a disaster.''''


    Andrea rubbed her eyebrows and took a sip of water.


    She was racking her brains t


    ght it was the right time to see her.


    A slow grin stretched across Carrie''s face when she saw Carla. "Callie, have you robbed the fishermen? My God! You have brought a barrel loaded with lots of fish."


    Carrie shook her head and smiled.


    "I didn''t know what to get you. We have caught these fishes with our bare hands. This is our token of appreciation. I hope you like it, '''' Carla said, grinning sheepishly.


    "Thank you. Is this your husband?"


    Carrie asked, raking her eyes across Terence''s body.


    Carla nodded in return.


    "Terence, this is Aunt Carrie. She is Mom''s best friend. She was the one who protected me and took care of me when I first came here.''''


    Terence bowed politely. "It''s nice to meet you, Aunt Carrie.''''


    Carrie smiled in return.


    "Callie, I''ve already prepared a room for you and your husband. You can stay here for the night. I need to discuss something with you later.''''


    Carla bit her lip and looked at Terence. She was worried about him as he was not used to staying at a stranger''s house.


    "Sure, I will stay where Callie wants me to stay.''''


    Terence squeezed Carla''s hand reassuringly.


    Terence understood that he was in Yu Sea City and the customs here were different from those where he came from.


    Women were in charge of this place. Therefore, he would obey the rules and dutifully follow his wife.

 Chapter 985 Carla Was Lucky

    Carla couldn''t help but laugh at Terence''s obedience. With a smile on her face, she turned around and said to Carrie, "Auntie Carrie, my husband seldom comes here, so I want to spend as much time as I can with him here alone. We won''t be disturbing you tonight.


    But I promise you that we will have dinner at your home."


    Carla grinned. Terence was a very sensitive guy, and she had to consider his feelings.


    Terence was a neat freak, and since Carla knew that he would be uncomfortable sleeping on someone else''s bed, she wanted to do what she could so that he wouldn''t feel that way.


    "Okay. It''s up to you,"


    Carrie said, nodding her head in agreement. She could tell right away that Terence was a very important person to Carla, and no one could replace him in her heart. No wonder Steven couldn''t win her heart despite being extremely handsome.


    Evening finally came.


    To show her hospitality, Carrie served them a huge variety of fish dishes--some grilled, and the others steamed. Carla seemed to really enjoy all of the food.


    Terence ate more than he talked. Every once in a while, he would help Carla pick out fish bones and even put more food on her plate.


    This came as a huge surprise to Carrie. She had actually been planning to take this opportunity to teach him a lesson about the rules and etiquette in Yu Sea City.


    She had initially thought that, since he was born as the heir of the AJ Group, Terence would be an arrogant man who was unwilling to serve his wife.


    But to her surprise, Terence happily served Carla throughout their dinner without even saying a word!


    After dinner...


    "Callie, let''s go to the side hall,"


    Carrie proposed as she stood up from her seat.


    "Okay."


    Carla followed with Terrence by her side.


    However, to her surprise, the moment the two of them arrived at the door, Carrie turned to Carla and said in a serious tone, "Callie, what we are about to talk about should be just between us women."


    Carla cleared her throat and shot a quick glance at Terrence.


    "Auntie Carrie..."


    "Somebody tell my two husbands to come here and keep Terence company!"


    Before Carla could get another word out, Carrie asked her subordinates to bring her husbands over.


    Terence raised his eyebrows. When they were having dinner just moments ago, he had a feeling that there was something Carrie wanted to say, and now, she finally got the opportunity.


    Nathan, who had been walking behind Terence, couldn''t help but feel a little annoyed when he saw how Terence was being treated.


    "Please watch your attitude! How could you treat Mr. Terence like that? How dare you!"


    Nathan said wi


    ste time anymore. Lucia and her mother know about the threat, and they are now trying to win people over to their side. If we sit and do nothing about it, the situation will no longer be in our favor,"


    Carrie said, pounding the table hard.


    "But Auntie Carrie, won''t the next matriarch be determined by my grandmother?"


    Carla asked with a frown.


    Carrie smiled and shook her head. "Callie, you don''t know much about Yu Sea City and its politics, so you have no idea just how complicated it is! Such an important thing cannot be decided by just one person.


    It is true that the matriarch has the final say in making the decision, but she has to consider the opinions of other people, too.


    The influence of Lucia and her mother is notable in Yu Sea City. In addition to that, they also have a wide range of contacts. You''re new here. Do you think you can gain a firm foothold here with no one supporting you just because you''re the eldest granddaughter of the matriarch?"


    Upon hearing Carrie''s explanation, Carla nodded and said, "Yes, you''re right. There really is a lot that I need to learn from you."


    Carrie looked at her with a smile and took a sip of water.


    "You are quite lucky! Mr. Su has your back and is helping you establish relationships with the people here.


    He has been in touch with the head of the Western Tribe, and they have given him a lot of good things. A few days ago, the head had a meeting with Mr. Su, and she promised to be on our side!"


    "Steven?" Carla asked, clearly taken aback.


    "Yes. I heard that Mr. Su grew up in a political family, so he has a lot of connections with people in this field. Plus, he is very smart, and he has already begun to help you with his resources,"


    Carrie said with a bright smile.

 Chapter 986 They Had To Part Again

    Carla didn''t know how lucky she was for having such a talented and trustworthy man, who would always help her whenever she needed him.


    If she ever failed to return the favor, everyone would assume that she was a heartless woman.


    Carla heaved a sigh after taking a deep breath.


    "I truly appreciate everything that you are doing for me, Steven. But would you ever get mad at me if I wasn''t able to pay you back?" She whispered to herself.


    Terence was standing at the entrance as she walked out of Carrie''s house.


    Although she was feeling sorry for the man that stood by the door, she had nothing but the look of admiration for him. Without giving it a second thought, she jumped on him and hugged him tightly.


    "I can''t describe what I''m feeling right now, Terence. I''m truly sorry. I really hope that you don''t believe everything that you hear out in the streets! I would never say such things about you! Never! Aunt Carrie is out of her mind!"


    She took a pause and thought to herself, ''From now and on, I''ll do the right thing for the two of us. I swear in the name of my grandparents.''


    A strong wind rippled through her clothes, which made some parts of her dress flutter in the air.


    "I should remind you of what I told you when you just arrived here at Yu Sea City. Can you remember what that was?"


    The wind was hitting so hard so Terence handed his overcoat to Carla and wrapped it around her.


    He leaned towards her and whispered in her ear. "Just tell me what I said to you, Carla."


    Carla nodded after taking a few seconds to think. "Of course I remember, Terence. Despite what the circumstances were going to be, I would have to stay by your side."


    A wave of relief washed over Terence as he heard what he really wanted to hear. He moved closer to her and grabbed her waist firmly. "Even if you remember my words, I feel compelled to repeat them.


    Whatever happens to us from today, you have no choice but to stay with me! You are meant to be with me forever and ever! Even if the future brings us hell, we''ll stick together!"


    Carla took a deep breath once again as she had her arms crossed around Terence''s neck. Before replying to him, she tiptoed so she could whisper in his ear, "What makes you think that I would ever leave you? You are the man to whom I have reserved a huge spot in my heart. You''re the man whom I married and gave life to my children for. Do you really believe that I would betray you and leave you like an abandoned animal?"


    Terence felt comforted as he stretched out his back and sighed while smiling at her. "I see that you haven''t changed one bit. You are the mother of my children and you will always be. But most importantly, you are the love of my life. I will never be able to go on without you!"


    Terence reached out to wipe the tears off her face before letting her go.


    "I don''t care if our lives are compromised in the


    ig, long hug. "And I''m sure that you understand as well, honey. But it doesn''t matter because we will see each other very soon. I''ll miss you so much! I''ll sail back to JA City as soon as I can. I promise!"


    Sally''s eyes were wet as she nodded at her mother.


    "Don''t worry mommy! As you said, I''ve grown! I will look after my father and my brother all the time."


    Carla couldn''t believe how mature her little girl had become.


    Terence and Sally turned towards the ship that was waiting for them as Carla stayed behind in Yu Sea City.


    Carla felt sadder and sadder as the ship started to vanish in the distance.


    She knew that life was like a roller coaster. One day you would say hello and then the very next day, you must bid farewell. But in the end, soul mates would meet again.


    Every goodbye was meant to make the bond grow stronger and tougher than ever before.


    "I don''t want to disturb you during this difficult moment, Mrs. An. But may I ask if we should go back now?"


    Carol approached Carla calmly as she was still standing and watching the ship disappear in the horizon. She thought for a moment that she would be capable of waiting for them right in that spot until they came back.


    Once the yacht was out of sight, Carla gradually turned around and realized that time was shorter when it came to spending it with her husband and daughter.


    "You''re right, Carol. We must go back now. By the way, did you notice if my grandparents have returned to the palace?"


    Carla finally returned to reality after she had cleared her head of the saddened thoughts.


    She knew for sure that the sooner she dealt with her important tasks in Yu Sea City, the faster she would be able to go back home and reunite with her family.


    "They had already arrived before I came here for you, Mrs. An. They''re in the courtyard now. Carrie has arranged everything."


    Carol gave an immediate response to Carla''s question.

 Chapter 987 I Admire Your Courage

    --


    On the yacht, Terence had just taken Sally back to the cabin when he caught a glimpse of Yu Village through the window. He stood there with his eyes fixed on the view, completely lost in thought.


    Sally was still young and easily distracted by the cartoon show that he got her to watch, oblivious to what her father was looking at.


    "Mr. An, it seems that this Steven is somewhat capable. I heard that the minister of the Western District has already pledged support, but the South is still hesitating,"


    Nathan whispered to Terence.


    It had never occurred to him that a docile and defenseless painter like Steven would be able to pull this off.


    Terence glanced at the waves lapping on the stern. Then, he took a cigarette out of his pocket and casually lit it. "Let him be."


    "But Mr. An, are we just going to stand still while he gets closer to Mrs. An?"


    Nathan asked worriedly. He wasn''t comfortable with another man by her side, especially someone as good-looking as Steven.


    "I''m sure that if it isn''t him, it''s going to be someone else." After taking a drag from his cigarette, Terence exhaled the white smoke and then added, "Arrange for someone to keep an eye on my wife and for any related movement. If something comes up, let me know immediately."


    Nathan nodded. "OK, Mr. An, I''m on it!"


    Terence flicked the cigarette ash in his hand and returned his gaze at the vast sea.


    ¡ª¡ª


    --


    Meanwhile, in a quiet courtyard in Yu Village, Carla was about to go into the house when she caught a glimpse of Andrea inside.


    "Mom!"


    Carla hurried towards her.


    "Callie?"


    Andrea sighed with relief. She took Carla''s hand, happy to see her safe and sound in front of her. "What happened to you? I heard that you fell off a cliff? Are you hurt?"


    Andrea wasn''t aware of it until someone informed her just recently. Luckily, her daughter was already fine by the time she heard the news. Otherwise, she would have been worried to death.


    Carla spun around and reassured her mother with a smile, "Everything seems to have fallen in place, doe


    ails about it.


    "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Hua."


    Smiling politely at Andrea, Steven began to explain, "I met Sir Arthur in Yu Sea City in one of the events here and we soon became friends. With Queen Eleanor''s birthday so close, I promised to do a painting for her as a gift. That''s why I''m here."


    "Ahem!"


    Carla couldn''t help but let out an obvious cough. How could he look so innocent and pure while distorting the truth with such ease?


    "Oh, I see. Father, why haven''t you mentioned this before?" Andrea asked, staring at him.


    Arthur stroked his beard with a forced smile on his face. What was he supposed to say?


    In the end, he figured it might be better if Andrea found it out herself.


    "Well, Steven is both friends with me and Carla. So technically, he''s also a part of this family now. Now, let''s sit down and chat..."


    He stretched out his hand, gesturing for the three of them to sit.


    Andrea did as her father instructed, but couldn''t help looking back and forth from Steven to Carla and then to Arthur.


    They seemed to act naturally as if they were already used to such a gathering.


    In fact, the three made it a habit to always have lunch together in Wang village.


    Carla rubbed her hands after finishing up her orange. Looking up at Arthur, she asked, "Grandpa, about what I had asked you to investigate before, have you got any clues so far?"

 Chapter 988 Enlightenment Teacher

    Arthur reflectively shook his head and said matter-of-factly, "It has been a long time. The people arranged to go HA City at that time have long gone. Even if we figure out the truth, it would be hard to gather any evidence.


    At any rate, I still requested someone to inquire about it. As long as there is any new information, I''ll surely track it down."


    Carla gently nodded in agreement. And after a while, she bluntly spoke her mind, "Grandpa, what people in Yu Sea City value most is the moral codes and etiquette. If we can find the evidence, it''ll unquestionably outweigh anything else."


    Still looking intently at her, Arthur readily agreed, "That''s right.


    Dorothy secretly posted someone to slip in and blend among the people I especially arranged to deliver the gifts. At that time, you were still a baby, and she intended to take you away. It was all for her selfish interests, that she even didn''t care about her entire family. If this disgraceful thing spreads like wildfire, it will have a far-reaching impact on her and her daughters'' reputation in Yu Sea City."


    Andrea, who was keenly following Arthur and Carla''s conversation, suddenly fell into a daze. Her face turned ghastly pale.


    Her mind was in chaos as a myriad of thoughts raced wildly in her head. Although many years had passed, she could never calm herself down every time people brought up the painful past.


    Steven, on the other hand, remained silent as he thoroughly absorbed the whole conversation between Arthur and Carla.


    "Sir Arthur, I think we can get the proof from Adrian. Dorothy alone couldn''t have wrapped up the whole thing rather perfectly. I think he must be involved in this,"


    Steven suddenly butted in after pondering for a while. He couldn''t help suggesting such a plausible idea, which he deemed might be helpful.


    "That''s more likely. Chances are, he conscientiously planned most of the unthinkable things that Dorothy executed. I know who he is, and I''ll send someone else to spy on him right away,"


    Arthur concluded. He wore a formidable expression as his fingers touched his grey beard.


    Andrea''s emotions were still in turmoil while being reminded of those events in the past. Feeling too uncomfortable, she hastily stood up and gingerly made her way towards the window, intending to take in some fresh air.


    "Mom, what''s wrong? Are you okay?"


    Carla instinctively asked as she hurriedly ran after her. She felt alarmed, noticing how pale her mother''s face was. So she quickly reached out for Andrea''s arm to give her support.


    "That fateful event of that year made me live through these years with a heavy and aching heart. By then, my sister turned into a stranger to me.


    With a gloomy sigh, Andrea darted a glance at Steven and then at Carla before probing, "Tell me the truth, why does Mr. Su know so much about this matter?"


    Maybe it was because Andrea had no inkling or didn''t keep up with what was going on between Carla and Steven. Or, more likely, she was feeling somewhat uncomfortable now, remembering that she used to have some unpleasant experiences with Steven''s father.


    "Mom, do you feel uncomfortable because of what occurred back then, or is it because of Steven?"


    Carla spoke in a barely audible voice, quickly throwing a glimpse at Steven.


    Andrea gently shook her head, not feeli


    r all. He didn''t know anything about love-making matters between a man and a woman.


    "Steven, it''s not an injury,"


    Carla began as she didn''t know how to explain it. She felt a little embarrassed, but she went on, "Anyway, you will know what it is when you have a girlfriend someday."


    Steven was all the more bewildered, and he stood there unmoving for a while, seemingly giving it some thought. Then he muttered under his breath, "Yes, I do have a girlfriend. But I still can''t figure out what that thing on your neck is."


    Carla was almost choked by his words. She looked at him in surprise, "You do? Are you sure?"


    "I''m sure,"


    Steven blurted out. But, he was still wondering, ''who said that your girl would get bruises all over her neck after she became your girlfriend?''


    "Well, have you ever... Ahem, made love?"


    Carla hesitated. Raising her eyebrows, she then asked him outright.


    She couldn''t help groaning inwardly, thinking, ''why did it seem that she had always been his first teacher?''


    Hearing that, Steven was lost in a daze. And after contemplating for a while, he responded, "Err... We sort of did it."


    Carla''s jaw dropped. She was so startled that her heart was going to burst with excitement at the fact that Steven seemed to have experienced many things she didn''t know about. But he had changed too fast, hadn''t he? The last thing she remembered, he had just confessed that he loved her.


    ''Oh no, it should be a good sign!'' Carla swiftly regained her composure.


    "Then maybe you''re much gentler. Next time, when you are having sex, you can suck your girlfriend''s neck with more strength, and I''m sure you will leave a mark!"


    Carla almost slapped herself when she suddenly realized she said that out loud.


    And what was worse, she didn''t feel an ounce of awareness.


    Steven could only stare at her with his clear eyes. He was beyond shocked.


    Moments passed when he finally realized it. It was Terence who did that to Carla.


    He hated to admit it, but he was too stupid and inexperienced when it came to this aspect.


    "Forget it. I''m afraid she would beat me to death..."


    Steven lowered his head and said dejectedly. He even sounded a bit disappointed with himself.

 Chapter 989 Incident On The Sea

    She had a bad temper. She would beat him up to a pulp if Steven even attempted suck out a hickey.


    Carla burst into a fit of laughter. She shook her head and patted him on the shoulder. "Wow. Your girlfriend seems strong to me.


    She sounds like someone from Yu Sea City. Women of Yu Sea City are violent and like it rough. Don''t worry you can make her change sometime in the future.''''


    Steven looked at her but remained silent.


    Carla seemed to be in good mood, forgetting how irritated she was just minutes ago. He did not want to ruin it for her anymore.


    "You can talk to me if you have any doubts. There''s no reason for you to be embarrassed about it.'''' She smiled.


    "I''m tired. I''m going to my room to rest.


    We can talk in the afternoon.''''


    Carla yawned and walked to her room.


    Steven watched Carla leave, happily humming a song. He couldn''t help but feel dejected.


    "You are excited to hear that I have a girlfriend, ''''


    he muttered to himself.


    When Carla entered the room, she saw that her bed was tidied up, and everything seemed to be in place.


    She took off her coat, threw it on the chair, and slumped on the bed.


    She was upset that Terence had left. She missed him already. She settled on the bed comfortably and grabbed her phone. She scrolled through the pictures that were taken during the last two days when Terence was still in Yu Sea City, and slowly drifted off to a deep sleep.


    A soft knock on the door interrupted her slumber.


    "Come in, ''''


    Carla mumbled in her sleep.


    She squinted her eyes to look at the man who was walking towards her. She was still sleepy and everything felt like a dream.


    "Grandpa has received an invitation from Sam. His daughter''s wedding is the day after tomorrow. Grandpa wants us to attend the wedding on his behalf, '''' Steven said.


    ''''Callie, are you listening?"


    He walked closer and touched her shoulder as she was still sleepy.


    "All the important people of Yu Sea City will be attending the wedding. Grandpa wants us to get acquainted and befriend as many people as we can.''''


    She propped her head on the palm of her hand and rubbed her eyes.


    "Yeah, I know, '''' she muttered and went back to


    ke to reach the East Island.''''


    Victor staggered to his feet and left.


    He returned after a while. "Master Su, it will take three more hours to get to our destination.''''


    Steven walked into Carla''s cabin and found out that she was already awake and was staring at the sea with wide eyes.


    "Steven, look!"


    Steven followed her gaze and saw a faint light flickering at a distance.


    "They are coming." He frowned.


    Carla sighed.


    "I''m not surprised. They have been furious ever since the south region took our side. I don''t think they will make it easy for us to get to the Eastern Island.''''


    Lucia had friends everywhere. She had anticipated that Carla would go to the Eastern Island. She would use all her power to stop her.


    Lucia felt that attacking Carla in the middle of the ocean would be the best way to defeat her.


    There was no way to escape. Lucia could kill her and throw her to the sharks. No one would notice it.


    "Where''s our spare ship? When will it arrive?"


    Carla asked.


    "I''ve just sent a signal. If everything goes well, it will be here anytime now,"


    Steven said as he continued to inspect the surrounding waters. ''''Callie, can you swim?"


    he asked when he saw the light coming closer towards them.


    They had to hide first.


    They were running out of time and it would be stupid to fight them back. They did not know how many people Lucia had deployed. It was best to escape before they got close to the ship.

 Chapter 990 Abducted At Sea

    Carla shivered instinctively when she heard that they were going to swim.


    She glanced at the water and felt that it would be freezing at this hour. Cold breeze was brushing against her skin. She was scared of even touching the water. Did she really have to do it?


    When she turned around, she saw that Steven had already changed his clothes. "Callie, come on, put on this life jacket."


    "You guys go. I''ll stay here."


    Carla frowned when she saw the strange ship approaching them.


    "No way! You are coming along with us. We have enough oxygen cylinders here. They will support us until our new ship arrives.'''' Steven grabbed the life jacket and helped Carla put it on.


    "Victor, Carol! Get off the boat!"


    Steven inspected the surroundings. He thought that it was unsafe to wait any longer.


    The strange ship was coming closer. Carol and Victor were ready to jump from the side of the ship and hide in the water.


    Steven took a deep breath, pulled Carla and they both plunged into the sea.


    Carla heard muffled noises when Lucia''s men boarded their ship.


    "Hurry up! All of you, and search every corner of this boat! Let''s make it quick!"


    Carlota ordered. She instructed some of her men to get into the boat while the others to poured oil all over it.


    "Carlota, there''s no one in the boat, '''' one of her men said.


    "What? How is that possible?" Carlota''s eyes widened with disbelief.


    She scurried to the cabin in search of them.


    She stomped her foot in annoyance when she saw the empty cabin. "That''s impossible. I heard they took this boat, '''' Carlota grunted and continued to look around.


    "Carlota, the tea is still warm. I think they''ve found out we were coming and left, ''''


    Carlota''s subordinate said as he touched a kettle on the stove.


    Carlota walked to the helmsman and grabbed his collar. "Tell me! Where are they?"


    "I don''t know. Nobody is here. I was asked to give the gifts to Sam, ''''


    he said, shaking his head innocently. Steven had already instructed him not to disclose their whereabouts.


    "Don''t you dare fool me! My men had seen her board the ship. Are you going to tell me that she has disappeared in the middle of the sea?" Carlota kicked the helmsman and stared at the quiet sea.


    Something was terribly wron


    ave come to you.''''


    Carla smirked and patted Carlota''s pale cheek.


    "Carol, have you managed to save our helmsman?"


    "Yes, ma''am. The rescue team has arrived. They have also brought the spare gifts from Mr. Arthur with them, ''''


    Carol replied.


    Although Carla was unaware of Lucia''s sinister moves, her grandfather was smart and experienced to speculate and anticipate Lucia''s moves. He was already prepared with another set of gifts, in case Lucia tried to destroy them.


    "Look, Carlota. If you behave yourself, I''ll think about letting you go when we reach the island. If you don''t, I will burn you alive. Just the way you had planned to kill us.''''


    Carlota shuddered and swallowed in fear.


    "Yes ... Yes I will do as you say. Please don''t be mad at me. My noble lady, I''m nobody. You don''t have to get your hands dirty. I''ll do anything. The ship is yours now. Please don''t kill me!"


    Carlota pleaded as she stretched her hand to her back.


    Just when she was about to press the emergency button, Carol grabbed her hand and twisted it, making Carlota yelp in pain.


    "Ooowww! It hurts!''''


    She cried.


    "Do you think I''m stupid?"


    Carol snatched the device that Carlota was secretly using to communicate with someone and threw it into the sea.


    "Carol, tie her up! I''m going to take her to the Eastern Island and throw her under Lucia''s feet. Let me see how Lucia attends the wedding with a helper looking like this."


    Carla sneered with disgust and then went to change into dry clothes.

 Chapter 991 Eastern Island

    Carla had to get rid of her wet clothes quickly. She had been soaked in cold sea water for so long.


    The cold air hit her skin with a bite so she hurried into comfortable, dry clothes.


    Just as she had finished changing, Steven came in.


    He had brought her a steaming cup of ginger tea.


    "Callie, have a drink. You need to warm yourself up,"


    Steven said as he put the ginger tea on the table beside her. "And don''t worry. The people on the ship have been replaced. Grandpa had taken everyone back except for Carlota."


    Carla took the ginger tea and enjoyed the warmth that spread throughout her body and to her cold fingers. She sat down, taking a sip of the tea, saying, "Give Carol and Victor some ginger tea as well. This season is too cold. We should all be careful not to catch the sniffles."


    "They already had theirs,"


    Steven said with a smile. Just as he finished his words, he blew a loud sneeze that wracked through his body.


    "How about you? Have you had your tea already?"


    Carla asked, worried about his cold.


    Steven didn''t answer. As soon as the tea was ready, he hastened to bring it to her and he hadn''t had the time to drink his yet.


    "Men like me have strong bodies. A little sea water won''t hurt me. I''ll be fine."


    He hadn''t changed clothes yet and his usually handsome face looked a little pale. Carla couldn''t help but ask, "Are you sure you''re fine? Go back and change into some dry clothes. We are going to a place we are not familiar with. You may not have a good rest if you get sick."


    Steven nodded and said, "Okay. Get some rest while I change. We''ll arrive at the Eastern Island in two hours. When we get there, we''ll be able to relax."


    They were supposed to arrive at the Eastern Island at around three in the morning. So they had time to get some rest.


    Carla waved at him, urging him to leave.


    Two hours had passed quickly.


    Soon, they arrived at their destination.


    Carla got off the ship with Carol and Carlota on her heels. The latter was still under escort when they disembarked.


    Led by Arthur''s men, they proceeded to a hostel. They decided to visit the leader at first light.


    In the meantime, their group decided to take another short rest.


    At the break of dawn, they slowly roused through their naps and began to prepare f


    As soon as she heard the servant announce Carla''s attendance, she stood up and went out to greet her in person.


    Beside her, Lucia went pale white.


    With shaking hands, Lucia placed the teacup on the table a bit harder than normal. She didn''t expect to see Carla alive. This situation was what she had been worried about.


    Damn it! What did Carlota do? Carlota was so useless that she couldn''t get the task done.


    Clenching her teeth, Lucia looked around and stood up.


    She had her family''s reputation to protect. While this was not in her plans, she still had to pretend that she was on good terms with Carla.


    Carla looked at the woman with a square face walking towards her from the hall. From a distance, she started to bow down to greet her.


    "I''m honored to meet you, Lady Sam. My grandfather is old and can''t show up in person, so he asked me to meet you on his behalf. I hope you don''t mind."


    As she spoke, she waved at the servants to bring in their gifts.


    Sam looked Carla from head to toe.


    "Not at all, Lady Carla. It''s a great honor for me to have you come here in person. Please come this way and take a seat!"


    Just then, Lucia walked out of the room.


    She clenched her fists as she looked at Carla, with Steven behind her.


    "Callie, I remember that you haven''t been recognized by the matriarch yet, so you are not supposed to come here on behalf of Grandfather Arthur. Think about it. What you are doing now is a huge disrespect to Grandmother!"


    Lucia said as an evil smile spread on her face.

 Chapter 992 Teach You a Lesson

    "Callie, how dare you ignore the matriarch''s order!"


    Lucia walked closer to Carla and Steven. With each step, she could feel her fury and resentment build up. She was furious to see them together.


    She was supposed to be the matriarch. It was her who was supposed to be with Steven. Why did Carla have to take both of them away from her?


    Carla smirked as she fixed her stare at Lucia.


    "Lucia, how dare you call me Callie? Yu Sea City is known for respecting our seniors. According to our customs, you should call me older sister.


    Even though grandma hasn''t made my identity public, I''m still your cousin. Do you understand?"


    Carla had never thought being the eldest granddaughter would have its perks.


    She used to wish for an older brother or sister. It would have been nice to be taken care of for once, or to have someone share the responsibility with her.


    But since coming to Yu Sea City, she realized that being older had its advantages.


    "Don''t flatter yourself. I''m the eldest daughter in the Yu family. Who do you think you are?"


    Lucia confidently said, but her pale face betrayed her nerves.


    "Really? If you don''t see me as your older cousin, why did you send people to greet me? Speaking of which, I want to thank you for your kind and considerate behavior,"


    Carla whispered in Lucia''s ear with a smile.


    "What do you mean?"


    Lucia''s face turned even paler.


    "What, you don''t know? There was a problem with my boat. If you hadn''t sent Carlota to meet me, I wouldn''t have made it in one piece!"


    Carla blinked her eyes innocently. Her smile grew wider.


    "What? What did you say?"


    Wide eyed with fear and trepidation, Lucia could only stare at Carla. Anger and embarrassment were violently mixing in her bloodstream like a potent potion.


    Carla waved her hand at Carol, gesturing for her to bring Carlota in.


    "¡­ Lucia!


    Help me!" As soon as Carlota saw Lucia, she immediately cried out for help.


    Lucia could tell Carlota''s hands were tied behind her back.


    "Relax, Lucia. I will release her as long as you call me older sister in front of everyone. Or, would you prefer that I tell them about my wonderful journey here?"


    Carla dared, raising her eyebrows as she stopped Lucia from moving towards Carlota.


    Everyone around them knew what Carlota h


    d to lead her away.


    He walked Carla back to her room.


    Once inside, Carla could finally let out a sigh of relief. She had been dizzy from the wine she had consumed and the exhaustion. It had been such a long day.


    She took a look at Steven and said, "Thank you, Steven. You can go back to your room and get some rest, too."


    Steven looked at his watch before he moved closer to her.


    "You can get some rest in the afternoon, but you must mingle and rub elbows at night. Everyone will be coming to the party tonight. I know you don''t enjoy crowds like this, but you have to at least make an appearance."


    Carla nodded, and leaned on the soft cushion of the sofa. "I know. That''s why we''re here. I know."


    Then she noticed that Steven''s face started to turn red.


    "Are you okay? What''s wrong with your face? Are you drunk?"


    Carla asked.


    Steven touched his face and shook his head. "I''m fine."


    Carla shook her head in disbelief and moved closer to him. She reached out and touched his forehead, "Gosh, you''re burning up!


    Why did you even drink all that wine for me?"


    Looking at her worried face, Steven curled his lips and held her hand. "I already took something for the fever. Don''t worry about it. Besides, how could I ever let you get drunk again?"


    Even through the fever, the memories of the last time she was drunk couldn''t help but bring a smile to his face.


    Sure, he would enjoy to see her that drunk again. But now was not the right time. No, tonight was not a night to make slip ups and mistakes.

 Chapter 993 To Give Everything Up For You

    Carla held Steven''s hand and was surprised that it was burning hot. He assisted her during the party by drinking the drinks that were meant for her. Now that she knew he was sick when he did it, it made her feel bad.


    "Let''s get you seated first. I''ll have Carol get a doctor right away,"


    Carla said as she helped him to a chair to sit down. She then went to find Carol.


    She returned after a time with a cup of warm water.


    Steven watched her approach him and then smiled at her. "Thank you for taking care of me," he said weakly as she drew near him.


    "Don''t mention it. It''s something I would do for any of my friends,"


    Carla replied as she dug into her bag. She remembered putting some cold medicine in it but couldn''t seem to find it.


    "Regardless, I am still happy and thankful," Steven replied in a soft voice. His breathing was slightly labored and he had started sweating.


    He wasn''t feeling well since that morning, but he didn''t want his illness to get the best of him. He stared at the floor and the walls and they looked as if they were spinning slowly because of his fever.


    Instead of a cold medicine, Carla found a thermometer from inside her bag and brought it out.


    "Here. Let''s take your temperature first," she announced as she held the thermometer up at him so he could see it.


    But he wasn''t moving and his eyes were closed when Carla turned to him with the thermometer in hand. She bent over him and said, "Hey! Wake up!"


    Before she realized what was happening, he caught her by surprise and grabbed her arm.


    He then pulled her towards him, rolled over and pinned her under the weight of his body. She immediately felt the burning fever in his body as his weight bore down on her.


    Carla was shocked. She looked at him with wide open eyes. She extended her hand that held the thermometer.


    Steven slowly lowered his face towards her and then pressed his lips to hers.


    "Mmmph! Stop it, Steven!"


    Carla shouted as she tried to resist the intrusion of his lips on hers. She struggled to get away from the pinned position that she was in.


    But Steven was completely taken over by the passion of the moment that he didn''t hear her pleas. He kissed her soft lips as he pressed her arms against the sofa to keep her powerless.


    The warmth and softness of her lips made him want more.


    He didn''t stop with what he was doing until he felt a sharp pain on his neck. Carla had bitten him.


    She pushed him to free herself and got up. She slapped him as soon as she got back up. "Don''t you have


    him tightly.


    She felt victorious as she held her prize in her arms.


    But before she could savor the fruits of her victory, a loud knocking came from the door.


    "Steven! Are you still awake?"


    Carla called out to him. Steven might have behaved inappropriately earlier, but she still decided to forgive him.


    The sound of her voice banished the spell that Steven seemed to have fallen under. His eyes opened widely in an instant.


    He pushed Lucia who was stunned at the sound of Carla''s voice at the door. He staggered and got himself to the door.


    Lucia cursed under her breath and hid herself behind the wardrobe.


    Warm air flowed out from inside when the door opened.


    Carla welcomed the embrace of the warm air that greeted her.


    Steven pulled her into his room with renewed strength and started to kiss her wildly.


    "What are you doing?! Stop!"


    Carla exclaimed as her eyes widened in anger. She felt like her good intentions for him always turned him into a ravenous animal.


    "¡­¡­ Callie, I want you,"


    Steven declared in a whispered breath as he looked deeply into her eyes.


    Carla was speechless. She didn''t know what to say or how to react. She realized that his behavior was getting more and more out of line.


    "Steven. I already told you that we''re only friends. Haven''t I made myself clear to you?"


    The fever in his body plus the passion that he felt in his heart made her voice sound unintelligible to him. Then suddenly, without warning, his face twisted in agony.


    He slowly leaned towards her and then whispered gently to her ear.


    "Callie, for the first time in my entire life.


    I am willing to give everything up... even my life... for you."

 Chapter 994 They Seemed To Have Slept Together

    Carla was a little drunk but she made sure her mind was clear as she pushed him away.


    "You''re out of your mind. I''ll just forget you said that!"


    Then she turned around in an attempt to leave. Since she was still quite sober and in her right mind, she concluded that there was nothing wrong with him.


    Steven grabbed her arm and pulled her into his arms again. He frowned and looked at her. "Carla, just this once, will you think of me? Please?


    I''m not very comfortable now and I''m afraid I can''t control myself any longer..."


    Steven said in a trembling voice as he started to tug at her clothes.


    "Steven, are you crazy?"


    Carla said in utter shock.


    "Carla... Please don''t reject me. We''ll be together soon enough. Just this once, okay?"


    Steven pleaded as he kissed her cheeks, wanting more.


    With all her strength, Carla pushed him away.


    Steven hit the corner of the table, which sobered him up a little bit.


    Needless to say, Carla''s reaction disappointed him.


    "Carla, you know how much I love you. Even though I vowed to never give up on you, you''ll never agree to this, right? You''ll never want to be with me,"


    Steven said desperately.


    "That''s right. It''s not too late for you to realize that! We will never be together! Not in this life and not in the next!"


    Carla said, panting, clenching her teeth.


    "Callie... Do you really have the heart to be so cruel to me?"


    Steven asked, looking at her sadly.


    Without saying anything else, Carla turned around to leave.


    "Callie!"


    Steven called her again.


    "You don''t care that I love you, right?"


    With her back turned to Steven, Carla slowly closed her eyes in exasperation.


    Without answering him, she walked out of the room.


    The moment the door closed, Steven let out a pained chuckle, feeling the blood rush throughout his body.


    ''Callie, how could you be so cruel to me?'' Steven thought to himself.


    Suddenly, he felt two arms wrap around his waist.


    "Don''t be sad. I''m here with you,"


    Lucia said, holding him tightly.


    Hearing that, Steven closed his eyes.


    It was a cool, chilly night.


    After going back to her room, Carla turned the faucet on and splashed some cold water on her face. Looking at her


    d.


    "What''s so wrong about that? What''s wrong with you? After Steven came back from the Eastern Island, he..."


    Arthur said, pounding the table. "I heard that Lucia was with Steven. I sent people to contact him but he refused to see me. What happened?"


    Carla froze in response. Coughing, she said, "Grandpa, he''s free to be with whoever he wants to be with. It''s none of our business."


    "What... What are you talking about? Everyone knows Steven is in love with you. Now, suddenly, he''s with Lucia? Not only did you lose the man who loves you and cares for you but you also lost the only man who could help you!"


    Arthur said angrily.


    Carla lowered her head, fidgeting with her fingers, not knowing what to say. She murmured, "I... I don''t know what happened. Back in the Eastern Island, he and Lucia... It seems that he had slept with Lucia."


    "Callie, what did you just say?"


    Arthur thought he''d misheard her.


    "Grandpa, I said that Lucia seems to have slept with him..."


    Carla said with her head down. In Yu Sea City, if a man slept with a woman, there was no turning back. From then on, he belonged to her.


    Furiously, Arthur asked, "Callie, what were you doing then? What did you do?"


    "¡­¡­"


    Carla was speechless.


    "Callie! In the Yu Clan, once a man sleeps with a woman, that man becomes that woman''s possession! He could never be with another woman afterwards! What''s wrong with you?"


    Arthur bellowed, pounding the table with his fists in anger.

 Chapter 995 I Wont Let You Down

    Carla kept her head down and her fingers clenched. "Grandpa, you know my situation. I... I can''t..."


    She had come to a point where no matter what she did, she was going to suffer in one way or another.


    "Why not? Callie, you will be the matriarch of Yu Sea City in the future. And you are different from other women. Terence knows that. If he couldn''t stand Steven, why would your husband let you stay with him around in the first place?"


    Arthur said, sighing.


    "It''s a pity that after I spent so much time and energy training and educating him, he would choose Lucia over you.


    It''s such a waste!"


    Arthur closed his eyes in exasperation.


    Carla looked up at him and said, "Grandpa, I''m sorry that I let you down. If... If only I had known then none of these things would have happened."


    She knew it was her fault for repeatedly rejecting Steven, the man who was willing to help her no matter what.


    "Callie, do you even care about this?"


    Arthur suddenly asked.


    "What do you mean?"


    Carla looked at him, confused.


    "I mean if you can forgive his impudence and get over this, you can still reach out to him now and win him back!


    After all, he has come a long way and sacrificed a lot for you. It''s time for you to do something for him too,"


    Arthur suggested wisely, touching his beard.


    Now that it had already happened, she had to try her best to do some damage control. It was better than nothing. Otherwise, she would regret it in the future.


    Seeing Carla hesitating, Arthur continued, "Before I came here, I asked people about Steven''s whereabouts. It looks like Lucia has taken Steven on a tour of the island. You should go there too."


    Carla shook her head listlessly.


    "I''m not going anywhere, Grandpa. Just let him be. If he doesn''t want to be with Lucia, no one can force him to do that. He can leave on his own accord."


    Arthur rubbed her on the shoulder and said, "Callie, think about all the things Steven has done for you. Are you sure you won''t regret this decision of yours?


    Listen to me. Go to the island and talk to him. I believe that Steven will change his mind as long as you go talk to him. We should at least reach out to him and give him an offer. Now, whether he accepts it or


    she could tell that Steven was mad at Carla.


    "Mr. Su! The other day when we found out what had happened on the island, it turns out that it was Lucia who had changed the drug. Carla had no idea then what had happened..."


    Carol blurted out, unable to hold herself back.


    If she had known it, Carla wouldn''t have left him alone in the first place.


    "I know and I don''t care,"


    Steven said simply, smiling as he put his arm around Lucia''s waist. "I only care about those who have feelings for me and will do anything for me. I''m tired of just giving and not getting anything back."


    Upon hearing this, Lucia was deeply moved. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips. "Steven, don''t worry. I won''t let you down. I promise!


    After we get married, we''ll have lots of kids. If it''s a boy, we can send him back to the Su family and he can take your name. What do you think?"


    Steven kissed her back. Grinning, he said, "That would be great."


    At the sight of this, Carla took a deep breath and suppressed the urge to turn around and leave. She clenched her fists and uttered, "Steven, I have something to tell you. Can you come with me?"


    She couldn''t leave even if she wanted to.


    The reason why her grandfather asked her to come here was to persuade him.


    Hearing this, Steven released his hands and said to Lucia, "Wait a minute. I''ll be back soon."


    Lucia nodded at him and let go of him reluctantly, saying, "OK! Let me know if you need anything!"

 Chapter 996 Opponents

    They opted to head to a shady tree which wasn''t far from the beach.


    A gust of wind blew which made the green leaves on the tree dance. Carla still felt uneasy.


    "Steven, I''m sorry..."


    On her way here, her mind was racing. But now that she was here, ''I''m sorry'' was all she could say.


    He came to Yu Sea City because of her.


    He went to the Eastern Island because of her.


    No matter how many excuses she had, she had to admit that she owed him a lot.


    "I accept your apology. Anything else?"


    Steven looked down at her while her head was lowered. Mixed feelings emerged in his amber eyes.


    Hearing his words, Carla looked up at him and said, "And one more thing. I need you to go back with me.


    You are a man. I don''t think it''s a big deal to you that you slept with Lucia. If you come back with me, nothing will change between us."


    As she spoke, she tried to grab his arm to pull him.


    But Steven didn''t budge. He laughed bitterly and said, "Nothing will change between us? I''ll still love you, care for you, and pine for you with no hopes of getting your affection back?


    Callie, I''m just a normal person. I long for a reward after everything I''ve done. I don''t want to end up with nothing."


    Carla was rendered speechless.


    After a while, she said, "But you knew from the start what was in store for you but still chose to stay with me and help me."


    She hadn''t promised him anything from the start.


    "Yes, I know. But I regret it and I have the right to do that,"


    Steven said, sneering as he looked into her eyes.


    "Because now I find that it''s much easier for me to love any other woman as long as it''s not you."


    It was less painful for him to fall in love with any other woman as long as it wasn''t Carla. Sadly, he''d already fallen in love with her and he had to go through that pain.


    Carla took a deep breath and said, "Even so, do you have to choose Lucia? You know my relationship with her..."


    "Callie, what shouldn''t have happen


    ting some ice on her face.


    After a while, Carol brought a bottle of wine and said, "Madam, don''t drink too much."


    "Sit down and have a drink with me."


    Carla asked her to sit down, grabbed two glasses, and filled them with wine.


    Carol sat down and took her glass. With a slight sigh, she comforted Carla. "Madam, look on the bright side. Maybe this is a good thing.


    At least it''s over now, between you and Mr. Su. It had to happen sooner or later."


    Carla held up the glass and drank half of it in one go. "But I never thought this would be the outcome."


    "Neither did I. I thought Mr. Su would stay with you and try his best to help you,"


    Carol said with a sigh. She held her chin with one hand, and held the glass of wine with the other, saying, "Perhaps it''s because he''s been in Yu Sea City long enough which means he''s already assimilated into the culture. I think he''s a good man and he loves you very much. Why won''t you give him a chance?


    Why don''t you try to accept him?"


    Carla slowly closed her eyes. "Carol, stop it.


    How many days left before my grandmother''s birthday party?"


    Carol put down the glass and counted the days with her fingers. Then she said, "There are ten days left. Why do you ask, madam?"


    Carla drained the glass and said, "I''m going to go back to JA City."

 Chapter 997 Carla Went Back

    "I''m sick of this place. I feel lost. I want a normal life, at least for a couple of days. I need to go back home to calm down and think clearly. Most importantly, I need to find the perfect gift for my grandmother, ''''


    Carla said as she poured herself another glass of wine.


    Eleanor would have already received all kinds of precious gifts over the years. Carla wanted to get something special and memorable for her.


    Andrea was busy spending her time, catching up with old friends. Carla did not want to disturb her mother and decided to let her enjoy her time in Yu Sea City.


    She decided to go back home and spend time with her husband and children.


    "Okay, ma''am. I''ll make the arrangements right away. We can leave tomorrow, first thing in the morning,"


    Carol said, beaming with excitement.


    She was also missing her family and was happy to go home.


    "Do it right away. I can''t wait to go back home."


    Carla swayed her glass and stared into the distance, lost in thought.


    She needed to go back to her safe haven. She couldn''t wait to sink into Terence''s arms and inhale his scent, which made her forget all her problems.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The next day.


    After bidding goodbye to Arthur, Carla and Carol set off for JA City.


    Carla wanted to surprise Terence and therefore, did not inform him or his bodyguards of her arrival.


    As soon as Carla reached JA City, she couldn''t contain the excitement that was bubbling up in her stomach. She went straight to AJ Building.


    However, to Carla''s disappointment, Terence was not there. Terence''s secretary informed her that he had gone to the southern suburb of JA City to inspect a new project.


    Carla went straight to the location to see her husband.


    "Ma''am! You are back!"


    Rainer''s eyes widened with shock when he saw Carla. He shifted his gaze to look at Carla and smiled. "Carol, Mrs. An, when did you come back?"


    "Just a while ago. Where is Terence?"


    Carla asked eagerly.


    over her. "Do you still want me?" she asked.


    Terence slammed the brake. The car jerked roughly before coming to an angry halt.


    "Carla, what the hell are you talking about?"


    Terence asked, pinching her cheek.


    "Carla, look at me. I know everything about what had happened the other night.


    I know that you have cut all ties with Steven. I even know where he is and who he is with. It is human to miss someone who was with you and had taken care of you all this while."


    Carla finally lifted her head and looked at him.


    Terence had chosen to remain silent even after he found out about what had happened between Carla and Steven


    He knew why Steven had given up the idea of pursuing Carla. He was also aware of the times Carla had rejected Steven and hurt him. She was in love with Terence and could not imagine another man in her life.


    If it were another woman, she would have abandoned him and married another man to pursue her dreams. But Carla was different.


    Carla was in a dilemma. It was not easy for her to do this.


    Tears welled in her eyes. She held him tightly. "Terence, I feel guilty. I hate myself..."


    Terence placed his finger under her chin and lifted her face.


    "Carla, Tell me the truth! Have you fallen in love with him?" he asked, staring into her eyes.

 Chapter 998 Terences Confession

    Carla bore her gaze into his. She just couldn''t lie to him and she didn''t want to either.


    She paused for a while, deep in thought. Finally, she spoke, "I''ve thought about this and I''ve also asked myself this question.


    I don''t think I love him. Because he doesn''t make me feel the same way you do."


    She knew she didn''t love Steven. Only Terrence made her heart flutter.


    Terence breathed a sigh of relief as beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.


    Life was a gamble. He couldn''t control what was going to happen and the only thing he could do was let nature take its course.


    Terence knew that things wouldn''t turn out so well if he pushed it too much.


    Carla slowly lowered her head.


    Her feelings for Steven were subtle, like the spring rain, gentle and peaceful.


    At first, she only felt sympathy for him. However, as time passed by, her feelings had started to change.


    She couldn''t explain what it was. Her feelings were quite complex. It wasn''t love nor familial affection. Steven had always been gentle and harmless towards her.


    He had gradually become a part of her life in his own special way, She just couldn''t identify what exactly her feelings were.


    "Carla, stop thinking about it."


    Terence interrupted her thoughts as he placed his hands on her shoulders. "Stop thinking about other men in front of me!"


    Carla came to herself and said, "Terence, I want to leave Yu Sea City after Grandma''s birthday party. I want to come home to you and the kids. I''m just going to let them do whatever they want to do."


    ''Just let them decide who''s going to be the clan leader. I don''t want to get involved anymore, '' Carla thought to herself.


    "I want you to come home too." Terence fondly caressed her hair.


    However, they were both adults and they both knew that they couldn''t get out of this that easily.


    "But Carla, things are getting complicated now. Your mother and grandfather have started to sort things out for you. Do you really think you can just get up and leave in the middle of everything?"


    "Well... Aren''t you scared of what might happen to me?"


    Carla asked, looking up at him.


    Being the matriarch was not an easy job. She was sure to encounter hu


    at her rosy pink lips. Unable to resist, he placed his lips on hers. Snickering, he said, "Okay, I''ll take my clothes off now and show you my body..."


    Carla burst into laughter and wrapped her arms around Terence''s neck and let him carry her to the bed.


    They had a few rounds of lovemaking.


    Feeling a little sleepy, Carla lay on Terence''s chest. Then she said, "Honey, please help me look for a special present for Grandmother..."


    "Okay. I can look for auctions tomorrow. Grandmother''s quite old so she''ll definitely want something antique. I''ll keep my eyes open for something she''d like."


    Terence kissed her hair and tucked her in.


    Meanwhile, in Yu Village.


    Under the moonlight, the building looked holier than ever.


    "Young master, Miss Lucia is on her way here. What should we do?"


    Victor asked Steven anxiously, who was busy drawing in the loft.


    Hearing that, Steven frowned and put down the brush in his hand. "Put away the painting and make sure she doesn''t see it."


    This painting of the best scenery in Yu Sea City was what he had promised Arthur.


    It would only mean trouble if Lucia saw it.


    Victor immediately did as Steven had asked, carefully rolling the painting and leaving the wet part hanging as he hid it.


    As soon as Victor put away the painting, there was a knock on the door.


    In place of the painting that Steven had just hidden, he placed another one so as to dispel suspicion. He then called out, "Come in."

 Chapter 999 Steven Had His Own Dignity

    Lucia walked in and motioned to Carlota to bring a bowl of hot porridge.


    "Steven, it''s already late. Why are you still drawing?"


    Lucia asked, her voice filled with concern. She took the bowl of porridge and placed it on the table next to him.


    Steven put the brush down and smiled. "Well, it''s quiet at this time. I get more inspiration and I''m able to concentrate better at night. Why are you still up? I thought you had already gone to sleep."


    "I''m waiting for you." Lucia glanced at Steven''s painting and rolled her eyes. "Have your porridge before it gets cold. Come to bed with me once you finish eating," she said, biting her lower lip.


    Steven and Lucia were in a love bubble. But Lucia never got another chance to sleep with him after that night on the Eastern Island.


    Steven took a sip of the porridge and placed it down. "Okay, you go back to your room first. I''ll finish it in half an hour and I''ll be with you then."


    "What''s so interesting about this crappy painting?" Lucia grunted and quickly changed her expression. "Err ... I mean it''s almost done. Why can''t you finish it tomorrow?"


    She tugged his hand and pulled him to his feet.


    Steven realized that it was pointless hiding the painting when Lucia couldn''t appreciate it.


    "Umm ... Okay,"


    he said and turned to look at Victor. "Victor, clean it up and wash the brushes."


    "Yes, sir." Victor nodded.


    As soon as they got into the room, Lucia took off her coat in one swift motion, her eyes raked Steven''s body, shining with lust. She was looking like a hungry beast waiting to pounce on her prey.


    "Steven, men are usually more eager to have sex than women. Why are you so calm about it?"


    Lucia purred, blowing her hot breath across Steven''s ears. She wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him closer to her.


    Steven narrowed his amber eyes and looked at her. "Well, it differs from man to man. I''m not interested in sexual pleasures."


    "Really? Are you uninterested in sex or me? Are you refusing to sleep with me because I am not Callie?"


    Lucia aske


    ucia couldn''t help but feel disappointed when she saw Steven putting on his clothes. But thinking of how hot he was last night, she smiled. Lucia was attracted to Steven''s volatile temperament.


    His every move was driving her crazy.


    Just when Steven got dressed and was ready to leave, Carlota walked in.


    "My lady..."


    she trailed off when she saw Steven. She was hesitant to disclose the information with him present.


    "It''s OK. You can tell it in front of him."


    Lucia sat up and looked at Carlota.


    Without any hesitation, Carlota immediately said, "We have received the news that Andrea has become close to the head of the northern tribe."


    It was bad news for Lucia.


    Andrea had always shared a cordial relationship with Elena, the head of the northern tribe. Now, after returning to her home after twenty years, Andrea had managed to rekindle her relationship with her.


    "What?"


    Lucia clenched her fists. She couldn''t suppress her rage. The head of the southern tribe had chosen to take Carla''s side. And Sam, the head of the eastern tribe, began to waver after Carla attended her daughter''s wedding.


    If Elena took Carla''s side as well, Lucia wouldn''t stand a chance to win against her.


    "I need to find a way to stop her!" Lucia said, seething with rage.


    Steven, who was standing by the door, turned to look at her.


    "I have a solution."

 Chapter 1000 Leave It To Me If You Trust Me

    Lucia''s eyes widened. She immediately put her clothes on and walked up to him. "Tell me, what''s the solution?"


    Steven turned around to look at her.


    "Well, I''ve heard that Arthur once helped Elena in the past. That''s the reason behind their cordial relationship. But they had slowly drifted apart after Andrea''s departure."


    Andrea was regarded as the heir to the throne. After she chose to leave, Elena did not feel the need to remain in touch with Arthur.


    It has been a very long time and I don''t think it''s easy to mend the relationship. Your mother has been in charge of the Yu Clan lately. She has been in close contact with Elena. So I don''t think it is difficult for us to win Elena''s favor,"


    Steven said. He was already familiar with Yu Sea City''s political connections and its basic laws and culture.


    Lucia nodded eagerly and motioned to him to take a seat.


    "OK, so what should we do to win her trust?"


    Steven''s lips stretched to form a mysterious grin. "Well, everything will be ruined if I disclose the plan to you. If you have faith in me, allow me to handle it."


    Carlota grew suspicious and interrupted. "No way! How do you expect us to believe you?"


    Although Steven was with Lucia now, Carlota couldn''t believe that he was really taking Lucia seriously.


    "Well, in that case, I can''t help you. I''m sorry. Lucia, you guys carry on. I''ll go back and continue with my painting,"


    Steven said and walked towards the door.


    "Wait!"


    Lucia stopped him. She pursed her lips, thought for a while and said, "Okay, I trust you. I can''t think of a solution, so you give it a shot."


    Steven turned around and smiled at her. "Okay, but I need your spare seal for that. Otherwise, they won''t listen to me.


    If you doubt my intentions, send Carlota to supervise my moves. You can take the seal back any time you want."


    Lucia nodded. If she wanted Steven to handle the matter, she had no other choice but to give him authority.


    "Here you go!"


    She threw the seal to Steven.


    "Carlota, I want you to assist Mr. Su at all times. Inform me if something happens."


    She thought that anything could happen under her nose.


    ease."


    The waiters in white shirt and black vest welcomed them warmly.


    Terence wrapped his arm around Carla''s waist and led her to the hall.


    "Hey, Terence! I haven''t seen you with your wife in a long time. I''ve been wondering why you haven''t called me for a drink. I think your wife is keeping you busy."


    Theo chuckled as he walked towards Terence and Carla, together with a beautiful woman.


    He circled Carla and looked her up and down.


    "Carla, why are you being so mysterious recently?


    Do you know, your husband was such a pain in the ass? He was constantly asking me to drink or play basketball with him every fucking night. I couldn''t go dating because of him,"


    Theo whined.


    "Really? No wonder you have become more charming."


    Carla smiled and looked at her husband. She was worried that he had been living a reckless life when she was not around.


    "Don''t listen to him. He is being dramatic."


    Terence shot a cold glance at Theo and walked inside with Carla. "Let''s go. It''s about to begin."


    He looked at Theo warningly.


    Theo shrugged and put his arm around his lady''s waist, and walked inside.


    Once they walked in, Carla''s eyes wandered across the auction hall.


    She found that almost all the seats had been occupied.


    "Carla, I''ve brought you here because it''s a special occasion. Do you want to know what it is?"


    Terence asked, guiding her towards the seat that he had already reserved.

 Chapter 1001 My Wife Liked It

    Carla took a seat beside Terence and asked, "What is it?"


    He glanced at the auction podium and then answered in a low voice, "There''s an art piece that belonged to the Yu clan going into auction. I heard your grandmother used to cherish it very much. However, many years ago, a riot took place in Yu Sea City. In the middle of the chaos, someone seized the opportunity to steal the piece and later sold it."


    Carla''s eyes lit up at his words. "Grandpa has told me about this. It''s the phoenix coronet, isn''t it?"


    "That''s right."


    Terence smiled, holding her hand.


    "Due to its current owner''s poor management skills, he has lost a lot of money. He''s selling it out of necessity now. But for us, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity."


    Carla sighed with relief. Now, she knew how to please her grandmother.


    "Is it very expensive?"


    Terence thought about it for a moment before answering, "I don''t think so. It''s just a golden crown. Its history only holds special meaning to the Yu clan.


    But no matter what, I''m determined to bid it for you,"


    he said with a confident smile.


    Soon, the auction started.


    Theo was sitting on the other side, playing with his girlfriend. He had no real interest in bidding on anything.


    Meanwhile, Terence showed plenty of interest in a piece of fine china, which he gladly bid for.


    Finally, close to the end of the auction, the phoenix coronet was brought to the stage. Carla could barely contain her excitement when she saw it.


    The moment the auctioneer had everything settled, he began to introduce the crown to the audience.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, we''ve come to one of the most important lots for today''s event. Allow me to introduce you to the phoenix coronet. Coming from a historic matriarchal nation, this piece was passed down from each generation''s matriarch to the other in the Yu clan. No one else was allowed to wear it but the clan leader herself.


    The starting bid is ten million. Do I hear an offer?"


    Carla took the card from Terence, ready to bid. She used to think auctions were a great waste of money, but this one held something she desperately wanted, and she didn''t care about the cost.


    "Mr. An, ten million. Anyone else?"


    The auctioneer asked, staring at the whole audience below.


    "Fifteen million!"


    Someone else offered.


    Carla turned arou


    der he said his wife liked it. She was no one other than Callie in the flesh. Lori felt like she had just made a fool of herself.


    As for Callie, she was so lucky. Steven was already one of the most talented men in the world.


    And now that she had also met her husband, she couldn''t believe the remarkable man he was. How could such an elegant and noble gentleman have fallen in love with her? Lori didn''t understand what two outstanding guys could have ever seen in a girl like Carla.


    This was all so wrong.


    ''Now, I need to head back to Yu Sea City as soon as possible. I need to discuss with Mom and Lucia how to proceed now, '' Lori thought to herself.


    Carla and Terence left the auction hall with extreme satisfaction.


    Carla was in a good mood as she handed the box with the crown to Rainer. "Please, help me send this home. But be careful."


    The Phoenix coronet was fragile and she couldn''t risk breaking it.


    "Rest assured, Mrs. An! I''ll put it in the safe and have my brother look after it 24/7. No worries!"


    Rainer told her with a smile.


    As soon as they got back, Carla and Terence learned that Andrea had given Nathan and Carol the day off. They had no idea where the two were, so Rainer was the only one left to handle the task.


    She waited until Rainer left to turn to Terence.


    "Honey, I''ll pay you back for the coronet."


    Carla wanted her grandmother to know that she had bought the crown for her and that she had the best intentions at heart.


    Moreover, she still had her shares in the Hua Group, so she could afford it.

 Chapter 1002 Happy Times At The Seaview Villa

    "What did you say? I didn''t hear it clearly,"


    Terence teased with a delightful chuckle.


    "Honey..."


    "Yes! That''s enough. You are my wife. You don''t need to pay. It''s my duty,"


    Terence interrupted, beaming at Carla. He stretched out his arms and lovingly put them around her waist, firmly holding her. "My dear wife, it''s my pleasure.


    I''m happy to do it! Come on! Let''s go do something fun to spice up our relationship..."


    Carla was almost out of breath from his bear hug. He didn''t even budge when she helplessly struggled to get away from his long arms. She giggled, "Honey, but I want to go home and cook for you, and take care of the kids."


    Now she realized that the simplest and most profound happiness lay in the most ordinary things in life, including this sweet and spontaneous moment together with him.


    Happiness didn''t necessarily come from luxury or romantic rituals.


    Terence, who was about to get in the car, found her words comforting. He couldn''t help but grin at her.


    "Good idea! I respect your decision. But first, let''s go to the supermarket for groceries, then go home and cook together. What do you think?"


    "Sounds good to me!" Carla nodded, still smiling at him sweetly.


    Soon after, they were done gathering the ingredients for the dinner that they were going to make. With their hearts still on cloud nine, they headed back to Seaview Villa.


    Carla went directly up the stairs to change clothes. Afterward, she busied herself in the kitchen.


    She had allowed Sophie and all the other servants to take a few days off. She had come up with a plan to do everything on her own in the coming days, and to be a good wife and mother.


    Shortly after, Terence followed her in the kitchen. He had meant to help her, but he was ordered by Carla instead to take care of Adonis in the living room.


    Carla was momentarily distracted when she heard a shrill giggle.


    Carla couldn''t help curling her lips into a smile, hearing both her son and husband''s laughter from the other room. Listening to the beautiful noise they made together, she felt immensely happy.


    Shaking her head in amusement, she eagerly rolled up her sleeves and soon busied herself cooking.


    Carla was so engrossed in what she was doing that she didn''t know, she was being watched. Feeling something amiss, she looked up. She instinctively let out a gentle smile as she spotted Terence standing by the doorway. He was holding Adonis in his arms, and both were looking at her. Her son was about four months old now.


    "Honey, do you think we are handsome?"


    Terence tenderly asked Carla. She couldn''t help admiring the two when she noticed that Terence dressed their son in a suit. They closely resembled each other, donning the parent-child coordinated clothes. Indeed, they looked so adorable.


    Except that one was an adult and the other was still a baby.


    "Of course, my son is very han


    hwasher will be the one doing it, anyway."


    She quickly spun on her heels and picked Adonis up in her arms on her way out of the dining room. She didn''t even dare glance back at Terence.


    "Adonis, are you hungry? Let''s go. Mommy will get you some milk," she babbled.


    Carla found herself mulling over the thought of why ''happy days always seemed so short''. It was as if time flew past in the blink of an eye. How she wished she could turn back time!


    During the past days, except for a very short trip to HA City, Carla had stayed in Seaview Villa, taking care of Adonis and Sally. She totally relished her role as a hands-on mother to her two adorable children.


    Likewise, Terence almost stayed at home with her during these times. He would only leave when there was a need for his presence in the company and when there were emergency calls about his business.


    And now, her grandmother''s birthday was approaching. She had to leave the next day.


    Early in the morning, the husband and wife reluctantly headed for the port. Terence couldn''t bear to part with her but he unwillingly had to send her back to Yu Sea City.


    "Carla, remember what I told you. No matter what happens, you can''t leave me,"


    He reminded her, almost pleadingly, while he hugged her tightly, seemingly afraid to let her go.


    Holding back the tears welling up in her eyes, Carla vehemently nodded and promised, "I won''t. Never!" She was already missing him.


    "Good."


    Terence bent over and gently kissed her on the forehead. "Go. Be careful and take care of yourself," he whispered as he stared at her lovingly, encasing her delicate face with the warmth of his palms.


    Then with heavy steps, he forced himself off the ship. He gazed back at Carla and Carol and waved to them with a smile plastered on his face. Then he prompted earnestly, "Carla, Good luck!


    Remember our promise.


    Our kids and I will wait for you until you come back!"

 Chapter 1003 Fifty Million Dollars

    "Don''t worry, Mrs. An. You''ve done your best. I am sure that your grandmother will be moved and impressed by your efforts and will finally accept you as the new heir. Everything will become better soon,"


    Carol said to boost Carla''s confidence.


    Carla stared blankly at the vast sea and suddenly felt nervous.


    "Carol, why do I always have to face so many trials and make the choices that I shouldn''t have to?"


    Carol thought about Carla''s question for a while before she answered. "Mrs. An, that''s the essence of life. If everything only happens the way that we want to, then life will not be worth living anymore. All the trials that we face fill our lives with surprises and give us a myriad of different experiences; don''t you agree?"


    Carol referred to the people who live normal lives, but do not gain much throughout the course of their lives.


    But those who go through a lot of hardships and trials throughout their lives end up as better people; they lived meaningfully in the end.


    They finally arrived at Yu Sea City at four o''clock in the morning the next day.


    The sun hasn''t risen yet, but the sky has started to take on a bluish-gray hue against the darkness of dawn.


    Carla wanted to drop by Yu Village before heading to Wang Village with her mother.


    The ship docked and lowered the platforms to be used by the passengers to disembark from. The workers at the dock immediately started to unload the cargo and luggage from the ship.


    Carla was surprised to see a lot of people at the dock who were waiting for them to arrive.


    "Callie! Welcome back!"


    Lucia called as she stepped forward from the group of people. It looked like she was the one who led the group of people who waited for Carla''s arrival.


    She played with the whip in her hand. The look on her face told the story that they''ve waited for Carla for quite some time.


    "What do you want?"


    Carla asked coldly. She stared at Lucia and her people indifferently.


    "What do you think I want? You stole my golden crown! Now, I want it back!"


    Lucia replied as she gritted her teeth.


    Because Lori couldn''t bid for the golden crown at the auction, Lucia had no choice but to take it directly from Carla. She also preferred this method because it would save her a lot of money.


    Carla glanced at the backpack that Carol carried with her. Her eyes became narrow slits at the realization of what Lucia intended to do. "Oh, I understand now. You want to play a game, do you?


    You are probably thinking that you can just do whatever you want because this is Yu Sea City and not JA City anymore. But there are laws here just like everywhere else. Do you seriously think that grandmother will be OK with it if you took everything you wanted by force?" Carla asked confidently. She explained the situation clearly to Lucia.


    Lucia sneered after she heard Carla''s words as she played with the whip in her hand. "Save it! Grandma cares only for results!


    Now, do you want me to take it from you by force? Or would you like to give it to me voluntarily?"


    Lucia replied as she glanced briefly at the people behind her. For a moment she looked as if she wanted to


    isten to me. Just give me the gold crown. As for the gift, I''m sure I''ll think of something."


    But Carol just shook her head again. "Mrs. An, you can''t do this! The matriarch values it the most. You can''t possibly impress her and make her accept you with any other gift."


    "Enough already! Can you two stop now? !"


    When Lucia noticed that Carol was not obeying her, Carla decided to walk towards Carol to grab the bag from her.


    "Carol, give it to me!"


    Carla ordered in a slightly agitated tone of voice.


    "But, Mrs. An...,"


    Carol replied with a tearful look on her face.


    "Am I the boss or not? If you are not going to obey me, it would be best for you to just return to JA City!"


    Carla snapped at Carol.


    Hearing Carla''s words left Carol with no other choice but to hand the bag over reluctantly.


    Lucia opened the bag and took out the crown. This was the first time that she had ever seen the crown since it had been lost for decades.


    The gold crown had the family crest of Yu Sea City engraved on it. Everything seemed authentic.


    When Lucia was satisfied with the crown, she threw the check over to Carla.


    Carla took the check and looked at it. "Lucia, fifty million isn''t enough. I bought it for one hundred million. You should give me fifty million more."


    "What are you talking about? Are you stupid? Do you think you are in a position to bargain with me?"


    Lucia snorted and laughed at her.


    Carla remained silent as she watched Lucia with a disappointed look. She looked as if she was cheated out of fifty million.


    Lucia immediately left with a triumphant smile.


    "Mrs. An, what should we do now?"


    Carol asked with tearful eyes.


    Carla watched Lucia walk away and when she was at a far enough distance, Carla''s distressed look suddenly faded as she sighed in relief. She flicked the check in her hand as she turned to Carol.


    "What are you crying for, Carol? You should be happy that we received the fifty million!"


    Carla said with a clever smile. Carol was stunned for a moment before she was able to reply to Carla, "What do you mean, Mrs. An?"

 Chapter 1004 A Reunion Of Sisters

    Carla placed the check back into her pocket before she smiled teasingly. It was a smile that hid something mysterious behind it.


    "I''ve already had someone secretly take the real crown back to Yu Sea City and hand it over to my grandfather.


    What''s in the bag now is a fake crown that I asked Terence to make. We need to be careful now that everyone knows that we''re back."


    "What? Madam, why didn''t you tell me earlier? I was so worried,"


    Carol said as she wiped the tears that formed at the corner of her eyes.


    "If I had told you, we wouldn''t have deceived them so easily,"


    Carla said as she patted Carol on her shoulder. "Well, the sun is almost up now. We have to find a bank and withdraw some cash as soon as possible. Otherwise, we''d run into trouble."


    Lucia had been in charge of Yu Sea City for so long now, so she surely had a lot of connections. She would only need to make one phone call to test if the crown was real or not.


    But for now, Carla still had the real gold crown. She now had 50 million without even trying.


    "Yes, madam!"


    Carol said as her eyes lit up in excitement.


    Soon, they arrived at Yu Sea City.


    It was already morning by then.


    The first thing Carla did was to go to the bank to withdraw some cash and transfer money into her account. Afterwards, she went to the courtyard to meet Andrea.


    But as soon as she saw Andrea, she felt that something was wrong.


    "Mom, what''s wrong?"


    At her voice, Andrea stopped her train of thought and looked at Carla. "Oh, nothing. Don''t mind me, Callie. Did everything go well during your trip?"


    "Of course. I''ve always been blessed. Everything went well! You look a bit worried. What''s wrong?"


    Carla asked with concern and sat beside her.


    Queen Eleanor''s birthday party was starting at ten o''clock that morning, so they still had some time to kill before they had to start preparing.


    Andrea continued to look at Carla, who was still optimistic despite everything. She didn''t know what to say. Carla would find out about it sooner or later so she might as well break the news to her.


    "Callie, I''m useless. The Eastern Tribe and the Northern Tribe both have decided to support Lucia. The Western Region would wanted remain neutral. And I''m afraid that we have very low ch


    satisfying life these years as a rich lady. Look at you. You look almost as young as the teenage girls of Yu Sea City. It''s hard to tell that you are from here!"


    Dorothy said sarcastically, putting on a fake smile on her face. Girls raised in Yu Sea City tended to be coarse and unrefined.


    And they were proud of it.


    They thought their homeland was the best.


    "Dorothy, you have changed a lot. I could hardly recognize you now. I suppose... You must have taken a lot of birth-control herbs these years,"


    Andrea said with a smile.


    Unlike anywhere else, the women of Yu Sea City were open-minded. If they were attracted to a man, they wouldn''t hold themselves back. They would make the first move and get to know him. That didn''t mean they wanted to get pregnant though, so they often took traditional birth-control herbs.


    Taking the herbs several times could prevent them from getting pregnant. They were convenient and safe for women.


    But there were some side effects.


    Dorothy''s complexion had become darker. She had an appetite bigger than most women her age. Even now that she was older than 50, she still had many men around her. So she still had to take the herbs from time to time.


    "Hey, Steven!"


    Before Dorothy could respond, Lucia noticed Steven not too far away from them.


    He was already moving towards them so she met him halfway.


    Carla''s eyes followed Lucia''s figure as she met Steven.


    Lucia took Steven by his arm and led him towards Carla with a smug look on her face.

 Chapter 1005 Eightieth Birthday (Part One)

    Holding Steven''s hand, Lucia asked him with concern, "Are you feeling better? I mean, look at you. You''re sick, but you''re still helping me when you should rest."


    Her sweet words brought a sense of closeness that kept everyone wondering if they were in an intimate relationship.


    "I feel much better now. Don''t worry about me," Steven reassured Lucia.


    His eyes then fell on Carla. She noticed that indeed his face seemed a bit pale.


    "Mom, let''s go inside,"


    Carla quickly said to Andrea in an effort to avoid eye contact with Steven.


    "Let''s go."


    Andrea nodded as she breathed a sigh of relief. She was more at ease now that she saw how intimate Steven and Lucia were.


    A hint of sorrow flashed through Steven''s eyes while he watched them go. But as soon as they were gone, he cleared his throat and pulled his hand away from Lucia''s grip.


    "Let''s go inside." Steven echoed Carla''s words.


    Lucia agreed with a nod. Almost all guests had arrived by then.


    "Let''s go, Mom," she told Dorothy.


    Dorothy, however, barely heard her daughter before she absentmindedly followed close behind. She was somewhat uneasy after seeing Andrea. Maybe the things that she had done so many years ago still weighed on her conscience.


    --


    Inside, Carla couldn''t believe her eyes.


    The Phoenix Palace was surrounded by all kinds of people. Yet they weren''t randomly placed. The lowest rows were designated for the commoners while the upper rows were reserved for those who belonged to the highest social spheres.


    Layer by layer, the rows ascended all the way to the ceiling.


    As the Phoenix Palace was built on the top of a mountain, opposite to where Carla stood, she could see a semicircle area swarming with people. It was a spectacular vision.


    "Mom, are Grandma''s birthday parties always like this? This is so magnificent,"


    Carla commented in awe, unable to take her eyes from the crowd inside the Phoenix Palace. ''This may be the greatest honor and respect the matriarch can get, '' she thought.


    "Yes. The matriarch is the soul of the entire Yu Clan and of Yu Sea City. The management and protection that she provides is the reason behind the prosperity of entire generations.


    Your gran


    in advance for not being able to congratulate you in person. But... She has also requested that I would bring the birthday present she''s got for you!"


    Arthur concluded with his head bowed with uttermost respect.


    Eleanor glanced at Arthur sitting beside her.


    He nodded, proud of Carla''s cleverness.


    "Since Callie and Andrea''s gift is already here, let''s see it!"


    Arthur stood up and removed the cloth that covered an oil painting. "Eleanor, Callie herself painted it.


    She told me she didn''t have anything special to give you, so she decided to do something on her own to show her love and appreciation."


    Arthur stroked his beard as he admired the result.


    He had deemed Callie was too confident about her talents, but now he realized that she wasn''t exaggerating.


    No wonder Steven admired her so much.


    "Really? Did she really paint this?"


    Eleanor analyzed the portrait. It indeed held an undeniable resemblance to her. Although she already possessed many paintings of herself, none of them had been drawn by one from the family before.


    Lucia also looked at the portrait and then at Steven, who was standing beside her quietly.


    "Yes, her foster father was very fond of painting, so she must have learned those from him," Arthur told her with a smile before requesting his assistant to bring one more thing to them.


    "Eleanor, this one... Callie had found it for Andrea and is now giving it to you in Andrea''s name,"


    Arthur said sternly.

 Chapter 1006 Birthday Party (Part Two)

    Lucia never expected Carla to be so competent. She paused and gave it some thought.


    When Arthur asked his people to open the other gifts, the people in the two front rows gasped at what they saw.


    "Lucia, what''s happening?"


    Dorothy asked Lucia who was visibly shocked. She looked at the box and she too was shocked when she saw what was in it.


    They already had the gold crown. How come there was another one? Lucia was dumbfounded and did not know what to make of the situation.


    She was stunned as she watched Arthur. He carefully brought out the gold crown for all to see.


    She just sat there, unable to move as the scene unfolded before her. It took some time before she got back to her senses.


    "Arthur, is that the Gold Phoenix Crown? The one that we thought we had lost forever?"


    Eleanor asked in disbelief as she motioned someone to help her stand up. She then walked slowly towards Arthur to take a closer look at it.


    "Yes, this is the Gold Phoenix Crown that we lost many years ago. It eventually found its way back to our family at long last!"


    Arthur exclaimed in a gentle yet triumphant tone. He sighed in thankful relief as he walked towards the approaching Eleanor to meet her.


    Eleanor touched the gold crown with a trembling hand. Her eyes were also twitching as tears started to fill them. "How thoughtful of Andrea and Carla to do this! The loss of this crown has haunted me ceaselessly for years!


    Now that it''s back to the family, I can finally stop feeling guilty."


    The Gold Phoenix Crown was passed down by the ancestors of the Yu Clan from one generation to the next. When it was lost, Eleanor was beside herself with guilt for her inability to keep it safe. The relief that she felt now was indescribable. She could now consider her reign a successful one because of the return of the crown before she stepped down from the throne.


    "Go and bring Andrea and Callie up here,"


    Eleanor immediately ordered after she had a servant and a couple of guards put the crown away.


    One of the servants left hurriedly at the command of the matriarch to summon Andrea and Carla.


    It didn''t take long for both Andrea and Carla to get to the upper floor. They walked slowly towards Eleanor.


    Lucia''s body shook in anger as she watched Carla approach the matriarch. She gritted her teeth until her jaw hurt. She felt an urgent need to bring serious harm to Carla.


    "Mother, I wish you a long and happy life!"


    Andrea said as she bowed to Eleanor.


    "Grandmother, happy birthday to you. I wish that you all the happiness in the world!"


    Carla said in a lively tone as she bowed to Eleanor as well.


    "Now, have a seat,"


    Eleanor said as she gestured for them to sit down.


    Lucia found it hard to calm herself down as she watch her own grandmother, the queen, treat Carla kindly. ''Callie, you dared to deceive me!'' Lucia thought angrily.


    Her grandmother''s excited reaction to Carla''s gift made it


    o reject Arthur''s suggestion.


    "Grandmother, Steven is my boyfriend! He can''t be with Callie!"


    Lucia exclaimed.


    "Well, Lucia, the news that you drugged Steven on Eastern Island and violated him has spread all over the city. Everyone already knows about it. Nothing forcibly taken is going to last a long time. Just set Steven free,"


    Arthur said in a calm tone of voice and yet his disapproval of Lucia''s actions can easily be heard from his words.


    "But, Grandma...,"


    When Eleanor heard what Lucia did to Steven, she frowned at her with displeasure. She always loathed members of the royal family who resorted to using such shameless acts.


    "But Grandmother, Steven is already my man!"


    Lucia argued in an angry tone of voice.


    She knew that arguing would only further irritate her grandmother against her. But she had no intention to just give Steven up.


    "Mother," Dorothy said gently, joining the conversation. "Steven and Lucia had been together for some time already. Isn''t it inappropriate to separate them now?"


    Dorothy continued. She defended her daughter without a thought of any possible consequence of her doing so.


    But she knew that Steven was not only a skillful painter, but also a competent counselor. If he could work for Lucia, it would certainly be an advantage for her.


    "Silence!"


    Eleanor said coldly. She then waved her hand at Steven and said, "Steven, come over here," Eleanor said in a gentle voice as Steven walked slowly towards her.


    "I will give you the chance to make your own choice. Who would you choose? Lucia or Callie?" she continued in the same gentle voice as she stared straight into Steven''s eyes. She didn''t want to sound intimidating in any way.


    Eleanor had known Lucia as someone who always took advantage of her power to bully people and to get what she wanted.


    Steven was a talented man and it pained her to think of the possibility that he would suffer injustice while she reigned.

 Chapter 1007 Birthday Party (Part Three)

    "Steven..."


    Lucia called out to Steven when she heard what her grandmother had said. There was anxiety in her voice.


    Carla, who watched the events unfold before her, said nothing the entire time. She kept her eyes on the cake before her as much as she could and slowly ate.


    "Callie, would you like to say anything?"


    Andrea suddenly said as she turned to Carla. She knew how important it was because for all they knew, this could be Steven''s only chance to escape.


    If he stayed with Lucia, he probably would never have the chance to leave Yu Sea City and see the rest of the world.


    Carla took a deep breath as she shook off the crumbs of cake from her hands. She then turned calmly to Steven.


    Everyone''s eyes were fixed on Steven. They all stopped what they were doing and made sure that their full attention was focused on the little drama that was unfolding before them.


    The story of Steven had spread in Yu Sea City through whispered conversations. Men considered him a legend for being brave enough to openly go against Lucia.


    But what garnered the most attention was his relationship with both Lucia and Carla.


    Everyone in the city was dying to know who Steven would choose.


    Everyone was eager to find out how the story would be concluded. They all leaned forward, listening closely to what Steven would say. Whomever Steven would choose, everyone was convinced that he would bring prosperity to Yu Sea City. Some married couples even prayed to be blessed with a baby like Steven, talented and handsome.


    After a long moment of silence, Steven moved his lips and slowly spoke, "It has been a long journey since I came to Yu Sea City.


    Everything has changed. Nothing has remained the same, except for one. There is one thing that has never changed..."


    He felt tired of the things that he was forced to do or say lately. He didn''t want to keep his true feelings hidden any longer.


    Life was simply too short for pretensions.


    All he wanted was to spend the rest of his life with the person that he truly loved.


    Eleanor and Arthur looked at each other and then nodded. Eleanor then gestured to a servant who immediately approached her and then bowed, ready to receive her orders. "You, go and clean the East Yard for Mr. Su," she ordered in a hurried voice. The servant immediately went off to perform the matriarch''s bidding. Eleanor then turned to everyone else who were gathered there. "I hereby announce that Steven is Carla''s husband and that he will move to the East Yard effective today!"


    "Grandmother!"


    Lucia exclaimed in utter frustration.


    "Lucia, nothing forcibly taken will ever be agreeable,"


    Eleanor snapped impatiently at Lucia.


    Even though Steven had not voiced out his feelings yet,


    elt so ashamed of her daughter''s actions.


    Lucia''s face was red with anger, but she didn''t dare say anything more.


    "Okay, everyone, calm down. They are just kids. Don''t make a big deal of it. Queen Eleanor, please don''t take it too seriously. Lucia indeed was wrong, but I believe her intentions was pure. She just wanted to make you happy,"


    Adrian explained, trying to justify Lucia''s actions.


    "But isn''t it wrong to let Callie live in Wang Village?"


    Justifying Lucia''s actions may be Adrian''s initial objective for speaking up, but protesting the decision to let Carla live in Wang Village was his true intention.


    According to the laws of Yu Sea City, only the heir to the matriarchy could be allowed to live in the Wang Village.


    "Adrian, Callie is the eldest granddaughter of the Yu family. I don''t see any problem in letting her stay there,"


    Arthur replied to Adrian in a calm tone. Eleanor remained silent and merely listened to them.


    "That''s not right, of course. Andrea gave up her right to the matriarchy. She and her daughter have lost the right to inherit it. If someone should move in, then it should be Lucia,"


    Adrian explained with a serious look.


    "Adrian, we really can''t be sure about that. Only Eleanor and the four district heads have the right to decide who could claim the position as the next matriarch. It''s really not up to us,"


    Arthur replied with a smile as he stroked his beard.


    "You are right. Let''s all listen to their opinions, then!" Adrian replied as he threw a glance at the head of one of the districts who was then seated at the other end of the hall.


    Even if he couldn''t make Steven stay, he made sure to get the agreement of two district leaders to side with Lucia.


    Whatever happened today, he knew that he had to force Eleanor to appoint a new matriarch!

 Chapter 1008 Eightieth Birthday (Part Four)

    Eleanor was eighty years old. She did not want to delay the matter anymore even if she was still in good health.


    Eleanor closed her eyes and rolled a string of Buddhist beads under her wide sleeves. Nothing mattered to her anymore. She had already seen everything in her life. She had attained a sense of calm and was ready to face anything.


    But part of her knew what was going to happen.


    She was anxious to witness it.


    Selecting the new matriarch had always been a controversial procedure. There would be some unrest regardless of whom Eleanor nominated.


    She was exhausted by the mere thought of it.


    Eleanor''s health was deteriorating with every passing day. But she couldn''t shirk her responsibilities for anything in the world. She had to muster the strength to face everything that came her way.


    Although Eleanor was a little reluctant, she couldn''t wait to get pass on the responsibilities that she had shouldered all her life.


    Power was a dangerous, alluring thing. But age made one wise and even the most ambitious person would become tired of power at some point in his or her life.


    Carla knitted her eyebrows when she saw the heads of the four tribes arguing animatedly. She turned around to look at Steven.


    Steven smiled and stepped forward. "Callie, how do you think I punished Lucia for slapping you the other day?"


    Steven could never forget it. Carla had tried hard to meet him but Lucia had slapped her, right in the face.


    He couldn''t stop Lucia and had to endure the torture because he had been trying hard to win her trust.


    "What did you do?"


    Carla asked, glancing at the heads of the tribes who were still arguing intently.


    "Don''t worry. Take your time. The best is yet to come."


    Steven''s amber eyes were glinting with mischief as he followed Carla''s gaze.


    "Caroline, get your facts right. Although Carla is the eldest granddaughter, she didn''t grow up in Yu Sea City. She doesn''t know much about our history and traditions. She has not contributed to the betterment of Yu Sea City in any way. I don''t think she has the ability to lead and rule the people here, which is the most significant quality of the matriarch,"


    Sam said, shaking her head.


    "Sam, that''s not true. Even though she did not grow up here, you must not forget that she is the eldest granddaughter of the matriarch herself, and she is smart. She has adapted to our culture in a very short time. I''m sure


    go back to discuss my decision,"


    Eleanor growled.


    "She''s right. Choosing the matriarch is not an easy process. We have to be very careful as it has the potential to decide the fate of our clan. We need to make a wise decision after careful consideration. Anyway, it''s our matriarch''s birthday today. Let''s discuss this some other day,"


    Arthur said.


    A sense of accomplishment filled his heart. After great efforts, they had finally achieved their purpose. Eleanor had openly recognized Carla''s identity and accepted her into the family by allowing her to move into Wang Village.


    Now, Carla had to work towards proving her worth.


    After the bustling birthday party, peace and tranquility was finally restored in Wang Village. The night was serene with the occasional sound of rustling leaves scattered by the wind.


    Eleanor was too old to go back on her own, so Arthur accompanied her to the Phoenix Palace.


    Carla left for the East Yard, where she was arranged to stay.


    The West Yard was allocated for Lucia, which was quite close to where Carla was.


    They could see each other from a distance across the lotus pool.


    Carla was enjoying the beautiful view with a small smile on her face. She turned around when she heard Victor''s voice.


    "Young master, your room is ready. You need to rest well,"


    Victor said.


    "You need to take care of your health. You''ve spent day and night painting the scenery of Yu Sea City. It has drained all your energy. You were also busy with some other work and ignored your health. It''s not good. Please take care of yourself. I can''t watch you be like this."

 Chapter 1009 Kick Down The Ladder Too Early

    Victor took out the medicine from the pouch. He then poured him a cup of hot water.


    "¡­¡­ Okay then. Now I have enough time to rest,"


    Steven said with a satisfied smile on his face.


    He was finally in a good mood and this would surely help him revitalize his health.


    "Master, make sure you take the medicine when the water is a little cooler and then I''ll call the doctor to come and give you a checkup,"


    Victor shook his head in resignation. Steven had taken the medicine a few days earlier, but it didn''t work.


    Although he knew very well that it was because of the lack of proper rest.


    "Okay, that sounds good to me,"


    Steven answered with a smile. When he noticed that there was someone at the door, he said, "Victor, go and clean your room now. We might take some time here."


    "Yes, sir."


    Victor turned his attention towards Carla and looked at her carefully. He nodded approvingly at her before walking out of the room.


    "I''m happy that you came," Steven said, curving up his lips. He then slowly stood up and fetched a beautiful tea pot. "I haven''t yet managed to add any more furniture. This pot was just delivered. Let me brew some tea for you."


    Carla quietly looked around. She saw the medicine bottles and the pills placed neatly on the nearby table.


    When she looked up, Steven was in front of her with a cup of tea in his hand.


    She inhaled the fragrant tea that was just offered to her and looked at his neatly trimmed slender fingers. While taking the cup from his hand she accidentally touched them.


    Steven was perplexed for a moment.


    But he quickly regained his composure and smiled. His pale and handsome face was brightened by his charming smile. It made him so attractive that people often found it difficult to look away.


    "Carla, are you still here?"


    Carla almost snapped back to reality and quickly took the cup from Steven''s hand. After a thoughtful pause, she asked, "Steven, what makes you keep going?"


    It usually took at least half a year for a professional painter to finish a scroll of that size if he or she worked on it every day.


    He had been in Yu Sea City for only one month. How did h


    t you see that?"


    Steven stood with his back to Carla. He let a tear drop glitter in the corner of his eye as he spoke.


    "Steven..."


    "Carla, I have come this far and I have gone through so much. At least let me enjoy a moment of achievement, even if just for a second. Don''t kill the buzz like this please, okay?"


    Steven said in an unpredictably bitter and agitated tone.


    "If you really want me to leave, I will leave after you become the matriarch. Till then let me be near you, even if temporarily."


    After saying that, he poured all the pills on his hand, put them all at once into his mouth and swallowed them in one big gulp.


    "Cough!"


    Steven coughed hard and breathlessly. Then he took the glass and quickly drank some water.


    Carla looked at his flushed face and sighed. She calmly poured a glass of water and handed it to him.


    Steven emptied the glass quickly. He then looked up at Carla. Something overcame him and he pushed the glass away as he held her tightly.


    He suddenly kissed her lips passionately, sending the bitter taste to her mouth.


    Carla tried her best to resist, but failed.


    Steven kissed Carla ferociously as if all his pent-up emotions found an outlet. He wanted to bite her lips but didn''t have the heart to do so.


    At this very moment, he realized that besides loving Carla madly he also hated her with all his heart!


    He hated her for being so ruthless and careless towards him.

 Chapter 1010 Dont Move. I Will Go.

    After a while, Steven finally let go of Carla. His eyes on her swollen, red lips.


    "Callie, please stop saying that. You have broken my heart, over and over again. Don''t you feel sad for me?" he asked.


    Carla stared into his pleading eyes and sighed.


    "Steven, let''s be clear.


    I don''t want to cause any misunderstanding anymore¡­"


    The indifference in Carla''s eyes was enough for Steven to understand what she was thinking. He looked away and laughed bitterly. He felt as if Carla had put a knife through his chest and pulled his heart out with her bare hands. He had been a fool. He couldn''t forget Carla even if she had rejected him again and again. He was not ready to give up. There was still a glimmer of hope in his heart. He believed that she would change her mind one day and fall for him if he continued to express his feelings for her.


    He lifted his hand and stroked Carla''s cheek gently.


    "Callie, no matter what you say or do, it won''t stop me from loving you. You are the only woman I have ever been in love with. I can''t think about being with anyone else."


    "But you have the right to leave, don''t you?"


    Carla glared at him.


    "And you just want to get rid of me. Right, Callie? So that you will feel less guilty if I leave."


    Steven shook his head and smiled. "But I''m sorry, I can''t leave you. You''d better start getting used to me. It doesn''t matter if you don''t love me back. I just want to be with you. That''s all I ask for."


    Carla sighed.


    She didn''t know how to make him understand that he was wasting his life waiting for her.


    Steven was just like Terence in that aspect. Once he set his mind on something, nothing in the world could change it. Carla couldn''t help but feel sorry for him.


    "Stay away from me. You have been with Lucia for a very long time. I don''t want you anywhere near me,"


    she said flinching her hand.


    Steven burst into a fit of laughter. He rolled his eyes and slipped the ring off his finger and gave it to Carla. "Do you see what this is?"


    Carla glanced at it and frowned.


    "It''s a ring."


    "Take a closer look." Steven smiled. She knitted her eyebrows and brought the ring closer to her. A faint smell was lingering on the ring. She looked at Steven and sniffed it.


    Carla liked the subtle fragrance, so she brought the ring closer and was about to take another whiff of it.


    "Please don''t!"


    Steven caught her hand, took the ring from her, and slipped it on to his finger. "Yes, it''s a ring. But there is a drug in it, which is capable of inducing powerful hallucinations."


    Carla''s mouth popped open in shock.


    She looked at the ring and back at Steven. "You mean... You mean that you and Lucia... You two didn''t¡­" she trailed off.


    "Yes, nothing has happened between us,"


    Steven had been sick and Lucia had stopped forcing him so there was no need for Steven to resort to using the ring to safeguard himself.


    Everything seemed plausible and there wasn''t a speck of doubt in Lucia''s mind.


    Carla rubbed her eyebrows and shook her head. "Wow! I don''t know what to say. I don''t know if you are being smart or incredibly stupid."


    He could have accepted Lucia''s offer to fulfil his


    , stay still!"


    He croaked as he quickly thwarted Lucia''s attempt to stab him.


    That was when he realized that Lucia was not planning to take his life. She was trying to castrate him.


    Steven''s eyes widened with shock. He did not have time to even catch his breath. Lucia had lost control of herself. She lunged forward with her knife.


    "Be careful, Steven!"


    Carla grabbed a vase from the table and threw it at Lucia from behind.


    The vase crashed on the back of Lucia''s head.


    Her eyes widened and became completely still and her head hit the concrete with a loud thud.


    Carla ignored Lucia and ran to Steven. She caught him before his feet gave way. "Are you okay?" she asked, inspecting his face.


    "Yes. Thank God."


    Steven gasped and looked down at his crotch.


    "I''m sorry. It''s my fault. I didn''t expect that Lucia would go to the extent of stabbing you. I should have sent more people to guard you. I will tighten the security, first thing in the morning."


    It broke Carla''s heart to see Steven''s swollen, blood-soaked face.


    She looked around and realized that Carol was missing. Lucia must have attacked her too.


    Lucia had planned everything in advance. She was aware that Carla wouldn''t be here at night and thought that it would be the perfect time to execute her mission.


    Carla''s gaze flitted to Steven. He was staring at the ground with wide eyes, his mouth hanging open.


    "What''s wrong?"


    Carla frowned and followed his gaze.


    She let out a squeal when she saw Lucia lying completely still on the ground, covered in the pool of her blood.


    "Lu-Lucia?"


    Carla shuddered. She stepped forward and nudged Lucia''s motionless body with her leg.


    Lucia did not stir. Carla broke into a cold sweat. She never thought of killing her. She threw a vase at her to prevent her from stabbing Steven.


    Carla''s mouth became dry. She was helpless in that situation.


    "Don''t move, I''ll take care of it."


    Steven grabbed Carla''s shoulder and he pulled her away when he saw her trembling hands reach.


    He took a moment to calm down, blew out a loud breath, and limped towards Lucia.

 Chapter 1011 Negligent Homicide

    Steven tentatively planted one of his feet forward, and gingerly inched his way towards Lucia. His heart hammered on his chest as he saw her lying on the ground motionless. Dread twisted in his guts. As soon as he approached her, he reached out his arm and turned her still body over.


    His heart lurched at the sight of her.


    Fear paralyzed Steven, and his face was ashen. His stomach clenched, and he felt like he might throw up. He forced his body to step back as his throat tightened. The dagger that could have had hurt him pierced her chest!


    Steven figured out that Lucia accidentally stabbed herself when she fell.


    Carla saw what happened, and her eyes were red with tears. She suppressed a shiver. And in a voice edged with fear, she managed to mumble, "How could this be? I will call the doctor now..."


    Steven suddenly grabbed her cold and trembling hand, refusing her to leave.


    He quickly got himself together. Now that he could think sensibly, he placed his hand under Lucia''s nose, feeling her breath. A moment later, he turned to Carla, "It''s too late.


    Callie, stay out of this and go back to your room."


    Steven stood up while holding Carla''s gaze. And without changing his clothes, he marched out of the bedroom.


    "Steven, where are you going? I''ll go with you!"


    Carla yelled and ran after him.


    Steven immediately stopped in his tracks and turned around to look at her. His eyes were pleading as he scanned her blanched face, "Callie, listen to me. It is best that you aren''t seen with me, so we wouldn''t be in tremendous trouble. But if you go with me, it will make things more complicated!"


    "But..." she stammered.


    "Callie, I know you didn''t mean to hurt her! The evils she brought on herself are the hardest to bear. Don''t take it to heart,"


    Steven reasoned out, soothing her before he stumbled out of the room. Soon, darkness engulfed his retreating figure.


    Carla could only stare at him moving away with unease settling within her. Suddenly remembering Carol, Carla hurriedly went to find her. As expected, Carol was knocked out and forcibly thrown in the backyard.


    "Madam... You are back,"


    Carol moaned, shaking her head. She felt dizzy, with everything around her spinning.


    "Carol, listen to me. Go to Steven''s room and stay there. Don''t let anyone in. I''m going to see my grandfather!"


    Carla ordered as she helped Carol get up.


    Slightly feeling better, Carol nodded. She had no idea what was going on.


    Carla went to see Arthur immediately. And she vividly recounted every detail to him.


    Arthur momentarily stood frozen when he heard what happened to Lucia.


    He fell into deep thought. After a while, he calmly said, "Callie, Steven was right. You can''t help him with that. It would be easier to solve if we insist that Lucia killed herself by accident after he bullied Steven.


    Yu Sea City has its laws. I assure y


    e dagger somehow got stuck into her chest...


    I have explained everything to the matriarch and the legal examiner has checked her body. Miss Lucia was indeed stabbed to death by her own knife..."


    Steven uttered these broken sentences as he fixed his gaze at the matriarch, Eleanor. She was sitting on her ceremonial chair, and her face was devoid of any emotion.


    Eleanor was also sad for losing one of her granddaughters. But she had to handle the matter according to what was morally right and fair.


    "Dorothy, I will make a thorough investigation into this. But it seems that Lucia indeed killed herself by mistake based on the current evidence,"


    Eleanor imparted, emitting an audible breath laced with sadness.


    "No! Mother! It can''t be true! There is no way that Lucia killed herself. It must be Steven and Callie who murdered her!"


    Hearing her mother''s words, Dorothy instantly loosened her grip on Steven and earnestly knelt before Eleanor, and screamed, "Mother! Lucia is your granddaughter. She can''t die like this. Please, Mother, invoke justice, and bind the murderer to the law!"


    Dorothy held Eleanor''s leg, pleading helplessly.


    Eleanor couldn''t help patting her shoulder sadly. After all, she had seen Lucia grow up. She was also as devastated as Dorothy. She gave Dorothy''s shoulder a gentle squeeze and assured her, "Dorothy, I know you can''t accept the fact that you have lost your beloved daughter. But since it has happened, you have to calm down. I will solve this matter justly. If it turns out that Lucia was murdered, I will not spare the murderer!"


    With tears streaming down her cheeks, Dorothy adamantly shook her head and insisted, "Mother, I don''t think we need to look into it anymore. It must be Callie and Steven, who had conspired to kill Lucia!


    If you don''t believe me, you can bring Callie here and interrogate her!


    And Carlota! She has also witnessed what happened!"

 Chapter 1012 Confession

    When Eleanor heard his words, she turned to look at Steven.


    "Mr. Su, please tell me the truth. Were you really the only one in that room?"


    Although the doctor had already confirmed that Lucia''s death had been an accident, she still was a prominent figure. For that reason, Eleanor needed to have all the facts covered before taking it to the public.


    "My Queen..."


    Steven didn''t have the chance to say more. A servant had stepped inside and interrupted him with a sudden announcement.


    "My Queen, Mrs. An is here to see you!"


    Steven immediately frowned, confused as to why she was there.


    "Let her in."


    Eleanor waved a hand and averted her eyes towards the Phoenix Palace gate.


    An instant later, Carla walked in.


    "Grandmother..."


    Carla said as she bowed to Eleanor. Her eyes rapidly locked onto Lucia''s corpse next to the matriarch, causing a shiver to run down her spine.


    However, before Eleanor could say anything, Dorothy came forth towards Carla and grabbed her through the shirt, screaming, "Callie! You! You did this! Confess now!


    How could you be so cruel? Lucia was your family! How could you murder her?! You monster!"


    Carla didn''t try to break free from her aunt''s grip, allowing her instead to vent her anger for as long as she needed.


    At that moment, however, a voice broke through the screaming.


    "My Queen, Carlota has woken up and is now waiting outside."


    With a slight nod, Eleanor ordered, "Let her in."


    Carlota carefully walked inside, but as soon as she saw Lucia lying on the floor, she ran up to her and fell on her knees. "Lucia! Lucia! Why isn''t she waking up?"


    Carlota had just regained her consciousness. She had no idea about Lucia''s death.


    "Carlota! Tell me the truth. How did she die? Was it Callie and Steven who plotted against her? Tell me!"


    Letting go of Carla, Dorothy made her way to Carlota and winked at her.


    Carlota understood the signal and didn''t think twice before turning to Eleanor as she confirmed, "Yes! I saw Carla coming to the room a few minutes ahead of Lucia''s death. They must have killed her!"


    Satisfied with Carlota''s words, Dorothy knelt in front of Eleanor and cried, "Mother, did you hear that?


    It was her! It was Carla! Ever since this girl returned to Yu Sea City, she has only stirred up trouble. She had always been intimidated by Lucia. She feared that my daughter would f


    r her crime?"


    "I''ll discuss this matter with the people from the law department."


    Carla was standing in silence when Eleanor turned her attention to her and said, "Callie, until I know how to proceed with your case, you are not allowed to leave the east yard without permission."


    "Yes, Grandma."


    Carla nodded.


    "Okay, you all may leave now. We''ll discuss Lucia''s funeral later,"


    Eleanor commanded wearily, gesturing with her hand for everyone to leave.


    Outside the Phoenix Palace, Lori was anxiously waiting when she spotted the movement of people coming out.


    She promptly sought out for Dorothy and walked up to her, eager to know what happened. "Mom, are you okay? What did Grandma say?"


    Dorothy didn''t know her heart could break anymore, but it did when she saw Lori. She still couldn''t believe she had only one daughter left now.


    Yet, paradoxically, to look at Lori was also a solace. It was comforting to know she still had her by her side after all.


    "Lori, let''s go back first. Then, I''ll tell you everything."


    Dorothy''s words carried more kindness than any other that she had said to Lori before. Caught off guard, the girl quickly nodded and helped her mother more diligently than she normally would.


    At the same time, her lips curve into a smirk.


    Lucia might have been her biological sister, but once Lori heard she was dead, she couldn''t help but feel a strange sense of relief and joy.


    The elder sister, whom she had always been forced to look up to was now dead. From that day on, her mother would rely on her for the future of the family.

 Chapter 1013 Took The Joke Too Far

    It was already the break of dawn and the sun was slowly peeking in the horizon


    Steven walked out of the Phoenix Palace with a frown. "Callie, we had already come to an understanding. Why did you..." he trailed off, running his fingers through his hair nervously.


    Carla''s actions could stop her from inheriting the position of the matriarch.


    Moreover, the decisions of the four tribes and the law enforcement department have not been finalized.


    "Steven, Grandpa told me about your plan." Carla smiled.


    "But I have to take the responsibility for my actions. You are under no obligation to do this for me."


    Carla knew that Steven would be imprisoned for at least three years if he was charged with negligent homicide.


    She already owed him a lot for his selflessness and countless favors. She didn''t want to be indebted to him for the rest of her life.


    Fortunately, things weren''t as bad as she expected them to be. Eleanor was wise enough to understand the situation. She had decided not to punish Steven.


    Carla wouldn''t be able to live with herself if someone took the blame for her and faced the repercussions in her place.


    "Are you doing this because you feel that you are indebted to me?"


    Steven frowned. His eyes were filled with pain.


    "I''m going to my room to rest. I have been up all night and I''m exhausted. See you later."


    Carla walked to the east yard without answering his question.


    Steven stood there, watching Carla leave. He sighed loudly and went back to Arthur''s house. He needed to discuss something with him.


    When Carla returned to the east yard, she saw Andrea pacing in the garden nervously. Her face lit up when she saw Carla.


    "Callie, are you okay?"


    Andrea squealed and swept Carla into her arms and hugged her tightly. She was relieved that Carla had returned safely.


    Dorothy had been shooting vicious glances at Andrea as if she wanted to kill her and see her suffer. Andrea couldn''t help but worry about her hurting Carla.


    "I''m fine, Mom. I''m sorry for freaking you out."


    Carla hugged her and leaned on her shoulder. It was comforting to be in her mother''s hold after what had happened. "But I don''t think I can leave now. I need to wait until they announce the verdict."


    "Sweetheart, your grandpa has told me everything. It''s not your fault,"


    Andrea said, cupping Carla''s cheeks. "Don''t worry, I will meet Caroline later. I will talk to her about minimizing the punishment." Tears streamed down Andrea''s face.


    Carla just hugged her mother silently without saying a word.


    She did not want her mother to get into trouble by interfering with her problems. But she knew that her mother wouldn''t just sit and watch her suffer.


    After Andrea left, Carla ploppe


    because I knew his intentions. He just wants the title. I won''t interfere as long he stays within his limits." Terence took another puff of his cigarette and sighed.


    "Carla, I trust you.


    I know that we are going through a tough time. But this shall pass. We will get over this soon. Once everything is over, we can live our lives the way we want to."


    Carla''s love for Terence grew multifold. She was incredibly lucky to have a loving, understanding, and caring husband like him. But she instantly felt guilty when she realized that she wasn''t there to take care of him. He had to deal with everything on his own, "What if I let you down?" she asked, biting her trembling lip.


    "Why do you say that?"


    Terence swallowed loudly. "Did anything happen between the two of you?"


    "What if I tell you that... I have slept with him?"


    Carla sniffed and wiped the tears that were gliding from the corner of her eyes.


    Terence''s eyes widened before the screen went blank. He had disconnected the call when Carla was about to explain.


    Carla was stunned. She had upset him by taking the joke too far.


    She just wanted to see his reaction.


    Not even in the faintest part of her heart did she think of betraying him.


    Her mind flitted to the night on Eastern Island when Steven had used her to win Lucia''s trust.


    Steven knew that Carla had a lot of self-control and that she wouldn''t do anything impulsive.


    That was when Carla realized how smart Steven was. She couldn''t read his mind and that was why she had tested him before.


    Carla''s heart began to drum wildly in her chest. She was already having a lot of problems. It was incredibly stupid of her to play with her husband in the middle of a serious conversation.


    She called Terence right away. She needed to explain to him that she was just joking.

 Chapter 1014 Stevens Plan

    Soon after, someone answered the video call.


    Carla was about to talk, but she stopped when she saw Rainer on the screen. Her lovely face was painted with confusion.


    "Mrs. An, Mr. An just left. Please call back later,"


    Rainer explained as briefly as he could.


    "Where did he go? Why didn''t you go with him?" Carla asked with a frown on her face.


    "He didn''t allow me to go with him," Rainer replied innocently while scratching his head. He didn''t know what to say to Carla who seemed upset.


    Carla bit her lower lip and put down the iPad after ending the video call. She breathed out a deep sigh as she was worried that Terence might do something out of line.


    Time passed by quickly, and it was already evening.


    Being guarded day and night, Carla was feeling overwhelmed. She needed to do something, but first, she had to calm herself down.


    "Madam, please stop pacing back and forth. It''s time for you to come to the dining room and have dinner,"


    Carol said while looking at Carla who was pacing back and forth in the courtyard with her arms folded across her chest seeming very anxious.


    She wondered why Carla had become so anxious again for she had been calm earlier that day.


    Carla stopped pacing and walked inside the house. Not knowing what was going on outside the house that made her jittery and restless.


    Aside from not knowing about the situation outside, she couldn''t leave the house. What was worse, Terence stopped answering her calls earlier and had gone somewhere without Rainer. Given this situation, she could not help but have a bad feeling about it.


    Currently, she was being kept in the east yard. Unlike her, there was no restriction on Steven''s movement, so he could go anywhere he wanted. That was why he had been out for almost the whole day.


    Meanwhile, something had begun to unfold in Arthur''s villa.


    "Master, Mr. An is at the entrance of Wang Village. He wants to see you,"


    Arthur''s trusted servant reported.


    Arthur stole a brief glance at Steven who was sitting next to him.


    "Let him in," he instructed.


    After saying that, Arthur turned to Steven with a concerned look and asked, "Steven, do you want to leave for a while?"


    Steven shook his head and gave a reassuring smile. "No, I have to face him sooner or later."


    Not long after, Terence walked into the yard. His eyes were filled with anger when he saw Steven sitting beside Arthur.


    "Mr. An, long time no see."


    Steven stood up and greeted Terence. The next second, Terence was standing in front of Steven as he grabbed him by the collar.


    Noticing that Terence had become filled with anger as soon as he came in, Arthur made the effort to pacify him. He coughed and said, "Terence, calm down. We should talk first."


    "I''m sorry but I have something to discuss with this man, alone!"


    Terence could barely keep his violent urges in check as he replied. Looking coldly at Steven, his piercing eyes filled with


    wanted to ask him why he came.


    But as soon as she opened her mouth, he lifted her chin and covered her mouth with his. He kissed her so passionately that she was unable to speak.


    When she finally had the chance, she said, "Terence, listen to me..."


    Carla touched his familiar handsome face faintly. "Nothing happened between me and Steven. I was just joking. I didn''t expect that you would take it seriously."


    Terence responded with a snort, "I know. Carol reported to me everything about you every day."


    "Then why did you..."


    ''Why did you come all the way here?'' Carla thought to herself.


    Carla didn''t finish her question.


    "Carla, I regret all of this,"


    Terence said with a frown. Then he lowered his head and kissed her gently on the lips again. "I should have stopped you from coming here. The An family is as powerful as the Yu Clan if not more powerful. I believe your grandmother wouldn''t be able to force us to do anything we don''t want to do.


    I shouldn''t have let this issue run its course or even allowed you to come back to visit your family. This is why we have so many troubles now!"


    It was all because he had a soft heart.


    Carla looked at him worriedly and heaved out a sigh. At that time, no one would have thought that so many things would happen.


    She had just wanted to see her grandparents. She hadn''t expected that things would work out this way.


    Life was truly filled with surprises.


    The next day, Arthur invited Terence over for tea. Because of Terence''s arrival, Steven had to stay at Arthur''s place last night.


    "Terence, give our special tea a try. This tea is only available once every three years. These are made from the freshest and most tender parts of the plant,"


    Arthur said with a smile and poured a cup of tea for him.


    "Bring some for your father when you go back," he offered.


    Terence smelled the fresh tea and asked, "Grandpa, have you got any news about the punishment for Carla?"

 Chapter 1015 Your Grandpa Is Biased Towards Steven

    Arthur shook his head and explained, "We are not done discussing it. There''s a lot to be clarified before a decision can be made."


    "Well... What about the matriarch? What does she think about it?"


    Terence asked, raising his eyebrows. The decision wasn''t an easy one, but it would simplify things if the matriarch took a stand.


    Arthur caressed his white beard, and with a heavy heart, he said, "I don''t really know what she''s thinking. Even though I''ve spent most of my life with her, I still haven''t figured her out completely.


    Yet, I know for sure that she''s in favor of Callie becoming the matriarch. I just can''t understand why she hesitated,"


    he concluded, but his tone suggested there was something more to it.


    After taking a sip of his tea, Terence looked up at Arthur. "Do I have anything to do with it?"


    Arthur froze for an instant, but quickly shook his head and tried to dodge the question. "It''s... That''s not it. Terence, don''t overthink this."


    "Grandpa, you said it yourself. You''ve been by the patriarch''s side for so many years, and I''m positive that you know what she thinks about this matter. The An Family is powerful. Is she afraid that I might one day take charge of the Yu Clan?"


    Terence calmly asked.


    "Terence, I''m not quite sure about that. But Eleanor is naturally suspicious. I wouldn''t doubt this thought had crossed her mind." Arthur sighed and then added, "Eleanor is not fond of men that are too powerful. During all these years, I''ve kept my distance from the clan affairs the most that I could, just focusing on my life instead."


    Immediately, Terence lowered his head and began playing with the cup in his hands.


    "Terence, I know how influential the An Family is and how you''ve been raised to be the strong man you are today. But in the end, you''ve got married to a girl from Yu Sea City. What I''m trying to ask you is... Could you compromise your strength for her sake?"


    Terence remained silent, so Arthur gently went on, "I know this is not easy for you, but it''s the best way to end Eleanor''s suspicions for now."


    Laying carefully down the cup on the table, Terence scoffed, "I believe I''ve compromised enough.


    Since Carla came to Yu Sea City, I''ve kept my distance except for when she was in trouble. I also haven''t said a word about her taking risks and minding her own business in this city. I hav


    llowing me to stay with Carla. As for the future, no one can predict what it has in store, right?"


    Arthur burst into laughter due to Steven''s words. "I''m surprised with your way of thinking.


    But you''re right. As long as you''re with Callie, you will have better chances of changing the outcome. After all, who knows what the future holds?"


    Arthur smiled until he became serious again. "But are you really sure you don''t want to have any children for the rest of your life? You are the only child of the Su Family."


    If Steven never had an heir of his own, he would condemn his family''s bloodline.


    "I''m not concerned with this now. If I decide to have children someday, I can adopt one and give him or her my family name,"


    Steven stated, his voice flat.


    He was aware this decision would hurt his father, but he didn''t want to do what he didn''t want to do.


    Everyone had the right to lead their paths in ways that suit them best.


    Meanwhile, in the east yard, Carla remained in the house.


    The farthest that she went that day was the kitchen. She had decided to cook while Terence was still out.


    Just when she was thinking about him, she turned slightly and, out of the corner of her eye, noticed that he was back.


    Then, she wiped her hands on the apron and closed the distance between them.


    "You are back. Why do you look so upset? Did something go wrong at Grandpa''s?"


    Terence''s face became sullen when he said, "Carla, your grandpa is biased towards Steven."


    "What? Why do you say that? What happened?"


    Carla asked, frowning in confusion.

 Chapter 1016 The Price Carla Had To Pay

    Carla bit her lower lip and waited for Terence''s reply.


    "He was partial towards Steven,"


    Terence grunted with jealousy.


    Carla furrowed her eyebrows. "What did he say?"


    Terence stared into Carla''s eyes. "Grandpa wants me to let Steven stay with you. He wants me to accept him as your real husband."


    He paused for Carla''s response.


    "He also said that Steven would make a compromise by not having a child with you. Don''t you think that''s bullshit?"


    Carla''s mouth popped open in shock.


    She was speechless.


    When Carla did not answer, Terence held her arms, and shook her as if he were trying to wake her up from a trance.


    "Have you agreed to it?"


    "What?"


    Carla was stunned. She never expected Terence to ask such a question. Did he not trust her?


    "Tell me the truth. Are you going to claim Steven as your husband?" Terence frowned and stared at her face, trying to read her facial expression.


    Carla wanted to laugh but she stifled her laughter and quickly became serious. "What will you do if I say yes?"


    Terence''s handsome face turned gloomy and his frown deepened.


    "In that case, I won''t stop you. I will let you do as you wish. I will not interfere in your life. You can live happily and have kids with him."


    Carla''s eyes widened when she saw that he was looking serious. She hadn''t thought about this at all.


    She was aware of Arthur''s intentions but she always dismissed his opinions when he tried to impose them on her.


    Carla didn''t pay much attention to it because she felt that her grandfather wouldn''t do anything without her consent.


    "What about you?"


    Carla asked.


    "We would be divorced by then. You don''t have to worry about what I think."


    Terence arched his eyebrow and looked at her before he turned his heels and walked into his room.


    "No, I was just kidding!" Carla said as she chased after him.


    She quickly caught up with Terence and hugged him from behind.


    "Honey, I was just kidding. I did not agree to it. I would not even think about it. I swear."


    Terence stopped and looked at Carla''s hands wrapped around his waist. He closed his eyes and sighed. "Carla, don''t blame me for being selfish. Love is not like other things. It cannot be shared,"


    Terence said as he turned around to look at her.


    "You are mine. You are my wife, the mother of my children. I will not share you with anyone else. You are mine, and mine alone."


    It was a man''s honor.


    He wouldn''t let anyone trample on it.


    "Honey, don''t worry. I would never think of something like that. I cannot live a life without you. If I ever hurt you or even think of betraying you, I will go to hell ..."


    Terence clamped her mouth with his hand immediately.


    "Carla, that''s enough. Don''t curse yourself." Terence frowned. He held her in his arms and pressed his forehead against hers.


    Life is full of surprises. He did not know what awaited them. But he knew one thing for sure. His life would be beautiful and he would be able to face anything in the world if Carla was with him.


    But if something happened to him


    sit down. "I''m not forcing you to make a decision immediately. You can take your time. But remember, this is a prestigious position and most women are dying to become the matriarch."


    Carla shook her head.


    "Grandma, you are just overthinking. The An Family has nothing against Yu Sea City. Terence has supported me all this time. He wants me to become the matriarch as much as I do. Why do you consider him as a threat?


    Even if..." she cleared her throat as her voice became shaky. "Even if I divorce Terence, Sally will still be the granddaughter of the An Family. In that case, she would be the biggest threat to Yu Sea City."


    Carla took a deep breath and continued, "Grandma, please try to understand.


    Trust me, I will handle the affairs of Yu Sea City without a hitch. I won''t let you down! If you don''t have faith in me, you can very well appoint someone else as the new matriarch."


    Eleanor was not mad at Carla. She nodded and took a sip of her tea.


    "Carla, there is no room for negotiation. Although Sally is the heir of the An Family, everything will be fine as long as she obeys the clan. That''s how Yu Sea City has been functioning generation after generation."


    Carla clenched her fists.


    "In that case Grandmother, just punish me!" she said resolutely, "I''m ready to endure anything, but I wouldn''t let anyone tear my family apart."


    "Don''t be so stubborn, my girl,"


    Eleanor said as a smile tugged on the corners of her lips.


    "Carla, I''m doing this for your own good. You will have a bright future if you get rid of Terence. Moreover, you have Steven. He loves you and supports you. Why do you want to be the daughter-in-law of the An Family when you can live a free life like me?


    I''m not forcing you to answer right away. Take your own sweet time and get back to me.


    An opportunity like this will not knock on your door twice. If you make up your mind, you will be able to get out of the east yard any time. You can also go in and out of Yu Sea City at will. No one will question you. Think about it."

 Chapter 1017 Constant Dropping Will Wear Away A Stone (Part One)

    Carla was about to retreat when Eleanor stood up and walked into the hall.


    Carla walked out of the Phoenix Palace, heartbroken. She felt a painful lump in her throat, but kept the tears at bay.


    She had never dreamed of becoming the matriarch at Lucia''s expense.


    While she was trying her best to suppress the pain she was feeling, outside the palace, the moon was shining bright above JA City.


    The city was bustling with crowds of people on the streets, beautifully lit by the neon lights of hoarding boards and warm yellow street lamps.


    The Su mansion was also elegantly lit.


    Inside, Gary paced back and forth in the study.


    "Is there any news about Steven?"


    He asked Secretary Liu, who was serving tea for him. He took his glasses off and rubbed his sore eyes. He had been waiting for some news for hours, and his mind was tired of the anticipation.


    "There is, sir. But I''m afraid you wouldn''t want to hear it."


    Secretary Liu swallowed back the words that were hanging at the tip of his tongue.


    "Don''t beat about the bush. He has already settled in Yu Sea City and shared his wife with others. What could be worse than that!" Gary snapped, putting on his glasses again, his heart beating a little faster.


    "Sir, from what I have come to know..."


    started Liu slowly.


    He then filled in Gary with what had happened to Steven in the past few weeks.


    "Steven never disobeyed me since he was a child. And look how cruelly he has, the first time around!"


    Gary heaved a long sigh after listening to Secretary Liu''s report. There were tears wobbling at the edge of his eyes, but he tried his best to contain them. "His dream has finally come true. What does he find in that woman!


    It''s such a tragedy!"


    "Let''s not jump to any conclusions, sir. Mr. Su hasn''t realized his dreams yet. Mr. An and Mrs. An love each other deeply. I don''t t


    so late. They''re both sleeping!" I can''t ask them to stand by 24/7 even if I''m their boss, they need to rest."


    "What the hell! It''s only ten o''clock! It''s the perfect time to go to a bar. We can''t waste such a good opportunity!"


    Theo said, feeling rather excited thinking about all the attractive women that would be at the bar. Without wasting another second, he walked out of the room spontaneously and murmured to himself, "Where is Nathan''s room? The first floor? I''ll go wake him up!" Theo headed out of the room and downstairs.


    Terence turned and looked at Theo leaving the room. He heaved a small sigh and shook his head.


    Now he was wondering if he should ever invite Theo to come over to drink with him again.


    Theo knocked on a random room. When the door opened, he immediately said, "Nathan, Terence asked you to get up and drive the car. We have to go out tonight!"


    "Sir Theo, I''m Rainer,"


    Rainer said, rubbing his eyes.


    "Sorry,"


    Theo said with a childish grin. The light in the hallway wasn''t bright, so he mistook him for Nathan. Besides, the two looked quite alike since they were twins.


    "Okay, please give me a moment. I''ll quickly get changed and see you downstairs," Rainer said without complaining.

 Chapter 1018 Constant Dropping Will Wear Away A Stone (Part Two)

    Theo went to the garage and looked at Terence''s blue Lamborghini. Quickly, he ran upstairs and dragged Terence to the garage, who was unwilling to comply, still against the idea of going out. Rainer was already there by that time.


    The three got into the car and left for one of the most famous night clubs of the city.


    Terence didn''t like places like that. Looking at the men and women dancing so cheerfully on the dance floor only made him feel lonelier.


    This was one way for the young people to seek some warmth or comfort. In places like these, somehow everyone felt at ease and forgot their sorrows.


    After a few minutes saying hello to other people at the club, Theo turned around and found that Terence had left their table. He looked around, but couldn''t see him anywhere.


    The music was too loud, so Terence had gone out to light himself a cigarette and smoke in peace.


    "Mr. An, would you like a cup of coffee?"


    Rainer came over to him and offered him a cup of hot coffee, seeing that Terence looked rather sad and exhausted.


    Terence took the cup and took out his cell phone. It was Carol who was calling him, to give him her daily report on Carla.


    Since she''d missed last time, she had been very punctual. She gave him all details, even small things like when Carla went to take a shower.


    "Mr. An, Mrs. An is asleep right now. Before going to bed, she went through photos of Sally and Adonis for a while, and fell asleep holding a few of your photos in her hands.


    Mrs. An stays inside the entire day. This morning she drew a chrysanthemum picture and took a nap after lunch. Mr. Su came to visit her in the afternoon. He talked with her for a while and left after sometime. It was clear he had come to comfort her,"


    Carol spoke everything in a single breath and then sighed with relief


    en, what''s the name of that girl... Cindy! Remember her? What happened between you and her?"


    She asked curiously, trying not to come across as insecure or jealous, because she really wasn''t.


    "Cindy¡­ I remember she visited me when I went back to JA City last time," Steven said with a far-off look, like he had to recall those things with some difficulty as they had happened a long time ago.


    "Yes, and you were very close, the last time I saw the two of you together. Do you still keep in touch?"


    Carla asked, scratching her head.


    "Why are you so interested in her?"


    Confused, Steven raised his brows, as Carla never showed any interest in his personal life.


    "Well. I just want to say that Cindy is a good girl. Even though she has some issues with her legs, you can''t show her a cold shoulder for a long time. I can see she really likes you. I mean, just think of all the things she has done for you. Seriously, don''t you have any feelings for her?"


    Carla would never stop trying to change his mind, so she seized every chance to persuade him.


    She hoped one day Steven would give up on her. She didn''t have any choice but to rely on that saying, constant dropping would wear out a stone.

 Chapter 1019 Car Accident

    Steven stared at her intently and left without saying a word.


    "Hey, where are you going?"


    Carla asked, knitting her eyebrows.


    "I''m going to bed,"


    Steven answered without looking back.


    Carla glanced at him. Steven was an enigma at times. She couldn''t understand what was going on in his complicated mind. She sighed and closed the window. She stretched her tight muscles and went back to bed to sleep.


    However, Carla''s brain was whirling with all the problems and challenges she was facing. She couldn''t fall back to sleep.


    Her grandmother had been forcing her to make an impossible choice. Although Carla had promised to think about it and get back to her, she had already made up her mind. She knew that her grandmother wouldn''t be pleased with her decision.


    She didn''t know what to do. Carla was aware that she was trapped here and there was no way out. Her grandmother wouldn''t let her go even if she wanted to.


    Carla had been squeezing her brain for the last two weeks to come up with a plan to escape from this uncomfortable situation. She had hit a dead end and had to pave her way out.


    At the Phoenix Palace, Arthur smiled as he stood up after playing a beautiful song. "Eleanor, what do you think of my performance?"


    He covered his mouth and coughed loudly and walked towards Eleanor who was watching him. Her eyes were filled with concern.


    "Arthur, you are not a young boy anymore. You need to accept that you are old and stop acting like a teenager. See, you are coughing now."


    Eleanor waved her hand and gestured him to sit next to her. "Is there anything you want to tell me?"


    Arthur plopped next to her and took a sip of water to moisten his parched throat. "What do you mean? I just wanted to play a song for you."


    Eleanor rolled her eyes. "Come on, I know you very well. Just say whatever you need to say."


    Arthur was having another coughing fit and Eleanor rubbed his back to soothe him. "Why are you coughing like that? Have you gone to see a doctor?"


    It was rare for Eleanor to fuss over him and Arthur was enjoying the attention. A smile tugged on the corners of his lips. "Yes I have, and it''s nothing serious," he said in a raspy voice. He cleared his throat and continued, "Eleanor, Callie has been locked up for a long time. I think she has had enough.


    She is your granddaughter. I don''t think you have the heart to see her suffer. Just put an end to this torture."


    Eleanor knew that Arthur was here because of Carla. He played the song to relax her and change her mind.


    "I''m not the one who has locked her up.


    rest. She was relieved to hear his voice. Terence had the power to change her mood and make her happy in an instant.


    After hanging up the phone, Carla stood up from the couch and walked to the yard.


    The sky was clear and the dazzling sun was hitting her face. She wondered if it was also sunny in JA City.


    Time passed by, and the sky slowly darkened as the sun sank into the mountains in the west.


    Carla was reading a book in her room. Since she had no work to do, Carla spent her time reading the history of Yu Sea City.


    Steven had stocked her shelf with books on politics and management. She would read them for at least three hours a day.


    Carla closed a book that she had finished and rubbed her sore neck.


    "Oh my God! Why have you brought all these books? Don''t you see I still have books that I need to finish?" Carla gaped at the pile of books in Steven''s arms.


    "Take them back!"


    she grumbled with annoyance.


    "You have to read them. You need to gather knowledge and understanding to lead the clan. These books will help you. Take your time. You don''t have to finish them in a hurry." Steven placed the books on the shelf and dusted his hands.


    Carla glared at Steven. She shifted her gaze to the bookshelf that was loaded with books. She thought that she would go crazy by the time she became the matriarch.


    Carol sprang into the room. Her heart was drumming loudly in her chest.


    She took a moment to catch her breath.


    "Madam!"


    Carla turned to look at the door. "What''s up, Carol?"


    "Nathan had called. Mr. Terence was in a car accident on the way to S City.


    The car has rolled off the cliff and the driver has died on the spot. Mr. An ... Mr. An was nowhere to be found."

 Chapter 1020 Willful Murder

    Carla stared at her with wide eyes. Carol''s words were ringing in her ears over and over again.


    This couldn''t be true. How could Terence leave her? "Carol, what are you saying? I just called him a while ago. He was fine. How could it be possible?"


    Carla''s lips quivered as tears streamed down her cheeks. She was in shock.


    "Ma''am, it''s true. Nathan and Rainer are looking for him now. Nathan just called to inform me."


    Carol said, bursting into sobs.


    Carla wiped her tears and ran out of the room, not bothering to wear her shoes.


    "Callie!"


    Steven called as he snapped back to his senses.


    He quickly grabbed Carla''s shoes and coat and turned around, trying to catch up with her.


    But Carol stepped before him.


    "Mr. Su, please stop."


    Carol glared at him with eyes brimming with tears. "You''re happy now, aren''t you, Mr. Su? You can be happy with Mrs. An now. No one is there to stop you."


    Steven''s mouth fell open. He was stunned by Carol''s accusation.


    "Carol, I know you are upset now. I''m equally shocked. I''ve never thought of harming Mr. An. I know how important he is to Carla. I don''t want him dead. I have nothing against him,"


    he said, shaking his head fiercely.


    Although Steven was deeply in love with Carla, he knew that her heart belonged to Terence. He always revered Terence and wished only the best for him. He was pretty shocked with the news. But he had to gather the strength to investigate on the matter.


    "Oh, really? You are not as tender as you look, Mr. Su. You are a cruel man,"


    Carol scowled.


    "Carol, I don''t know what you mean."


    Steven frowned and waved his hand helplessly.


    "You don''t know what I mean? Mrs. An doesn''t know it yet, but I do."


    Steven retreated as Carol took a step forward. She was looking murderous. "Your father has been making use of every opportunity to hurt Mr. An. I know that your father is behind all this. He must have sent his men to get rid of Mr. An.


    Are you still going to pretend like you don''t know?"


    Steven opened and closed his mouth. He was shocked to hear that his father was behind all this. "What did you say? My father..." He cleared his throat. "My father has been scheming to harm Mr. An?"


    "Wow! You are a great actor, Mr. Su," Carol scoffed. "Your father has approa


    g fault! I shouldn''t have let him out of the car. None of this would have happened if he had stayed in the car."


    He tugged his hair and grunted. "It was just a stupid meeting. It''s nothing compared to Mr. An''s life."


    Nathan knelt down next to Rainer and touched his shoulder.


    "Rainer, it''s not your fault. You know why it''s hard for us to trace him. The car accident was deliberately planned. They must have captured Mr. An. No matter what we do, we won''t be able to find him."


    Carla knitted her eyebrows and looked at Nathan.


    "Nathan, what are you talking about? Do you mean that someone is behind all this? Say it clearly! What the hell is going on?"


    Nathan glanced at Carla.


    "Ma''am, someone has been after Mr. An. He has been attacked three times this week. Mr. An had warned them, but they continued to attack him despite his warnings."


    Carla was more confused now. She looked at Rainer. "What the hell is happening? Who is after my husband?"


    Rainer lowered his head and sighed.


    "Mr. Su''s father, the city mayor, Gary Su."


    Meanwhile, at the Su Mansion.


    Steven rushed to his father''s villa. He couldn''t waste another minute.


    "Young master, You are back,"


    the housekeeper said happily.


    "Where''s my father?'''' Steven asked.


    "He is in the study now. He will be relieved to know that you are back!" He smiled and rushed to Gary''s room to announce Steven''s arrival.


    "Master Su, young master Steven is back!"


    Gary put down his Chinese brush pen and looked at the door of the study.

 Chapter 1021 To challenge Gary Su

    Gary couldn''t hide his excitement when he saw his son entering the room, but he held back the words that he was about to say when he remembered how he escaped from home.


    "So you remembered to come back? I thought you already forgot that you have a home." Gary greeted him coldly without staring at him. Instead, he focused on preparing the ink and brush he was going to use for his calligraphy.


    For the whole duration of Steven''s stay in Yu Sea City, Gary had been busy looking for him.


    Unexpectedly, Steven''s little adventure to Yu Sea City worked in his favor.


    Before going to Yu Sea City, Steven was only known as Gary Su''s son within JA city. It was through talent and sheer luck that Steven was able to make a name for himself in Yu Sea City.


    His painting, Landscape of Yu Sea City, had brought his name to every corner of the city. Now almost the whole country knew his name. He was especially popular in his own hometown, JA city.


    "I''m sorry for making you worry about me, father..."


    Steven bowed respectfully at his father. As he gave him an apologetic look, he noticed the dark circles under his eyes as well as his pale complexion. In his mind, he deliberated carefully, wondering how best to embark on the discussion he wanted to have with his father.


    Gary kept his eyes fixed on the calligraphy he was working on. The room was silent as he wrote some words absentmindedly. When he finished, he felt disappointed with his work because the characters seemed weak. He then shook his head and put down the brush.


    Steven inched closer to look at his father''s work. "Purity of heart and mind," he uttered each word slowly.


    "Father, I can''t see your usual force in these characters,"


    Steven commented as he continued to inspect the paper on the table.


    Gary looked up at him, took away the paper and spread another one in front of himself. "You''ve lost so much weight, my son. You must have suffered a lot," he said with a pained voice. He scrutinized his son and noticed that his cheeks looked hollow. His clothes also seemed baggy on him.


    With no one to look after him, Steven had lost some weight.


    "Come here. I haven''t seen your writing in a long time. Let me see your calligraphy."


    With that, Gary handed the brush to him.


    As a member of the Su family where painting and calligraphy were highly valued, Steven was deeply influenced from an early age.


    He was keen on painting, and since painting and calligraphy were inseparable, he had the advantage of mastering calligraphy.


    Steven took the writing brush and quickly wrote four words on the paper.


    "Nice! Well, you''re really better at this compared to me. Look at these characters! You were able to merge hardness


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    han who were standing behind her.


    The whole thing happened because of him, so he decided to handle it himself.


    "Steven, please take me to see your father. I have something to ask him!" Carla replied in a desperate voice. Her eyes seemed red and swollen from lack of sleep.


    In her desperate state, she pushed him to the side and tried to walk further inside. Steven held her arm to hold her back.


    "Carla, I admit that it was my father''s doing. However, he only did this because of me. It''s all my fault. You can take it out on me. I will do anything for you even if you decide to hate me,"


    Steven admitted. A touch of pain glinted in his amber eyes. He didn''t want to hurt her, but in the end, things didn''t go the way he wanted.


    Seeing that he still didn''t want to give in, Carla''s chest was filled with rage as she slapped him across the face. "Steven, I''ll say it for the last time. Let me see your father!" she shouted adamantly. Angry tears started to stream out from her beautiful eyes.


    Steven was taken aback. He forgot the pain and stared at her in disbelief.


    "Enough! Why do you want to see me?"


    Gary''s voice came from the door. He happened to catch the scene where Carla''s slap landed on his son''s face. He was furious.


    Seeing that Gary had finally showed up, Carla rushed to him and challenged, "Gary Su! Give Terence back to me!"


    "How dare you talk to me like that?"


    Seeing her talk to him in such a bad tone, Gary''s face turned red with anger.


    "Yes! Your name is not for humans to call, it''s for monsters!" Give Terence back to me! Give him back to me!"


    Carla continued to shout at Gary as her arms flailed wildly in anger. Steven tried to calm her down.


    She was anxious to find Terence and had almost lost her mind.


    No matter who Gary was, he was her enemy!

 Chapter 1022 Not Just An Accident

    Carla wasn''t raised in a wealthy family, nor was she trained in social etiquette. As she grew up, no one had taught her the importance of controlling her feelings to protect her family''s name. As a result, she grew up with a straightforward personality. She had always worn her heart on her sleeve.


    If she was angry, she would let it show in her words and actions. This situation was no exemption. Faced with the man who might have had something to do with Terrence''s disappearance, she had let go of all pretensions and civility.


    "You¡­" Gary was seething with anger. He held himself back even though he wanted to curse the woman in front of him. Turning his gaze to Steven, he expressed his disappointment at Carla. "Steven, is this the kind of woman you like? She is so rude! She will be a disgrace to our family!"


    Gary had always been treated with respect by the people around him. It was the first time in his life that he was pointed at by a young woman who called him by his name and showed him contempt. Worst of all, she was the woman that his son wanted to get at any cost.


    "Carla, what''s going on? Are you here to look for Mr. An? Mr. An, is he¡­" Steven was unsure of how to phrase his question. "Haven''t you found him yet?"


    Steven asked with a frown. Unlike his father, he knew about Carla''s straightforward personality. She was actually being considerate towards his father since she didn''t slap him in the face.


    Carla held back her tears and glared at Gary. "Ask your father, Steven. What did he do? Terence is missing now and no one knows where he is. Did he do it or not?"


    Steven turned his head and gave a meaningful look at his father as he thoughtfully considered Carla''s concern.


    "Father..." He wanted his father to tell the truth.


    Gary avoided Steven''s gaze and said, "Tell your friend that she came to the wrong place. I admit that I had some misunderstandings with Terence An in the past, but the car accident had nothing to do with me."


    Steven knitted his brows and asked Carla to stay, "Carla, wait for me here."


    He then turned to his father and uttered coldly, "Dad, let''s go inside and talk."


    Both father and son entered the study.


    "Dad, please tell me the truth. Did you arrange the car accident? How did Mr. An disappear after the car accident? Did you do anything?"


    Steven asked his father seriously. He knew Carla wouldn''t come for his father without reason. Her sudden appearance had aroused his suspicion towards his father.


    "I admit it, Steven. I did send someone to come for Mr. An before, but none of those attempts succeeded. I have nothing to do with this accident! Please believe me!"


    Gary shook his head and let out a deep sigh.


    "Dad, you should know how serious of a matter this is to me. I want to compete wit


    before he got here," said Nathan.


    He opened the surveillance video saved in his laptop and showed it to Carla.


    Carla zoomed in to verify the passenger''s identity and found that it was indeed Terence. "What about the car? Have you checked the driver? Is there anything suspicious about him?"


    "I have questioned his colleagues and investigated his background. For the time being, I haven''t found anything suspicious,"


    Nathan said with a sigh. If this accident was indeed deliberately arranged, his colleagues would admit nothing.


    Since this seemed to be the case, the brain behind this incident must have made detailed plans.


    The only thing he could do now was to find Terence as soon as possible.


    Carla could only see Terence''s face vaguely. Her heart was pierced and throbbing with pain


    At the moment, she could only hope that Terence would come back safe and sound. She would give up anything for him to alive and safe.


    It was at this moment that she realized what was important to her.


    She didn''t care about who the matriarch of Yu Sea City was or what her responsibility was. All she wanted was to be with Terence and be held in his arms.


    "Mrs. An, shall we go back and eat something? You haven''t eaten anything since you got back from Yu Sea City," Nathan suggested. "You can rest assured that we will conduct the most comprehensive search. If there is any information about Mr. An, the team will immediately inform us!"


    Indeed, Carla looked terrible. She could barely stand and her lips were cracked from dehydration. Ever since they got on the boat, she hadn''t eaten nor drunk anything. How could her body take it?


    But Carla just shook her head. "I''m fine. You can go home first if you are tired. I want to stay here and look for him."


    "Then let me go with you,"


    Carol said and followed Carla into the woods.

 Chapter 1023 A Glimmer Of Hope

    Carla did not leave the place. She searched for Terence until it was dark. Her expectant eyes peered across bushes, caves, and just about any spot that was capable of hiding a person. But Terence was nowhere to be found.


    Disappointment resided in the pit of her stomach. But she was not ready to give up.


    "Mrs. An, you need to rest. We can''t just look for him at random places. What if Mr. An was abducted and did not fall off the cliff?"


    Carol held Carla''s hand and looked into her eyes. Carla was exhausted but her heart was burning with determination. She wouldn''t rest until she found him.


    Carla looked up at the dark sky and collapsed to the ground. "Terence, where the hell are you? Where are you?" she wailed as fresh tears cascaded down her cheeks.


    "Please come back. The kids and I need you.


    I cannot live without you. Please come back to me, Terence," she screamed, hoping for her words to miraculously reach Terence''s ears.


    Her entire body was shaking. She felt as if someone had taken a part of her soul. Her lips trembled with fear and pain. Hot tears slipped down her face and landed on the grass. Carla always knew that she was in love with Terence. But in this moment, she realized that he had blended in her soul. She had never loved anyone as much as she had loved Terence. He was her life, her purpose for existence.


    "Mr. Su, please stop! Mrs. An doesn''t want to see you."


    Rainer quickly stepped forward and stopped Steven.


    "I just want to see her,"


    Steven said. His eyes were fixed on Carla who was slumped on the ground.


    Steven could only imagine what Carla must be going through. He couldn''t see her like this. He wanted to be there for her and help her find him.


    "Mr. Su..."


    Rainer shouted, but Steven was already walking towards Carla.


    "Callie."


    Steven''s heart broke when Carla''s swollen eyes met his. Her face was puffy and her eyes were bloodshot. She hadn''t stopped crying.


    "Stop crying, please. We should be glad that we haven''t found him yet. It means that


    und check on his business partners."


    Rainer glanced at him and took the flash disk from him.


    "Mr. Su, why are you helping us? Aren''t you afraid of your father?"


    Steven shrugged nonchalantly. "I''m not like my father. That''s him and this is me. I cannot agree to his decisions just because he is my father."


    He glanced at Carla.


    "Callie, I don''t know if my father is behind all this. But I will do everything I can to help you find Mr. An. You can count on me."


    Carla sniffed and nodded. "Ok, I will not hold your father accountable for this accident if you help me find Terence."


    Steven didn''t answer. He turned to look at Carol. "Take her home. It looks like it''s going to rain."


    He slung the backpack on his shoulder and left.


    Victor was waiting for him on the other side.


    He stole little glances at Steven on their way home.


    "Mr. Su, you didn''t have to do that. You now have a better chance to be with Mrs. An. Why do you want to lose this opportunity?"


    Steven shook his head. "Do you think Callie will be happy without Mr. An? I cannot see her live in pain."


    Victor scratched his head in confusion.


    "But what will you do if Mr. An never returns?"


    Steven raised the accelerator and looked at him.


    "In that case, we can never be together."


    "What?"


    Victor frowned. He was baffled by Steven''s response.

 Chapter 1024 Plotting The Murder

    After getting the flash drive from Steven, Rainer swiftly went to the car to check the surveillance camera footages.


    Despite Carol''s insistence, Carla was still reluctant to go back home and rest. She was eagerly waiting for Rainer to tell her if Terence was in any of the videos.


    Steven had lit up hope in her dejected heart. She wasn''t ready to give up. She believed that the faint hope in her heart would take her to Terence.


    The night sky was gloomy.


    The heavy clouds finally burst into little drops of rain that drizzled into the ground. It quickly progressed into a downpour and began to shower relentlessly.


    Darkness had enveloped the city. Two small houses atop a mountain were emitting a faint glow of light.


    Two ropes were hanging on the wooden beam of the room. One end of the rope was firmly tied to an unconscious man.


    A series of scenes were constantly replaying in a bad dream.


    The screeching sound of the brakes rung in his ears as the image he had seen in the rear-view mirror was etched in his mind. Two cars at a distance suddenly sped up towards his car and propelled it to the edge of the cliff.


    "Sir, did you offend someone?"


    The driver croaked. Sweat streamed down his forehead and his eyes widened with fear. He had lost control of the steering wheel. "My whole family is depending on me. I don''t know what they''ll do without me." His eyes glistened with tears.


    They were at the brink of death and the driver''s mind was clouded with thoughts of his beloved family.


    Terence glanced at the cars behind him and frowned. "Please pull over and jump out of the car immediately. Don''t worry about me."


    "Okay, Sir. Don''t worry, I will call the police if I manage to escape,"


    the driver said as he steered the car to the side.


    The car slowed down and came to a halt.


    At the exact moment, a truck dashed from nowhere. It was a narrow lane and a long blaring sound of the horn filled


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    aught."


    The tall man rubbed his head and frowned. "Brother, his body would sink into the ocean bed."


    "Shut up! You know nothing!"


    The short man threw the cigarette butt to the ground and smashed it with his foot. "I have to think of a perfect way to kill him!" he grumbled.


    In the next room, Terence sneered as anger rose from the pit of his stomach. It was strange to hear people plotting his death with him right in the next door.


    He wasn''t surprised. Many people wanted him dead.


    But killing him was not going to be an easy task.


    Gary was the first person who wanted to get rid of him. So he wouldn''t only be defeating the An Family, he would also fulfill his son''s wishes.


    Gary had joined hands with Zhao to plot this plan. Gary wanted Carla to make his son happy, and Zhao wanted to take over the AJ Group.


    Terence knew that Gary wouldn''t be the only person who was after him.


    Gary wasn''t capable of executing the plans on his own.


    He had to investigate this matter and find out who were plotting against him. But before everything, he needed to find a way to escape.


    Terence checked his pockets. His watch, phone, and all communication devices were taken by them. His gaze settled on his left hand. His wedding ring was dazzling under the faint light.

 Chapter 1025 A Hundred Million Dollars At Stake

    Meanwhile, Nathan and Rainer were inspecting the video in the monitoring room.


    Steven was right. Every footage that led to Terence was edited. That was why they couldn''t find him anywhere.


    The footages had revealed that it was very likely that there were two cars secretly following the cab that Terence was in.


    Carla was exhausted and was taking a nap in the car. Carol was sitting beside her, stroking her hair the entire time.


    "Mrs. An? Mrs. An?"


    Carol knitted her eyebrows as her gaze fell on Carla''s wedding ring. She hadn''t noticed it before but after closely looking at the ring, she found that it was emitting a faint red light.


    "What''s wrong, Carol? Did you find anything about Terence?"


    Carla mumbled. She hadn''t fallen too deep in her slumber, so she immediately woke up when Carol faintly called her name.


    "No, Mrs. An. But look at the ring on your finger. There''s a flashing red light. Isn''t that strange?" Carol pointed at the ring on her right hand. Her eyes were gleaming with excitement.


    Carla frowned and looked at her ring. The light was weak and they couldn''t have possibly noticed it during the day.


    Carla''s mouth fell open in shock. She took off the ring and examined it carefully.


    Carla''s wedding ring was a custom-made diamond ring and even though it was breathtakingly beautiful, it had nothing out of the ordinary.


    She wondered why it was flashing a red light. She had never seen it before.


    Was she missing something?


    "Mrs. An! I found something!"


    Nathan walked in.


    "It was not an accident, Mrs. An. It looks like a pre-planned assault. Two cars were constantly following Mr. An''s cab. The enemies had forced their cars right in front of his cab and the driver was forced to stop the car. I guess Mr. An was abducted after that incident."


    Carla''s heart started to beat frantically. "Really? That means he''s still alive. Do you know where he is?" She couldn''t contain the excitement brought about by the new hope bubbling in her heart.


    Nathan hesitated for a moment and finally answered. "Err ... Well, that''s hard to pinpoint for now because the two cars had taken different directions. We don''t know which car Mr. An was in. But don''t worry, this is a very useful piece of evidence. We will find him soon."


    Carla''s smile faded in an instant. It was too early for her to be cheerful.


    "But the enemies would have abducted Terence with the intention of harming him. We should find him on time, otherwise, God knows what they will do to him,"


    Carla said worriedly. A shiver ran through her spine. She looked at her diamond ring that was flashing incessantly. Her eyes lit up.


    "Nathan, Look at my ring. It''s been emitting a soft red ligh


    eave in time. He had to find a safe place to hide and wait for the effect of the drug to wear off.


    The atmosphere had turned obscure due to the relentless rain. Terence couldn''t see what was ahead of him. He continued to walk. Every inch of his body was hurting. His tired legs finally gave away as he stumbled into a thatched hut where he passed out.


    Not long after Terence had escaped, the other group of gangsters arrived. They were searching for him in every corner.


    "Fuck! Where is he? You are such a bunch of losers. You can''t even capture a harmless, unarmed man?"


    The head of the gangsters roared with frustration. He had planned to take Terence from the group that got him first, but Terence had somehow managed to get away from them.


    "There are footprints on this side of the mountain. I think he may have gone down this way. Shall we go have a look?" one of the men asked.


    "Yes, let''s leave now. Hurry up." They had not just lost a man but also a hundred million dollars. "We will lose a hundred million dollars if we don''t find him. Do you understand? Do you fucking understand? We must catch him."


    "Yes ... yes, sir. Err ... but what about them?" the man asked, eyeing the other gangsters.


    "You don''t have to care about them, you idiot. Do you want to share the reward with them? Go and look for him now!"


    Just when they turned to climb down the mountain, the roar of a helicopter filled the air.


    "Shit! The cops are here!


    What do we do now? Are we still going to go after the hostage?"


    The man asked nervously as he looked at the helicopter blades chopping the air above their heads.


    The leader glared at him.


    "You moron! We need to leave. Do you want to spend the rest of your life in jail?" The leader looked at the helicopter


    and ran towards their car.

 Chapter 1026 Saved By Linda

    But it was already too late.


    The helicopter had already descended towards the gangsters. When it was close enough, a policeman onboard had swiftly aimed at the tire of the getaway car with utmost precision before pulling the trigger. The tire exploded, causing the vehicle to drift dangerously. And as if they were running out of time, the policemen briskly jumped out of the aircraft, surrounding the busted car instantly, leaving the people inside with now chance to escape. One by one, they got out of the car, with their hands over their heads.


    Carla rushed to the house situated at the top of the mountain. Her irrational fear was now slowly getting into her nerves as she got close to it. And that same fear almost paralyzed her when they found the whole house empty. Terence was nowhere to be found!


    "Mrs. An, don''t worry. We will interrogate them to know the whereabouts of Mr. An! We will soon find him!"


    Carol firmly assured her as she squeezed Carla''s hand.


    Finding the room empty made Carla fall into utter hopelessness. She initially thought she was going to find Terence. Now, his absence seemed to intensify the indescribable feelings gnawing within her.


    Nathan scanned the room when his sharp gaze landed on the rope and a syringe, which were scattered carelessly on the ground. Picking them up, he cursed, "Shit! Mr. An was drugged. They shouldn''t have gone far...


    This drug was a kind of sedative. People who were injected with it would lose consciousness and would suffer from side effects. Where could Mr. An possibly be?"


    As soon as she heard Nathan''s words, Carla promptly approached him and asked, "Nathan, what are you saying? What''s this?"


    "It is a sedative, Mrs. An. We must find Mr. An as soon as possible. He has been missing for two days, and we don''t know how many times he has been given an injection. If we don''t get him to the hospital in time, he might be in serious danger,"


    Nathan frowned as he patiently explained to Carla, revealing the risk. More than two doses of this drug spelled nothing but the compromised safety of Mr. An risking an overdose.


    Since the police had captured the goons that they found in the hideout, he must interrogate them.


    "Nathan, please hurry! He won''t have gone too far..." Carla pleaded as panic gripped her after hearing what Nathan said. With clouded thinking, she rushed out of the hideout and started to search for Terence herself.


    The sun was up. It was another beautiful day.


    "Getting herbs again, Linda?"


    an old lady greeted Linda, who was holding a bamboo basket with both hands.


    "Yes, my mother felt much better after applying the new herbs. The doctor ordered me to pick them at this time. They are fresher in the morning,"


    Linda cheerfully replied. After fixing the straw hat on her head, she waved goodbye to the old lady. Wearing a pair of black boots, she strolled up to the mountain.


    The kind of herb she wanted was hard to find. It only grew in dense forests and had to be meticulously searche


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    would make him feel better within the day, but he noticed that his headache was only getting worse, especially when he tried to think about the recent events.


    "Are you feeling any better? Do you need me to call George?"


    Linda gently prompted with a concerned expression the moment she emerged through the door when she returned. She had noticed the contorted look on his face as tiny beads of sweat formed on his forehead. "George is the trusted doctor in our village. The medicine he prescribes is highly effective!" she softly explained to Terence.


    "Or maybe I can go to his clinic and tell him about your situation so that he can give you some medicine. What do you think?" Linda quickly offered.


    But Terence, who was squeezing his eyes tightly shut because of the pain, only got more annoyed, hearing her non-stop babbling.


    "Shut up."


    Yes, he knew that she was only worried about him, and she was offering help. But he still felt terrible. He didn''t want to hear any sound. What he needed was silence.


    Stunned for a moment, Linda could only lower her head and silently left the room without saying a word.


    Not long after, she came back with a bowl of soup. "This can help you relax. Whenever my mother couldn''t sleep because of a headache, I cook this for her. Do you want to try it?"


    Terence felt awful for the way he snapped at her earlier. Not only did Linda not get mad at him but also made soup for him, to help him ease the pain. He lifted his head and patiently regarded her. Linda had a round face, big eyes, and long black hair, tied in a ponytail. A typical country girl.


    "Thank you. What''s your name?"


    Terence gently asked as he raised his hand somewhat weakly to reach out and take the soup from her.


    "I''m Linda," She mumbled rather shyly as she averted her gaze while discreetly smoothing her hair.


    Terence nodded lightly. Then he lowered his head to take a glimpse at the soup in his hand. With a sad grimace appearing on his face, he silently sipped the soup.

 Chapter 1027 Missed Each Other

    "Then, will you tell me your name, sir?"


    Linda asked curiously as she took the bowl from him.


    "My family name is An,"


    Terence replied briefly. Avoiding eye contact with Linda, he chose to focus his gaze on the ring on his left hand which was testament to his marriage with Carla. He didn''t know whether Linda had noticed the ring.


    Terrence''s gloomy expression did not escape Linda. "Oh, Mr. An, please get some rest. Stay as long as you need. You can leave when you get better."


    Linda gave him one final look before walking out with the bowl in her hands.


    She had just walked out of the room and was about to close the door when she heard a knock on the main entrance. She put the bowl down on the windowsill and walked towards the door.


    "Who is it?" Linda shouted.


    It was already very dark outside. She wouldn''t usually receive visitors at this time. She wondered who it could be.


    With a squeak, the door opened and showed two tall men who looked alike.


    Linda''s brows were furrowed as she inspected the two men in front of her. They looked almost the same. Finally, she asked with a polite voice, "May I help you?"


    One of the men stepped forward by half a step to talk to her. "Yes, have you seen a man about 6 feet tall? I have his photo with me. Please look at it carefully."


    The man handed the photo to Linda. Her heart began to beat rapidly when she recognized the man in the photo. She hesitated for a second, but she shook her head and returned the photo.


    "No, I haven''t." She gave them an apologetic look.


    Nathan and Rainer looked at each other. With downcast eyes, Nathan nodded politely. "Sorry for bothering you." Both of them left immediately after that.


    Carla was waiting some distance away from Linda''s house. As soon as she saw Nathan and Rainer walking towards her, her hopes went up. However, she could tell from their stance that Terrence was still nowhere to be found. Disappointment and worry came flooding back to her when she saw them shaking their heads at her.


    "Mrs. An, don''t give up. I heard that there are several more houses around here. How about we go to that one up ahead?"


    Carol came over to Carla to cheer her up.


    She wasn''t sure whether Terence really came here or not. Everyone they had asked had never seen him.


    They began to walk towards the house that Carol pointed to. Meanwhile, Carla looked back at the strange, old house that Rainer and Nathan had just gone


    eally need to see a doctor. How about I take you to see the one we have in this village?"


    Linda suggested with a wince while massaging her back.


    Terence looked outside guiltily and shook his head. "No that''s not necessary. I''ll receive a physical examination after I get home."


    He knew that he needed a thorough check-up at a hospital soon. Even if the village doctor were to examine him, it would be useless because this village couldn''t possibly have the latest and most effective laboratory equipment and treatment facilities.


    -- "Mr. An, I mean... It''s dangerous for you to go out now! Two strange men came looking for you last night. What if you run into them outside?"


    Linda shook her head strongly. Her eyes were filled with worry.


    "What did you say? Someone came to find me last night?"


    Terence asked with a frown.


    She nodded in confirmation and replied, "Yes, I didn''t know if they were on your side or not, so I didn''t tell them that you were here."


    "What did they look like?" Terence asked nervously.


    "Well, they seemed to be twins. They looked alike and were about the same height," Linda replied carefully after thinking for a moment. It was already dark last night, so she was not able to see the faces of the two men clearly. She only remembered them vaguely.


    "Nathan, Rainer..."


    Terence mumbled subconsciously after hearing the description.


    "Oh, you know them. I''m sorry, I should have let them in," Linda said regretfully, casting a furtive glance at him. "They probably have already left."


    All of a sudden, they heard a knock on the door again.


    "Is anyone here? Hello?"

 Chapter 1028 Terence, Sorry Im Late

    Linda looked at Terence and whispered, "Mr. An, don''t go out now. Let me check who it is first. If it''s anyone from last night, I''ll let them in!"


    Terence nodded.


    Linda stepped out of the house, coming to the yard as she asked, "Who is it?"


    The moment she opened the gate, she found a woman waiting on the other side.


    "Miss, I''m sorry to bother you, but a woman in a village nearby told me you were up in the mountains yesterday morning. I just want to make sure you really haven''t seen this man, or have you?"


    Carla inquired, showing her a photo of Terence.


    She had spent the whole night with Nathan, Rainer and Carol, looking for him.


    However, just as they were about to give up, a middle-aged woman revealed that she saw someone like Linda up in the mountain in the early morning when she went to remove weeds in her own garden.


    After asking more questions, Carla finally realized that the lady was Linda.


    "And who are you?"


    Linda looked her up and down. Despite her weary face, Carla was far from looking like an average person. A glance at her fine clothes and her behavior was enough for Linda to notice this. In fact, she hardly was the kind of woman she was used to seeing out in the city, let alone, the village.


    "I''m his wife. The man in the picture is my husband. I''ve been looking for him for days! If you know anything, please tell me. I''ll appreciate any information you may have."


    Carla held Linda''s hands, expectantly. Her eyes were hopeful, longing for good news. She had already gone through too much over the previous night.


    Now, she couldn''t take another one!


    "You, you are..."


    Although Linda had noticed the wedding ring on Terence''s finger before, she couldn''t quite explain it, but Carla''s words didn''t feel right to her.


    "Yes, I went to the mountain yesterday, but I''m afraid I can''t help you. I haven''t seen anyone..."


    Linda started to push the gate to close it, but Carla stopped her with her foot.


    "Miss, are you sure you haven''t seen him? Perhaps you''ve seen something strange or other people going up the mountain? Anything you''ve seen could help,"


    Carla asked urgently, taking hold of Linda''s arm.


    As hope was slipping through her fingers once again, she felt like she would collapse at any moment.


    In the past few days, she had


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    wife.


    "Mr. An, I don''t need anything in return. We were destined to cross paths, so I did nothing but what I was supposed to do."


    Linda smiled at him. With a sigh, she turned around and headed back to the house.


    As she watched Linda leave, Carla didn''t believe the girl was 19 years old. She couldn''t begin to think how hard it must have been for her to drop out of school and take care of a sick mother at such a young age.


    "Wait a minute."


    Terence glanced at Carla before going after Linda.


    Linda had barely reached the house when her eyes were already burning tears.


    She had only known Terence for a short span of time, but she had already developed feelings for him.


    It was easy for a young girl like her to fall in love, not to mention Terence was a charming man.


    Yet Linda was embarrassed of her feelings and the tears she couldn''t hold any longer.


    "Here''s my phone number. I''ll send someone to pick you and your mother up. In JA City, she''ll get proper treatment. If you need anything, call me at any time."


    He came in, already taking a pen and a piece of paper from the table as he wrote down his number.


    His arrival had been so sudden, and Linda didn''t have the time to regain her composure.


    "What''s the matter?"


    he politely asked as soon as he noticed she was crying.


    "Well...I... I''m not used to having visitors. I know you''ve only been here for two days, but I''m a little upset that you''re leaving already. That''s all."


    Linda forced a smile, doing her best to mask her true feelings.

 Chapter 1029 I Just Want To Take A Shower

    "Well, don''t cry. I''ll take your mother to JA City, and find the best doctor for her. Everything will be fine,"


    Terence comforted Linda while he patted her on the shoulder. He understood that it was not easy for her to take on the family responsibilities at such a young age.


    Now that he happened to meet her, he would help her in any way he could, whether she had saved him or not. It didn''t matter to him.


    "Call me at any time if you go there,"


    Terence assured her once more before he turned around and walked outside.


    Linda bit her lower lip, silently watching him, affectionately holding Carla''s hand as they left her yard together. There was an unexplainable knot in her heart. But then, she suddenly recalled the paper with Terrence''s phone number written on it. And without thinking much, she hastily went to look for it on the table.


    A warm feeling surged in her heart as she stared blankly at the piece of paper she held tightly in her hand.


    "Mr. An!"


    "Mr. An!"


    Both Nathan and Rainer greeted Terence excitedly. They eagerly rushed to him the moment they saw him emerge from the yard.


    Blessed with a soft heart, Rainer unknowingly shed tears as he spoke, "Mr. An, do you know we are almost driven crazy with worry? You were by yourself at that time, so we didn''t know whether you were safe or not. We were so worried about you!"


    "Come on. Stop crying. Everything is fine with Mr. An,"


    Nathan chuckled, peering at his brother, who was actually sobbing.


    "Terence, what''s the matter?"


    Carla asked softly. She sounded both worried and alarmed. She stood beside him all this time, keenly observing him when she began to notice his face became a little pale. Terrence''s brows were slightly furrowed as if he was suppressing something.


    "Mrs. An, please help Mr. An get in the car,"


    Nathan suggested in earnest. He hurriedly ran to the car and opened the passenger door.


    Carla followed and carefully supported Terence into the car.


    Seeing him clenching his fists in pain, Carla felt her heart throb as she scanned his face anxiously. She lovingly wrapped her arms around his head as she held him close to her, "Terence, tell me. What''s wrong? Do you have a headache?"


    Terence merely wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his head in her arms. He said nothing but he was gasping for air.


    "We must do something! Nathan, search for the nearest pharmacy and go buy a box of painkillers first!"


    Carla promptly instructed Nathan. She was gently running her fingers across Terence''s head, comforting him. They were currently on the outskirts of the city, and it would seriously take them some time before they could get some medicine. Carla was now feeling helpless, and s


    eadaches seemed to get worse.


    After a thorough examination, the doctor concluded that there were remnants of sedative left in Terence''s body, which resulted in various abnormalities. The sedative had stimulated the nerves in his brain, making him suffer mood swings and causing him severe headaches.


    At night.


    In the ward.


    Edmund felt much better after seeing Terence safe and sound. Besides, Kaylee took good care of him, so he had almost recovered.


    After bidding goodbye to Edmund, Carla escorted Terence back to his bed in the ward, so he could also have a rest.


    "Terence, do you need to use the restroom? The doctor said that you will need five to six bottles of intravenous infusion,"


    Carla reminded him as she poured a cup of hot water for him. She was about to hand him the cup, only to find that he was casually taking off his clothes.


    "What...What are you doing?"


    Carla found herself babbling in surprise. She dazedly watched Terence removing his shirt, showing his perfect abs. When she snapped back to her senses, she then locked the door immediately, in case the nurse came in all of a sudden.


    Terence was about to unfasten his belt when he noticed Carla approaching him.


    And like him, Carla quickly took off her coat and threw it aside before reaching for the hem of her shirt.


    Terrence raised his eyebrows and gazed at the woman who was undressing and getting naked in front of him. Long before he could speak, she inched towards him a little closer.


    Carla stood on tiptoe and lovingly wrapped his neck with her arms, "Hurry up,"


    she urged under her breath and started kissing his Adam''s apple, then savoring his thin lips.


    "Carla, I just want to take a shower,"


    Terence uttered, arching his eyebrows, looking at the completely naked woman in front of him.

 Chapter 1030 Dont Underestimate Me

    Terence hadn''t had the time to take a shower. Although he had wiped his body thoroughly at Linda''s house, he was still feeling dirty and uncomfortable.


    "Huh?"


    Carla arched an eyebrow and bit her lower lip. She thought that Terence had been away from her for a long time and wanted to make love to her. But she had misunderstood him.


    Her face flushed with embarrassment.


    She quickly lowered her head and grabbed her clothes to cover herself. "Umm ... take a shower quickly then. I''ll wait for you here."


    Terence snickered and stepped forward. Before she slipped her clothes back on, Terence wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.


    "Honey, you know I won''t disappoint you. I can see that you are so eager to have me. Don''t worry, I''ll let you ravage my body tonight,"


    He chuckled and kissed the back of her neck.


    "No, Terence. You haven''t recuperated yet. You need to rest." Carla patted him on the arm and pulled the clothes closer and covered her chest.


    Terence turned her around. He took the coat from her hand and threw it on the ground.


    He scanned her body and swept his tongue across his lips.


    "Oh, don''t underestimate me."


    He bent down and pressed his lips against hers.


    Then he let out a groan.


    Carla opened her eyes when she felt his ragged breath blow across her face. "What''s wrong? Are you okay?" She frowned.


    A sharp pain shot through his head again. He nodded, bent forward and kissed her.


    "¡­¡­ Terence..."


    Terence kept kissing her as if he didn''t hear her. Carla moaned his name as she reveled in the pleasure. His kisses were growing hotter and more passionate. She felt like she was in heaven.


    A soft knock on the door interrupted them.


    "Mr. An, it''s time to give you the infusion."


    Terence showed no sign of stopping. He said in a husky voice, "Wait a minute, I''m taking a shower." His voice was thick with lust.


    "Okay, Mr. An. I''ll come back later," the nurse replied.


    Twenty minutes later, the nurse knocked on the door again.


    "Mr. An, have you finished taking the shower?"


    He was nibbling on Carla''s neck lightly. "No!" he mumbled against her neck, making Carla''s skin break into goose bumps.


    The nurse scratched her head and left again.


    A couple of minutes later, she knocked on the door once more.


    "Mr. An?"


    the nurse asked hesitantly.


    Nathan who happened to be by the door cleared his throat.


    "Well, Mr. Terence hasn''t taken a showe


    nock on the door.


    Terence pulled the quilt and tucked her in.


    "Come in," he said softly, trying not to wake her up.


    "Mr. An, after a thorough investigation, we found out that someone from the AJ Group had disclosed your schedule to them. You were closely followed right from the moment you had stepped out of the AJ Building,"


    Rainer reported.


    "Mr. An, this is a complicated issue. Both the Su Family and the Zhao Group are involved in this. We have got enough evidence to file a case against them, but..."


    Rainer glanced at Carla who was sleeping peacefully in Terence''s arms. "If we file a case against the Su Family, then Mrs. An''s relationship with Steven would..."


    he trailed off and swallowed the rest of his words.


    Steven had been of great help. He had helped Carla through everything. She was able to find Terence only because of him. It was a sensitive situation and they had to deal with it carefully.


    Terence ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. "I think we have to wait a bit before making a move against the Su Family. Let''s deal with the Zhao Family first. They are our biggest opponent after all."


    "¡­¡­ Yes, sir."


    Rainer nodded and left.


    The next morning, Carla woke up, feeling energetic. She hadn''t slept peacefully in a long time. She felt as if her life was back to normal again. Terence was still sleeping. He hadn''t slept well last night because of the intravenous drip.


    "Madam,"


    Carol called. She was standing by the door of the ward.


    "What''s up, Carol?"


    Carla walked out and closed the door quietly.


    Carol pointed to the direction of the corridor.

 Chapter 1031 Grandpas Serious Illness (Part one)

    Carla looked in the direction Carol was pointing to.


    The morning sunshine was dazzling in the hallway. Steven was leaning against the wall, in front of the window. The bright beam of light bounced off his face as his eyes stared at a distance, lost in thought.


    "Why are you here?"


    Carla asked as she walked towards him.


    Steven turned to look at her. His usual sweet smile graced his lips. "I have an important work at Yu Sea City, so I need to go home now. You stay back here until everything is settled."


    "What? Do you still want to go back to Yu Sea City after everything that has happened?"


    Carla asked. Her eyes widened with shock.


    "Callie, I remember everything that I''ve promised you and I always keep up my promises." He smiled. "Moreover, Yu Sea City needs me now. Who will help you out if I don''t go there?"


    If leaving everything behind was easy, Steven would have left a long time ago.


    An involuntary smile crept on her lips. Although they were old shoes, they managed to look speckless and shiny, just like Steven was. Despite all the trials and tribulations, Steven managed to shine like a flawless, unadulterated diamond.


    "Steven, stop thinking about me. You need to think about yourself too," she said, shaking her head fiercely.


    Steven would always have things to deal with. This wouldn''t end. Steven had already risked his life to help Carla and she didn''t want to be a burden to him anymore.


    Moreover, Steven''s father Gary despised her. He had fought with his father time and time again because of her.


    She didn''t want to cause a rift in their relationship.


    "Callie, I apologize to you on behalf of my father. I''m really sorry for what he has done to you and Mr. An. You can sue him if you want. Don''t worry about me. I won''t stop you. He has gone too far and he needs to pay for it. I will neither blame you nor Mr. An for anything."


    Steven smiled apologetically.


    Carla was already going through a lot and he didn''t want to pressure her. He wanted to be there for her and lessen her burdens.


    "Steven. You... "


    Carla wanted to ask him to leave, to stop helping her. She wanted to thank him for all his favors but she bit her lip and swallowed the words.


    "Callie, do you really want me to leave?"


    Steven had guessed what Carla was thinking and smiled bitterly.


    "I''ll go back to Yu Sea City and check on Sir Arthur. I just want to see how he is doing. Don''t worry. I won''t stay longer than I need to. I will leave after that." Carla nodded.


    "Callie, take good car


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    City


    An eerie silence filled the entire Wang Village.


    Carla held Sally''s stubby hand and walked down the hallway. Sally''s little eyes searched for Arthur as she peered at her surroundings. "Mommy, when can I see great-grandpa?" she asked, tugging Carla''s hand.


    It hadn''t been long since Sally and Arthur had met. She clearly remembered where she first saw her great grandfather.


    "Very soon." Carla stopped and kneeled down next to her. "Sally, do you remember what Mommy told you?"


    "Don''t worry, Mommy. I remember everything," Sally answered.


    A couple of minutes later, the two of them arrived at Arthur''s yard.


    Arthur liked to plant flowers, but it was off-season and the leaves had withered, making the yard look dry and lifeless.


    "Callie, you are here?"


    Steven''s eyes widened with shock. He was surprised to see Carla. He hadn''t told her about Arthur''s health. He wanted her to spend more time with Terence.


    But he never expected that Arthur''s health would deteriorate quickly.


    "How is Grandpa doing?"


    Carla asked as she glanced at the quiet room. She wanted to be prepared for anything.


    She didn''t have the heart to see her grandfather in his deathbed.


    Life was always unpredictable. Illness could strike anyone without warning.


    "He''s fine, but he isn''t able to eat anything. He misses you. He''s been murmuring your name all the time. Go inside. He will be happy to see you,"


    Steven said as he shifted his gaze to look at Sally. He bent down and smiled at her. "Sally, your great grandfather wants to talk with your Mommy. Would you like to come with Uncle Steven to water the flowers? Let''s give them some time to talk. What do you say?"

 Chapter 1032 Grandpas Serious Illness (Part Two)

    Sally looked at Carla with her big eyes, as if asking for her permission.


    Carla nodded at her with a smile. Sally gave her hand to Steven, her face brightening up.


    As soon as Carla entered the room, Carla heard Arthur coughing heavily. She took a few deep breaths, trying her best to remain calm and composed.


    She knew her grandpa wouldn''t want to see her sad. It was important that she cared for his feelings before her own right now.


    "Grandpa?"


    Carla called him softly and walked in with quiet steps.


    The moment Arthur saw Carla, he restrained from coughing and waved at her with a kind smile. Carla could see it was taking him some effort, but it filled her heart that he was trying his best to be in high spirits. "Callie, here you are..." he spoke with a rather broken voice.


    Carla sat beside him and held his hand. "Yes, Grandpa. How have you been? Aren''t you taking care of yourself? You fell ill shortly after I left. Did you not want me to go?"


    "Is that surprising? You are my only granddaughter. Of course, I didn''t want you to leave me."


    Arthur patted her on the back of her hand and let out a small cough. "How''s Terence doing?"


    Seeing how he still cared about Terence, Carla felt her eyes swell with tears. However, she held them back and answered in a choked voice, "He is fine, Grandpa. Thanks to you, everything is ok!"


    "That''s good. You two have gone through a lot of difficulties. I believe God will not separate you." Arthur nodded his head with satisfaction. He was happy Carla had found a resilient man like Terence.


    "Grandpa, you really needn''t worry about us. Just take care of yourself. When you get better, I''ll take you to JA City. It''s just as beautiful as Yu Sea City!"


    Carla responded with a smile, sadness gone from her voice. She tightened her grip on Arthur''s hand to reassure him.


    Arthur also smiled, nodding his head. "Okay, okay...I''ll take care of myself. Don''t worry, my child."


    He looked at the ceiling, sighed slightly and closed his eyes, lost in his own thoughts. A part of him knew he would never be able to visit her there in his life.


    "By the way, Grandpa, Sally is here too. She has been longing to see her great grandpa. I''ll call her in right now!" Carla said. She took a deep breath and was about to call Sally in when Arthur stopped her.


    Arthur held her hand and looked deep into her eyes. "What''s the matter, Grandpa?" Carla asked nervously.


    "Cal


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    some time to rest.


    Carla had almost lost all control of her emotions. Without saying anything else, she simply walked out of the yard.


    It was at that moment that Steven came back with Sally. Looking at Carla''s red face, he excused himself from Sally and walked toward Carla.


    "What''s the matter, Carla? Is Grandpa..."


    Steven asked nervously.


    Carla shook her head and looked away, trying to hide her face. She walked away from him and toward the front garden.


    "Then why are you crying?"


    Steven followed her, offering her a clean handkerchief, speaking in a gentle voice, "It''s the order of nature, Carla. Grandpa is old. Don''t be sad..."


    Carla didn''t take the handkerchief. She wiped off her tears with her sleeves, took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. It was nearly dusk. The birds were returning home, and the evening looked rather calm.


    "Callie, life is not that long. Sometimes, we have to face unexpected disasters, illness and death. All we can do is cherish the present..."


    Steven sighed, taking back the handkerchief.


    He understood the essence of life, so he never regretted anything he had done.


    Even if he had to leave, he wouldn''t have any regrets as he would still have memories of being with her to cherish.


    Every human was selfish in some or the other way. But he couldn''t long for what he wanted at the cost of hurting others.


    "Steven, I think you should leave after everything settles with Grandpa,"


    Carla said abruptly.


    Steven''s heart skipped a beat. He paused for a second, clenching his hand into a fist. After a while, he replied softly, "Okay, Carla..."

 Chapter 1033 Callie, I Dont Want To Leave You

    Steven paused for a moment. He walked up to Carla and smiled bitterly. "Okay, Callie, I will leave. Stop pressuring yourself."


    He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the tears that were streaming down her face.


    "But, Callie..."


    Steven''s voice choked with emotion. He stepped forward and pulled her into his arms.


    "I don''t want to leave you."


    He rested his head on her shoulder and inhaled her sweet fragrance. "I gave up my dignity and put up with Lucia''s tortures only to be with you. I thought that I could sweep you off your feet one day.


    But now I realize that no matter what I do, I will never have you in my life. You don''t have a place for me in your heart, do you, Callie?"


    Steven stared at Carla as tears welled in his eyes.


    He blinked his eyes a couple of times to stop the tears from falling. "I don''t blame you. It''s not your fault. I''m stupid. I can''t stop loving you. I shouldn''t have met you in the first place. Gosh..." He groaned as if someone had taken his most prized possession away from him.


    Carla took a deep breath and held his shoulders. "What''s done is done. We should pick ourselves up and move on.


    Steven, you can find a new place to start over. Find yourself a new job and start a new life. The new atmosphere and people will take your mind off the things that are bothering you. You will forget me before you know it. Time will change everything, trust me."


    Steven averted his gaze and nodded.


    The next day, Arthur''s health seemed to be getting better. He was glad to have everyone around and was chatting with them happily. However, everyone knew that their happiness wouldn''t last long. It was just a momentary recovery before he finally departed from this world. So they treasured every second they had with him.


    Andrea and Sally spent most of their time with Arthur. Sally was telling him stories and making small craft works for him. She had no idea that her great-grandfather was dying.


    Andrea was crying in a corner. She didn''t have the strength to let go of her father. She had just reunited with him after a long time and never thought that she would bid goodbye to him this soon.


    Later on, Eleanor walked in and everyone else in the room left.


    It was midnight when the people outside heard a piercing scream from the room.


    Arthur had slipped into a permanent sleep. It was a peaceful death.


    Sadness prevailed in Wang Village and the entire Yu Sea City.


    Even the sky was weeping for his death. There was a heavy downpour and it didn''t stop raining until the funeral was over.


    After Arthur''s funeral, Eleanor appointed Carla as the new head of the Yu Clan. She also ordered the four districts to support her.


    She handed the power over to Carla and left for the countryside.


    Although Dorothy and Lori were utterly devastated, they had no choice but to accept their fate.


    Arthur had just die


    finished all my work just to be with you. Doesn''t that prove my capability?


    Well, stop worrying about me and start taking care of yourself. I want my healthy and strong Terence back!" She ruffled his hair and pouted.


    "Yes, , ma''am!" Terence said.


    Carla''s heart skipped a beat when she saw Terence''s handsome face. She had missed him a lot. She leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. She quickly pulled away and smacked her head when she remembered something. "God, I almost forgot. I got you something from Yu Sea City but I left it in the car.


    Wait a minute. I will ask Carol to get it."


    She had been too excited to see him that she had forgotten to bring the gift with her.


    Carla quickly left the ward to look for Carol. But Carol wasn''t at the door.


    Only Rainer was sauntering across the hallway. Carla decided to get the gift herself. She guessed that Carol might have gone out with Nathan. She hardly got the chance to see Nathan and had missed him a lot.


    Carla got into the elevator. Just when the door was about to close, Linda walked in.


    "Linda, right? Hi, I''m Carla, Terence''s wife. Have you brought your mother to the hospital?"


    Carla asked, smiling at her. She was grateful to Linda for taking care of her husband when she wasn''t around.


    "Yes,"


    Linda replied indifferently and turned away.


    Carla was confused. She wondered why Linda was giving her a cold shoulder.


    There was an awkward silence as neither of them spoke.


    When Carla was about to get off the elevator, Linda finally opened her mouth, "Mrs. An, looks like you''re busy in your own world. I have been here for the past few weeks but not once have you dropped by to check on Mr. An. Do you know what he''s been going through? He has been having horrible headaches every single night. The poor man struggles to fall asleep. Where have you been all this time? Shouldn''t you be by his side, taking care of him?"

 Chapter 1034 Not Qualified To Be Mrs. An

    Linda spoke with a slightly sarcastic tone, and stepped out of the elevator first.


    Carla paused and followed her out. "Linda, what the hell are you trying to say?"


    Linda stopped walking and turned around to look at her.


    "I''m saying that you don''t deserve to be Mrs. An at all. I heard that Mr. An was in an accident because of you. Is that true? And now that he is here in the hospital, you haven''t come to see him in so long. Do you think you are qualified to be Mrs. An?" Linda spoke frankly to Carla and gave her a challenging look.


    Carla raised her eyebrows slightly. She decided to play it cool and gave a simple reply.


    "You have no right to decide whether I''m qualified or not."


    Linda simply chuckled and smoothed out her hair which took on a new style after she came to JA City. Her new look made her more confident.


    "Mrs. An, I''m just a country girl but even I know about basic good manners. As Mr. An''s wife, you are supposed to take care of him! A wife should put her husband first. Nothing should matter more than your husband.


    If you want to keep your husband by your side, you should learn to be a good wife and mother."


    After saying that, Linda gave a derisive smile and walked away without looking at Carla.


    Carla knitted her brows in frustration as she watched Linda leave. She still couldn''t figure out what Linda meant with what she just said, so she just shrugged it off.


    She went to the car to get the presents.


    She carried several bags with her to Terrence''s room. Seeing her smiling but with a strained face, Rainer hurried to take the bags from Carla.


    "Rainer, this if for you. It''s a unique artwork only available in Yu Sea City. It''s very beautiful. You can use this at home." Carla took out a box and gave it to Rainer.


    "Thank you, madam. Oh no, I meant, thank you, Mrs. An!"


    Rainer smiled gratefully.


    Carla took out several other items including a pillow which looked a little strange, and gave it to Terence.


    "What''s this?" Terence asked with a frown after receiving the strange thing that looked like a pillow.


    Carla smiled mysteriously. Her eyes were shining with excitement as she answered, "This is a special medicine that can relieve your headache and relax your mind. This medicine is widely used in Yu Sea City. I''ve already prepared it for you. You can sleep on it later tonight to see if it works!"


    "Really? But it looks so ugly,"


    Terence


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    t dawned on her that Linda was in love with Terence.


    "Honey, give me a kiss..."


    Carla nudged Terence and whispered in a subtle manner.


    "What?"


    Terence asked, pretending not to hear Carla''s request.


    Carla was about to repeat it when Terence suddenly leaned over and kissed her on the lips.


    Just before the elevator closed, Linda happened to see this scene.


    The elevator door had closed already but Terrence still had not had enough. He didn''t let go of her lips until they arrived at the underground parking lot.


    "Honey, is this enough? If it''s not, let''s continue in the car,"


    Terence said with a mischievous smile. He totally saw through her little trick.


    He put his arm around her waist and walked out of the elevator.


    Carla wanted to say something, but when she stepped out of the elevator, she was taken aback by what she saw. Nathan and Rainer each took two bodyguards in black with them, standing side by side.


    They had been waiting in the parking lot.


    After they got into the car, Carla pointed outside and asked, "Why did you arrange for so many bodyguards?"


    "Well, in order for you not to starve to death, I have to cherish my life,"


    Terence replied casually and fastened the seat belt for her and himself.


    He really didn''t want to die!


    He had a pretty daughter and a cute son, as well as a lovely wife whom he loved so much. He did not want his wife to worry about him anymore.


    If something were to happen to him again, another man might steal his wife and his kids would grow up knowing a different father. He had no choice but to protect his dear life!

 Chapter 1035 Being Disgraced

    They arrived at the grand AJ Building in no time. Just opposite the building was a supermarket, which also had a cafe on the first floor.


    Terence directly went to the conference room as soon as he arrived at the AJ Building. Although the meeting only lasted for two hours, Carla got bored waiting. To pass some time, she went to the cafe to have a nice cup of coffee.


    She thought it would be nice to have some company so she called Violet up. "Oh, I''m so tired! Carla, next time, could you inform me sooner if you want to hang out? I rushed over so you wouldn''t have to wait. Now I''m out of breath!"


    Violet said, gasping for air, when she reached the cafe and saw Carla. She then sat down, took the glass of icy juice from the table in front of her friend and gulped half of it down.


    Ranked as a first-tier city, JA City was both expansive and prosperous. Considering that, Violet had indeed reached the cafe quite quickly. Otherwise, it was impossible to cover that distance in 30 minutes.


    "I''m so sorry, Violet. I just missed you so much."


    Carla stood up and gave her a big hug with a sweet smile on her face. "I love you, sweetheart!" she said, sitting back down on her chair. "Anyway, it''s my treat today! Let''s go to the gaming zone after this! You can play whatever you want!" she added.


    "Really? That''s great!"


    Violet glanced at her and exclaimed in excitement. The two finished their drinks soon and then went to the fifth floor. There was a VIP hall with a lot of indoor games. It was rather luxurious and was frequented by a lot of rich and noble people. The facilities here were also on point.


    Both Carla and Violet were young mothers, but they enjoyed their lives to the fullest. Both of them had been aching for some time outdoors. Not long after they entered the game hall, all their stress had faded away.


    "Violet, hit the left! Hit the left! Oh, the right! The right! They come out again from the right!"


    Carla was wearing headphones while holding a game gun and playing zombie shooting games on the large screen. She looked like a little, innocent child, giggling and playing happily.


    Her hair was undone as she had just washed them this morning. She was so immersed in the games that she fished for a rubber band in her bag and tied her hair up in a high ponytail. She rolled her sleeves up and stared at the screen attentively.


    She had stayed in Yu Sea City for a long time. Every time she went out she would meet people behaving politely and respectfully, so she had to pretend to be serious all the time and put on the face of a calm leader. It was just too tiring!


    Finally, she was back! She needed to seize this opportunity and release her suppressed emotions!


    "You are awesome, Carla! How come I never knew you are s


    nfusion. "What''s happening? You always hated things like these, right? What''s wrong with you?"


    Carla stopped near a window, took a deep breath and slowly closed her eyes, forcing herself to calm down.


    She remembered that Steven had gotten into big trouble because of her ''help'' last time.


    She could help him this time, but she was afraid of the consequences.


    Steven had taken a long time to get over her, and now they had no connection whatsoever. Was it wise for her to approach him deliberately after all this time?


    Although the Su family was in trouble now, he was Gary''s son and had to take responsibility to save his family. No matter what, it was better for him to stay here than in Yu Sea City.


    "Violet, please go and inform the manager of this gaming zone that some guests are fighting and they have disturbed other guests. He needs to come and handle this!"


    Carla said at last, after taking a few deep breaths.


    Violet nodded and went to the lobby to look for the manager.


    Violet was also Mrs. Qi. So as soon as she showed her identity, the manager hurriedly went over to mediate the dispute at once.


    Carla looked at Steven from afar. But now that he was in a different status, those who respected him before almost changed their attitude towards him. The lobby manager kept bowing and apologizing to Mance all the time, even though he was the one wreaking havoc in the first place.


    The manager tried to pacify Mance for a long time, after which he finally left the premises.


    Steven didn''t rush to leave even after Mance was out of sight.


    Steven seldom smoked, but he reached for the pack of cigarettes in his pocket and lit one clumsily. A trace of sadness appeared in his deep, amber-colored eyes.


    From the corner of his eyes, he noticed that someone standing at a distance was watching him intently.

 Chapter 1036 Being The Matriarch

    Steven rubbed his eyes and looked again. The corridor was empty and he realized that it was just an illusion.


    He ran his fingers through his hair and put out the half-smoked cigarette that he was holding in his hand.


    He walked towards the elevator, exhaled loudly, and got in.


    When the elevator doors had closed, Carla stepped out of the corner where she was hiding the entire time.


    Carla had been hiding from Steven because of her grandfather. Arthur''s words, right before his death, had been constantly ringing in her ears. She couldn''t stop thinking about it.


    She had refused to obey him. She wanted to prove that Steven would be happy even if he didn''t stay with her in Yu Sea City. She felt that he would be better off without her.


    So Carla had no regrets. She didn''t feel bad for not heeding her grandfather''s last wish.


    But disappointment dwelled in the pit of her stomach when she saw how miserable and lonely Steven was.


    Carla wasn''t sure about her decision anymore.


    After bidding goodbye to Violet, Carla went back to the AJ Building.


    She glanced at her watch. Terence was still held up in the meeting, so she sat quietly in his office.


    "Here you go, Mrs. An. Have some tea."


    Rainer walked in with a cup of tea.


    "Thanks, Rainer. Do you have any idea how the Su family is doing?"


    Carla asked, taking a sip of the tea.


    "Well, it''s a bit complicated. It''s hard to explain everything to you in a short time. But all I can tell you is that Mr. An is being extremely kind to them,"


    Rainer said softly. The competitive world of business attracts many enemies. Everyone looks at their competitors with hawk-eyed scrutiny, waiting to seize the right opportunity to defeat them, and crawl their way up to the top.


    Terence could have easily made use of the opportunity to destroy the Su family. It would have been impossible for them to rise again and come back to business if he had done that.


    But Terence was a man with a heart of gold. He didn''t resort to such heartless measures.


    Carla nodded. "I understand. Thanks, Rainer. You may go back to your work."


    At the door of the meeting room


    Carla peeked into the room. Terence was sitting on a chair in the middle of the room. Everyone was listening to him intently. He rubbed his eyebrows and thought for a while. Then, he skimmed through the documents and made a remark.


    Carla couldn''t hear what he was saying, but she could feel the tension in the room.


    Terence knitted his eyebrows and glanced at the window. He saw that Carla was waiting for him. His eyes widened. He pulled


    grudge against Terence? Why are you putting Carla in a tough spot? You are destroying her family and killing her happiness. Stop being selfish."


    "What do you know about him? Steven is a gem of a person. His talent is boundless and he needs the right place to prosper. He is stuck in a depressing place that is sucking the life out of him. He would never succeed if he continues to stay there. You''d better sit down and listen to me," he retorted.


    But Debra ignored him.


    "Carla, he is drunk! Please ignore him." Debra scowled at him and continued to talk with Carla.


    "You''re not obligated to help him. Brian is out of his mind."


    "Enough. Calm down, both of you."


    Carla got to her feet. She felt pressured and walked out to get some fresh air. It was suffocating inside. But as soon as she opened the door, she saw Terence standing outside.


    He was leaning against the wall, with his hands in each pocket. He had been listening to their conversation the whole time.


    Carla''s eyes widened. "Terence..." she croaked.


    But Terence nodded and smiled. "That was the doctor who called me. I think we should leave."


    He wrapped his arm around Carla''s shoulder and looked at Brian and Carla. "You guys, I have paid the bill. We''re leaving now!" He seemed unusually calm and there was no trace of anger on his handsome face.


    "See? It''s all your fault."


    Debra grunted and stomped on Brian''s foot. "Are you happy now? They are going to go back and get into a fight because of you."


    Carla and Terence were quiet on their way home.


    She stole little glances at Terence.


    Carla was quite drunk. She was feeling lightheaded and couldn''t keep her eyes open. She sighed loudly and slumped on Terence''s lap.

 Chapter 1037 Exercise Is Good For Sleeping

    "Terence, I want to take some time to go to BT Village to visit Cathy and Duke," said Carla.


    It had been a long time since she had last visited them, and she felt pretty bad about it.


    "Sure. Why not? The construction work has already begun, and even though it will take a few years until the project is finished, it won''t seem like a long time. Once that happens, we will have more time to visit them,"


    Terence said as he caressed her hair.


    After a while, Carla got up from his lap and said with a gentle voice, "Terence, I really hope that you won''t take what Brian said just now to heart..."


    Terence turned to look at her face.


    They stared at each other calmly for a moment, neither of them avoiding the other''s gaze.


    "Carla, you may rest assured that I won''t interfere in this matter in any way. Just do whatever you want, okay?"


    Terence said calmly. At the same time, he raised his hand to hold Carla''s shoulder gently with a warm smile on his face.


    Carla had already made it clear to him that she saw Steven as nothing more than a friend, and he was the only one she loved. Because of this, he didn''t mind if Carla helped Steven anymore.


    He knew for a fact that even if Carla helped him, she would only be doing so for the sake of their past friendship.


    Soon, they arrived at the hospital.


    Terence made his way to the examination room, and after another check up with the doctor, he was asked to stay in the hospital for two more days. If he didn''t feel more pain during those two days, then he would be discharged.


    "Mr. An, you are back."


    Linda had been waiting at the door of the examination room. As soon as she saw Terence walking through the door, she quickly walked to him and handed him the food that she had brought for him. "I cooked dinner for my mother, but apparently, I cooked more that I should have. I thought that you might get hungry at night, so I brought it here for you. Please take it, okay?"


    Terence looked at the food in her hand. He wanted to refuse, but after considering the fact that Carla was a foodie and she might get hungry in the middle of the night, he took the food from her hands and said, "Thank you, Linda. By the way, how is your mother?"


    "Oh, she''s much better. The doctor you hired for her is really good! Thanks for your concern. Right now, my mother is getting better day by day. The doctor even said that there is a great chance that she will make a full recovery!"


    Linda said excitedly as she handed the food to Terence.


    "Oh, that''s great. Well, have a good rest, then,"


    Terence said softly as he tur


    so yummy!"


    Carla complimented Linda without missing a beat.


    "Ah... You are welcome."


    Linda was stunned for a moment, but she bowed her head anyway and left in a hurry.


    Once Linda had left, Terence stepped out of the ward as well. He put his arm around Carla''s shoulder and smiled as he lovingly pinched her cheek.


    "Honey, I find that you''ve made a lot of progress."


    Carla pinched his waist playfully and looked up at him. "Is that so? Why does it sound like you''re making fun of me?"


    "No, I''m not. I''m obviously praising you, babe. You know what I like about you? You are a straightforward person. You are clear with what you like and what you hate, and there is never anything in between. More than that, you never hide what you truly feel in your heart just to make everyone feel comfortable,"


    Terence said as he pressed his forehead to hers and gave her a quick peck on the lips with a smile.


    "Well, you have made progress too. You''ve become more adept at flattering me." Carla giggled and rubbed his nose like what he had done to her.


    "Well, that''s quite true. Since you are the head of Yu Sea City now, I should behave myself more. Isn''t that right? I''m pretty afraid that I''ll lose your favor if you get mad at me one day."


    Terence said jokingly as he raised his eyebrows and gazed at her with loving eyes.


    "Well, you shouldn''t worry about that. You''re the only one I have. If I don''t favor you, then who will sleep with me?" Carla teased back while poking him in the chest.


    "Yes, you are right. The new Entertainment Club in the suburbs will open today, and you can ride your favorite horses. Let''s go, my dear wife."


    Then, he took her hand and started walking towards the parking lot.

 Chapter 1038 Couldnt Give What He Wanted

    In JA City, near the western part of the outskirts, Carla busied herself riding horses on the farm. This particular area in the city suburbs was known for its high quality breeding of prize winning horses, and she grew fond of it. Except for horse racing, she found the time in her busy schedule to ride horses as part of her leisure activities.


    Satisfied after riding a few laps, she enthusiastically got off the horse.


    Terence brought her here to have fun even though he still had pressing matters to attend to. In addition to overseeing the actual implementation of new projects, he had intended to expand into real estate to push and promote the development of the western region.


    Tired of riding, Carla then decided to just walk around the amusement park area. Behind her, Rainer was following closely.


    Lately. it was indeed a rare occasion for her to be in JA City. So when the opportunity presented itself, she took the time off and even generously gave Carol a holiday. Like her, Carol also needed a well-deserved vacation. She should be spending some sweet moments with Nathan now.


    At the current stage of Carol and Nathan''s relationship, Carla felt that Nathan should seriously consider taking it a step further.


    Because what she genuinely wanted, for the two brothers, Rainer and Nathan were to find their respective true loves.


    "Rainer, the girl who was with you on Lover Island last time, have you kept in touch with her?" Out of the blue, Carla posed a question for Rainer while walking around.


    She briefly paused as she expected a response from him. She couldn''t help remembering how Terence personally tried to help a few couples get together. Like Brian and Debra, who often bantered with each other, but eventually fell head over heels in love with one another.


    Nathan and Carol also seemed to be a natural pair since they were so much in love and inseparable.


    ''Except...'' Carla frowned, saddened with the reality that not all were fortunate to find their other halves, just like Steven. And of course, there was still Rainer, who also belonged in the list of bachelors she knew.


    "We haven''t had a personal talk like this in a long time. You know me well. I mean, you are not oblivious to my temperament. I am emotionally stupid, and most girls can''t stand me,"


    Rainer scratched his head as he smiled sheepishly.


    Carla stopped in her tracks and eyed him with worry, "You''re right. Carol is such a good girl, but you have made her your sister-in-law by pushing her away. Do you seriously want to be single all your life?"


    "Well, I think, people still have to believe in fate!"


    Rainer blurted as he beamed at her. There was no sign of worry in his eyes.


    Carla merely shook her head as she started walking again. She chose not to oppose him this time.


    "Mrs. An, this area is still under construction, please be careful,"


    Rainer immediately warned her, minding her safety as he stayed close.


    Carla mome


    iend of Mrs. An,"


    Mr. Liu said, apologetically.


    Last time, Steven did not hesitate to steal the surveillance camera to help Carla find Terence. Rainer hadn''t forgotten about it.


    So objectively speaking, Steven created such a positive and genuine impression on Rainer.


    "Mrs. An, thank you for your kindness. But I have to work now,"


    Steven interjected, resuming his work. But Carla unexpectedly reached out her hand and tugged on his arm as she pleaded, "Steven, please listen to me..."


    "Callie, I''ve made up my mind to leave, which means that I have decided to give up on you. I know you so well. If any of your friends were in my shoes and fell into such a miserable situation, you wouldn''t hesitate to offer a helping hand."


    And he threw a glance at her hand, which was still gripping his arm. Then he interrupted her, "But you know this is not what I want."


    Steven merely smiled at her and slowly broke free from her grip, "If it is just for sympathy, I don''t want to go back.


    Besides, I''m doing very well now. There is nothing wrong with being an ordinary person. If I can''t paint, I can do something else. I''m a man, and I will put my life back together."


    Steven exclaimed with firm persistence as he continued to paint the wall. He refused to look at her. At this moment, he only wanted to hide the bitter desolation in his eyes and not to say anything more.


    Carla could only gaze at his back in a daze. It made her feel so sad. However, she suddenly realized that she was being too innocent and naive.


    And she must admit that she could give him nothing at all.


    The Yu Clan was notably wealthy. If he went back, he could live the rest of his life loaded with a large amount of wealth and enjoy much power. And without a doubt, he would be respected everywhere.


    But none of these was what he wanted. These remained unimportant to him.


    If he couldn''t get what he wanted, what was the point of going back to Yu Sea City with her?

 Chapter 1039 Carlas Smart Decision

    Carla went back, lost in thought.


    "Please don''t worry about it, Mrs. An. You have done everything you could,"


    Rainer said as he continued to follow her.


    Everyone was already aware of Steven''s love for Carla.


    Love always pushes people out of their boundaries. It is a magical feeling that sets people onto unexpected journeys.


    It was Steven''s love for Carla that made him help her and risk everything for her.


    Even after witnessing Steven''s generosity, some people called him a selfish man.


    But it was justifiable for him to be selfish.


    He had done everything he could to win a place in Carla''s heart. But he was also a man with dignity and pride. He only wanted Carla''s love, not her sympathy.


    Carla sighed. She looked up at the blue sky and stretched her sore muscles.


    "You are right. I''ve said everything that I needed to say. It''s up to him to decide what he needs to do."


    Rainer then got a call from Terence. He quickly answered it and looked at Carla, "Ma''am, Mr. An is done with his work. He''s now waiting for you."


    "Okay, I want to take the Ferris wheel. Let''s go!"


    It was a quiet night with the occasional rustling sound of the leaves swaying in the wind.


    It was late when Steven got back to his apartment.


    He entered the room, closed the door, and leaned against it. He felt suffocated and was gasping for breath.


    He wanted to punch himself. He wanted to scream loudly until the stress withered from his body.


    His heart had been thrumming wildly in his chest the entire time Carla had talked to him. His mind had wavered for a moment when he heard Carla''s offer. He wanted to forget everything and go back with her. He wanted to leave this place and go back to wherever she was. Nothing mattered to him as long as she was by his side.


    He knew that he was a loser. He knew that Carla had said all those things only to pacify him.


    However, it took every bit of his strength to resist the temptation.


    "She deserves better, not a loser like you. She has already been through a lot because of you. Stay out of her life,"


    he muttered to himself.


    Steven didn''t mean any of the words he had said to Carla.


    He just felt that she would be happy and peaceful without him. He didn''t want to be selfish and crawl back to her.


    Steven bit his knuckles to suppress the rage that was simmering in his stomach. He was mad at himself for loving Carla, and mad at fate for keeping her out of his life. Tears streamed down his cheeks. He quickly wiped his tears and grabbed a cup of insta


    lives here. It will only take thirty minutes to go to her place if you take the subway. It will be a convenient place for you to work. You can earn money, as well as take care of your mother."


    Carla smiled and quickly dialed a number.


    Linda opened her mouth but Carla did not give her a chance to talk.


    "Just a minute, I''m calling my friend now!"


    She stepped aside and made a call.


    Terence suppressed his laughter and smiled proudly at Carla. ''Wow, she is getting smarter every day, '' he thought.


    She had not only helped Linda but also gotten rid of the unnecessary trouble.


    "Okay, it''s settled. You can start working there anytime you''re ready. I''ll text you the address,"


    Carla said happily as she sent Violet''s address to Linda.


    She knew that Linda was not satisfied with this plan.


    Linda wanted to refuse but she was dumbfounded and couldn''t say a word.


    "Linda, do you have anything else for us? We are leaving now. You can call me if you need anything." Carla waved and held Terence''s hand as they walked towards the exit.


    Once they got into the car, Terence smiled and kissed her forehead.


    "Honey, you have become smarter."


    Carla shrugged and pulled out a packet of snacks from her bag. She had brought the snacks to eat in the hospital. Now that he was discharged, she decided to finish them right away.


    "I don''t have a choice, do I? My husband is a handsome hunk and I''ve got to be smart to keep him away from the eyes of hungry women,"


    she said, happily munching on the chips.


    Moreover, it wasn''t appropriate for Terence to have Linda at his house when she was clearly in love with him. So Carla decided to settle the matter for him.

 Chapter 1040 Visiting Sean

    It was early in the morning at the Seaview Villa.


    Sally was already waiting for Terence and Carla at the gate.


    Sophie was also there, with Adonis in her arms.


    "Daddy!


    Mommy!"


    Sally ran to Terence excitedly and jumped into his arms, cheering, "Dad, you''re finally home. I''ve missed you so much!"


    Sally wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him happily on his cheek.


    Terence was happy to be back home and see his children again. He relished in his daughter''s sweetness as he held her in his arms. Sally giggled delightfully as he spun her around in circles.


    With a big smile, Carla walked to Sophie and held Adonis in her arms.


    In the blink of an eye, Adonis was already seven months old. He had grown bigger in her absence. Upon seeing Carla, he made adorable babbling sounds and waved his hands happily. Carla was almost moved to tears.


    "Mommy..."


    Sally got off from her father and ran to hug Carla.


    "Honey, I missed you so much!" Carla squatted down and kissed her daughter''s cheek. However, Adonis grabbed Sally''s hair and pulled on it playfully.


    "Ouch, stop doing that to me, Adonis!"


    Sally pouted at his brother while complaining. Nevertheless, she gently pulled off her brother''s hand from her hair.


    Seeing his sister''s annoyed face, Adonis giggled innocently. Sally only rolled her eyes at her brother. The two of them reminded Carla of her childhood spent with Sean.


    In the evening


    Terence was playing with his son in the living room. He took a look at Carla, who was talking to Sean on the phone, and then at Sally, who was listening to her mother intently.


    A few moments later, Carla hung up and sat on the sofa.


    Sally ran to Carla and sat next to her.


    Both of them looked lost in thought like two peas in a pod.


    "Mommy, I miss Uncle Sean. I want to see him..."


    But Carla didn''t answer Sally. Instead, both of them turned to look at Terence expectantly.


    Terence was playing with his son. When he felt Carla and Sally''s gaze, he ignored them and said to Adonis, "Let''s go upstairs, Adonis. Let''s go watch Uncle Nathan boxing¡­"


    Terence wanted Adonis to grow up to be a strong boy. He decided to cultivate his son''s interest in martial arts from a very young age, just like what his father did to him when he was a child.


    "Honey?"


    "Daddy!"


    Carla and Sally shouted in unison.


    he anxiety in her face turned into a big smile.


    She couldn''t wait to see her uncle!


    "Well, Terence, you are such a secret keeper. You married the eldest granddaughter of the Yu clan? How come I never heard about this?"


    One of Terence''s old friends who was now a ranked officer patted his shoulder and teased him.


    Before, he only knew that Terence married the daughter of the Hua family. He never thought that his wife would be the head of the Yu clan. It really surprised him.


    "But that''s even better. In the future, we will be closer to the Yu family. Yu Sea City has always been very exclusive. Except for necessary transactions, they seldom contact us. From now on, you can be our middle man."


    Terence chuckled and said, "I can''t guarantee you that, bro. There is a lot of issues to talk about. I don''t know whether she will agree."


    "Ha ha, look at you. This is the first time that I hear that you can''t handle something."


    Terence''s friend burst into laughter.


    On the other hand, Carla found herself very nervous. It was her first time to be treated in such a formal manner. Furthermore, it was not because of Terence, but her.


    It was the first time that everyone''s attention was on her and all people present were staring at her. It was a little bit overwhelming.


    Looking at the neatly lined soldiers who were standing in rows in their green uniforms, Carla felt mesmerized. Each soldier stood upright with an assertive and rigid posture.


    Carla inspected the squad for Sean. When she spotted him, she smiled brightly like a sunflower.

 Chapter 1041 Three Years Later

    It had been six months since Carla had met Sean. He had grown into a handsome man.


    Carla didn''t imagine that she would see him this way. He was taller and his stubble was visible now. Sean was not her little brother anymore.


    Terence shoved a lollipop into Sally''s mouth to stop her from calling Sean. Otherwise, everyone would find out the purpose of their visit.


    They had to be low key.


    Carla''s heart ached when she found out about Sean''s intense training. Her little brother was working so hard.


    Carla was not just Sean''s older sister. She had been like a mother who worked hard to bring him up. Although she was proud of her brother, her heart broke when she saw him sweat and struggle on the training ground.


    After the training, Sean walked over. He was soaked in sweat and was gasping for breath.


    "Uncle Sean!"


    Sally threw herself into Sean''s arms and burst into tears.


    "Sally, you are a big girl now. You shouldn''t cry. Lift your head and let me have a look at your pretty face."


    "I''m only five years old!"


    Sally pouted.


    Sean shook his head and smiled. He shifted his gaze to look at Carla who stood behind Sally. He dropped her down and walked to his sister.


    "Carla, why are you here? Your clothes..." Sean trailed off as he eyed Carla up and down.


    Sean had been in the army and Terence didn''t update him on what had been happening to Carla. He didn''t want to distract him.


    "Well, I missed you, so I decided to come and see you. And about my looks ... I''ll tell you everything in detail when the right time comes." Carla smiled at him as her heart swelled with pride.


    She wished that her parents were still alive to see how successful their little boy had become. They would have been proud of him. Her eyes glistened with tears. She couldn''t cope with the range of emotions she was experiencing.


    Sean looked at Carla''s face, trying to read her expression. "Carla, I''m so sorry. I always make you worry about me." He stepped forward and pulled her into a tight embrace. "But I''m a grown-up man now. I can take care of myself. A few years from now, I will be able to protect you and our family as well," he said, kissing the top of her


    see the love letter our son has received? That girl has excellent handwriting."


    "Really?" Carla asked, looking at Adonis. "Bring her home. I want to see if she is as smart as you are."


    She smiled and wiped her mouth.


    Adonis''s mouth fell open in shock as he stared at his parents. He thought that they were crazy.


    Carla looked at Sean who was leaning against the doorframe. "Sean, come and sit here! Don''t bother about what Sally said. You can date anyone as long as you''re not distracted. I''ve got your back."


    Carla understood adolescent love. She had been through that phase.


    She felt that it was normal for Sean to be curious about love and explore his interests.


    "Carla, she is just exaggerating. A female soldier walked into my room to drop some files when I was chatting with Sally. She''s making a big deal out of nothing." Sean rolled his eyes and sat down.


    "I see,"


    Carla said, disappointed.


    "Okay, It''s time to eat. Sean, let''s go upstairs and practice later," Terence said, grinning happily. But his smile faded when he saw Sally breathing a sigh of relief. He wondered what was going on in his little girl''s mind.


    "Okay!" Sean nodded happily. He was as excited as Terence was. Although he had many people in the army whom he could compare notes with, Terence was by far his favorite opponent.


    Adonis gobbled his food up. Although he was a little boy, he couldn''t wait to see his father and uncle compare notes.

 Chapter 1042 Sallys Feelings For Sean

    In the evening, Terence, Sean, and Adonis went to the third floor.


    Carla blew out a loud breath. She had just finished talking over the phone. She had to return to Yu Sea City the next day.


    During the past three years, Carla had been traveling back and forth between JA City and Yu Sea City. She would spend the first half of the month in Yu Sea City and the other half in JA City, unless there was any unexpected work that she needed to attend to. Although her work was exhausting, she was left with no choice. She was the matriarch of Yu Sea City and she couldn''t dodge her responsibilities.


    She juggled taking care of her family and the people of Yu Sea City.


    By the time the three came downstairs, it was already 11 o''clock at night.


    Adonis was exhausted and had fallen asleep on the chair. Sean carried him in his arms and placed him on the bed in his room.


    Sean went back to his own room after tucking the boy in.


    He was tired and was about to take a shower before going to bed. When Sean turned around to grab his towel, he saw Sally standing by the door, holding her favorite doll in her arms.


    "Little girl, why didn''t you go back to your room to sleep?"


    Sean buttoned his shirt and knelt down before her.


    "Uncle Sean, do you still remember your promise?" Sally asked. Her big eyes were staring at Sean who stood up and plopped on the chair.


    "What did I promise you?"


    Sean knitted his eyebrows and wondered what he had promised her. He slipped in his night slippers and rested his back on the chair.


    "You promised that you wouldn''t fall in love with anyone until you turned thirty. You''ve forgotten your promise already!"


    Sally hoisted herself on his lap.


    Sean clicked his tongue as he finally remembered his promise. It was a long time ago. He had agreed with Sally only to make her feel better. "Little girl, you still remember it!" he said, frowning. Sean didn''t expect Sally to remember it after all this time. "Listen to me, you are too young. You should study well and not think about unnecessary things."


    "I know I''m still young. B


    Carla tried to hold back the laughter when seeing his excited face. Terence had turned into a sex monster. He hated that Carla was away from him for a long time. He missed her and hated sending her back to Yu Sea City. So to make up for the lost time, he would make love to his wife almost every other day.


    "You can paint a picture of what we are about to do." Terence smirked and brushed his nose against hers.


    Carla pursed her lips and pretended to think. "Umm ... I think that''s a great idea. I''m going to start working on it right away."


    Terence burst into laughter. "Good, but you need to make sure to keep it away from our children''s eyes."


    Carla chuckled and wrapped her arms around his neck.


    Terence turned off the light and pulled her into his arms.


    Few days later, atop Wang Village in Yu Sea City, Carla stretched herself and walked to the window. The scenic beauty of the spring evening caught her attention. She could see the entire Yu Sea City from here. It was a breathtaking view.


    It had been a few days since she had returned from JA City. Although she had appointed people to lessen her burden, she still felt exhausted after work.


    Andrea helped her from time to time. But after Arthur''s death, she had been spending most of her time in HA City


    A servant knocked on the door and stepped in.


    "Your Majesty, someone''s waiting outside to see you."

 Chapter 1043 Carla Found Steven

    Joyce came in and gave her the report.


    She was the daughter of Carrie and had been working for Carla since last year. Because Carol was pregnant and was expecting to have her baby in July, Carla allowed her to take a maternity leave.


    "Who? Did you get his name?"


    Carla asked while stretching herself.


    "Yes my lady. He said his name is Victor,"


    Joyce answered.


    "Victor..."


    Carla pondered at this name for a while before she eventually remembered. She hadn''t heard the name in a long while. "Oh, him! Yes, let him in."


    Before long, Victor was ushered in.


    It was evident that he had been crying as he made his way inside the palace hall.


    "I''m honored to meet you, Mrs. An... I''m sorry, I meant, Your Majesty."


    Ignoring his blunder, Carla noticed the tears that were streaming down Victor''s cheeks. "What''s the matter, Victor? Why are you crying? Come and sit down."


    Quickly, Victor knelt down before her and cried even louder.


    "Your Majesty, my master... my master... he..."


    Carla was shocked to hear Victor talk about his master like that. She hadn''t heard from Steven for a long time. "What''s wrong? What happened to him?"


    "Your Majesty... My master is going to die..."


    Victor burst into tears.


    "Victor, are you kidding? Steven is still young and healthy. How could he be dying? Stop crying. Tell me what happened,"


    Carla said as she helped Victor stand up.


    "I''m serious! I''m begging you, Your Majesty. Please see my master!"


    Victor refused to get up. He wouldn''t get up until he got what he wanted.


    Carla sighed helplessly. "Where is he?"


    Victor wiped his tears and replied, "He''s in Yu Sea City right now."


    "Yu Sea City? Since when? I didn''t even know he was here,"


    Carla said in surprise. Why would Steven come back here?


    "Two years ago. He came here in secret. If I hadn''t asked him, I wouldn''t have known either!"


    Victor explained as he composed himself.


    Before he left, Victor gave an address to Carla. Apparently, Steven had settled in


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    pressed a gentle pressure on his arm.


    Carla stopped him.


    His arms were so frail, as if a simple gust of wind would be enough to topple him over. No wonder Victor had cried like that when he said his young master didn''t have much time to live. What had happened to Steven?


    Suddenly, she remembered Arthur''s words.


    ''Callie, I know Steven very well. If he leaves you, he is likely to spend the rest of his life without hope.''


    Something jolted Steven out of his daze. He pushed Carla''s hand away immediately and said, "Callie, let me at least get you some orange juice. Please wait here a moment."


    He coughed again and hurried out of the room.


    Carla was overwhelmed. ''How could it be possible?''


    She was supposed to be just a passer-by in his life.


    But why couldn''t he just let go of her in his heart?


    After a long time, Steven came back with a glass of orange juice in his hand. "I''m sorry to keep you waiting. I don''t have fresh juice here, so I went downstairs to buy some."


    Carla noticed that Steven had added two more coats to make himself look less skinny. The smile on his handsome and pale face was still gentle.


    She took a sip of the orange juice he offered with an unsure heart.


    She placed the glass down. She held his arm gently and tried to lead him towards the door.


    "Steven, come back with me."

 Chapter 1044 I Will Never Leave You Again

    Steven almost tripped because of Carla''s sudden movement.


    At the last minute, he regained his balance and took her hand. "Callie, no. I... I''m living a good life now. There''s nowhere else I''d like to be other than here."


    Carla couldn''t help but cry at what he just said.


    "You are lying! You call this a good life?"


    She fired back at him. Compared to his figure three years ago, he was all skin and bones now. His once handsome face was marred by years of struggle Carla couldn''t even imagine.


    "Callie, I''m really good. My weight dropped because I''m not feeling well these days. But I will be fine,"


    Steven said as he tried to avoid eye contact with Carla.


    Over the past three years, his father had been thrown into jail. The Su Family suffered a disastrous decline. He had tried his best, but his efforts were in vain. It felt like the world was asking too much from him. He just wanted to rest, a blissful respite from the greedy universe.


    After everything, he had lost all hope for anything good.


    Reality had shattered his faith in life.


    Carla looked at him. She was too late.


    If she hadn''t found him today, his tombstone would be what she saw in a year or two.


    "You don''t have any choice. You have to go back with me."


    She couldn''t just stand by and do nothing. Now that Steven couldn''t live without her, she decided that he could stay with her. After all, there were already many people around her and she could manage him staying around her.


    "Callie... Please don''t be like that. I promise you, I''m really good. My paintings are selling well. This whole building is owned by me. I just... I''m not lying,"


    Steven lowered his head. He looked at her hand he was holding and didn''t dare to look up at her.


    He was no longer the brilliant and proud man he used to be.


    "Really? Well, I''m not doing well. Especially when I see the way you look right now."


    "Callie..."


    Carla stepped forward and hugged him.


    The hug made her sadder. He used to be healthy and so full of life. Holding him now felt like holding a bag of bones. Her heart ached for him.


    "Steven, you must come back with me. You know that I''m in charge here. And I command that you to come with me!"


    Carla said with conviction, her voice shaking.


    He had been living miserably here in Yu Village. And she had known nothing about it. She felt sorry for him but more than that, she felt regretful that she didn''t find him


    ly in her dreams if Steven had truly died.


    "But you brought me back to life." Steven hugged her tighter and continued, "Callie, since you pulled me out of desperation, I will never leave you again."


    Carla patted him on the shoulder and said unconsciously, "That''s good. I am short of help now. Since you''re practically sponging off me now, you can''t just sit and do nothing, right?"


    A few years back, she wouldn''t have anticipated this problem. But being the head of an entire kingdom made her realize that manpower was a crucial thing to development.


    The people whom she had trained for a long time had quit. She was almost exhausted to death from all the work she had to do to make up for the missing manpower.


    Carla patted him on the shoulder before she let go of him. She moved to the table beside them and handed him a pile of documents. "Have a look at these and try to adapt to the current change in the political situation of Yu Sea City as soon as possible.


    Find a way to solve these problems for me. Especially the one regarding the power and privileges given to women.


    I know, it''s not easy to solve an issue that has been around for thousands of years. But we still have to try our best to solve it."


    "Callie..."


    "Oh, one more thing. You have to handle the things that you promised Caroline! I know I''m in my prime. But they can''t just send me men every day!"


    Carla exclaimed.


    She was already married, but many people in Yu Sea City were still trying to entice her into having multiple partners. It was so immoral! That was why she was determined to change this so-called tradition.

 Chapter 1045 The Birthday Girl

    Steven parted his lips, but Carla didn''t give him a chance to say anything. Instead, she handed him a document, which she had just picked up from her desk.


    "This is your contract. Once you sign it, you''ll be able to help me handle the work in Yu Sea City as well as represent me when necessary. I''ll also inform the districts so they can assist you in whatever you need."


    Steven stared blankly at the document on her hands. It took him a few minutes to come back to his senses.


    "Callie, shouldn''t you have discussed this with me first?"


    Arching an eyebrow, she asked, "Why? Don''t you want it?"


    Steven grabbed the paper, and he replied, "You''ve saved my life. Do I even have the right to deny you anything?"


    "It''s settled then! I wanted to have this arranged with you before I went to JA city. I have a parents'' meeting at Sally''s school to attend the day after tomorrow. So, until I''m back, you''ll be in charge of Yu Sea City,"


    Carla explained as she walked towards the door.


    Steven''s amber eyes started to blur while he watched her leave. When she was gone, he averted his gaze to the contract in his hand.


    "Oh, I almost forgot! I''m planning on holding an art exhibition of mine, but what I have isn''t enough. Perhaps you would like to have a few pieces of yours exhibited too? What do you think?"


    Carla''s voice suddenly echoed. Steven looked up and saw her back at the door, asking him.


    However, she didn''t stay or wait for an answer. She just walked away as if she had never returned.


    On her way, Carla thought that she made a wise choice on having Steven by her side.


    She was thankful that she managed to save his life. If it wasn''t for that, he wouldn''t have come back to help her now.


    ¡ª¡ª


    In the blink of an eye, time flew like an arrow.


    Ten years had passed.


    It was summer time in the Seaview Villa.


    Carla swam to the pool ladder and got up, sitting at the edge of it. Next thing, she grabbed a hand towel nearby and wiped her face in the soft fabric.


    "You were swimming much faster this time! You''ve made great progress!"


    Carla heard Terence''s deep voice coming from behind her. He had put a large bath towel around her shoulders, protecting her from the cool air.


    Even so, she still felt a little cold, so she took the opportunity to snuggle into his arms. "Thanks, I''ll take it as a compliment.


    Now, where''s our daughter? Today


    ny of her calls.


    Before her battery died from so many failed phone call attempts, she decided to give up and called a taxi. However, a Maybach came to a sudden stop in front of the gate, grabbing her attention.


    A tall, slender and handsome young man got out of the car. His piercing dark eyes were solemnly focused on Sally.


    "Sally, come home with me!"


    Frowning, she pursed her lips and lifted her head in challenge. "Why are you here, Cody?"


    "I''m here to pick you up. It''s late. Don''t you know that your parents are waiting for you?"


    He approached Sally and held her elegant hand, pulling her towards the car.


    "No, I don''t want to go back now."


    Sally cast another glance at the military compound. The gate remained closed, and she couldn''t help but feel let down.


    As she kept resisting going with him, Cody grabbed her, lifted her over his shoulder and got her into the car. Quickly enough for her not to react, he buckled her seat belt and reasoned, "Sally, stop it, okay? You''ve grown up. You shouldn''t worry your parents anymore!"


    He then closed the passenger''s door, walked over to the other side of his car and took up the driver''s seat.


    Sally softened a little after Cody mentioned her parents. However, she still looked one last time at the army base gate.


    Immediately, the car drove away.


    Sean was still in the backseat of his parked military off-road as he watched the Maybach leave. When he was sure that they were gone, he told the driver, "Go back."


    ''Sally, Cody is the one you should fall in love with and be around, '' Sean thought to himself.

 Chapter 1046 Honey, Why Did You Lock The Door

    On their way home, Cody noticed that Sally was quite unhappy, so he immediately took out a box from his pocket and handed it to her. "Hey, I got this for you! Don''t be upset anymore. You know that your uncle is busy with work, right?"


    "He is always busy. But today is my birthday. There is no way he can forget it, no matter how busy he is!"


    She took the box from Cody''s hand and opened it. Inside was a pair of exquisite diamond earrings. She distinctly remembered telling him that she liked those earrings when they were at the brand promotion of this new product line last time. However, she didn''t expect that Cody would actually remember, let alone buy it for her.


    All of a sudden, Cody stopped the car at the side of the road and took the pair of diamond earrings from her hand. Then, he carefully helped her put them on and said, "Happy 18th birthday, Sally."


    Sally looked at the rear view mirror to admire them on her, and just as she had expected, she looked absolutely stunning with the new pair of diamond earrings on her ears.


    She then turned to Cody and gave him a friendly hug before saying, "Thank you, Cody."


    Just as she was about to let him go, Cody suddenly tightened his hold on her. "Wait for me for another two years, Sally. I promise that I will marry you then," he said.


    "Why not just say that you want to marry me now?" she teased, playfully nudging him with one of her elbows.


    "Well, that''s not a bad idea. We can hold a wedding ceremony first. And when you finally reach the legal marrying age, we can get our marriage license!" Cody looked at her, his black eyes shining with expectation.


    Sally looked back at him and realized that he was actually serious. But instead of humoring him with an answer, she leisurely took the blueberry flavored drink that he always prepared for her in the car and said, "Come on. We should go. I have to go back to join my parents. I''ll tell them to call Uncle Sean and severely punish him for forgetting my birthday!"


    The moment he heard Sally mention Sean again, Cody''s eyes turned dim. Without another word, he started the car and drove to the Seaview Villa.


    When they finally arrived, the Seaview Villa was brightly lit.


    There were pink balloons all over the roof, and there were numerous pink roses and pink dolls all over the villa. Every single one of them was pink ¡ª the color that Sally liked the most.


    "Carla, don''t worry. I have faith that Cody will bring Sally home!"


    Shana said trying to comfort Carla.


    Carla nodded her head and gently pulled Shana over to the so


    id. He gently wiped the tears from her eyes and continued, "I swear to you that I will make you happy and full during every festival and every single day from here on out."


    Carla took a deep breath and smiled through her tears. "Terence, you are becoming more and more skilled with your words. You can make me cry in just a minute..."


    Terence couldn''t help laughing. He hugged her tightly and said, "My dear wife, please don''t cry. Otherwise, I don''t know if I should still say the words I''ve prepared for you when we have dinner later."


    Just as they were about to enjoy the romantic dinner, the door swung open all of a sudden.


    Adonis and Sally entered the room, each of them holding a cake.


    When Adonis saw the wonderful candlelit dinner and the heart-shaped rose cake his father had prepared, he silently lowered his head to look at the small cake in his and Sally''s hands.


    "Sally, I believe this cake is for you,"


    Adonis said as he placed the cake in her hand before leaving at once.


    After standing by the door awkwardly for a while, Sally grinned at Terence and Carla and said, "Dad, Mom, enjoy your dinner. I''m going to go downstairs now."


    Terence looked at the door that Sally had just closed for a while before standing up and locking it. Their candlelit dinner had just begun, and there was no way he was going to let others disturb them anymore.


    "Honey, why did you lock the door?"


    Carla asked as she rested her chin on her hands. She had a feeling that Terence was planning on doing something nasty.


    "Babe, I just don''t want the children to disturb us anymore. They are just too noisy," Terence said as he took the bottle of red wine and poured it into Carla''s glass.

 Chapter 1047 The Engagement Ring (Part One)

    "Really? Is it so simple like what you''ve said?"


    Carla regarded his face as her lips curled into a sweet smile. Holding his gaze, she discreetly kicked off her high heels under the table and let her dainty feet provokingly rub against his trousers.


    Terence almost groaned when he felt her toes unabashedly move upward in a slow and teasing gesture. He immediately drank the red wine, which he had just poured, in one go. Slightly arching his eyebrows, he locked his gaze at her. And the moment their eyes met, he felt that there was an unrivaled passion between them, so he bolted up and mumbled under his breath, "I think we''d better stop eating now. We will resume later after doing a bit of exercising!"


    Without another word, Terence swiftly lifted her from her chair and carried her to their bed.


    "Terence, why are you still behaving the same as before? You haven''t changed. They said that a man''s ability in marital activities naturally fades as they get older, but it does not apply to you!" Carla giggled, rolling her eyes innocently.


    "Honey, are you referring to me? I''m just in my forties, a man''s golden age. I''m not old at all! Don''t you dare mention that again, or you''ll be punished! OK?"


    "Well... You''re not old at all!


    I didn''t mean to... Honey! I''m so sorry!"


    Carla explained at once, and she couldn''t stop chuckling. She truly admired her husband for being in great shape despite his age. He religiously worked out every day and was as healthy as when he was younger. Rarely did he ever forget to participate in some sports.


    If not for their kids who were almost grown up, no one could tell his age!


    Downstairs, the younger people were having fun of their own. While upstairs,


    t sounded warm to her ears, she gasped for breath, trying to hold back her tears. Then like a child, she demanded, "Then why didn''t you answer my calls? Didn''t you know that the 18th birthday of a girl is very important? No matter how busy you are, you should still come to be with me!"


    On the other side of the phone, Sean rubbed his eyebrows when he heard her crying. After a while, he seriously explained, "Uncle Sean was too busy today. I didn''t remember it until now.


    How about this? Tomorrow I will ask someone to send you a birthday gift..."


    "I don''t want your gift!" Sally cut him off, adamantly shaking her head. Then she went on, "It''s your fault for not being here on my birthday. Wait for me at Golden Sun Restaurant, precisely at 8:00 tomorrow evening. You must invite me to dinner, to make up for it!"


    Sean momentarily paused and quickly turned her idea down, "Sally, I have something to do tomorrow. Let''s do it next time."


    Sally fell silent for a moment, and then she cried, just like what she had done when she was a child, not caring about anything else.


    "Okay, I''ll be there. But I might be a little late,"

 Chapter 1048 The Engagement Ring (Part Two)

    Sean eventually gave in. He had to compromise.


    The weeping on the other line immediately stopped and was replaced by a big, sweet smile. Sally held herself back from squealing, "It''s settled then. Remember to bring your gift!"


    With a happy heart, Sally hung up the phone, tucked herself in, and went to sleep, grinning from ear to ear.


    The next day, at exactly seven o''clock in the evening, Sally made sure to arrive as early as she could. She couldn''t afford to be late at this dinner. Beforehand, she had even asked Terence, her father, for the VVIP card of this restaurant and then proceeded to the most luxurious room on the top floor to wait for Sean.


    However, she had been waiting for almost a couple of hours now, and there was no sign of him. It was a little after nine when Sean finally appeared.


    As soon as he arrived, Sally jerked and stood up from the couch and rushed over to him. She eagerly put her arms around his neck, and she gushed, "Uncle Sean, I didn''t think that you would still come!"


    "Have you been waiting for a long time?"


    Sean stared at her pretty and delicate face. The girl, who used to stick with him since she was little, now had grown up.


    "Yes, but you came! I''m willing to wait for you for as long as it takes, as long as you can come!"


    Snuggling up in his arms, Sally still didn''t want to let go yet. Besides her father''s embrace, since childhood, the next best thing she wanted was to be in Sean''s embrace.


    "Ok, Sally, let''s have something to eat,"


    Sean gently patted her on the shoulder and reminded her.


    Sally only nodded, loosened her hold of him, and pressed a button on the table. Soon after, the waiter marc


    n''t dislike her. But a relationship can be cultivated slowly. After all, not every couple can be as happy as your parents.


    It is not easy to find a person who loves you, sincerely. But one is blessed enough to find a suitable one,"


    Sean took a deep breath and shifted to his side, casting a glance at Sally. His handsome face softened as he spoke, "Sally, be nice and give it back to me."


    He reached for her hand and pulled the ring off her finger gently.


    Although his tone was kind and soft, Sally still felt heartbroken. It was as if her heart was being ripped out of her chest.


    Realizing that the ring was leaving her hand, she suddenly curled her finger and held the ring in her palm.


    The car window immediately rolled down. And to Sean''s surprise, a flash of silver was unexpectedly chucked out! Sally had thrown the ring out of the car.


    "Sally!"


    The moment Sean was about to say something, Sally suddenly got up from the passenger seat. She crawled on top of his body and positioned herself on his lap. And without a word, she kissed Sean, who was about to open his mouth to say something!

 Chapter 1049 Is It Illegal To Like You

    Sally''s lips drew Sean into an unskillful kiss. Not knowing what to do, she pressed her lips clumsily on his, but he suddenly held her neck with one hand and pushed her away.


    Sally began to cough.


    Sean diligently exercised and practiced boxing every day to improve his strength and stamina. Normally, he would be able to adjust his grip but Sally''s sudden kiss caught him off guard. As a result, he had put too much power in his hand when he grabbed Sally''s delicate neck, choking her. She continued coughing violently.


    Realizing that he had used too much strength, Sean loosened his grip at once.


    His fingers left a red mark on her neck. For a few seconds, Sally had difficulty breathing. She coughed so hard that tears formed in her eyes and trickled down her face. She stared at Sean angrily and shouted, "Were you going to kill me just because of a ring?"


    "I didn''t mean it. You get off me first."


    Sean stared at Sally who was still sitting on top of him in a strange position, and said in a serious voice.


    "No! I won''t!" Sally refused to get off Sean. Facing him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and embraced him again.


    Sean took a deep breath to suppress his anger. He held her soft waist with his hands and lifted her body away from him. "I''m calling Cody and ask him to drive you home. I have something to do back at the base, so I have to go now," Sean replied nonchalantly as he typed in his phone.


    "Uncle Sean, what are you doing?"


    Enraged, Sally snatched the phone from his hand and snapped, "My mother is not your biological sister. We don''t have any genetic connection!" Flushed in anger, she continued to yell at him, "I like you. What''s wrong with that? Is it illegal?"


    Sean turned to Sally with his cold glare and said, "Sally, it''s not necessary for relatives to have a relationship by blood. Your mother and I grew up together, and we''ve been siblings since I was born. In my heart, she will always be my sister.


    If your mother knew that you like her little brother, how can I face her and your father?"


    Tears welled up in Sally''s eyes as she stared at his glassy eyes. To Sean who still looked composed, she shouted, "You are a coward! You''ve been in the army for so many years but you don''t even have the courage to go this far?


    Do you really think that my parents know nothing about it?"


    She had never concealed her feelings over the years, so how could her parents not know anything about it?


    Sean took a deep breath and looked away.


    "It has nothing to do with courage. It''s simply impossible for us to be together!"


    After he finis


    s head and looked at the ring in his hand. After a long time, he put it back in his pocket and drove away.


    Carla and Terrence was patiently waiting for Sally at the Seaview Villa.


    On the second floor, seeing that Cody had just come back with Sally, Carla breathed a sigh of relief. She went to her room to sleep.


    At her age, she was starting to understand that there were multiple stages to parental love.


    Their children had already grown up. However, only when they came back safely could she have a good sleep.


    When they returned to the bedroom, Terence held Carla in his arms. He knew she was feeling cold so he helped her get warm.


    "Honey, are you relieved now?" he asked.


    "Yes. I''m wondering what''s wrong with our girl. She''s getting more and more troublesome."


    Carla felt better now in Terrence''s embrace.


    "You two are alike. You used to make me worry a lot, didn''t you?" Terence teased her while smiling.


    "How can you compare me to her?"


    Carla glared at the man who was starting to feel her up on top of her pajamas. Yawning, she went to bed and said, "Go to bed early. I have to go to Yu Sea City tomorrow. Lori is beginning to create problems again and she''s giving me a headache. In the past two years, she has always managed to get me in trouble."


    Terence pulled the quilt over her and held her in his arms. Then he said, "That''s all right. When your grandmother was with you, they didn''t dare to hurt you. Now that she has passed away, it''s normal for them to be eager for action.


    But don''t worry too much. Your position is very secure, so it''s not easy for them to shake you off."


    Carla nodded wordlessly. She was so tired that she fell asleep quickly the moment she closed her eyes.

 Chapter 1050 Selina

    It was the second day.


    Outside the Seaview Villa


    Carla had finished packing and was about to leave for Yu Sea City.


    When she stepped out, she saw Adonis following her. Carla turned around to look at him but he quickly averted his gaze.


    "Honey, it''s Monday. Don''t you need to go to school?" Carla kneeled in front of him and asked.


    Adonis opened his mouth a couple of times but nothing came out. Carla placed her forefinger under his chin and lifted his head to make his eyes meet hers. "What''s the matter? Tell me," she prompted. "Mom, I''ve never been to Yu Sea City. Can you take me with you?" he asked, his face was flustered with embarrassment.


    Sally had accompanied Carla to Yu Sea City a few times but his mother had never offered to take him. He was eager to see how the place and its people were.


    "Don''t worry about school. I''ve already finished learning the entire syllabus for this semester. I can request my teacher to grant me a leave." His big expectant eyes were staring at Carla, waiting for her answer.


    Carla looked at him. She thought for a while and said, "Okay, let''s go. But I will be staying there for fifteen days. I hope you don''t get bored during that time."


    Adonis bobbed his head happily. His entire face lit up with happiness. He grinned excitedly, ran to the car, and opened the door for Carla like a gentleman.


    "Your Majesty, please get in the car!"


    Carla''s eyes widened and her mouth popped open with shock. She was surprised by her son''s little gesture.


    ''I think it''s time to take him to my hometown, '' she thought.


    In Yu Sea City


    Yu Sea City had witnessed a drastic change over the past ten years. The city had not only carefully maintained the architectural and humanities feature of the Yu clan but also introduced an arena of essential modern facilities. The entire Yu clan seemed to have been infused with a new life.


    Although their customs and traditions hadn''t changed much, Carla had been concentrating on the wellbeing of men for the past two years. Their progress was phenomenal.


    Fifty percent of the credit, undoubtedly, belonged to one person.


    "Mr. Su, the matriarch is back!"


    The man in the atelier put down the brush immediately and turned around.


    "I see. It''s almost lunchtime. Ask the cook to prepare lunch. Don''t forget to send the helpers to clean the bedroom. Oh, by the way, she''s retur


    him. She had been trying hard to set him up with women for the last ten years. But none of them seemed to hold his interest.


    Steven was a stubborn man.


    Carla couldn''t help but wonder if he had any desires.


    How could a man be extremely selfless and generous?


    "I have Selina and she means the world to me. I don''t need anyone else." Steven smiled and handed one of the files to Carla.


    Carla couldn''t say anything after Steven''s response. She had done everything she could, but Steven wouldn''t budge on his decision.


    "Well, let''s get to work now. This is the development plan for Yu Sea City. Please have a look at it."


    Steven smiled encouragingly.


    Atop a mountain near the Wang Village


    Selina was humming a song while flying a kite. It was soaring calmly in the blue sky.


    "Hi, there. I haven''t seen you before."


    Selina who was running happily, suddenly stopped when she saw a boy sitting under the tree, staring at the kite, seemingly lost in thought.


    Selina held the string of the kite firmly and walked towards Adonis.


    Adonis shifted his gaze to look at Selina. He felt that she was pretty but not as beautiful as his sister.


    "This is the first time I have come here. So, obviously you wouldn''t have seen me before,"


    Adonis said as he looked at the mountains that were shrouded by clouds and mist against the blue sky. It was a breathtaking sight.


    "My name is Selina. What''s your name?"


    Selina asked, reaching her hand out.


    Adonis shook her hand and smiled.


    "Adonis An."


    He stood up and walked to the beautiful garden ahead of him.

 Chapter 1051 You Are A Bad Guy

    Selina''s hand was still in the air, but Adonis'' hand was already gone.


    Glaring at his back, Selina stuck her tongue out at him and said, "Stop being so cocky. My father is also very handsome, but unlike you, he is still very polite!"


    She muttered to herself as she wiped her hands on her clothes before continuing to fly the kite.


    However, there was one thing she didn''t know.


    It was not like Adonis was ill bred, he just didn''t like shaking hands with girls.


    He was a guest performer in one of Debra''s movies before, and as a result, he became unexpectedly famous. Because of this, he encountered a lot of trouble in life. Every single time he went out, there would be girls screaming for him and surrounding him, even trying to hug him. Since then, he became very uncomfortable around strangers, especially girls he didn''t personally know.


    After a while, it was finally time for lunch.


    "Are you Adonis?"


    After he finished paying the western garden a visit, Adonis had walking towards the dining room when he came across a man.


    The man was clad in a white linen uniform specific to the Yu Clan, and a pair of cloth shoes. He rolled up his sleeves casually and looked at Adonis with his clear amber eyes as a smile appeared on his face.


    If it weren''t for his short hair, people would think that he was a man coming straight from an ancient painting.


    Although Adonis was only fourteen years old, he had already read stacks of books about Yu Sea City. In addition to that, since the An Family was a big family in JA City, he had met many different kinds of people. However, he had to admit that the man standing in front of him was different from everyone he had ever come across.


    In his mind, his father was a unique man, and the gentle man in front of him was just as excellent.


    "Uncle Steven, nice to meet you!"


    After a moment of thinking, Adonis finally recognized Steven.


    He knew that there was a man who had done a lot for his mother in Yu Sea City. And despite knowing that his mother only had his father in her heart, Steven was still willing to help her out without asking for anything in return just so she wouldn''t have to worry about anything.


    Instead of looking down at Steven, Adonis actually admired him.


    It was his sacrifice and courage that allowed his mother to spend more time with him and his sister.


    "Like father, like son. You are just as elegant and handsome as Mr. An," Steven said with a smile. Then he put one of his hands on Adonis'' shoulder and started walking towards the dining room with him.


    "Let''s go. Your mom is waiting for us."


    When they finally arrived at the dining hall, Selina had already taken her se


    ''s shoulders.


    Even though he made sure to do it very gently, his movement still woke Carla up.


    "Oh my God! It''s so late!"


    Carla said as she stretched herself. She tried to stand up, but she immediately found that her legs were numb from being in the same position for too long, and stumbled forward.


    Steven grabbed her with his hands to support her and helped her sit on the couch beside the desk. "Take your time. You can do all of that work tomorrow."


    Carla stretched her legs and massaged them, saying, "Lucia is causing trouble again? I heard that there are still a lot of people supporting her. What''s the update on this?"


    Steven sat down as well, gently massaged Carla''s numb legs, and answered, "Lucia is now stirring up trouble using your identity. Through the years, we have implemented a lot of measures that have caused some sticklers for traditions to oppose us. However, the majority of people still choose to support us.


    Don''t worry. I''m already following up on this matter. Even if Lucia stirs up more trouble, I still have a way to deal with her."


    After a while, Carla stood up and stretched her legs. She felt much better. "Thank you, Steven."


    Steven stood up as well and looked at her tenderly with his amber eyes. "I am the general manager of the four tribes, so it''s my duty to maintain the harmony within Yu Sea City.


    Alright. Go back and have a good rest. Selina is waiting for you."


    It wasn''t until then that Carla remembered that Selina was waiting for her. "Oh, I forgot. Selina must have been waiting for a long time." she said apologetically.


    With that, she hurried outside.


    Steven watched her with a faint smile in his eyes as she left in a hurry. He tidied up the room, turned off the light, and walked out of the study as well.

 Chapter 1052 Precious Girl

    The next day, in JA City, ¡ª


    "Sally! It''s been ages since you had come to school. What''s going on? Your brother hasn''t come to school either. School is boring without you. The girls have finally gone back to normal without your brother. God, they would go crazy if he were around. Anyway, what''s up with you guys? It''s not even winter yet. Have you planned to go on a vacation or something?"


    Chloe was bombarding Sally with questions. She was having a hard time in school without her best friend.


    Sally lazily shifted on her bed and sighed loudly. "I need some peace. School is noisy and I can''t stand it."


    "What?"


    Chloe burst into a fit of laughter. "Sally, did you get dumped or what? Why have you turned into a hermit? You need to step out and get some fresh air."


    Chloe continued laughing but the deafening silence from Sally''s end shut her up. She thought that she had crossed the line, so she quickly faked a cough, and cleared her throat. "You cannot miss classes anymore. We have Mr. Li''s class this afternoon and you know what would happen if you don''t attend his class.


    Mr. Li is a friend of your grandfather and he will definitely inform him of your absence.


    Just trust me on this and come to school in the afternoon. Let''s talk about something. It will distract you from whatever that is bothering you,"


    Chloe insisted.


    Sally groaned and dragged herself out of bed. She took a quick shower and slipped into a fresh pair of clothes. She was not in good spirits and didn''t bother wearing makeup.


    She was a beautiful girl. She had flawless skin and perfect facial features. She looked incredible even without makeup.


    Her clothes always reflected her mood. She would take meticulous care and dress up like a beautiful princess when she was happy. But if she was not in the right frame of mind, she would randomly pick a dress from her wardrobe and wear it, regardless of what people thought of her.


    As she was not in a good mood, she just wore a plain white T-shirt, denim shorts, and a pair of white sneakers. She picked up her bag and keys and walked out.


    As soon as she walked into school, the corridor was filled with the whistles and roars of boys. The girls on the other hand were secretly gossiping about her.


    However, Sally ignored everything and walked past them. She was chewing gum as the loud music, blaring in her ears through her cherry-colored earphones, muffled the tumultuous uproars in the corridor. She shook her head and walked straight into the main building.


    "Sally..."


    A freshman came running


    hering you. Stop pretending like you''re strong. Why don''t you cut the crap and tell me what''s going on in your mind?"


    Chloe asked as she nudged Sally with her elbow.


    Sally blinked her eyes and snapped back to her senses. She nestled her head on Chloe''s shoulder and closed her eyes. "Honey, I don''t want to talk about it now."


    "Okay, I''ve got your back. Always remember that. You can talk to me about it whenever you''re ready."


    Chloe smiled. The two of them had grown up together and nobody knew Sally better than Chloe did. She knew that Sally wouldn''t utter a word about her problem if she didn''t want to talk about it.


    The classes commenced.


    Sally was forced to pay attention to the class even if she was distracted. She was the key student and every teacher paid extra care in educating her. It was almost as if the teachers were holding classes exclusively for her. They wouldn''t switch to a different topic unless she fully understood it. On top of that, her parents had also arranged extra private classes for her.


    Terence had already instructed the tutors to come to the Seaview Villa every week to teach her. She wasn''t behind in any of the subjects and her teachers made it a point to clarify her doubts.


    Terence believed that good education was the foundation of success and wanted his daughter to have a bright future.


    Sally wondered why he wasn''t strict with her mother.


    After a long wait, the school bell finally rang, freeing Sally from the torture that she was enduring.


    There was a clamor at the corridor as she shoved her things into her bag. "Sally, your knight is coming!"


    Chloe chuckled and poked her as she continued to stare at the door of the classroom.

 Chapter 1053 Her Knight

    "Come on, Sally, Let''s go. I''m here to pick you up."


    Cody gently came near her, took her schoolbag and slung it across his shoulder and carried it for her.


    Noticing that there were a lot of girls swooning over Cody, Sally tilted her head towards Chloe and suggested, "Hey, let''s grab some dinner. It''s on me!"


    "I''ll pass. I would rather not disturb the knight escorting his princess!"


    Chloe stood up and glanced at Cody. He had his eyes intensely fixed on Sally. She smiled and patted her friend on the shoulder. "I''m leaving now. Talk to you later."


    Sally had no choice then but to leave with just Cody.


    On their way home, he looked at her in the passenger''s seat next to him and reached out a hand to hold hers. "Are you ok? You don''t seem to be in a good mood. What if I don''t take you home now, and we go for a walk instead?"


    Removing her hand from under his, Sally looked straight at the road ahead and asked, "Cody, could you please not be so kind to me all the time?"


    Cody had a faint smile on his lips but said nothing. He had been by her side since they were children. No matter how mad she was, he would always be there for her, not thinking twice about the consequences.


    He glanced at her and continued as if she had agreed with his idea, "Well, we can go to the amusement park first, and then I''ll take you to dinner before I drive you home."


    Sally kept looking straight ahead and didn''t say another word.


    Once they got to the amusement park, Cody encouraged her to try all kinds of games and attractions that he could find to distract her.


    "Are you feeling any better? If you''re not, we can play something else..."


    Cody suggested. His face was as pale as a sheet of paper after he got out of a roller coaster. Heights weren''t his strong suit, yet he still joined her without looking back.


    Stepping out of the train, Sally closed the distance between them and hugged Cody affectionately.


    "Cody, please don''t be so nice to me," she pleaded with tears in her eyes. She held him tightly as she released all the pent-up frustration in her heart.


    The better he treated her, the guiltier she felt.


    Cody hugged her back and, while stroking her hair, he gently said, "Hey, don''t talk like that. I''m good to you because I want to. No one is forcing me to


    eved it was powerful enough to overcome anything.


    How wrong she had been.


    Reality was far more complex than what she had envisioned.


    Up until this moment, she had never understood how much trouble and pressure her childishness had inflicted on Sean.


    All of a sudden, the loud slam of a door outside brought her back to her senses.


    She froze for a second before standing up in a hurry. Quickly, she reached the door handle and went outside.


    On the corridor, she spotted Sean as he left the room next to hers. He seemed relaxed with his army green T-shirt and slippers on, and his hair was wet.


    "Uncle Sean, you''re here!"


    At that moment, when Sally saw him, she couldn''t help but have a wide smile on her face while she ran to him excitedly. However, before she jumped into his arms like she usually did, she remembered Cody''s words and stood still, allowing a safe distance between them.


    It wasn''t such a surprise that he was there, though. This was also his home, and he occasionally came back from the army base.


    When Sean heard her coming, he briefly stopped and nodded at her. Then, he carried on and headed towards Terence''s study in order to get himself a book.


    Sally followed him and closed the door behind her. There was more that she wanted to say, but she didn''t know how to start. After a while, she finally mustered enough strength to speak, "Uncle Sean, the last time... I just want to say I''m sorry. I was too selfish.


    Anyway... How was your proposal?"


    She asked, her voice trembling.

 Chapter 1054 A Deal

    Sean drew out a book from the shelf and responded faintly, "I didn''t do it. I felt that we weren''t right for each other, so I stopped contacting her."


    Since Sandra always got upset regarding this issue, Sean decided to put it aside for the time being. He would deal with it later.


    Sean had been single for a long time and it wouldn''t hurt him to stay like that for a little longer.


    Sandra closed her eyes and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Happiness bubbled up inside her. She wanted to dance in celebration.


    Although Sandra understood what Sean was going through, him ending his relationship with that other girl wasn''t easy for her either.


    "Uncle Sean, I want to read that book. Can you help me get it?"


    She batted her eyelashes and pointed at a row of books on the top right corner of the bookshelf.


    Sean was much taller than Sandra. He extended his long arms and effortlessly pulled a book from the stack. "Is this the one?"


    "No, not that one. Move a little further to your right." She shook her head and directed him.


    "This one?"


    "No, move a little closer to the center of the shelf."


    "Why don''t you tell the name of the book?" Sean groaned.


    "It''s a French book. I can''t read the name." She bit her lip and grinned.


    "How will you read the book if you can''t even read its name?" Sean rolled his eyes.


    Sandra''s cheeks flustered and she looked away.


    "I need to read the book to learn the language better."


    Sean didn''t argue with her anymore. He took out a few French books for her and walked towards the door with his book.


    "Uncle Sean, don''t go. You have to put them back for me! My Dad gets annoyed when his room becomes messy."


    Sandra randomly picked a book from the pile that Sean had placed on the table.


    Sean arched an eyebrow with suspicion. He knew that Sandra was a smart girl. She wouldn''t let him go easily.


    Sean put his book down, grabbed the French books that he had taken earlier, and put them back in their place.


    Sandra smiled and stared at Sean who was followin


    ''t have."


    Sean gritted his teeth and pulled on his hair with frustration. He couldn''t forgive himself.


    Sandra would have been happier without him. Although he never gave her false hopes, he couldn''t stop blaming himself. He should have made her understand that it was not right for them to be together. But it was too late now.


    --


    In the Seaview Villa.


    Terence gave the telescope to Nathan and walked towards the gym on the third floor.


    "What do we do, Mr. Terence? Sally is crazy about Sean. How do we make her understand that it''s wrong?"


    Nathan asked nervously as he followed Terence.


    It was normal for teenagers her age to fall in love. But Sally had broken her boundaries and took a step further by falling in love with her own uncle.


    Terence got on the treadmill and started jogging.


    He didn''t know how to make his daughter understand that it was unacceptable to fall in love with her own uncle. She would eventually get hurt in the process of chasing him.


    He also knew that Sean was not to be blamed. He was a gentleman and kept a safe distance from her, but this somehow drew Sally closer to him.


    Terence closed his eyes and let out a loud sigh.


    He grabbed his phone and wondered when Carla would return. She had been away for a long time and he was missing her.


    He decided to call her and talk to her about it.

 Chapter 1055 Terence Was Jealous

    Moreover.


    There was a man ten years younger than he was, gawking at Carla, waiting to take over his place. Terence hated that Carla had to spend half of her time in Yu Sea City. He couldn''t help but feel insecure about it.


    A frown creased his forehead. He knew that Steven had adopted a daughter who thought that Carla was her mother. Although Terence felt bad for the little girl, he was still annoyed about it. He didn''t understand why Carla was serious and actually went through with it. He hated that Carla lost track of time and stayed in Yu Sea City longer than she was expected to.


    Terence sighed loudly and dialed her number.


    "Hello?" a chirpy female voice answered.


    "Carla..."


    Terence opened his mouth to say something but decided against it. It wasn''t Carla who had answered the phone.


    "Is this big Daddy? Mommy is sleeping. I''ll ask her to call you back later,"


    Selina said cautiously as she glanced at Carla who was fast asleep.


    Terence groaned and looked out of the window. It was still dark outside. The frown on his sullen face deepened.


    "Who am I speaking to?" he asked, annoyed by her response.


    Although Terence knew who she was, he didn''t know her name.


    "Big Daddy, I''m Selina." Selina said sweetly. She had woken up early and was playing with Carla''s phone.


    Terence was irked by Selina who constantly called him "Big Daddy".


    He hung up the phone without saying a word.


    Terence wondered if Carla was up to something behind his back.


    "Mr. An, what''s wrong?"


    Nathan asked when he saw the sudden change in Terence''s mood.


    "Book a flight. I need to go to Yu Sea City right away."


    He needed to bring Carla and his son back. He was frustrated that his wife and son were having fun without him. How could they forget that he was waiting for them?


    Nathan stifled his laughter and shook his head. A lot of things had changed in the last couple of years. Nathan''s son had grown up and Rainer''s wife was


    and wanted to forget about everything and get some rest.


    There was a soft knock at the door when she was busy going through one of the construction plans.


    "Steven, thank God, you are back!" she answered without lifting her head. "Come on, we need to find out if this plan would be feasible. I''m losing my mind. God, I finally understand how difficult it is to be the head of Yu Sea City..."


    Carla trailed off. A gust of cold wind brushed her hair. A shiver ran through her spine when she looked at the door.


    "Terence? What are you doing here?"


    She could feel the cold sweat gliding down her back.


    Carla''s words were still lingering in Terence''s ears. The way she called Steven''s name was constantly ringing in his ear.


    "I''m sorry to disappoint you,"


    he said coldly.


    "Honey, what are you talking about? You must be tired. Come and sit here!" Carla put the documents aside, poured a cup of tea, and passed it to Terence.


    "So, according to you, I''m a guest who needs to be treated with respect,"


    he said, glancing at the cup of tea in Carla''s hand.


    "¡­¡­"


    Carla looked at him and took a sip of tea.


    Carla understood that she had stayed in Yu Sea City longer than expected. Terence had missed her and had come all the way to check on her because he was jealous of Steven.

 Chapter 1056 Future Superstar

    Carla put down the cup and walked to Terence. "I just felt that it would be tiring for you to come all the way here." She smiled and sat next to him.


    "Honey, look, I''ve poured you a cup of tea. Come on, take a sip!"


    Carla brought the cup to his lips and motioned for him to drink it.


    Terence looked at her and sipped at the tea. "When are you planning to come back with Adonis?"


    Carla glanced at the huge pile of documents on the table and sighed loudly. "I think it will take a couple more days. I have plenty of things to deal with, here in Yu Sea City."


    "Okay, I''ll wait for you until you finish all your work. Then we can go back together."


    Terence glanced at Carla and back at the documents. He plopped on the chair and rubbed his hands. "So where were you on the documents before I got here? Let me help you out."


    Terence was not only her husband but also a member of Yu Sea City. It was his responsibility to help her out.


    Carla couldn''t help but smile at her husband who was rolling his sleeves to get into work. She put the cup down and kissed him on his cheek.


    She knew that Terence was the best and she was incredibly lucky to have a husband like him.


    She took the document and started to explain the progress of the project, among many things.


    In the evening, when Steven walked into the room, he saw that Selina was waiting for him. She had her arms folded across her chest and was looking grumpy.


    "What''s the matter, Selina? It''s late. Why are you still up?"


    Selina''s eyes lit up when she saw Steven. She ran over and hugged him tightly. "Daddy, Uncle Terence has come. He is in mommy''s room, sleeping with her. I couldn''t fall asleep, so I''ve been waiting for you."


    Steven nodded. He knew that Terence was here and it was natural for him to stay with Carla.


    He took off his coat and swung his arm around Selina''s shoulders. "What''s the matter, sweetie? You''ve been sleeping with Mommy ever since she came here. Why don''t you be a good girl and sleep on your own tonight?"


    Steven stretched himself and sat on the sofa.


    Selina hoisted herself on his lap and frowned. "Daddy, tell me something. Why doesn''t Mommy sleep with you? She sleeps only with Uncle Terence. I''ve never seen you s


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    dashed towards Adonis. She looked at her parents who were sneaking out and quickly sprinted forward to catch up with them.


    The three of them reached home.


    It had taken a long time for Adonis to get away from his fans, so he was the last person to reach home.


    "Adonis, Auntie Debra had just called. She has composed a new song and wants you to listen to it at the recording studio this week,"


    Carla said as she poured him a glass of milk. Debra had started a new recording studio and was recruiting talents.


    She was expanding her business in the entertainment industry and thought that it was the right time for Adonis to start his career.


    "No, I don''t want to go,"


    Adonis said, shaking his head fiercely.


    Carla rolled her eyes and pointed at his phone. "Fine. You tell her yourself. I''m going to take a shower."


    Carla quickly walked over to Sally and patted her shoulder. "Sweetie, I''m going to go shopping this afternoon. Would you like to join me?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.


    "Okay!" Sally clapped her hands excitedly. "Mom, why don''t we ask Aunt Violet and Shana to join us as well? We could watch a movie after shopping."


    she said, grinning happily.


    "Okay. You call them and sort it out."


    Carla nodded and went upstairs.


    As soon as she stepped into her room, she got a call from James.


    Carla''s eyes widened with surprise. It had been many years since James and Cheryl had contacted her. She wondered why they were calling her now.

 Chapter 1057 The Colonel

    In the afternoon of the next day, Carla went to meet Uncle James and his wife Cheryl at a tea house.


    When she got there, they had already gotten a table as they waited for her.


    It didn''t come as a surprise that the couple Carla spotted had their heads now filled with grey hair, looking much older than she remembered when she last saw them many years ago. However, despite the changes dictated by time, Carla promptly noticed their manners were at their finest. As soon as she approached the table, the couple didn''t hesitate to offer her a warm and polite smile.


    "Uncle James, Auntie Cheryl, long time no see. How are you doing?"


    Carla asked after she sat down. Then, she promptly called the waiter and requested him to serve the best tea they had in the house.


    "We''re great. After all, we''re farmers. We ought to remain active, so exercise comes as a routine for us. And then there''s Sean, of course. He''s very attentive. Every six months, he takes us to the city for a medical check-up. Two years ago, your uncle found out that he had a tumor in his neck. Thank goodness, he was diagnosed in time for treatment!"


    Cheryl told her with a smile. Her eyes revealed the enormous gratitude she had for all Sean had done for them throughout the years.


    James nodded and agreed, "Yes! I used to be too narrow-minded before. I foolishly believed that Sean would ditch us once he became someone important. But now I know that a Ji Family''s child would never behave in such a way."


    The moment the tea was served, Carla filled the cups for the two elders. She said, "I wouldn''t have expected anything different from him. Sean has always been a good boy."


    "You''ve educated him well! We used to be reckless before. Oh, Carla, please don''t take it to heart,"


    Cheryl stated, taking the cup Carla offered her.


    "Don''t mention it. Uncle James and Auntie Cheryl, please, don''t hesitate to contact me or Sean if you are in any trouble. We''ll always do our best to help you."


    Carla looked from James to Cheryl and vice-versa. They seemed genuine, but she suspected they didn''t want to see her just to apologize for the past mistakes.


    "Well, Carla, as you know well, Sean''s parents passed away when he was too young. Even though he''s an adult now, as his elders, we''re concerned about him,"


    Cheryl start


    orgotten what Terence had told him once, "You can''t always depend on others, Sean. At some point, the responsibility only will be yours to get where you want to be."


    So, over the past years, he had always chosen to be the first to undertake dangerous missions. Thanks to his efforts, now he was solemnly recognized as a colonel who had earned his position, and he was proud of that.


    The moment Sean walked out, he saw the result of his hard work materialized in front of his eyes.


    "Goodbye, sir!"


    Every guard saluted him with utmost respect.


    Because he was the youngest commander in the army, the young soldiers looked up to him a lot, expecting to achieve the same one day.


    Outside, Carl had already opened the car door for him.


    "Sir, Commander Jiang changed the place of the meeting to the LM Club. Do you need to change your clothes?"


    Carl asked, scratching his head. According to the rules, one wasn''t allowed to attend high-end venues of entertainment in an army uniform. As Commander Jiang had first requested a meeting at the military compound, Sean had changed into his uniform.


    "It doesn''t matter. I''ll take off the coat,"


    Sean murmured. When he got inside the car, he started to unbutton his coat. He didn''t have many casual clothes with him, anyway. So even if he was to meet the Commander at his home, he would wear the uniform.


    At least he had a white shirt in his car that he could change into.


    Along the way, Carl found the roads pretty clear of traffic.


    Quickly, they arrived at the LM Club.

 Chapter 1058 Blind Date In A Club (Part One)

    LM Club was an exclusive club, not only for senior members of the military but for other prominent figures as well. With that so-called privilege and exclusivity, there hung a mysterious vibe around it.


    The place was lively as usual. Though the occasional clink of wine glasses, coupled with the waves of laughter made by wealthy and powerful guests and members, the ambiance, although snobbish and affluent in style was also rather carefree and good for unwinding. However, it was not the case for a young lady, who was standing outside the huge luxurious doors of the club. She appeared tense as she looked around her.


    "Sally, are you here yet? Melissa and I have just arrived,"


    Chloe anxiously mumbled on her phone, while her eyes were busy searching for signs of Sally among the people walking in and out.


    "I''m already here. Wait, I see you!"


    Almost immediately, a car stopped in front of the club lobby while Chloe helplessly listened to her friend on her phone. In a rush, Sally alighted from the car and gestured to her friend with a wave of her hand. Seeing that Chloe now knew where she was, Sally bent over to talk to her driver and said, "Race, you can leave now. No need to wait for me!"


    "Umm, your father told me to wait for you," Race answered with a warm smile on his face. All he need to do was to find a good spot to park the car.


    Hearing this, Sally merely shrugged and swiftly turned around and eased her way towards Chloe.


    Race was the grandson of one of her great grandfather''s friends. He was a few years younger than Terence and had been Sally''s driver for years now.


    "Finally!"


    Chloe exclaimed as she walked over to her. There was a mix of stress and reli


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    of a door to a private room. Still feeling anxious, she pointed to the door and continued in a hushed voice, "That old man has been waiting in there for a while. I don''t have the courage to go inside."


    Melissa was quite convinced that a man, who was eleven years older than her, was already considered an old man.


    "Melissa, don''t worry. Give Sally some time to think about it. I''m sure she can come up with a solution!"


    Chloe gently squeezed Melissa''s hand, consoling her.


    Sally wasted no time trying to figure out what was the best thing to do. Moments later, she suddenly snapped her fingers. There was a sparkle in her eyes, and her face showed a burgeoning excitement. Holding Melissa''s gaze, she squealed, "I got an idea!"


    "Melissa, did you say that he''s also serving in the army now? Generally, soldiers are fond of girls who do things in a traditional and conservative manner. So, if this is the case, then you must do the exact opposite. I''ll teach you how to do it, and I''m sure he will lose interest in no time!"


    Hearing Sally''s plan, Melissa felt a bit embarrassed, "That''s a good one. But I can''t do it..."

 Chapter 1059 Blind Date In A Club (Part Two)

    Since she was a little child, she had always been a good girl to her family and everyone for that matter. Her grandfather had always been very strict on her. With her stern upbringing, it was tough for her to turn into a naughty girl all of a sudden. It was not an easy thing for her to learn on such short notice!


    "Yeah, it''s indeed a little complicated. Sally, it''s a good idea. But Melissa has always been a demure, princess type girl since she was a child. Her grandfather didn''t even allow her to wear short skirts that exposed her knees. How could she learn it in such a short time? I''m afraid that she can''t pull this off."


    Chloe gently shook her head rather disapprovingly. Then her eyes grew wide as an idea suddenly occurred to her. Quickly throwing a glance at Melissa, she asked, "Melissa, have you ever met this old man before? I mean, does he know what you look like?"


    Melissa vaguely nodded and replied downheartedly, "Grandpa told me that he had shown him my photos."


    "What should we do? I''m thinking of having Sally as your stand-in. But, since he had already seen your picture, then that would be a tricky one. What if he finds out that she''s not you?"


    Chloe held her chin with one hand and forcibly tried to think of another way, quickly.


    "I think we can give it a try. Some girls look quite different from their photos. We might be able to disguise her by putting on some makeup and dimming the light,"


    Melissa softly spoke to Sally after a moment''s reflection. Her face now beamed with gratitude and expectation.


    She knew herself, and her shy character would never be of help at this time. If she would act like a bad girl as she met this man, she w


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    em to project the image of a nineteen year-old girl.


    Sally briefly caught a glimpse of the man, and he surprisingly looked familiar to her. But she couldn''t see his face clearly because of the dull light and she was still at a safe distance from him.


    However, she no longer cared. What mattered to her the most was that she got what she wanted. And the man''s reaction was the perfect indicator.


    Slowly but steadily, she sauntered toward him in a sexy catwalk step and purposely settled herself next to him on the sofa.


    Then long before she could open her mouth to utter something, the man was way ahead of her, "Miss Jiang, I have something to tell you. I thought it was Mr. Jiang, who asked me here today, but for some reason, you came instead.


    After I get back, I will explain to Mr. Jiang that there is a huge age gap between us, and I don''t want to waste your time."


    The man''s words was supposed to make Sally feel relieved, but unexpectedly, they stunned her instead.


    For a moment, her mind went blank, but then she snapped back to her senses.


    She thought, ''this man sounds a lot like Uncle Sean!''

 Chapter 1060 Juvenile Attraction to Older Men

    She didn''t care about it at first. She also didn''t expect such a coincidence! The voice sounded so familiar that it felt like she had known it her whole life.


    It indeed was Sean!


    "Miss Jiang? I am so much older than you and there really isn''t any sense of romance here. You don''t really want to marry me, do you?"


    He didn''t agree to the arrangement that had been made.


    After a short pause, Sally stood up and walked over to him with a seductive smile on her face. "Of course I do, honey. What if I tell you that I like older men?


    The older the man, the more considerate and caring he is. I always go for men who are older. I think there''s a certain charm to them."


    Sally sat on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, whispering in his ear, her lips brushing against his earlobe.


    Sean was a little evasive. He frowned at how frivolous she was.


    He tried his best to not let it show on his face to honor his relationship with her grandfather.


    "Miss Jiang, it is understandable that you have this temporary juvenile attraction to older men. It might be because your father died when you were very young... I would advise you to find a man of your own age. If your husband is much older, there will be a generation gap between the two of you," Sean said, turning his head the other way.


    At the same time, he circled his hands around her waist and helped her get off him.


    He felt dazed before touching her waist. It felt somewhat familiar and somehow made him slow down.


    "So what if I do? I don''t think it''s a big deal." Sally said in a hoarse voice, tightening her grip on his arm.


    She had always idolized her father and was very proud of him. Her own mother had told her she should look for a husband like her father.


    Sean''s forehead wrinkled.


    At first he couldn''t recognize the voice, but after listening to it intently, he couldn''t help but be stirred by how familiar it sounded.


    "Mr. Ji, or should I say Chief Ji! Isn''t it every man''s dream to marry a young woman? Why are you so disgusted with me? How would you know if I''m suitable or not if you don''t give me a chance?" Sally asked in her most seductive voice.


    Sean pushed her slightly away from his lap, but a different idea was simmering in Sally''s head. With her eyes shining lustfully, she slid her small hands up his black


    you!"


    She threatened him casually, knowing she had the upper hand here.


    Sean twisted his lips and watched her turn around with a victory smile on her face.


    Sally walked out galloping giddily and gave a thumbs up to Melissa and Chloe, who were eagerly waiting for her.


    The two cheered immediately, giving each other high-fives.


    Melissa heaved a sigh of relief. She sprinted toward Sally and held her hands. "Sally, Sally, Sally! Thank you so much!"


    "Oh, don''t mention it. I told you I''ll do it!"


    Sally replied with a sinister smile, too proud of herself. She was so happy she had run into Sean today! She imagined Melissa becoming her aunt and that almost gave her shivers!


    "Anyway, I have something else to do now! Melissa, Chloe, I''m leaving. See you!" Sally said.


    As she spoke, she grabbed her clothes and left the room, paying no thought to actually change back into them.


    She was afraid that Sean would chicken out and run away.


    Anxiously, she walked out, wondering if he had left. Finally, she spotted him waiting for her in the car and her heart eased up. She said goodbye to Race and asked him to drive back home.


    When Race saw it was Sean''s car she was heading toward, he was relieved. He flashed a smile at her and left.


    Sally got in and fastened the seat belt. She looked at him and smiled with her perfect lips. "Let''s go to the West River Bridge to see the night view! What do you think?"


    Sean glanced at her, almost rolling his eyes. He started the car and drove. He couldn''t wait to get it over with.

 Chapter 1061 Can You Accept It

    It had been several years since Sean last stood on the West River Bridge.


    It didn''t take him much to realize the place had become a spot for people to go to on their dates.


    On the bridge, on the river banks, and even on the boats, there were couples everywhere.


    However, these weren''t people of just any age. They were mostly high school and middle school kids.


    Suddenly, Sean averted his gaze towards the eighteen-year-old girl clinging onto his arm.


    With a lollipop hanging from her mouth, Sandra looked around with bright eyes. She seemed so excited as if that was the first time that she had ever visited the West River Bridge.


    Sean was about to suggest that they leave, but once he noticed how genuine her delight was, he swallowed the words down his throat.


    At that moment, Sandra pointed to the river and said, "Uncle Sean, let''s get a boat and enjoy this beautiful night! It will be fun!"


    He didn''t even have the chance to respond. She quickly took his hand, leading him down the bridge.


    For a moment, he lowered his head and looked at his thick fingers intertwined with her soft and slender ones.


    Then, he stopped walking.


    "Sally, it''s late. Let''s go back. We shouldn''t even have come here in the first place. It''s not appropriate."


    Sandra stared at him and asked, "Says who? I don''t see it written anywhere that this is a place exclusively for couples. So, why can''t I be here with my uncle?"


    Sean shifted his eyes from her to the couples kissing on the boats.


    The younger generations were getting bolder and bolder.


    Uncomfortable, Sean looked away and said decisively, "We''re leaving now!"


    Letting go of her hand, he strode back to the parking lot.


    He should never have promised her to come to this place.


    "Hey, hey! Uncle Sean! Uncle Sean!"


    Sandra called out in frustration as he distanced himself way too fast. She stamped her foot angrily but eventually followed after him.


    Once they both got inside the car, Sean drove them back to the Seaview Villa.


    Unfortunately for Sandra, their stay on the bridge was very brief, and once they got home, she wasn''t quite ready to leave the vehicle yet. Pulling the hem of her s


    nce had pointed out several times before how Sally felt for Sean. Yet Carla had never listened to him. She had always taken it as a childhood crush, which was destined to fade away with time.


    Only now she was starting to realize that she might have been wrong all this time.


    Terence stood up and took a seat beside her. Then, he put a hand around her waist, bringing her closer to him, and with the other, he poked her in the forehead. "Carla, what if... just hypothetically, what if Sally is really in love with Sean and refuses to marry any other man. What would you do?"


    Carla shook her head without hesitation. "No way!"


    "Let''s just pretend that that is not the case right now. Can you allow it?"


    Terence asked carefully.


    Carla couldn''t stop shaking her head, rejecting the mere thought of it. "What about you? Would you allow it?"


    Terence offered her a helpless smile and answered, "Carla, we both know I am okay with this more than you are.


    Sean might be a little older than Sally, but they''re not blood-related. And our daughter has known this since she was a child. Maybe this could be the reason why she was never able to see him as her uncle."


    They had never hidden from Sally the nature of Carla''s relationship with the Hua family.


    "It doesn''t matter. In my heart, Sean has always been my brother!"


    Carla still found it hard to accept it. If Sally was really in love with Sean, how would Carla ever face him again?

 Chapter 1062 Selina Came To JA City

    "That''s why I had to ask you whether you''d allow it or not."


    Terence gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder, shook his head helplessly, and continued, "Well, just don''t overthink it. They are grown-ups now, and they have their own way of thinking. It would be useless for us to worry about them. Let''s go to bed early tonight, okay?"


    Despite hearing Terence''s words, Carla still felt very worried. She grabbed Terence''s clothes and said, "Honey, we have to come up with a way. We can''t just let Sally keep going down this wrong path. Otherwise, there would be no turning back for her."


    Terence grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms. "Honey, we shouldn''t get involved in the affairs of our children. It wouldn''t be appropriate for us to intervene too much, especially when it comes to love. Besides, if there is a way to stop her from loving him, then that just means that she doesn''t actually love him.


    I''ve already tried many times to persuade Sally to go for someone else, but there was no talking her out of it," he said.


    Carla loosened her grip on Terence and pressed her head against his chest. "What should we do now?"


    "Honey, don''t worry. She won''t know what she really wants until she gets hurt. Getting hurt is an essential part of growing up.


    If everything always goes smoothly, then she might fail to see how she really feels, and no matter who she chooses in the end, we, as parents, should try our best to accept the result." Terence comforted Carla in a soft voice while holding her shoulders.


    If the relationship went too smoothly, it would not be able to stand the trials of time.


    And only when you have experienced both love and hatred can you know what you really want in your heart.


    "But..." Carla trailed off.


    "Carla, let''s just talk about this later." Terence stopped Carla from bothering herself too much with this matter. He patted her on the shoulder once more and went to bed.


    Carla was quickly distracted by him. He was really good at re


    years.


    "Yes, but he didn''t even want me to tell you, let alone come and see you. So I''m calling you in secret!


    Mother, Grandpa died yesterday, so Father had to come back..."


    Selina broke the news to Carla even though her father had no intention of letting Carla know about it.


    It was such important news, and Selina didn''t think that they should hide it from her mother!


    After a short pause, Carla asked, "Selina, your grandpa passed away?"


    "Yes, Father is so sad. He didn''t even sleep last night. He just hurried back here. He left for the hospital earlier and left me here at the hotel,"


    Selina said, not sounding as joyful as she did minutes ago.


    Even though she seldom saw her grandpa, and didn''t really have an intimate grandfather-granddaughter relationship with him, she was still sad to see her father grieving.


    "Mother, could you please come to me? I miss you and Sally. I want to see you both so much!"


    Selina pleaded in a pitiful voice.


    Whenever Carla was not in Yu Sea City, Selina could only look at her mother''s photos and call her whenever she missed her. But now, the situation was different. They were in the same city which was new and exciting for the young girl!


    Carla answered without hesitation. "Okay, wait for me. I''m coming to you. Just let me know the name of the hotel."

 Chapter 1063 I Wont Regret It In My Life

    When Carla arrived at the hotel, Selina was all alone in the room, and as soon as she saw Carla, she immediately ran over and hugged her while pouting.


    "Mom, I missed you so much!"


    Selina wrapped her arms around Carla''s neck, and with tears falling down her cheeks, she complained, "I want to be with you, too. I want to stay here in JA City with you, and live with you just like Sally. Then I can see you every day!"


    Carla wiped off Selina''s tears and lovingly caressed her black hair. "Selina, I want to be with you, too. But if you come to JA City and live with me, who will keep your father company?" she said guiltily.


    Selina sniffed and her eyes was filled with even more tears. She was lost in thought, thinking about what Carla had just said. Her mother was right. Who would be with her father if she left? She absolutely didn''t want her father to be all alone.


    "Stop crying, honey. Your eyes are already puffy. That''s not good for you. Come on, I brought you a lot of delicious food..." Carla gently wiped the tears on Selina''s face again and took her hand as she led her to the living room.


    She stayed with Selina in the hotel for a while. Then, she called Sally and asked her to come over to keep Selina company.


    Carla didn''t feel good about leaving Selina all alone in the hotel, considering that she was only eight years old. And since Selina and Sally got along so well, Carla thought it might be good to ask Sally to take care of Selina.


    Besides, Steven was probably too busy dealing with his father''s funeral, so he wouldn''t have time to take care of the little girl for the meantime.


    Carla was always more than willing to help her friends, and since Selina was like a daughter to her, Carla naturally felt responsible for taking care of her.


    Two days later


    Under a willow tree, at a distance from a solemn funeral, Carla stood quietly while holding a black umbrella in her hand. She looked at the people standing in front of the tombstone. Not a lot of people came to the funeral after what happened to the Su family, and Steven wanted to keep it low-key. Steven was kneeling, his head angled towards the ground.


    Victor, who was right next to Steven, was also kneeling on the ground. Gary''s secretary was there with them too, and among the three of them, Victor cried the loudest.


    Secretary Liu lowered his head and sobbed without making a sound.


    The other people just stood there, watching the three of them in silence. None of them seemed as heartbroken


    "Callie!"


    Carla stopped, but she didn''t turn around.


    "I will never regret it in my life,"


    Steven said in a hoarse voice from behind her.


    His only regret was that he failed to give his father what he owed him. He did not regret anything he did for Carla.


    He didn''t regret meeting her. He didn''t regret settling down in Yu Sea City. He didn''t regret dedicating his life to her.


    Life was meant to be full of ups and downs, and only a few people could actually get the chance to do what they wanted.


    He felt lucky enough that he got the chance to do what he wanted, and was able to follow his heart.


    Maybe in other people''s eyes, he was destined to be alone in life. Maybe they thought he was stupid, and that it wasn''t worth it.


    But in his heart it was always as clear as a crystal ball. He didn''t care what other people thought of him. He knew exactly what he wanted, and he never let the opinions of other people affect or change his decision.


    Just like his father.


    He had come a long way. He was able to be true to himself every single day.


    It was Callie who gave him freedom and space.


    If he hadn''t moved to Yu Sea City, and stayed in JA City to run his father''s business instead, he had no idea what kind of person he would have become. He might have become one of those businessmen who put money before everything.


    Other people only saw Carla''s coldness and his blind love for her.


    But none of them knew how grateful he was for Carla. None of them knew what Carla had done for him.


    Carla didn''t say anything more. She kept walking.


    She had to go back early. She promised the kids that she would cook dinner for them.

 Chapter 1064 Be Kind To Selina

    Night time


    at the Seaview Villa.


    "Adonis, I''m not saying that you''re behaving like a child, but don''t you understand that you''re older than Selina? You need to protect and take care of her. Why are you bullying her? Aren''t you ashamed of yourself? Look at your arrogant face. Where is your dignity, Adonis?"


    Sally glared at Adonis. He was a reckless guy who didn''t know to be kind to Selina.


    "Are you kidding me? How dare you say that I''m bullying her? She doesn''t like to play with your things but is always taking advantage of me. Don''t you know that I hate it when people touch my stuff?"


    Adonis grunted and scowled at Selina who was making a face at him.


    Selina had always been a rebellious kid. No one in Wang Village dared to upset her. She wouldn''t listen to anyone but Steven. Besides, she was an innocent and lively girl at her age, which, to put it bluntly, was a little naughty and mischievous.


    "Why can''t you be nice to her? You are older than her. Older brothers should always take care of the younger ones. Moreover, you are a guy. You need to be kind and respectful to women and girls. Have you forgotten our family morals and etiquette?"


    Sally, being the protective sister that she was, rebuked him for being rude.


    She often went to Yu Sea City. She would always play with Selina whenever she went there. She had developed a special liking for Selina ever since she got to know that she was Steven''s adopted daughter. She also knew that Selina was from a poor family, so she always took care of her.


    "What are you trying to say, Sally? Do you have any idea about gender equality? She can''t get away with everything just because she is a girl. Right, I understand now. You''ve been in Yu Sea City for too long that you''ve forgotten everything about equality. Well, that makes sense. You are going to be the matriarch when you grow up, so you think that it''s ok for you to suppress men," Adonis retorted.


    "You..." Sally trailed off. She didn''t know how to respond.


    Adonis had great argumentative skills. It was almost impossible to defeat the logic and reasoning behind his arguments. Sally was left with no choice but to physically beat him up for not listening to her.


    But Adonis was fast. He quickly jumped off the sofa and sped off. He knocked Selina''s head on the way, which made her angry.


    Both Sally and Selina sprang up to their feet and began to chase Adonis.


    Carla peeked out of the kitchen to see what her kids were up to. She couldn''t help but smile when she saw them jumping up and down and running around.


    Carla heard the sound of a car from outside. She quickly wiped her hands


    Carla drew the curtains back and went to bed.


    Terence closed his laptop and placed it on the bedside table. He shifted on the bed comfortably and wrapped his arm around Carla''s shoulders.


    "Terence, where did you say Sean was going?" Carla asked, cocking her head to the side.


    She leaned on his chest and closed her eyes. Her heart was drumming in her chest. Carla became anxious every time Sean went on a mission. She would sometimes have nightmares and wake up in the middle of the night.


    "Somewhere in the frontier juncture. I don''t know what kind of mission he is on," Terence answered, stroking her back. "Don''t worry. Sean is experienced. He knows how to deal with the enemy."


    Carla nestled her head against the crook of his neck and inhaled his scent. She finally opened her eyes and looked up at him. "Terence, were you also a part of dangerous missions like these when you were in the army?"


    Terence became silent as his mind whirled with the thoughts of the past. He blew out a loud breath and said, "Well, yes. My grandfather was an expert in gunfights. How would he allow his grandson to hold a nominal position in the army? So I had to go through intensive training.


    I wasn''t given a chance to rest. My training was so intense that I would get hurt badly. It was what helped me to face the opponent without fear. We had to face life or death situations. I had to be strong enough to defeat the enemy. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have been able to leave the battlefield alive."


    A shiver ran through Carla''s spine. She was speechless.


    She remembered her being overprotective of Sean. Was she holding him back from the chance to grow and mature? But she couldn''t afford to lose him.


    ''Sean, you must come back safe, '' Carla thought.

 Chapter 1065 Midnight Nightmare

    In no time, half a month was over.


    The dark and horrible forest was blanketed in an eerie silence. One could smell the strong smell of stale blood everywhere. For any person new to this environment, it would be a living hell. However since they were used to this strange atmosphere, they managed not to throw up or get sick.


    There on a withered tree slid a grayish black snake blending itself in its surroundings. It was quite thick, almost the size of a full-grown man''s wrist. Very slowly it slithered down to eat the rotten flesh on the ground.


    The soldier who was resting against the tree was startled by the rustling among the leaves. As he had been in that forest for a fairly long time and he could sense the slightest of sounds.


    Very slowly, he held his wounded shank and curled away from the snake. As the snake gradually crawled towards him, he shuddered and tried to move away.


    But no matter how careful he was, the soldier was no match for the snake''s agility in the darkness of the night.


    Then suddenly the snake rushed down from the tree in full speed. The smell of raw blood made it excited and hungry. It stuck its tongue out and jumped on the soldier with full might.


    The hissing of the snake resounded in the whole forest and slashed through the dead silence.


    Afraid of letting out a scream, the soldier bit his wrist and tried his best not to draw the attention of his companions.


    As he closed his eyes waiting for his demise, a man came out of nowhere and wielded a dagger in front of him and fiercely stabbed the snake to death.


    "Are you alright?"


    the man asked in a low voice while helping him up. After decapitating the snake, he walked over slowly.


    "I''m fine. Thank you!"


    The soldier collapsed against the trunk, heaving a sigh of relief. He clumsily reached his pocket and took out an envelope wrapped in plastic. "One Zero, Could you... Could you please hand this letter to my beloved wife when the mission is over?"


    "Why don''t you give it to her yourself when you get home to her?"


    The man whose code name was One Zero refused to accept this responsibility. He took out a bandage from his bag and wrapped it around the soldier''s injured leg.


    "I am not sure if I will be able to get through this. Besides, I''m afraid my leg won''t be able to function normally even if I survive. We have just been married for less than a year. I don''t want to go back and be a burden to her."


    ents would worry when she didn''t come home in the evenings. She always told them that she was sleeping over at Chloe''s house.


    She yawned sleepily and took a quick look at the camera placed near the window, then she went back to bed.


    She held tightly to her chest the doll that Sean had given her and dozed off to sleep.


    Although Sean never explained what he was doing, she always knew that he was on a mission and he would be unreachable for a while.


    She was always concerned about his safety.


    She found it almost irresistible to love him.


    Although she knew that she was being stupid, she couldn''t let go of the feelings that she had for him.


    She slept soundly for about an hour.


    When she woke up, she got up to go to the bathroom. Before going back to bed, she looked at the camera again, thinking that her Uncle Sean might have come back in the middle of night as he often did.


    She felt that something was wrong as she was about to go back to bed. So she checked the camera again.


    Just then, she saw a car rushing past the military gate at an insane speed.


    Something was wrong.


    It was three o''clock in the morning and the guards were supposed to be taking a rest at this hour.


    However, the car blazed past the gate. It did not stop and even sped up going into the military compound.


    What the hell was happening? The guards were probably informed beforehand, so they had lifted the railing in advance to let the car through without any hassle.


    Sandra couldn''t go back to sleep after this. She took out her binoculars and looked through the lenses to try to find out what was going on.

 Chapter 1066 Sean Was Injured

    Sally fidgeted with the telescope in her hand before deciding to focus on it again.


    Not long after, she observed that a particular car came out shortly right after it rushed in.


    Her heart skipped a beat the moment she recognized that it was none other than her Uncle Sean''s car. But what made her feel odd about this was when the road lights illuminated the driver''s seat, she came to notice that the driver was not Sean, but it was Carl.


    Her body froze as her mind suddenly fell into a daze. She was confused.


    She couldn''t help wondering why they came back in such a hurry in the middle of the night and only to leave that quickly.


    Sally scratched her head, seemingly fighting the impatience and slight frustration lurking inside her mind. Lowering her body a little, she decided to continue looking through the binoculars for a few more minutes. But nothing else happened.


    Putting the binoculars away, she rested her chin in her palm. She was contemplating and trying to figure out some answers for all the ''whys'' running in her head now. Tired of thinking that much, she casually took her cell phone and dialed Sean''s number directly.


    However, his phone was switched off.


    ''Maybe, Uncle Sean hasn''t come back, and Carl was here to deal with something, '' she thought, consoling herself.


    Sally stood motionless, gazing outside the windows with unease, making her stomach churn.


    Her instincts kept telling her that something was wrong.


    Sally briefly closed her eyes, still pondering that Carl was Sean''s full-time driver. And coming back in the middle of the night in such haste was not considered necessary unless there were some pressing matters.


    After racking her brains, Sally found it hard to fall asleep. She then decided to go and find Carl. But her hope suddenly went into a nosedive the moment she realized that she didn''t know where to search for him.


    At the crack of dawn, Sally was already up.


    She reached for her phone and promptly gave her mother a call.


    "Hello, Mom, is Uncle Sean back?"


    Sally asked as she stared hard at her free hand. She sounded hopeful and expectant at the same time. She knew her Uncle Sean very well. He never failed to contact her mother as soon as he got back from his missions.


    "Where did you go last night? Can''t you stop going out at night?" Carla scolded her daughter. She had been so worried about her since she discovered that she did not come in the previous night.


    "I''ll explain it to you later! Has Uncle Sean returned?"


    Sally inquired anxious


    f the hallway, he recognized the two superiors walking over to visit Sean. Clearing his throat, he quickly excused himself from their conversation and proceeded to receive them.


    Sean had managed to capture all the drug dealers but had to risk his life. Among them, three were dead, and one was caught alive. He had completed the mission very successfully.


    If Sean survived this critical condition, he would surely get a promotion.


    Meanwhile, Sally still couldn''t accept the fact that she had lost sight of Jay that easily.


    And now, she was sulking as she ran out of patience. Unable to think clearly, she swiftly pulled over.


    And to unleash her anger, she furiously slammed her hands on the steering wheel. She presumed that Jay must have noticed her and deliberately tried to lose her.


    For a moment, she tightly shut her eyes as her mind started racing. Then suddenly, she realized something out of her reflective and logical deductions, ''I am smart enough to have figured out that Sean had come back.


    But I have no idea why he didn''t attempt to contact us, which he usually did.


    One plausible reason is that he is injured...''


    Sally stopped her musing when the word ''injured'' popped up in her mind. In panic, her eyes grew wide, and her face turned pale.


    Thinking further that her mother always got worried that he would get hurt, so he purposely didn''t tell them about it.


    "It must be so!


    If that is the case, I know where to find him!" she blurted out.


    Sandra hurriedly restarted the engine. There were only a few military hospitals in JA City, and she would search them one by one, even if she had to turn them upside down just to find her Uncle Sean.

 Chapter 1067 Dont Kiss Me!

    Sally moved from one place to another to look for Sean. She had searched several hospitals but found nothing. Sean had kept his identity as a patient, a secret.


    Feeling disheartened from the lack of results, she was about to give up when a familiar car drove out from the hospital she had just left.


    ''I have to quit moping around. I can still find them!'' Sally cheered.


    ''Isn''t that car similar to the one I lost just earlier?'' She wondered to herself.


    Sally''s gloomy eyes suddenly lit up. She turned around and looked at the hospital.


    At that point, she shook her head in exasperation. How could she be so silly? She had just come out of this hospital. Maybe she was feeling too restless. The more anxious she was, the more she forgot the most important thing.


    In the quiet ninth floor of the inpatient department, a beautiful young woman was lurking in the hallway.


    After a quick glance at the two wards, Sally finally saw Room 9009. Just then, the door opened and a few people came out.


    "Yes, yes. I will take good care of the colonel. Please rest assured!


    Commander, let me help you with the elevator. Take care on along the way," a young man said.


    Sally took advantage of the moment when Carl was seeing off the commander. She tiptoed towards the ward without making any noise, carefully opened the door and sneaked in.


    "Uncle? Uncle?"


    She called in a low voice.


    When she saw Sean lying on the bed with a pale face, her heart stopped.


    She could see that Sean suffered injuries as he had to be confined in a hospital.


    But she didn''t expect him to be seriously injured!


    She didn''t know how she managed to get into the room. She had thought he would only be lightly wounded.


    However, the man lying in front of her was unconscious and had tubes in his body. Was it really Uncle Sean?


    "Uncle? Uncle Sean! What happened to you?"


    Sally walked to the bed with tears in her eyes. She couldn''t help but shake Sean while sobbing uncontrollably. She called his name repeatedly, "Uncle Sean! Who did this to you?


    Say something! Answer me!


    -- Are you going to die?"


    Thinking of this, Sally turned pale. She knelt down beside his bed and grabbed hold of his hand. Desperately, she pleaded to him while crying. "Uncle, you can''t die! You can''t die! What should I do if yo


    . It hurts, so naturally, my heart will beat faster because of the pain."


    "Oh, okay. That''s sounds reasonable enough!"


    Doctor Cheng said with a smile. He then asked a nurse to bring some bandage and to bind up the wound.


    "There was a beautiful girl who came to me earlier and asked about you. She looks familiar, as if we have met before. I can''t remember who she was for a moment."


    After cutting his bandage, Doctor Cheng said casually, "But she looked so nervous. Is she your girlfriend?"


    "No, it''s not like that..." Sean tried to explain.


    "If she is indeed your girlfriend, so what? Nowadays, it''s quite normal to have a younger woman as a partner. Am I right, Carl?"


    While Doctor Cheng was wrapping his wound, he glanced at Carl who was standing beside him and asked with a smile.


    Hearing his words, Carl rubbed his head and cleared his throat. Dumbfounded, he blushed and didn''t say anything.


    Carl knew that Sean was Sally''s uncle, but he also knew that he was not her biological uncle.


    After all, everyone knew that Carla was the daughter of the Hua family, so the Colonel couldn''t be Sally''s biological uncle.


    Knowing her special relationship with Sean, Carl felt a little strange when he looked back and saw how Sally was clingy to the colonel and how nervous she was when he was hurt. He felt that there was something special about their relationship.


    The room was suddenly filled with silence. It was a very awkward moment.


    All of a sudden, Sally who was carrying two boxes in her hands walked in.

 Chapter 1068 Let Me Take Care Of You

    "Colonel, I brought you some porridge. Would you like to have it now?"


    Sally walked in with a bowl in her hands. When she saw Dr. Cheng in the room, she hurried to ask, "Dr. Cheng, how is he doing?"


    After properly bandaging Sean''s wound, Dr. Cheng looked up and smiled. "Not bad. However, the first week is still critical and requires a lot of attention. You must take good care of him. If he rests well during this time, he will be fine."


    "Got it! Dr. Cheng, thank you so much! Please, take some of these snacks with you. They''re delicious."


    Sally had a broad smile on her lips as she handed Dr. Cheng one of the boxes she had brought with her.


    Nodding, he accepted it. "Well, thank you. But don''t let him eat those. He can only have porridge."


    Dr. Cheng laughed, but Sally knew he was serious.


    Carl glanced at Sean lying on the bed and, with a sigh, he bowed respectfully before following Dr. Cheng out.


    "Uncle Sean, you must be hungry. It''s been a while since you last ate. Come on, have some porridge."


    Only the two of them had remained in the room when Sally took a seat by his side and stirred the bowl. She blew on the spoon and started to bring it to his mouth, but, struggling, he raised his hand to stop her.


    "Sally, go away. Don''t you have school or something today?"


    Sean asked in a husky voice. He wasn''t used to being pampered.


    "Don''t worry. I don''t have any classes in the next two days. Now, open your mouth," Sally said, bringing the spoon to his lips again.


    "Give it to me. I''ll eat it on my own,"


    Sean demanded as he tried to sit up.


    "Don''t move. Your chest has been injured. If you keep lifting your arm, the wound won''t heal. Just let me help you!"


    Sally pleaded, reaching out to his arm and pushing it back to the bed.


    Sean frowned but bitterly allowed her to drive the spoon into his mouth. "You don''t have to take care of me. Carl is just outside. He''ll do it, and you can leave."


    "No way!"


    Sally refused to go. Instead, she took another spoonful of porridge and blew on it, bringing it to his lips one more time.


    He was too weak to intimidate her, so she stamped her foot and challenged him. For once, there would be nothing he could d


    forehead pressed against the back of his hand and felt her warm tears on his skin.


    "Why are you crying?" he asked. The last thing he wanted was to see her in pain.


    Sally sniffled, asking, "How much pain have you endured? My heart aches when I see these wounds."


    Drawing back his hand, Sean wiped the tears off her face. "I''m a soldier. I''ll do whatever it takes to complete a mission, even if it costs me my own life. None of these injuries matter."


    Sally held his hand and shook her head.


    More tears streamed down her pretty face. She found it hard to accept his explanation.


    "But they matter to me! I don''t want you hurt, let alone dead! I want you safe and sound by my side. Even if all I can do for the rest of my life is just look at you,"


    She blurted out, resting her head on his good shoulder.


    Sally was willing to sacrifice anything so he could live a safe and happy life.


    But now that he was badly hurt, she couldn''t bear to leave him alone.


    Sean caressed her hair and whispered softly, "Don''t cry. It was just an accident. It won''t happen again."


    In his last mission, Sean was faced with a critical situation. The drug dealers were well-equipped with their finest weapons, and they also had their own private army across the border. In order to stop them from escaping, Sean had to take the risk and come face to face with the two gang leaders to kill them.


    For a soldier, completing a task would always come before his own life.

 Chapter 1069 Awkward Incident

    Only then did Sally slowly raise her head as tears welled up in her eyes. Holding his hand firmly as if she didn''t want to let go of it, she said with a frown, "You always break your promise. How many times have you told that to Mom and me since I was a child?"


    She knew his words were just to comfort her and her mother. If caught under the same circumstances, he would still do everything to complete his mission!


    Sean wore a bitter smile, which was more evident in his eyes, "Sally, Cody is a good boy. He likes you, and his family background is perfect for the An family. You will be happy with him..."


    "So what? Should I marry him, Uncle Sean? Won''t you be sad if I do?"


    Sandra peered at him with wide and teary eyes


    "Of course, I''ll be a little sad at first, to see you get married. Through the years, I have watched you grow into a beautiful lady, and I''ll be reluctant to see you leave us." Sean sighed, grinning at her.


    "Is that all? Uncle Sean, do you honestly think that I can''t tell that you have special feelings for me?"


    Sally challenged, looking at him squarely and defiantly. Although he always seemed heartless and uncaring towards her, she knew that deep in his heart, he had spared a spot for her.


    "Sally, I''m tired,"


    Sean whispered and withdrew his hand as he closed his eyes slowly. He looked tired and weak.


    Sally bit her lower lip and stopped talking. She sat there for a moment, tenderly gazing at his face, and couldn''t help feeling heartbroken. Slowly she stood up, reluctantly leaving him to let him rest.


    As the days and nights passed, Sean gradually recuperated.


    In no time, he looked a whole lot better, having recovered well.


    "Uncle Sean, good morning,"


    Sally greeted with a beaming smile as she entered the room with a large bag in her hand. Seeing that he was awake, she hastily put down the bag and hurriedly went to the bathroom to get him a clean wet towel.


    "Here, wipe your face,"


    She offered, handing him the towel then casually took the packed breakfast out of the bag. She felt happy that this time, he could eat something other than soft food. Not knowing what he wanted to eat today, she bought several kinds of dishes.


    "Sally, I feel better now. You don''t have to come here every day," Sean said while clasping the towel in his hand.


    "You just got out of the critical stage. Of course, I must take good care of you!" Sandra dismissed her uncle. She then carefully placed the small table near the bed and started laying out all the breakfast boxes she had grabbed on her way to the hospital.


    Sean could only shake his head in resignation and help himself up.


    Sandra gave him a faint smile as she took t


    serted it into the player without another thought. Then, in one sweeping motion, she gathered the rest of the DVDs that made her blush before standing up and glancing back at him. Feeling satisfied, she immediately and quietly headed out with her phone in her ears.


    "Mom, I''m fine. I''ll be home tomorrow..."


    she pleaded softly. Her mother was merely being concerned about her.


    Soon after, Sally hung up the phone with a small smile on her lips. Lowering her gaze, she peeked at the things in her arms, and without another word, she went downstairs in haste to throw them out. Then she found herself returning to the ward.


    She entered the ward with a smile.


    But that smile ended up rather stiff when she felt that the atmosphere had become a little weird.


    She heard groans.


    Subconsciously, her eyes landed on Sean, who was sitting on the bed. He looked very embarrassed, his face turning red. His lips were pressed together tightly. He was obviously upset.


    Sean clenched his jaw, hating that the remote control wasn''t in his hand and that he was not carrying his gun with him. Otherwise, he would have destroyed the TV with it, outright.


    "What... What''s going on?"


    Sandra stammered, still not knowing what was happening. When she turned to look at the TV, a gasp escaped from her lips as her eyes widened in shock.


    ''What?'' she thought she had thrown out all movies like that.


    In the movie, two naked people were entangled in a sweaty position and having sex.


    With her hands cold and clammy, she hurriedly pressed the button to stop playing the video and ejected the DVD. She almost jumped when she heard a cold voice behind her.


    "Sally, how old are you? How dare you watch these things!"


    Sean knitted his eyebrows. His face contorted in utter disappointment!

 Chapter 1070 You Scared Me, So How Can You Compensate Me

    She was only eighteen years old, and even though she had almost completely grown up, it was still too early for her to come into contact with these things!


    "I... I didn''t..."


    With the DVD in her hand, Sally stood there innocently and explained, "I asked my classmate to help me find DVDs like this. I didn''t know what''s in them!"


    She walked over to her uncle to apologize.


    "Uncle Sean, don''t be angry. I''ll destroy it right away, in front of you!"


    As Sally spoke, she broke the DVD into two. As it turned out, she had only been looking at one side of the DVDs all that time. She had no idea that the cover was even more indecent!


    Damn it! Harry was not reliable at all!


    She thought that since Sean was a man, he would enjoy watching such kind of the videos just like other men. So she borrowed a few from her male classmate, Harry. She had no idea that it would be like this!


    She was fuming at her classmate. She tore the CD apart and threw it into the trashcan. Then, she stole a glance at Sean.


    Only then did she see that his ears and cheeks had flushed red. He looked somewhat cute.


    At that moment, the atmosphere around them got too weird. Perhaps it was because the shock that Sean got from the adult movie still lingered, and there was embarrassment and ambiguity in the air.


    "Don''t be angry anymore. Let me get you a glass of cold water to cool down," Sally said. She walked up to him, took his hand, and shook it gently.


    Sean was in the military camp for more than 10 years. He was energetic and seldom came into contact with these things. On top of that, he also rarely had any contact with women. How could he not react like that after being exposed to such a stimulating scene?


    Sean looked at her pink lips, which were as thin as two rose petals. When he got closer to her, he smelled the faint fragrance of a virgin. After a moment, he came to his senses and broke free from her grasp.


    "You should go home. I''m feeling better now. I don''t need you to stay all night."


    Holding on to the wall, he could walk a little. Besides, there were also nurses around.


    However, Sally didn''t take it seriously. She wrapped her arms around his neck, put her head on his shoulder, and said, "See? You are angry!


    I swe


    sh that had escaped. It won''t happen again..." he comforted her.


    Upon hearing his words, Sally couldn''t hold her feelings in any longer. She threw herself back into his arms and sobbed.


    "I was so scared to death!" she said.


    Sean put her hand on his back and patted her smooth hair gently with his fingertips. "It''s alright. It''s alright now."


    Sally hugged him even tighter. Then she sniffed and said in an aggrieved tone, "You scared me, so you have to compensate me!"


    After saying that, she suddenly felt something strange.


    Sean couldn''t help but cough at that. "How can I make it up to you?" he said in a low voice.


    "I don''t want to sleep alone tonight. I have to stay in your bed." As Sally spoke, she moved a little closer to him.


    Even though the bed was a little small, they could still sleep beside each other.


    "Sally, there is a difference between a man and a woman," Sean said, trying to discourage her.


    "Why didn''t you say that when you kissed me?" Sally retorted.


    Sean was rendered speechless by her words. He took a deep breath and felt his ears get hot. He had already lost his mind just now. If he slept on the same bed with her, even if he was seriously injured, he couldn''t guarantee that he would be able to behave himself.


    "Sally, you should behave yourself and remain a reserved woman. Besides, I don''t like women who cling to me."


    He had no choice but to turn his face away and treat her coldly.


    He knew that nothing else could change her mind.

 Chapter 1071 Sally Left, But Carla Came!

    Upon hearing this, Sally pouted and pointed at the sofa near the bed. "Then, I''ll just sleep on the sofa. Is that okay?"


    Sean gave her a slight nod.


    It was getting quite late.


    On the bed, and on the sofa, the two were lying on their backs. The full moon outside cast its light into the room through the thin curtains. The night was peaceful and quiet, but it was also a bit depressing.


    After a while, Sean heard the sound of an even and dense breathing coming from the sofa.


    Only then did a faint creak come from the bed as Sean slowly stood up and walked to the sofa. There was only a short distance between them, so it wasn''t too difficult for Sean to reach the sofa despite his weak state.


    He pulled the quilt upward to cover Sally''s exposed shoulders and tucked the corner of the quilt in for her. He looked at her sleeping face which seemed to emit a peaceful radiance. Her petite and straight nose moved slightly as she breathed in and out, looking just as lovely as when she was a child.


    He didn''t know how long he spent just staring at her, and it wasn''t until she turned over and faced him that he realized what he had been doing and stood up.


    He went back to the bed, but he was no longer sleepy. He tried to avoid looking at her, but he found himself staring at her as she slept, over and over again.


    Although he had deliberately avoided her over the past few years, it seemed as if the wall he had built between them came crashing down at after being together and getting along for just a few days.


    Everything had gotten off track.


    Finally, Sean closed his eyes and drifted off to asleep.


    The next day.


    As usual, Sally got up early and went out to buy breakfast. When she came back, she heard someone talking in the ward.


    "Sean, this is the tremella and glutinous rice porridge I made myself. I cooked it for a long time. And this is the salty and crisp cake that I also made for you. Give it a try,"


    the woman said softly as she walked over to Sean with the porridge.


    "Jane, thank you."


    Sean took the porridge and thanked her with a smile. As soon as he raised his head, he saw Sally walking in with food in her hand. He paused for a while and said, "Sally, look who''s here."


    Sally came in and put the box on t


    Sally would be there.


    As her father, he knew better than anyone else that Sally wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to spend more time with Sean.


    "Sean! Where are you?" Carla shouted.


    Sean, who was quietly eating porridge in the ward, heard the screaming voice and thought, ''Damn it!''


    Then, despite the fact that Jane was still feeding him, he tilted his head and closed his eyes, pretending to pass out.


    "Sean!"


    Jane was dumbfounded. How could he pass out so easily?


    Sean''s heart filled up with frustration. Ever since he joined the army, he kept Sally and Carla in the dark every time he got injured. They were like his nemesis.


    Once, when he got nothing more than a bruise, he already had to face his sister''s anger. If she found out that this time, that it was a direct shot in the chest, would she still be fine?


    It was not easy to get rid of Sally, and now Carla had come as well. One wanted his heart, while the other wanted his life!


    "Sean!"


    Carla trotted over to the ward and the door flew open. She didn''t get the news until this morning. Apparently, Sean had been back for a while, but he had been hiding in this hospital!


    How dare he!


    It was not even a big deal that he had injuries all over his body, but how dare he hide it from her? Carla was furious!


    ''Is he planning to die without seeing me for the last time?


    Damn it! Was he really brought up by me? How dare he use his chest to block the bullet! Silly boy!'' Carla couldn''t control her anger!

 Chapter 1072 An Ordinary Life Is A Blessing

    "Carla, you are here."


    Jane immediately stood up. Her face flushed red in horror as she looked at Sean lying unconscious on the bed. "He was fine just a second ago. I don''t know why he fainted. I... I''d better go find the doctor!"


    Carla stormed in and hovered over the bed without taking her eyes off of her senseless brother. After a moment, she agreed, "Ok, go find the doctor."


    Taking one more look at Sean, Jane walked out anxiously.


    Once she found herself alone with Sean, Carla approached him and crossed her arms.


    With a knowing smile, she said, "Sean, if you don''t wake up by the time I count to three, you''ll retire from the army tomorrow and start looking for a new job!"


    "One, two..." Carla began to count.


    "Don''t do that!"


    Sean suddenly opened his eyes with a frown. But then his lips curved into a bitter smile. "Carla, don''t do that. I know I''ve made a mistake. I''ll even write about it for self-criticism later. You can also say whatever you want..."


    His soldiers would''ve gaped in shock if they had heard him just now.


    For over ten years he had been serving and forging himself to speak, think and act like he was made of steel. But in front of Carla, he had reserved for her his soft side.


    At that moment, Carla stared him down. How could he have easily shifted from a comatose to sobriety if he hasn''t shamelessly tried to deceive her? However, instead of scolding him, she laughed.


    After all, she hadn''t really bought his little act. Terence had already told her that Sean was out of danger and had been fine for a few days. There was no way he would have passed out precisely when he saw her.


    "Are you kidding me? How dare I say a word to the Colonel? You''re a hero whose greatest honor would be to sacrifice your own life for our country. How dare I have a say in this?"


    Carla said through her teeth, tearing his hospital gown open. The moment her eyes hovered over the stitches on his chest, along with the other smaller wounds, she had to force herself to hold back the tears.


    "Carla, don''t. I know I was wrong and I won''t do it again!"


    Noticing her eyes welling up, Sean couldn''t help but feel sorry. As his sister, it was her job to be the voice of reason and recite some gentle and comforting words. But the angrier she got, the more she grieved.


    Because of her, h


    So, she waited. And when she heard that Sean was still unmarried, she secretly hoped she had a chance with him.


    Now, she realized she didn''t. He had become a successful man in his field with a bright future ahead.


    As for her, she was just a girl from the countryside, who, compared to him, never did anything that stood out.


    Yet, perhaps this was advantageous for her. After all, it was acceptable for a woman not to have accomplished as much as a man.


    "Okay, please don''t get mad. I''ll come to see you tomorrow..."


    Jane wasn''t angry. Instead, she looked tenderly at him before turned on her heels.


    Sean watched her receding back and closed his eyes with a sigh. He wondered if he had been too harsh. He knew she had never gotten married because she was waiting for him.


    Suddenly, His phone beeped with several messages coming in all at once.


    Sean reached out to the device and clicked on the first text. It consisted of a series of emojis ranging from bloody knives to sad and crying faces.


    Signature: Your girl.


    Thinking of his calculated indifference towards Sally, Sean felt a little guilty and regretful.


    No matter how much he lost his temper with her, Sally never got angry with him. It seemed that she would always find in her heart, ways to forgive him.


    Sean''s mind had briefly drifted off until he came back to his senses, realizing that he had absentmindedly hit the call button. However, before he could hang up, someone picked up.


    "Hello!"


    A crisp and angry voice sounded on the other end of the line.

 Chapter 1073 It Is Enough That You Know Me

    "Where are you?"


    Sean briefly paused before asking.


    The person on the other end of the line was bent over the table with her shoulders slumped forward, seemingly trying hard to suppress her giggle. Her face radiated warmth and happiness as she couldn''t stop smiling when she heard his voice. But she didn''t want him to know. "I''m having breakfast. I''m not like you. I don''t have anyone preparing breakfast for me. I need to go out myself and get my own food,"


    Sally snorted, while her eyes landed on Cody, who at that moment was approaching her. He held a tray in his hands loaded with breakfast that he bought for her.


    Although her face showed a neutral expression, her heart was actually singing in delight. Her Uncle Sean still thought about her, and what surprised her more was that he initiated the call.


    She then scolded herself for thinking that he was busy dating this woman and had forgotten all about her.


    "Well, you should eat more. You didn''t eat at all, here in the hospital," Sean merely reminded her, feeling a little relieved when he heard her voice. Then he casually said, "Come back and take your things. I''ll ask Carl to pack them up for you."


    Sally had been staying at his ward in the past few days. And now, the closet was full of her things, including her clothes, snacks, electronic devices, and her childhood baby doll. --


    Sean gently shook his head as he counted them in his mind. He almost winced when he recalled that he even asked her to keep the doll in the closet every day. Now, thinking about it, it was not suitable for such a childish object to be in a man''s ward like this.


    Sally''s face immediately turned sour when she heard the last sentence that Sean said. Her mind was screaming the moment she realized that he was only calling because he was annoyed at her stuff.


    Before Sean could say anything more, she suddenly hung up the phone. She didn''t give a damn. And as anger quickly consumed her, she slammed her phone on the table.


    "What''s wrong?"


    Cody thoughtfully asked as soon as he came over, staring at her sullen face. Earlier, when he was halfway to their table, he noticed the sudden change in her facial expression.


    "Nothing. Just a crank call!" Sally lied. She eyed the breakfast porridge in front of her. She didn''t feel like eating anymore. She replayed the recent conversation she had with Sean in her head, and she was groaning inwardly, blaming her uncle for making her lose her appetite altogether


    "Don''t let the call ruin your mood. Here, eat some porridge. You look like you''ve lost a lot of weight lately," Cody urged while busying himself, arranging all her favorite dishes on the table.


    Not in the mood to talk, Sally merely nodded as she took the food from him.


    Cody casually sat opposite her as he already had his breakfast earlier. A worried expression flashed on his face as he silently watched her consume her food. Feeling uneasy, Sal


    d looks.


    "So why didn''t you go to school?"


    Sally probed. She spun around and quickly tapped her face to keep the mask in check before she regarded his face intently. Although his face looked like her father''s, their personalities were very different.


    Unlike his father, Adonis was not a gentleman at all. He was always mean to everyone except his mother.


    She vividly remembered one particular instance. It was at their friend''s birthday party. A girl once missed a step and was about to fall into the swimming pool, she grabbed his arm instinctively to prevent herself from falling.


    Any rational person would try to grab her arms and help her up with no questions asked.


    However, he pushed her hand away and quickly stepped back a few steps, not caring one bit. When the poor girl fell into the pool, many people''s clothes got wet from the splash, except his.


    "You tell me. Father called me and asked me to go to the hospital to visit Uncle Sean."


    With his arms crossed over his chest, Adonis looked at her squarely and suggested, "Don''t you always love to hang out with Uncle Sean? Do you want to go with me and check on him now?"


    Sally was thankful that she was wearing a mask. Otherwise, Adonis could have easily seen her facial expression. "Well, I''ve just taken a shower and haven''t changed clothes. I''ll go another day. You go first. Bye!"


    Sally blurted out as she could feel her heart hammering in her chest. She ran downstairs as fast as she could, not even waiting for the elevator. She just wanted to get Adonis out of her face.


    Adonis was too smart to be fooled. He just stood there unmoving, staring at the door through where her sister went out.


    He saw through his sister as he saw how quickly she ran away.


    Shaking his head, he let out a deep sigh, and felt worried about his sister.


    He couldn''t help mulling it over, ''There are lots of men in the world.


    But how come she only has a crush on our uncle.''

 Chapter 1074 Because Its Broken

    Later on that day, Cody came to pick Sally up.


    Sally didn''t really want to go with him.


    But she let Cody drag her to his waiting car.


    "Cody, are you sure you want me to go there? There''s going to be a swimming pool. The ones going there are mostly senior students. I''m just 18 years old. Aren''t you afraid that someone might take advantage of me there?"


    Sally wrinkled her nose before she reluctantly fastened her seat belt.


    "Are you serious? I''m sorry, did I remember it wrong? This sixteen-year old girl threw a party, invited all the kids around her age and got drunk in the middle of the makeshift dance floor before she declared to everyone how grown up she was already just by getting plastered. You remember that? That was scary. You cut off ten years off my life that night."


    Cody poked her forehead playfully. There was no doubt about how smart and kind Sally was. But when she decided to get crazy, she really pulled out all the stops and got really crazy.


    "Oh, Cody! Stop bringing that up. It''s embarrassing!" Sally hid her face behind her hands. Everyone had a few embarrassing things behind them.


    "Sally, come with me. I just want to show everyone that I have a girlfriend." Cody said seriously as he looked at her with his dark eyes.


    At his serious tone, Sally paused. She was about to take some gum out of his glove box when she heard the silent but lethal undertone in his voice.


    "Cody, I... I..." Sally stammered. She didn''t know how to reply.


    Biting her lips, Sally leaned back on her seat stiffly.


    Cody looked away from her and focused on the road ahead. He pursed his thin lips, his expression cold as ice.


    "Sally, I know you don''t love me now. But it doesn''t matter, because you will be mine sooner or later."


    Cody said confidently.


    Sally choked at his statement and smiled awkwardly, "Why are you saying that? I am only eighteen years old. I don''t think I will be ready to settle down in a couple of years."


    She didn''t know how to respond to his statement so she opted to finish with a nervous giggle.


    Cody had always played the older brother figure in her life. He always protected her from anyone and anything. He took care of her. There weren''t any memories of her laughing out loud or crying her heart out without him beside her.


    ally."


    Just then, Cody came over. He glanced at Oliver before he put his arm around Sally''s shoulders. "Let''s go and have some juice."


    Cody said before he tugged her out of the room.


    Oliver sniffed. Even so, a trace of bright red flowed down his nose.


    It was all his father''s fault! He had fooled him with a military order to catch up with Sally at all costs.


    If he complained that he was too young to be doing such things, his father would take off his shoes and threw them at him. "I''ve been chasing girls since I was thirteen! And you''re saying it''s still early for you?"


    Other fathers worried that their children would fall in love at an early age. His father was a freak. He did not stop him at all and instead he even encouraged him all the time!


    On the other side of the party, Cody strolled out with Sally in his arms.


    His tall body covered most of her sight. He regretted choosing a more conservative swimsuit.


    No, maybe he shouldn''t have dragged her here. He should have cancelled their invitation to this party.


    Sally sat on the poolside for a while. After doing some warm-up stretching, she couldn''t wait to jump into the swimming pool and when she did, she swam freely as if she was already an expert.


    Soon enough, people were distracted by the merriment around. Laughter filled the pool area.


    "Cody, are you free now? Can you come over? I have something to tell you."


    Irene noticed Sally was already in the water, swimming to her heart''s content. She took the chance and asked Cody.

 Chapter 1075 Cody, I Like You

    "What''s the matter?"


    Cody asked Irene, after they had found a quieter spot further away from the noise around the swimming pool.


    "Cody, I like you!"


    Irene summoned up all her courage and blurted out the words, forcing herself to look him in the eyes. Immediately she felt her face starting to heat up and hoped that her face wouldn''t get too red.


    She had wanted to confess her feelings to him for a long time now, but kept postponing it because she just couldn''t find the courage to do so. She knew that Cody was in good terms with the An family. In fact, she had even heard rumors that the An family was likely to give him their daughter''s hand in marriage. She could still remember the heartbreak she had felt, even though it was only hearsay.


    But today.


    she had not only seen, but also tested Sally''s response for herself. If the two of them were really in a relationship, there was no way Sally could be so calm.


    It probably meant that Sally wasn''t really that into him, or possibly not even had feelings for him at all.


    And if that was the case, then didn''t it mean that it wouldn''t be an issue if she tried to pursue Cody?


    Irene''s voice seemed to be a little too loud, attracting the attention of several people near them. They stared at the two of them then looked away quickly, trying not to be nosy but still secretly paying attention to the couple.


    Cody was silent for a moment. He looked over at Sally who was still swimming happily with other boys, oblivious to what was happening. She was totally focused on the game she was playing with the boys.


    "Cody, can''t you see what''s in front of you, now? That girl that you like doesn''t like you back. She doesn''t even care about you! Do you really think she''s worth wasting your time on?"


    Irene looked in Sally''s direction too. It was undeniable that she had a cheerful, optimistic personality that made her attractive to guys and she could also get along well with anyone. But to put it bluntly, she could be a little heartless at times. Or maybe she just didn''t realize how hurtful her behavior was.


    Either way, it was a painful thing to fall in love with such a person.


    "It''s none of your business,"


    Cody told her coolly as he tore his gaze away from Sally.


    "Cody! Listen to me. We only have one short, precious life. I know that you grew up with her, which means that you''ve already wasted so many years on her. Our years on Earth are limited. Do you really want to waste more of your valuable time?"


    Irene stepped forward boldly and wrapped her arms around his waist. "We are young. We should be enjoying our youth to the fullest. Stop holding yourself back and let yourself experience a healthy, passionate relationship instead of pursuing a one-sided love."


    Cody''s dark eyes immediately narrowed when he h


    here''s no way he''ll even flirt with other girls,"


    "It''s true! Why won''t you believe me? Oh, you should see her. Her figure is amazing. That''s why Cody can''t resist the temptation," Sally pouted.


    "Nope. I still don''t buy it..."


    Adonis said without hesitation.


    "You-! Okay, fine. Give me a minute. I''ll send a photo to you. You''ll enjoy the view too, so many of your schoolmates here looking so gorgeous with their fair skin and beautiful swimsuits..."


    As she spoke, Sally started taking a panorama shot, making sure she got Cody and Irene in the photo.


    "Oh come on, you know I don''t care about all that,"


    Adonis scoffed. He opened the photo she sent him and zoomed in to look at the woman seated beside Cody. He gave a laugh of disbelief and asked Sally, "Hey sis, did you leave your brain at home today? Can''t you see the truth? It''s so obvious!"


    "What are you talking about?" she asked back, confused.


    "Cody might not be looking right at you, but you can see his eyes look empty, he''s not really engaged in what that other woman is saying. He''s still paying attention to you from the corner of his eyes. Now take a look at his feet. They''re facing towards you, which indicates the direction that he really wants to go. Deep down, he actually wants to be with you."


    Adonis took a closer look and gave another dry chuckle before continuing his analysis. "Look at their bodies. She''s very close to him, but his body is leaning away from her slightly, trying not to be so close with her. And the woman seems to be facing your direction too, trying to observe your response. Sis, it''s so obvious. They''re just trying to test you!


    Oh and one more thing, that woman''s figure is not attractive at all."


    "¡­¡­"


    Sally was stunned into silence. He could tell all that just from a photo? Since when had her little brother turned into Sherlock Holmes?

 Chapter 1076 Irene Is As Infatuated As Cody

    "Sally, don''t hurt Cody''s feelings. Just go and help him get away from that woman. If Cody wants to be into someone, that''s a good thing as long as it isn''t that woman. He deserves better."


    Adonis deleted the photo and casually added, "And Sally, I saw Oliver in the photo too, so I know he''s also there. He was drooling all over you. So be careful and don''t share any of this with anyone else."


    As her little brother, he believed it was his duty to protect her from other guys'' malicious eyes.


    "¡­¡­"


    Sally was speechless as she wondered, ''What''s with him? How did he find out so many things?''


    With a sigh, she asked, "Adonis, can you at least tell me what''s wrong with Cody''s girlfriend''s figure?"


    Adonis lazily leaned back on the sofa and put his phone on speaker. Then, he took the English textbook and recited, "It takes more than large breasts and a good figure for a woman to be considered attractive. Regardless if it''s men or women, they will pay special attention to the golden ratio of their bodies. While being a little fat is a burden, being a little thin isn''t enough either."


    "Ha ha! You lied! You said you didn''t look at her chest, but you did. I knew guys couldn''t hold themselves back. The first thing they always notice in a woman are her breasts!"


    Sally laughed heartily without realizing that Cody''s features had hardened from where he was.


    ''She seems happy that I''m with another woman.'' Cody thought.


    "Sally, did you know that you look horrible when you laugh like that? Besides, you''re only upsetting Cody now," Adonis reminded her.


    As soon as he mentioned it, Sally''s smile immediately faded away.


    Adonis then continued calmly, "Moreover, it''s widely known that no matter if it''s a man or a woman, the first thing they''ll notice on each other is how they look, and this has nothing to do with your dirty thoughts.


    Ok, I''m hanging up now. I need to study more. See you."


    Immediately, the line went dead.


    "Hello?"


    ''What a prick!'' Sally thought as soon as she realized he had really hung up.


    Since she could remember, she had never won any of their arguments. However,


    lue how to treat a woman.''


    Blood immediately drained from Irene''s face as she turned pale. Still, she managed to force a smile and say, "Okay, I''m going inside now. Thanks for the ride! Be careful on the way home."


    Irene opened the door and got off the car.


    As soon as they were alone, Sally turned to Cody and asked somewhat in shock, "Isn''t she your girlfriend, Cody? Why were you so mean to her?"


    Cody raised an eyebrow and challenged her, "Do you really think that it''s possible?"


    Did she really believe he was such a shallow man?


    "Why not? Irene has a good figure and a pretty face. I also heard that she did well in her studies. I think she''s a good match for you,"


    Sally said with a bright smile after taking another sip of the juice.


    ''Or was it all just pretend?'' Sandra thought.


    Cody frowned for an instant before it finally hit him. All of a sudden, he lifted a finger and flicked her forehead. "Naughty girl. You already knew it but asked anyway?"


    Cody accused her, stepping on the gas.


    Outside her house, Irene stood watching the two who seemed to be flirting in the car before they drove away.


    In this world, Cody wasn''t the only one who suffered from unrequited love. From childhood to adulthood, he had never had eyes for anyone but Sally. Unfortunately, Irene knew the feeling well and had held Cody in her heart for as long as she remembered.


    Yet he couldn''t see it.

 Chapter 1077 Should I Give Up

    Cody drove Sally back to the Seaview Villa.


    Once they arrived, Sally got out of the car and waved at him before walking towards the gate of the villa.


    "Sally!"


    Cody called out after her as he got out as well.


    "I''m sorry for what happened today. Please don''t take it to heart." Cody walked up to her and raised his hand to gently rub her nose.


    "What do you mean? What happened today?"


    Sally blinked her eyes in confusion and asked. She had no idea what Cody was apologizing for.


    "Sally,"


    Cody gritted his teeth and said in a low voice. Did Sally even have feelings?


    "Oh! Are you talking about Irene? It''s fine! No, I won''t take it to heart!" Sally answered while shaking her head after finally getting what Cody was trying to say.


    Cody''s face darkened as he took a deep breath. He could tell from her reaction that she didn''t care at all.


    Disappointed and angry at Sally, Cody simply turned around to get in the car. He slammed on the gas so hard, the engine roared as he drove off.


    Seeing him leave angrily, Sally simply scratched her head, yawned, and walked into the villa.


    However, as soon as she got to her room...


    "Aaaaaah! Adonis, you jerk!


    Are trying to kill me? I almost had a heart attack!" --


    Sally screamed at the sight of a shadow floating in front of the window. It was like something straight out of a horror movie.


    All of a sudden, Adonis, who had been sitting on the chair, turned on the light and looked at her with disdain. "Look at how scared you were. I can''t believe that you actually had the balls to go after our uncle."


    Sally pressed her hand against her chest and leaned against the door. Then, she glanced at him and retorted, "What are you up to? Why are you still awake at midnight? Why did you come to my room?"


    "I wanted to talk to you," Adonis curtly replied.


    "About what?" Sally asked.


    Adonis looked up at her and sighed. There was a hint of helplessness and worry on his handsome face. "Did you know that Mom has been crying in her room ever since she came back today?"


    "Wait, what? What happened?" Sally asked, her voice full of concern.


    "Unlike you, she didn''t know what happened to Uncle Sean during his last mission. She just found out about it today, and it totally broke her heart when she found out that he almost lost his life."


    Adonis looked at Sally with thoughtful eyes.


    Sally sat on the bed and murmured, "I see. What about Dad? Did he say anything to comfort Mom?"


    uncle''s clothes, on the other hand, only occupied a small corner of the closet.


    His clothes were mostly military green. They didn''t go well with her childish clothes and her huge pink doll.


    It was just like the worlds they lived in. They were just too different.


    Her eyes welled up with tears.


    Sally slapped herself in the face, took a deep breath, and continued taking out her things, putting them in her bag.


    While Sally was busy packing up, with tears flooding her eyes, she suddenly heard someone talking loudly outside. She wiped her tears in a hurry, picked up her things, and hid herself in the bathroom.


    There was no way she could let anyone see her crying.


    "You are recovering well. But you were badly injured this time. I advise you to take the rest of the year off and not to go back to the army. If you don''t, you might suffer from serious complications. As for your superiors, I will take responsibility for explaining your situation to them."


    The doctor followed Sean into the ward.


    "Is it that serious? Isn''t three months enough?" Sean said with a frown. He had a lot of unfinished business waiting for him in the army.


    "Three months? That''s hardly enough. You are not made of steel. You need a good rest."


    The doctor smiled and shook his head. "Let''s wait and see. It will take at least a year for you to fully recover.


    Just look at it as a blessing in disguise. Have a good rest. You''ll get promoted soon, so you don''t have to work so hard!"


    What was the point of being a general if he had to do everything himself?


    Without saying another word, Sean turned around, and walked towards the bathroom.

 Chapter 1078 Farewell, Sally

    Sean gently pushed the bathroom door open as he naturally tugged and untied his pants with one hand.


    It was basically a man''s habit, and he was accustomed to it already. He was wearing a hospital gown without a belt, so it was easier for him to take it off.


    Unbeknownst to him, Sally was sitting on the toilet seat, silently holding her luggage. Her eyes were puffy and red. She could only stare blankly at Sean, who was unbuttoning his pants.


    As she caught herself in that awkward situation, her face flushed all the way to her ears!


    The next second, realizing something amiss inside the bathroom, Sean directed his gaze at the toilet seat!


    Stunned, Sean quickly pulled up his pants as he observed the girl squatting on the stool unmoving. And like him, her face also showed a mortified expression.


    "What..."


    Sean almost blurted something out of his impulse but forcibly cut his words off. He swiftly took a peek at Dr. Cheng, who was still lingering inside his ward, before immediately closing the door. Looking at her with a deep frown creasing on his forehead, he whispered, "What are you doing here? When did you come?"


    Sally''s face was still giving off a rosy glow. But she merely sniffed and sobbed, "Just now."


    Scanning her sad face anxiously, Sean no longer cared about the embarrassment he felt. With concern in his voice, he asked, "Why are you crying?"


    "Uncle Sean, I''m leaving now!"


    Dr. Cheng''s loud voice was soon heard from the ward. He hastily called out to Sean as he had to answer an emergency call. The doctor did not even bother to wait for his patient to come out.


    The two froze, and both glanced at the door. Hearing the door click shut, Sean heaved a sigh of relief, knowing that the doctor had left.


    Feeling helpless and disheartened, she kept her head lowered. She didn''t want him to see her face. After a moment, Sally abruptly stood up from the stool and muttered hoarsely, "I''m fine. Sorry I was in here."


    Then she hurriedly walked out without glancing at him.


    With a worried look, Sean watched her retreating back. After he was done changing, he quietly came out. With a complicated expression on his face, he stood by the door and observed her packing her things. When Sally took out her doll from the closet and stuffed it into her bag, Sean inched his way towards her.


    "You haven''t answered me yet. What''s wrong?"


    Sean gently grasped her wrist, stopping her. Sweeping his eyes over her face, he demanded in a tone soft with affection, "Tell me. Did someone bully you?"


    Sean could easily deduce that Sally hadn''t slept all night. She had dark circles around her eyes and she looked quite tired.


    "You did."


    Sally choked, biting her quivering lips. Swallowing hard, she managed to lift her head to look at his eyes squarely as if gauging his reaction without missing a beat.


    Sean unexpectedly blanked out for a moment after hearing her reply. And he didn''t know how to respond no matter how hard he tried to find the right words to say to her.


    Silence ensued between them as they remained mum for a while. Sean''s dark eyes were darting back and forth with his conflicting emotions, unable to bring himself to ask her any more questions. Scanning her eyes, Sean just uttered, "I''m so


    , it was the first time she would formally meet her uncle and aunt, so she should leave a good impression.


    Emerging from her room, she found that Adonis was still waiting for her at the door.


    Wordlessly, she admired her brother. Although he was only seventeen years old, he had shot up to 1.85 meters. He had flawlessly inherited his father''s physical attributes, but her brother was more outstanding in appearance and temperament. And of course, more profound and charming.


    "Sally, Uncle Sean''s fianc¨¦e is the daughter of Officer Lu. They are well-matched, and she also has a good character. Uncle Sean claims that it''s better to marry someone who can understand his career, which is beneficial for both of them," Adonis explained.


    For Sally, it seemed like Uncle Sean didn''t care whether they loved each other or not.


    Adonis quietly peered at her with one hand in his pocket. He wanted to tell her more so that she wouldn''t say anything improper later on.


    Although these were known to all, she was an exception.


    With Adonis''s explanation, she would not raise some inappropriate questions.


    "Why, it''s not Jane?" she wondered.


    Sally had always thought that her Uncle Sean would marry Jane, which the Ji family had also expected.


    Adonis, being starry-eyed, shook his head. And he laughed, full of contempt.


    "The Ji family was afraid that Uncle Sean would forget his origin, so they gave Jane to him. The more they behaved like this, the more disgusted Uncle Sean was.


    Besides, how could Uncle Sean let others lead the way?


    You have been abroad. Maybe you don''t know about it.


    Jane married the Deputy Director-General of Xicheng in JA City two years ago. Our father helped make the match, which kind of satisfied the Ji family."


    Taking in his words, Sally slightly gave him a nod and commented offhandedly, "I see. I have missed a lot during the past three years."


    Adonis suddenly reached out his hand to her like a real gentleman, and with a faint smile in his gentle eyes, he prodded at her, "Let''s go, Sally. Are you ready?"


    He thought that it was time to see whether the wound had healed or not after three years of being away.

 Chapter 1079 Everything Changed Three Years Later

    Sally walked down the stairs while holding Adonis''s hand.


    The people sitting in the living room were drinking tea and chatting, but Sally''s magnetic presence caught their attention.


    The young pair looked very regal as they slowly descended the stairs. They were like a prince and a princess out of a fairy tale.


    Adonis, who looked very elegant and handsome in his clothes, gave a dazzling smile at his family who were waiting downstairs. With a clear voice, he announced, "Dad, Mom, Sally is here."


    Arm in arm with Adonis, Sally came down the stairs. She raised her head slowly and looked at Terence, who was sitting on the couch with an elegant smile. Time did nothing to diminish his charm. On the contrary, his age had made him look mellow and even more attractive.


    Sitting next to him was the woman whom he had loved and cherished through the years. With a smile on her face, Sally''s graceful and gentle mother, Carla was still the same as before.


    Finally, she couldn''t help but turn her gaze to the man sitting across her parents.


    Three years had changed him a lot. He looked a bit older, and there was a subtle hint of weariness in his eyes. It was as if he had gone through many difficulties these past few years. Silently, he just looked at her with a smile.


    It was just one glance.


    All of a sudden, strong emotions welled up in her heart. She was about to rush over, but her hand was pinched painfully.


    Adonis had read her mind, so he pinched her hand to remind her to control herself.


    Three years later, Sean still had the same effect on her. She couldn''t help but feel affected by his gaze.


    Her gaze turned to the woman sitting next to him. At first glance, she looked plain. Her face was not eye-catching, but people would find on a second glance that she had delicate and sweet features. The longer people looked at her, the more they would notice her gentle and charming aura.


    Right now, she was smiling at her and Adonis.


    "Dad, Mom." Sally came over with a polite smile on her lips. She paused for a moment and turned to the pair sitting across her parents, "Uncle Sean, Auntie..."


    The last word seemed to have used up all her strength. It felt as if a thorn pierced through her heart.


    "Come and sit here!" Terence said to his daughter with a gentle smile.


    Sally and Adonis walked over and sat down.


    "Jenny, this is Sally. She has been abroad these past few years, that''s why you haven''t had the chance to meet her until now." Carla explained. She then looked at Sally and said with a smile,


    adually became sparse.


    She remembered that the last time she called him was a month ago.


    "How about you come here another day? He is sleeping now, so don''t disturb him." Irene didn''t intend to let her in.


    Looking at Irene who acted as if she was the mistress of the house, Sally kept silent for a while and asked, "Irene, why are you here in Cody''s house?"


    "Oh, here is the thing. He is my boyfriend now and we have been living together for a while now!" Irene replied without batting an eye.


    Sally''s eyes widened in shock and her face turned pale.


    "Sally, did you think that Cody is still waiting for you?" Looking at her pale face, Irene couldn''t help but sneer, "Do you have any idea what Cody went through in the past three years? He was injured, he was sick, and he was lonely. But where were you at those times?


    It was I, who took care of him. I''ve been with him all those times. I stayed up late with him, took care of him and forced him to eat and take his medicine when he had a stomachache!"


    Irene took a deep breath and said, "I forgot to tell you that I also work in the Qi family business.


    Sally, I know you''re a person who considers other people''s feelings. I hope you could understand that Cody is no longer the man who used to follow you around. What he needs is a woman like me who would stay with him, not someone like you who would only come to him when you need something!"


    She had worked hard for three years. She would never allow all her efforts to come to naught just because Sally came back.


    She wouldn''t allow it.


    Sally stepped back, her face as pale as paper.


    Suddenly, a hoarse voice came from the room, "Irene, who are you talking to?"

 Chapter 1080 Have Lunch With Me

    "Oh, it''s a package!"


    Irene exclaimed. Then, she turned to Sally and said in a low voice, "Sally, please let go of Cody. A rich lady like you can get any man you want. We don''t need to compete, okay?"


    Sally''s face turned pale when she heard what Irene said, but Irene just slammed the door and went back inside.


    It took Sally a long time to come back to her senses. Her heart felt as cold as a snowfall in late December.


    Meanwhile, inside the house, the moment Irene came in, Cody frowned and said, "Why are you here again? I already told you not to come to my house unless there was something urgent, didn''t I?"


    Irene walked into the living room as if she didn''t hear a word he said and proceeded to help him pack his clothes. Then she said, "I was worried about you, so I came here to help you pack your luggage. You''re too careless doing it by yourself."


    "I hired an hourly worker,"


    Cody said indifferently before turning to the wardrobe to get his clothes. Then, he suddenly remembered something and looked at Irene. "Didn''t you say there was a package? Where is the package?" he asked.


    "Err¡­ It turned out that the delivery guy got the wrong address. It wasn''t for us after all, so I sent him away,"


    Irene said in a panic while folding his clothes.


    Luckily for her, Cody didn''t notice her embarrassment. Without another word, he took a set of clothes and went to the bedroom.


    When Cody finished changing his clothes and came out of the room, Irene was still busy packing in the living room. He raised his eyebrows and angrily walked over to her. He grabbed the clothes that she was been folding.


    "Enough, Irene!"


    Despite his tone, Irene didn''t get angry. Instead, she stood up with a smile and said, "Fine, I will let you pack your own clothes. Aren''t you going to work? Since we work in the same company, could you give me a ride this morning?"


    Cody looked at her face, which was always calm and unperturbed. No matter how angry he was, she never seemed to get upset with anything. However, the more she acted that way, the mode disgusted she made him feel.


    "Do you really think that I can''t do anything to you?


    I''ve already told you that I''m not interested in you, yet you always find a way to show up in front of me. Do you think that I will be touched by your actions? Well, I''m telling you now that I won''t. Your actions only make me feel more disgusted."


    With contempt in his eyes, Cody stepped back, took the car key, turned around and left.


    Irene stared after him quietly. Over the past three years, she had gotten used to his indifference. She took her bag and followed him out.


    It was said that it was much easier for girls to pursue men than the other way around. However, Irene and Cody might be an exception.


    "Wait!"


    Irene rushed to the car and stopp


    had asked her out dozens of times before, but unfortunately, he was too young back then, and she never took him seriously.


    However, in Sally''s eyes, he was still very young.


    "Sorry, Oliver, but I''m having lunch with Chloe." Sally smiled at him and took out her cell phone. She had just gotten a message from Chloe saying that her class was over and asking Sally to go to the teaching building in District A.


    "That''s fine. The three of us can have lunch together, right?"


    Oliver stopped her and raised his thick black eyebrows. "I don''t mind."


    "But I do."


    Sally looked at the man in front of her... no, a boy. She was going to see her best friend, and it was supposed to be a girl''s meeting, so it would be awkward to have him with them.


    Oliver frowned. If it were someone else, he would have lost his temper, but he had always been patient with Sally.


    "Come on. You seldom come here, and I don''t get to see you very often. I just want to have lunch with you. You aren''t going to refuse me again and again, are you? How about this? If noon isn''t convenient for you, then how about tonight? Can we have dinner together?"


    He asked patiently.


    Sally couldn''t help but smile. ''He''s so smart. It''s better to invite a girl to dinner than to lunch. After dinner, there are more things for people to do, like watching movies, etc.'' Sally thought to herself.


    "Fine, let''s have lunch together!" She said.


    "Great," said Oliver. He took out his phone and said, "Let me book us a table now. What would you like to eat? Chinese food, Western food, Japanese food, or seafood?"


    Which restaurant should he pick?


    A place with a beautiful scenery or something near the school?


    No, he''d better pick one that was far away from the school. That way, he could spend more time with her.


    It was their first lunch together, and he wanted everything to be perfect.

 Chapter 1081 The Romantic Atmosphere In The School Canteen

    "Thank you all the same, but I''ll eat in the school canteen."


    Sally smiled awkwardly.


    "What?"


    With his hands inside his pockets, he met her gaze in shock. For a second, his masculine and handsome face froze before he took a deep breath and regained his composure.


    ''Damn it! I''ve never taken a girl out to the canteen!


    What about the atmosphere?


    Or the style?'' he asked himself.


    "Okay! I''ll change my clothes. See you in the school canteen later." Oliver hesitated at first even though he had no intention of arguing about it. His father had once told him that girls liked to be spoiled. So if Sally wanted to have lunch in the canteen, then he would do as she wished.


    At noon.


    Sally and Chloe were waiting in line for lunch when suddenly, Sally''s tray was stolen from her hands. She gasped in surprise before realizing what had happened.


    "There''s no need to wait in line. I''ve arranged everything for us. Let''s go!"


    Oliver said, already moving. On his way towards the vacant tables, he handed the empty tray to a classmate as he yanked Sally forward.


    Despite having empty tables all around them, Oliver had asked someone to fix him a private seat beforehand.


    In fact, one in specific certainly stood out in the center. Unlike the others, it was covered with a white tablecloth while a vase of fresh roses at the center of it made it very special.


    As for the tableware, it all looked shining, new and neatly set up. The bottom of each plate was even decorated with a blooming pink flower! Therefore, the biggest question on everyone''s mind was how Mr. Ouyang managed to pull off a high-end restaurant scenario in such a short notice.


    "What''s going on?"


    When Chloe made her way through the sea of students, her jaw almost dropped. Then, she looked at Sally and Oliver. "Are you two having a school canteen date right now? Why do I feel like a third wheel?"


    "What? Sit down and eat. Do you really think it''s possible for me to be in a date with him?"


    Sally whispered to Chloe, pushing her to sit down. How could she date a kid three years younger than her?


    As soon as they took their seats, Sally noticed the school heartthrob coming over.


    Oliver cleared his throat and asked, "Chloe, would you change seats with me?"


    Chloe chuckled, looking sideways at Sally. Regardless of Sally''s tight grip on her arm, Chloe pulled away from her and moved to sit on the other side.


    Oliver settled himself beside Sally and helped her put on the napkin like the gentleman he was. Despite the circumst


    le of water from the fridge.


    "Adonis! Did you just say that Dad and Mom went out? Do you know if they went to the business dinner party?" Sally asked, standing by the fridge.


    Adonis took a sip of water and narrowed his eyes at her. "Why do you want to know? Do you also want to go?"


    "Yes, I want to have fun. I''m bored at home,"


    Sally responded, blinking her bright eyes. Although she couldn''t care less about Oliver, she also wanted to have some fun. Now that she finally came back from abroad, she felt like going out more often.


    "Hey, answer me quickly! Did Dad and Mom go or not?"


    Sally waved at his face, and Adonis pushed her hand away before leisurely saying, "No. Since I took over the company''s business last year, Dad asked me to take care of all these dinner parties among other activities for him."


    Except for a few courses he had to attend, Adonis studied a lot in his spare time. Other than that, he would usually be found working at the company headquarters.


    He had already finished his undergraduate course, but he immediately continued his education and took up a graduate program.


    Their father didn''t care whether Adonis would skip a grade or not anymore. He had said that his son was already a grown man and was more than capable of taking control of his future.


    "I''ll come with you! Okay? Wait for me. I''m going to change my clothes and be your date for the night!"


    Sally invited herself in a seemingly farfetched tone before turning to go upstairs.


    Adonis watched his sister and shook his head, wondering how she could be the older one between the two of them.


    But, as long as she was happy, he wouldn''t oppose to let her go with him.

 Chapter 1082 A Luxurious Business Banquet With Many Beauties

    Nighttime in JA City.


    A magnificent and luxurious business banquet was being held on a large ship.


    There were many new faces at the party. It was not hard to recognize them with their striking noble and elegant figures. As the new leaders and masters of the commercial circles in JA City, they radiated so much energy and youthfulness.


    On the dock outside the yacht, a long red carpet had been laid out.


    "Why are you here? Where is Miss Liu?"


    Dressed in a sleek suit and elegant leather shoes, Cody frowned at Irene who just got out of the car.


    He had arranged the car to pick up Miss Liu.


    Miss Liu was his classmate and good friend. Every time he needed a female companion for a social event, he would ask her for help.


    "The driver called me and said that Miss Liu couldn''t make it because something urgent came up. He couldn''t find a suitable replacement in such short notice. You shouldn''t attend this kind of event without a companion so I came."


    Irene was wearing a pearl evening dress, and her hair was rolled up from the back with a pearl hairpin of the same color. Just like her name, she looked beautiful and serene. Her curvy figure and seemingly calm temperament made her the focus of the men''s attention as soon as she stepped onto the dock.


    "Cody, don''t be angry. This is just work, and it is not for you to admit publicly that I am your girlfriend. What are you afraid of?"


    Irene asked as she walked over to hold his arm.


    However, Cody avoided her hand. Instead, he walked on the red carpet towards the cruise ship and left her alone.


    Irene''s delicately made up face darkened at his rude behavior, but she quickly recovered and followed him with a smiling face.


    In order to match him, she had prepared herself for this event all afternoon. She had thought that she could surprise and impress him, even just for a moment. However, she failed miserably.


    The two got on the cruise ship separately.


    Soon afterwards, an extended Bentley drove in and stopped at the edge of the red carpet.


    "Slow down, Adonis. Don''t you know how to act like a gentleman? Hey! Do you know how to behave? Do you know what it means to take care of women?" Looking at Adonis who had gotten off the car without waiting for her, Sally called out to him and complained loudly.


    A smug Adonis ignored her panicking sister and calmly walked directly to the other side and opened the door like a gentleman. Putting one hand on t


    An family. The continuation of the family line is an important matter. If you don''t like to get close to women, how can you carry on the family line?"


    Sally said with a sweet smile. At the age of seventeen going on eighteen, she thought it was normal for guys like him to have a girlfriend. But Adonis was an exception.


    "I heard that Cody is also here today. I have to discuss something with him."


    Shortly, Adonis stopped being angry and changed the topic.


    "What''s the matter?" she asked.


    ''Is Cody really here?'' Sally thought.


    The smile on her face disappeared.


    "Of course it''s about your marriage. We have to arrange it as soon as possible." Adonis replied indifferently. Then he went proceeded into the massive yacht.


    When they were about to enter the hall, Sally grabbed his arm again and pleaded, "Adonis, stop it! To tell you the truth, Cody already has a girlfriend. If you see him, don''t talk about this nonsense. Do you hear me?"


    Adonis frowned and didn''t ask her again. He let her walk in by herself.


    As soon as the two of them appeared, the banquet area remarkably quieted down.


    Irene who had entered the hall first, was socializing alongside Cody who stood beside her.


    Seeing that the atmosphere suddenly became quiet, she couldn''t help looking at the entrance. But when she saw Sally coming in, she suddenly tightened her grip on Cody''s arm.


    "What''s wrong?" Noticing that there was something wrong with her, Cody also looked up at the entrance.


    When he saw the beautiful woman smiling like a blooming flower, the stem of wine glass in his hand snapped and was broken into two pieces.

 Chapter 1083 Is It A Coincidence Or Not

    ''When did she come back?


    How come I didn''t know?'' Cody thought to himself.


    He was so lost in thought that he didn''t even notice that his palm had been slightly cut by the fragment of broken glass in his hand. He casually took a piece of tissue paper and wiped the blood off.


    He kept his eyes fixed on Sally who had just appeared at the entrance.


    Then he took a step forward, intending to get closer to her, but he was stopped by a weak and needy voice.


    "Cody, my stomach hurts..."


    Irene covered her stomach with one of her hands and grabbed Cody''s arm with the other. Her face was pretty pale.


    "Really? You are really feeling bad at the perfect time," Cody said ironically while gritting his teeth. However, when he caught a glimpse of the sweat caused by the pain on Irene''s forehead, he sighed and helped her get to the soft sofa nearby.


    Meanwhile, as soon as Sally came in, she looked around and finally saw Cody, who was holding Irene in his arms.


    Irene was leaning weakly on Cody''s shoulder and clinging to him. Anyone who saw them would think that they were an intimate couple.


    The moment she saw them, Sally''s eyes filled up with a bit of dismay.


    She thought that Irene was lying when she said that Cody was her boyfriend, but now, it seemed to her that she was actually telling the truth. She just didn''t want to believe it.


    "Mr. An?"


    "Hello! Mr. An!"


    At that moment, two business partners of the AJ Group came one after the other and greeted Adonis.


    Adonis patted Sally on the shoulder and left her alone. Then, he turned around to greet the two businessmen.


    Sally waved her hand, signaling him to go. She recognized the two familiar faces as well, and she knew she should let Adonis talk to them.


    But just as she was about to walk towards them, following Adonis, she saw Cody coming over to her. He was intently looking at her through the conversations and merrymaking in front of him.


    There was undisguised shock, joy, and confusion in his sparkling dark-colored eyes. He approached her with a complicated look in his face.


    But when they were just a few steps away from each other, someone suddenly came in between them.


    "Sally, you are here!"


    Oliver stepped in front of Sally, blocking her from Cody''s sight.


    As she stared at Oliver, Sally suddenly remembered that if it weren''t for him, she wouldn''t have known that there was a banquet tonight.


    Oliver''s face was young and flamboyant, and was framed with thick eyebrows. When he smiled, the corners of his mouth curved up buoyantly. He was c


    it gently.


    "Oh, it hurts!" Sally cried out in pain. She was beginning to regret wearing such a pair of high heels, but the dress she wore today only looked good with heels.


    Seeing how much pain she was in, Oliver reached out immediately intending to pick her up.


    However, Sally stepped aside before he could touch her and limped to the rest area alone.


    In case a fight would happen, neither of the two men should touch her right now.


    After taking a few steps, she saw that Cody had come to help her. She then turned around and saw Oliver smiling brightly at her. He pointed ahead and then walked away.


    Only then did Sally realize that the little boy had indeed grown up and become more calm and mature.


    Cody wrapped his arm around her shoulders without uttering a single word. He let her lean on him to make her more comfortable.


    After she sat down, Cody took off her shoes and rubbed her ankle. "It''s a little swollen. I''ll ask someone to find a first aid kit or ointment or something."


    "Cody!"


    Sally grabbed his clothes and said, "I''m fine. You don''t need to worry about me. Go ahead and do your business."


    She heard that the businesses of the Qi family had been in turmoil in the past few years. His uncle had been trying to rob him of the shares of the company, and had caused a lot of trouble. Worse, Cody''s father had been in poor health for quite some time. He really was in a terrible circumstance right now.


    This dinner party was held by the top business figures in JA City. It would be very helpful for him to know more of them.


    "When did you come back?"


    Cody asked in a deep voice, ignoring her words. He lowered his head and rubbed her slender ankle gently.

 Chapter 1084 Are You Ready To Marry Me (Part One)

    "Several days ago. My uncle is going to get married next week. And I plan to wait until after the wedding," Sally said thoughtfully. She hadn''t considered leaving earlier than necessary.


    However, she had come to realize that many things had changed while she was away.


    And surprisingly, that kept her thinking. Perhaps it would be better not to rush going back abroad.


    Cody deliberately stopped massaging her ankle, seemingly lost in thought, then he continued, "But are you still going to leave? Are you still that planning to leave your family and remain abroad?"


    He knew that she was always so willful. If Sally felt unhappy, she would undoubtedly hide abroad. She wouldn''t even consider the people who would be affected by her absence.


    Sally''s face suddenly twisted in pain as she blurted out, "Ouch, it hurts!"


    She quickly pulled her foot away from his hand, and instinctively held it with her own, attempting to ease the dull, throbbing pain. Cody, whose mind had drifted off for a brief moment, instantly snapped back to his senses. He unknowingly had exerted too much pressure on her foot.


    Cody could only lower his eyes and scolded himself inwardly. Tonight, he had lost control on two consecutive occasions, and hurt her both times.


    Feeling impatient with himself, he fought the urge to say sorry once again because these three words were the most useless in his current state.


    Instead, he hastily stood up after placing his hand under her knees carefully and scooped her up.


    "I''ll take you to the guest cabin. It''s too crowded and noisy here," he said calmly.


    Cody didn''t give her a chance to refuse as he cautiously took her to the guest room under the stairs.


    However, neith


    ke a long river with lots of diamonds falling from the sky. "I''ve been abroad for three years. My sudden flight back home made me feel quite uncomfortable. So I opted to rest at home for a couple of days," she gently explained.


    Initially, Sally had considered calling him.


    However, she couldn''t bring herself to give him a call after not seeing him for three long years. Besides, she thought that it would be too impolite of her. So she had planned instead to visit him in person and to give him a surprise.


    Letting out a soft sigh, Sally cast a glance at him.


    "Now that you''re here. Can''t you stay?" Cody quickly asserted as he scanned her face with his dark eyes.


    During those years that he had been separated from her, there were also countless times when he wanted to fly abroad to look for her. But there were too many things going on around him. A couple of times, he had created opportunities to go and see her and he felt excitement surging through him. But when he arrived, it was already late at night. He didn''t want to disturb her, so he waited for the next day. He didn''t call on her and just looked at her from afar.

 Chapter 1085 Are You Ready To Marry Me (Part Two)

    Afraid that he would fail, he didn''t dare to see her in person.


    He was afraid that if he met her, it would be too cruel to leave. But he had to shoulder the responsibility of the Qi family who needed him. There was no balance between the two. Unless, of course, she decided to return home for good.


    "What''s wrong, Cody? Are you reluctant to be away from me?" Sally prompted gently, pausing for a second. Then she went on with a smile etched on her lips, "I don''t want to leave you, either. But we''ve grown up, haven''t we?"


    Growing up was an inevitable part of life. And at this stage, they had to face a lot of things. She could choose to escape from the past, but now it was impossible.


    Sally could only shrug mentally as she even had to learn to give up someone she had loved for a very long time.


    "Yes, we have," Cody nodded while looking at her familiar, beautiful face and appreciating it. He could see that she had become more mature.


    "So, have you decided to marry me?" Cody exclaimed rather offhandedly, but his tone sounded sincere.


    Unexpectedly, that single question made the air between them freeze.


    Hearing him say it, Sally felt tensed all over, and she even forgot to breathe for a while. Cody had usually declared it a lot of times, and it was natural, way back then.


    But now, it was completely different. Some awkwardness and uncertainty clouded Sally''s mind and heart.


    "Cody, I don''t deserve you,"


    Sally gave a soft smile after searching his eyes. Then she raised her beautiful jaw and started gazing out of the window with her head slightly tilted. After weighing her thoughts, she opened her heart and began confiding, "You know, the p


    actually sent it. Shrugging her thoughts off, ''There is no need to think about it, '' she mused. It could only be one of the two.


    Besides, she was thirsty and had nothing to drink. Then a drink was sent over, so she accepted the cold watermelon juice. Since it was unexpectedly tempting, she drank it quickly.


    As soon as she took a sip, her phone suddenly rang, clearing her muddled mind in an instant.


    "Sally, are you upstairs?" It was a call from Adonis.


    "Yes. What''s wrong?" Sally asked worriedly, suddenly felt alarmed, hearing his brother. She was leaning against the head of the bed. And she leisurely drank her beverage while talking on the phone.


    "Oh, remember this. If someone gives you drinks, don''t drink them. I just saw a woman furtively hand a drink to the waiter and asked him to bring it upstairs. I guess there is something wrong with the drink,"


    Adonis warned her calmly.


    "Puff..."


    Sally reflexively spat out a mouthful of juice and frantically eyed the remaining half of the iced watermelon juice.


    "What... What did you say?!" Sally stammered as her eyes widened in disbelief.

 Chapter 1086 You Were Framed

    Adonis was extremely watchful and cautious. His senses could be compared to that of a sly fox. So evidently creating trouble with him while he was hovering around was in fact a very challenging task.


    He wouldn''t just joke around without any purpose. Was there really something wrong with the drink? Sally was pretty scared at this point!


    Adonis after maintaining his silence for a while quietly asked, "So you really drank it all?"


    "Obviously! How else can I be this pumped up? !"


    Sally blurted out angrily. Why did he not warn her earlier?


    "Oh. Oliver went upstairs just now. He is probably looking for you. Sally, it''s obvious that someone is plotting against you."


    Adonis let out a mischievous chuckle and turned to look at Irene who was sitting there with him and a few other people. She looked slightly tensed and she appeared to be a bit anxious, as if she was searching for something.


    It seemed like she was doing it for the first time. She clearly could not conceal her anxiety with her poor acting skills.


    There was a flash of irritation in his eyes. It seemed that the people who dared to plot against his family were tired of living.


    "Adonis! It is simply astonishing that you are still in the mood to laugh about this whole thing. I might just die of poisoning right here. Call the doctor for me, now!" Sally literally shouted out of anger. ''He knows all about it, but he still chooses to sit and joke around? It''s astounding that he is so casual about it! What is the matter with him?'' Sally was literally losing her mind.


    However, Adonis carelessly touched his high nose and curled his lips in a playful smile. "Don''t get so worked up. I''ve arranged someone to change the drinks for you."


    JA City was under the control of the An family. It was impossible for others to watch a good show of the An family here.


    "Sister, why don''t you ask me who did this to your drink?" he asked.


    While speaking Adonis called the waiter and whispered something into his ear. Then with a wave of his hand he signaled the waiter to leave.


    As Adonis spoke Sally calmed down gradually. She was too carefree. Had she not got his brother with her, the unthinkable would have probably happened.


    "You just mentioned that there was a suspicious woman going around... is it by any chance, Irene?"


    It was as clear as daylight. Sally was not stupid. From the day she came back there was only one person who hated her m


    o hates being bored. Why not invite her, Irene, to go upstairs for a chat? How does that sound?"


    Adonis smiled as he made wise use of this opportunity.


    Cody was used to Adonis being protective of his sister. If he didn''t come to help, Cody would not let Irene pester Sally and upset her.


    If he was not there when needed, didn''t he fail Irene''s hard work?


    "Yes! Sally''s brother will know her better than any of us. Besides, I just saw that Sally sprained her ankle. It would be so impolite of me if I do not go upstairs to check on her, wouldn''t it?"


    Irene slyly remarked.


    "What? My sister sprained her ankle? When? What are you saying?"


    Adonis''s handsome face became somewhat distorted with a streak of tension. He strode upstairs as fast as his feet could carry him.


    As soon as Adonis left the scene, Cody followed behind him. Irene heaved a sigh of relief and followed the two.


    Seeing that Adonis cared about his sister so much, Irene turned green with jealously. How happy and lucky Sally was to have Adonis for a brother!


    Sally was surrounded by such great men. Cody was always there to guard her, Oliver was full of admiration for her and this young reputed man was her brother. These men did nothing but spoil her all the time. Did she pray and meditate for a thousand years to be so fortunate?


    In the blink of an eye Sally was no longer alone.


    The three of them were waiting outside her door.


    Cody was about to knock when he heard a voice from inside the room.


    "Ah, please be gentle with that..."


    A delicate breath of air was released, and Cody quickly refrained from knocking.

 Chapter 1087 Adonis, Dont Be So Arrogant

    "I didn''t even use much strength, so you''re probably just too weak."


    "What are you talking about? I''m strong, okay?" Sally said.


    "Okay, I know. I''ll be gentle."


    Oliver said in a hoarse voice as he cast a glance at Sally who had just let out a scream.


    He was after all, a young man, so when Sally called out to him, he couldn''t help but to easily give in.


    Sally merely glared back at him, indicating that he should continue.


    Meanwhile, outside the door, Cody was just about to knock when he suddenly heard voices coming from inside. All of a sudden, the expression on his face turned gloomy, and he slowly put down his hand.


    Upon seeing this, Irene, who was standing behind him, smiled and said innocently, "Cody, why don''t you knock on the door?"


    But Cody had no intention of knocking anymore. Instead, he stayed silent for a while and said, "Let''s come back later."


    Meanwhile, Adonis, who was standing beside Irene and Cody, was in no hurry at all. He simply crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the expression on their faces.


    Cody didn''t open the door because he wanted for Sally to save face. No matter what was going on inside, if he rushed in at that moment, it would mean that he didn''t trust her.


    At the same time, he didn''t trust himself either.


    Cody loved Sally so much that he was absolutely terrified of losing her.


    It wasn''t really his fault that he felt that way because Sally had never cared about him.


    Moreover, Cody was always like this. He always stood by Sally''s side and was very considerate of her no matter what.


    Irene, on the other hand, was taking advantage of this situation to make Cody realize his position in Sally''s heart and make him give her up completely.


    "Don''t go! Since we are already here, why not go in and have a look?" Irene didn''t want to leave. She pulled Cody away, stepped forward, and knocked on the door.


    "Who is it?"


    Oliver asked before opening the door.


    He had taken off his suit jacket and was only wearing a shirt when he opened the door. He was surprised to see the three of them standing outside the room. "Why are you all here?" he asked.


    "Oh, we''re here to see how Sally is feeling. I heard that she injured her feet. Are you feeling better now, Sally?"


    As Irene spoke, she pushed Oliver away and walked inside, eager to find out the truth.


    Earlier, she had especially asked a waiter to bring Sally a drink, sunder then name of some gentleman. She drugged the drink a


    Drugged one night by her ex-boyfriend, a mysterious man took advantage of her in an ecstatic night filled with sex.


    To take her revenge, she married the man, and used him.


    "As long as I''m alive, I''m still his legal wife, while all of you are just his mistresses."


    She remained adamant even when he was involved in scandals with other women.


    Eventually she stormed off after she learned that he had betrayed her again.But life brought her back to him a few years later, to his astonishment.


    er.


    She deserved it.


    At first, she didn''t plan to do anything against Irene. She was determined to bless Cody generously if he had really fallen in love with Irene even if it saddened her.


    If this hadn''t happened, she wouldn''t have even said a word to Cody about what happened that morning.


    But now that Irene had tried to set her up, Sally was very unhappy about it.


    How could she live with it, if she allowed Cody to be in a relationship with such a woman?


    After the two left, Irene left the room with an awkward look.


    At last, only Oliver and Adonis, who were of the same age, were left in the room.


    "Adonis, tell me the truth. Would you really hate to have me as your brother-in-law?"


    Oliver said jealously.


    "Of course. You are just the same age as me. I don''t think you are qualified to be my brother-in-law." Adonis smiled at him coldly.


    Adonis headed for downstairs leisurely.


    "Well, considering the power of our families, don''t you think that we''d be invincible if we unite?"


    Oliver said while raising his thick eyebrows.


    Everyone should be happy to see such a marriage, right?


    However, all he got was Adonis''s refusal.


    "Our family is strong enough. We don''t need to sacrifice my sister''s happiness just to maintain our power. Besides, I believe that I can make the An family stronger."


    Adonis said lightly before elegantly going downstairs.


    Oliver scowled and said in a low voice, "How arrogant you are!


    Let''s wait and see. The end hasn''t been decided yet! Maybe you will really have to call me brother-in-law someday!"


    Without waiting for his reply, Oliver strode towards the banquet hall.

 Chapter 1088 Do You Believe Me

    Irene had a sleepless night ahead of her.


    She couldn''t keep still after she left the party. She never expected that her carefully thought out plan would be so easily exposed. Unfortunately for her, the An siblings saw through it from the start.


    There was nothing she could do about it, anymore. Her only concern now, was Cody.


    What if he found everything out? What would he think of her? He had already been annoyed by her constantly forcing her presence on him. She knew if the An siblings ever told Cody what she had done, he would never want to see her again.


    She couldn''t let this happen. She needed to turn the situation around.


    Sally already had a nurturing brother and now Oliver, not to mention a handful of men, willing to take care of her.


    But all Irene had was Cody.


    Meanwhile, Cody was carrying Sally back to the car.


    Once they reached the vehicle, there was a driver already waiting for them. Cody had called him earlier, so he was free to attend to Sally.


    Anyone who knew Cody well enough was aware of how much he loved to drive, to the point of racing against other cars whenever he was available. He would only call for a driver on really rare occasions.


    "Drive us to the hospital!"


    "I''m not going to the hospital..."


    As soon as Sally heard the word "hospital", she got up and widened her eyes.


    "Yes, you are. Who knows if there are any other ingredients in that drug that aren''t safe. For the sake of safety, we''ll have you undergo a check-up. If something''s wrong, we will find out and treat it immediately!"


    Sally was generally fearless of anything, but Cody knew that she hated the thought of a syringe needle going into her body.


    "No, I am not going!"


    "It''s not your call this time. Your health is the most important thing now."


    "I feel fine. Why should I go to the hospital?"


    Looking deep into his eyes, Sally pursed her lips and then decided to confess, "Look, I''m doing perfectly okay. I made it all up. I wasn''t really drugged. Now we can turn this car around so you can go back and apologize to your girlfriend.


    She''s probably still there crying in some corner. Don''t you believe me? Oh, Cody! I can''t live without you..."


    Sally mockingly hugged herself, impersonating Irene''s voice.


    She was sure that Cody would fume with rage at her joke.


    But he just gapped in shock until his face began to lighten up with relief. Tightening his grip on her shoulders, he asked, "Sally, are you serious? You weren''t drugged? You are not lying to me? You aren''t just saying this because of you


    te. Carla and Terence had also been good examples for both her and Adonis that they should never make promises to anyone or settle down unless they were sure that they found the one.


    After all, marriage was a lifetime commitment.


    "Sally, are you back?"


    "Yes, Mom, I''m back!"


    Sally answered quickly, allowing her thoughts to drift away.


    "Oh, so you''re in bed early. Has Adonis come back yet?"


    Carla asked, her voice muffled by the closed door. She knew her children went to the party together.


    "He¡­ err¡­ not yet. He was dancing with a beautiful girl when I left. She had nice long legs, and he couldn''t take his hands off her waist the entire time. They seemed to get along. Anyway, I didn''t want to disturb him, so I came back first!"


    With her stuffed Hello Kitty in one hand, Sally rolled on the bed and laughed.


    "Oh? Really? Next time, remember to take a photo of this girl so I can see if Adonis has good taste.


    Goodnight, honey!"


    Once her mother left, Sally kept a silly smile on her face. Carla was so smart that it was useless to try to deceive her.


    A couple hours later, Adonis came back home.


    Unaware that his sister had already told their mother about his date, Adonis knocked on Sally''s door and asked about her feet.


    He had woken her up, but she answered him casually before turning over to go back to sleep.


    At the same time, Sally''s phone lit up on the table. But since it was muted, she didn''t notice it.


    In the next room, Adonis was already taking his clothes off and getting ready to take a shower when suddenly his phone rang.


    He grabbed the device and stared at the caller ID.


    For a moment, he hesitated. But then he decided to answer it.

 Chapter 1089 Selina Ran Away From Home

    "Ado...Adonis." Selina sobbed.


    On the other end of the line, Selina cried loudly, as if she had been wronged.


    "What happened?"


    asked Adonis, who was going to take a shower when she called. He turned around and sat down on the chair in front of his desk.


    Selina was sobbing uncontrollably, with a runny nose and flushed cheeks. She wanted to call Sally, but couldn''t get through, so she called him instead.


    She was so sad that she had to talk to someone about it.


    "Adonis, do you know that I am not my parents'' biological daughter?


    And everyone knew about this except me!


    It''s okay even if I''m not my mother''s biological daughter, why my father...


    Why did this happen? I always felt like the happiest and luckiest child in the entire world! Only now am I finding out I am an orphan! I was adopted..."


    Selina''s cries grew louder and louder.


    She was heartbroken.


    She had spent eleven years of her life thinking that Carla and Steven were her parents. The truth had blown up right in her face, leaving her shattered.


    No one had ever given her a hint. It wasn''t until she heard the servants talking about her behind back that she found out the truth about her own identity.


    How could a little girl of eleven who had never doubted her origin accept it?


    She had heard such gossip before as well, but had never believed it. But today, she had decided to take it to her father.


    Completely opposite of what she had expected, her daddy nodded his head with his eyes to the floor.


    Hearing her crying like that, Adonis was at a loss for words. He rubbed his head, wondering how to console her. On one hand, he thought it was unusual that she still hadn''t found out until today.


    Because of this, he felt sorry for her.


    He was born in a healthy and harmonious family with boundless love from his parents. He understood the warmth and preciousness of a happy family. It was understandable that it would be difficult for Selina to accept that she was adopted.


    "Selina, even if Uncle Steven is not your biological father, the love he gives you is no less than anybody else and far beyond kinship. You are very happy with your family, aren''t you?"


    Adonis sighed and comforted her, "When you grow up, you will understand that it''s not only the family bond that matters. As long as he loves you like a father, it doesn''t matter whether he is your biological f


    efore, Selina had come to ask him if she was adopted. He had intended to hide it from her but the child had grown up. He couldn''t lie to her anymore.


    Besides, it wasn''t easy to deceive her.


    Thinking about the inquiries she had made over the years, he thought it was better to tell her the truth straight up. Perhaps Selina wasn''t as fragile as he thought she was.


    However, she was only eleven years old and her parents were her entire world.


    Naturally, when she heard it straight from the man that she called father, she looked at him in shock.


    He would never forget the sorrow that he saw in her eyes.


    Her innocent eyes were filled with surprise, disappointment and helplessness. Without talking about it with him or asking any more questions, she turned around and ran away.


    At that time, he had only watched her go back to her room. He''d thought she''d calm down and think about it. Maybe she could accept it after sleeping on it?


    After a couple hours, when he went to check on her, he was shocked to discover that she wasn''t in room anymore!


    He spent the whole night frantically looking for Selina.


    "Yes, she called around twelve o''clock. She said she was very sad. I asked where she was, but she refused to tell me the exact location. She said she was at the harbor near Yu Village."


    With these words, Adonis got out of the bed and opened the door. He walked all the way to Sally''s room and knocked on the door.


    "Okay, I know, Uncle Steven. I will contact you as soon as I get any news about her,"


    he said. He then hung up and knocked on the door again.

 Chapter 1090 Are You Looking For Someone I Can Help

    "What are you doing? What time is it now? Why not let me sleep more? I''m still sleepy!"


    It was still dawn. And at this time, people usually were still in deep slumber. But Sally was jolted awake. Rubbing her messy hair, she groggily threw a look at the young man at the door.


    "Sis, did Selina call you?"


    Adonis calmly asked though his voice carried a hint of worry.


    He had called Selina a moment ago, a couple of times, but her phone was now unattended. He couldn''t contact her. So he resorted to waking Sally up and asking her if she had any news of Selina.


    "Selina? No, she didn''t. What''s wrong?"


    Sally mumbled as she rubbed her head in confusion.


    Seeing the confusion in her eyes, Adonis realized that she knew nothing. He abruptly told her, "Selina ran away from home. Uncle Steven has been looking for her for the whole night, but he couldn''t find her."


    "Ran away from home? What happened? Why did she run away?" Sally got sober immediately and bombarded him with a series of questions, even in her muddled state.


    "She had learned about her real identity and couldn''t accept it, so she left," Adonis pointed out as concisely as possible while he intently regarded his sister''s bewildered expression.


    Hearing this, Sally hurriedly moved to reach for her phone.


    Sally remembered how sleepy she was the previous night, and all she wanted was to have a good sleep. So she decided to mute her phone. However, she didn''t expect such a thing to happen.


    "My goodness, she did call me!"


    Sally blurted out as her eyes widened in disbelief. Checking her phone, she found there were several calls from Selina that she missed.


    "Sis, are you feeling better? Does your ankle still hurt? If you''re okay now, can you go out with me to look for her? Don''t tell Mom for the time being. She is very busy. Uncle Sean''s wedding is in a few days..."


    Adonis gently prompted her as he searched her eyes. The silent look he gave her was akin to telling her that as the only Sean''s only family, Carla would do everything to make the wedding a bit grander.


    And knowing his sister more, Adonis thought that it would be better to find Sally something to get her mind off it.


    Sally was stunned for a while before snapping back to her senses. She couldn''t believe that whenever she heard Sean''s name, she still had a sinking feeling in her heart. Meeting her brother''s intent gaze, she quickly nodded and uttered, "Okay, I''ll be getting ready in a minute and go with you."


    Several minutes later, Sally and Adonis rushed out of the house together.


    In the car, they discussed Selina''s possible whereabouts. Adonis confided that Selina had said that she was in the harbor at that time. Furthermore, JA City was the only place she had been to, so it was very likely that she would come here.


    Adonis had already ordered someone to thoroughly check the port where the boat from Yu Sea City would dock. They had to keep him posted if there was any news of Selina.


    He could only shake his head as the chance of finding


    fall from the corners of her eyes. Why was she so unlucky? If she only knew that she would meet Sean here, she would have gone to the ferry port instead and asked Adonis to come to the airport!


    "Are you looking for someone? Do you need my help?"


    Sean was about to leave, but when he saw how Sally went to check every little girl who came out, he knew that she was seriously looking for someone.


    Sally didn''t have time to calm down and confessed, "Selina ran away from home. I suspect that she came to JA City by plane."


    She sniffed and continued, "She''s only eleven years old. What if she gets lost?"


    Hearing this, Sean was quick to comfort her, "Relax, she won''t. Since she is eleven years old, she should have some self-protection instincts. Don''t think about it too much."


    Although he hadn''t seen Selina before, he knew who she was.


    "Carl! Come here," Sean asked Carl at once to come for help.


    "Do you have her picture? Send it to my phone. I''ll help you expand the search," Sean spoke to Sally in a low voice.


    Sally nodded and pulled out her phone. She was about to send the photo of Selina to him when she received an incoming call from Adonis.


    "Sally, there''s no need to look for her at the airport. I''ve contacted the ship from Yu Sea City, and she is one of the passengers. She should be here in the evening,"


    Adonis explained on the phone without missing a beat.


    But what he heard about Selina surprised him.


    The staff on the ship revealed that the little girl was good at acting, and she cried with tears and snot.


    Selina also claimed that she was abducted and sold to Yu Sea City by human traffickers. And that her stepfather often beat her up. She couldn''t stand it, so she sneaked out when her stepfather was drunk!


    The staff had initially planned to call the police, but the little girl insisted that she knew her home and pleaded them not to call the police. She was deathly afraid that her stepfather would find out and take her back home and severely punish her.

 Chapter 1091 Do You Need Me To Treat You To A Nice Meal

    Sally hit something. She thought that Selina was going to take a plane, but for some reason she didn''t. Perhaps it was more difficult for her to get on a plane than on a ship, hence the little one chose the latter.


    "Oh, I see. Good. We can find her then."


    Sally hung up the phone quietly and stole a glance at Sean.


    "Uncle Sean. I have to pick up someone. I will have to leave now."


    Sean smiled at her, making her stressed face soften for a moment. It was as if the look they exchanged said, "Yes, things are hard, but it will be okay."


    After he left, Sally stood at the door for a long time, looking at nothing in particular with a melancholic expression.


    At last, she heaved a deep sigh and left.


    Meanwhile, Adonis looked at his watch again and again.


    He wore a hat and a mask, trying his best to hide from the public. He could see the ship in the distance, moving closer but very slowly.


    He remained dodged behind a parapet, afraid that someone would recognize him.


    He was extremely impatient and anxious. But right when his patience was about to run out, the ship arrived, cutting through the darkening sky.


    Once it was docked, he saw some staff members escorting Selina.


    If Adonis hadn''t already made them aware of the situation, the staff would''ve been fooled by this little girl. She might have disappeared immediately after getting off the ship.


    ''Human traffickers... Stepfather... A violent beating?


    Selina, if Uncle Steven found out what you told the people on the ship, how sad he would be.'' Adonis thought to himself.


    He saw her struggling to wrench free of their hold and run away. She smiled with one side of her mouth, as if she really had planned to escape.


    It didn''t take her long to spot Adonis. As soon as she saw him, she shouted on top of her lungs, "Adonis! I knew it was you!"


    She was about to trick them into letting her go, but this time they knew better. They held her closely. She wanted to find a place so that she could get off the ship but she wasn''t allowed to.


    "If you didn''t want me to get involved, why did you call me and let me know what you were doing?"


    Adonis walked toward her and held her hand, lest she ran away again.


    "Do you think I care about your business?"


    Adonis took a cold glance at her rebellious face. Who could tell this girl was only eleven, given the fire she was filled with? He took out his phone from his pocket and called Steven. "Uncle Steven, I found her. She''s fine, don''t worry," he said.


    Suddenly, he yelled out,


    that she was finally behaving like a normal eleven-year old.


    Adonis snapped his fingers and asked the waiter to serve another bowl of noodles.


    Selina pursed her lips and swung her legs back and forth, waiting idly.


    Adonis had planned on taking her back to Seaview Villa after the meal.


    After all, she had been here several times and always stayed at the An family villa.


    "I won''t go with you! I don''t want to see my mother. Oh, no...I meant I don''t want to see your mother..." Selina said, shrugging.


    She didn''t want to see her father as well. She needed some time to calm down.


    "Selina, you''re practically grown up. Can you stop acting like a baby?"


    Adonis looked at her impatiently, trying to get into her mind. "Do you know how worried Uncle Steven will be if you don''t return home? He looked for you for the whole night, scared that you might be in trouble!"


    Tears welled up in her eyes. She sniffed and sobbed, trying to get a hold of her own voice. "Yes, scold me! It''s all my fault! It''s all my fault, okay?"


    She spat the words in his face and turned around, walking toward the road. She didn''t even bother to look at the traffic lights. She simply lowered her head and walked on.


    Looking at her thin figure, Adonis took a deep breath. He quickly ran after her and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her off the road.


    Selina threw herself into his arms all of a sudden, feeling dizzy.


    "Fine! It''s up to you! If you don''t want to go to my house, then don''t go. I''ll find a place for you to live. You can take some to think it through before you go back. Is that okay?"


    Adonis said, pushing her head away from him in disgust and sighed helplessly.

 Chapter 1092 I Dont Want To Be A Child Bride

    After getting in the car, Adonis glanced at the girl sitting next to him with helplessness in his eyes. It was the kind of helplessness that came from the bottom of his heart. Ever since he was a child, there was never anything that made him feel powerless.


    Even if he found something difficult in the beginning, he would always find a solution in no time.


    But Selina was an exception.


    From the very first time he saw her, he felt that this girl was like a wild deer. Despite being adopted and educated by his Uncle Steven for a number of years, she still didn''t know how to behave herself well. Every time she had an idea, she would immediately go for it without thinking about its consequences.


    "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"


    Noticing the way Adonis was staring at her. Selina couldn''t help but get goose bumps. "Adonis, are you going to sell me or something?" she asked.


    At that moment, she suddenly regretted ever picking on him.


    "Good suggestion. I''ll think about it CAREFULLY."


    Adonis stressed the word "carefully" and then asked the driver to drive.


    "No, no, no! Adonis, I know I was wrong. I shouldn''t have bitten you and caused you trouble. I''m so sorry!


    Please don''t give me away to a rural village. I don''t want to be a child bride. I heard that people there abuse other people. Some girls are forced to get pregnant and give birth when they are only 13 or 14 years old. I don''t want to be a mother at such a young age¡­"


    Tears welled up in Selina''s eyes as she shook Adonis''s arm.


    With a faint and helpless smile, Adonis poked her forehead, shook his head, and said, "Relax, I''m just joking. Why would you even think that? Now I''m actually worried about you. You''re so imaginative that it makes me wonder if someone will actually fall in love with you and marry you."


    "Are you kidding me? I''m very beautiful. Men will be dying to marry me."


    Selina raised her chin proudly. She hated it the most when others talked about her appearance. Even though her skin was quite tanned, it was a healthy and good-looking skin, and though her eyes were not that big, they were not too small either.


    Shaking his head, Adonis caressed his jaw with one hand and flashed a charming smile at Selina.


    "You are right. There are lots of blind men in the world, after all."


    Selina rolled her eyes at him and retorted, "True, there really are a


    r.


    She was a person of decency. She could never embarrass her father like that.


    By the time Adonis came out of the bathroom, Selina had already left.


    He took a glance at the door, fetched a towel, and walked back to the table. He opened his wallet and found that nothing was missing.


    He put the wallet there on purpose. If she really needed money and decided to take some from him, he wouldn''t blame her.


    But apparently, even she had her own bottom line.


    With a towel wrapped around his waist, Adonis sat on the sofa and took out his phone to call his family.


    The people he had arranged to take care of Selina couldn''t come before the next morning, and he knew that it wouldn''t be safe for Selina to be left there all alone.


    "Sister? Are you home yet? Selina is fine. She is here with me. Don''t worry.


    She said that she doesn''t want to go back to our house. She said that she doesn''t want to see Mom.


    Anyway, tell Mom and Dad that I won''t be coming home tonight."


    After he finished talking, Adonis hung up the phone and casually placed it on the sofa. Then, he stood up and went to the wardrobe to get a new set of clothes.


    "Aaaah! !"


    Adonis suddenly heard a scream.


    Selina covered her entire face, except for her eyes, with her hands. She was staring at Adonis who was stark naked and in the middle of changing his clothes.


    Adonis hurriedly grabbed the bath towel and wrapped it around his waist. His handsome, young face turned slightly red as he raised his eyebrows at Selina with a gloomy look on his face.


    "What on earth are you doing here?!"

 Chapter 1093 Sense Of Shame

    ''Doesn''t she know it is bad manners to enter without knocking?'' Adonis thought with frustration.


    Normally, he was in control and never hesitated to speak out. But at the moment, he was numb with shock.


    Selina, on the other hand, was dumbfounded by the sight in front of her.


    Although she had always known that there was a difference between men''s and women''s bodies, it was the first time for her to see a man''s naked body. Her father always locked the door when he took a shower. It also struck her how handsome a man could be!


    However, except for one thing...


    "Selina! Don''t you have any sense of shame?"


    shouted Adonis, as soon as he was knocked back to his senses. He was gritting his teeth. Her eyes were roaming all over his body, making him flinch. The natural urge to wrap himself with a towel overcame him.


    "Oh, I see."


    Hearing that, Selina was jolted back to reality. She took a deep breath and said, "I came to ask you if you could lend me a coat or a shirt. The one I am wearing smells so bad."


    Hearing this, Adonis pulled out a T-shirt from the wardrobe and passed it to her. "Take this. Remember to close the door!"


    Selina stepped forward and took it.


    However, before leaving, she shot him one last look and said, "How can a man be so white and have such good skin?"


    Looking at her honey colored skin, Selina was disappointed. His skin tone and everything else for that matter looked glorious.


    Then she sauntered back to her room.


    Hearing her words, Adonis''s eyes widened in disbelief.


    He always kept his chastity and self-discipline reserved. The social atmosphere had become slack and it wasn''t all that necessary to guard one''s body in such a manner. But for him, it was important. The world may have advanced, but he would never follow the tide.


    He was still reeling from what had happened a few seconds ago!


    The fact that he was seen by this girl bothered him a lot.


    Even though she was much younger in age, it was indeed a big deal for him. At the end of the day, she was still a female.


    Exasperated, Adonis locked the door and began to get dressed.


    The next day, the people he had called reported to the house.


    Adonis was in dire need of people to guard the house. If Selina wanted to go out, they would follow her wherever she went.


    Knowing that this matter had been dealt with, he went to school.


    On the way, Adonis received a call from Steven.


    "Uncle Steven, I don''t think she wants to go back there for the time being. If you trust me, you can let her stay here for a while. When she comes back to her senses, I promise to send her back there."


    As Adonis sp


    sserts in front of him. Expectation and hope were brimming in her eyes.


    Adonis frowned slightly. One couldn''t tell if it was because he was blocked or because he didn''t like the person who stood in front of him. He stared her down, then looked at the hands that were holding the box. Then the annoyance in his face began to be replaced with disgust.


    Her long nails glistened with pink nail polish.


    ''If she made it with those hands, are they even edible?'' he thought.


    The girl in white had goose bumps all over her body. His scrutinizing eyes worried her. Trembling, the box of desserts fell to the ground with a snap.


    Since the box had fallen to ground, Adonis'' look of disgust loosened a little. Now he wouldn''t have to eat them! He quietly heaved a sigh of relief.


    Without saying anything, he went around her and walked leisurely towards the teaching building.


    It was not the first time he had seen a girl like this. Such incidents happened to him on a regular basis. Girls would feel like they were under an X-ray scanner when they stood before him. He had the ability to make even the innocent ones feel guilty.


    Generally speaking, girls who had confessed their love once would not dare to do it again. At least not in this life! That''s the intimidating vibe he carried everywhere.


    Before entering the classroom, Adonis came to a halt. His phone began to buzz. Turning around, he walked into a corner. After sighing helplessly, he said, "Hello."


    "Adonis! Why did send people to watch over me? Do you think I am a kid?" Selina screamed on the other end of the line.


    When she woke up, she was in high spirits. But she looked out of the window and caught sight of several guards. It was obvious they were there to keep an eye on her!

 Chapter 1094 Is Irene Pregnant

    Upon hearing her call his name, Adonis couldn''t help but frown.


    "You are still underage," he responded, his voice devoid of any type of emotion. "And as your ''temporary guardian'', I have every right to act like it."


    Because Steven had specifically entrusted that responsibility to him, he was committed to doing a good job.


    "Do you really think I care about all of that? Please ask your men to leave now. I don''t need you and any kind of surveillance from you," Selina demanded. "And please, aren''t you just seventeen years old? You yourself are underage. What makes you think that you have what it takes to care of me?"


    Searing hatred tainted Selina''s voice. She had always despised being contained in one place because the stuffy air made her feel nauseated. Even at that moment, she started feeling suffocated just by the thought of being restricted by Adonis'' people.


    Even if she had caused great troubles in Yu Sea City in the past, her father never tried to do anything of the sort to her.


    Upon hearing what Selina said, Adonis was struck by a stunning realization: Selina knew how to effectively make him mad. ''It''s either that, or I''m just too sensitive, '' he thought to himself, pondering on what he just discovered.


    ''How could an eleven-year-old girl make my emotions run wild like this again and again?''


    "In JA City, boys aged seventeen are already considered as adults," Adonis finally said after a few moments of silence. "Listen, Selina. If you don''t want your freedom being restricted, fine. I do not want to do that either. Go wherever you want, I don''t care. Now, regarding those bodyguards, get rid of them yourself."


    After saying that, Adonis hung up the phone.


    Selina was livid. In her bout of anger, she threw her phone on her bed and screamed at the top of her lungs.


    It took her a few minutes to get herself together, but when she did, she immediately picked her phone up and called Sally.


    "Waaahh!" she cried loudly. "Sally, please come help me! Please!"


    Sally had just woken up and hearing Selina sobbing on the other end of the line made her incredibly worried. "Selina? Why are you crying?" she asked quickly. When Selina failed to answer due to her incessant cries, she gently said, "You have to calm down and tell me what''s wrong, Selina."


    Selina then powered through her cries and said, "Adonis is so bad. He locked me inside a room and forbid me to go anywhere. He didn''t even give me food! Sally, he''s mistreating me! Please help me! Please say that you''ll save me!"


    Because of everything that had happened to her, Selina had developed the skill of crying in an incredibly convincing manner in order to make other people pity her.


    It now came in handy as she had to turn to Sally for help. Otherwise, how would she be able to get rid of the bodyguards outside?


    "¡­¡­"


    Sally was speechless at what she heard. She knew Adonis well. He only ordered people to follow Selina because he was afraid that she would run away. As fo


    e here,"


    Sally replied indifferently. She didn''t want further interactions with her, and so she walked past by her and towards the CEO''s office without saying another word.


    Irene, however, seemed to have a different plan in mind.


    "Sally!" she called out, stopping Sally in her tracks.


    "Can I have a word with you alone?"


    Irene looked deep into Sally''s eyes as if she was pleading.


    Sally then paused and looked at Selina.


    The little girl blinked her almond eyes at her and shrugged, indicating that she didn''t care if she went or not.


    Sally then smiled at her and went with Irene into an empty conference room.


    After closing the door, Irene handed a sheet of paper to her. She looked sad while doing so, which confused Sally. "Sally, I am so, so sorry," she suddenly said, her voice trembling. "I really didn''t want to tell you this but I don''t think I have any other choice..."


    "What is going on, Irene?"


    she asked as she looked at the piece of paper Irene handed to her. After trying to comprehend what was on it for a few minutes, her eyes began to widen.


    ''Early pregnancy?


    Seven weeks?'' she thought, scandalized.


    "Sally, Cody doesn''t know about this yet. I... I wasn''t planning on telling him this early... But if I don''t tell him, I''m afraid I''ll miss the chance..."


    Tears started streaming down Irene''s face. She then tightly grabbed Sally''s arm and said, "Sally, saving a life is better than building a seven-level pagoda. Please save my baby. He can''t live without a father!"


    Sally''s head was blank. The whole thing wasn''t making sense to her.


    "No, this is impossible," she said, more to herself than Irene, as she shook her head. "Irene, even if you want to take Cody away from me, you didn''t have to do this. What is this?" she said, her tone alarmed.


    She knew Cody better than anyone else. Ever since they were kids, she knew that he had made sure he kept girls and lately, women at an arm''s length.


    How could he get Irene pregnant?

 Chapter 1095 Sally And Selina Went To The Bar

    "Sally, I am not lying to you. A month ago, we went to have dinner with a client. Cody got drunk. I took him home but he was too drunk, so we..."


    Irene blushed and lowered her head.


    "When he woke up he had forgotten what had happened. I had even expected that he wouldn''t. But I didn''t think I would get..."


    Irene trailed off mid-sentence and touched her belly with gentle eyes.


    Sally took a step back in shock. The confirmation slipped from her fingers and fell to the ground. Her eyes went out of focus.


    "Sally, I apologize to you for what happened before. I was confused because I didn''t want to lose Cody...


    But I''m not lying to you this time. If you don''t believe me, you can go come to the hospital with me to check if what I''m saying is the truth!"


    Irene spoke quickly, trying to defend herself. But Sally couldn''t hear a word. She fumbled for her purse on the table, quickly grabbed it and left the office in a daze without uttering another word. Selina got up and followed her, calling her name several times but Sally couldn''t hear Selina at all.


    ''What just happened?'' Sally wondered, trying to process the information she had just received.


    She had always felt like everyone in the world would one day leave her, except Cody.


    She had always thought that no matter what, Cody would always be there, waiting for her.


    She had always counted on Cody to comfort her and accompany her, even with her eyes on Sean before.


    But today, she realized how stupid she had been!


    "Sally..." she heard Selina calling her faintly.


    Selina finally caught up with her and shook her arm. "Sally! Your phone has been ringing. Don''t you want to answer it?"


    Sally snapped back to reality. She blinked and adjusted her vision. Looking down at Selina, who was much shorter than her, she asked, "Don''t you think the sky has suddenly darkened?"


    "No, I don''t think so." answered Selina, looking up at the blue, sunny sky. Why would Sally think it was dark?


    Sally took a deep breath and looked up at the sky teary-eyed, unable to get a hold of herself. "Selina, I need a drink. Do you want to come along?"


    "Of course I do! The women of Yu Sea City start drinking and riding horses from childhood. It''s our tradition!"


    said Selina proudly, raising her chin.


    Sally wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and put up a smile. "You''re right. We are the brave girls of Yu Sea City. Come drink with me. We''ll turn our phones off and have some fun time to ourselves!"


    "Deal!"


    Selina agreed enthusiastically. Both of them turned their phones off, took a taxi and headed to a bar.


    "Sally, don''


    ade Sally sad.


    Or at least, had a role in doing so.


    "You are..." Sean started speaking.


    Hearing her childish voice, Sean asked in confusion, "Who is this?"


    "I''m the one who''s going to scold you! Well, you really are a bastard! You told Sally you would marry her and then you slept with another woman who is now going to have your child! You are just like those scumbags on TV!" Selina shouted angrily.


    "Scum! Scum! Bastard! Bug! You shouldn''t even live in this world! Sally is so kind, and yet you cheated on her! Why would you do that?" she continued.


    Sean didn''t know what to say...


    There was silence on the other end of the line.


    Sean finally broke the silence after a while...


    "Is this Selina? Tell me where you are and I''ll pick you up."


    he spoke in a low and hoarse voice.


    "I don''t want you to come. You will only make Sally sadder! Bye!"


    Selina snorted and hung up the phone.


    As soon as she hung up, another call came in.


    "Hey, who is this?"


    Selina asked loudly, furious after speaking to Sean.


    "This is Cody. Are you Selina? Is Sally with you? Where are you? Give her the phone..."


    Cody said worriedly. He had been looking for her the entire day. He was relieved to finally have gotten through to her.


    "Cody?"


    Selina scratched her head. She couldn''t tell who he was. Sally had drunk a lot and had said a lot, but Selina couldn''t recall all the names because she was also tipsy.


    But she couldn''t remember if Sally was cursing at Cody too.


    She didn''t know who he was, but she was sure that he was not a good man.


    "I don''t need you to come here! I''ll call Adonis. No one else is allowed to come except him!"


    Selina hung up and quickly called Adonis.


    "Adonis. It''s me, Selina..."

 Chapter 1096 Dont Touch Sally!

    After the farce made by Selina, the three men arrived one after the other.


    Even though Selina only told Adonis where she was, the other two had no problem finding her by tracking the location of her phone.


    Sean arrived first.


    He opened the door of the room and immediately got a whiff of the alcohol. Then, he saw many beer bottles on the table and an unconscious Sally lying down on the sofa.


    He also saw Selina who was barely sober, sincerely and emotionally trying to protect her sister.


    "Sally! Sally, wake up.


    Wake up, Sally. I''ll drive you home."


    Sean shook Sally''s shoulders and tried to pull her away from Selina who was grasping Sally''s arm tightly just in case anyone else tried to hurt her.


    She suddenly sobered up a little at Sean''s actions. She hugged Sally even more tightly, frowned, and drunkenly looked at Sean. "Who are you? Don''t touch Sally!" she demanded.


    "Little girl, I''m her uncle. I am your aunt''s brother, so I am also your uncle. Let go of her. I''ll drive you both home!"


    Upon seeing how protective she was of Sally, Sean didn''t know whether he should laugh or cry. He had no idea that she and Sally had such a good relationship.


    Selina''s mind was a mess. What did he mean by ''uncle'' and ''brother''?


    "It doesn''t matter who you are. I don''t know you. So let go of me. We won''t go with you."


    Selina held on to Sally''s neck tightly, refusing to let her go.


    Sean frowned. Then, he chuckled and sighed at the sight in front of him. He took out his military ID card and showed it to Selina. "Can you see this clearly? I promise in my name that I will never kidnap you two, let alone sell you off," he said with a slight smile.


    Only then did Selina remove one of her hands from Sally to take his ID and check his name.


    He didn''t seem to be lying.


    At that moment, Cody arrived.


    "Officer Ji, Let me take care of Sally, and we won''t bother you anymore!"


    Cody walked in and tried to push Sean away to take Sally in his arms. But before he could even touch her, his wrist was grabbed by Sean.


    "Cody, I don''t think you have the right to take care of Sally before you have solved your own problems,"


    Sean said, standing up. Even though he was dressed in plain clothes, he was still much taller and looked more powerful than ordinary people.


    In hindsight, he had actually thought of asking Cody to take care of Sally, but he sensed that there was something wrong between them from w


    the rest of her life.


    However


    God had made a fool of a lot of people.


    Sally''s fingertips trailed down from his eyebrows to his eyes, nose, and ears. The smile on her lips was as bright as fireworks. It was amazing and beautiful, but heart-broken as well.


    Her words stunned Cody on the spot. Even though her fingers were on his face, he felt like he was thousands of feet away from her.


    What did she say?


    Irene was pregnant with his child?


    How could that be possible? It was impossible!


    He had never...


    All of a sudden, Cody thought of that night. That night, in order to win a big order for the company, he went out for drinks with his clients, and Irene was also there. He succeeded in getting the order but he got too drunk and passed out.


    However, he couldn''t remember what happened that night at all!


    Was that night...


    The two men standing behind him were also shocked.


    Adonis frowned and sighed in his heart. He had always thought that, Cody would end up marrying his sister, but it seemed that a lot of things had happened in the past three years.


    Many things that no one knew about, until now.


    He suddenly felt confused. He didn''t know whether it was right or wrong to persuade her to give up.


    All of a sudden...


    Cody was yanked away from Sally, but he was not in the mood to even care about it. It was as if his soul had been taken away, and only his body was left.


    Sean picked up Sally from the sofa and took her away, ignoring everyone else in the room.


    Adonis didn''t try to stop him.


    He picked up Selina who had also passed out, held her in his in his arms and left.

 Chapter 1097 Made A Decision

    In the car, Sally''s piercing gaze was glued to the man who was holding her hand while driving.


    Under the influence of alcohol, she was dizzy and only had a vague notion of who it was.


    Embarrassed by her piercing gaze, Sean looked away and made a phone call.


    "Don''t worry. I''ve found her. Thank you."


    Sally was still looking at him. With uncertainty, she reached out and touched his face. Then she let out a cry of disbelief.


    "Un.... Uncle Sean?" she stuttered.


    Sean kept his gaze on the road ahead and nodded.


    "Are you really... Sean Ji?"


    Sally asked for reassurance. She couldn''t believe her eyes.


    He nodded again, but continued to stare at the road. It seemed that he didn''t have the courage to face her.


    It was a dark night and there were only a handful of cars which allowed him to drive smoothly.


    In a matter of minutes, they would reach his residence.


    Instead of taking her back to the military base, Sean drove her to his secluded villa, located in the mountains.


    Over the past decade, he had made remarkable achievements in the army. Hence, the government of JA City often gave him generous rewards. After all, he was someone who had made significant contributions to the army. It would suffice to say Sean accumulated a fortune over the last few years.


    However, such material things didn''t hold much value in his heart.


    Sally, still in a drunken state, continued to stare at him throughout the car ride. Even now, she couldn''t believe it was indeed him.


    Every few seconds, she would call out his name, as if to make sure he was still there. And he answered every time she called, without an ounce of annoyance.


    There was a part of her that wondered if it was just a dream. ''What if I blink and he won''t be there?'' she wondered.


    They soon arrived at Sean''s villa.


    Sean carried her out of the car and placed her in the guestroom.


    "Sally, just stay here. I''ll get you some pills that will help with the hangover in the morning. Also, you are in dire need of rest. Stay here and don''t move." Sean gazed at her gently for a while and then stood up.


    There must be a reason for her to be so drunk. Perhaps it was because of Cody, but deep down Sean was aware that he too had a part in this.


    At first, he wanted her to stay with Cody. He wanted her to live a life like a princess.


    But now, seeing her condition, it was evident to him that wasn''t happening.


    Before he could come to the conclusion as to who was to


    nd? You should know that your wedding is supposed to take place in five days. Are you sure you know the consequences of your decision? You may have to live your whole life in regret."


    Terence was a wise man. His words were intended to confirm if Sean knew what he was doing. On top of that, he knew Sean wasn''t someone who would make rash decisions. If he wanted to cancel the wedding, he probably had a good reason.


    And he wanted to know what it was.


    "I know. I will personally talk to the Lu family and make an apology. I will also write an application that will get myself demoted. Even then, I know I haven''t made up for my mistake. Anyway, the point is I will take full responsibility for everything,"


    Sean said firmly.


    "Would you care to explain why?"


    Holding Carla''s restless hand tightly, Terence raised his eyebrows and asked.


    Sean looked at Carla and saw the astonished expression which was etched on her face. Suddenly, he knelt on the ground. His straight back was like a towering mountain. The moment he knelt down, he had discarded all his dignity.


    "Carla, I''m so sorry... Can you let me take care of Sally for the rest of my life?"


    Suddenly, Carla''s body staggered and fell into Terence''s arms.


    "I know it''s against the rules and moral sense. But I am willing to face it all. I promise I will never back off. And if I have to go to hell after I die, I''m willing to bear that as well!"


    Sean swallowed hard. It was with great difficulty he had uttered those words.


    "Sean! Do you have any idea what you are talking about? You must be out of your mind!"


    Carla suddenly shouted, looking at him with rage.

 Chapter 1098 Please Let Me Take Care Of Sally

    "I know, Carla. Even though you treat me as your own brother and I also consider you my sister, we are still not related by blood in the end. The entire JA City knows that you are a biological daughter of the Hua Family, while I am from the Ji Family.


    There might be some gossip for a while, but it''s not something that will destroy the whole world!"


    Sean was still kneeling on the ground with determination.


    "Carla, don''t be angry."


    Terence stood up and held Carla''s trembling shoulder. "There must be a reason for this sudden decision. You know our daughter well."


    He turned around and looked at Sean. "Sean, did you make this decision all by yourself? Does Sally agree with you?"


    Terence had always been a very calm person. In addition to that, his daughter had been following and pestering Sean since she was a child. In fact, she even cared more about Sean than her own father. So he was somewhat mentally prepared for this.


    Also, because his wife and Sean were related, Terence was able to watch him grow up and become the man he was today. He knew that Sean was, indeed, a trustworthy man.


    Cody, on the other hand, was also a decent man, but his daughter saw him as nothing more than a big brother figure.


    -- "Sally has no idea that I am here with you today. I decided all of this on my own. I want to get your permission before anything else,"


    Sean said, lowering his head. The baby girl was seriously hurt, but he couldn''t even dare to be there to comfort her.


    He had to be decisive before he could make a big mistake.


    Terence wrapped his arm around Carla''s shoulders and said softly, "Sean is right. After all, you are not actual siblings and you aren''t even related by blood.


    Honey, you know our own daughter. That girl has liked Sean since she was a child. If she married someone else, do you think she will be happy for the rest of her life?


    Besides, as parents, all we want is for our children to live happy lives, right? Don''t we want the same thing for Sean? We want him to be happy, too."


    Terence looked again at Sean, who was still on his knees, and sighed. He had never seen Sean beg and kneel down in front of anyone in all the years he had known him.


    He didn''t expect Sean to do anything like this¡ªand for Sally, for that matter.


    It really was a testament to his sincerity.


    "Carla, are we going to make the two kids give up their happiness for the sake


    t night.


    In hindsight, no matter how many times she thought about it, she knew that her uncle would never do to anything that would disrespect her.


    In fact, she had flirted with him many times in the past, but he didn''t reciprocate at all.


    "Well, I''m fine. I''m leaving now."


    Sally said to him nervously as she put the cup on the table, and wiped the droplets of water on her lips.


    "Sally, Wait."


    Sally, who had simply wanted to walk away, turned around to look at him with joy when she heard him call out to her.


    "Your phone. It ran out of power last night so I charged it for you."


    Sean went to the table and unplugged her phone from the charger to give it to her.


    "Oh!"


    As Sean was handing the phone to her, her eyes gazed over his fingers wrapped around the phone. His manicured nails were a healthy shade of pink. She suddenly remembered that when she was a child, she liked being held by his big hands.


    His warm and thick palm, which were riddled with calluses, always used to make her feel warm and safe.


    She didn''t know if she was obsessed with it or simply lost in her memory.


    When she came to her senses, she found herself playing with his fingernails shamelessly. Her face turned red at once. She quickly grabbed her phone from Sean and walked out without even raising her head.


    It was so humiliating!


    If she was daring enough to do something like this when she was sober, then she must have done something even more reckless last night while she was drunk.


    She had better run away as soon as possible. She was just too ashamed to stay there at that moment.

 Chapter 1099 He Lost Her Forever

    As he stared at the girl who was leaving in a hurry, Sean couldn''t help but smile.


    Nothing had changed. She was still just as sloppy as before.


    When Sally got downstairs, she suddenly realized that she forgot to put on her shoes. However, she was too embarrassed to go back to Sean''s bedroom.


    ''Forget it. I''ll just put on some slippers at the gate and leave, '' Sally thought to herself.


    "Miss, you''re awake. Come and have breakfast."


    Just as Sally was about to leave, she saw a servant standing by the table and smiling brightly at her.


    "Well... I... I don''t want to eat. I have to go now..."


    With these words, Sally lowered her head and walked towards the door. She put on a pair of slippers and took off.


    "Miss An, where do you want to go? I''ll drive you there!"


    Carl who was already in the car, rolled down the window and called out to her with a smile.


    Sally looked around, thinking about taking a taxi. But then, Carl spoke again, "Miss An, it''s impossible to get a taxi here. Let me drive you."


    Left with no choice, Sally scratched her head and got in the car.


    After getting in the car, she immediately turned on her phone and saw that there were a lot of missed calls.


    Half of them were from Cody, Adonis, and Sean.


    They all called her last night.


    She took a deep breath. It seemed like she had caused trouble again.


    "Hello, Cody."


    Sally had already forgotten everything that happened last night. She had no idea that Cody even knew about what happened, so she wanted to call him to say that she was fine.


    "Cody, I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to worry you yesterday..."


    He called her so many times last night, so he must have been very worried about her.


    Cody was silent on the phone. At that moment, he was in the hospital with Irene for an examination, because he didn''t believe that it was actually true.


    "Are you free this afternoon? Come and meet me. We need to talk,"


    Cody said in a depressed tone, his eyebrows quivering slightly. His eyes were fixed on the door of ultrasound room across him.


    "What? Okay,"


    Sally said, taking a deep breath.


    Well, all things had to come to an end.


    Cody hung up the phone.


    He continued to stare at the ultrasound room without moving. Irene couldn''t possibly change the result or fake the report because the people inside the room were all arranged by Cody himself.


    After what seemed like a long tim


    I was much too drunk last night and that you were there too. Did I say anything that I shouldn''t have said?"


    Cody, who was sitting across Sally, slowly looked up at her.


    "Sally, if I made one serious mistake, would I still have the right to... love you?"


    Although he knew it was impossible, he still wanted to ask.


    "What do you mean?"


    Sally was stunned for a moment. But after thinking about it for a while, she understood what he meant. "Cody, even though what Irene did was wrong, it was only because she loved you too much.


    Now that that has happened, you have to take responsibility for it."


    Cody didn''t reply to that. Instead, he just looked at her quietly.


    It seemed as if he was trying to memorize her face so he could remember it forever.


    "If it weren''t for this, would we be together?"


    He asked after a while.


    Sally lowered her head and said softly, "I don''t know." ''But I wouldn''t rule out that possibility, ''


    She thought to herself. There was no need for her to say that last sentence.


    If Sean really got married, she would give up on him completely. Maybe, she would fall in love with Cody eventually.


    Cody smiled bitterly and nodded. "Sally, I''m sorry. I let you down!"


    "Cody..."


    "From now on, I''m just your brother. Whenever you need me, you can call me any time."


    After saying that, Cody stood up and walked out of the restaurant without looking back.


    The moment he turned around, although he was still smiling, his eyes welled up with tears.


    Sometimes, just one mistake could cause a lifetime of misery and pain.


    He had lost her forever.

 Chapter 1100 Favor Sally More Than Selina

    Everything in this world was fleeting. It was hard to keep up with so many changes.


    Even when something seemed rosy and had the possibility of the happiest endings one could not be too sure. In just a flicker things could go in a completely different direction.


    It was human nature to take control of fate and direct it as one wished, but evidently certain things were beyond the human perception and they were better left to time.


    Humans never give up without a fight. They try to wrestle with the course of fate but eventually after a world of struggle they end up submitting to the ultimate puppeteer.


    C''est la vie! That''s life!


    This morning was different.


    Adonis finally brought Selina back. He couldn''t sleep a wink last night. The torment was too much. The dark circles under his eyes spoke for him.


    In occasions when people had too much alcohol, they would generally resort to blabbering gibberish. But last night the effect was much more severe. Being left paralyzed with all that alcohol in her system, she had no energy left to further indulge in drunken madness and passed out.


    This was obviously Sally.


    And as for Selina, As she was not as drunk as Sally, she was capable of doing a lot of things. On top of that she was an energetic girl. Thus the whole villa was filled with her vigor and drunken madness.


    Everything she did was acceptable to Adonis as long as she did it by herself. However, the moment she dragged him to play along, things were not as black and white like before


    That night, Adonis literally wanted to throw her out of the house at least ten times!


    It was because of Dick that Selina still had a roof above her head. Dick reasoned with Adonis saying that she was just an eleven year old girl and the world outside was definitely not safe for her. Not in that drunken state.


    Thus Adonis controlled his anger.


    Terence and Carla came over to check on them that morning after Sean visited them.


    Adonis had fallen asleep with Selina clinging to his waist. Selina would not let go of him since the night before. She rested her little head on him and held a pillow tightly. She was in her deepest slumber.


    While at the door Terence and Cara witnessed this scene.


    However, Terence was not delighted by what he saw. He knew very well that his son hated any kind of contact with girls or women and this was way beyond Adonis''s comfort level.


    The door was left ajar. The foul smell of the alcohol was all around so Adonis threw all the doors and windows wide open.


    Unlike Terence, Carla did not give much thought to it. Selina had a very irregular sleep pattern. It was not unusual to find her quilt on the ground for at least ten to nine times each morning.


    "Is that the strong smell of alcohol? Has Adonis been drinking?" she asked.


    It was only natural to


    s almost always correct.


    This girl was much more mature than her age. When did Sally develop her affection towards Sean?


    But before Carla could answer he continued, "First of all, I disagree! Adonis doesn''t like Selina. Secondly, when he brings Selina to the house today, she must remain there with us without fail. We have to do everything to keep them away from each other."


    Terence agreed while looking at the weather. Judging by the fog that blanketed everything it seemed that there would be rain later in the day.


    There could be a storm approaching.


    "What do you mean? What''s wrong with Selina?"


    Judging from Terrence''s tone, Carla could tell that he had a strong dislike for the young girl. It had been the case, right from the beginning. Carla could tell that Terrence never thought Selina was worthy of their only son.


    "Nothing in specific. It is just my gut feeling. I just do not like it. You know what is more important. If Sean and Sally are together we cannot let a repetition of last night happen ever again. We have to be more vigilant in the future. We cannot let such things occur from such an early age."


    Terrence sounded worried. He was about to light a cigarette when Carla snatched it away.


    "Can this even be?


    Sean is senior to Sally, but Selina and Adonis belong to the same generation. How can we treat each case the same way?"


    Although Carla had crossed her forties, she looked much younger, more like in her thirties. Her beautifully trimmed eyebrows were slightly raised, and her face was beautiful. She crushed the cigarette into pieces.


    She did not think too much into it at all.


    Even if this was the case why would Terrence not accept it? It was a much more acceptable as well as a better relationship compared to that of Sean and Sally.


    Right at the mention of these two people her head began to throb again with pain.

 Chapter 1101 Family

    A curve of a smile broke over Terence''s lips as he watched her simmer in anger. "In any case, I don''t like Selina. We should be more careful in the future to avoid these kinds of situations," he said.


    Adopted or not, she was still Steven''s daughter.


    Even the idea of Adonis calling Steven father-in-law in the future brought an uneasy feeling to Terence.


    "Right. Do you really think you have control over that? Why not make a decision for your precious daughter first? You''ve been spoiling her since she was a child." Carla countered.


    "Is it so wrong for me to spoil my own daughter?" Terence asked back.


    Carla slapped a hand dramatically to her forehead. "Oh, you''re so right. If anyone''s at fault here, that would be me, wouldn''t it? After all, if I hadn''t married you, we wouldn''t be here in this mess..."


    "¡­¡­" Terence was speechless at Carla''s words.


    For several more minutes, he watched in silence as Carla vented out her anger.


    She was always one to express her feelings out loud. Only after she released these emotions would she be able to slowly come to terms with them.


    Out of the two of them, Terence had always been the cool, level-headed one¡ª choosing to go the logical way and think things through.


    Sean had been trying his best to get back on track. He wouldn''t have agreed to an engagement to the daughter of the Lu family if not for that.


    Sally had also done what she could, even going as far as living abroad for three years to find a place and time to forget.


    But the universe had other plans. When the two had already exhausted everything to distance themselves from each other but ended up crossing paths again, did anyone truly have the right to interfere?


    Should they be forced to wait another three years in pain and anguish?


    For what sin must they be punished?


    --


    A complicated identity mattered little when weighed against the children''s happiness. History was a heavy burden, but one that was not impossible to accept. There came a time when children outgrew their own selves, and the greatest gift that adults could bestow upon them was respect.


    With a soft sigh, Terence resolved to honor the man that his son chose to be.


    That same day, Sean went to the Lu family to break off the engagement himself.


    He stood at the center of their palpable fury. The wedding invitations had been sent out, and their forthcoming union was in the spotlight of the whole JA City. Breaking off the engagement would inevitably provoke unwanted scrutiny. The Lu family''s name would be dragged into a very public scandal and would make them the object of ridicule within


    t and called her sister. Sally kissed her forehead comfortingly.


    Lastly, Selina walked up to Adonis.


    As she stepped forward to give him a hug, Adonis frowned and dodged quickly. "Don''t touch me. I don''t want to change my clothes again," he complained.


    The scent of alcohol lingered on her even after she had changed her clothes.


    At his rejection, Selina pursed her lips and turned back to Carla.


    "Adonis?"


    "Adonis!"


    Carla and Sally shouted at him in unison, telling him to be considerate and reasonable.


    With two pairs of eyes glaring at him, Adonis raised his head and sighed. Reluctantly, he turned around, facing Selina again.


    Selina didn''t hesitate. The next moment, she put her arms around Adonis'' waist in a tight squeeze.


    Uncaring of the tears and snot that was spreading all over his clothes, she called out to him sweetly, "Adonis!"


    Had he stayed still and accepted her hug earlier, this wouldn''t have happened. He was due some well-deserved punishment.


    ''Haha. That''s what you get for being mean, '' Selina thought mischievously.


    Adonis had no choice but to hold her with one hand. He looked at her in disgust and said, "Can you stop wiping your snot on me?"


    "Mom, Adonis is being rude again!"


    Selina complained and glared at Adonis.


    Behind them, Carla and Sally shared a knowing glance. It was obvious that this little girl liked Adonis.


    Somehow, Carla felt a bit unsettled.


    It wasn''t an issue of the difference between age or identity, but Selina had always been a troublemaker. If Adonis came to reciprocate her feelings in the future, he would definitely be in for a hard time.


    "Sally, come with me."


    After she came to her senses, Carla motioned for Sally to go with her upstairs.

 Chapter 1102 The Twilight Is Gone And The Sun Is Rising

    "Mom? What''s going on? Is there something wrong?"


    Sally followed her mother to the bedroom, a sense of guilt following her. If her mother was sad, she knew she had a hand in it.


    Anxiously, she waited for Carla to scold her. After all, the other night she had been drunk. Her recklessness must have worried her mother.


    She had always been careful. However, her last night''s behavior was one that required some serious scolding. And she was more than willing to be punished if that put her mother''s mind at ease.


    "Come and sit here."


    Carla raised her chin and motioned for her to sit down.


    Sally came over and sat next to her. She rubbed her shoulders and said, "Mom, I know I was wrong. I won''t do it again. Don''t be angry, okay?"


    She swore that she would never get so drunk that she could hardly walk, ever again.


    "I am not here to discuss that! What is it that you are making your uncle do? Once again you have made him call off his engagement. What do you gain from this?"


    Carla raised her eyebrows and looked at her daughter with her reproachful gaze. She thought, ''This girl is getting more and more troublesome. She is not as obedient as she used to be when she was a child.''


    "What?"


    Stunned, Sally''s eyes widened. With disbelief, she stared at her mother. "Mom, what did you just say now? Could you please repeat it?"


    Letting out a sigh of annoyance, Carla shook her head and looked at her. "Sally, your uncle broke off the engagement with the Lu family today. Although it hasn''t been made public, the wedding won''t happen anymore."


    Sally blinked her eyes and dumbly questioned, "Why? Doesn''t Uncle Sean like Miss Lu?"


    Realizing Sally was sincerely confused, Carla shook her head and said, "So you really have no idea at all?


    Your uncle broke off the engagement with the Lu family for you."


    "But..."


    Sally stuttered. Words wouldn''t come out of her mouth. It took her a while to regain her composure. When her mother''s words finally began to sink in, she was overwhelmed with a myriad of indescribable feelings of joy.


    ''He did it for me!'' Sally couldn''t control the happiness inside her.


    "Sally, I hope you will give yourself some time and understand what your feelings are, towards him. Marriage is not a game. It needs devotion, time and dedication to remain intact. A lot of trials and tribulations will cross the path of a couple. But one can make it work with unshakable faith! Do you think you possess these qualities?"


    Carla asked, her motherly concerns eating her away. Now, Sean was willing to take a risk for Sally''s sake. And while doing so, he would be criticized countless times.


    She hoped that her daughter could understand that his love needed her support


    n his voice.


    He knew that she was worried about Sally, but his people had seen her arrive at Sean''s house safe and sound.


    As a father, he couldn''t properly take care of his daughter when she grew up. Luckily, he had Carla who made it easy for him.


    Carla snapped back to reality and turned to look at him. The first thing she thought at the sight of him was how young he looked! Years had passed but his eyes were as deep as they were when she first met him. And the smile at the corners of his mouth was as elegant and charming as before.


    "Why are you staring at this face? Am I handsome?"


    He asked jokingly, noticing the way she was staring at him. Playfully, he pinched her chin with one hand. When she didn''t reply, he said, "I must be. Otherwise, why are you so obsessed with my looks?"


    "What''s so attractive about an old man? I''d rather go and look at Adonis." She smiled, but continued to gaze at him lovingly.


    Then, he raised his chin and kissed her. With a smile at the corner of his eyes, he said, "Really? Two girls were chasing after me today. Old men have their own charm and passion! Do you want to feel it?"


    Carla felt itchy and tried to dodge his kiss. But deep down she was enjoying it immensely. The next moment, her body was lifted up. "What are you doing? Put me down!"


    ''Does he really think he is a young man of twenty or thirty?'' she thought.


    "Nope. This old man wants to prove that age is just a number." Terence refused to let go of her.


    "Didn''t you just prove it last night?" she asked.


    "It''s not enough. I have to prove it every day!" he rebutted.


    "But...." she stopped talking as soon as his lips touched hers.


    The night sky was dim and the rain had begun to diminish. Now it was reduced to a quiet drizzle.


    As the twilight receded, sun began to rise.

 Chapter 1103 Extra Story (Part One)

    A few years had passed.


    As soon as Adonis got off the plane and returned home, the sight of a messy living room with many snack bags and coke cans scattered on the table greeted him. There was also some loud music blasting upstairs.


    He frowned and shouted to the person playing music upstairs.


    "Selina!"


    There was nobody, except for her, who would dare to make this house look like it had been robbed by a bandit.


    After calling her twice and hearing no answer, Adonis put down his suitcase and headed upstairs.


    The door of his bedroom was wide open.


    Inside his room, there was a girl wearing a crop-top white T shirt and panties with a Mashimaro printed on it. She was shaking her head and swaying her body to the music playing from the computer while eating snacks.


    Upon seeing this, Adonis, who was just about to go in, immediately looked away and turned around to knock on the open door.


    "Eh? When did you come back? !"


    Selina''s gaze shifted from the man with his back to the door to her own clothes. Realizing that she had no trousers on, Selina immediately picked her trousers up and put them on. Then, she said in a somewhat reproachful tone, "Why are you here now? I thought you were supposed to come back tomorrow."


    After hurriedly putting on her pants, she pulled the pink bra from the sofa and went into the bathroom to put it on.


    After she got dressed, Adonis turned off the TV and looked at Selina, who was still barely dressed.


    Selina simply pulled her hair up into a ponytail with a rubber band and walked up to him.


    "This is my home. I can come back whenever I want. What about you, why are you here again?"


    Ever since she stayed in his house for two days when she was eleven years old, she had taken the place as her own territory. Every time she came to JA City, she would stay at Adonis'' house without even asking for permission.


    "Your parents have gone on a trip. Sally and Sean are on their honeymoon. I really don''t have a place to stay!"


    Selina blinked her almond eyes and shrugged innocently.


    Adonis frowned and looked at his bedroom, which was in a total mess. Holding back his anger, he asked, "Then why don''t you just stay in a hotel?"


    "The hotel is too expensive! Besides, no one lives here when you''re gone. And even if you''re here, there are still a lot of other rooms. Why would I waste money by staying in a hotel?"


    Selina said, spreading out her hands. Although this small villa was not as enormous as the Seaview Villa, there was still more than enough space for several people to live in it.


    "Reall


    suddenly chuckled, seemingly realizing something all of a sudden. "So that''s why you deliberately pester me every time and come to live with me? In order to seize the best man there is?"


    "Smart! Adonis, since you already know that, I don''t have to confess my love to you anymore."


    Selina blinked and chuckled at him. "So, don''t you have to respond to me or something?"


    Adonis looked back at Selina and couldn''t help but smile. Unlike other girls, there was not a single trace of shyness in her face.


    "I just want to say that your father, Uncle Steven, is always smart and perceptive."


    Then, he lowered his head and went back to eating.


    "What do you mean?"


    Selina asked, arching her eyebrows.


    When Adonis finished his meal, he put down his chopsticks, glanced at her, shook his head, and chuckled. "Selina, do you think that you look like a woman?"


    "I..."


    Before Selina could even say anything, Adonis stood up and went upstairs.


    "What? I don''t look like a woman? What makes you say that? I have everything that a woman should have, and my measurements are not bad.


    You haven''t even seen my entire body with your own eyes. How can you say that I don''t look like a woman?" Selina murmured to herself as she frowned and glared at his back.


    In the afternoon, Selina was about to take a nap when she heard a knock on the door.


    As soon as she opened the door, a bag was thrown at her.


    "What? You want me to be your assistant again?"


    With his bag in her hand, Selina looked up at Adonis as he stood by the door. He smoothed his tie and looked at her. She wasn''t in a good mood.


    "You have five minutes to prepare. I''ve got an interview."


    With that, Adonis made his way downstairs.

 Chapter 1104 Extra Story (Part Two)

    After snapping out of her trance, Selina dashed back to her room to clean up and prepare. Then, as soon as she was ready, she joyfully trotted downstairs.


    Adonis was already waiting for her in the car.


    The two immediately drove off and after a few minutes, they arrived at their destination. Everything was already prepared by the staff at the studio.


    Selina then quickly went to work. First, she skillfully helped Adonis tidy up his look, although he already looked dashing. With an impeccable skin, he didn''t need any kind of make up at all and so Selina focused on making sure that his clothes were a perfect fit on him and his hair was in place. ''Everything for a perfect picture!'' she thought.


    Selina had come with him to help several times before, because every time he went out, Selina would stick with him. Adonis had no choice but let her be. Besides, it would be more convenient for him to have a girl assist him with his appearance.


    Although it seemed like Selina''s past time was to cause him trouble, she had been committed to every promise she had to him. That was the reason why she would always come with him on trips like these no matter the circumstance.


    "Can you hurry up?" Adonis whispered impatiently.


    They had been in the dressing room for quite a while now and Selina was still not finished with whatever she was doing to him.


    "Shut up," Selina replied, her voice with the faintest trace of irritation. "I just have to do something to your hair and we''re done!"


    The way they were positioned was hindering her from doing what she wanted and so she pulled Adonis'' chair closer to her, grabbed his head, and leaned in.


    The sudden act caught Adonis by surprise, causing him to look up. Just as he did, his cold lips grazed on the soft skin of Selina''s chin.


    He felt shivers run down his spine the moment he realize what happened.


    Selina was also surprised. Slowly, she lowered her head and looked Adonis in the eye. Suddenly, she gave him a peck on the lips and said, "Kissing me won''t speed up the process, you dummy. Just sit still. I''m almost finished!"


    "¡­"


    Astonishment and panic quickly became evident in Adonis'' face. Soon, it became obvious that he was trying to calm himself down but was failing.


    "..."


    The next moment, Selina found herself being pushed away by Adonis. He then made his way towards the door and out of the dressing room without uttering a word.


    A few hours had past and finally, the interview had ended.


    With a grim face, Adonis strode out of the studio in silence.


    "Hey! What''s wrong?"


    Selina called out as she quickly packed all of their stuff. At that time, Adonis was almost out the door and so she broke into a run to catch up with him. She was about to pull his arm to tell him to wait for her when he turned around.


    Since Selina did not anticipate that, she failed to r


    Selina''s ears couldn''t believe what they were hearing. Once again, she was stunned, and all she could do was stand frozen on the spot she was standing on.


    "Selina, your father is right. People should know their own value before they decide to be with somebody else."


    Adonis then turned to the window and looked out to the cold moon shining brightly.


    "I didn''t tell you all of these things before because I thought you were still young. I didn''t want to hurt your feelings. But now that you have grown up, you should have started to be more self-aware! But you haven''t. It seems like you don''t care."


    Selina''s shoulders were already trembling. Indeed, no one had ever said such hurtful words to her.


    However, she was aware of all of these things. She didn''t need Adonis to confront her about them. It was her defense mechanism. Her character was like a hard shell she had made for herself so that no one could see her feeling inferior or weak.


    "Adonis," she said, tears already forming in her eyes. "Is this some kind of a sick joke? Are you just messing with me? You don''t mean anything you said, right?"


    Her eyes were full of pleading. Deep inside her, she was praying that he would stop trying to hurt her, because she could only take so much.


    "Selina, in this world, no one outside should tolerate or accommodate you like this. No one should be given such responsibility and obligation.


    I hope you figure this out on your own. I''m not Uncle Steven, nor... your biological brother. I am not, and will never be, your boyfriend. Whatever happened, I''ll just chalk up to you being young and stupid. I hope you understand."


    As soon as she heard those words, Selina''s heart broke into a million pieces.


    She felt like air was being sucked out of her lungs and it made her step back. Unknowingly, she knocked the table behind her, causing it to topple over and create a loud banging noise.

 Chapter 1105 Extra Story (Part Three)

    Adonis''s words were like needles piercing her heart.


    They were so painful to hear.


    Selina was flustered for a moment. Even though her face was still very pale, she managed to collect herself quickly.


    "I''m sorry, Adonis. It''s my fault. I shouldn''t have overestimated myself. I thought our relationship was closer than those between ordinary friends. I thought that I could bring some fun into your boring life if I stayed here, and that I could help you get along with girls if I came to you often.


    But now it seems that I was wrong. I''m an orphan. I should have known better. I don''t deserve to be friends with you, the only heir of the An Family.


    Selina gave him a bitter smile, still looking as pale as snow.


    "Adonis, you are right. I was wrong. I was so wrong. I''ll get out right now! You''ll never have to see me ever again!"


    Hearing her words, Adonis looked at her as she tried her best to calm down. His black eyes narrowed.


    After saying that, Selina took out her wallet, and continued, "Here is one thousand dollars. It''s for letting me stay here for the past two days. I know you have a lot of money, but please take it anyway. I don''t want to owe you anything!"


    Then, she took his hand and put the wallet in it.


    Adonis looked at the wallet in his hand. The moment he opened it, the first thing he saw was a group photo.


    It was a photo of him, Selina, and Sally. He remembered that it was taken on the day of Yu Sea City''s Mountain Flower Festival. Flowers had grown all over the mountains which were swarming with people, and abundant fragrance had filled the air.


    Selina and Sally each made a big garland of their own. Sally had given hers to Sean, while Selina had given hers to Adonis, saying that she didn''t have any other boy to give it to.


    Then, he snapped out of the memory.


    He lowered his eyes and looked at the stack of bills in his palm. From the corner of his eye, he noticed that her hands were trembling even though she was trying her best to calm herself down.


    After handing him the money, Selina grabbed her suitcase and headed straight downstairs without looking back.


    Adonis stared at her receding figure and sighed in his heart. He had to admit that he was indeed quite abnormal today.


    He was just shocked and angry at what she had done in the dressing room.


    She had already seen him naked when she was eleven years old, and today, she had t


    e wanted was for him to see her calling for help.


    At that moment, rain started pouring.


    Adonis walked over and reached out his hand to Selina who was still hiding behind the suitcase. "Go back inside with me," he said.


    "Go back? If I remember correctly, you chased me out."


    Selina didn''t listen to him, and just sat on the ground.


    "I did. But you can leave after the rain stops. Come back inside for now."


    Adonis looked at Selina who was putting on airs with a frown. He grabbed her suitcase with one hand, bent down, and grabbed her hand with the other. He tried to help her up when he heard her hiss.


    In the rain, he looked a little helpless. He loosened his grip on the suitcase, and cradled her in his arms.


    Selina pressed her lips together tightly as she looked at his cold, handsome face. He said all of those harsh words just because she kissed him.


    ''Adonis, just wait and see. One day, you will kneel in front of me and beg for my kiss, '' Selina thought confidently.


    After entering the villa, Adonis walked towards the sofa, planning to place her on it. But when he saw that she was wet all over and her clothes were stained with mud, he changed his mind, realizing how difficult it would be to clean a dirty sofa.


    Selina didn''t know what was troubling him. All she knew was that he hesitated for a moment before taking her upstairs.


    He headed straight for the bathroom and said, "Wash yourself. I''ll get the suitcase for you!"


    Adonis didn''t look at her, but his voice was tinged with resignation.


    He had driven her out, but now he had taken her back himself.

 Chapter 1106 Extra Story (Part Four)

    Selina''s feet were still in pain, so it took a lot of effort for her to take a shower.


    As soon as she came out of the bathroom, she immediately saw the suitcase in her room. Just as she was about to find some clothes in the suitcase for her to change into, the light suddenly flickered two times and went off.


    Selina looked out at the thunderstorm outside. It was so dark in the room that she couldn''t find her cellphone, so she decided to just head to bed.


    Selina wrapped herself in the quilt and lay down on the bed. Her mind was an absolute mess. She had no idea if she was frightened by the pouring rain or the thunder.


    Finally, dawn had come.


    Selina was still sleeping when her phone suddenly rang from the corner of the bed. She struggled to get up and searched for it at once.


    With a heavy head, she finally realized that she had taken off her clothes last night when she was about to take a shower, and her phone was in her pocket.


    "Hello," Selina said sleepily.


    "Selina! I heard that you have come to JA City. Where are you? I''m back. Let''s hang out."


    Sally''s voice was full of joy on the other end of the line. Ever since her wish came true and she got married to Sean, she had been on cloud nine. In fact, she even trotted when she walked.


    "Sally, I''m at Adonis''s place."


    Selina rubbed her head and felt a little jolt of pain in her ankle.


    While she was talking on the phone, she suddenly heard a knock on the door. Just as she was about to open it, she realized that she was only wearing a bath towel and had no clothes on.


    "Okay, Sally. I''ll come to you later. I have to find a place to live."


    After hanging up the phone, Selina wrapped the quilt around herself and went to get the door.


    "What do you want? If you want to ask me to leave again, don''t worry. I''ll clean up and get out right away!"


    Selina said, taking the initiative and refusing to wait for him to kick her out.


    Adonis, who was standing at the door, looked at her pale face and handed her the breakfast.


    Selina looked up at him and stepped back. She raised her chin and pointed at the table inside. "I''m not wearing any clothes. Please bring it in for me."


    Only then did Adonis notice that she was wrapped up in the quilt. He quickly moved.


    Not a single part of her body was showing except for her head with her pale face.


    He went in and put the breakfast on the table. Without saying anything else, he wal


    pected that Grandpa Edmund would actually support their marriage.


    However, Edmund agreed that Sean was not Carla''s biological brother after all, and he was actually worried that he would not be able to win Sean''s heart in the future. Besides, the An Family did not have enough connections to the military and other political circles, and Sean was the only one they relied on for that.


    If Sean really married someone else and had children, he would be alienated from the An Family. If that happened, their power would inevitably decrease.


    It was good for him to marry Sally. Not only did they get closer, but they also avoided the worries of the future once and for all.


    Inside the villa, Selina leaned back on the sofa looking tired. Her face was full of envy. "Sally, I envy you so much. Uncle Sean really loves you very much..."


    "Of course he does. Otherwise, why do you think I tried so hard to get him to marry me?"


    Sally sat next to Selina and touched her forehead. "It''s still burning. Wait a minute. I''ll ask the doctor to check on you!"


    Then Sally took out her phone to dial a number.


    After a while, the doctor came.


    After giving her a shot of antipyretic and checking her feet, the doctor prescribed a medicine for two days and told Selina to rest well.


    "Selina, tell me what happened."


    After the doctor left, Sally looked over at Selina who was lying on the bed listlessly. Then, she walked over to her and sat on the edge of the bed.


    Selina''s head was on the pillow. The shot she had taken just now still hurt, so she didn''t dare to turn over.


    "I was bullied by your brother..."

 Chapter 1107 Extra Story (Part Five)

    "Adonis?"


    Sally frowned and poked her in the arm. "Be honest with me. What did you do to him? Did you do anything inappropriate?


    I know Adonis can be a bit distant and stand-offish at times, but he definitely knows his manners. He wouldn''t have bullied you for no reason. So tell me, what did you do?


    And most importantly, did you manage to accomplish what you wanted?"


    Selina heaved a long sigh and pulled the quilt up to cover her entire body, determined to make herself sweat out the fever. "Look at me. I''m such a mess. Does it look like I succeeded?


    Sally, you have no idea how severely he scolded me yesterday. He told me I didn''t know my limits, that I was ungrateful, that I didn''t know what''s good for me, that I did whatever I wanted at his house..." Her voice shook slightly.


    Sally patted her on the shoulder and said, "Don''t be discouraged. It''s no easy feat to win the heart of that hard-headed brother of mine. It''s going to take time, so don''t push yourself too hard. Just take things one day at a time. Don''t give up easily!


    Well, it''s rare for you to fall sick, so you might as well take advantage of it while you can. I''m going to invite Adonis over for hotpot. It''ll be a good opportunity for you to make amends. In the meantime, you get some good rest, okay?"


    Selina wanted to tell her no, that she didn''t want to see him at the moment, but before she could say anything, Sally had already left the room to make the call to her little brother.


    Selina could only stare at the door with her mouth open, her protests still on the tip of her tongue. There was nothing she could do but take the medicine that Sally had left for her before promptly falling asleep.


    Evening came quickly and Sally returned to the room. She gently shook Selina awake and said, "Selina? Come down and join us for hotpot. He''s here already!"


    Selina opened her eyes but still felt woozy. She squeezed her eyes shut again, trying to wake herself up. She forced herself to remember that Adonis was waiting and took off the quilt. "Okay, I''m coming.."


    "Oh, Selina, there''s something I need to tell you. Shana is here too. She came over to see me this afternoon. I felt bad sending her away, so I asked her to join us for dinner,"


    Sally said apologetically. She had intended to create an opportunity for Selina to spend time with Adonis and settle their issues, but she hadn''t expected Shana to come over.


    Shana was such a sweet girl that she just didn''t have the heart to send her home.


    Selina was shocked to hear the news. She knew all about Shana.


    Other than her, Shana was the only other girl that Adonis was close to, so Selina thought of her as her cl


    s a unique girl, it was still difficult for her to capture his heart.


    Shana heaved a mental sigh of relief and looked back in the direction of the stairs.


    Back in the bedroom, Selina lay on the bed in a daze. Although she felt uncomfortable, she had already slept too much during the day and couldn''t fall asleep now.


    Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.


    "Are you still having a fever?"


    Adonis came into the room and was greeted by the sight of Selina all rolled up in the quilt like a burrito. She had taken off her coat and put it neatly next to her on the bed. He noted that there were some pills on the bedside table.


    Selina rolled over to face the other side, not acknowledging his presence.


    Adonis went over to the bed and bent over to touch her forehead. He was shocked to find that it was still hot.


    Selina slapped his slender hand aside. "Don''t come near me. You were right. I''m not your relative, or your sister, and most definitely not your girlfriend. You don''t need to care about me."


    Adonis withdrew his hand and sat next to her on the bed. "Selina, I know I said some harsh words yesterday.


    I just wanted you to learn how to restrain yourself and respect my privacy just a little bit. I never meant to break off our relationship entirely."


    He had known her ever since he was fifteen years old. But even after all these years, she still managed to turn his world upside down every single time she appeared.


    Although he hated to admit it, he had gotten used to humoring her. By this point it was almost like an automatic reaction. He didn''t even have to think too much about it.


    Suddenly, Selina popped her head out of the quilt and stared at him with an odd look in her bright almond eyes.


    "What if I don''t want to restrain myself?"

 Chapter 1108 Extra Story (Six)

    Adonis narrowed his eyes and looked at Selina''s unflinching determination.


    She was blessed with a healthy, tanned skin. In spite of her illness, her face looked smooth, bereft of any pores. There was something vibrant about her. Her almond shaped eyes were fierce. Presently, they remained wide and unblinking.


    Her nostrils had flared up in anger.


    Like other girls, she wasn''t born sensitive or delicate. Nothing could bring her down.


    Even in sickness, her spirits were high. However, there was also a different kind of charm about her. Everything she did made her stand out. Adonis found her tough personality quite attractive even though he wouldn''t admit it.


    The two stared at each other.


    One was up and the other was down.


    Her eyes were measuring him whereas his eyes were scrutinizing her.


    "Selina, I got news for you. Sam''s son has gone to Uncle Steven with a proposal for you. He called me this morning and asked me to urge you to go back early."


    Adonis couldn''t look into her eyes as he uttered these works. Now he knew why she didn''t want to go back to Yu Sea City.


    It turned out she was trying to escape an engagement.


    Like a deflated balloon, Selina lay on the bed again. "You want me to get married as soon as possible, don''t you?"


    "Yes. In fact, it doesn''t even matter whether you want to get married or not. The bottom line is, once you do, someone will take care of you. My sister and I will be relieved of this duty."


    Adonis looked at her indifferently and his voice was calm.


    Biting her lips, Selina looked at him and tears blurred her vision. "You!" she shouted.


    "Take the medicine and get better. Go back to the Yu Sea City. On the bright side, the An family will give you a lot of gifts."


    Once again, he didn''t have the strength to meet her eyes. Swiftly, Adonis turned around and was about to leave.


    Before he disappeared from her sight, Selina jumped out of the bed. The quilt was messily thrown to the ground.


    Adonis heard this but he just strode towards the door, not bothering to glance back.


    However, Selina wouldn''t let him go. She ran towards him and wrapped her arms around him.


    It was quite intimate. If Adonis didn''t know her, he would have assumed it was a way of showing love.


    But he figured Selina didn''t do it out of love. This was her stance when she wanted to provoke a fight!


    ''So¡­


    is she going


    to Sally.


    Hearing this, Sally paused, and Adonis, who was earlier busy with his phone, also looked. They were extremely curious to know what it was.


    Shana took out a box from her bag. She didn''t know what was inside, but Cody was very specific, asking her to hand it to Sally personally.


    Sally took it and opened it. Inside was a laptop.


    Without showing any further interest in talking about it, Sally put it aside. "How''s your brother doing?" she asked, sounding concerned.


    Shana smiled and sighed. Her expression made it obvious that his life was quite distressing. "My brother''s condition is still the same. My father has always been in poor health. The burden of the Qi family is on his shoulders. And the worst part is, I can''t help him much."


    Sadness crept onto Sally''s heart. Quickly, she looked at Adonis and said, "Hey Adonis, if anything happens to Cody''s company, please help him fix it."


    "I will,"


    Adonis replied. Even if his sister hadn''t asked him, he would have done it. After all, both their families were good friends.


    However, there was one thing that made him doubtful.


    Cody was stubborn and arrogant. He didn''t want others to look down on him or his ability to bring his family out of the misery. In the past, every time he offered help, Cody refused it.


    And now, with everything that had happened, Adonis knew that Cody would be even more reluctant.


    Fortunately, Cody was a capable man. In the beginning, he had difficulty sorting through the chaos, but now, he was getting better at it. He could manage the Qi Group without anyone''s help.

 Chapter 1109 Extra Story (Part Seven)

    Upstairs, Selina couldn''t stop crying out in pain.


    It went on for twenty minutes straight.


    At the beginning, Selina tried her best to be polite. But after a while, she began to yell at Dylan because the pain was just unbearable. Fortunately, Dylan was an understanding and generous man. He just laughed it off and didn''t take it personally.


    Selina had thought that after the treatment was done, Adonis would come up to see her.


    She waited for a long time, but she didn''t see him at all. Then, Sally came into her room.


    "He''s gone. You don''t need to wait for him."


    When Sally saw the expression on Selina''s face, she immediately knew that she was waiting for Adonis.


    "What? He just left like that? Why didn''t he come up to see me when I cried so hard? I thought it would be miserably loud enough for anyone to hear..." Selina murmured as she moved her ankle, which now felt much better.


    Sally patted her on the shoulder and said, "He left and drove Shana home as well."


    In fact, Sally knew that her mother thought that Adonis could give it a try with Shana. Perhaps it was because Carla felt guilty that Sally had broken Cody''s heart, and she wanted to make up for it through Shana.


    However, Things might not go as she wished.


    "Oh," replied Selina without much emotion.


    Shana was a typical obedient girl. And since Adonis didn''t seem to like girls like that, Selina didn''t see her as a threat.


    "Wow, it looks like you are okay with it."


    Sally looked at her. It didn''t seem to her like Selina was taking it seriously at all. "Let me tell you. Shana is a reserved girl, so she doesn''t really show her intentions boldly. She may look harmless, but that doesn''t mean that she''s not a threat.


    You and Shana are extremes. You like crowds, while she likes being quiet. You like to take the initiative, while she likes to wait for the best timing. However, in terms of personality, the two of you are actually quite similar. Adonis doesn''t really know her very well, but if he got to know her, he could fall in love with her."


    Upon hearing that, Selina suddenly sat up straight and grabbed Sally''s arm.


    "Sally, why didn''t you tell me earlier? !"


    ¡ª


    Meanwhile...


    "Adonis, it''s okay. If we go any further, you''ll have to take a detour. I can just take a taxi home. I can easily get one here."


    As Shana grew up, she became different from the other ladies from all those noble families. Especially since her father passed away, she had taken care to keep a low profile and didn''t like to bother others.


    It was already


    ng farther and farther away from me. She always talks about her Uncle Sean. Sometimes, when I''ve been talking for a while, I find that she isn''t even listening."


    ¡­ "Suddenly, I am scared."


    ¡­ "She is now twelve years old, and she suddenly got a high fever. She hasn''t been to school for half a month now, and when I heard that her parents were scared, I was also frightened. I was afraid that she would become a fool because of the fever. But it''s okay. I can take care of her for the rest of her life.


    I asked mom to take me to Sally''s house. But as soon as I entered her room, I saw her uncle coming back and coaxing her to sleep.


    ¡­ At that moment, I knew that she was getting farther and farther away from me.


    ¡­ Right now, I suddenly don''t want to grow up.


    ¡­ She is finally eighteen years old. As expected, she went to see her uncle, but her uncle called me and asked me to pick her up.


    I know her uncle is deliberately distancing himself from her, but I still don''t like this feeling. I don''t want to know her through another person. I want to know everything about her from her, not someone else."


    ¡­ "I don''t want to see her sad or go on a diet. I want to keep her by my side all the time.


    ¡­ But I know... I can''t."


    ¡­ "She has gone abroad. I want to be with her so, so much.


    ¡­ I flew to see her, but I didn''t have the courage to show up in front of her. At that moment, I realized how vulnerable I was in front of her."


    ¡­ "She has been gone for two years, three months, and seven days. I miss her so much."


    There was only one page left before the diary ended.


    Sally wiped away the tears on her face and turned to the last page.


    ¡­ "I lost her.


    ¡­ Completely."

 Chapter 1110 Side Story (Part Eight)

    Selina took her time trying to recover from her illness. After a few more days, even her feet slowly got better as she rested in Sally''s house.


    Before coming here her father constantly pestered her to make acquaintances with the sons of other directors. She didn''t like the idea, that was why she came to JA City.


    This unresolved task put on her by her father had made her irritable.


    "Selina, dear are you ready? Can we leave now?"


    Sally entered Selina''s room as she planned to go outside. But when she saw the way Selina was dressed she couldn''t help but burst into laughter. "Is this the outcome of the hard work you have put in while in this room?" she asked heartily.


    "Do I look beautiful?! Sally?"


    Twirling like a princess, Selina asked her happily with a sense of accomplishment.


    Sally nodded her head, "Um... not bad, not bad at all."


    The pink dress with a deep V-neck was sexy but not exactly gorgeous. It was Selina, with her exotic good looks gave the dress a completely different charm. She looked great!


    "Come on now, let''s go!" Sally said hurriedly.


    "Alright then, but Sally I need to collect a package later. I had requested my father to send me two bottles of his home made wine."


    It was a special day. After all it was Adonis'' birthday.


    Adonis himself was not bothered much about his own birthday. But his parents who were out of the country had requested Sally to arrange something to make this day special.


    Sally agreed immediately. She was ready to take this golden opportunity to introduce girls to Adonis.


    Sally left no stone unturned to make her plan a success. She arranged a lavish banquet where the invitees were all the big-shots of JA City and were in good terms with the An family.


    On the special day itself, the banquet hall was filled with many attractive young people!


    "Shana, is she the one who has been clinging to Adonis and bothering him? Don''t worry, she does not seem worth it. Why do you worry so much with such a weak opponent against you?" a girl exclaimed snobbishly.


    "Don''t be so sure Penny. I think you have no idea about how firm Adonis is. It is not that easy to pester him. Everything happens according to his will."


    Saying this Shana noticed Penny looking at someone. Following her gaze Shana saw Selina walk up to Adonis with a bright red wine box in her hand.


    Shana witnessed so many girls trying their level best to get close to Adonis over the years. But no one seemed as spontaneous as Selina. She was different.


    -- Selina was quite unique


    when one really thought ab


    said, "Selina is a girl, Adonis. This place is fully packed with people. You shouldn''t have humiliated her like that. You need to show kindness at some point."


    "People should not think of themselves highly without any good reason. Overestimation is a human flaw."


    Adonis casually looked in the direction that Selina went and calmly poured himself some wine.


    Selina on the other hand left the villa extremely flustered and angered. ''Damn Adonis! He is such a mean person. How on earth could he say such a thing?" she contemplated frustratingly.


    "Miss Su?"


    An unknown girl came up to her.


    "Sorry, but who are you?" Selina asked her as she had no idea who this person was!


    "Sorry to startle you. But young master Adonis has sent me to ask you to wait for him in the log cabin in the backyard. He wants to talk to you alone as there are way too many people in the hall. Please do stay,"


    The girl said mechanically as if she just memorized her lines.


    "Oh, does he?" Selina asked completely bewildered.


    Would he apologize to her then?


    "Thank you for the information!"


    Saying this, Selina went towards the backyard. There she saw the wooden cabin.


    Just as she entered the room the door locked behind her.


    "Darn! This is a trap!"


    Selina screamed hysterically and frantically kicked the door.


    She figured out that this was the result of someone''s jealousy, because she had been talking to Adonis for such a long time. Someone must have hated her so much and wanted her to get as far away as possible.


    But why did they need to get her locked up?


    What kind of revenge were they seeking by tormenting her like this?


    Was it because of what they wanted to do with Adonis?

 Chapter 1111 Extra Story (Part Nine)

    Selina kicked the door and pushed the window out, but they won''t budge.


    She kept at it for a time until she chased after her own breath.


    When she gave the gift to Adonis, she had put her handbag on the table. In her fury, she had forgotten to take it, leaving even her phone behind.


    It''d be better to just wait and see if Adonis notices that I''m missing, '' she thought in defeat.


    At the banquet.


    "Sir, Miss Su asked for you to wait upstairs. She will come to you later. In the meantime, would you like me to open that bottle for you?"


    a servant came over and said to Adonis.


    At his words, Adonis turned his head around and wondered why she was nowhere to be found. Perhaps she was still occupied with something else.


    "Alright. I''ll be upstairs. Bring it up," he said.


    Adonis went to the third floor.


    After some time, there was still no sign of Selina.


    "Adonis, you''re here too," Shana called out to him. "Where is Selina? She had someone tell me to come here, so why isn''t she here?"


    She looked around, confusion written on her face.


    Adonis was equally puzzled. He knew that Selina did not let just anyone drink her wine.


    "I don''t know either. Come and sit down first. Maybe she''ll come later," he answered.


    "Alright."


    Shana walked towards the sofa with a smile. "This wine has a wonderful bouquet. I saw Selina give you two bottles of wine. Is that one of those?"


    Adonis glanced toward the bottle beside him and nodded.


    The two waited for a while, but still Selina didn''t come.


    "Just drink it if you want. You don''t have to wait for her," Adonis said, offering the wine to Shana.


    He peered at his watch. Twenty minutes had already passed, but Selina hadn''t arrived.


    Shana thanked him and took a slow sip of the wine, savoring its taste. With a satisfied smile, she said, "It''s really good. The flavor is rich, but not overwhelming. Adonis, you should also have some."


    Adonis had been reading a book as they waited. He reached for his glass and took a sip. As expected, it was indeed good. He had already tried Steven''s wine before, so he knew he wouldn''t be disappointed.


    Shana kept on drinking quietly. After her second glass, a dizzy, nauseating sensation crept up to her head. She was breathing in deep gulps of air as her consciousness started to succumb to the alcohol.


    "Adonis¡­ This...The wine is


    oof. She gazed bitterly at the bottle and took long swigs. It was strong, but it was her only company now, so she would drink it to the last drop.


    No one else would come to this place. Guests weren''t allowed to go up without permission.


    Selina drank more than half of the bottle in one go and wiped her tears harshly with the back of her hand. The tartness matched her own. She turned her head upwards, looking up at the dark sky.


    She couldn''t stop the onslaught of the images from the scene she had witnessed. Her heart clenched as she remembered their heated gaze.


    ''So he likes girls like her, '' she thought to herself. ''No wonder he said that I overestimated my place in his heart.


    I''m no one. I''m just an orphan who was abandoned by my parents. Who could ever like me in this world?'' she thought bitterly.


    "You''ve drunk too much."


    Adonis'' voice came from behind. His eyes went to the bottle that was almost empty.


    "So what? It''s none of your business!"


    Selina glared at him and asked, "What? Are you two done already? Why don''t you stay with her a little longer downstairs and enjoy the afterglow? Or did you leave her hanging just like that? You bastard. First, you were with her, and now you''re with me?"


    As she spoke, she drank the last of the wine and slammed the bottle to the floor.


    It was already too late for Adonis to stop her.


    He had left instructions for a servant to take Shana to one of the guestrooms to rest.


    "That wine is drugged. I tried to stop you from taking it, but you didn''t listen to me," Adonis said.


    What now?

 Chapter 1112 Extra Story (The End)

    "What?"


    Selina was stunned at what she had just heard. She stared at the empty bottle on the floor for a long time before she finally came to her senses. "Who was it? Who drugged the wine?"


    Looking at her confused face, Adonis sat down. "At first, I thought it was you."


    It did seem like something that she would do.


    But it was Shana, instead of her, who came up after that. Based on her personality, Selina wouldn''t have drugged him and given this opportunity to another woman.


    So Adonis wondered if it was Shana who did it.


    However, after giving it some thought, he also ruled out this possibility.


    Although Shana did confess her love to him, she didn''t seem to know a thing about the wine. Moreover, he had known her for a long time, and he knew that she was not that kind of person.


    So it must be someone else.


    With a hiccup, Selina looked at him with red cheeks. She wanted to explain to him that she was locked up when it happened, but based on his expression, it seemed like he already knew.


    Adonis did, in fact, know about it, and that was the reason why he didn''t come up until now. He heard from a servant that she was locked up in a wooden house.


    "What''s in the wine?"


    Selina was more concerned about this now. She rubbed her lower abdomen subconsciously.


    Adonis looked at her with his deep eyes. Without answering her directly, he stood up and said, "I don''t know. Go back to your room, take a cold shower, and go to bed."


    He didn''t drink much so the drug didn''t have much effect on him, but Selina, on the other hand, drank a lot.


    It seemed that he was going to have to lock her up again tonight, in case she came to his bed in the middle of the night.


    Selina stared at him as he left. Then she touched her red face and rested her chin on her hands as she looked into the distance.


    After a while, the drug kicked in, and she found that she couldn''t even stand steadily. Other than that, she was also feeling extremely erotic.


    She staggered downstairs and found that the banquet was over and almost everyone had left.


    "Adonis..."


    "Where is Adonis?"


    Selina asked a servant who was cleaning up.


    "Miss Su, are you drunk? Let me help you get to bed,"


    The servant said, holding her up.


    "No, thank you! Tell me, where is Adonis?" Selina felt so uncomfortable that she just wanted to drag Adonis back into her room.


    "I think he went to the backyard, by the seaside," Said the servant, who was busy with cleaning up at the time.


    Hearing this, Selina immediately headed for the back door.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Under the blue night sky, the cool sea breeze blew.


    A man stood alone by the sea, staring into the distance under the starry night sky.


    Then, Adonis heard the sound of footsteps coming up to him from behind. The moment he turned around, Selina threw herself into his arms.


    "Adonis¡­ I want you."


    Selina looked at him, feeling immensely uncomfortable. She grabbed his shirt restlessly wit


    ina shook his hand off and continued with what she was doing.


    "No? If you keep doing this, do you really believe that I won''t send you back to Yu Sea City?" Adonis threatened.


    "Well, then... Then just show me." Selina licked her dry lips.


    "Show you what?" Noticing that she was looking at him with an erotic smile, Adonis subconsciously raised his eyebrows at her.


    "According to our customs in Yu Sea City, if a man and a woman intend to be together, women have the right to see their¡­ You know, just to see whether we like it or not. Otherwise, it will be too late to decide that we don''t like it once we have already made a commitment to be together."


    "¡­ Why haven''t I heard of that custom?"


    "You''re not from Yu Sea City. How would you know? Hurry up. Don''t talk too much. If I''m not satisfied, I won''t agree to be with you even if you make up your mind."


    "¡­ Selina, your excuse is so lame. I don''t believe you."


    "I''m serious! Why don''t you believe me? Hurry up and let me have a look!"


    "¡­ If I remember correctly, you have already seen it before."


    "When? Oh, that time. I remember. But you weren''t a grown up yet when I saw it, so that doesn''t count. I want to reexamine it!"


    "¡­ Well, will you want to test it out after you take a look?"


    "No, I won''t! I always keep my word!"


    After a while


    "¡­ So, are you satisfied?"


    "Yes, yes! Very satisfied! One hundred percent! But how do I know whether it''s good or not? Let''s give it a try, okay?"


    Adonis didn''t reply.


    "Just once!"


    He still didn''t reply.


    A gust of night wind blew over, and waves rushed and splashed towards the shore.


    The Seaview Villa stood high on the mountain, just like a lighthouse over a vast sea of people.


    It lit up generation after generation.


    It guided them to the lighthouse that belonged only to them, so that when it was time for them to create their own glorious era, they would always know who they were and never lose their way.


    The end.

 Chapter 1113 Thank You Note

    Hi guys. Happy ending! Thanks for staying with us the whole time. We will bring you more interesting stories.


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    All these interesting stories are first released on MoboReader. You guys can download it now at https://www.moboreader.net


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    Separated from her family since the day she was born, Linda vowed to come back and take revenge on those who had done injustice to her.


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    Stuck with an unexpected betrothal at first, love eventually brought the two hearts together.


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    Pregnant, kidnapped, injured, poor Linda was tossed into a roaring river. Who did it to her? What did they want? Who was the other ''Linda'' around Charles?


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    With the help of her husband''s enemy, she ran away from her marriage, but at a cost that she had never imagined she would have to pay. Five years later, she accidentally crossed paths again with the same people that she had fled from.


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    Alone in the world, Jean comes across her ex-boyfriend. Will his consideration rekindle her love toward him? Will she be able to make her marriage work? Turn the page to find out more!


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    She soon found out that her long-time boyfriend, Jack Gu, was cheating on her with her best friend. As if things weren''t bad enough, she accidentally ended up in Jack''s uncle''s car, where they ended up ¨C doing it. Soon, Emily found herself in a tug-o-war between her ex, Jack and his uncle, Jacob.


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    on the flight headed for the venue, an aircraft accident occurred right before he passed out.


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    ...


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    Rocky Bai is reborn!


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    It is not until he saves a dragon that he becomes a spirit manipulator in the Holy Dragon Empire. To his surprise, the dragon''s saliva has a magical effect, which can cure disease and even bring people back from death.


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    With the dragon, Ricky starts a new life.


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    Let''s join in their adventure!


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    21, Treasure-hunting: Into the Unknown


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    Zachary Zi traveled through time and space with the help of his Treasure-hunting Compass, which led him to the Olden World where he took over the body of a young man with the same name. The old Zachary''s clan was slaughtered three years ago and his fiancee had gone missing ever since. Although he managed to survive the ordeal, his injuries had taken away his ability to cultivate anymore. Will the new Zachary be able to fit into his new life?


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    22, Addicted Love


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    Amelia''s whole life was a run of bad luck. She was born into a poor family. Her mother took her own life when she was very young. Her stepmother is mean to her. And to top it off, her sister ran off with her boyfriend. But her life changed when she met Lucian. He was wealthy and successful, and she decides to improve her luck by entering into a contract marriage with him. Amelia can afford anything her heart desires, and he gets a wife. But what happens when she finds out Lucian really loves her, and she falls in love with him in return? Read Addicted Love on Moboreader to find out!


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    23, My CEO Daddy


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    After being framed by her boyfriend and best friend, Nicole ended up spending the night with a mysterious stranger. She thoroughly enjoyed the unexpected rendezvous, but when she woke up the next morning, she couldn''t help but feel bad about what she did. All of her guilt, however, was washed away when she saw the face of the man lying next to her.


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    "He''s... beautiful," she whispered, awed by what she was seeing. Her guilt quickly turned into shame, and it drove her to leave the man a bit of money before she left.


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    Kerr was astounded. ''Did that woman try to pay me? Like a prostitute?'' he thought, offended.


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    "Ask the hotel manager for the surveillance video," he commanded his assistant authoritatively, his eyebrows furrowed. He had a determined expression on his face. "I want to find out who was in my room last night."


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    ''And when I find that woman, I''m going to teach her a lesson!''


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    Where will their story go? Find out on My CEO Daddy here on Moboreader!


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    ---------------------------------------------------------------------


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    Right, time to wrap it up. I will still be waiting for you here. See you around guys!